Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. Statues of Buddha, generally under a tree, are found all over India depicting him in a serene, peaceful, and meditative pose.
Wilmington, Delaware has a rich religious history, starting with Holy Trinity Church (also known as Old Swedes) in the 17th century, the nation’s oldest church building still used for worship as originally built. Today, the region boasts hundreds of places of worship, both new and old.
The stone for the BAPS Temple in Atlanta, Georgia was shipped piece by piece from India, where craftsmen had sculptured it into more than 500 designs including rosettes, leaves, feathers and lacy geometric patterns. The thousands of sections, ranging from five ounces to five tons, each with its own bar code, have been assembled like a giant jigsaw puzzle based on instructions for religious buildings written into scripture thousands of years old.
Staircase to the Temple
The Charminar’s long history includes the existence of a mosque on its top floor for more than 400 years. While both historically and religiously significant, it is also known for its popular and busy local markets surrounding the structure, and has become one of the most frequented tourist attractions in Hyderabad, India.
Charminar Through the Arch
Flowers are used daily for religious, ceremonial and decorative purposes in India. A street vendor offers flowers and garlands for sale at a street market.
Flowers for Sale
Photos by Ravi 