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A pagoda is the general term in the English Language for a tiered Tower with multiple Eaves common in China , Japan , Korea , and other parts of Asia . Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist , and were often located in or near Temple s. This term may refer to other religious structures in some countries. In Thailand , "pagoda" usually means the same as Stupa while in Vietnam , "pagoda" is a more generic term referring to a Place Of Worship . The modern pagoda is an evolution of the India n Stupa , a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated. The architectural structure of the stupa has spread across Asia, taking on many diverse forms as details specific to different regions are incorporated into the overall design. It was spread to China and the Asian region by Araniko , a Nepali architect in the early 13th century for Kublai Khan . Pagodas attract Lightning strikes because of their height. This tendency may have played a role in their perception as Spiritual ly charged places. Many pagodas have an antenna at the top of the structure known as a ''finial''. This antenna is designed in such a way as to have symbolic meaning within Buddhism; for example, it may include designs representing a Lotus . The finial also functions as a Lightning Rod , and thus helps to both attract lightning and protect the pagoda from lightning damage. ARCHITECTUAL DESCRIPTION Standing 83 meters tall, the octagonal nine-story pagoda of Kyoto's Hoshoji was the tallest pagoda of Japan. Like many wooden pagodas, it was destroyed by fire. {Link without Title} The in Bagan is as tall as a 17-story building.[http://www.hillmanwonders.com/bagan/bagan. FUNCTIONS OF PAGODAS While most pagodas were built for religious purposes, they can also be used for enjoying distant views, for military supervision (ie: use as Watchtower s), or as navigational aids to travellers and ships. Some pagodas, such as the Three Pagodas in Dali , have also become symbols of their locality. DERIVATION OF WORD 's Epcot ]] The earliest example in the '' Oxford English Dictionary '' of the use of the word ''pagoda'' in English is from 1634 . According to Alain Rey's ''Dictionnaire historique de la langue française'' (rev. ed. 1995), the word first appeared in French as ''pagode'' in 1545 , meaning "temple of an Eastern religion" and deriving from a Portuguese word dated from 1516 . The derivation is uncertain. Possible roots are the Dravidian ''pagodi'' or ''pagavadi'', a name of Kali derived from the Sanskrit ''bhagavati'' ("goddess"), and the Persian ''butkada'' ("temple"). According to Liang Ssu-Cheng's ''A Pictorial History of Chinese Architecture'' (MIT Press, 1984), the word pagoda is derived from the Chinese 八角塔 (in Pinyin , ''bā jiǎo tǎ'', hence "pagoda"), meaning literally "eight-cornered tower." Pagodas with an Octagon al base were an extremely popular pagoda design in the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty periods when Europeans were coming into contact with China . Other Buddhist sources (see also Stupa for a similar explanation with more background) point to the evolution of the word 'pagoda' from the Sanskrit 'dhatu garba' meaning a womb containing magical sacred relics, via the Singhalese 'dagoba', meaning a stupa. The following is from the Subang Jaya Buddhist Association web text Understanding Buddhist Symbols and Rituals : "Pagoda – comes from Sanskrit "dhatu garba". From the harmika in the stupa, lies the anda (dome) or world egg. Here resides the sacred relic, with their dhatus (magic elements) which like the eggs, possess the power of life. The power of this womb and its world egg is transferred through the sacred altar that stands over the gharba (the womb), namely the harmika, and becomes a force for spiritual life and renewal. Therefore "dhatu" refers to the magical, sacred relics (i.e the Buddha’s) and "gharba" the womb. From dhatu gharba comes the Singhalese "dagoba". In Burma and other East Asian countries, the daoba becomes "pagoda"." For more detailed information on this explanation, see also 'Psycho-cosmic symbolism of the Buddhist stupa', under 'References' below as well as the link to ' Exotic India Art '. In the 18th Century , Chinoiserie , a style based on Chinese and other Far East designs became popular in Europe, introduced by the burgeoning trade and travel routes. An example of this is the pagoda in Kew Gardens , England , which was completed in 1762 as a gift for Princess Augusta , the mother of George III . In an unexpected twist, a "pagod" became the English name in the luxury trade for a porcelain figure of a Chinese seated god. The Sakyamuni Pagoda , built in 1056 is the tallest remaining wooden pagoda in the world. {Link without Title} SOME FAMOUS PAGODAS
SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
REFERENCE Psycho-cosmic symbolism of the Buddhist stupa, AB Govinda, 1976, Emeryville, Calif.: Dharma Pub |
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