Beautiful temples in London (or anywhere really)

[IdleRich]

How could this be in London without me knowing about it?

I asked the guy sitting next to me at work if he'd ever seen that and he said "Oh yeah and there's a nice Jain one in Potter's Bar as well".

What else am I missing on similar lines? Don't mind the religion, just beautiful buildings I've missed by being an infidel really. And I don't want to create another London-centric thread so what about elsewhere?

 

[scottdisco]

this gaff in Chicago

where is that Rich, Neasden? it's gorgeous.

 

[scottdisco]

OK this one isn't the most ornate or poshest looking in the world but always been a personal favourite, location as much as anything, it's a gurdwara on the high street in Smethwick, near Birmingham, i believe it may be Europe's largest and have the most extensive library of any Sikh temple in Europe too, although don't quote me on those

 

[IdleRich]

"where is that Rich, Neasden? it's gorgeous"

The top two pictures are the Hindu temple in Neasden, the bottom two are the Jain temple in Potters Bar. Apparently they are open to the public all the time, must be worth a visit.
Where's the one you posted? It looks like it's about to blast off.

 

[scottdisco]

Manchester Jewish Museum

on the Cheetham Hill Road, just north of town, not exactly a temple but hey, some great curry caffs and cheap Joseph Holts beer in this area too. it's the old Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue.

 

[scottdisco]

that first one i posted is in north Chicago, suburban area, right on the lake as you can just about tell in the top left hand of the picture, not bad at all!

When the sun rises over beautiful Lake Michigan, the Baha’i House of Worship in Wilmette catches one of the best glimpses. Affectionately and appropriately called the “Dawning Place,” the temple is one of suburban Chicago’s most pristine architectural wonders.

From the Sears Tower, the Baha’i temple is a distant dot in Chicago’s sprawling landscape. Up close, however, it reaches twenty stories into the sky, ending in a delicate point above the building’s ornate dome.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

I grew up about 5 miles from there, I went there a million times when I was a kid (seemingly every time relatives from out of town visited). I still ride by it every time I head up to visit my folks. they have very nice gardens as well. only like 8 or 9 Baha'i temples in the world, always got a kick out of one of them being in Wilmette of all places. it's all surprisingly small on the inside, 20 stories seems an exaggeration to me.

also in the Chicago area:

and in Oakland, where I used to live - you can see this from just about everywhere cause it's up at the top of a big hill

 

[IdleRich]

Yeah, by temples I meant to include synagogues, mosques, churches etc
Quite nice as well I think although I didn't know that it was actually still a mosque, the only bit I've been in is the front which is a shop. Thought that there was a restaurant round the back as well

 

[Bang Diddley]

The Baha'i Lotus temple in Delhi on some massive grounds out of the main city. You cant talk on the premises and so it has a very serene hush about it.

 

[IdleRich]

Can't see that picture for some reason.
Bet there are some ridiculous ones in China... although I guess part of what blew me away about the first one is the total unexpectedness of finding something like that in London.

 

[matt b]

 

[mixed_biscuits]

How could this be in London without me knowing about it?

We took half the school there!

Very nice inside too.

 

[IdleRich]

This building (Westminster Cathedral) always strikes me as rather strange looking

Well enough known of course but seems strangely hidden away for such a huge building. Suddenly appears when you're wandering around the back of Victoria - which isn't something I make a habit of too often.

 

[Mr. Tea]

This building (Westminster Cathedral) always strikes me as rather strange looking...Suddenly appears when you're wandering around the back of Victoria - which isn't something I make a habit of too often.

That's not what she told me (fnar fnar).

Yeah, the Cathedral always strikes me as looking like an enormous confection, like it's made of Brighton rock or layers of coloured sponge cake or something.

Westminster Abbey is amazing but I've never actually got round to visiting it in all the ten years I've been in London - guess it's one of those places you go to as a tourist rather than a resident. I've been to St. Paul's, but only the once.

The Russian Church in Geneva is amazing:

I walked past it once at night while there was a service going on, so I took a peek inside...incense all over the place and everyone had their own little candle, every square foot of wall covered in icons, of course, really amazing.

 

[IdleRich]

Apparently this is the biggest Sikh temple in Europe (well, that's what it says on the website although it directly contradicts what Scott said earlier on so who knows? Not me). Has some nice features but not the delicacy and intricacy of the Hindu one that lead me to start the thread. In fact it somehow looks like a combination of two architectures with the (almost) featureless and imposingly straight walls reminiscent of Senate House or something but the overall effect softened by the domes and colours on top.

 

[padraig (u.s.)]

the interior of Sikh temples is quite nice - or at least it was at the one Sikh temple I've been to, the Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, CA, an East Bay suburb which is about 50% Asian, mostly Indian/Sikh/Afghan.

a good Sikh mate once invited me to services, really interesting, kind of a come & go as you please thing. everyone sat on the floor & listened to dudes talking in Punjabi over a PA (I had no idea what they were talking about tho presumably something religious). then some dudes came & played tablas & a woman sang. you sat there for as long as you wanted & then when you were done praying/meditating/etc you'd go over and eat in this room with all these pictures of dudes who died in the Sikh independence struggle on the walls (bit like going to an IRA pub in Belfast, I guess). everyone was really nice, talking to me about Guru this & that. (that mate, btw, is married to a Latin woman, which is like the classic South Bay mix - their son's name is, if I remember right, Jorge Harjit Singh)

 

[Bang Diddley]

Apparently this is the biggest Sikh temple in Europe (well, that's what it says on the website although it directly contradicts what Scott said earlier on so who knows? Not me). Has some nice features but not the delicacy and intricacy of the Hindu one that lead me to start the thread. In fact it somehow looks like a combination of two architectures with the (almost) featureless and imposingly straight walls reminiscent of Senate House or something but the overall effect softened by the domes and colours on top.

The Birmingham temple was the biggest untill the Southall one was build.

 

[Bang Diddley]

the interior of Sikh temples is quite nice - or at least it was at the one Sikh temple I've been to, the Gurdwara Sahib in Fremont, CA, an East Bay suburb which is about 50% Asian, mostly Indian/Sikh/Afghan.

a good Sikh mate once invited me to services, really interesting, kind of a come & go as you please thing. everyone sat on the floor & listened to dudes talking in Punjabi over a PA (I had no idea what they were talking about tho presumably something religious). then some dudes came & played tablas & a woman sang. you sat there for as long as you wanted & then when you were done praying/meditating/etc you'd go over and eat in this room with all these pictures of dudes who died in the Sikh independence struggle on the walls (bit like going to an IRA pub in Belfast, I guess). everyone was really nice, talking to me about Guru this & that. (that mate, btw, is married to a Latin woman, which is like the classic South Bay mix - their son's name is, if I remember right, Jorge Harjit Singh)

Try to go early when they are doing the waking the Holy Book (which is treated as a living 'thing') with bhajans early in the morning about 8.00. There's not usually many around at that time but the music is really worth a listening too. And then have some langer which is blessed vegetarian food which is served througout the day.

 

[luka]

my next door neighbours went to that temple, im sure they still do but theyre not my next door neighbours anymore. they took me and it was good becasue they give you free food in there.

 

[luka]

neasden that is. theres a funny temple squeezed in between some georgian terraced house on romford rd in forst gate but there are no pictures on interent so you just have to take my word for it. ornate but quite pokey. never been inside.