Altar for body remains: The walls are lined with shelves enclosed by glass. Within them are jars in which ashes of the deceased are kept. Some jars are plain and simple, some are carved in the shape of lotus buds, others are ornately decorated with Buddhist themes. Photos are attached to some. And one jar, huddling inconspicuously amongst the rest, displays two photos: ashes of both husband and wife. A love inseparable even by death - a true everlasting love, one that surpasses space and time.
I like this temple very much. It's a true place of worship where prayer is taken seriously: only between Man and God. The front doors are locked and the only way in is through the back. But obviously only if you're familiar to the place of worship (or if you explore it thoroughly).
Most pagodas are seven-stories high. They represent the seven steps to enlightenment or so I read somewhere. And I quite like the whole concept: reaching nirvana by climbing seven-stories of stairs, or in this case, the top where you get a sweeping view of the land, the state of nirvana when one comes to deep understanding.
And what a view, houses spreading in all directions as far as the eye can see. It's like a never-ending Athens. And all around, you hear the noisy sound of traffic and the deafening noise of construction. Even the chanting of monks which filled the entire temple complex are drowned out. It's actually driving me up the wall.
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