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Showing posts with the label Hinduism

Celso Pepito's Sketches in Borobudur, Indonesia 2023

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FRUITS OF MY BOROBUDUR, INDONESIA JOURNEY. The privileged to be invited to join the EXPRESSION exhibit at Limanjawi Art House in Borobudur, Indonesia was one great opportunity for me to learn and appreciate the arts and culture of the Indonesian people. But being in Borobudur for a week has given me more reasons to be steadfast in my creative journey as art in this area is more alive, most artists has their own studio , embracing the contemporary mode of expression as they  actively create their art. The warmthness and great hospitality of our Indonesian counterparts have even made our stay more precious and enriching. But what really made this trip more fruitful was transforming my time into moments of productivity through SKETCHING . From Cebu , to Manila , to Kuala Lumpur , to Yogjakarta to Borobudur and back, sketching has always been a part of my passion to document this trip. I was happy that our layovers in KLIA2 has given me more time to create. It was indeed another...

The Kumari Devi- The World's Only Living Goddess

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Not only does Nepal have many gods, goddess, deities, Bodhisattvas (near Buddhas), avatars and manifestations, which are worshiped and revered as statues, images, paintings and symbols, but it also has a real living goddess. The Kumari Devi is a young girl who lives in the building known as the Kumari Ghar, right beside Kathmandu's Durbar Square . From time immemorial the practice of worshipping an ordinary pre-pubescent girl as a source of supreme power has been an integral part of both Hinduism and Buddhism , a tradition which continues even to this day virtually in every household. They call this girl Kumari Devi and worship her on all the religious occasions. Unlike Hinduism, We Christians believe in a monotheistic God with three persona- Father, Son and the Holy Spirit- the Holy Trinity . Like an egg which has a yolk, the white albumin and the shell. The yolk is still an egg and so is the shell. But each of them is different. Before everything was created, God cannot exist...

The Magnificent Batu Caves of Malaysia

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On a laid back Sunday afternoon without traffic, once can reach this magnificent destination in 20 minutes from the KL city center. The Batu Cave temple complex rises almost 100 m above the ground and consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. The biggest, referred to as Cathedral Cave or Temple Cave, has a 100 m-high ceiling and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, visitors must climb a steep flight of 272 steps. My wife had no problems climbing the steps this time, as they were relatively "easier" compared to the Great Wall climb. The cave is located in Gombak district, 13 kilometers (8 mi) north of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill. Batu Caves is also the name of the nearby village. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, dedicated to Lord Murugan. It is the focal point of Hindu festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia. The limestone forming Batu Caves is said to be...