wyliepoon
Senior Member
Thanks, Canuck. That's exactly what I meant in my post.
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- Thread starter Pep'rJack
- Start date
Zephyr
Active Member
Ok you are here! If that is exactly what you meant then let's go further.
I'm not sure why you think this is such a useful analogy since there are better ones available in the Hindu style, even in the Chicago area. And I'd like to explore with you the tourist angle in more detail. You game?
Zephyr
Active Member
Swaminarayan Hindu Concept of Building Temples: the Mandir/Haveli template
Below are the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston (left) next to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago (right). Although they look different here, due to photographed angle, they are virtually the same design for each individual component. Two differences that are institued in the Chicago model is an increase in size by increasing some of the modules, and slightly altering the configuration to maintain consistency in the balancing to the structure - at least that is what I was told.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago is the largest traditional Hindu Mandir constructed in America and was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Connected by underground pedestrian walkway, is Shri Swaminarayan Haveli, Chicago which is the cultural centre - shown ahead. (The actual locations of the Chicago versions are in Bartlett, IL, USA - a suburb to the west of Chicago.)
Mandir/Havali are essentially driven by template designs - the similarities are not the result of a lack of imagination, but rather the outcome of a long list of restrictions formulated throughout history that now translate into a consistent pattern of building with few exceptions. The buildings are also physical manifestations of spiritual precepts. For instance, certain parts of the buildings are always built by hand regardless of advances in technology, and the community must participate in this part of construction. The buildings can be bigger overall, but the modules have standard dimensions, and are positioned a certain way, and face in a certain direction, etc. Uniqueness is not a goal, but subtle differences may be noted in color, or minor detailing.
Below are the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Houston (left) next to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago (right). Although they look different here, due to photographed angle, they are virtually the same design for each individual component. Two differences that are institued in the Chicago model is an increase in size by increasing some of the modules, and slightly altering the configuration to maintain consistency in the balancing to the structure - at least that is what I was told.
BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Chicago is the largest traditional Hindu Mandir constructed in America and was built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. Connected by underground pedestrian walkway, is Shri Swaminarayan Haveli, Chicago which is the cultural centre - shown ahead. (The actual locations of the Chicago versions are in Bartlett, IL, USA - a suburb to the west of Chicago.)
Mandir/Havali are essentially driven by template designs - the similarities are not the result of a lack of imagination, but rather the outcome of a long list of restrictions formulated throughout history that now translate into a consistent pattern of building with few exceptions. The buildings are also physical manifestations of spiritual precepts. For instance, certain parts of the buildings are always built by hand regardless of advances in technology, and the community must participate in this part of construction. The buildings can be bigger overall, but the modules have standard dimensions, and are positioned a certain way, and face in a certain direction, etc. Uniqueness is not a goal, but subtle differences may be noted in color, or minor detailing.
Zephyr
Active Member
versus Bahá'à Concept of Building Temples: two things in common but otherwise unique
In contrast to the previous post on Swaminarayan Hindu Temples, Bahá'à Houses of Worhip, aka Bahá'à Temples, are held to only two outright restrictions: the structure must be nine-sided somewhere prominently in the exterior/interior, plus there must be a dominant roundness/circularity/dome at the centre (these restrictions were imposed by the long desceased founder). Otherwise, each Temple can be creatively designed to meet the unique demands of each locale.
Bahá'à House of Worship in Santiago, Chile, aka Temple of Light, is one of the latest designs, which is projected to be completed by the end of 2007. This South American House of Worship is the continental equivalent to the Baha'i House of Worship in Chicago. According to Toronto-educated and Toronto-based architect, Siamak Hariri* (who is also a Bahá'Ã), the design was inspired by the dome on that same Chicago area Temple. Updates to the inspiration start with the deliberate torque applied to the overall shape in order to create the feeling of motion, as well as separation and simplicity, with added translucence in materials, in constructing the nine sides. Immediately below is a nightview of the 3D model (row one left), an examination of the Temple's underside (row one centre), and slightly top biased view (row one right):
Next, a sampling of existing Bahá'à Houses of Worship in New Dehli, India aka The Lotus Flower Temple (row two left), in Panama City, Panama, Central America (row two right), and in Haifa, Israel aka the Bahá'à World Centre (row three centre):
________________
* One of the founders of Hariri Pontarini Architects (or HPA).
In contrast to the previous post on Swaminarayan Hindu Temples, Bahá'à Houses of Worhip, aka Bahá'à Temples, are held to only two outright restrictions: the structure must be nine-sided somewhere prominently in the exterior/interior, plus there must be a dominant roundness/circularity/dome at the centre (these restrictions were imposed by the long desceased founder). Otherwise, each Temple can be creatively designed to meet the unique demands of each locale.
Bahá'à House of Worship in Santiago, Chile, aka Temple of Light, is one of the latest designs, which is projected to be completed by the end of 2007. This South American House of Worship is the continental equivalent to the Baha'i House of Worship in Chicago. According to Toronto-educated and Toronto-based architect, Siamak Hariri* (who is also a Bahá'Ã), the design was inspired by the dome on that same Chicago area Temple. Updates to the inspiration start with the deliberate torque applied to the overall shape in order to create the feeling of motion, as well as separation and simplicity, with added translucence in materials, in constructing the nine sides. Immediately below is a nightview of the 3D model (row one left), an examination of the Temple's underside (row one centre), and slightly top biased view (row one right):
Next, a sampling of existing Bahá'à Houses of Worship in New Dehli, India aka The Lotus Flower Temple (row two left), in Panama City, Panama, Central America (row two right), and in Haifa, Israel aka the Bahá'à World Centre (row three centre):
________________
* One of the founders of Hariri Pontarini Architects (or HPA).
All of them are stunning.
Zephyr
Active Member
Yes they are incredibly intriguing. Sad to say I've only seen, in person, the Chicago area samples from each type. I hope to rectify that in future.
AlvinofDiaspar
Moderator
From the Star:
It's big news, whoever you are
Hindu temple to transcend faith, atttract onlookers
Peter Kuitenbrouwer, National Post
Published: Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thistletown is abuzz over Sunday's opening of a grand mandir, or place of worship, that symbolizes the Hindu community's clout in Toronto.
"It's going to be a very, very big thing," says Sabita at Patel's Fine Jewellery, a fixture for 22 years on the corner of Albion Road and Islington Avenue, an area in Rexdale known historically as Thistletown. "The busloads of people are going to be coming down from the States and everywhere."
Albion Road, a plank toll road laid in 1850 to connect Weston to Bolton (the toll at that time was 1? for a traveller on horseback) cuts diagonally across Toronto's northwest corner from Thisltetown to the former village of Claireville.
Claireville is now home to big factories making car parts and scaffolding; across from the warehouse of Levi Strauss (Canada) is rising the remarkable Swaminarayan Mandir temple.
Around it this week, hundreds of workers are busy laying brick walkways. Five tents are up, each the size of several football fields, for Sunday's grand celebrations. While there are big Sikh temples, mosques and Hindu temples in Toronto, Swaminarayan Mandir is by far our city's most grand Hindu edifice in the style of the temples of India.
More typical of Hindu temples is the more modest Bharat Sevashram Sangha at 2017 Albion Rd. in Claireville, built in a converted two-storey farmhouse and notable mostly for bright orange curtains and hundreds of yellow and orange geraniums in the yard.
Orange is the colour of fire, explains Swami Pushkarananda ("swami" means teacher and "ananda" means happy), who comes to the door dressed only in orange pants and an orange scarf. He is a monk who came here from India 12 years ago, and now teaches meditation to the adults and yoga to the children. The swami says his food, a little rice and vegetables, costs about $1 a day. The growl of trucks, day and night, makes meditation difficult.
"It is good for society," he says of the impending opening of the Swaminarayan Mandir across Albion Road. And he encourages Torontonians to welcome his faith.
"In our Hindu religion, we like everybody," he says. "Colour does not matter. We are not looking at your body -- we are seeing your soul."
The new mandir, of course, is light years from this monk's aesthetic: it will symbolize the power of a group of Hindus who have amassed remarkable wealth in the New World.
"They have a lot of money, these people," says Massa Singh Randhawa, whose family owns Randhawa Jewellers, also at Islington and Albion. Although they are Sikhs, the Randhawas gave $1,500 this year to BAPS for a walk to raise money for the temple. (BAPS, the faith building the huge new temple, stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide religion founded in 1907 by the scholar Shastriji Maharaj.)
"People like to donate because the temple does a lot of good things for the people," Mr. Randhawa explains. Like most businesses around here, he also has a clear plastic BAPS box by the till; a man dressed in white comes regularly to empty the boxes and give out sweets, he says.
Others give more generously: One source here says he saw a donations sheet permitting donors to spend $75,000 to sponsor a tree or $50,000 to sponsor a pillar.
All folks around here are feeling pride as the temple nears its big opening day.
"I will go there if I have time because I would like to see it," says Pratibha Saihgpaul, a Punjabi Hindu who owns Rajdhani Sweets and Restaurant on Islington Avenue. Adds Ms. Patel, "No matter what happens, I'll tell you something: There won't be room for everyone at the opening."
pkuitenbrouwer@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2007
_________________________________________________________________
There is an article in the current issue of Canadian Architect which talked about Bahai Temple in Santiago - each piece of alabaster is machined robotically.
AoD
It's big news, whoever you are
Hindu temple to transcend faith, atttract onlookers
Peter Kuitenbrouwer, National Post
Published: Thursday, July 19, 2007
Thistletown is abuzz over Sunday's opening of a grand mandir, or place of worship, that symbolizes the Hindu community's clout in Toronto.
"It's going to be a very, very big thing," says Sabita at Patel's Fine Jewellery, a fixture for 22 years on the corner of Albion Road and Islington Avenue, an area in Rexdale known historically as Thistletown. "The busloads of people are going to be coming down from the States and everywhere."
Albion Road, a plank toll road laid in 1850 to connect Weston to Bolton (the toll at that time was 1? for a traveller on horseback) cuts diagonally across Toronto's northwest corner from Thisltetown to the former village of Claireville.
Claireville is now home to big factories making car parts and scaffolding; across from the warehouse of Levi Strauss (Canada) is rising the remarkable Swaminarayan Mandir temple.
Around it this week, hundreds of workers are busy laying brick walkways. Five tents are up, each the size of several football fields, for Sunday's grand celebrations. While there are big Sikh temples, mosques and Hindu temples in Toronto, Swaminarayan Mandir is by far our city's most grand Hindu edifice in the style of the temples of India.
More typical of Hindu temples is the more modest Bharat Sevashram Sangha at 2017 Albion Rd. in Claireville, built in a converted two-storey farmhouse and notable mostly for bright orange curtains and hundreds of yellow and orange geraniums in the yard.
Orange is the colour of fire, explains Swami Pushkarananda ("swami" means teacher and "ananda" means happy), who comes to the door dressed only in orange pants and an orange scarf. He is a monk who came here from India 12 years ago, and now teaches meditation to the adults and yoga to the children. The swami says his food, a little rice and vegetables, costs about $1 a day. The growl of trucks, day and night, makes meditation difficult.
"It is good for society," he says of the impending opening of the Swaminarayan Mandir across Albion Road. And he encourages Torontonians to welcome his faith.
"In our Hindu religion, we like everybody," he says. "Colour does not matter. We are not looking at your body -- we are seeing your soul."
The new mandir, of course, is light years from this monk's aesthetic: it will symbolize the power of a group of Hindus who have amassed remarkable wealth in the New World.
"They have a lot of money, these people," says Massa Singh Randhawa, whose family owns Randhawa Jewellers, also at Islington and Albion. Although they are Sikhs, the Randhawas gave $1,500 this year to BAPS for a walk to raise money for the temple. (BAPS, the faith building the huge new temple, stands for Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a worldwide religion founded in 1907 by the scholar Shastriji Maharaj.)
"People like to donate because the temple does a lot of good things for the people," Mr. Randhawa explains. Like most businesses around here, he also has a clear plastic BAPS box by the till; a man dressed in white comes regularly to empty the boxes and give out sweets, he says.
Others give more generously: One source here says he saw a donations sheet permitting donors to spend $75,000 to sponsor a tree or $50,000 to sponsor a pillar.
All folks around here are feeling pride as the temple nears its big opening day.
"I will go there if I have time because I would like to see it," says Pratibha Saihgpaul, a Punjabi Hindu who owns Rajdhani Sweets and Restaurant on Islington Avenue. Adds Ms. Patel, "No matter what happens, I'll tell you something: There won't be room for everyone at the opening."
pkuitenbrouwer@nationalpost.com
© National Post 2007
_________________________________________________________________
There is an article in the current issue of Canadian Architect which talked about Bahai Temple in Santiago - each piece of alabaster is machined robotically.
AoD
wyliepoon
Senior Member
No, I'm not. I've written all that I needed to.
Unfortunately they didn't teach Indian or Bahai architecture at Ryerson's architecture history class.
M
MajorComplainer
Guest
I'm confused. Which one is at 427/Finch?
Both.
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42
Zephyr
Active Member
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
I doubt your posts had an impact on him getting confused between a museum and a temple at the same site.
M
MajorComplainer
Guest
What impact?
Anyway, I will find out eventually...so thanks for your kindness, very helpful.
Anyway, I will find out eventually...so thanks for your kindness, very helpful.
Zephyr
Active Member
"Remember, you must, ... guard thy dark humour, includeth that which diverts humbly toward thine self ... (this) may bespeak in his quarter ... the foul odour of opposition."
scarberiankhatru
Senior Member
Yes, notes to yourself and supposedly "sick" jokes - also directed at yourself - should be avoided.