What is Wat??

What is wat?? Wat is a monestry temple that usually found in Combodia, Thailand or Laos. It is  most common reffered as "vat" in Laos which mens 'school'. It is said that a "Wat" is the Buddhist sacred place that was surrounded with monks' quarters. The buddhist site with more than three resident monks can be correctly derscribed as a wat. (As a transitive or intransitive verb, wat means to measure, to take measurements; compare templum, from which temple derives, having the same root as template.)  

In Combodia. a wat is used to refer all kinds of places of worship (Generally refers to Buddhist place).

In everyday language in Thailand, a wat is any place of worship except a mosque

Example of Wat

Example of Wat

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Angkor Wat  is a temple complex at Angkor, Combodia, built in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation — first Hindu dedicated to the god Vishnu, then Buddhist. It is the world's largest religious building.The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer Architecture. It has become a symbol of Combodia, appearing on its national flag and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors.

Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early South Indian Hindu architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture. its extensive bas-reliefs and for the numerous devatas (guardian spirits) adorning its walls.

The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "City Temple"; Angkor is a vernacular form of the word នគរ nokor which comes from the Sanskrit word नगर nagara meaning capital or city. Wat is the Khmer word for temple. Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok, after the posthumous title of its founder, Suryavarman II (source is taken from wiki)

The central structure

A plan of Angkor Wat

Front view

Elevation

Angkor Wat todays

 

Minangkabau, Rumah Gadang??

Rumah Gadang or more correctly called by Minangkabau people Rumah Bagonjong (Minangkabau house with horn like roof) the minangkabau name is taken from the word 'minang' which means "win" and 'kerbau' which means "buffalo" - are the traditional homes.  The element architecture of the house reflect the culture and values of the Minangkabau. The house serve as residence, hall for family meetings, and for ceremonial activities.The houses have dramatic curved roof structure that was insipred by the animal buffallo with multi-tiered, upswept gables. Shuttered windows are built into walls incised with profuse painted floral carvings. The term rumah gadang usually refers to the larger communal homes, however, smaller single residences share many of its architectural elements. Rumah gadang is a long house, rectangular in plan, with multiple gables and upsweeping ridges, forming buffalo horn-like ends. They normally have three-tiered projections, each with varying floor levels. The house is largely constructed of wood. The roof peaks themselves are built up out of many small battens and rafters.. It is said that the number of married daughters in a home can be told by the counting its horn-like extensions; as they are not always added symmetrically, rumah gadang can sometimes look unbalanced. (some of the source were taken from wiki)

Example of rumah gadang

Elevation of Rumah Gadang

Roof that looks like horn

Front facade of Rumah Gadang

Borobudur

Elevation of Borobudur

Statue on the Temple

Elevation of Borobudur

Walls on the Borobudur

Borobudur is a mound of earth clothed in stone, without mortar. Borobudur served as the scared diagram of the world mountain and symbolized Buddhist path to enlightenment. Five square walled terraces rise concentrically, each beaming beutifully carved scenes of life of Buddha.(Taken from The Complete Handbook of Architecture)

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist monument near Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The Borobudur monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa. 

The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kamadhatu (the world of desire), Ruphadathu (the world of forms) and Aruphadathu (the world of formlessness). 

Borobudur ground plan taking the form of a Mandala

Half cross-section with 4:6:9 height ratio for foot, body and head, respectively

The most bigger stupa in the middle of the Borobudurs'

Borobudur is built as a single large stupa, and when viewed from above takes the form of a giant tantric Buddhist mandala, simultaneously representing the Buddhist cosmology and the nature of mind. The foundation is a square, approximately 118 meters (387 ft) on each side. It has nine platforms, of which the lower six are square and the upper three are circular. The upper platform features seventy-two small stupas surrounding one large central stupa. Each stupa is bell-shaped and pierced by numerous decorative openings. Statues of the Buddha sit inside the pierced enclosures.

Approximately 55,000 cubic metres (72,000 cu yd) of stones were taken from neighbouring rivers to build the monument. The stone was cut to size, transported to the site and laid without mortar. The monument is equipped with a good drainage system to cater for the area's high stormwater run-off. 

Dougong

The dougong is a system of brackets unique to traditional Chinese architecture. These brackets, arranged like baskets of flowers, are set under the overhanging eaves, adding to the sumptuous magnificence of the buildings. The dougong bracket is a structural member found between the top of a column and a cross beam .Each is formed of a double bow-shaped arm(gong) ,which supports a block of wood(dou) on each side ,Fixed layer upon layer ,the arrangements bear the load of the roof. 

One of the dougong

Example of dougong

Example of doufgong

Various type of dougong

Function of Dougong:

1. Is a part of the network wooden support the timber fram structure of traditional Chinese building.
2. Walls functioned to delineate spaces in the structure rather than support weight.
3. Multiple interlocking bracket sets
4. Large wooden block (dou) on a column to provide solid base for bow-shaped brackets (gong) that support the beam.
5. Provide increased support for the weight of the horizontal beams that span the vertical column
6. Multiple sets of dougong reduces the amount of strain on the horizontal beams
7. Also allows structures to be elastic and to withstand damage from earthquake

Tri Angga

Tri angga means "three parts" ; high middle,and low and can be represented in the human body,bulding structures,town planning and the environment in wich the Balinese live amongst.The tri Angga of Bali as a wole place are divided as follow:the high-sacred mountains wichform a ridge from east to west through the center of the island,the middle-is where most of the Balinese live,the low-is the sea. 

taken from http://houseofbali.blogspot.com/

Tri Angga is one of the part from Tri Hita Karana (Atma, Angga and Khaya). Tri Angga is a system division of zone and area to adapt into the Bali Traditional Architecture environement.

This is an example of Tri Angga in architecture.

1. Utama, the part which pose into the highest position
2. Madya,the part located in the middle
3. Nista, the part locatd at the most lower, dirty, short, level of feet

Kenapa Masjid ade 3 Lapisan Bumbung? Why?

Majid Jamek, Melacca

The reason why the old mosque has threes layers of roof:, a research  on "Masjid Hulu." The old mosque have three layers of roof because to symbolise three stages of life which is the "jah" Belanda and to welcome various cultures among the villagers,: the element of the mousqe from Tanah Jawa was taken into the the Masjid Hulu. The mousqe has three layers of roof, with a shape likes a pyramid . The gap between these layers   allow the air flow and light directly into the mosque. The people believed the most upper layer is the "iman manusia kepada tuhan", the 2nd layer, "hubungan manusia dengan manusia" and the third layer is " alam semula jadi yang menghubungkan manusia dengan Pencipta".




Another example of mosque with three layers of roof:

Masjid Kampung Batak Rabit

The mosque is located at Kampung Batak Rabit, Teluk Intan, Perak. The original structure of the mosque is said to be not less than 100 years old. Some modern renovations have been made through the year until now.

 

Masjid Agung Demak

The Masjid Agung Demak is located in the city Demak,not least than 10km from the semarang Jawa Tengah, was one of the oldest mosque in the Hipelato. The mosque was build by the 9 wali or wali songgo. The elements of the mosque has it's own meaning make it a unique and special. The material used for the construction is mainly wood.

One of the research found that the 3 stages of roof is the symbol for each individual those who commit devout, starting from MUSLIM, MUKMIN and MUHSIN.
MUSLIM: is the person who has obey and actualize the rukun Islam.
MUKMIN: is the islam people who devout toward the rukun Iman.
MUHSIN: is the people who have been nice and hate toward "maksiat", and afraid to go in to the hell


3Layers of roof has its own significant in Islam:

1.1st roof  -menjunjung Syariat
2.2nd roof -menguasai Hakikat
3.3rd roof  -mencapai Maarifat

On top of the roof is (pointed toward the sky/ or somtimes with star and crescent shape)

Mandala , mandala and mandala

MANDALA

What is Mandala? Mandala isderived as "Circle" in the sanskrit word. During the prehistory the Hindu and Buddhist religious traditions, they usually perform their sacred art takes a mandala form. As we know the word Mandala itself explain the shape of the form from the sanskrit which is "Circle"; the basic form mandalas is a square with four gates containing a circle with a center point. The pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically, microcosom of the Universe from the human perspective For each gates is in the shape of a T. The mandalas concentratic diagrams gve a significance to the Buddhism and Hinduism religion: Spiritual and ritual. The history of mandala had transform the ritual of mandala into sandpainting during the Tibetan branch of Vajrayana, untill nowdays.

Key point of mandalas:

One of the design of mandala

Plain design of mandala

 One of the design of madala

1. The term is of Hindu origin and appears in the Rig Veda
2. Key part of anuttarayoga tantara meditation practices.
3. Mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of aspirants and adepts, as a spiritual teaching tool, for    establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction
4. In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric pattern

The psychoanalyst Carl Jung saw the mandala as "a representation of the unconscious self," taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

According to David Fontana, its symbolic nature can help one "to access progressively deeper levels of the unconscious, ultimately assisting the meditator to experience a mystical sense of oneness with the ultimate unity from which the cosmos in all its manifold forms arises  taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mandala

MeMyself and I

  Nama diberi Syukran. Umur saya sekarang 19 tahun, dilahirkan pada bulan Ogos, di Subang Jaya Medical Center (SJMC). Saya merupakan anak ke 3 dari 6 adik beradik Ketika di usia 5 tahun saya dimasukkan kedalam Taska Abin sehingga ke usia 6 tahun. Pada usia 7 tahun iaitu darjah satu saya dimasukkan kedalam Sekolah Rendah Hicom. Pada usia 8 tahun saya meneruskan pembelajaran sehingga ke darjah 6. Saya memperolehi 4A 1B di dalam ujian UPSR. Pada 13 tahun  saya menyambung pelajaran saya di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Alam Megah 1 sehingga ke usia 15 tahun. Di tingkatan 3 saya memperolehi 7A 1B di dalam peperiksaan PMR. Kemuian saya diber peluang untuk menyambung pelajaran saya ke MRSM. Di tingkatan 4 saya menyambung pelajaran saya di MRSM Gemencheh sehingga ke tingktan 5. Di tingktan lima saya memperolehi 7A 2B 2C. Sememangya saya lemah di dalam pelajran sains kerana tidak meperolehi keputusn yang cemerlang di dalam subjek berkenaan. Sehingga kini saya sedang menyambung pelajaran saya di UiTM Sri Iskandar di dalam bidang Sarjana Muda Sains Senibina.