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Pagoda

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Fogong Temple Pagoda, Shanxi, China, one of the oldest wooden pagodas in the world
For other uses, see Pagoda (disambiguation).

A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist, and were often located in or near temples. This term may refer to other religious structures in some countries. In Myanmar and Thailand, "pagoda" usually means the same as stupa or chaitya, while in Vietnam, "pagoda" is a more generic term referring to a place of worship. The modern pagoda is an evolution of the Ancient Indian stupa, a tomb-like structure where sacred relics could be kept safe and venerated.[1] The architectural structure of the stupa has spread across Asia, taking on many diverse forms as details specific to different regions are incorporated into the overall design.

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[edit] Terms

The word is first attested for in English in the period c. 1625–35; introduced from the Portuguese pagode, temple, from the Persian butkada (but idol + kada temple, dwelling.) [2] Another etymology, found in many English language dictionaries, is modern English pagoda from Portuguese (via Dravidian), from Sanskrit bhagavati, feminine of bhagavat "blessed" < bhaga "good fortune."

[edit] History of the Pagoda

"Burmese Pagodas", a stereographic view, c. 1890

The origin of the pagoda can be traced to the Indian stupa (3rd century BCE).[3] The stupa, a dome shaped monument, was used in India as a commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.[3] The stupa emerged as a distinctive style of Indian architecture and was adopted in Southeast and East Asia,[4] where it became prominent as a Buddhist monument used for enshrining sacred relics.[3] The pagoda's original purpose was to house relics and sacred writings. [5] This purpose was popularized due to the efforts of Buddhist missionaries, pilgrims, rulers, and ordinary devotees to seek out, distribute, and extol Buddhist relics.[6]

Myanmar, also known as Burma, is famous for its pagoda-studded landscape, and is thus called as the Land of Pagodas. The Shwedagon Pagoda and the Pagodas of Bagan are amongst the most famous and reverred pagodas in the world.

[edit] Architecture

One Pillar Pagoda, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Pagodas attract lightning strikes because of their height. This tendency may have played a role in their perception as spiritually charged places. Many pagodas have a decorated finial at the top of the structure. The finial is designed in such a way as to have symbolic meaning within Buddhism; for example, it may include designs representing a lotus. The finial also functions as a lightning rod, and thus helps to both attract lightning and protect the pagoda from lightning damage. Early pagodas were constructed out of wood, but steadily progressed to sturdier materials, which helped protect against fires and rot.

Pagodas traditionally have an odd number of floors, a famous exception being the eighteenth century pagoda "folly" designed by Sir William Chambers at Kew Gardens in London.

[edit] Some famous pagodas

A pagoda in Japan

The Iron Pagoda of Kaifeng, China, built in 1049 AD.

Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan

The Bombardier Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Modern skyscrapers that invoke pagoda architecture:

  • The Bombardier Pagoda, or Pagoda Tower, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This 13-story pagoda is the famous structure used as the control tower for races at the famed speedway, such as the Indy 500. The pagoda has gone through several transformations since it was first build in 1913.[7]
  • The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, record setters for height (452m) in 1998.
  • Taipei 101 in Taiwan, record setter for height (508m) in 2004 and currently the world's tallest completed building.
  • Automobile

The term Pagoda has been used as a nickname for the Mercedes Benz, w113 body style. These are the 230SL, the 250SL and the 280SL produced for model years 1964 through 1971. The nickname Pagoda is used because the concave roof line of the hard top resembles a pagoda.

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Columbia University Press
  2. ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. Random House, New York, 1993.
  3. ^ a b c Pagoda. Encyclopedia Britannica
  4. ^ The Evolution of Indian Stupa Architecture in East Asia/Eric Stratton. New Delhi, Vedams, 2002, viii, ISBN 81-7936-006-7
  5. ^ A World History of Architecture By Michael W. Fazio, Marian Moffett, Lawrence Wodehouse. Published 2003. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0071417516.
  6. ^ The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture By John Kieschnick. Published 2003. Princeton University Press . ISBN 0691096767.
  7. ^ Indianapolis 500 Traditions :: Official site of the Indianapolis 500

[edit] References

  • The Impact of Buddhism on Chinese Material Culture By John Kieschnick. Published 2003. Princeton University Press . ISBN 0691096767.
  • A World History of Architecture By Michael W. Fazio, Marian Moffett, Lawrence Wodehouse. Published 2003. McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 0071417516.
  • Psycho-cosmic symbolism of the Buddhist stupa, AB Govinda, 1976, Emeryville, California. Dharma Publications.

[edit] External links

Sister project Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pagodas

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