• Please use real names.

    Greetings to all who have registered to OPF and those guests taking a look around. Please use real names. Registrations with fictitious names will not be processed. REAL NAMES ONLY will be processed

    Firstname Lastname

    Register

    We are a courteous and supportive community. No need to hide behind an alia. If you have a genuine need for privacy/secrecy then let me know!
  • Welcome to the new site. Here's a thread about the update where you can post your feedback, ask questions or spot those nasty bugs!

In Perspective, Planet: Places of worship.

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
In the far east, you will find little places of worship like this one almost everywhere. I have been told that they are spirit houses: when one builds a house, the local spirits are displaced. In order not to make them angry, the custom is to build a little house for them next to the main building. That little house is made especially attractive with offerings and bright colors.

 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
In the far east, you will find little places of worship like this one almost everywhere. I have been told that they are spirit houses: when one builds a house, the local spirits are displaced. In order not to make them angry, the custom is to build a little house for them next to the main building. That little house is made especially attractive with offerings and bright colors.


Excellent observations and picture, Jerome. Man realizes our small place in the universe!

Asher
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
It is not really "observation", this kind of little things are found along the street.

For example, next to that little spirit house, I saw this:


The tree is obviously not a banana tree, I have no idea why the fruits were attached to it.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
Botanically speaking, you are right, as banana plants are not really "trees". But they are usually considered as such because of their size.
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
The website backup has been requested. So I am still kicking!!

I have always maintained that to get to know a place, one must get to know the people.

To get to know the people, one must get to know what it is that they hold dear.

Faith? Money? whatever. Know that and, for me at least, my photography has been more productive.

Jerome, these are two very different images you show us of different beliefs. I particularly like

the picture inside the church. The color and the contrast add significantly to the main subject.

Thanks for sharing.

Edit: My good wife has asked me to remove a sentence. Might be misunderstood, she says.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
On the first picture, you may have notice the offering of incense sticks. Normally, the offerings are made in bundle of three, as shown here (same temple):


From the shape of these offerings comes the belief that planting your chopsticks in your bowl of rice is very rude. The reason is that the chopstick standing out the bowl would look like an incense offering and these are usually offered to the deceased. In summary: if you do that at someone's place, you are wishing their death.
 

Jerome Marot

Well-known member
No offense taken.

In the next picture, you'll see people lighting incense sticks for the offering:




This will be the last picture from that particular city, but I have others taken in different places of worship if there is interest.
 
Top