20241222 Sun CHUA SUOI DO pagoda with Shivam Desh

We prefer visiting temples filled with genuine devotion, where the focus is on the divine, not the perfect selfie angle. 

There's something special about the buzz of true worshippers rather than the clicking sound of camera shutters.
 

 

Entry fees are fine, of course, but there's a subtle difference between a spiritual journey and a sightseeing tour, don't you think? 

 

 
South East Asia, being the land of Buddhism, we find both the kinds in abundance, both beautiful. 
 

 
Last Sunday myself and our son Shivam could visit one such real temple called Chua Suối Dổ (चुअ स्वै दो) or literally the waterfall temple some 12 kms off the city of Nha Trang where Chua = a pagoda & Suối Dổ = a stream or waterfall. 
 

 

  
Motor biking at a leisurely speed for about 11 kms from Nha Trang city to the pagoda is a beautiful experience in itself. We took a little off-beaten road which took us via various small villages just beside the mountains giving an ‘out of this world' feeling. 
 

 
Both of us were happily nodding at all the familiar sights of tiny houses, tidy lanes, fruity and flowery courtyards, busy rice paddies, smiling locals, friendly dogs, assuring hills and chirping birdies! 
 

 
For Indians, Vietnam is an example of how well one can feel at home in a foreign country. 
 

 
The totally uncrowded temple complex is remarkable for its beauty and simplicity. Set in the mountains, with a backdrop of a beautiful waterfall the deity oversees a vast expanse of a picturesque landscape and showers her blessings.
   

The temple complex invites you to climb up five levels while the top most level temple hall sits quietly beside the stream’s origin. Totally at about 300 meters height you realize the spiritual path is not all that easy!   

 

We could relate well with everything there as all Vietnamese temples are rich with Indian imagery and Indian parables depicted in wall paintings and other art.

On the final level we met a local family sitting at the feet of a senior monk. Seeing young Shivam with me they considerately asked about our family, our life and invited him to ‘stay in Vietnam’!  

While leaving, one of the ladies did not forget to instruct us to sit with the monk for some time to bask in his spiritual aura - to which we happily complied.  

More than the beautiful scenery and well made infrastructure, Vietnam leaves a mark on me with it’s friendly & sporty attitude. 🙏🏼

 

 
Google Photos -
https://photos.app.goo.gl/metFmHAGSgkEH4Es7

  Google maps  
https://maps.app.goo.gl/dXQ1UtDxJUF5Hytu5
 
  from Nha Trang  
👉🏼 going in 
  https://maps.google.com/?q=12.246001,109.110397
  this beautiful road goes via villages beside the mountain 
 
  coming out 👉🏼
  https://maps.google.com/?q=12.244780,109.100861  
  this is the shortest way to the main road 
 
- curated by Shivam Desh 
24 Dec 2024
 --- 
  
a Marathi review exactly an year ago on FB 
  👇🏼👇🏼  
  https://www.facebook.com/kaunteya.deshpande/posts/pfbid0t86mQcfVD4KYVZSELTFbThwjNpSGNxF1TFfjFxDMLdbo8mBY8McKjruknPGGLuygl  

"... आग्नेय आशियातली बौद्ध मंदीरे तुम्हांला एकदम मुख्य प्रासादात प्रवेश करवत नाहीत. प्रवेशद्वार - स्वागत मंदीर - मुख्य मंदीर व त्याच्या वरही दोन पातळ्यांवर देवालये ~ या प्रत्येक ठिकाणी प्रत्येकी पंधरावीस मिनिटे चढून जाण्याची योजना असते. शरीर कष्टवीत सगळ्यात वर पोहोचून डोंगरा जंगलाच्या मंद संगीतात स्निग्ध हसत बसलेल्या बुद्धदेवासमोर धडधडत्या हृदयासकट घामेजले मस्तक टेकवताना आध्यात्माची वाट सोपी नाही याची पहिली खूण पटत असते. ..."
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