The King of Benaras was a kusala (skilful) king. He would not give harsh punishment to any of his subjects. Once, a minister of his court who was a naraka in his previous birth was caught for dishonesty. However, instead of punishing him, the king only banished him. The minister then went to the King […]
St. George’s Abbey is a Benedictine monastery built in the Black Forest, Germany, in 1085. St. George’s Abbey was the centre of Benedictine reforms in the 12th century as well as the foundation for Hirsau, which in turn had inspired Cluniac Reforms. However, after a fire in 1244, the abbey began a slow decline resulting
The Wonderland Amusement park was a project that was left incomplete in Beijing, China, in 1998. The Wonderland Amusement park was to be the largest amusement park in Asia. However, due to financial problems the construction was forced to stop, leaving abandoned structures like a medieval looking castle and outer buildings. Eventually, the construction was
The Last House on Holland Island was built on Holland Island, Chesapeake Bay in 1888. A Victorian styled house, the last house on Holland Island was one of the 70 homes on the island. However, by 1914 the island began to erode due to wind and tide, forcing the residents to move to the mainland.
The Cape Romano Dome House was built in Florida, in 1980. The Cape Romano Dome House was built as an igloo-like white-dome complex made of concrete. The circular shape of the houses and dome made it highly resistant to winds, but that did not stop the hurricanes that tore through the coast from wrecking the
The Baoguo Temple was built in Zhejiang Province, China, in the 1st century AD. Situated at the foot of Mount Emei, the Baoguo Temple is one of the most well preserved wooden structures in China. The temple comprises columns, halls and towers built over the years by different dynasties. At present, the temple halls are
The Shard is a skyscraper built in London between 2009 and 2012. The Shard, which is often referred to as The Shard of Glass, is a spire-like glass covered pyramidal structure. The angled glass panes covering the structure reflect sunlight and the sky, resulting in the constant change in the appearance of the building with
The Petronas Twin Towers were built in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between 1994 and 1996. The Petronas Twin Towers have a distinctive postmodern style that are 88-storey high and made with reinforced concrete and a steel and glass façade with motifs representing Islamic art. The 2-storey sky-bridge was constructed on the ground and then lifted to
The Burj Khalifa is an enormous skyscraper built in Dubai between 2004 and 2010. The Burj Khalifa was built to help Dubai gain international recognition. At 829.9 metres in height, this building is the tallest artificial structure in the world. With the primary structure made of reinforced concrete, the façade is made of aluminium and
Once, the Bodhisattva was born as the son of a King. The people in the kingdom were very superstitious and would offer animal sacrifices to gods to get their wishes fulfilled. Saddened by the killing of helpless animals, the prince devised a plan to stop it. He rode in his grand chariot to a banyan
The Hungarian Parliament Building was built in Budapest, Hungary, between 1885 and 1904. This building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, and was constructed in Gothic Revival style of architecture with a symmetrical façade and interiors and a central dome. There are statues of Hungarian and Transylvanian leaders and other military rulers
Once, a rich family lived in Benaras. They arranged for their son to marry a beautiful girl from a nearby village. Since they had not consulted their astrologer about this, he got filled with patigha or resentment. So, on the wedding day, he met the girl’s family and told them that the stars were unfavourable
A monk knew a mantra that could make precious jewels fall from the sky. However, he could use this power only once a year according to the position of the planets. One day, the monk and his followers set out for a village. On the way, a gang of kidnappers captured them. They wanted ransom.
The Museo Guggenheim is a museum built in Spain, in 1997. The Museo Guggenheim is a modern and contemporary arts museum that exhibits works of art by Spanish and international artists. Considered an astonishing architectural feat, the museum is made of interconnecting shapes of limestone, glass and titanium and thus effortlessly integrated into its urban
Once, a large troop of monkeys lived in the garden of a king. New Year was approaching and the royal gardener wanted to join the three-day celebrations. So, he requested the monkey-king to take over his duty of watering the trees and the plants. The next day, the monkeys filled up the buckets and began