Not everyone knows that Buddhism is one of the religions common in our country. But there are not only believers, but also special institutions for them. In this regard, the question arises of what is the name of the temple among Buddhists. Traditionally they are called datsans. Especially a lot of them are in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Not only how Buddhist temples are called, but also their features will be described in the article.
general description
Studying what the temples are called by Buddhists, it is necessary to turn to the encyclopedia. She speaks of them as datsans. These are monasteries, temples, as well as university monasteries among Buryat believers. In the Tibetan tradition, the datsan is a separate “faculty” in the monastery.
Currently, Buddhist temples are located throughout Russia. Most of them are in the Trans-Baikal Territory and Buryatia. Many of them are monuments of history and architecture. So, for example, datsan Gunsechoynei, located in St. Petersburg, is an object of cultural heritage of federal significance, which is under state protection.
Architectural styles
Considering the question of what is the name of the temple among Buddhists, we should talk about their architecture. Most datsans are built on a certain principle, which gives them their own style. It should be noted that the monasteries in Buryatia and Tibet externally differ from each other, since the latter are built on a different principle. There are three styles in total - these are Chinese, Tibetan and Mongolian (a form of yurt).
The Tibetan style is walls built with a slope, step volume, pyramidal and tiered, as well as a gradual decrease in the array vertically. Crowned by such datsans is a massive frieze that has a bright red color.
Most of them differ in their style because they were built with the participation of Russian masters who had previously been involved in the construction of Orthodox churches. In this regard, the influence of Russian temple architecture was somewhat reflected in the Buryat datsans.
Temple description
The building in most cases has a cruciform shape in its plan. The main, square hall had annexes, in one of which was located the altar (northern part), the lobby (southern part). The so-called logs were built from the eastern and western parts of the world and were used for auxiliary purposes.
The most striking and richly decorated main facade is located on the south side. A distinctive feature of the datsans of Buryatia is the lobby. It has a practical purpose, namely, it serves as a kind of room that cuts off cold air. In Tibetan and Mongolian temples, the entrance to the building is directly from the street.
A roof is built over each annex (volume). Initially, its edges had straight ends, but later the corners began to lift. The perimeter of the structure is most often surrounded by a gallery located on the columns along which the ritual bypass is carried out. The altar part of the building has neither windows nor doors.
New architecture
Today, the temples of Buddhists in Russia are somewhat different from those that were built at the dawn of the emergence of this religion on the territory of the Russian Empire. This is due to the fact that at the end of the 19th century the architecture of such structures changed somewhat. For new datsans, the floor plan was close to square, the structure itself was erected in the form of a step pyramid with colonnades and galleries on the upper tiers (floors).
The roof had corners bent up (Chinese type) and bright polychrome (multicolor color), they became a hallmark of new temples. The interiors of the building used expensive finishes according to the Tibetan principle. New datsans are also distinguished by a large number of columns encircling the gallery. The architecture of the temple itself is a symbol of the divine body of the Buddha.
Construction in St. Petersburg
Studying the question of what the temple is called by the Buddhists, one should talk about the datsan located in the northern capital of Russia. It was built in 1909 according to the project of architects G.V. Baranovsky and N.M. Berezovsky according to the canons of Tibetan temple architecture. This datsan is one of the most expensive in Europe, since it was built from chipped granite.
Currently, the temple is operational, while it belongs to the monuments of cultural heritage. In datsan there are many Buddhist relics that are available for review to all comers. There are guided tours that detail the entire history of this building. The design, of course, is a wonderful architectural decoration of St. Petersburg.
Having found out that the Buddhist temple is called datsan, it must be said that at present their number in Russia is several thousand. They are visited not only by believers, but also by ordinary tourists, the number of which amounts to tens of thousands. They admire their magnificent architecture and interesting history. Many of the datsans are real works of art and temple architecture.
It should be noted that the Buddhist clergy are recognized by the Russian authorities and in some cases receive assistance from them. As of 01.01.2011, in the FSIN system there were 9 active dugans for Buddhists and 6 prayer rooms. The first of these are small temples dedicated to one of the Buddhist religious characters.