Tag: Religion

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Mosteiro da Batalha

The Batalha Monastery (read as “ba-tal-ya”) is a monastery rich in early Portuguese history. Built to commemorate the victory of 1385 where Portugal won decisively against Castile (“Castle”), today a part of Spain, to secure its independance. Interestingly rulers of both belligerents were John The Firsts, so they were referred to as King John I of Portugal and King John I of Catile. Portugal was backed by England while Castile was supported by Aragon (today also part of Spain) and France.

King John I of Portugal went on to found the Casa de Avis dynasty which ruled until 1580, and so significant members of the House of Aviz were buried at this monastery including himself. Also buried here is one of King John I of Portugal’s sons, Prince Henry the Navigator, the father of the Age of Discovery and such the House of Aviz oversaw Portugal’s golden age as the premiere global maritime power.

Also of note is that England’s political alliance with Portugal would extend unbroken into modern times including Portugal’s interesting role in staying neutral throughout most of WWII as not to draw Spain into the Axis coalition. The Batalha Monastery also house the Tombs of Two Unknown Soldiers (WWI) where a military guard of honour watches over.

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Inside Alcobaca Monastery

Apologies if some factual inaccuracies are made in the following passage. These photos were taken 7 years ago, and the interiors of many buildings are starting to look the same given the haze of time. Interesting feature in many monasteries of the era, and seen here at the Mosteiro de Santa Maria de Alcobaça.

This feature is known as the calefactory, or warming house, where a central, communal fire is kept going for the working monks to gather around to keep themselves warm while reading, writing, translating, etc. Upstairs (seen below) was where important documents were kept as the heat passing nearby helps keep moisture from destroying the documents.

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Amritsar

In the year 1585 they decided to build the Golden Temple and excavated this pool around it known as Amritsar, meaning Pool of the Nectar of Immortality. The city that sprung up around it took on this name. Guru Ram Das, the Third Guru of Sikhism said that the pool should be God’s home, and whoever bathed in it shall obtain all spiritual and temporal advantages [citation].

    Taken: 3 April, 2017,