Five religions, five gardens, and a common well: this is the World of Religion now being created right next to the western entrance, in the north-western section of the park.
Since 2008 four representatives of the world’s five religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism – have been designing a common garden that consists of five individual gardens that each represent the history, ideas, and views of their religion. A mighty well made of natural stone and stainless steel is located in the centre of the five gardens. It symbolises the importance water has for all the religions as the source of life. A chapel is located nearby in the park, where more than 100 cemetery gardeners and stonemasons will present their creations in 2013. The World of Religions is a symbol of hope and a place of exchange and tolerance – it serves as an example of what landscape architecture can contribute to the social and peaceful coexistence of the earth’s inhabitants.
further gardens
34. Walking by the Water of Life
- Quelle: Fotolia
Christianity
By following another person’s path of life, visitors are able to experience the importance of the Christian sacraments. At six different stations along the undulating path, they encounter the miracle of birth, the event of a baptism, a communion or a confirmation, the fortune of marriage as well as the inevitable confrontation with death, before they discover eternal life through resurrection at the end of the path.
35. Water as Metaphor
- Quelle: Fotolia
Islam
The fountains of the Alhambra, a delicate depiction of Oriental ornamentation, the scent of roses in the air and the omnipresent Allah lead the visitors in Allah’s footsteps.
- Quelle: Fotolia
36. Sacred Bel Tree with Puja Plaza
Hinduism
Seated on colourful cushions and blankets the visitor encounters the richly colourful community of the Hindus, singing and praying while above their heads a sacred bel tree gently waves its branches in the summer breeze, decorated with all kinds of ribbons and flags.
- Quelle: Fotolia
37. Rooms of Tranquillity
Buddhism
Walking along past mani walls the visitors can immerse themselves in contemplative thoughts. The scent of the incense sticks inspires spiritual ideas about the four noble truths while the fat-bellied Buddha watches over all living beings from above.
38. Wandering through the Desert
- Quelle: Fotolia
Judaism
The visitors travel back through the centuries into the Sinai desert. Here they walk along the trail of the People of Israel who after many years of slavery moved through the desert on their way to the promised land of Canaan. With each step of the journey the visitor experiences a feeling of relief and the joyful anticipation of a land in which milk and honey flow.
Documentation of the showground 2008
Do you want to know how the showground looked like in further times? Look at the clip; in the meanwhile the construction works have begun.
World of Religions
Dialogue of Religions
The customary interreligious dialogue is a very special way of learning from each other. In accordance with this, the igs 2013 has initiated a special task force with the five major faith groups for the “World of Religions”: Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism. The group has been meeting regularly since June 2008 in order to design the “World of Religions” in the western part of the park. To start off with the group learned about the diverse religious holidays: Nobody wanted to work at Easter or on the day of breaking the fast at the end of Ramadan, on Vijayadashami, on Vesak, Yom Kippur or to exclude others because of these. The igs 2013 now keeps an interreligious diary.
religious holidays
calendar in german languageImages of this area
