Imageability of Buddhist temples in congested urban contexts : a study on problems and prospects

Abstract

An image is a result of two way process between man and his environment. Therefore, it is dependent on the image making ability of a person and the image evoking capacity of an environment. That capacity of image making of a "place" is called as the "imageability of the place". That ability of a place is determined by its image able structure which consist with the sensible organization and the perceptual organization. By coinciding these two organizations an image' of a place is generated. For example religious buildings and places evoke special images for people. Because, religion has done a major role of the transition of human beings from barbarians to civilized people. This study focuses to the Buddhist temple as such religious place. The Buddhist temple as the religious center for Buddhism must be an image able place for Buddhists. Most Buddhist temples in rural areas are possessed with considerable images. But, due to the unavoidable urbanization of towns, the Buddhist temples in congested urban contexts have more restrictions of projecting their images. Their perceptual organization is not strong as a temple. The study finds that sensible organization can be used as the tool for their image ability. Some of urban temples have achieved image ability through the sensible organization and who were unable to have a good sensible organization has failed their achievement. Their temple activities are less functioning and other unnecessary activities are invading in to that temples.It may be lead to the destruction of the Buddhist society. To avoid that dangerous situation, the study proposes that the weakness of sensible and perceptual organizations of Buddhist temples in congested urban context to be identified and improved to give a certain amount of imageability for that places.