1 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:08,750 DAN CRUICKSHANK: This is a journey to discover paradise on Earth 2 00:00:12,040 --> 00:00:14,270 in a Russian winter wilderness, 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:19,830 on a Chinese holy mountain, 4 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,390 a Christian vision of the new Jerusalem, 5 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,350 and a Hindu celebration of creation. 6 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:35,990 This is Egypt's Sinai Desert. 7 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:38,550 According to the Bible, 8 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:41,310 this is where God revealed himself to Moses 9 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:43,590 in the burning bush, 10 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:47,070 the bush that burned and was not consumed. 11 00:01:57,160 --> 00:02:01,510 Moses led his people through this desert to the promised land, 12 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:04,670 the land of milk and honey. 13 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:10,110 And it was here that God gave Moses the Ten Commandments. 14 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,470 It's been a Christian place of worship since the 3rd century. 15 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:34,110 And here, Justinian, ruler of the vast Byzantine Empire, 16 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,350 was to make his mark in this holy land. 17 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:45,910 Deep in the desert wilderness, in the heart of a Muslim world, 18 00:02:46,000 --> 00:02:51,750 stands the oldest continuously occupied Christian monastery in the world. 19 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,910 It's a place where people have come for 1,700 years 20 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:02,750 to find solitude, to contemplate God, to experience paradise on Earth. 21 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,110 Saint Catherine's monastery, as we see it today, 22 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:12,910 was constructed in 527, 23 00:03:13,000 --> 00:03:15,870 and it seems the Bible was used as a guide. 24 00:03:17,520 --> 00:03:20,670 The Book of Revelation describes the new Jerusalem 25 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:24,830 coming down from God in the form of a great cube or square, 26 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:33,390 each side measuring 144 cubits, or about 78 metres. 27 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,750 That's roughly the shape and dimensions of Saint Catherine's monastery. 28 00:03:38,360 --> 00:03:42,950 So this was the new Jerusalem, a vision of God's kingdom to come. 29 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:55,270 Very solid. 30 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:57,750 Ah. 31 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:03,270 Excellent. 32 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:05,550 -Hello. -Hello. 33 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,430 I've come to see you and your monastery. 34 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:11,070 -I hope you were expecting me. -Yes. 35 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:12,990 Oh! 36 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,310 Now... Ah, there is the monastery, isn't it? 37 00:04:19,400 --> 00:04:20,470 Yes. 38 00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,470 And, um... And, of course, Moses. 39 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,070 -Above these are the patron saints. -CRUICKSHANK: I see. 40 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:28,510 The prophet Moses on the left, Saint Catherine on the right. 41 00:04:28,600 --> 00:04:30,270 And the Virgin Mary at the burning bush. 42 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,950 -Yes. -So we have the three dedications. 43 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,710 It's an amazing entry. It's all rather fortified, isn't it? 44 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,510 -The... Numbers of doors... -This dates from the 6th century. 45 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:41,390 Sixth? Yes. Oh, yes. 46 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:54,070 This paradise is now inhabited by monks belonging to the Greek Orthodox church. 47 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:59,070 My guide is Father Justin, who hails from America 48 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,510 and has lived here for 11 years. 49 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:06,550 At the heart of the monks' spiritual life is the basilica 50 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,310 that dates from the mid-6th century. 51 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:12,070 It's dedicated to Saint Catherine, 52 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:15,950 who's supposed to have been buried by angels on Mount Sinai. 53 00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:18,990 (RECITING IN GREEK) 54 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:26,030 Hundreds of pilgrims come here to venerate her relics, 55 00:05:26,120 --> 00:05:28,710 Saint Catherine's skull and hand. 56 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:33,910 Saint Catherine was revered for her wisdom and her learning, 57 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:37,830 and she is the patron saint for students and for universities. 58 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:40,270 And, of course, a lot of pilgrims came here in the Middle Ages 59 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:43,110 to see the body because it healed, didn't it? 60 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,150 -Wax oil came from the bones. -It was frequent. It's still frequent. 61 00:05:46,240 --> 00:05:47,630 These are the Russian pilgrims, 62 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:49,590 the new pilgrims, come to venerate Saint Catherine. 63 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,670 Can I see Saint Catherine? 64 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:04,390 (RECITING IN GREEK) 65 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:21,750 The details of this basilica are fascinating. 66 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:27,990 On the ceiling beams and on the door are images of paradise. 67 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,510 Plants and animals cavorting. Absolutely lovely. 68 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,470 And above the altar at the east end, behind the big icon screen, 69 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:44,950 are two mosaics. 70 00:06:45,040 --> 00:06:49,670 Up there, one sees Moses climbing to the top of Mount Sinai 71 00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:52,110 to receive the Ten Commandments. 72 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:59,150 And over there, Moses taking off his shoes to approach the burning bush. 73 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:24,030 I'm at the eastern end of the basilica, 74 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,270 and this is one of the most extraordinary sites 75 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:32,310 in the Christian world because since the 2nd or 3rd century AD, 76 00:07:32,400 --> 00:07:36,630 it's been agreed that this is the site of the burning bush. 77 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:39,390 The bush grew here. 78 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,190 Now an altar has been constructed above where it flourished. 79 00:07:44,760 --> 00:07:49,990 And as God said to Moses, "This is holy ground." 80 00:08:04,480 --> 00:08:07,190 Saint Catherine's is not just a place of worship. 81 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:11,070 It also provides the needs of a living, breathing community. 82 00:08:13,080 --> 00:08:16,390 The monks survive with the help of nomadic Bedouin. 83 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:21,390 Each week, the Christian monks and Muslim Bedouin 84 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:23,670 come together to make bread. 85 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,470 How many loaves get made? It seems an awful lot of... 86 00:08:40,560 --> 00:08:41,950 -Well, a lot. -A lot, yes. 87 00:08:42,040 --> 00:08:44,190 -And we usually make it on Thursdays. -Yes. 88 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:48,150 And Thursday night, and Friday and Saturday, the bread is wonderful, 89 00:08:48,240 --> 00:08:51,230 and then it begins to get dry because it's a very dry climate. 90 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,350 So by next Thursday, you're ready for fresh bread again. 91 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:55,590 Right. 92 00:09:06,680 --> 00:09:08,270 JUSTIN: And Nassir is the baker. 93 00:09:08,360 --> 00:09:11,470 And he's been doing this since he was about 10 years old. 94 00:09:11,560 --> 00:09:13,590 I asked him once, "How do you know when it's ready?" 95 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:15,390 And he said, "Oh, I just know." 96 00:09:15,480 --> 00:09:17,430 CRUICKSHANK: Of course! 97 00:09:22,560 --> 00:09:23,670 Mmm. 98 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,990 And there's another key to Saint Catherine's survival. 99 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:34,430 The high walls of the monastery protected it from attack 100 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:36,310 when, in its early days, 101 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,590 Saint Catherine's was a frontier fortress 102 00:09:38,680 --> 00:09:40,630 of the Byzantine Empire. 103 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:53,630 But deep below the protective wall is a narrow passage, 104 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:57,830 leading to gardens that help sustain life within the monastery. 105 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:10,430 Oh, yes, very fine tunnels. A sort of postern through the walls. 106 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,990 This dates from the time when this was a fortress, 107 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:14,750 and it was part of the defence mechanism. 108 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,990 So from the rather enclosed world of the monastery, 109 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,030 one comes out into the garden into this sort of little paradise 110 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:24,630 with cypress trees and olive trees. Incredible. 111 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:28,550 JUSTIN: This is not like England, where you have everything green. 112 00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:30,750 This is the harsh desert, 113 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:34,790 so it's even more significant and astonishing to find a garden like this. 114 00:10:34,880 --> 00:10:38,110 CRUICKSHANK: Yes. Looks like spinach. Is it? 115 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:41,230 We have onions and salad greens. 116 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:46,150 This is amazing for December. Look how fresh and lush the spinach is. 117 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:47,830 Astonishing, and... 118 00:10:47,920 --> 00:10:50,750 We have olive trees here, and some of them are very old. 119 00:10:50,840 --> 00:10:52,710 How old? I mean, 400 or 500 years? 120 00:10:52,800 --> 00:10:56,190 No, I've been told that some of them go back perhaps a thousand years. 121 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:57,710 Good heavens. 122 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,030 JUSTIN: Here we have honey hives. CRUICKSHANK: Lovely. 123 00:11:03,120 --> 00:11:06,150 He seems very courageous. He's got no protective gear on. 124 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:07,750 -He is. -He must get stung. 125 00:11:07,840 --> 00:11:09,710 I would never do that. 126 00:11:10,760 --> 00:11:13,190 He's very familiar with the bees. 127 00:11:13,280 --> 00:11:17,590 He smokes the hive, and then the bees go inside to protect the honey, 128 00:11:17,680 --> 00:11:20,830 and that way he can safely open the hive without being stung. 129 00:11:20,920 --> 00:11:23,550 How much honey do these five hives produce? 130 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:26,990 From each hive, last year, he extracted 10 kilos, 131 00:11:27,080 --> 00:11:28,670 which is quite a lot of honey. 132 00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:31,630 CRUICKSHANK: They're very productive bees. They like it here. 133 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,950 They've got him. He's just got stung. 134 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,150 JUSTIN: Yes. 135 00:11:38,760 --> 00:11:40,830 CRUICKSHANK: And there are goats, indeed. 136 00:11:40,920 --> 00:11:43,190 -And do you milk the goats? -A little bit. 137 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:44,590 So you do have milk and honey! 138 00:11:44,680 --> 00:11:46,870 JUSTIN: Yes. CRUICKSHANK: Oh, yes. 139 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:59,350 The monastery holds one last surprise. 140 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,310 Just to the east of the chapel of the burning bush 141 00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:04,150 is the burning bush. 142 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:08,630 The monks here believe that the roots of the burning bush are still alive 143 00:12:08,720 --> 00:12:10,670 below the altar over there. 144 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,270 The bush now flourishes outside in God's light. 145 00:12:15,160 --> 00:12:20,550 In the Book of Revelation, it's said the new Jerusalem contains the Tree of Life. 146 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:26,710 And the leaves from that Tree of Life are for the healing of nations. 147 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:31,630 If this is the new Jerusalem, then this tree, this leaf, 148 00:12:31,720 --> 00:12:33,390 are very important indeed. 149 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:35,830 This is paradise on Earth. 150 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:40,710 This is Shanxi province, in the heart of China. 151 00:13:41,440 --> 00:13:43,510 Once a rural backwater, 152 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:47,110 it's now a bustling part of a modern industrial nation. 153 00:14:07,120 --> 00:14:11,710 This is a city in flux. Demolition, rebuilding, renewal. 154 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:16,230 But all life here, all the industry, is fuelled by coal. 155 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,510 I can smell it. I can taste it, this pollution. 156 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:28,390 And yet Shanxi province contains some of the most sacred sites in China. 157 00:14:28,480 --> 00:14:32,470 The very land here has spiritual qualities. 158 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:49,670 Away from the commotion of the city, 159 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,670 I'm travelling deep into Shanxi's history, 160 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:54,830 into the land of the gods. 161 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:08,030 This landscape is one of the holiest places for Taoism, 162 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,350 the ancient religion of China. 163 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:18,990 For Taoists, these mountains are sacred. 164 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:21,510 They're the home of immortal beings, 165 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,910 gods who guide believers toward eternal life. 166 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:37,510 Tao means "the way". 167 00:15:37,600 --> 00:15:40,910 It means living in harmony with the way of nature. 168 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,870 We human beings should take nature as our model, 169 00:15:43,960 --> 00:15:45,870 go with the flow of nature, 170 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,510 not fight against it, not strive against it. 171 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:52,110 So nature is revered by Taoists. 172 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:57,510 And mountains, these great symbols of inner stillness and balance, 173 00:15:57,600 --> 00:15:59,070 are particularly sacred. 174 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:11,990 Mountains represent the yin and yang of the Taoist universe. 175 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:16,950 They have a shady yin side and a sunny yang side, 176 00:16:17,040 --> 00:16:21,430 opposites existing in harmony with one defining the other. 177 00:16:25,560 --> 00:16:30,510 And I've come to a shrine that seems to grow from the mountain face itself, 178 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:34,590 the Hanging Temple. 179 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:55,950 The sheer audacity of this structure has shocked visitors for centuries. 180 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,310 It's more like the work of the gods than of man. 181 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,510 Temple and mountain are one, 182 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:05,670 the temple's embraced by nature, like a child in the womb. 183 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:07,830 And that, of course, is just the point. 184 00:17:07,920 --> 00:17:12,910 This is a paradise, a paradise inspired by the power, the beauty of nature. 185 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,430 The Hanging Temple was first built around 1,500 years ago. 186 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,910 But most of its structure dates from the 16th century. 187 00:17:32,880 --> 00:17:37,910 Throughout its long history, the essence of the building has remained the same. 188 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,710 It's a place where believers can become one with the mountains and the gods. 189 00:17:48,200 --> 00:17:51,310 This is a portal to a strange and magic world, 190 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:54,870 a place where monks commune with the immortals, 191 00:17:54,960 --> 00:17:57,630 the gods who walk among the stars. 192 00:18:09,880 --> 00:18:13,750 It's extraordinary, this temple sort of slithers along the cliff face, 193 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:17,870 forever ascending higher and higher towards the heavens. 194 00:18:17,960 --> 00:18:22,150 This compact space is the main temple courtyard. 195 00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:24,950 Here are the prayer rooms, 196 00:18:25,040 --> 00:18:27,870 and above there, the prayer hall. 197 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:30,190 In front of me, the drum tower. 198 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,870 And here is the bell tower. 199 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,070 Everything you'd expect to find in a big temple is here, 200 00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:39,670 but reorganised and on a tiny scale. 201 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:58,390 This structure's very impressive. So minimal, so bold. 202 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:03,270 Most of the weight of the building is carried on horizontal beams. 203 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:05,350 You can see some above me here. 204 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:08,550 These are let into sockets cut in the cliff face, 205 00:19:08,640 --> 00:19:13,110 and firmly wedged to stop them working their way loose in the wind. 206 00:19:13,200 --> 00:19:15,230 This is brilliant engineering. 207 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,150 These vertical posts are purely decorative. 208 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,070 You see, they wobble. 209 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:21,910 Amazing. 210 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:28,670 The beams work as cantilevers. The more weight that's put on them, 211 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:32,150 the more firmly they're rooted into the mountainside. 212 00:19:33,040 --> 00:19:35,350 This is very Taoist architecture, 213 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:39,990 working with nature, drawing strength from the mountain itself. 214 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:58,990 It's like no temple I've ever been in, this temple in miniature, 215 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:00,790 floating in space. 216 00:20:00,880 --> 00:20:03,870 I feel like a giant as I wander through it, 217 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:06,190 flying through the energising air. 218 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:08,870 I feel like one of the immortals, it's all a dream. 219 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:12,150 I feel like I've gone to heaven. I'm in paradise. 220 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:44,710 Ah, here's a monk's bedroom. 221 00:20:45,360 --> 00:20:49,150 And here, a monk's bed. A very large bed. 222 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:51,430 I suppose, a communal bed. 223 00:20:51,520 --> 00:20:56,310 I guess monks would sleep together to keep warm, 224 00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:00,830 and to make the most of the space in this rather small monastery. 225 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:02,750 It's a lovely room. 226 00:21:03,720 --> 00:21:06,710 And from here, lying in their bed, 227 00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:10,430 the monks would have a wonderful, splendid view 228 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:13,230 of the sacred mountain over there. 229 00:21:13,320 --> 00:21:16,910 The majesty of nature, so powerful. 230 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:33,430 But there's a sadness to the Hanging Temple. 231 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,630 The Taoist monks who lived and worshipped here for centuries 232 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:45,430 have been evicted. 233 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:58,030 The monks were here at the time of the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s, 234 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:01,670 and that's when the heads were broken off all these small images here. 235 00:22:01,760 --> 00:22:04,470 Every single one's been decapitated. 236 00:22:04,560 --> 00:22:06,430 It's shocking, brutal. 237 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:11,470 The monks were ordered to leave, exiled from paradise. 238 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,750 And it seemed that after nearly 2,500 years, 239 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,590 the Taoist religion was dead in China. 240 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:55,550 (BELL RINGING) 241 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:03,590 But the Taoist spirit has not deserted these sacred mountains. 242 00:23:05,680 --> 00:23:09,710 Like the Hanging Temple, this place was vandalised and closed 243 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:12,110 during the Cultural Revolution. 244 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:16,630 But the Taoist flame is flickering here once more. 245 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:18,910 (CHANTING) 246 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:40,390 Guo Zhidan is the only monk in the Temple of the Ninth Heaven. 247 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:45,510 He spends his life meditating on the ways of nature. 248 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:55,470 (SPEAKING CHINESE) 249 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,150 Does living on a mountain make you feel closer to the immortals? 250 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:40,710 Yes, this does feel like the realm of the gods. 251 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,590 I can quite see why in the past so many monasteries were built up here, 252 00:24:44,680 --> 00:24:48,270 so monks could commune more closely with nature. 253 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:55,350 Up here, despite all the chaos and pollution in the world below, 254 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,350 up here the laws of nature prevail. 255 00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,550 This paradise has not been lost. 256 00:25:02,640 --> 00:25:05,510 Here paradise endures. 257 00:25:45,120 --> 00:25:48,070 Northern Russia in the middle of winter. 258 00:25:50,080 --> 00:25:53,630 I'm about to travel 600 miles through the night 259 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:56,910 into the remote wastes of the Russian wilderness. 260 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:17,150 I'm heading to a place that's virtually inaccessible during the winter months. 261 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,230 Indeed, I'm not sure I'm going to make it. 262 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,750 There's a long train journey ahead of me. 263 00:26:22,840 --> 00:26:26,630 I'm going north, and the snow is building up. 264 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:37,070 I'm on a pilgrimage to a place that I'm told 265 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:40,350 represents the heart and soul of Russia. 266 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,710 This is Kizhi, a tiny island in northwest Russia 267 00:26:55,800 --> 00:26:58,350 in the middle of a vast frozen lake. 268 00:26:59,160 --> 00:27:01,830 Only a handful of people live here now. 269 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:05,550 But it was once a thriving place for fishing and farming. 270 00:27:32,760 --> 00:27:36,870 It was here that a Russian vision of paradise was created, 271 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:39,270 made not of stone, but wood. 272 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:49,270 What an astonishing silhouette. 273 00:27:50,720 --> 00:27:54,510 The large church on the left looks rather like a sort of pyramid, 274 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:56,990 like a mighty fir tree. 275 00:27:57,080 --> 00:27:59,910 It marks a sacred site, 276 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:04,390 a piece of paradise in this harsh, unforgiving landscape. 277 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:18,430 Kizhi has been holy ground since pagan times, 278 00:28:18,520 --> 00:28:21,550 when people worshipped the goddess of the sun. 279 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:25,430 And when Christianity came to the island, 280 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:27,550 the Church appropriated this site 281 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:31,030 and in the 18th century built these amazing churches. 282 00:28:33,200 --> 00:28:36,390 Around the site's a protecting wall. 283 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:42,190 All within is blessed, consecrated as a spiritual refuge. 284 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:48,110 This wall ought to keep prowling evil spirits out, 285 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,350 to keep the old gods at bay. 286 00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:53,070 (BELLS TOLLING) 287 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:37,670 This consecrated area within the wall, called the pogost, 288 00:29:37,760 --> 00:29:41,150 contains the graves of the Christian dead. 289 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:44,230 Here they are, protected here, 290 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:48,870 awaiting resurrection on the Day of Judgement. 291 00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:54,470 This area also contains a bell tower, a church for use in the summer, 292 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:57,350 and another church for use in the winter. 293 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:17,350 The buildings within the enclosure are beautifully constructed 294 00:30:17,440 --> 00:30:20,110 out of pine logs. Here we see them. 295 00:30:20,200 --> 00:30:26,070 These logs have been squared and cut using an axe, not a saw. 296 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,110 A saw would damage the grain. An axe closes the grain. 297 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:32,550 Protects the wood from damp. Stops the timbers from rotting. 298 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:35,750 Here you see how well cut they are with an axe. 299 00:30:35,840 --> 00:30:38,950 The joints are incredibly tight. Very straight edges. 300 00:30:39,040 --> 00:30:41,710 No wind will get through these two logs. 301 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,590 And here you see logs meeting at this corner, 302 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:47,950 all lapped together very tightly. 303 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,510 No nails needed. No nails used. 304 00:30:51,600 --> 00:30:53,590 Beautiful quality, this has. 305 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:57,430 It's sort of honest moral construction. All is revealed. 306 00:30:57,520 --> 00:31:00,030 It has a Christian truth about it. 307 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:11,990 It's only by climbing the bell tower 308 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,750 that you appreciate the true scale of the two churches. 309 00:31:29,160 --> 00:31:32,670 From here you can see how the spectacular domes are arranged 310 00:31:32,760 --> 00:31:35,550 on the Church of the Intercession of the Virgin 311 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:40,350 and on the huge Church of the Transfiguration of Christ. 312 00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,750 The domes on the buildings within the sacred enclosure 313 00:31:46,840 --> 00:31:48,630 are full of meaning. 314 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:52,230 On the Church of the Transfiguration, 315 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,710 there are 22 domes, a number that puzzles most people. 316 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,670 But it could refer to the Book of Revelation, 317 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,990 a text held very important by the Orthodoxt church, 318 00:32:03,080 --> 00:32:06,470 a text to do with the end of the world and judgement. 319 00:32:06,560 --> 00:32:09,990 And there are 22 chapters in the Book of Revelation. 320 00:32:10,080 --> 00:32:13,310 In total, within the whole sacred enclosure, 321 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,430 there are 33 domes. 322 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:18,190 Christ died in his 33rd year. 323 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,830 So perhaps they represent his death. In which case, it's paradise. 324 00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,750 It's to do with judgement, to do with death, 325 00:32:24,840 --> 00:32:28,110 to do with the end of the world, the world to come. 326 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:35,310 In this part of Russia, daylight is treasured, 327 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:37,910 as the winter nights are painfully long. 328 00:32:40,680 --> 00:32:43,710 But this sacred enclosure provided comfort 329 00:32:43,800 --> 00:32:47,630 by showing that God's energy-giving light is ever-present. 330 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:54,590 The Transfiguration of Christ, after which this church is named, 331 00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:56,670 is all to do with light. 332 00:32:56,760 --> 00:33:00,670 Christ climbed a mountain and light beamed from him, 333 00:33:00,760 --> 00:33:02,430 like the sun. 334 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,270 This proclaimed divinity 335 00:33:04,360 --> 00:33:07,430 confirmed that he was indeed the son of God. 336 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,910 So light is sacred, light is life. 337 00:33:27,000 --> 00:33:30,550 But here, it seems, the light's been turned off. 338 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:39,470 These churches suffered much during Soviet times 339 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:41,710 when they were left to rot. 340 00:33:43,160 --> 00:33:46,790 Only this scaffolding prevents the Transfiguration from collapsing. 341 00:33:55,640 --> 00:33:58,590 But the Intercession, the winter church, 342 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,550 is a beacon of light. 343 00:34:04,200 --> 00:34:06,030 (SINGING IN RUSSIAN) 344 00:34:26,760 --> 00:34:29,470 This church is once again at the heart of Kizhi, 345 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:32,110 as it was in the 18th century. 346 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:35,190 A place of worship and a village hall 347 00:34:35,280 --> 00:34:37,830 where people could mix with their neighbours. 348 00:35:03,240 --> 00:35:06,030 Hospitality and a sense of community 349 00:35:06,120 --> 00:35:08,910 are all-important in such a harsh climate. 350 00:35:18,040 --> 00:35:20,190 (WOMAN SPEAKING RUSSIAN) 351 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:21,550 Come in, come in. 352 00:35:24,240 --> 00:35:26,830 (BOTH SPEAKING RUSSIAN) 353 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:29,110 Excellent. Oh, how lovely. 354 00:35:29,200 --> 00:35:31,030 Thank you, thank you. 355 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:35,870 Oh. 356 00:35:40,640 --> 00:35:42,030 Excellent samovar. 357 00:35:42,680 --> 00:35:44,550 Samovar. Very good. 358 00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:49,190 (LAUGHING) Yes, Ruski. 359 00:35:53,960 --> 00:35:55,550 Oh, I say. 360 00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,310 This is the 18th century way of drinking tea, 361 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:01,590 into the saucer. This is absolutely fascinating. 362 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:03,470 My goodness me, do I have to eat all of that? 363 00:36:03,560 --> 00:36:06,590 Thank you. Spasiba. Oh, right, here we go. 364 00:36:15,960 --> 00:36:17,390 I'm doing something wrong. 365 00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,630 I think it's because I should be dipping it in. Yeah. 366 00:36:20,720 --> 00:36:22,110 Then in the mouth. 367 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:29,510 It's much better like that. 368 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,150 What more could a chap want? 369 00:36:38,440 --> 00:36:41,030 Even in this cold and forbidding land, 370 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:44,830 people have created a place of spiritual warmth. 371 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:48,270 The churches of Kizhi shine out in the dark, 372 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:51,870 catering for the bodies and souls of their congregation. 373 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:55,030 A light that refuses to be snuffed out. 374 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:24,310 In the sacred Cauvery River in South India 375 00:37:24,400 --> 00:37:26,750 sits the island of Srirangam. 376 00:37:28,880 --> 00:37:32,950 Here stands the mighty temple of Sri Ranganathaswamy. 377 00:37:56,240 --> 00:37:59,110 These great Hindu temples are not just places of worship, 378 00:37:59,200 --> 00:38:03,030 they're sacred objects of adoration in their own right. 379 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:06,390 They're the living bodies of the god to whom they are consecrated. 380 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,870 They're the cosmos in miniature. 381 00:38:08,960 --> 00:38:13,430 Diagrams of creation. Heavens on Earth. 382 00:38:15,960 --> 00:38:18,670 This is the biggest Hindu temple in South India, 383 00:38:18,760 --> 00:38:21,710 seven concentric square enclosures, 384 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:25,470 representing the seven visible worlds of Hindu cosmology. 385 00:38:27,000 --> 00:38:29,670 It's dedicated to the god Vishnu 386 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:32,510 and has been a major site of worship and pilgrimage 387 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:34,790 for more than 1,000 years. 388 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:41,510 The entrances to the enclosures 389 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:44,670 are marked by ornate pyramid-shaped gates. 390 00:38:55,560 --> 00:38:59,470 The three outer enclosures of the temple are very noisy. 391 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,630 Very worldly. It's where people live and work. 392 00:39:02,720 --> 00:39:06,510 There are shops, booths. Many shops selling things related to the temple, 393 00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:08,790 or they're simply selling food. 394 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:31,830 In the temple town, everything is sacred, 395 00:39:31,920 --> 00:39:34,190 especially selling flowers. 396 00:39:34,280 --> 00:39:36,150 Here flowers are big business 397 00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:38,990 because flowers are essential for worship, for puja, 398 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,150 to offer them to the gods. 399 00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:43,870 Oh, oh. 400 00:39:44,760 --> 00:39:48,510 Lovely, lovely. Very... Very much my colours. 401 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:51,230 Let me give you some money for that. 402 00:39:51,320 --> 00:39:53,870 Thank you very much indeed. Beautiful. 403 00:40:08,120 --> 00:40:11,270 Within one of the three worldly outer enclosures 404 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:13,030 are the homes of the Brahman families 405 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:16,030 who, for centuries, have served the temple. 406 00:40:21,640 --> 00:40:24,750 -Come, Dan. Come to my kitchen. -Oh, the kitchen. 407 00:40:24,840 --> 00:40:28,030 Can you tell me, how long has your family lived here in Srirangam? 408 00:40:28,120 --> 00:40:30,390 They have been here for 200 years. 409 00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,950 And maybe more, I don't know, but I'm sure about 200 years. 410 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:38,630 -And in this house, mostly? -Same. 411 00:40:38,720 --> 00:40:41,110 -Same house. -The house is at least 200 years old. 412 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:42,270 Yes. 413 00:40:42,360 --> 00:40:44,830 The kitchen is a rather sacred space within the house, isn't it? 414 00:40:44,920 --> 00:40:50,270 It is because we offer food cooked in the kitchen to the Lord. 415 00:40:50,360 --> 00:40:52,910 The Lord has always to be offered cooked food. 416 00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:54,710 -Yes. -That is one of the musts. 417 00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:57,670 And because of that, the kitchen is always next to the puja room. 418 00:40:57,760 --> 00:40:58,790 Always next to the puja room. 419 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:00,590 -Would you like to see the puja room? -Yes, please. 420 00:41:00,680 --> 00:41:02,190 Oh, you come to our puja room. 421 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:05,230 -Remember to stoop, to bow. -Once again, learn some humility. 422 00:41:05,320 --> 00:41:07,990 -Yes. -Oh, you have to bend down here. 423 00:41:09,520 --> 00:41:11,270 This is our puja room. 424 00:41:11,360 --> 00:41:12,630 (BELL RINGING) 425 00:41:12,720 --> 00:41:15,350 Here we are in our god's room. 426 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,910 CRUICKSHANK: So really, the puja, this worship is the family 427 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:27,390 giving thanks for all the benefits that the god has bestowed upon the family. 428 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,310 -It's respect and love, isn't it? -Yes. 429 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:33,110 It's respect, of course, but then more than respect. 430 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:34,630 It's love. 431 00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:39,030 It's a passionate love for the Lord that we have. 432 00:41:39,120 --> 00:41:42,630 He has been in the house for such a long time, 433 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:46,510 this particular image of the Lord. 434 00:41:46,600 --> 00:41:49,350 And he is like a member of the family. 435 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:52,830 We don't like to lock the door and go out. 436 00:41:52,920 --> 00:41:57,750 We're always, "Oh, he'll be alone!" So we always have somebody in the house. 437 00:42:01,680 --> 00:42:04,350 I'm now leaving the temple's outer enclosures 438 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:06,790 to enter the sacred world of the god. 439 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:14,430 The inner area is home to the temple's sacred elephant 440 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:17,630 who dispenses blessings to worshipers. 441 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:26,950 Most of the architecture here was built from the 13th to the 17th century 442 00:42:27,040 --> 00:42:28,910 by devout Hindu kings. 443 00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:35,630 And all buildings here are rich in meaning and symbolism. 444 00:42:37,840 --> 00:42:40,270 This is a thousand-column hall. 445 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,590 A stupendous place. 446 00:42:42,680 --> 00:42:45,190 The number 1,000 is auspicious for Hindus. 447 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:47,670 A thousand names of Vishnu. 448 00:42:47,760 --> 00:42:51,550 And there's 1,000 Tamil hymns that are sung in this temple. 449 00:42:52,640 --> 00:42:55,350 It's now eerily quiet, deserted. 450 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:59,070 But originally it was built for mass public worship. 451 00:42:59,160 --> 00:43:01,150 It would have been full of life, vitality. 452 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:04,390 This is where the temple maidens danced. 453 00:43:04,480 --> 00:43:07,430 Dance would bring harmony and order to the world. 454 00:43:07,520 --> 00:43:10,630 They danced for the god, for Vishnu, and for the priests. 455 00:43:39,400 --> 00:43:40,550 Thank you. 456 00:43:49,520 --> 00:43:52,030 The inner enclosures are full of pilgrims 457 00:43:52,120 --> 00:43:55,030 who have come from across India to see the god Vishnu. 458 00:43:57,360 --> 00:44:01,350 Some people will have travelled many days to have reached this sacred site. 459 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:16,550 I'm now within the third enclosure from the centre of the temple. 460 00:44:16,640 --> 00:44:21,590 And from here on, the enclosures get more sacred, more exclusive. 461 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:26,190 Indeed, as a non-Hindu, I can't penetrate beyond this point. 462 00:44:26,280 --> 00:44:30,190 However, I can get a glimpse of the sanctum. There it is. 463 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:32,790 Dark and mysterious. 464 00:44:32,880 --> 00:44:36,670 Historically, low caste Hindus, untouchable dalits, 465 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:38,550 couldn't penetrate beyond here, either. 466 00:44:38,640 --> 00:44:41,990 Really, this is the realm of the high-caste, of the Brahmans. 467 00:44:42,080 --> 00:44:46,830 In there is the image of Ranganatha, Vishnu. 468 00:44:46,920 --> 00:44:51,150 I can't see him now, but I will be able to see him tomorrow. 469 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:10,390 At dawn the next day, hundreds of people have gathered in anticipation. 470 00:45:10,480 --> 00:45:11,870 They're here for a festival 471 00:45:11,960 --> 00:45:15,830 that's one of the greatest days in the temple's year. 472 00:45:15,920 --> 00:45:18,630 The deity's being carried out from the inner sanctum 473 00:45:18,720 --> 00:45:20,390 to greet the masses 474 00:45:20,480 --> 00:45:24,390 during a ceremonial procession within one of the outer enclosures. 475 00:45:27,080 --> 00:45:28,990 Well, it's about 6:30 in the morning, 476 00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:33,630 and the image of the deity is already on the cart. 477 00:45:33,720 --> 00:45:38,310 In a moment I'll get a glimpse of him because the procession's about to start. 478 00:45:38,400 --> 00:45:42,030 The atmosphere is quite... Quite charged. 479 00:45:42,120 --> 00:45:45,390 People are gathering, there's almost an air of not quite hysteria, 480 00:45:45,480 --> 00:45:47,030 but suppressed emotion, 481 00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:50,550 because when the deity comes out, it's a great moment. 482 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:07,990 All men together. Heave. 483 00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:12,030 Without breaking. 484 00:46:28,360 --> 00:46:31,590 Right, well, I think we've got it going now. 485 00:46:31,680 --> 00:46:33,550 We're running quite smoothly. 486 00:46:33,640 --> 00:46:35,870 We have a pace to it now... 487 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:37,950 (INDISTINCT) 488 00:46:38,040 --> 00:46:41,670 I'll get out now and take a longer view of the procession, I think. 489 00:47:02,320 --> 00:47:04,510 Heaving the cart, the juggernaut, 490 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:09,150 is a great, wonderful communal effort that brings everyone together. 491 00:47:09,240 --> 00:47:12,510 All the different Hindu castes, Hindus and non-Hindus, 492 00:47:12,600 --> 00:47:14,390 men and women. 493 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:18,030 It is amazing. It makes sense of the plan for the temple, 494 00:47:18,120 --> 00:47:21,390 these great avenues along which the cart can rumble. 495 00:47:21,480 --> 00:47:24,790 It brings the whole place to life. It's fantastic. 496 00:47:24,880 --> 00:47:29,350 And all around me are people staring at the image with love and adoration. 497 00:47:29,440 --> 00:47:33,310 And I, for the first time, can now see the god myself. 498 00:48:00,520 --> 00:48:03,470 It's really exhilarating to be among the people 499 00:48:03,560 --> 00:48:08,590 as they greet, as they adore, as they transport their god. 500 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:12,390 The architecture and plan of the temple 501 00:48:12,480 --> 00:48:16,950 are ornamental and symbolic but also very functional, 502 00:48:17,040 --> 00:48:20,270 because together they create the perfect theatre 503 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:22,710 for the rituals enacted within them. 504 00:48:22,800 --> 00:48:25,670 I must say, standing here, one really does feel 505 00:48:25,760 --> 00:48:29,670 the temple to be the living, pulsating body of the god. 506 00:48:29,760 --> 00:48:33,710 A vision of the divine cosmos, a vision of paradise.