Information of the world » Religion And Culture http://www.einfopedia.com Right Information At The Right Time Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:33:31 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Languages of Pakistan: Urdu, Punjabi, Pushto, Sindhi, Balochi http://www.einfopedia.com/languages-of-pakistan-urdu-punjabi-pushto-sindhi-balochi.php http://www.einfopedia.com/languages-of-pakistan-urdu-punjabi-pushto-sindhi-balochi.php#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:27:07 +0000 Zia Saqib http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=4305 Social needs of man inspired him to evolve a systematic communication with the help of language. His anthropological history traveled from ‘hunter gathering stage’ to ‘Nomade Stage’ and non verbal communication was evolved by verbal communication. This was the time when language evolved to support inter-personal communication. Bearing the deep impacts of civilizations, the language preserved customs, traditions, and literature for the era of centuries. On the other hand these traits awarded everlasting significance to the language. Therefore, the survival of the both remained dependant on each other. The more sound a civilization was, the more rich its language would be.
The regional civilizations of Pakistan have a significant historical inheritance. Therefore languages are pure, rich and alive in their certain areas of dominance. The national language of Pakistan is “Urdu” and other four major provincial languages are ‘Punjabi’ ‘Sindhi’ ‘Balochi’ and ‘pushto’. Saraki and Kasmiri are also worth mentioning regional languages “Urdu” and “English” are sustained as two official languages, of the country. Most of the languages are written in Persia-Arabic script with a modified from. Much of the Persian and Arabic vocabulary is absorbed by these languages. Owing to language demographics, dialects of some language get variance in terms of distance. Therefore, major languages have a variety of dialects. All the languages are rich in their literature and cultural inheritance. A brief description of these languages is: presented here in after.
URDU; The national language:- Urdu, as declared the national language of Pakistan by M.A. Jinnah during Pakistan movement, soon after the emergence of newly homeland, was bestowed the status of national language. More than 95% of total population can understand it in a good manner. However only 9% people have “Urdu” as their mother tongue all these migrated from Ajmer, Dilli, Lakhnao, Haiderabad, Utter Pardesh and Dauan and resettled Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad during the portion of Indo-Pakistan themselves in Urdu has been nourished and polished by two main school of thoughts i.e. ‘Lakhnaow school of thought’ and “Dehli school of thought” which are called (Dabbislan-e-lacknaow, Dabbistan-e-Dehlie). Later on “Fort William collage of Dehli” “Sir Sayyed Movement” and “Anjuman Tarraqqi Pasand Urdu” (Association for reforms in Urdu) contributed a lot to flourish the language. In terms of literature Urdu has passed through four marvelous spans of are and the fifth one is racing now. ‘Jam e Jahan Numa was the first Urdu digest published from Kolkatta, while the firstly published prose was “Sub Ras” compiled by Mulla Wajhi in 1654. Ameer Khussu, the famous Persian poet was the first one to say verses in Urdu. A lot of institutions are working diligently to enhance the progressive.
English; The official Language of Pakistan:-
English has the status of official language in Pakistan state departments and main institutions i.e. legislature, judiciary, administration and press do well with English educational institutes as well. However, people have less approach to understand it widely as compared to other languages prevailing in the country.
Provincial language:-
Punjabi:- Rich in its literature and culture, sweet in accentuation, Punjabi is widely spoken in Punjab province. It is regularly spoken by 45% of total population covering the area of 205344 km Punjab. “Sufi” poets did much to beautiful the language through their poetry and prose. They poured their message of welfare of mankind into it and proffered to preach their teaching in Punjabi. ‘Heer Waris shah’ ‘Sassi Punnu’ ‘Sohni Manhwal’ ‘Qissa Saif-ul-Mulk’ are famous folk tales of Punjabi literature.
Punjabi dialects include
•    Majhi:- spoken in Lahore, sheikhupura, Gujranwala, and some other districts of upper Punjab.
•    Rachnavi spoken in Khanewal, Faislabad, Chaniot, Okara, Sargodha and some of the districts Punjab.
•    Doabi:- Spoken by the people inhabited  between bias and satluj.
•    Malavi:- Spoken by migratory of Anbala, Ludhyana, Hisar, Haryana.
•    Hindko / Pothohari:- Spoken in Attock, Marree, Noshehra etc.
Pashto:- Pashto is very ancient language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which shares the common border with ‘KABUL’ and ‘GHAZNI’ two historical cities of Afghanistan. 15% to 20% of
Population speak Pashto fluently. There are two major dialects of Pashto language i.e. Pakhto and Pashto “Patt Fazana” is a presentable pace of Pashto literature. ‘Khush Hal Khattak’ ‘Rehman Baba’ ‘Durdana Khan’ ‘Abdur Rehman Khan’ are the famous poets of Pashto language.
Dilects of Pashto are tough to utter vocally.
Balochi:- As compared to other provincial languages, Balochi has the Shortest circle of dominance including only 4% of Pakistan. It is mostly spoken in Balochistan province and is the major language of the province. Balochi language is trusty of traditions and customs of Baloach race. Balochistan shares the border of 805 km with Iron. Therefore the transfer of traits and sharing of customs affected Balochi by Persian, the language of Iranians. The major dialects are Qalati, Kharani, Chagai, Sarhaddi and Panjguri.
Sindhi:- Prevailing its influence on 14% total population, sindhi is one of the major provincial languages. It is mostly spoken in sindh province. Being very rich in its literature sindhi provides new horizones of research and insprovent to many other local languages. Sindh university and Jam Shoru university has started many research programmes on ancients sindhi literature. It is taught as compulsory subject on primary and secondary level. Sachal Sar mast and shah Abd-ul-hatif are the valuable and famous ancient sindhi poets.
SARAEKI:- A Dominant Regional language.
Saraiki is commonly spoken on the confluence belt of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan. It is a language of more than 20 million people. The beauty of language depicts that it is simultaneously close to Punjabi and Sindhi. Bahaudin Zakria University of southern Punjab has started many short courses and launched its master programme in Saraiki
Language. A sub language ‘Jhangvi’ spoken in Jhang, Sargodha Faisalabad, Khanewal and Khushab is called “Local Saraiki”. H.E.C. of Pakistan is scheduling programmes to promote the language.
Minor Languages:- Minor languages include Shina, Tawali, Khetrani, Brahevi, chitrali, Gujrati, Hazarwi, Marwani, Ormuri, Dhatki, Wakhi, Sansi, Memoni and Jandawra. A few of them seems to be vanished soon and some others are also highly endangered.

]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/languages-of-pakistan-urdu-punjabi-pushto-sindhi-balochi.php/feed 0 Most Widely Spoken Languages Of The World http://www.einfopedia.com/most-widely-spoken-languages-of-the-world.php http://www.einfopedia.com/most-widely-spoken-languages-of-the-world.php#comments Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:11:44 +0000 G Abbas http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=2729 Approximately there are 6900 languages currently spoken around the world, but the majority of which have only a small number of speakers. About 4 billion of the earth’s 6.5 billion people of the earth’s total population speak one of the following 10 languages. Languages are ordered below by number of speakers. List of top ten most widely spoken languages of the world.

  1. Mandarin (Chinese)

    2. Mandarin is spoken by over 1 billion people, making is the most widely spoken language on the Earth. This language is fairly polished language because it can be spoken in China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South, Africa, Taiwan and in Thailand. The varieties of this language cover a huge area containing nearly a billion people. As a result, there are pronounced regional variation in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar.

  2. English

    3. English is the second most widely spoken language in the world. English is also universal language with 600 million speakers worldwide. The language is officially spoken in over 50 countries till 2010. It is spoken in the countries like U.K., U.S.A, Australia, Brunei, Cameroon, Canada, Fiji, New Zealand, South Africa etc. It is the most studied global language as well as the major source of communication among different cultures and civilizations.

  3. Spanish

    4. Spanish is the third most widely spoken language in the world with around 350 to 400 million speakers. The official language is spoken in  just over 20 nations including Mexico, Spain, U.S, Colombia, Cuba, Andorra and Venezuela. Mexico contains the largest population of Spanish speakers. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations.

  4. Hindi / Urdu

    5. Basically, Hindi and Urdu are two languages with almost same background. In Pakistan, Hindi is modified and written in Arabic script which is known as Urdu, whereas in India, it is written in the Devangari script therefore named as Hindi. There are almost 340 million human beings who speak Hindi. Hindustani is the primary language of India’s crowded population, and it compasses as huge number of dialects. In Pakistan 7.57%  Pakistanis speak Urdu and 160 million people worldwide speak this language.

  5. Russian

    6. Russian’s vast geographic reach and populous nation makes it sit at number 5 with 275 million speakers in the world. Mikhali Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin and Yakov Smirnoff are among the millions of Russian speakers out there. But given the low life expectancy among men there and Arabic’s accelerated growth, Russian may slip in ranking over the next decade.

  6. Arabic

    7. The official language in roughly 25 nations, over 260 million people speak Arabic, from Iraq to Morocco. Both Persian and Urdu use the Arabic script but differ from Arabic. Arabic is a Semitic language. It is one of the world’s oldest languages which is mainly spoken in the Middle East. It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Arabic is the language of Quran so it is often associated with Islam.

  7. Bengali

    8. There are over 210 people worldwide who use Bengali as their mode of communication, so it is the seventh most widely spoken language in the world after Arabic. This language is spoken in Bangladesh India and Singapore. In fact, Bangladesh is a country of over 120 million, most of whom speak Bengali. Its history dates back to Aryan era about 2000 years ago.

  8. Portuguese

    9. Portuguese is the 8th most widely spoken language with 175 million speakers in the world. After winning its independence from Spain in the 12th century, Portugal’s influence expanded rapidly. Now, this language is spoken in Angola, Brazil, Cape, Verde, France, Portugal and Guinea-Bissau because these nations were under Portuguese colonial power. It can be spoken in three to four regional tones.

  9. Malay -Indonesian

    10. Malaysia and Indonesia share lots in common, one of the main attributes is language. There are many dialects, but the most popular is Indonesian. It is spoken by over 170 million people, and sit in the ninth number in the world. Indonesia is a fascinating place, a nation made up of over 13000 islands and the sixth most populated country in the world. Malay is spoken is two different accents.

  10. French

    11. Over 130 million human being of this planet speak French, which makes it the 10th most widely spoken language in the world.It is also one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Its speakers mainly found in France, but French’s reach extends to Africa, North America as well as in parts of Asia and South America. Up to the French revolution, France’s imperialistic nature led to the expansion of “la language Francaise” and its presence is worldwide to this day.

]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/most-widely-spoken-languages-of-the-world.php/feed 2 Top 10 Religious Beliefs Of the World http://www.einfopedia.com/top-10-religious-beliefs.php http://www.einfopedia.com/top-10-religious-beliefs.php#comments Sat, 15 May 2010 07:58:19 +0000 G Abbas http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=2505 The world’s principal religions and spiritual traditions may be classified into a small number of major groups, although this is by no means a uniform practice. Different religions were respected as academic differences in pursuit of the same truth. In Islam, the Quran mentions three different categories: The Muslims,The Believers Of Divine Books, and The Idol worshipers. Similarly the classification of religions in different in different religious beliefs.

Christianity believes in one God, while the central figure in Christianity is Jesus (or Christ), a Jew who came into this world by Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. Christians can read of the life of Jesus, as well as his ancestors, in the Christian holy text, the Bible. They also believe Jesus is the son of God, thinking that God has become a human being and the savior of humanity. The latest edition of the world Christian encyclopedia stated that 33% of the world population is christian. The major christian groups are Roman Catholics, Protestants and Anglicans.
Islam is the second largest religion of the world. It originated in the 7th century with the teaching of Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). The teaching of Islam are based on the Holy Quran (revealed by God) and the traditions. The Muslims believe in the oneness of God and that Muhammad (PBUH) is the last prophet. There are five major beliefs in Islam. There are about 57 Muslim countries in the world. The total number of Muslims exceeds 1.6 billion. Shia and Sunni are two largest sects in Islam.
Hinduism is not a religion with a formal creed but it is a complex result of 5,000 years of continuous cultural development, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Hinduism believes in polytheistic and recognizes thousands of Gods and deities like Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva and Durga(Kali). Hindus worship cows and believe in reincarnation. Currently the total number of Hindus in the world is about 1.1 billion, majority of whom lives in India (880 million).
Atheist/Secular:- This is a highly disperate group and not a single religion. Although atheists are a small subset of this grouping, this category is not synonymous with atheism. A broader meaning is simply the absence of belief that any deities exist. Atheism is distinguished from theism, which in its most general form believes in the deity existence. The first individuals to identify themselves as “atheist” appeared in the 18th century. Today, about 2.3% of the world’s population describes itself as atheist, while a further 11.9% is described as nonatheist. Between 64% and 65% of Japanese describe themselves as atheists, and 48% in Russia. Currently the total number of atheists in the world is 1 billion.
Buddhism is a non-theistic religion. It was founded by Gautoma Buddha in the 6th century B.C in reaction to Brahmanical despotism and rigidity of the caste system. Buddhism seeks to emulate Buddha’s example of perfect morality, wisdom and compassion culminating in a transformation of consciousness known as enlightenment. The central beliefs of Buddhism are based on “Four Noble Truths”. By 700 A.D Buddhism had spread to China, Japan, Tibet, Korea and Sri Lanka. However, it lost its following in India, the place of its origin. Presently there are about 860 million Buddhists in the world.
Sikhism was founded by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469-1538). At Sultanpur, he received a Vision to preach the way to enlightenment and God. He taught a strict monotheism and brotherhood of humanity. Sikhism rejects idol worship, and the oppressive Hindu concept of castes. The Sikh homeland is Punjab, in India, where today Sikhs make up approximately 61% of the population. This is the only place where Sikhs are in majority. Sikhs have emigrated to countries all over the world-especially to English Speaking countries and East Asian nations. According to most of the estimates, there are 36 and 40 million Sikhs in the world.
Judaism developed among the wandering tribes of Hebrews, Israelites and Jews which flourished three millenniums before Christ. Abraham is the traditional partriarch of the Jewish people. Later on, Moses received God commandments at Mount Sinai, collectively known as “Turat”. The Judaism reached its height of glory and power under the kings David and Solomon. Turat is the sacred text of Jews. Its record of history, revealed law and mysteries of universe. Jews believe in single eternal and invisible God who created the world. There are three main sects of modern Judaism Viz. Orthodox Judaism, Reformist Judaism and Conservative Judaism. The total number of Jews in the world is about 19.9 million. Jews’s, majority lives in USA and a large number of Jews population was killed in Nazi concentration camps during the second world war.
Shinto is an ancient Japanese religion. Shinto is one of the “Classic eleven or twelve major world religions”.  Shinto creation stories tell about the history and lives of the “Kami” (deities). The Kami are the Shinto deities. The world “Kami” is generally translated “God” or “Gods”. However, the kami bear little resemblance to the Gods of monotheistic religions. Estimates of the number of adherents are hopelessly unreliable. Some sources give numbers in the range of 12.8 to 13.2 million. One source estimates 10000 followers of Shinto in North America. Essentially all followers of Shinto are Japanese.
Jainism traces its roots to a succession of 24 Jinas (those who overcome, or conqueror) in ancient East India. The first Jina is traditionally believed to have been a giant who lived 8.4 million years ago. The most recent and last Jina was vardhamana. Jainism contains many elements that are somewhat similar to parts of Hinduism and Buddhism. The world’s almost 4 million Jains are almost entirely located in India. There are about 11 million Jians all over the world.
Bahai’s Faith:- The Bahai Faith is also the youngest of the world’s main religions. It was founded in Iran during the mid 19th century by Siyyid Ali-Muhammad (1819-1850 CE). He assumed the title Bab (the Gate) and prophesized the future arrival of “one greater than Himself”. Bahai’s believe in a single God who has repeatedly sent prophets into the world through whom he has revealed the “world of God”. Prophets include Adam, Krishna, Buddha, Yeshua of Nazareth (Jesus). The Bahai Faith is still looked upon by many Muslims as a breakaway sect of Islam. There are about a million followers of this religion in all over the world.
]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/top-10-religious-beliefs.php/feed 0 Top Ten Muslim Countries Having Highest Muslim Population By Proportion http://www.einfopedia.com/top-ten-muslim-countries-having-highest-muslim-population-by-proportion.php http://www.einfopedia.com/top-ten-muslim-countries-having-highest-muslim-population-by-proportion.php#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 05:52:34 +0000 G Abbas http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=1846 In the following article those Muslim or Islamic countries are enlisted which have most Muslims by proportion. As Saudi Arabia has 100% Muslim population so it is ranked as the Muslim country with highest Muslim population by proportion.

Saudi Arabia is the largest Muslim country of the world. It has an estimated population of 28 million having 100% Muslim population. Saudi Arabia is a Kingdom and about 8 million people are migrants from different countries of the world. Saudi Arabia is the center of Muslims as the mousoleum of Holy Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) is in this country.
Afghanistan: The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in south-central Asia. Religiously, Afghans are over 99% Muslims and it ranked second most Muslim populated country by proportion. A 2009 UN estimate shows that the afghan population is 28,150,000 and at 249,984 sq. miles, Afghanistan is the world’s 41st largest country.
Yemen:- Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen is a country located on the Arabian Peninsula in southwest Asia. It has an estimated population of more than 23 million with 99% Muslim people. Yemen is just under 530,000 sq. km in land area.
Algeria: it is a Muslim country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean Sea having 99% of Muslim population. Therefore, it is the fourth largest Islamic country by proportion of Muslims. Its size is almost 2,400,000 sq. km. with an estimated population of 35,000,000 people.
Turkey:- Republic of turkey is a Eurasian country in western Asia. The predominant religion in Turkey is Islam having 99% Muslim population. So, Turkey is proportionately the fifth biggest country by Muslim population. The total  population of Turkey is comprised of 72,561,312 people.
Maldives:- It is proportionately sixth Muslims country with most Muslim, located in the Indian Ocean. The atolls of Maldives encompass a territory spread over roughly 90,000 sq. kilometers, with a population of 103,898 having 99% Muslims.
Mauritania:- Officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, is a seventh Muslim country in western Africa. Its size is almost 1,030,700 sq. kilometers and total estimated population is 3,291,000 having 99% Muslim population.
Bahrain:- Kingdom of Bahrain is a small island country in the Persian Gulf ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. Bahrain is proportionately 8th largest Muslim country by highest Muslim population, having 99% Muslims.
Kuwait:- The state of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab emirate situated in the northeast of the Arabian Peninsula in western Asia. It covers an area of 20,000 sq. kilometer and has a population of about 3.0 million having 99% of Muslims.
Somalia:- The Republic of Somalia, is a country located in the horn of Africa. Somalia is Tenth largest Muslim country by highest Muslim population. Somalia has a land area of 637,540 sq kilometer and its estimated population is 9,133,000 having 99% Muslims.
]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/top-ten-muslim-countries-having-highest-muslim-population-by-proportion.php/feed 3 Worlds Biggest Temple: The Top Ten Largest Temples Of Hindus, Budhists http://www.einfopedia.com/worlds-biggest-temple-the-top-ten-largest-temples-of-hindus-budhists.php http://www.einfopedia.com/worlds-biggest-temple-the-top-ten-largest-temples-of-hindus-budhists.php#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 14:22:54 +0000 Mohsin Ali http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=1523 A temple is derived from the Latin word templum, which refers to a place reserved for religious or spiritual activities. Temple also became associated wit the dwelling places of a God or gods. The word “temple” (which dates back to 16th century BC), despite the specific set of meanings associated with the religion of the ancient Rome. Now it is frequently used for a place where The Hindus Or Bhudists worship before their God or gods. There are thousands of temples in the world but most of these temples are present in Asia. Here is the list of names of the biggest or largest temples in the world according to their size, area or beauty.

Tiger’s Nest Monastery, perched precariously on the edge of a 3,000-feet-high cliff in Paro Valley, and it is one of the holiest places in Bhutan. The monastery, formally called Taktshang Goemba, was built in 1692 and reconstructed in 1998 after a fire. Now, the monastery is restricted to practicing Buddhists on religious retreats and is off-limits to ordinary tourists.
Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand is unlike any Buddhist temples in the world. Its constructions work started in the 1998 and completed in 2008. The all-white, highly ornate structure gilded in mosaic mirrors that seem to shine magically, is done in a distinctly contemporary style. It is the brainchild of renowned Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat.
Prambanan is a Hindu temple in Central Java, Indonesia. The temple was built in 850 CE, and is composed of 8 main shrines and 250 surrounding smaller ones. Nearly all the walls of the temple are covered in exquisite bas relief carvings, which narrate stories of Vishnu’s incarnations, adventures of Hanuman-the Monkey King, the Ramayana epic and other legends.
Shwedagon is the one of the most beautiful temple in the world. According to an estimate, it was built between the 6th and 10th century. Now, when people say “golden temple” they usually mean that the structure is golden in color. But when it comes to the Shwedagon Pagoda, golden literally means covered in gold!. In 15th century, a queen of the Mon people donated gold to the temple.
The Temple of Heaven is a Taoist temple in Beijing, the capital of China. The temple was constructed in 14th century by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty where he would pray for good harvest and to atone for the sins of his people. Everything in the temple, which represents Heaven, is circular whereas the ground levels, which represent the Earth, are square.
Chion-in Temple located in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan was built in 1234 CE to honor the founder of Jodo Buddhism, a priest named Honen, who fasted to death in the very spot. Due to earthquakes and fire the oldest surviving building is from the 17th century. The temple bell is also a record setter: it weighs 74 tons and needs 17 monks to ring it during the New Year celebrations.
Borobudur founded in the 19th century deep in the jungles of Java. Built nearly 2 million cubic feet (55,000 m³) of stones. The temple has nearly 2,700 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues. Some scholars believe that Borobudur is actually a giant textbook of Buddhism. To “read,” a pilgrim must make his way through nine platforms and walk a distance of over 2 miles. This is the one of the most beautiful and amazing temples in the world.
The Harmandir Sahib is located in punjab, India. For the Sikhs, the Golden Temple symbolizes infinite freedom and spiritual independence. This is the one of the most beautiful temples in the world. Construction of the Golden Temple began in the 1500. The Temple itself is decorated with marble sculptures, gilded in gold, and covered in precious stones.
Vishnu Temple of Srirangam located in the Indian city of Tiruchirapalli, is the largest and beautiful functioning Hindu temple in the world. The temple complex covers an area of over 150 acres (63 hectares) with seven concentric walls, the outermost being about 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) long. The temple has 21 gopurams total, with the largest one having 15 stories and is nearly 200 feet (60 m) tall.
Angkor Wat was built in the early 12th century in what is now Cambodia. The world famous temple was first a Hindu one. Due to its complex construction, it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. Nearby ruins of Angkor Thom and Bayon , two fantastic temples that serve as the ancient capital of Khmer empire. It is one of the 7 old wonders of ancient world.
]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/worlds-biggest-temple-the-top-ten-largest-temples-of-hindus-budhists.php/feed 1 The Largest Church: Biggest Chritian Roman Catholic Or Gothic Churches In The World http://www.einfopedia.com/the-largest-church-biggest-chritian-roman-catholic-or-gothic-churches-in-the-world.php http://www.einfopedia.com/the-largest-church-biggest-chritian-roman-catholic-or-gothic-churches-in-the-world.php#comments Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:36:56 +0000 Mohsin Ali http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=1552 Church is used to denote a Christian association of people and a place of worship. In the phenomenological sense there are many such associations of people that call themselves Christian churches. In the New Testament the term “Church or Assembly” is used for local communities and in a global sense to mean all believers. Today the churches that consider themselves to be Christian are numerous with a variety of various doctrines and traditions. There are many controversies between the denominations which exist today.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro, also known as Basilique de Notre Dame de la Paix de Yamoussoukro, is a Roman Catholic church in Yamoussoukro, the administrative capital of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast). This is the largest Christian church in the world, the basilica was constructed between 1985 and 1989 at a cost of $300 million, and was intentionally modeled after the Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican City.
The New Basilica of the National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida is the second largest church in the world’s. It’s construction work strated in 1955. Architect Benedito Calixto designed a building in the form of a Greek cross, 173 m (567 ft) long and 168 m (551 ft) wide the dome reaches 70 m (229 ft) and the steeple rises to 105 m (334 ft). Holding up to 45,000 people. The 272,000 square meters of parking hold 4,000 buses and 6,000 cars.
La Luz del Mundo is located in Mexico. This is the third largest non catholic church. It was erected between 1983 and 1991. Built to accommodate 12,000 worshipers, the church is used for annual ceremonies. Members come from all over the world every August 14th to celebrate the Santa Cena (Last Supper) as well as on February 14th to commemorate the birthday of the group’s current leader, Samuel Joaquín Flores.
The Cathedral of Seville, also known as Cathedral de Santa María de la Sede located in Cathedral of the city of Seville in Andalusia. It is the largest Gothic church and the fourth largest Christian church in the world. Construction of the cathedral was begun in 1402 and continued into the 16th century. It is 76 by 115 meters, and was built to cover the land previously occupied by the Almohad Mosque.
Liverpool Cathedral located in England, built on St. James’ Mount in the centre of the city. Its official name is the Cathedral Church of Christ in Liverpool. Liverpool Cathedral occupies a total area of 9,600 square metres and was built mainly of sandstone quarried from the Liverpool suburb of Woolton. The cathedral’s belltower is the largest, and also one of the tallest in the world, rising to a height of 100 metres. It houses the highest (66 metres) and heaviest (31 tonnes) ringing peal of bells in the world.
Milan Cathedral is located in northern Italy. Its role in the establishment of Catholic traditions of worship is prominent in history. Built from the late 14th well into the 19th century. Milan Cathedral is the one of the world’s largest churched in the world. According to the ranking of the biggest churches, it comes at the sexth or 6th spot.
The Cologne Cathedral is the roman catholic charch located in Germeny. Cologne Cathedral is one of the world’s largest churches, being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world. Construction of the Gothic church began in 1248 and took, with interruptions, until 1880 to complete – a period of over six hundred years. It is 144.5 metres long, 86.5 m wide and its two towers are 157 m tall. It is the seventh or 7th largest church on the earth.
St Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral on Ludgate Hill, located in the city of London. The present building dates from the 17th century, and is generally reckoned to be London’s fifth St Paul’s Cathedral, although the number is higher if every major mediæval reconstruction is counted as a new cathedral. The cathedral is one of London’s most visited sites. The cathedral sits on the edge of London’s oldest region, the City. The City originated as a Roman trading post along the edge of the River Thames.
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lichen is located in Greater Poland in a village called Stary Lichen, near Konin. The Sanctuary is Poland’s largest church, the seventh largest in Europe and tenth in the World. It was constructed between 1994 and 2004. . It houses a 200-year-old painting known as the “Our Lady of Sorrows, Queen of Poland”. The church, rising 98 meters (central nave), 141,5 metres (church tower), is 120 metres long and 77 metres in width.
]]> http://www.einfopedia.com/the-largest-church-biggest-chritian-roman-catholic-or-gothic-churches-in-the-world.php/feed 0 Top Ten 10 Biggest Or Largest Islamic Mosques Of The World http://www.einfopedia.com/top-ten-10-biggest-islamic-mosques-of-the-world.php http://www.einfopedia.com/top-ten-10-biggest-islamic-mosques-of-the-world.php#comments Sun, 06 Dec 2009 07:50:48 +0000 Mohsin Ali http://www.einfopedia.com/?p=470 Mosque is the sacred place of worship for the Muslims. The word “Mosque” is derived from the Arabic word “Masjid”, which is related to the concept of “prostration”. Muslims are expected to pray five times a day, preferably in a mosque at morning, midday, afternoon, sunset and evening. A ”Muazzan” calls the worshippers to prayer from a tower or minaret, in the from of Azaan. The Immam of mosque leads the prayer and all the muslims offer their prayers under his leadership. All Muslims respect the mosque very much.

Al Haram Mosque Al-Haram Mosque also known Haram Sharief in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the holiest, largest,  biggest and most popular mosque in the world and the main destination of the Hajj pilgrimage. The mosque complex covers an area of 356,800 square meters and can accommodate up to 820,000 worshippers during the Hajj. The Masjid al-Haram (“Holy Mosque”) is the only mosque that has no qibla direction, since Muslims pray facing the Ka’ba in the central courtyard.
Mosque Al Nabawi Al-Nabawi Mosque of the Prophet, in Medina, is the second holiest and largest mosque in Islam. It is the final resting place of Muhammad(PBUH). The original mosque was built by Prophet Muhammad(PBUH) himself. Subsequent Islamic rulers greatly expanded and decorated it. The most important feature of the site is the green dome over the center of the mosque, where the tomb of Muhammad(PBUH) is located. Constructed in 1817 and painted green in 1839, it is known as the Dome of the Prophet. Early Muslim leaders Abu Bakr and Umar (Umar ibn al-Khattab) are buried in an adjacent area in the mosque.
Al Masjid Al Aqsa Al-Aqsa Masjid, commonly refers to the southern congregational mosque located in Jerusalem. The Mosque’s congregation building can accommodate about 5,000 people worshipping inside it, while the whole Al-Aqsa Mosque compound area may accommodate hundreds of thousands. During times of increased security only Muslims of a certain age are permitted to access the mosque. It is the third largest or biggest Islamic mosque.
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is a royal Islamic mosque located in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei. The mosque is classified as one of the most spectacular and most beautiful mosques in the Asia Pacific and a major tourist attraction. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque is considered amongst the people of Brunei as the country’s major landmark.
The Zahir Mosque The Zahir Mosque is located in the heart of Alor Star, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. The mosque was built in 1912, with the contributory efforts of Tunku Mahmud. Its official opening ceremony was held on Friday, 15 October 1915 by the late HRH Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah. The Zahir Mosque occupies an area of approximately 124,412 square feet. Its center hall measures 62 x 62 square feet. This is the one of the most beautiful mosques in the world.
Taj Ul Mosque Taj-ul-Mosque in Bhopal literally translates as “The Crown of Mosques”. The most impressive structure in Bhopal is the Taj-ul-Masjid, one of the largest and most elegant Muslim mosques in India. However, the monument was never completed due to lack of money, and after a long lay-off, construction was resumed in 1971. The building really presents a spectacular sight and is worth taking a bow to.
Baiturrahman Mosque Baiturrahman Mosque represents one of the first examples of a domed mosque in Southeast Asia. Perhaps more importantly, the mosque is an architectural embodiment of the political role, Islam has played in Indonesia. Built by the Dutch in 1879 and completed in 1881. Furthermore, additions made to the mosque in 1957 were meant to symbolically link the largely separatist region of Aceh to the Republic of Indonesia. During the late 1980s, the mosque was refurbished.
Sultan Mosque Sultan Mosque is located at Muscat Street near North Bridge Road within the Kampong Glam district of Rochor Planning Area in Singapore. The mosque is considered one of the most important mosques in Singapore. The prayer hall and domes highlight the mosque’s star features. Sultan Mosque has stayed essentially unchanged since it was built, with only repairs carried out to the main hall in the 1960s and an annex added in 1993. It was gazetted as a national monument on 14 March 1975.
The Shah Faisal Mosque The Shah Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, is among the largest mosques in the world. It isathe state’s National Mosque. It is the most popular masjid in the Islamic world, and is renowned for both its size and its architecture covering an area of 5,000 square meters with a capacity of 300,000 worshippers. The impetus for the mosque began in 1966, and was completed in 1986, and used to house the International Islamic University.
Baitul Mukarram Baitul Mukarram is located at the heart of Dhaka, capital of Bangladesh. This mosque was built in the 1960s. The mosque complex was designed by architect T Abdul Hussain Thariani. The National Mosque of Bangladesh has several modern architectural features, and at the same time it preserves the traditional principles of mosques architecture. Baitul Mukarram’s resemblance to the famous Ka’abah at Mecca makes this a unique mosque in Bangladesh.
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