Nako, July 15, 2016, 1610 hours.

The old #NakoMonastery is said to have been built in the eleventh century. And even a casual walk around the old complex takes you down hundreds of years of history.

A new shiny monastery building in contemporary design also has a prominent place in the complex.

I have grown up reading about the Buddha, about Buddhism, its teachings and its monuments such as the great stupas. Over the past decade, I have also had opportunity to visit different Buddhist countries and sites in Southeast Asia.

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

But it was a very different experience walking about the Nako monastery. For one, this was historical  (most places I have visited in Southeast Asia are contemporary, less than 100 years old, with of course a few exceptions). And second, the strength of character of the old monastery was unmistakable. The choice of location, the building material, the artefacts, the antiquity of the structures and the silent harmony with the elements made for a griping visit.

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

Photo: Sanjay Mukherjee

We spent an hour and a half at the monastery and it wasn’t nearly enough.