The Peace Pagoda

A warm day today. I set off from Hampton station on the 9.21 train to Waterloo then changed to the Underground, Northern Line, to Battersea Power Station, or the amazingly updated version of it!

I walked along the riverside, under Chelsea Bridge, then along the Thames-side path in Battersea Park to see the Peace Pagoda, not having been there for many years.

I quote "The Peace Pagoda was presented to Londoners by the Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji (affectionately nicknamed ‘Guruji’ by his close friend Mahatma Gandhi) in 1984. Founder of the Japanese Buddhist movement, Nipponzan Myohoji, Guruji stated that 'Civilisation is not to kill human beings, not to destroy things, nor make war; civilisation is to hold mutual affection and to respect one another'. Following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he pledged to build pagodas worldwide as shrines to peace. The Battersea pagoda was constructed by nuns, monks and other followers of the Nipponzan Myohoji sect and was completed in 1985 just weeks after Guruji died at the grand old age of 100."

I carried on and arrived at Albert Bridge which I crossed to the north bank, and walked downstream until I arrived at the Chelsea Physic Garden, again not visited for quite a number of years. A previous Head Gardener was a good friend, but sadly she died far too young. I had lunch there, then spent a couple of hours looking at the amazing collection of exotic plants. 

By the time I emerged and continued along the Chelsea Embankment my hip was moaning at me, so instead of continuing along the riverside to Vauxhall Bridge I crossed the Chelsea Bridge and made my way back to the Underground and then to train back to Hampton. A good day, but a warm one!