Digital eyes at the heart of the temple by Walter G. Allgöwer

In the golden twilight of the temple stands a simple smartphone, positioned upright like a small, modern witness to ancient rituals. Its glass reflects the light of the Buddha, who watches over the room in quiet majesty. The monks have placed it there with care, not as a distraction, but as a bridge – a silent messenger carrying devotion out into a world that is often too loud to hear the quiet.
The scent of incense hovers above the floor, mingling with the warm glow of the gilded ornaments. The monks’ voices rise, soft and rhythmic, a breath of timelessness. And as the camera records, the moment remains untouched: a prayer that does not change, but is simply passed on.
Here, two worlds meet – one grown over centuries, the other barely a handful of years old. Yet in the temple’s soft light, the differences lose their sharpness. Everything becomes part of the same silence, the same devotion, the same search for clarity.
A moment, preserved in light, shared across borders, and yet deeply rooted in the heart of Wat Amataros.