A wayside shrine near the National Sports Center, Filerimou, Rhodes. Roadside shrines are a popular ritual of faith in Greece.
"Road-side shrines or kandylakia are small shrines that can be seen throughout Greece, usually on the side of roads, often on awkward corners and bends on the road, but sometimes too in the gardens of homes or even at the entrance to a restaurant.
These shrines, which look like miniature typical Orthodox parish churches, are unique to Greek culture and life. They seem to be especially prominent on winding, steep roads, on hairpin bends and on precipitous slopes. Usually visitors are told they commemorate someone who has died in a tragic accident. But sometimes they are thank-offerings from someone who survived a potentially fatal accident. In these cases, they have been paid for by a survivor or a survivor’s family to give thanks for a life saved rather than a life lost.
These kandylakia or small shrines can be made of concrete, stone, metal, wood, wood, marble and even ceramic materials. Although they often look alike, each one is unique.
Inside, they usually have icons, perhaps of a favourite family saint, and beeswax candles or votive lamps lit by olive oil. Some may even have even have a small hand censer for burning incense. Greek custom expects at least one icon and a votive candle inside a shrine. Some families include small bottles of holy oil and request that the date and name of the person who died or who was saved is inscribed on the kandylaki.
The shrines have a central door, along with some small windows so the burning lights inside can be seen by passers-by. In some cases, especially in larger cities, kandylakia may even be large enough for someone to walk into and use as their own small prayer corner.
The kandylakia represent the world of Greeks in miniature: their religious outlook, their attitudes towards families, relatives and ancestors. For the Greeks, remembrance is a cornerstone of society, remembrance of family, history, religion and culture. Family members say prayers there periodically and tend a shrine as lovingly as they would tend a grave.
The kandylakia reminds every Greek traveller of the need to learn a lesson from a close-call around the bend and to appreciate life. They are warning signs from local families to passing drivers. Just as they can mark one life lost, they can also mark many lives spared."
SOURCE - (visit link)
Éna kataprásino ieró kontá sto Ethnikó Athlitikó Kéntro Filerímou tis Ródou. Ta ierá tou drómou eínai éna dimofilés teletourgikó tis pístis stin Elláda.
Faínetai óti eínai afieroméno se [parakaló synchoríste ti ftochí ellinikí mou metáfrasi] Fóti Kakoúli, ilikías 58 etón.
"Ta ierá proskynímata í ta kantoúnla eínai mikrá ierá pou boroún na doun se olókliri tin Elláda, syníthos stin plevrá ton drómon, sychná se dýskoles goníes kai strofés sto drómo, allá merikés forés kai stous kípous ton spitión í akóma kai stin eísodo enós estiatoríou .
Aftá ta ierá, ta opoía moiázoun me mikroskopikés typikés orthódoxes enoriakés ekklisíes, eínai monadiká gia ton ellinikó politismó kai ti zoí. Faínontai na eínai idiaítera emfaní stin týlixi, stous apótomous drómous, stis strofés tis fourkétas kai stis katakóryfes plagiés. Syníthos oi episképtes léne óti eortázoun kápoion pou péthane se éna tragikó atýchima. Allá merikés forés eínai efcharistíes apó kápoion pou epivíose éna dynitiká thanatifóro atýchima. Se aftés tis periptóseis, échoun katavlitheí apó énan epizónta í mia oikogéneia epizónton gia na efcharistísoun gia mia zoí pou sózetai antí gia mia zoí pou cháthike.
Aftá ta kandylákia í ta mikrá ierá boroún na kataskevastoún apó skyródema, pétra, métallo, xýlo, xýlo, mármaro kai akómi kai keramiká yliká. An kai sychná faínontai ómoia, to kathéna eínai monadikó.
Sto esoterikó tous, syníthos échoun eikónes, ísos agapiméno oikogeneiakó ágio, keriá kerión melissón í anathimatikés lámpes fotizómenes apó elaiólado. Kápoioi boreí akómi kai na échoun éna mikró thymíama gia to kápsimo thymiámatos. To ellinikó éthimo anaménei touláchiston mía eikóna kai éna anathimatikó kerí mésa se éna ieró. Orisménes oikogéneies perilamvánoun mikrá boukália agíou petrelaíou kai zitoún tin imerominía kai to ónoma tou prosópou pou péthane í pou sóthike na eínai engegramméno sto kandylaki.
Ta ierá échoun mia kentrikí pórta, mazí me meriká mikrá paráthyra, óste ta fóta káfsis mésa na boroún na ta doun oi perastikoí. Se orisménes periptóseis, eidiká stis megalýteres póleis, ta kandylákia boreí na eínai arketá megáles óste kápoios na beíte kai na chrisimopoiísete os ti dikí tous mikrí goniá prosefchís.
Ta kandylákia antiprosopévoun ton mikroskopikó kósmo ton Ellínon: tis thriskeftikés tous prooptikés, ti stási tous apénanti se oikogéneies, syngeneís kai progónous. Gia tous Éllines, i mními eínai o akrogoniaíos líthos tis koinonías, i anámnisi tis oikogéneias, tis istorías, tis thriskeías kai tou politismoú. Ta méli tis oikogéneias léne prosefchés ekeí periodiká kai teínoun se éna ieró tóso agapitá óso tha éteinan énan táfo.
I kantilákosi thymízei se káthe Éllina taxidióti tin anánki na máthei éna máthima apó mia stení klísi gýro apó ti strofí kai na ektimísei ti zoí. Prókeitai gia proeidopoiitiká símata apó topikés oikogéneies gia tous odigoús pou diérchontai. Akrivós ópos boroún na simatodotísoun mia chaméni zoí, boroún epísis na episimánoun pollés zoés pou échoun chatheí ."
PIGI - (sýndesmos epískepsis)