| Victor's Way | |
|---|---|
 Ganesha statue in Victor's Way, with Sugar Loaf mountain in background. | |
 | |
| Type | Sculpture and philosophy park[1] |
| Location | near Roundwood, County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Coordinates | 53°05′09″N 6°13′11″W / 53.085765°N 6.219654°W |
| Area | 9 hectares |
| Owned by | Victor Langheld |
| Status | Open during summer months[2] |
| Collections | Statues |
| Website | www |
Victor's Way (previously Victoria's Way), located near Roundwood, County Wicklow, Ireland, is a privately owned meditation garden notable for its black granite sculptures.[1] The 9-hectare property includes a number of small lakes and forested areas.
The park
[edit]The park closed in 2015 as Victoria's Way with the owner stating "Too may day-trippers came turned it into a fun park for parents with children. It was designed as a contemplative garden for over 28's." but was then re-opened under its original name Victor's Way on 15 April 2016, with new age restrictions and higher entrance fee.[3][4]
The park is open to the public during the summer months.[2] A plaque by the entrance says the park is dedicated to cryptographer Alan Turing.
Sculptures
[edit]Most of the park's statues are made of black granite, with some in bronze and range in height from 1.5m to 4.9m.[5] The first structure by the entrance is a sculpted tunnel based on the idea of vagina dentata. The first statue added to the park was the fasting Buddha.[6]
Eight statues are dedicated to Ganesha, showing the elephant god dancing, reading, and playing musical instruments.[7] All the Ganesha sculptures were made in Tamil Nadu, India, and each took five craftsmen a year to make.[8]
Other statues include a large python-shaped seat, a solitary index finger pointing at the sky, and interpretations of Buddha, Shiva, Eve, and others.
Many of the sculptures include small motifs of modernity, such as a small pint of Guinness beside a Ganesha and a mobile telephone tucked into the back of a starving Buddha.[9]
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Fasting Buddha - the first statue in the park -
The entrance to Victor's Way -
Lord Shiva -
Band of Ganeshas -
Ganesh's buddy
Ownership
[edit]The park is owned and maintained by Victor Langheld, who was born in 1940 in Berlin and has lived with a number of different religious orders in India, Thailand, Japan, and Sri Lanka.[10] Family inheritance allowed Langheld to spend most of his adult life travelling to spiritual sites in Asia, before travelling to Ireland and sponsoring the construction of the sculpture park.[citation needed]
Langheld designed most of the sculptures,[8] and continues to curate the park and welcome visitors.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Victor's way Indian sculpture park Roundwood Co. Wicklow Ireland by Martin Varghese/IvisionIreland". youtube.com. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Victor's Way Opening Times & Access". victorsway.eu. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ "Victor's Way Q&A answers by Victor Langheld". tripadvisor.co.uk. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ "Victoria's Way - Originally Victor's Way (1:58s)". youtube. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ Victoria's Way, Spiritual Sculpture Park Archived 21 September 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Victoria's Way - First Statue (2:33s)". youtube. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ "The Irish Ganesh Exhibition, @ Victoria's Way, Roundwood, Co Wicklow". Archived from the original on 22 November 2014. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
- ^ a b David Kenny's Erindipity[dead link]
- ^ Wicklow Daily Photo: Indian Sculpture Park VI
- ^ Victor, of Victoria's Way Archived 24 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine