The temple wasn’t in an inhabited part of the world. I stood there thinking about what it must have been like back then, but was no more. There were no giant gold statues, once worshipped and adored. There were no offerings for any of the gods, who had been so loved and honoured.

The torch would never be lit. The shadows from its flame would never dance with the ethereal quality that had given devotees such a feeling of calm reassurance. Incense would never waft along the passageways that could no longer be seen. They lay somewhere amongst the ruins now, observed by the trained eye alone.

In fact, there was nothing much left here. No sound could even be heard so far inland. There was no plush vegetation and the lake had long since dried up. There was nothing to entice the wildlife. Not even birds flew over this place any more.

Yet it was not dead! There was an atmosphere that betrayed the bare desolation. I wondered if it was only alive to those observant enough. As I touched its stone pillars, I felt its energy ripple through me and I knew its heart had not stopped beating.