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Large logo 37427 'Bont-y-Bermo' stands at Shrewsbury with a rake of Castle Cement wagons in March 1987. I'm guessing it was a Penyfford -Birmingham Curzon Street train but any clarification would be gratefully received. I think it was waiting for traincrew.
Zarathustra (played by Werner) becomes frightfully aware that his Achilles Heel might be the compassion for other people. One daylight LED lamp, three LED spotlights. Processed in macOS High Sierra photo editor.
Historical and philosophical clarification: there is no direct line connecting Nietzsche's Uebermensch fantasy to the Herrenmenschentum of the Nazi period or the Superman ideology of the US.
Fort Steilacoom Park
Lakewood, Washington
There are 3 classes of lichens: fruticose; foliose; crustose.
Fruticose lichens are hairlike
Foliose lichens are leaf-like (and look sort of like lettuce);
Crustose lichens are flat and thin
Most of what I see, like on this branch, are the fruticose and foliose lichens.
P.S. I'm just learning so please correct me if I got it wrong and/or for clarification!
Godox V860II flash with a dome shaped diffusor on the flash
I met him on Bandra Hill Road liked his look , his turban , his peaceful attitude and shot a few frames.
He belongs to the Sikh religion.
about Sikhism
Sikhism,[1] founded in fifteenth century Punjab on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten successive Sikh Gurus (the last one being the sacred text Guru Granth Sahib), is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world.[2] This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction".[3][4]
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in waheguru—represented using the sacred symbol of ik ōaṅkār, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which, along with the writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions and teachings are distinctively associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 23 million across the world. Most Sikhs live in Punjab in India and, until India's partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab.[5]
The origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living".[6] Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.[7][8] In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is shapeless, timeless, and sightless: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite, and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār.[9] Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and Its hukam (will or order).[10] When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception of reality.[11]
While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings,[9] Nanak described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. Guru Nanak Dev emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.[9] God has no gender in Sikhism, (though translations may incorrectly present a male God); indeed Sikhism teaches that God is "Nirankar" [Niran meaning "without" and kar meaning "form", hence "without form"]. In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life.[12]
[edit] Pursuing salvation and khalsa
A Sikh man at the Harimandir Sahib
Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation.[13] The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth—a concept known as reincarnation.
Māyā—defined as illusion or "unreality"—is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust—known as the Five Evils—are believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.[14]
Nanak described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation.[15] Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God. Nanak distinctly emphasised the irrelevance of outward observations such as rites, pilgrimages, or asceticism. He stressed that devotion must take place through the heart, with the spirit and the soul.
A key practice to be pursued is nām: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but Nanak's interpretation emphasized inward, personal observance. Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". Nanak described the result of the disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sac khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.[15]
Nanak stressed now kirat karō: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a chaṛdī kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing—vaṇḍ chakkō—through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras (laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sēvā).
[edit] The ten gurus and religious authority
Main article: Sikh Gurus
A rare Tanjore-style painting from the late 19th century depicting the ten Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.
The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, meaning teacher, guide, or mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by ten specific gurus from 1499 to 1708. Each guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Nanak was the first guru and appointed a disciple as successor. Gobind Singh was the final guru in human form. Before his death, Gobind Singh decreed that the Gurū Granth Sāhib would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs.[16] The Sikhs believe that the spirit of Nanak was passed from one guru to the next, " just as the light of one lamp, which lights another and does not diminish ",[17] and is also mentioned in their holy book.
After Nanak's passing, the most important phase in the development of Sikhism came with the third successor, Amar Das. Nanak's teachings emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparable to a diocese) system of clerical supervision.[15]
The interior of the Akal Takht
Amar Das's successor and son-in-law Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar, which is home of the Harimandir Sahib and regarded widely as the holiest city for all Sikhs. When Ram Das's youngest son Arjan succeeded him, the line of male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was established: all succeeding gurus were direct descendants of this line. Arjun Mathur was responsible for compiling the Sikh scriptures. Guru Arjan Sahib was captured by Mughal authorities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious order he was developing.[18] His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and political organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attacks of Mughal forces.
The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion to react as a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, Har Gobind, was responsible for the creation of the concept of Akal Takht (throne of the timeless one), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhdom and sits opposite the Darbar Sahib. The Sarbat Ḵẖālsā (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) historically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or Diwali and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation. A gurmatā (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the Sarbat Ḵẖālsā in the presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib. A gurmatā may only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs.[19] The term hukamnāmā (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchangeably with the term gurmatā. However, a hukamnāmā formally refers to a hymn from the Gurū Granth Sāhib which is given as an order to Sikhs.
[edit] History
Main article: History of Sikhism
Nanak (1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talwandī, now called Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan).[20] His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari, an accountant of land revenue in the employment of Rai Bular Bhatti, the area landlord. Nanak's mother was Tripta Devi and he had one older sister, Nanaki. His parents were Khatri Hindus of the Bedi clan. As a boy, Nanak was fascinated by religion, and his desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually led him to leave home and take missionary journeys.
In his early teens, Nanak caught the attention of the local landlord Rai Bular Bhatti, who was moved by his intellect and divine qualities. Rai Bular was witness to many incidents in which Nanak enchanted him and as a result Rai Bular and Nanak's sister Bibi Nanki, became the first persons to recognise the divine qualities in Nanak. Both of them then encouraged and supported Nanak to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. One day, he declared: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān"). It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism.[21] Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca.[22]
Nanak was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice trader from the town of Bakala. They had two sons. The elder son, Sri Chand, was an ascetic, and he came to have a considerable following of his own, known as the Udasis. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the other hand, was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed in the ideal of rāj maiṁ jōg (detachment in civic life), both his sons were unfit to carry on the Guruship.
[edit] Growth of the Sikh community
In 1538, Nanak chose his disciple Lahiṇā, a Khatri of the Trehan clan, as a successor to the guruship rather than either of his sons. Lahiṇā was named Angad Dev and became the second guru of the Sikhs.[23] Nanak conferred his choice at the town of Kartarpur on the banks of the river Ravi, where Nanak had finally settled down after his travels. Though Sri Chand was not an ambitious man, the Udasis believed that the Guruship should have gone to him, since he was a man of pious habits in addition to being Nanak's son. They refused to accept Angad's succession. On Nanak's advice, Angad shifted from Kartarpur to Khadur, where his wife Khivi and children were living, until he was able to bridge the divide between his followers and the Udasis. Angad continued the work started by Nanak and is widely credited for standardising the Gurmukhī script as used in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.
Amar Das, a Khatri of the Bhalla clan, became the third Sikh guru in 1552 at the age of 73. Goindval became an important centre for Sikhism during the guruship of Amar Das. He preached the principle of equality for women by prohibiting purdah and sati. Amar Das also encouraged the practice of langar and made all those who visited him attend laṅgar before they could speak to him.[24] In 1567, Emperor Akbar sat with the ordinary and poor people of Punjab to have laṅgar. Amar Das also trained 146 apostles of which 52 were women, to manage the rapid expansion of the religion.[25] Before he died in 1574 aged 95, he appointed his son-in-law Jēṭhā, a Khatri of the Sodhi clan, as the fourth Sikh guru.
Jēṭhā became Ram Das and vigorously undertook his duties as the new guru. He is responsible for the establishment of the city of Ramdaspur later to be named Amritsar. Before Ramdaspur, Amritsar was known as Guru Da Chakk. In 1581, Arjan Dev—youngest son of the fourth guru—became the fifth guru of the Sikhs. In addition to being responsible for building the Darbar/Harimandir Sahib (called the Golden Temple), he prepared the Sikh sacred text known as the Ādi Granth (literally the first book) and included the writings of the first five gurus. In 1606, for refusing to make changes to the Granth and for supporting an unsuccessful contender to the throne, he was tortured and killed by the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir.[26]
[edit] Political advancement
Hargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swords—one for spiritual and the other for temporal reasons (known as mīrī and pīrī in Sikhism).[27] Sikhs grew as an organized community and under the 10th Guru the Sikhs developed a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Har Rai became guru followed by Harkrishan, the boy guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus are included in the Sikh holy book.[28]
Tegh Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Teg Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb for helping to protect Hindus, after a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor condemned them to death for failing to convert to Islam.[29] He was succeeded by his son, Gobind Rai who was just nine years old at the time of his father's death. Gobind Rai further militarised his followers, and was baptised by the Pañj Piārē when he formed the Khalsa on 13 April 1699. From here on in he was known as Gobind Singh.
From the time of Nanak, when it was a loose collection of followers who focused entirely on the attainment of salvation and God, the Sikh community had significantly transformed. Even though the core Sikh religious philosophy was never affected, the followers now began to develop a political identity. Conflict with Mughal authorities escalated during the lifetime of Teg Bahadur and Gobind Singh. The latter founded the Khalsa in 1699. The Khalsa is a disciplined community that combines its religious purpose and goals with political and military duties.[30] After Aurangzeb killed four of his sons, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnamah (Notification/Epistle of Victory).
Shortly before his death, Gobind Singh ordered that the Gurū Granth Sāhib (the Sikh Holy Scripture), would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would be vested in the Khalsa Panth—the Sikh Nation/Community.[16] The first scripture was compiled and edited by the fifth guru, Arjan Dev, in 1604.
A former ascetic was charged by Gobind Singh with the duty of punishing those who had persecuted the Sikhs. After the guru's death, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur became the leader of the Sikh army and was responsible for several attacks on the Mughal empire. He was executed by the emperor Jahandar Shah after refusing the offer of a pardon if he converted to Islam.[31]
The Sikh community's embrace of military and political organisation made it a considerable regional force in medieval India and it continued to evolve after the demise of the gurus. After the death of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, a Sikh Confederacy of Sikh warrior bands known as misls formed. With the decline of the Mughal empire, a Sikh Empire arose in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with its capital in Lahore and limits reaching the Khyber Pass and the borders of China. The order, traditions and discipline developed over centuries culminated at the time of Ranjit Singh to give rise to the common religious and social identity that the term "Sikhism" describes.[32]
After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell into disorder and was eventually annexed by the United Kingdom after the hard-fought Anglo-Sikh Wars. This brought the Punjab under the British Raj. Sikhs formed the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sikhs' religious and political organization a quarter of a century later. With the partition of India in 1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and millions were forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab.[33] Sikhs faced initial opposition from the Government in forming a linguistic state that other states in India were afforded. The Akali Dal started a non-violence movement for Sikh and Punjabi rights. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a leader of the Bhindran-Mehta Jatha—which assumed the name of Damdami Taksal in 1977 to promote a peaceful solution of the problem. In June 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to launch Operation Blue Star to remove Bhindranwale and his followers from the Darbar Sahib. Bhindranwale, and a large number of innocent pilgrims were killed during the army's operations. In October, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination was followed by the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots massacre[34] and Hindu-Sikh conflicts in Punjab, as a reaction to the assassination and Operation Blue Star.
[edit] Scripture
There are two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth. The Gurū Granth Sāhib may be referred to as the Ādi Granth—literally, The First Volume—and the two terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the Ādi Granth refers to the version of the scripture created by Arjan Dev in 1604. The Gurū Granth Sāhib refers to the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh.
[edit] Adi Granth
Main article: Ādi Granth
The Ādi Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Arjan Dev between the years 1603 and 1604.[35] It is written in the Gurmukhī script, which is a descendant of the Laṇḍā script used in the Punjab at that time.[36] The Gurmukhī script was standardised by Angad Dev, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the Śāradā and Devanāgarī scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and selected bhagats. At the time, Arjan Sahib tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival.[37]
The original version of the Ādi Granth is known as the kartārpur bīṛ and is claimed to be held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.[citation needed] (In fact the original volume was burned by Ahmad Shah Durrani's army in 1757 when they burned the whole town of Kartarpur.)[citation needed]
[edit] Guru Granth Sahib
Gurū Granth Sāhib folio with Mūl Mantra
Main article: Gurū Granth Sāhib
The final version of the Gurū Granth Sāhib was compiled by Gobind Singh in 1678. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of Teg Bahadur's hymns. It was decreed by Gobind Singh that the Granth was to be considered the eternal guru of all Sikhs; however, this tradition is not mentioned either in 'Guru Granth Sahib' or in 'Dasam Granth'.
Punjabi: ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
Transliteration: Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai gurū mānyō granth.
English: All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru.
It contains compositions by the first five gurus, Teg Bahadur and just one śalōk (couplet) from Gobind Singh.[38] It also contains the traditions and teachings of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Sheikh Farid along with several others.[32]
The bulk of the scripture is classified into rāgs, with each rāg subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main rāgs within the Gurū Granth Sāhib. In addition to the rāgs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the scripture is known as Sant Bhāṣā, a language related to both Punjabi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion.[30] The text further comprises over 5000 śabads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical tāl, or rhythmic beats.
A group of Sikh musicians at the Golden Temple complex
The Granth begins with the Mūl Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak:
Punjabi: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi.
Simplified transliteration: Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh nirbha'u nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur prasād.
English: One Universal Creator God, The Name Is Truth, Creative Being Personified, No Fear, No Hatred, Image Of The Timeless One, Beyond Birth, Self Existent, By Guru's Grace.
All text within the Granth is known as gurbānī. Gurbānī, according to Nanak, was revealed by God directly, and the authors wrote it down for the followers. The status accorded to the scripture is defined by the evolving interpretation of the concept of gurū. In the Sant tradition of Nanak, the guru was literally the word of God. The Sikh community soon transferred the role to a line of men who gave authoritative and practical expression to religious teachings and traditions, in addition to taking socio-political leadership of Sikh adherents. Gobind Singh declared an end of the line of human gurus, and now the Gurū Granth Sāhib serves as the eternal guru, with its interpretation vested with the community.[30]
[edit] Dasam Granth
Main article: Dasam Granth
A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth
The Dasam Granth (formally dasvēṁ pātśāh kī granth or The Book of the Tenth Master) is an eighteenth-century collection of poems by Gobind Singh. It was compiled in the shape of a book (granth) by Bhai Mani Singh some 13 to 26 years after Guru Gobind Singh Ji left this world for his heavenly abode.
From 1895 to 1897, different scholars and theologians assembled at the Akal Takht, Amritsar, to study the 32 printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. They met at the Akal Takhat at Amritsar, and held formal discussions in a series of meetings between 13 June 1895 and 16 February 1896. A preliminary report entitled Report Sodhak (revision) Committee Dasam Patshah de Granth Sahib Di was sent to Sikh scholars and institutions, inviting their opinion. A second document, Report Dasam Granth di Sudhai Di was brought out on 11 February 1898. Basing its conclusions on a study of the old handwritten copies of the Dasam Granth preserved at Sri Takht Sahib at Patna and in other Sikh gurudwaras, this report affirmed that the Holy Volume was compiled at Anandpur Sahib in 1698[3] . Further re-examinations and reviews took place in 1931, under the aegis of the Darbar Sahib Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. They, too, vindicated the earlier conclusion (agreeing that it was indeed the work of the Guru) and its findings have since been published.
[edit] Janamsakhis
Main article: Janamsākhīs
The Janamsākhīs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biographies of Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several—often contradictory and sometimes unreliable—Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.
[edit] Observances
Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib, especially the Japu (or Japjī, literally chant) hymns is recommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurduārā, meaning the doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara). There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race.
Worship in a gurdwara consists chiefly of singing of passages from the scripture. Sikhs will commonly enter the temple, touch the ground before the holy scripture with their foreheads, and make an offering. The recitation of the eighteenth century ardās is also customary for attending Sikhs. The ardās recalls past sufferings and glories of the community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.[39]
The most sacred shrine is the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, famously known as the Golden Temple. Groups of Sikhs regularly visit and congregate at the Harimandir Sahib. On specific occasions, groups of Sikhs are permitted to undertake a pilgrimage to Sikh shrines in the province of Punjab in Pakistan, especially at Nankana Sahib and other Gurdwaras. Other places of interest to Sikhism in Pakistan includes the samādhī (place of cremation) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore.
[edit] Sikh festivals
Festivals in Sikhism mostly centre around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. The SGPC, the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the gurdwaras, organises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi calendar. This calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Several festivals (Hola Mohalla, Diwali, and Nanak's birthday) continue to be celebrated using the Hindu calendar. Sikh festivals include the following:
* Gurpurabs are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurabs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurab that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a shaheedi Gurpurab, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur.
* Vaisakhi or Baisakhi normally occurs on 13 April and marks the beginning of the new spring year and the end of the harvest. Sikhs celebrate it because on Vaisakhi in 1699, the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, laid down the Foundation of the Khalsa an Independent Sikh Identity.
* Bandi Chhor Divas or Diwali celebrates Hargobind's release from the Gwalior Fort, with several innocent Hindu kings who were also imprisoned by Jahangir, on 26 October, 1619.
* Hola Mohalla occurs the day after Holi and is when the Khalsa Panth gather at Anandpur and display their warrior skills, including fighting and riding.
[edit] Ceremonies and customs
The anand kāraj (Sikh marriage) ceremony
Nanak taught that rituals, religious ceremonies, or idol worship is of little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages.[40] However, during the period of the later gurus, and owing to increased institutionalisation of the religion, some ceremonies and rites did arise. Sikhism is not a proselytizing religion and most Sikhs do not make active attempts to gain converts. However, converts to Sikhism are welcomed, although there is no formal conversion ceremony. The morning and evening prayers take about two hours a day, starting in the very early morning hours. The first morning prayer is Guru Nanak's Jap Ji. Jap, meaning "recitation", refers to the use of sound, as the best way of approaching the divine. Like combing hair, hearing and reciting the sacred word is used as a way to comb all negative thoughts out of the mind. The second morning prayer is Guru Gobind Singh's universal Jaap Sahib. The Guru addresses God as having no form, no country, and no religion but as the seed of seeds, sun of suns, and the song of songs. The Jaap Sahib asserts that God is the cause of conflict as well as peace, and of destruction as well as creation. Devotees learn that there is nothing outside of God's presence, nothing outside of God's control. Devout Sikhs are encouraged to begin the day with private meditations on the name of God.
Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sāhib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left-hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the middle name or surname Singh, and all girls are given the middle name or surname Kaur.[41] Sikhs are joined in wedlock through the anand kāraj ceremony. Sikhs are required to marry when they are of a sufficient age (child marriage is taboo), and without regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriage ceremony is performed in the company of the Guru Granth Sāhib; around which the couple circles four times. After the ceremony is complete, the husband and wife are considered "a single soul in two bodies."[42]
According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife is permitted to divorce. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able to do so in a civil court—but this is not condoned.[43] Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any means of disposing the body may be employed. The kīrtan sōhilā and ardās prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known as antim sanskār).[44]
[edit] Baptism and the Khalsa
A kaṛā, kaṅghā and kirpān.
Khalsa (meaning pure) is the name given by Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit in a ceremony called ammrit sañcār. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Vaisakhi, which fell on 29 March 1698/1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. It was on that occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the Pañj Piārē who in turn baptised Gobind Singh himself.
Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as pañj kakkē or pañj kakār), or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. The 5 items are: kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small comb), kaṛā (circular iron bracelet), kirpān (dagger), and kacchā (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.[45]
[edit] Sikh people
Main article: Sikh
Further information: Sikhism by country
Punjabi Sikh family from Punjab, India
Worldwide, there are 25.8 million Sikhs and approximately 75% of Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they constitute about 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Sikhs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhism as a major religion and Sikhism has no relation to Hinduism. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% of the Indian population.
In addition to social divisions, there is a misperception that there are a number of Sikh sectarian groups[clarification needed], such as Namdharis and Nirankaris. Nihangs tend to have little difference in practice and are considered the army of Sikhism. There is also a sect known as Udasi, founded by Sri Chand who were initially part of Sikhism but later developed into a monastic order.
Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significant communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontario and Surrey in British Columbia), East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and more recently, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Western Europe. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in Mauritius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iraq and many other countries
Judge a man by his questions rather than his answers.
Voltaire
The art and science of asking questions is the source of all knowledge.
Thomas Berger
Just knowing you don't have the answers is a recipe for humility, openness, acceptance, forgiveness, and an eagerness to learn - and those are all good things.
Dick Van Dyke
Art is nothing but the expression of our dream; the more we surrender to it the closer we get to the inner truth of things, our dream-life, the true life that scorns questions and does not see them.
Franz Marc
Every clarification breeds new questions.
Arthur Bloch
Take risks. Ask big questions. Don't be afraid to make mistakes; if you don't make mistakes, you're not reaching far enough.
David Packard
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
…for posing so nicely, but I declined because he was asking an arm and leg.
Feel free to groan and hiss at this pathetic attempt at humor, but please, no rotten tomatoes. Booing is allowed as well. This beast is between 8 and 9 feet long and just soaking up a bit of sun while lounging on this old fallen tree that’s lodged in the mud on Horsepen Bayou.
A bit of clarification on the previous photo. That is just lose skin hanging down on the lower jaw of the gator and they can tighten it up any time they wish. This character is completely relaxed.
A7R02962uls
It's better than nothing... I did quite a bit of yard work today and had seen that the UP's new Abraham Lincoln presidential tribute motor was leading a North Platte to Valley Park train out of NP around midday. This was about the best-case scenario, arriving Omaha just before dusk but early enough that it barely beat the shadows downtown. Having named my second child Lincoln, I couldn't not make the effort to watch its first trip across the river into Iowa... I was able to shoot it downtown before scooting across the river to an apartment complex parking lot and get what likely is the first shot of the motor in Iowa; the birthplace of the Union Pacific and Transcontinental Railroad. This is roughly 1/2 mile east of the state line just before it passes over I-29 on approach to the original UP yard in Council Bluffs.
Numbering clarifications:
- UP 1616 (SD70M), renumbered from UP 4015 on 4/21/25
- UP 4015 (SD70M), renumbered from UP 4392 on 4/22/25
This picture was taken during a freezing winter morning at November 2011 at the Amphitheater of the Bryce Canyon National Park.
Comments & Critiques are most welcome
*****Any unauthorized use or copy in print, electronic or any other form of this content is prohibited. For any clarification/request, contact me at santanu1477@gmail.com*****
while walking at a flea market i chanced upon a bird vendor with a green parakeet on his shoulder. wild parakeets are known to bite so this made his parakeet domesticated and possibly hand reared. i started talking with the vendor to ask more questions about his parakeet and my hunch was right. he placed the parakeet on my hand and, guess what, i ended up taking it home he he he. these shots were taken when i was negotiating with the vendor. price: USD5.00 for a hand reared domesticated parakeet.
The Philippine hanging parrot (Loriculus philippensis) is also widely known as the colasisi[2] taken from its local Tagalog name, "kulasisi". It is a small parrot species of the Psittaculidae family. It includes about eleven subspecies, which are all native to only the Philippines; however, the exact taxonomy is unclear, and at least one of the subspecies might become split off and become a separate species if further research provides clarification.
They are mainly green with areas of red, orange, yellow, and blue varying between subspecies. Only the males have a red area on their fronts, except for the population living on Camiguin, where neither male nor female have this red area. They make nests in tree holes and, unusually for a parrot, the female takes nesting material back to the nest.
source: wikipedia
Taken in Vinales, Cuba
It all happened so quickly just gutted I didn't get the whole of the hen in the frame...
Just for clarification this is a Rooster and a Hen...the hen wasn't in the mood!!
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive, gender neutral, celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all … and a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling, and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2011, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make Canada great, (not to imply that Canada is necessarily greater than any other), and without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith, choice of computer platform, or sexual preference of the wishee.
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(By accepting this greeting, you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for her/himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law, and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.)
The pointe de Pen-Hir (Breton – Beg Penn Hir) is a promontory of the Crozon peninsula in Brittany, to the south-west of Camaret-sur-Mer. On a clear day there are views to the Pointe du Raz and the islands of Sein and Ouessant and to Pointe Saint-Mathieu. The cliffs are as tall as 70 metres (230 ft) high.
It is the site of the Monument to the Bretons of Free France, known as the Cross of Pen-Hir and inaugurated by General Charles de Gaulle in 1960. It is intended to bear witness to the group of Free French Bretons who founded Sao Breiz[clarification needed] in Great Britain during the Second World War. It was created in 1949–1951 by architect Jean-Baptiste Mathon and sculptor Victor-François Bazin.
« Aux Bretons de la France Libre – MCMXL – MCMXLV – La France a perdu une bataille, mais la France n'a pas perdu la guerre. Dans l'univers libre des forces immenses n'ont pas encore donné. Un jour ces forces écraseront l'ennemi. »
"To the Bretons of Free France – MCMXL – MCMXLV – France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war. In the free world immense forces have not yet given up. One day these forces will crush the enemy."
On the back of the cross is an inscription in Breton, "Kentoc'h mervel eget em zaotra", taken from the motto of Brittany: "death rather than defilement".
This is inside the Rotchev house, the oldest building in Ft Ross.
Just for clarification, this is simply window light from a north facing window.
Placed the shadows on zone II, letting the highlights fall on zone VII, the range was literally EV2-EV7, i.e. no development adjustments needed.
Kampong Glam, Singapore.
Taken, June 2012.
Please do not download or use any of my photographs without first getting my approval.
May 6, 2015. Hampton Creek Cove. East Tennessee.
I spent an afternoon and the following morning at this location in early May, primarily to observe/photograph Golden-w1nged warblers (GWWA). This population is being actively studied and most of the birds were banded. Such populations are not ideal to photograph yet the reasons for this go beyond the unwanted presence of colorful bands in images. This would make for a very interesting discussion which I will not now entertain further.
I observed this hybrid early on the morning of May 6. It was singing and foraging near the parking area. It was singing a Blue-w1nged warbler bee buzz song. This is a 2nd generation back-cross. There is no yellow wash anywhere on the underside. This bird was banded but the bands are obscured by the perch. I usually don't note whether or not calls were used for a particular image, but for this shoot calls were not used.
For clarification a second degree back-cross as I understand it means the following. A 1st generation Brewster's hybrid is a cross between a Golden-winged and Blue-winged warbler. It would be the dominant offspring in such a cross. The dominant traits in such a cross are the black eye-line and the lack of all over yellow in the plumage. Yet those 1st generation Brewster's have some yellow wash on the throat/and or chest/abdomen areas as well as that black eye-line. When a first generation Brewster's mates with a Golden-winged warbler it is possible to get a 2nd generation Brewster's which would not have the yellow wash but a plain colored underside similar to the Golden-winged ancestors. That is what this bird is.
A Lawrences's hybrid is the rarest and exhibits the recessive traits of yellow like a Blue-winged warbler, and a facial pattern like a golden-winged warbler. That facial pattern has the black throat and face patches rather than the black eye-line.
I intended to post another photo of this yesterday which would've coincided with Guru Purnima (a festival dedicated to offering respect to all the spiritual and academic gurus.)
This beautiful image depicts Laxmi (centre), both the consort and the divine energy (shakti) of the Hindu god Vishnu .... 'she who leads to one's goal'
Left is Ganesha, God of new beginnings, wisdom and luck and remover of obstacles.
Right is Saraswati, Goddess of knowledge, music, art, speech, wisdom, and learning (thanks to Two Cups Studio for the clarification and translation.)
I found this upside down among the plants in my front garden on Sunday evening. I'm the last house on my road so things sometimes get blown into my garden, though this is a more unusual and welcome find.
It's printed onto some kind of metallic laminate paper and needed some cleaning up.
Where it came from is a bit of a mystery.
I didn't post the original photo that I'd taken yesterday because I hadn't shot the level straight, and by the time I'd adjusted it, it'd lost some of the top of the circle and I was also very tired from working in school.
The flowers are a particularly beautifully scented Phlox, given to me by a late friend.
Happy New Year, everyone.
Yesterday's post was a peacock. I'll repost his handsome self below as there seems to have been some confusion about his gender and he told me he wants this straightened out. This is the peahen. They are both Indian Blue Peacocks (actually Peafowl- thanks for the clarification, Tom Blandford), one of three species. There's also a green or Javanese peafowl and a Congo peafowl. Of course I didn't know this until I looked it up yesterday. It was hard to catch her green iridescence, but I managed with this shot.
I am posting this photo mainly for clarification. At first I thought this was a female but it was exhibiting the bubble displays that the males do to attract a female. It does not really show in this picture. But someone said that it could be a juvenile male, which I have never seen before. I read that the juvenile looks like the female but is duller in color. Does this look like a juvie male Ruddy Duck? Would a "confused" female ever do the bubble display? Taken at Frank Lake, Alberta. I would appreciate if someone could please help clarify this for me. Thank you.
www.birdinginformation.com/birds/ducks/ruddy-duck/
Thank you for your visit and comments. They are very much appreciated.
This is a re-worked version of an earlier image. Middlesbrough and Stockton Corporation both bought small batches of Leyland Panther Cubs, which may have passed to Cleveland Transit on its formation in 1974 (clarification welcome). The Panther Cub was a shorter and more robust version of the Panther, which was plagued by structural problems, particularly on dual-door buses. This fictional image, which is based on Chesterfield Corporation ENU 93H, supposes that Transit had inherited some of the problematic Panthers, in this case with Northern Counties bodies (updated 25-May-24).
All rights reserved. Not to be posted on Facebook or anywhere else without my prior written permission. Please follow the link below for additional information about my Flickr images:
www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/6046035749/in/set-7....
Our beautiful cheetahs @Mukuni Big 5 - Zambia
- during one of our volunteer staying -
Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.
______________________________________________
We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:
___________________________________________
What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry
www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...
_____________________________________________
This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris
www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/
Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..
Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.
Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .
Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.
Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .
Laura Bongiorni
Adalberto Mangini
Alberta's Miner's Peak and Ha Ling Peak come forth from the early morning fog.
Thanks for the peak's name clarification Rob!
Color version in comments.
Hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start!
Horseshoe Bend, a wonderful creation of the mother nature is a horseshoe shaped meander of the Colorado River located near the town Page, Arizona, in the United States. The bend is locally known as "King Bend". It can be viewed from a steep cliff above the bend that is accessible from Freeway US-89 after a 1.2 km hike. According to Google terrain maps, the overlook is 4,200 feet above sea level and the Colorado River is at 3,200 feet above sea level, thus making the viewpoint to be on the top of a breathtaking 1000 foot drop.
I strongly suggest that you press L to view this in lightbox and then in large size to see the details.
Thanks for 1000 views, happens to be my first photo on my photostream!
*****Any unauthorized use or copy in print, electronic or any other form of this content is prohibited. For any clarification/request, contact me at santanu1477@gmail.com*****
Vaison-la-Romaine (Latin: Vasio Vocontiorum) is a commune in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.
The historic section is in two parts, the Colline du Château on a height on one side of the Ouvèze, the "upper city" and on the opposite bank, the "lower city" centered on the Colline de la Villasse.
The area was inhabited in the Bronze Age. At the end of the fourth century BCE, the upper city of Vaison became the capital of a Celtic tribe, the Vocontii or Voconces. After the Roman conquest (125-118 BCE) the Vocontii retained a certain degree of autonomy; they had two capitals, Luc-en-Diois (in modern Drôme département), apparently the religious center, and Vaison. Their continued authority in the gradual Romanization of the Celtic oppidum[1] meant that the city plan incurred no disruptive re-founding along rigid Roman orthography.[clarification needed] The city's modern archaeologist Christian Goudineau has suggested that early examples were set by Vocontian aristocrats who moved down from the oppidum and established villas along the river, around which the Gallo-Roman city accreted.[2] In the Roman period it became one of the richest cities of Gallia Narbonensis, with numerous geometric mosaic pavements[3] a fine small theatre on a rocky hillslope, probably built during the reign of Tiberius, whose statue was found in a prominent place on its site.[4] The Polyclitan Vaison Diadumenos (now in the British Museum) was discovered in the theatre in the nineteenth century.[5] At Vasio Pompeius Trogus, the Augustan historian, was born.
The barbarian invasions were presaged by a pillaging and burning in 276, from which Roman Vasio recovered, but in the fifth century the benches of the theatre began to be reused as Christian tombstones. Vaison belonged the Burgundians, was taken by the Ostrogoths in 527, then by Clotaire I, King of the Franks in 545, and became part of Provence
The disputes which broke out in the twelfth century between the counts of Provence, who had refortified the ancient "upper town" and the bishops, each of whom were in possession of half the town, were injurious to its prosperity; they were ended by a treaty negotiated in 1251 by the future pope Clement IV, a native of Saint-Gilles-du-Gard.
At disturbed times of the Middle Ages, the inhabitants emigrated to the higher ground on the left bank of Ouvèze, with the shelter of the ramparts and a strong castle. From the eighteenth century most of the population had moved back down to the plains by the river.
A flood struck Vaison-la-Romaine on 22 September 1992, costing $1.5 billion in damages. It was the town's worst flood since 1632, and was featured in the Discovery Channel series Destroyed In Seconds.
La région est d’abord habitée par les Ligures qui introduisent le bronze. À la fin du IVe siècle av. J.-C., Vaison devient la capitale d’une tribu celtique, intégrée au sein du peuple des Voconces. Après la conquête romaine (125-118 av. J.-C.), la cité des Voconces compte deux capitales, Luc-en-Diois et Vaison. Les Romains en font l’une des villes les plus riches de la Gaule narbonnaise. Elle fut la patrie de l'historien Trogue Pompée. Le plus grand historien de langue latine Cornélius Tacitus, Tacite, est, probablement, originaire de Vaison-la Romaine (sources: Tacite oeuvres complètes traduites par Catherine Salles aux éditions Robert Laffont février 2014). Les invasions barbares du Ve siècle ruinent la cité.
L’Ouvèze, autrefois navigable, sépare la Haute-Ville de la cité actuelle qui recouvre la ville gallo-romaine, dont 15 hectares sont dégagés. Quant au « château de la Villasse » et son allée de platanes bicentenaires, il domine les vestiges gallo-romains dits de La Villasse. Plus à l’est, la colline de Puymin est signalée par un vaste espace boisée. Les autres vestiges gallo-romains (Thermes du Nord, villa du Paon) échappent au regard. Le reste de la cité antique demeure sous le Vaison actuel. Enfin, on remarque deux édifices romans à l’ouest de La Villasse : la chapelle Saint-Quenin, et plus au sud, la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Nazareth et son cloître. Ce panorama urbain, où s’imbriquent vestiges antiques, bâtiments romans et constructions récentes, suggère superpositions et déplacements des occupations au cours des âges. Des vestiges d’habitat et de rempart laissés par la communauté agraire du Premier Âge du Fer (VIIe – Ve siècle av. J.-C.) ont été découverts sur la rive gauche de l’Ouvèze, au bas de l’éperon rocheux. C’est sur cette hauteur, marquant le paysage (actuellement occupé par la Haute-Ville), que se sont abritées les populations ligures, puis celto-ligures à partir de l’invasion des Voconces au IVe siècle av. J.-C. Vaison s’appelle alors « Vasio voncontiorum » c’est-à-dire « Vaison des Voconces ». Dès avant la conquête romaine, la cité est la capitale de ce peuple d’origine celtique qui occupait un territoire limité par la Durance au sud, l’Isère au nord, le couloir rhodanien à l’ouest, la Durance et les Préalpes à l’est.
Vaison-la-Romaine, le théâtre antique.
Avec la conquête romaine, Vasio devient « cité fédérée » (et non une colonie). Les Voconces descendent sur la rive droite où se structure progressivement une ville. L’urbanisme commence à partir de noyaux agricoles qui se métamorphosent en habitations de ville, lors de la création des voies de circulation et l’édification des grands monuments publics dans la seconde moitié du Ier siècle : théâtre, pont, aqueduc, thermes… La paix romaine est propice à l’extension de la cité, qui connaît sa splendeur au IIe siècle. Elle couvre alors 70 à 75 hectares. Elle est l’une des villes les plus riches de la Narbonnaise. Après la chute de l’Empire romain, Vaison devint un centre religieux relativement important (un évêché y existe dès le IVe siècle) où se réunirent deux conciles, en 442 et 529.source wikipédia
I am finding it a little difficult deciding which pictures I should upload from my recent visit to Cuba. I was like a dog with two tails. There were that many wonderful looking old vehicles it was hard to decide in which direction I should point my camera. The prime reason for my concern is that I want to vary the content of my Flickr stream. One such way I think is to include panned vehicles rather than just a point and click.
Here's one such example of what I think maybe a 1950's Plymouth. I would be happy to hear clarification or for someone to put me right.
Caught this one very early in the morning, so he was quite still and cooperative. I believe this is a Spotted Orbweaver, but would welcome any correction or clarification on the ID.
No need to whisper each other words of love, you both understand each other without even breathing!
Two unbeliavable beauties lasting forever in my memory!
Dedicated to you Laura, my best life and travels' companion !
Ada
Made Explore on Sep.29, 12 - #2
We wish to thank all the Flickers who took one moment for their several views and nice very appreciated comments. Thanks friends!
Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.
______________________________________________
We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:
___________________________________________
What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry
www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...
_____________________________________________
This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris
www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/
Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..
Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.
Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .
Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.
Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .
Laura Bongiorni
Adalberto Mangini
Macro Mondays theme: Award
Silver pin signifying five years of service at my old company. It was a big deal and was accompanied by a lunch with my boss and his boss. Since his boss was unable to attend, my boss took me to an even nicer restaurant and I had my first and last escargots and frog legs* while a violinist roamed playing atmospheric music.
HMM
* For clarification I have had frog legs on a couple of other occasions, but never accompanied by violins.
I'm struggling a bit with my photography at the moment, as happens every now and then. So please bear with me if I'm not commenting as much as usual. I will get back in the swing eventually.
In the interim I'm posting one from August of some shield bug eggs with what looks like a wasp on. 'Rockwolf', my Flickr friend kindly identified the eggs for me but I'm wondering if the wasp is eating the eggs, has just emerged or what is gong on. All clarification welcomed.
Mehrere Bundesländer, nicht alle, veranstalten in unregelmäigen Abständen Landesgartenschauen. Im Land Brandenburg findet 2022 eine solche Schau, abgekürzt LAGA, in der Stadt Beelitz, gelegen ca. 43 km (Luftlinie) südwestlich von Berlin statt. Beelitz, gegründet vor ca. 1000 Jahren, hat zusammen mit mehreren in den letzten Jahren eingemeindeten Dörfern der Umgebung etwa 13.000 Einwohner und ist das Zentrum eines großen Spargelanbaugebiets. Spargel, vor allem der weiße, wird in Beelitz und Umgebung schon seit über 150 Jahren angebaut. Er spielt auch eine große Rolle auf der LAGA 2022 als dekoratives Element und in einer Ausstellung über den Spargelanbau. Außerdem bietet ein großes Restaurant, betrieben von einem großen Spargelhof, Spargelgerichte. Für die LAGA wurde eine wenig attraktive Festwiese, die sich zwischen der Altstadt und dem Fluss Nieplitz erstreckt, in einen großen Park umgestaltet, der den Einwohnern dauerhaft zur Verfügung stehen wird. Die beliebten und alle zwei Wochen wechselnden Blumenschauen, in denen Gärtnereibetriebe ihr Leistungsvermögen demonstrieren, finden mitten in der Altstadt, in der 800-jährigen Stadtpfarrkirche St. Marien und St. Nikolai statt, die nach der LAGA wieder als Ort für Gottesdienste genutzt werden wird.
Several federal states, not all, organise state garden shows at irregular intervals. In the state of Brandenburg, such a show, abbreviated LAGA, takes place in 2022 in the town of Beelitz, located about 43 km (as the crow flies) southwest of Berlin. Beelitz, founded about 1000 years ago, has about 13,000 inhabitants together with several villages in the surrounding area that have been incorporated in recent years, and is the centre of a large asparagus-growing area. Asparagus, especially the white variety, has been grown in Beelitz and the surrounding area for over 150 years. It also plays a major role at LAGA 2022 as a decorative element and in an exhibition about asparagus cultivation. In addition, a large restaurant, run by a large asparagus farm, offers asparagus dishes. For the LAGA, a less attractive festival meadow stretching between the old town and the Nieplitz River has been transformed into a large park that will be permanently available to residents. The popular flower shows, which change every fortnight and in which gardening companies demonstrate their capabilities, take place in the middle of the old town, in the 800-year-old St. Mary's and St. Nicholas' Town Parish Church, which will once again be used as a place for church services after the LAGA.
From the Dance of Death by Hans Holbein (1491)
Department of Further Clarification:
This image is the Dance of Death in the German printed edition, folio CCLXI recto from Hartman Schedel's Chronicle of the World (Nuremberg, 1493) thought to be created by Michael Wolgemut (b. 1434, Nürnberg, d. 1519, Nürnberg). There was also a Latin printed edition of the same year. Hans Holbein the Younger was not alive at the time of its publication in 1493.
This image was captured for the Macro Mondays theme: "silhouette".
(Technical clarification: the 'apparent shadow' in this image is not a shadow at all. It is a silhouette also, layered and slightly offset from the original silhouette).
...new species of metallic flower discovered in my tool box
For Macro Monday's #TheOddOne theme
[For clarification: The nut is the "odd one out", amongst an arrangement of screws and panel pins.
Just within the 3inch rule, from the top of the shot to the bottom.]
After using my crafting box for multiple photographic purposes, I was (indirectly) challenged to use my tool box instead; this is one of the results :-)
Hillsboro Inlet Light is located on the north side of Hillsboro Inlet, midway between Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton, in Hillsboro Beach, Florida. The light marks the northern limit of the Florida Reef, an underwater coral formation on the lower east coast of the state.
In 1901, the United States Lighthouse Establishment persuaded Congress to authorize the construction of a lighthouse in the dark area between Jupiter Inlet Light and Fowey Rocks Light. In the second half of the 20th century, this inlet became an increasingly busy waterway. Hillsboro Inlet Light is considered one of the most powerful lights in the world[citation needed] with a beam that can be seen for 28 nautical miles (52 km; 32 mi).
The octagonal iron pyramidal tower was built at Russel Wheel & Foundry Co in Detroit, Michigan, moved to the Hillsboro Inlet Light Station in 1906, and lit on March 7, 1907. Its second-order bivalve Fresnel lens emits a light measuring 5.5 megacandelas and is placed 136 feet (41 m) above sea level. Automated in 1974, the light acts both as a coastal navigational aide and as a support to local water traffic.
The light was relit in 2000, with 400 pounds (180 kg) of mercury replaced[clarification needed] by a specially designed ball-bearing assembly.
In 2003, Hillsboro Inlet Light was honored with a 37¢ U.S. postage stamp.
Usually these fed and bred game birds would be lucky to evade the shoots which last another two weeks until the end of the season on 1st Feb.
Driven game shooting for leisure or recreational purposes was permitted through December, then prohibited on the 6th Jan for the 'decisive' (read grossly delayed) England lockdown, but then relaxed again on the 7th Jan following government clarification. Game shoots are currently permitted as part of your daily exercise as long as you stay local and don't meet anyone outside your household 'bubble'. So this bird is probably as confused as the average UK citizen.
Amazing colours and patterns up close.
#landcarlos1 #d3200carlos1 #2014carlos1 #serrazulcarlos1 #instagram
SISTEMA CAPTAÇÃO DE ÁGUA SERRA AZUL...
- Foto sem edição.
+ EXPLICANDO MINHAS FOTOS....
Sou fotografo amador, que adora fotografia da Natureza. Meus equipamentos são simples, por questões financeiras (neste sentido, meu país, como muitos outros, vê a sua população apenas como objeto de exploração). Então, procuro fazer o que posso, dentro do que sei e do que tenho. Um esclarecimento importante, não sou muito chegado a selfies não; nada contra, mas não sou fã deste tipo de "fotografia". Fotografia de pessoas para cair no meu gosto somente quando percebo nela um "sabor" de arte ou registro histórico, coisas do tipo, fora isto parece-me mais questões relativas a carências de determinados Egos (opinião pessoal). Bom, então, costumo andar pela região onde resido, arredores da cidade de Belo Horizonte, Brasil, com o pessoal dos passarinhos (passarinheiros), mas, enquanto eles focam somente na fotografia de aves (registro), eu vou fotografando tudo o quê chama a minha atenção. rsrs!
SERRA AZUL WATER CAPTURE SYSTEM...
- Photo without editing.
+ EXPLAINING MY PHOTOS....
I am an amateur photographer, who loves nature photography. My equipment is simple, for financial reasons (in this sense, my country, like many others, sees its population only as an object of exploitation). So, I try to do what I can, within what I know and what I have. An important clarification, I'm not very fond of selfies; nothing against it, but I'm not a fan of this type of "photography". Photography of people to suit my taste only when I perceive in it a "flavor" of art (something I can't reproduce, despite some attempts), besides this it seems to me more questions related to the needs of certain Egos (personal opinion). Well, so, I usually walk around the region where I live, outskirts of the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, with the birds people (birdies), but while they focus only on bird photography (records), I'm photographing everything I call it my attention. haha!
Sunset over Sriharikota Backwater Lake - Andhra Pradesh India.
IN FLICKR EXPLORE ON 29-08-2014. # 268.
TO AVOID ANY APPREHENSION & CONFUSION & DOUBTS, I HAVE GIVEN UNDERNEATH , THE TECHNIQUE TO MAKE THE SUN BIG, IN THE FORM OF SOME QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS, WHICH I REPLIED LONG BACK, IN ANOTHER PHOTO OF MINE ( www.flickr.com/photos/59670248@N05/7033025805/ ). THE TECHNIQUE IS SIMPLE BUT NEEDS PRACTICE. THANKS.
Revisited.
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Main Exif Info :
Camera - Canon EOS 7D
Lens - EF100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM
Exposure - 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture - f/9.0
Focal Length - 400 mm
ISO Speed - 100
Exposure Bias - 0 EV
I am repeating the Exif shown to you here 8 months ago :
…………………………………………………………
You seem to be very very concerned about how do I make the Sun look so big !
Before I write something on this, please tell me in your photo attached, why you did not crop the top portion of the photo? That would have made the Sun look still bigger ! Please try to understand that, excepting Camera & appropriate lens, you have to apply some other techniques also !
Now please read the following :
Tanmoy Das [https://facebook.com/casualphotograph]
Many people have asked me about the same many a times and I have replied also.
Step 1 - Make your composition first focussing and try to guess how big the Sun you can make keeping other things more or less proportionate.
Step 2 - Leave the focus, physically come out of your composition place and focuss the Sun separately appropriately bigger. For this you need at least 70-300 or 100-400mm lens. Only Sun being focussed separately, it will obviously come out neat and blurrless, no other objects being in the Frame.
Step 3 - Lock this focuss or hold the focuss by pressing shutter button halfway, don't snap any photo at this stage. This is tough and you have to practice this.
Step 4 - Now come to the place of your original composition frame, still holding the same focuss, and after getting the original composition in the Frame, choose an angle, from where the other objects in the Frame, seem to be not as big as the Sun. Now snap the photo with the same focuss you were holding so long.
Result - All the objects in the frame will be sharp, no background or foreground blurrness will come and the Sun will also look big.
Other application - You can also take a Moon shot in the night (you need to practice a lot, it is very tough at night without any tripod) in the same way, whereby objects at infinite distance (Moon) and objects at finite distance (say tree leaves) will all come out sharp & clear and there will be no blurr at all, anywhere in the Frame.
Now some more Clarifications :
Hi Gautam,
I inserted my questions in your original text where I have inclearities:
Step 1 - Make your composition first focussing and try to guess how big the Sun you can make keeping other things more or less proportionate.
QUESTION: what does first focussing means here? having the corect composition of the picture or having the (autoforcus) being set correctly?
Step 2 - Leave the focus, physically come out of your composition place and focuss the Sun separately appropriately bigger. For this you need at least 70-300 or 100-400mm lens. Only Sun being focussed separately, it will obviously come out neat and blurrless, no other objects being in the Frame.
QUESTION: At the beginning you say "leave the focus" then you say "Sun being focussed separately". Do you make a separate photo only containing the sun?
Step 3 - Lock this focuss or hold the focuss by pressing shutter button halfway, don't snap any photo at this stage. This is tough and you have to practice this.
QUESTION: "Lock this focus" (which focus? the one of the separate sun?)
Step 4 - Now come to the place of your original composition frame, still holding the same focuss, and after getting the original composition in the Frame, choose an angle, from where the other objects in the Frame, seem to be not as big as the Sun. Now snap the photo with the same focuss you were holding so long.
QUESTION: "still holding the same focus" means here: still the same focus of the sun? and do zoom out to have a new composition?
Result - All the objects in the frame will be sharp, no background or foreground blurrness will come and the Sun will also look big.
The overall question is:
How much photos do I have to take? One with the sun and one with the entire composition (also containing the sun???). If I do two photos: how are the beeing merged? In photoshop?
Or do you have a camera which allows you to shoot two frames that are in one resulting photo?
Thanks in advance for a clarification of those questions.
Answer 1 - Making a correct MEASUREMENT of composition of a picture, to take an idea. nothing else.
Answer 2 - Only focuss the Sun separately appropriately bigger by zooming in - remember only the Sun, nothing else.
Answer 3 - Yes, with the separate Sun.
Answer 4 - Still holding the same focuss of the lone Sun. I repeat only the focuss. No photo involved.
Answer 5 - Please do not change the focuss any further now. Not to zoom out or zoom in , nor to touch the zooming ring. Already the earlier focuss is zoomed big which you are still holding on.
Answer 5 - Press the shutter now with the old focuss (without any change). Only one photo will be snapped. No question of any two photos or photoshop.
Answer 6 - I do not merge or shoot two photos for merging.
Thanks & Best regards
Gautam
Our Daily Challenge: Favorite Song
Freebird (Lynard Skynard)
I believe this to be an Allen's Hummingbird. It is very similar in appearance to the Rufous Hummingbird. This little guy was not as vicious in protecting his territory as I have seen a Rufous protect his territory, also he does not appear to have the distinctive notch on the second tail feather. I have better images of his tail feathers completely spread out, and I see no notch. If someone more knowledgeable than me knows for sure if this is an Allen's, I would appreciate the clarification. Thanks......
My images are posted here for your enjoyment only. All rights are reserved. Please contact me through flickr if you are interested in using one of my images for any reason.
In the distance an unidentified class 56 can be seen waiting to leave the Prince of Wales Colliery in Featherstone. The box, the colliery and no doubt the 56 are now long gone. The two running lines are still in existence, but see just a small amount of local passanger work and the occasional freight.
If I recall rightly I was stood on my tiptoes to grab this view.
Image taken in the late eighties. Clarification to follow.
Yesterday 420 new patients were admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of people in the hospital because of the coronavirus to 5,840. Of those patients, 1,257 are in the intensive care unit, which is a decrease of 4. The bad news is that 185 new deaths have been reported bringing the total number of deaths in Belgium since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,632. Despite this grim news there is a general feeling that we are moving towards a situation of gaining control over the epidemic and that there are early signs that the spread of new coronavirus cases is slowing. Meanwhile, the government keeps stressing that we must remain vigilant and issued an update on the nationwide lockdown measures to contain the spread of coronavirus pandemic including clarifications to family events and outings. The instructions, however, are not always clear… On display is young couple resting on a bench whilst the signs clearly indicate that this is not allowed. At the end, even during these challenging times, common sense needs to prevail! Stay Safe, Stay Healthy – Portus Ganda, Ghent, Belgium
So, it snowed today. Further clarification: it's still snowing. November 13th and there's something like 3-4" of snow on the ground. Preposterous! This is Boise, we rarely get this much snow even mid-winter!
Standing outside in the snow and cold is no one's idea of a picnic but I've wanted to try a backlit photo with snow or rain for so long that I kicked my butt into gear and ran outside to pair the dusky ambient light with a single 430ex behind me to freeze (haha, pun) the snow. The snow and white wall of my house acted as a natural reflector, too, no other light source necessary. That was so much fun! Again, again! Winter is coming!
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The book “Orda Cave Awareness Project”
It is dedicated to the biggest underwater gypsum cave in the world. It is located near Orda village (Perm region, Russia). The book contains articles by geologists, stories about animal life of the cave, interviews with pioneers, reviews by leading experts in cave diving.
The book is illustrated with more than 100 unique underwater photos. Also the first published map of Orda cave with additions and clarifications. The work on the book took half a year, the team made more than 150 dives. All 5 kilometers of its underwater galleries were photographed.
Model - Bogdana Vashenko
More photos in www.ordacave.ru
50049/50007 0Z84 Kidderminster - Tyne Yard at Chesterfield on 26.03.2020 (Taken on my morning government permitted walk with camera through the fence railings (just for clarification))
Click. Bang.
A clarification that makes this photo lose ALL its power: I am fine, not homicidal, or suicidal, I just saw that cap gun and thought of this combo-portrait and thought it would be a powerful image.
I kinda wish I didn't have to include that, but if I don't I know people will worry. Sometimes a self-portrait is just a self-portrait.
But I know it makes the impact so very much less.
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I have challenged Myself to take 365 days of self portraits, this account is specifically for that purpose.
My main account is todderick42
2/17/07 : PM