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Dedicated To znb_almahmeed
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Indian Army (Air-force) soldiers share a light moment!
A Terrorist or a Soldier ? - Today this is an important question youths across world across religions should ask themselves. The increasing number of youth involvement in the world of terror is extremely alarming and calls for concern. Being picked up at early ages, trained both physically and mentally by such terror groups, today's young lads are getting trapped into psuedo-islamic values! They are ready to go on a suicidal mission on some religious terms which they hardly seem to understand.
At the end of it, in a terror struck world like this, you just need to ask yourself a simple question "You want to be a Terrorist or a Soldier". One small thought can change the future of the youth, and therefore the Country's!
Please campaign against Terror!
[Dedicated to those brave NSG commandos and ATS men, who lost their lives fighting the 'youth' who were on the other side of 'Peace', during Mumbai terror attack, Nov-27th 2008]
Wall memorial;
"To the glory of God were dedicated here on St Andrew's Day 1905. SIX BELLS - After their renovation in the 25th year of the rector's incumbency
F Jarratt, rector,; J Hill, T D Smallridge wardens.
The Ven A E Seymour, Archdeacon, The Revd Preb P J Wodehouse, Rural Dean, The Revd E G Savile, patron"
- Church of St. Gregory, Goodleigh Devon
Basher Eyre CCL www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4585029
The Ruins of St. Paul's refer to the façade of what was originally the Cathedral of St. Paul, a 17th century Portuguese cathedral in Macau dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle. Today, the ruins are one of Macau's most famous landmarks. In 2005, the Ruins of St. Paul were officially enlisted as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Centre of Macau. Built from 1582 to 1602 by the Jesuits, the cathedral was the largest Catholic church in Asia at the time, and the royalty of Europe vied with each other to bestow upon the cathedral the best gifts. With the decline in importance of Macau, which was overtaken as the main port for the Pearl River Delta by Hong Kong, the cathedral's fortunes similarly ebbed, and it was destroyed by a fire during a typhoon in 1835. The Fortaleza do Monte overlooks the ruin.
The ruins now consist of the southern stone façade — intricately carved between 1620 and 1627 by Japanese Christians in exile from their homeland and local craftsmen under the direction of Italian Jesuit Carlo Spinola — and the crypts of the Jesuits who established and maintained the Cathedral. The façade sits on a small hill, with 66 stone steps leading up to it. The carvings include Jesuit images with Oriental themes, such as a woman stepping on a seven-headed hydra, described by Chinese characters as ' Holy Mother tramples the heads of the dragon'. A few of the other carvings are the founders of the Jesuit Order, the conquest of Death by Jesus, and at the very top, a dove with wings outstretched.
Resisting calls for the dangerously leaning structure to be demolished, from 1990 to 1995 the ruins were excavated under the auspices of the Instituto Cultural de Macau to study its historic past. The crypt and the foundations were uncovered, revealing the architectural plan of the building. Numerous religious artifacts were also found together with the relics of the Japanese Christian martyrs and the monastic clergy, including the founder of the Jesuit college in Macau, Father Alessandro Valignano. The ruins were restored by the Macanese government into a museum, and the facade is now buttressed with concrete and steel in a way which preserves the aesthetic integrity of the facade. A steel stairway allows tourists to climb up to the top of the facade from the rear. It is customary to throw coins into the top window of the ruins from the stairs, for luck.
The Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali: पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath and is located on the banks of the Bagmati River 5 kilometres north-east of Kathmandu Valley in the eastern city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. This temple is considered one of the sacred temples of Hindu faith. The temple serves as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. This temple complex is on UNESCO World Heritage Sites's list Since 1979. This "extensive Hindu temple precinct" is a "sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river" and is included as one of the seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley as a cultural heritage site. One of the major Festivals of the temple is Maha Shivaratri on which day over 700,000 devotees visit here.
The twelve Jyotirlinga (in India) are the body and the Jyotirlinga at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu (Nepal) is the head over this body.
The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams (Holy Abodes of Shiva) on the continent. Kotirudra Samhita, Chapter 11 on the Shivalingas of the North, in Shiva Purana mentions this Shivalinga as the bestower of all wishes.
HISTORY
The temple was erected anew in the 15th century by Lichhavi King Shupuspa after the previous building had been consumed by termites. Countless further temples have been erected around this two -storied temple. These include the Vaishnav temple complex with a Ram temple from the 14th century and the Guhyeshwari Temple mentioned in an 11th-century manuscript.
LEGEND ABOUT THE TEMPLE ORIGIN
Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It is not known for certain when Pashupatinath Temple was founded. But according to Nepal Mahatmaya and Himvatkhanda, the deity here gained great fame there as Pashupati, the Lord of all Pashus, which are living as well as non-living beings. Pashupatinath Temple's existence dates back to 400 A.D. The richly-ornamented pagoda houses the sacred linga or holy symbol of Lord Shiva. There are many legends describing as to how the temple of Lord Pashupatinath came to existence here. Some of them are narrated below:
THE COW LEGEND
Legend says that Lord Shiva once took the form of an antelope and sported unknown in the forest on Bagmati river's east bank. The gods later caught up with him, and grabbing him by the horn, forced him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga but overtime it was buried and lost. Centuries later an astonished herdsmen found one of his cows showering the earth with milk. Digging deep at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.
THE LINCHCHAVI LEGEND
According to Gopalraj Vamsavali, the oldest ever chronicle in Nepal, this temple was built by Supuspa Deva, a Linchchhavi King, who according to the stone inscription erected by Jayadeva 11 in the courtyard of Pashupatinath in 753 AD, happened to be the ruler 39 generations before Manadeva (464-505 AD).
THE DEVALAYA LEGEND
Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As the time passed, the need for repairing and renovating this temple arose. It is learnt that this temple was reconstructed by a medieval King named Shivadeva (1099-1126 AD). It was renovated by Ananta Malla adding a roof to it. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple, that is also known as 'The Temple of Living Beings'.
OTHER BELIEFS
There are several complex stories involving the origins of Pashupatinath. One story goes, in brief, that Shiva and Parvati came to the Kathmandu Valley and rested by the Bagmati while on a journey. Shiva was so impressed by its beauty and the surrounding forest that he and Parvati changed themselves into deers and walked into the forest. Many spots in the Kathmandu Valley are identified as places where Shiva went during his time as a deer. After a while the people and gods began to search for Shiva. Finally, after various complications, they found him in the forest, but he refused to leave. More complications ensued, but ultimately Shiva announced that, since he had lived by the Bagmati in a deer's form, he would now be known as Pashupatinath, Lord of all animals. It is said that whoever came here and beheld the lingam that appeared there would not be reborn as an animal.
FINDING OF SHIVA LINGA AT PASHIPATINATH TEMPLE
It is said that the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu took shelter in a cave on the Chandravan mountain. Everyday Kamadhenu went down to the place the lingam was sunken into the soil and poured her milk on top of the soil. After ten thousand years some people saw Kamadhenu pouring milk on that same spot everyday, and started to wonder what that would be. So they removed the soil and found the beautiful shining lingam and started worshiping it.
TEMPLE COMPLEX
The area of Pashupatinath encompasses 264 hectare of land including 518 temples and monuments. Main pagoda style temple is located in the fortified courtyard within the complex guarded by Nepal Police and has a police outpost post along with living quarter within. In front of the western door there is a huge statue Nandi bull, in bronze. Along with many temples and shrines of both Vaishnav and saiva tradition.
TEMPLES AND SHRINES IN THE INNER COURTYARD
Vasuki nath temple
Unmatta Bhairav temple
Surya narayan temple
Kirti mukh bhairav shrine
Budanil kantha shrine
Hanuman shrine
184 shivaling shrine
TEMPLES AND SHRINES IN THE OUTER COMPLEX
Ram mandir
Virat swaroop temple
12 jyotirlingha and Pandra Shivalaya
Guhyeshwari Temple
MAIN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE
This main temple is built in the Nepalese pagoda style of architecture. All the features of pagoda style is founded here like cubic constructions, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal). The two level roofs are of copper with gold covering. The temple resides on a square base platform with a height of 23m 7 cm from base to pinnacle. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle (Gajur). Inside are two Garbhagrihas, outer and inner. The inner garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is where the idol is placed and outer sanctum is an open corridor like space.
THE DEITY
The sacro sanctum, or the main idol is a stone Mukhalinga with a silver yoni base bound with silver serpent. The lingam is one metre high and has faces in four directions. These faces represents various ascepts of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamdeva (also known as Ardha nareshwor), Tatpurusha, Aghor & Ishana (imaginative). Facing West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively representing five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether. Each face has tiny protruding hands holding rudraksha mala on right hand and a kamandalu on the other.Unlike other shiva lingams in India and Nepal this pashupati shiva lingam is always Dressed in its golden vastra except during abhishakam, so pouring milk and ganga jal is only possible during abhishakam through the main priests.
PRIESTS
Daily rituals of Pashupatinath are carried out by two sets of priests ;one being the Bhatt priests and other Bhandari. Bhatta or Bhatt are the one who performs the daily ritual and can touch the lingam, where as Bhadaris are the helper and temple care taker priests but are not qualified perform pooja rituals or to touch the deity.
Bhatta or Bhat are highly educated Vedic bhramin Scholars from Brahmin family from South Indian State Karnataka.Unlike other Hindu temples priesthood of Pashupatinath is not hereditary. Priests are selected from a group of scholars educated by Shri Shankaracharya Dakshinamnaya Peeth Sringeri on Rig Vedic Recitation, initiated in Pashupata Yoga by Kashi Math,Shiva Āgama and learned Recitation of Samaveda from Haridwar.After qualifying and fulfilling all those criteria they will be selected for Priesthood by Raj Guru of Pashupatinath Temple undergoing strict examination on Vedas and Shiva Agamas and then the qualifies are sent to Kathmandu for performing Puja and Daily Worship of Lord Shri Pashupatinath This tradition is reported to have started by the request of Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, who sought to unify the different states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is also followed in other temples around Bharata-varsa which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya. The unique feature of this temple is that only 4 Bhatta priests can touch the deity.Current Bhatt priests of the temple are;
Ganesh Bhat (15th head priest of the Pashupatinath Temple aka Mool Bhat) from Udupi.
Ram Karanth Bhat from Mangaluru.
Girish Bhat from Sirsi.
Narayan Bhat(Recently appointed) from Bhatkal
Raghavendra Bhat (Priest for Vasuki Nath temple only)
Bhandaris or Rajbhandari are the treasurers, temple caretakers, and assistant priest of the temple.
These Bhandaris are the descendants of helper priests brought up by early Bhatts, but were allowed to settle in Kathmandu valley and later assimilated in existing Newar caste of Rajbhandari - a high-caste Chathariya/Kshatriya clan of Kashyapa gotra. Their main function is to help the Bhatta priest and perform maintenance of the inner Garbhagriha. They can have little or no Vedic knowledge but still qualify as assistant priests if they belong from the same family lineage and undergo some basic criteria like caste, gotra, lineage purity, educational qualification, etc. They work in set of four and change in every full moon day. There are a total of 108 Bhandaris.
ENTRY AND DARSHAN
Temple courtyard has 4 entrances in all directions.The western entrance is the main entrance to the temple courtyard and rest three entrances are only opened during big festival . Temple security (Armed Police Force Nepal) is selective regarding who is allowed entry into the inner courtyard . Practicing Hindus and buddhist of Indian and Tibetan descendent are only allowed into temple courtiyard . Practicing Hindus of western descent are not allowed into the temple complex along with other non Hindu Visitors. Sikh and Jain groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are of Indian ancestry. Others can look at the main temple from adjacent side of the river and has to pay a nominal fee of $10 (1000 Nepali rupee) for visiting hundreds of small temples in the external premises of the temple complex . The inner temple courtyard remains open from 4 am to 7 pm for the devotee but the Inner Pashupatinath Temple where the Lingam of lord Pashupatinath is established is open from 5am to 12 pm for the morning ritual and viewing and from 5pm to 7 pm for evening ritual. Unlike many other Saiva temples devotees are not allowed to enter in the inner-most Garbhagriha but are allowed to view from the exterior premises of the outer Garbhagriha.
FESTIVALS
There are many festivals throughout the year .Thousands of people attend these festival.The most important festival is the Maha Shiva Ratri .Bala chaturthi and Teej.
CONTROVERSY OF 2009
In January 2009, after the forced resignation by the chief priest of Pashupatinath temple, the Maoist-led government of Nepal "hand picked" Nepalese priests to lead the temple, thus bypassing the temple's long-standing requirements. This appointment was contested by the Bhandaris of the temple, stating that they were not against the appointment of Nepalese priests but against the appointment without proper procedure. After the appointment was challenged in a civil court, the appointment was overruled by Supreme Court of Nepal.However, the government did not heed the ruling and stood by its decision. This led to public outrage and protests over a lack of transparency. The paramilitary group of the CPN (Maoist), called YCL, attacked the protesters, leading to over a dozen injuries. Lawmakers and activists from opposition parties joined protests, declaring their support for the Bhatta and other pro-Bhatta protesters. After long dissatisfaction and protest by Hindus both in and outside Nepal, the government was forced to reverse its decision that had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Nepal and reinstate Bhatta priests.
2015 EARTHQUAKE
The main temple complex of Pashupatinath and the sanctum sanctorum was left untouched but some of the outer buildings in the World Heritage Site were damaged by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
WIKIPEDIA
AWIB-ISAW: The Temple to Ramesses II at Abu Simbel (IX)
The facade of the temple to Ramesses II at Abu Simbel. Along with the deified pharaoh himself, the temple is dedicated to the triad of Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah. by Kyera Giannini (2009)
copyright: 2009 Kyera Giannini (used with permission)
photographed place: (Abu Simbel) [pleiades.stoa.org/places/721417202]
Published by the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World as part of the Ancient World Image Bank (AWIB). Further information: [www.nyu.edu/isaw/awib.htm].
Phnom Bakheng (Khmer: ប្រាសាទភ្នំបាខែង) at Angkor, Cambodia, is a Hindu temple in the form of a temple mountain. Dedicated to Shiva, it was built at the end of the 9th century, during the reign of King Yasovarman (889-910). Located atop a hill, it is nowadays a popular tourist spot for sunset views of the much bigger temple Angkor Wat, which lies amid the jungle about 1.5 km to the southeast. The large number of visitors makes Phnom Bakheng one of the most threatened monuments of Angkor. [1] Since 2004, World Monuments Fund has been working to conserve the temple in partnership with APSARA.
Constructed more than two centuries before Angkor Wat, Phnom Bakheng was in its day the principal temple of the Angkor region, historians believe. It was the architectural centerpiece of a new capital, Yasodharapura, that Yasovarman built when he moved the court from the capital Hariharalaya in the Roluos area located to the southeast.
An inscription dated 1052 AD and found at the Sdok Kak Thom temple in present-day Thailand states in Sanskrit: "When Sri Yasovardhana became king under the name of Yasovarman, the able Vamasiva continued as his guru. By the king's order, he set up a linga on Sri Yasodharagiri, a mountain equal in beauty to the king of mountains."[1] Scholars believe that this passage refers to the consecration of the Phnom Bakheng temple approximately a century and a half earlier.
Surrounding the mount and temple, labor teams built an outer moat. Avenues radiated out in the four cardinal directions from the mount. A causeway ran in a northwest-southeast orientation from the old capital area to the east section of the new capital's outer moat and then, turning to an east-west orientation, connected directly to the east entrance of the temple.[2]
Phnom Bakheng is a symbolic representation of Mount Meru, home of the Hindu gods, a status emphasized by the temple’s location atop a steep hill. The temple faces east, measures 76 meters square at its base and is built in a pyramid form of six tiers. At the top level, five sandstone sanctuaries, in various states of repair, stand in a quincunx pattern—one in the center and one at each corner of the level’s square. Originally, 108 small towers were arrayed around the temple at ground level and on various of its tiers; most of them have collapsed.[3]
Jean Filliozat of the Ecole Francaise, a leading authority on Indian cosmology and astronomy, interpreted the symbolism of the temple. The temple sits on a rectangular base and rises in five levels and is crowned by five main towers. One hundred four smaller towers are distributed over the lower four levels, placed so symmetrically that only 33 can be seen from the center of any side. Thirty-three is the number of gods who dwelt on Mount Meru. Phnom Bakheng's total number of towers is also significant. The center one represents the axis of the world and the 108 smaller ones represent the four lunar phases, each with 27 days. The seven levels of the monument represent the seven heavens and each terrace contains 12 towers which represent the 12-year cycle of Jupiter. According to University of Chicago scholar Paul Wheatley, it is "an astronomical calendar in stone." [4]
Phnom Bakheng is one of three hilltop temples in the Angkor region that are attributed to Yasovarman's reign. The other two are Phnom Krom to the south near the Tonle Sap lake, and Phnom Bok, northeast of the East Baray reservoir.
Following Angkor's rediscovery by the outside world in the mid-19th century, decades passed before archeologists grasped Phnom Bakheng's historical significance. For many years, scholars' consensus view was that the Bayon, the temple located at the center of Angkor Thom city, was the edifice to which the Sdok Kak Thom inscription referred. Later work identified the Bayon as a Buddhist site, built almost three centuries later than originally thought, in the late 12th century, and Phnom Bakheng as King Yasovarman's state temple.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
In the graveyard are, unusually, two morthouses. One is a small turf-covered and vaulted structure, set mostly below ground. The other is a larger, later building in the corner of the graveyard. It is rectangular and has a wooden door. It would appear to be in use as a store today.
Fact that the Statistical Account of 1845 reported that the then late minister, the Rev A Forsyth, was the inventor of the percussion cap, which superseded the flint lock!
This is a ruin of a very old church of the parish of Belhelvie which stands on the site of an earlier pagan centre of worship. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk. There are a number of notable residents buried in the churchyard which include the Rev. Alexander John Forsyth (1769-1843) who invented and developed the Percussion Lock for firearms between 1805 to 1807.
Church of Belhelvie was dedicated to St Neachtan, but at a later date St Columba was made the patron. The church was confirmed to the Bishop of Aberdeen in 1157, along with authority to erect his chapter. By 1256 the church had been erected into a prebend of the cathedral of Aberdeen, with the parochial duties being discharged by a vicar pensioner.
The church is now ruined but was a T-plan church, represented by high W gable with bellcote (dated 1762) and part of S aisle (containing fine but weathered monument to Innes of Blairton). The east wall of the church is probably part of the wall of a Roman Catholic Church. The cemetery is unusual in having two morthouses, one dated 1835. The other, possibly converted from an old aisle, is of uncertain date,.
It comprises a vaulted chamber 2.5m by c.2m, turfed, with an arched and chamfered approached by 5 steps. The water stoup from the medieval church was in the garden of Belhelvie Manse but there is now no trace of it. The bell which was in the bellcote was inscribed 'Henrick-ter-Horst-Me-Fecit-Daventriae-1633' and was stolen in 1966. There is a tombstone of 1722 in the angle of the masonry fragment of the what may have been the S transept, and also a heraldic tomb on the other side of the wall. The churchyard is a rubble-walled enclosure.
Belhelvie churchyard is located approximately 8 miles to the north of Aberdeen. The church served the parish of the same name. Sometimes known as Pettens Kirk and built east-west little remains now but the west gable containing the belfry, sadly devoid of its bell which went missing in the 1960's.
The graveyard itself contains about 350 gravestones, mostly dating from the 19th and 20th centuries. Also of note are two vaults, the smaller of which is partially underground. The exact purpose of this vault is unclear but is likely to have its origins from the time of the Resurrectionists - or body snatchers!
The church was built from roughly-coursed granite rubble, with slightly better quality granite blocks in the surviving south section of south wall. The west gable, which is complete, has a rectangular door at ground level with a rectangular window above at gallery level. There is a blocked rectangular window to the south of the door. On the apex of the gable is a tall, rectangular bellcote with ashlar masonry (so-called 'birdcage' type). It is dated 1762. Only a fragment of a stone finial survives.
The 1633 bell was stolen in 1966. Only a very small section of the north and south walls survive at the west end, as well as a fragment of the south aisle (which formed the T-plan).
Jalakantesvara Temple (Tamil: ஜலகண்டேஸ்வரர் கோவில்) is an temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is located in the Vellore Fort, Tamil Nadu State, India. The temple of the Vijaynagar period stands inside the Vellore Fort, which is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India, along with the St. John's Church, Tippu Mahal, Hyder Mahal, Candy Mahal, Badhusha Mahal and the Begum Mahal.
HISTORY
According to legend, there used to a giant ant-hill at the location where the sanctum sanctorum of temple now stands. This ant-hill was surrounded by stagnant water, as a result of collection of rain water, and at some time a Shiva Lingam was placed in this water around the ant hill and worshiped. Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a Vijayanagar chieftain, who was controlling the fort had a dream where the Lord Shiva asked him to build a temple at that location. Nayaka, proceeded to demolish the anthill and build the temple in 1550 AD, and since the Lingam was surrounded by water (called Jalam in Tamil) the deity was called as Jalakandeswarar (translated as "Lord Siva residing in the water"). The temple was built during the reign of the Vijayanagaram king Sadasivadeva Maharaya (1540 - 1572 AD). The temple also has the statue of Sri Akhilandeshwari Amma, the consort of Jalakandeswarar.
ARCHITECTURE
The Jalakantesvara Temple is a fine example of Vijayanagaram Architecture. The temple has exquisite carvings on its gopuram (tower), richly carved stone pillars, large wooden gates and stunning monoliths and sculptures. These Vijayanagara sculptures are similar to the ones present in Soundararajaperumal Temple, Thadikombu, Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple, Srivilliputhur Divya Desam and Alagar Koyil. The Gopuram of the tower is iver 100 ft. in height. The temple also has a Mandapam, with the hall supported by carved stone pillars of dragons, horses and yalis (lion like creature).
The temple itself built in middle of a water tank (called Agazhi in Tamil), and there is water surround the temple like a garland. The circumference of the water tank is 8000 ft. The wedding hall (Kalyana Mantapam) inside the temple has a 2 faced sculpture, that of a bull and an elephant. The water user for bathing the deity (abishekam) is drawn from an ancient well called the Ganga Gouri Thhertam, within the temple.
SPECIALTY
Behind the Nandi statue, there is an earthen lamp, which is said to revolve when some people place their hands on it. The revolving is said to indicate that their wishes have been granted. Some devotees of the temple worship the golden and silver lizard sculptures and the snake sculptures in order to get relief from 'sarpa dosham'.
MUTILATION
The temple was mutilated during the Muslim invasion and capture of Vellore Fort. Following the desecration of the temple during Muslim invasion and rule, worship in the temple was stopped. An Islamic structure was also built to serve as a makeshift mosque, after destroying an Amman (Nagalamman) Temple, which stood on that site. The temple was being used as an arsenal for nearly 400 years. On the fears of desecration, the main deity was moved away to the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri for safe keeping. The temple was vacant for nearly 400 years. In 1921, the Vellore Fort was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for maintenance. At that time, the temple was not used for worship, and the ASI was keen to maintain this status quo. However, in 1981, the deity was smuggled inside the fort and re-installed inside the temple, and worship re-instated.
RE-CONSECRATION 1981
Several attempts had been made in the 20th century, to re-instate the main deity inside the Jalakantesvara Temple. However, the Archaeological Survey of India wanted to maintain the status quo, an did want the temple to be used for worship. However, on 16 March 1981, the deity was removed from the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri and secretly smuggled inside the fort, hiding it inside a closed truck, and stealthily installed in the early morning hours.
According to AK Seshadhri, author of the book 'Vellore Fort and the Temple through the Ages', "The staff of ASI could do nothing to prevent the forcible action of the mob, except watch the happenings and complain the incident to the police and the district collector. The district authorities took no action, saying that this is a sensitive religious matter and therefore any preventive action would lead to a law and order problem…"
Consequently, the first kumbabishekam after re-consecration was held in 1982, followed by 1997 and 2011. For the third kumbabishekam in 2011, a special gold plated car are made at a cost of INR 30 million, and used nearly 7 kg Gold.
In 2006, the 25th anniversary of the re-consecration of the Jalakantesvara Temple was celebrated by taking out the deity in a grand procession passing through Long Bazaar, Saidapet, Kagitha Pattarai and Main Bazaar of Vellore.
GOVERNMENT TAKE OVER
On Saturday, 22 June 2013, the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Government of Tamil Nadu took over the administration of the Jalakantesvara Temple, at the Vellore Fort, following government order dated 18 June 2013, asking the Assistant Commissioner of Vellore to take over the temple and assume charge as the 'Fit Person' (Thakkar) of the temple. Previously the temple was managed by a private trust called Sri Jalakanteswarar Dharma Sthabanam. The private trust had opposed the takeover, by approaching the Madras High Court. However, nearly 10 years of legal proceedings resulted in the court ruling in favor of the Government of Tamil Nadu. However, the temple structure is owned and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, with only the administration taken over by the government.
WIKIPEDIA
A church dedicated to Saint Peter, recorded in Pavia in 604, was renovated by Liutprand, the King of the Lombards (who is buried here) between 720 and 725. The Romanesque church was consecrated by Pope Innocent II in 1132.
"San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro" is the resting place for the relics of Augustine of Hippo ("Saint Augustine") known as a very important early Christian theologian and philosopher, whose writings influenced the development of Western Christianity and Western philosophy. He died in 430 in Northern Africa, where he was buried. When Huneric, King of the Arian Vandals, expelled the Catholic bishops, the body was removed to Cagliari (Sardinia).
Liutprand´s uncle Peter, the bishop of Pavia, then transferred the remains - and deposited in this church about 720.
Since 1327 the Augustinians guard the tomb, though the remains at that time were lost until workers digging in the crypt discovered a marble box containing numerous bones. It was claimed, that the name "Augustine" was written in the box with charcoal.
When the Augustinians had to take refuge in Milan in 1700, they carried the relics with them. The church fell into disrepair and was used as a magazine under the Napoleonic occupation. It was finally reconstructed in the late 19th century and reconsecrated in 1896 when the relics of Augustine and the shrine were once again reinstalled.
The nave. The stairs to the crypt - and above the raised presbytery with the white "Arca di Sant'Agostino", the tomb of Saint Augustine.
Highway 560, North Shore, Kauai
Located literally at the end of the road, Ke'e Beach is probably the most visited beach on Kauai. The famed Kalalau Trail begins at the western end of the beach. Several movies and min-series have been filmed here such as The Thorn Birds and Castaway Cowboys. Ke'e's inviting lagoon is teaming with fish and perfect for snokeling. Beware, however of the Puka Ulua, an opening on he left side from the lagoon to the sea. Currents can be very strong here. People often fish for the large, prized Ulua fish in this area. A short walk towards Ha'ena provides a panoramic view of the Na Pali Coast. Keep walking toward the Limahuli Stream. This is where Taylor Camp was located - the largest, most noted hippie colony on Kauai. Founded by the brother of actress Elizabeth Taylor, this colony had up to 100 residents before the state condemned the land and evicted them. In the opposite direction, walk down the path above the reef channel along a low rock wall. Look uphill to the site of Ka Ulu a Paoa Heiau. This ancient religious site was dedicated to Paoa, a friend of the legnedary Lohiau, lover of Pele, the volcano goddess. A shrine to Laka, goddess of the hula, is also located in a hillside cleft behind the heiau platform.
Services and Amenities
Sandy lagoon
Good swimming and snorkeling in calm summer months
Great snorkeling and scuba diving on offshore reef
Good shore fishing near the reef channel
Trailhead for the Kalalau Trail
Restrooms
Picnic facilities
Scenic and historic sites
World Impact is a Christian missions organization dedicated to ministering God's love in the inner cities of America.
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Since it's establishment in June of 1996, the Dallas ministry has sought to share the love of Christ with the community through Bible clubs for children, youth ministries, church planting, and leadership training for indigenous leaders.
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History of World Impact
In 1965, Keith Phillips, a student at UCLA, began teaching Youth For Christ Bible clubs in Watts. He began recruiting BIOLA students to volunteer with him and the ministry to the urban poor grew. By 1971, God called Keith to full-time ministry and World Impact was incorporated. Full-time missionaries moved into the communities they served. Evangelism to children expanded to teens and whole families.
News of the ministry spread to other urban areas of the country and by 1972 World Impact was ministering in San Diego, California, and Wichita, Kansas. In 1975, Keith wrote about World Impact's experiences in They Dare to Love the Ghetto. In 1976, the St. Louis and Newark ministries began and World Impact moved into their present headquarters at 20th and Vermont in Los Angeles. In 1977, the Fresno ministry began.
During the 1970's, while retaining a strong emphasis on evangelism, World Impact became more intentional about discipleship. By 1981, Keith Phillips wrote The Making of a Disciple, still recognized as one of the seminal books on discipleship. Films depicting urban ministry, as well as urban ministry training materials, were developed.
In the early 1980's, World Impact started ministries to the whole person, while keeping its priority of evangelism and discipleship. In 1982, the Los Angeles Christian School was opened and Morning Star Ranch was acquired to disciple young men from the inner city. By 1984, World Impact began job training opportunities (Inner City Enterprises), a thrift shop (The Sonshine Shop), and the Newark Christian School, while writing a culturally-conducive "through-the-Bible" curriculum. Out of these experiences, Keith wrote No Quick Fix, explaining the need for ministry to the whole person and the importance of whole families.
In 1986, the Wichita Village property was acquired, from which the Good Samaritan Clinic was launched, an old Y.M.C.A building was remodeled for ministry in St. Louis, low-income housing was developed in Newark, and God provided THE OAKS camp, 65 miles north of Los Angeles. In 1988, the Chester, Pennsylvania, ministry opened, and ministry centers in San Diego and Fresno were remodeled.
During the 1980's, the efforts of evangelism and discipleship were bearing fruit and new believers were forming into worshiping communities, leading World Impact to plant culturally-relevant churches in the inner city. The massive numbers of immigrants from Central America and Asia, along with the growing numbers of urban poor, underscored the need to not only evangelize and disciple individuals, but to establish new churches among the poor. In 1990, church planting became the primary strategy to evangelize, equip, and empower the urban poor.
In the early 1990's, as national attention was focused on the inner-city during the Los Angeles riot, World Impact acquired Harmony Heart camp in Pennsylvania, began ministry in Oakland and San Francisco, opened schools in Watts and Chester, launched The Urban Ministry Institute (TUMI) and planted its first churches in various cities.
In 1996, World Impact celebrated its 25th anniversary as Deer Creek camp (outside Denver) and the Dallas ministry were added. Keith Phillips wrote about World Impact's emerging church planting ministry in Out of Ashes. In 1999, World Impact hosted the first of three conferences on urban church planting, called Crowns of Beauty, each of which welcomed over 1200 international delegates.
In 2000, World Impact began hosting its School for Urban Cross-Cultural Church Planting, training urban church plant teams from all over the nation. In 2001, The John Mark Curriculum was published to train cross-cultural missionaries and three TUMI satellite campuses were opened. By 2004, 20 churches had been planted in eight World Impact cities, and an auditorium at THE OAKS Adult Conference Center was completed, dedicated in honor of board member Dr. Jack Hayford.
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World Impact Center
2017 S. Ervay
Dallas, TX 75215
214-426-0044
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One of my contacts Duncan takes some amazing photos of swans so I'm dedicating my feeble attempt to him!
Mike and I will be gone today so no need to comment as I won't be able to visit you!
There is no doubt now that our Praying Angel Statue we named & dedicated to our cousin "Marie Rose Ferron" is "BOWING", "RESTANDING", and "REBOWING" to her JESUS, now! She officially today- Sunday 24 September 2006 at 3:00 p.m. has BOWED TO 17 1/2 INCHES! Yesterday she was at 17 1/4! Only 07 Sept. she was at 16 and the 20th August she at 15! She restands to 10 inches from fence, then starts the process over again bowing about a 1/4 inches every 2-3 days now! She hasn't gotten past 17 inches so this is a major celebration since her first bow of 24 inches!! Praise God & Thank You Rose!
UPDATE 25 Sept 2006: We put her in her new cement base 25 Sept and took out the wood behind so it reduced her measurement to 16 inches but to our shock the next day 26 Sept. in the base she was 17 1/2 again!! Seems God & Rose wouldn't hear of our changing or reducing her "bow" (smile)! As of September 27, she was 17 1/2 with the base, which is a new style of measurement equivalent to old is 18 1/2 inches!!!! Now she's 17 1/2 & 2/16 28 Sept 2006!
Dedicated to the designers, developers and engineers who build the world’s most engaging user interfaces. From the community, for the community.
Dedicated: Work by »Rait«, spotted in the Dedicated HoF at night. Early July 2013. – Thanx to Babak and the Shop-Crew.
Our Lady, Help of Christians, is depicted as Queen with crown and scepter. This chapel portrays her as an image of strength and forbearance. The title derives from a 16th-century prayer the Litany of Loretto.
St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians, invoked Mary under this title. Mary has blessed his congregation, which donated the chapel to the National Shrine, with prosperity. Since 1855, this religious Order, dedicated to the service of young people and the underprivileged, has grown to one of the largest congregations in the Church.
The altar reredos features Pope Pius IX, who approved the Salesian rule, standing with a modern family. To the right is a boy saint, Dominic Savio, with St. John Bosco and St. Mary Mazzarello, co-founder of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. The girl is Laura Vicuna, a devout South American who was beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
On the altar below are various elements from the Salesian coat of arms. The monogram 'MR' (Maria Regina) with the anchor connected reminds us of Mary, Mother and Queen. Other symbols represent the Marian titles Mother Most Pure, Mother of Christ, and Morning Star.
The crowning symbol of honor to the Mother of God is the mosaic field above her head: a triangle representing the Trinity and the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Wimborne Minster often referred to as just Wimborne is a market town in East Dorset county in South West England, and the name of the Church of England church in that town. Wimborne lies on the River Stour. It was an old Saxon settlement and the foundation of the Wimborne Minster dates back to the beginning of the 8th century, when the sisters of the King of the West Saxons endowed a monastery here. The present Minster, with its twin brown towers dominating the town, dates back to the 12th century. The Minster contains an interesting chained library of religious books. It is also home to the famous Quarterjack clock which is a 14th century astronomical clock and is regarded as one of the most ancient working clocks in Europe. The casing on the wall contains the cogs which move the sun and moon around the face of the clock. The movement is in the belfry section of this beautiful old church. On the outside north wall of the minster is a full size Grenadier, called the Quarterjack, which strikes the quarter hours. The original figure of a monk was replaced during the Napoleonic Wars.
This is a Saxon church, with Norman and Gothic architecture. It is famed for its chained library and the tombs of King Ethelred, the brother of Alfred the Great, as well as the tombs of John Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, and his duchess, the maternal grandparents of King Henry VII of England. This is made of Dorset Limestone and New Forest Stone taken from local source. The Minster is dedicated to Saint Cuthburga the sister to Ine, King of Wessex and wife of Aldfrith, King of Northumbria who founded a Benedictine abbey of nuns at the present day minster around 705. Saint Walpurga was educated in the monastery, where she spent 26 years before travelling to Germany, following the missionary call of her mother's brother Saint Boniface. Leoba was also educated in this place. A monastery for men was also built around this time, adjacent to the abbey. Over the next hundred years the abbey and monastery grew in size and importance.
The Priest's House Museum is an extended mediaeval house, originally the home of priests of the Minster. It is now an exhibition of Victorian life, with a large number of artefacts from a bygone ageThere are a number of cafés and pubs in Wimborne, some of the latter serving food. There are many antique, curio and other individual shops in the town, as well as a modern shopping centre. An antiques market is held each Friday, a flea market on Saturday and a combination of both every Sunday.
The model town is one of the largest and longest established model towns in England. It depicts Wimborne at the time the model was made, in the 1950’s. It is at 1:10 scale, resulting in the model of the Minster being several feet high. The model shop windows accurately show the goods which the real shops were selling at the time. The exhibition also includes a model railway based on Thomas the Tank Engine, which was opened by Christopher Awdry and expanded in 2014. Children's story evenings are held at the model village. In all the time I have been around Dorset this day was the first visit for me. While still not as good as Godshill Model Village on the Isle of Wight it does remain a plesant day out. The cafe here is very clean, good value, and pleasant staff. The day I attended here it was very hot a May bank holiday weekend. There is so much to see in this very old established town so be prepared to spend a full day here.
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Dedicated to a wonderful afternoon in Kyoto!
She was the best interpreter for him, it made us smile :)
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Hasselblad 500C/M • Carl Zeiss 80mm f/2.8 Planar C T* • Fujicolor Pro 400
A museum in Copenhagen dedicated to the art of Danish neoclassicistic sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen (1770–1844). www.thorvaldsensmuseum.dk/en
Te dedico estas fotos hechas en el parque que conoces. Te echamos de menos y como se q entras a leer todos los días, quiero decirte que te quiero mucho.
De todos modos, como dice Benedetti, para vos no es novedad
que el mundo
y yo
te queremos de veras
pero yo siempre un poquito más que el mundo.
Hoysaleswara temple (Kannada: ಹೊಯ್ಸಳೇಶ್ವರ ದೇವಸ್ಥಾನ) (also spelt "Hoysaleshwara" or Hoysaleshvara") is a temple dedicated to Hindu god Shiva. It was built in Halebidu (in modern Karnataka state, India) during the rule of King Vishnuvardhana of the Hoysala Empire in the 12th century. The construction was started around 1120 CE and completed in 1150 CE. During the early 14th century, Halebidu was sacked and looted by Muslim invaders from northern India and the temple fell into a state of ruin and neglect. Previously known as Dorasamudra or Dwarasamudra, Halebidu is 16 km from Belur, 31 km from Hassan and 149 km from Mysore, in the state of Karnataka, India.
HISTORY
According to art critic and historian S. Settar, from contemporary inscriptions it is known that the temple derives its name from the Hoysala ruler at that time, King Vishnuvardhana Hoysaleswara, though interestingly, the construction of the temple was initiated and financed by wealthy Shaiva (a Hindu sect) citizens of the city, prominent among who were Ketamala and Kesarasetti. The temple building activity was taken up in competition to the construction of the Chennakesava Temple at Belur, a Vaishnava (a Hindu sect) temple. Surrounded by numerous tanks, ponds and mantapas, the temple is built in the vicinity of the large Dorasamudhra lake. The tank preceded the temple by nearly 75 years. It is one of the largest temples dedicated to the god Shiva in South India.
TEMPLE PLAN
The temple is a simple dvikuta vimana (plan with two shrines and two superstructures), one for "Hoysaleswara" (the king) and the other for "Shantaleswara" (named after Shantala Devi, queen of King Vishnuvardhana) and is built with chloritic chist (more commonly known as Soapstone or potstone). The temple complex as a whole is elevated on a jagati (platform), which according to historian Kamath, is a feature that became popular in contemporary Hoysala constructions. According to art historian Foekema, the two shrines which are adjoining, face east and each have a mantapa (hall) in front. The two mantapas are connected giving a large and imposing view of the hall. Individually, each shrine is smaller than the one at the Chennakesava Temple at Belur and contains a simple linga, the universal symbol of the god Shiva. The plan of the inside of the temple is simple but the exterior looks different because of the introduction of many projections and recesses in the walls. The towers of the shrines that are missing must have followed the star shape of the shrine, just as in many existing well-preserved towers in other Hoysala temples. The superstructure over the vestibule which connects the shrine to the mantapa, called sukanasi (a low tower that looks like an extension of the main tower), and the row of decorated miniature roofs above the eaves of the hall are all missing. The temple was built at a height that provided the architects sufficient horizontal and vertical space to depict large and small sculptures. According to the art critic James Fergusson, the overall effect of the vertical and horizontal lines, the play of the outline, the effect of light and shade and the plan of the projections and recesses all amounts to a "marvellous exhibition of human labor to be found even in the patient east and surpasses anything in Gothic art". The outer walls of these temples contain an intricate array of stone sculptures. The temple of Halebidu, has been described by art critics James Fergusson and Percy Brown as an "outstanding example of Hindu architecture" and as the "supreme climax of Indian architecture".
The temple has four porches for entry and the one normally used by visitors as main entry is actually a lateral entrance (north). There is one entry on the south side and two on the east side, facing two large detached open pavilions whose ceiling is supported by lathe turned pillars. All entry porches have miniature shrines as flanking. In addition there is a sanctuary for the Sun god Surya, whose image stands 2.1 m tall. The pavilions enshrine large images of Nandi, the bull, an attendant of Shiva. The pavilions share the same jagati as the main temple. As in the Chennakesava temple, this temple originally had an open mantapa to which outer walls with pierced window screens made with the same material were erected, making the mantapa a closed one. The window screens are devoid of any art work. The interior of the temple is quite plain except for the lathe turned pillars that run in rows between the north and south entrances. According to Settar, the four pillars in front of each shrine are the most ornate and the only ones that have the madanika (chaste maidens) sculptures in their pillar brackets. There are no other madanikas in the temple.
SCULPTURES
The Hoysaleswara temple is most well known for its sculptures that run all along the outer wall, starting with an dancing image of the god Ganesha on the left side of the south entrance and ending with another image of Ganesha on the right hand side of the north entrance. In all there are two hundred and forty such images. According to the art critic Gerard Foekema, perhaps no other Hoysala temple is as articulate in sculpture as this is and these sculptures are "second to none in all of India". The most intricate of all sculptures are found in the lintels over two of the doorways, one on the south side doorway and the other on one of the eastern doorways.
HORIZONTAL TREATMENT
In this temple the Hoysala architects have broken from the tradition of using five moldings with friezes (which is the "old stlye") at the base of the temple, below the large wall sculptures and the window screens. The outer walls have two eaves that run around the temple. The top eaves is at the roof of the temple where the superstructure meets the wall, and the second eaves is about a meter below. In between there are decorated miniature towers (aedicule). Below the lower eaves are the wall sculptures and below them, the eight moldings. Historian Kamath calls this type of relief work "horizontal treatment". Each of the eight friezes carries an array of decoration. Going from the bottom where the temple wall meets the platform, the lowest frieze depicts charging elephants which symbolize strength and stability, above which, in order, are friezes with lions which symbolize courage, floral scrolls as decoration, horses symbolizing speed, another band of floral scrolls, depictions from the Hindu epics, mythical beasts called makara and finally a frieze with hansas (swans). According to Foekema, no two animals are alike in a total frieze span of over 200 m. In the epic frieze, the epics are not continuous as they are mixed with other depictions. After the construction of this temple, Hoysala architects used this new kind of horizontal treatment only fifty years later, making it a standard style, though they reduced it to six molding friezes.
GARUDA PILLAR
Another interesting object in the temple complex is the rare Garuda Sthamba (Garuda pillar). According to Settar, these are different from virgals (Hero stone). Garudas were elite bodyguards of the kings and queens. They moved and lived with the royal family and their only purpose was to protect their master. Upon the death of their master, they committed suicide. The rare pillar on the south side depicts heroes brandishing knives and cutting their own heads. The inscription honors Kuruva Lakshma, a bodyguard of Veera Ballala II. A devoted officer, he took his life and that of his wife and other bodyguards after the death of his master. This event is narrated in an old Kannada inscription on the pillar. A 2.4 m tall sculpture of Ganesha including the platform rests at the South entrance
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