A Peregrine Falcon I came across on Saturday while looking for Eagles to photograph. A friend of mine who is a falconer told me there was a nesting pair in the area but I had never seen one in its natural environment. Larry would take his birds and hunt them with his son. Tragically after taking this photo I was informed that his 19 year old son Mitchell had been killed early Sunday morning in an automobile accident. Please keep them in your prayers as I can't imagine what a difficult time it will be for them. The funeral will be tomorrow with the visitation later today.

On 13 June we celebrated Paramahamsa Vishwananda's jayanti with guru-puja, long prayers, many bhajans and a lovely walk in the countryside followed by a picnic there. The evening featured a dinner with all devotees and a special play dedicated to the saints of Maharashtra.

paramahamsavishwananda.org

bhaktimarga.org

dedicated to those affected by hurricane ike in the texas coast and to the victims (and their family and friends) of last friday afternoon's chatsworth metrolink trains collision here in LA... please continue to keep them in our thoughts and prayers. thank you... *hugs*

(the metrolink derailment in chatsworth raises the need for blood donors. healthy donors of all blood types are needed to donate blood. so if you're in the LA area who would like to help, ucla blood and platelet center will be opened monday to friday to accept blood donations. you can contact them at 310-794-7217 (ext. 2) or the southern california red cross at 1-800-redcross/800-733-27677 or abc7 blood drive at 1-800-givelife/800-4483-5433 for blood donations info/appointments. thanks.)

the flower fields

carlsbald, ca

2008 apr 12

© woolloomooloo / woolloomooloosky. all rights reserved.

much needed . . .dedicated to everyone who has been affected by the widespread heatwave and power outages and drought in the U.S. here recently . . . . .better days are ahead : )

Cropredy has ancient origins, a chapel in the church is dedicated to St Fremund, an anglo-saxon saint thought to be the son of King Offa. It's name combines the Old English croppe or hill and ridig, a small stream. The village is only a few miles from Banbury, in hilly country along the banks of the River Cherwell. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Cropredy belonged the Bishop of Lincoln. More recently Brasenose College, Oxford, has become a significant landlord giving it's name to the local pub.

Dramatic changes to centuries of agrarian life were heralded by the excavation of the Oxford canal which runs alongside the Cherwell south-east of the church. This busy waterway was superseded by the Great Western railway, the village even had it's own station until 1956.

Unusually Cropredy retains the ringing of the curfew bell, in Medieval times this was a signal to return home and 'cover their fires'. Roger Lupton local priest between 1487 and 1528 was so lost in dense fog that he could only find his way from nearby Chacombe by the ringing of Cropredy's bells. He founded a fund in gratitude which paid for the daily winding of the clock and tolling the bell morning, noon and night. The bell is still rung Tuesday and Thursday nights for five minutes after eight O'clock.

The village is best known for the Civil War 'Battle of Cropredy Bridge'. A rare Royalist victory at a time when the Parliamentary forces were in the ascendancy. In June 1644 the King slipped out of Oxford to avoid two Roundhead armies which were rapidly approaching. At this point the Earl of Essex chose to lead his army south and relieve the siege of Lyme Regis leaving Sir William Waller to pursue the King with half of the men. Waller shadowed the Royal army to Worcester only for the King to double back towards Banbury where the Parliamentary commander saw an opportunity to split the Royal forces which were strung out along the Daventry road. Waller's artillery crossed Cropredy bridge but were too far ahead of the infantry and were overrun. Fierce fighting followed but neither side achieved a significant advantage and a chance of capturing the King was lost. As children we were told stories of a phantom drummer boy.

Cropredy's most prominent claim to fame is their music festival founded when Fairport Convention played the village fete in 1976. Cropredy Music Festival grew from these modest beginnings and now attracts over 20,000 music fans every year.

St. Mary the Virgin is an impressive building constructed from the local rust-coloured ironstone. While part of the wall of the south aisle has been dated to c1050 the present church begins in the 13th century with significant 14th and 15th century additions. The south wall has two tomb recesses thought to be built for Simon de Cropredy and his son c1200. The church has an interesting 13th century parish chest and the chapel dedicated to the anglo-saxon saint Fremund has two 15th century screens, one of which has the initials AD which may stand for Alice Danvers. The nave arcading, tower and choir arches are Perpendicular in style with no capitals and continuous moulding from ground level. The tower is early 15th century with the belfry and parapets added 80 years later, There are eight bells, six from the late 17th century, two added in 2007 called Fairport and Villager. Fragments of a Doom survive above the chancel arch. The church has a 17th century pulpit and a rare pre-reformation eagle lectern which is said to have been hidden in the river before the Battle of Cropredy where it lost one of it's lion feet. The beak has a slot for collecting 'Peter's Pence'. There is a beautiful 15th century head of the Virgin Mary in stained glass which was found in the churchyard. There are two fonts, one Norman and one Victorian. In the tower is a magnificent clock by John Moore of Clerkenwell dated 1831.

Cropredy is just off the Daventry road a few miles from Banbury about an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon.

www.youtube.com/user/Cotswoldchurches

www.bwthornton.co.uk

A-Ma Temple (Ma Kok Miu) situated on the southwest tip of the Macau Peninsula, is one of the oldest and most famous Taoist temples in Macau. Built in 1488, the temple is dedicated to Matsu, the goddess of seafarers and fishermen.

A-Ma Temple already existed before the city of Macao came into being

The name Macau is thought to be derived from the name of the temple. It is said that when the Portuguese sailors landed at the coast just outside the temple and asked the name of the place, the natives repy sounded like Macau. The Portuguese then named the peninsula "Macao". The temple was well described in ancient Chinese texts, as well as represented in paintings, related to Macao. It is also one of the first scenes photographed in Macao.

In 2005, the temple became one of the designated sites of the Historic Centre of Macau enlisted on UNESCO World Heritage List.

A-Ma Temple is situated halfway up the western slope of Barra Hill. It consists of the Gate Pavilion, the Memorial Arch, the Prayer Hall, the Hall of Benevolence, the Hall of Guanyin, and Zhengjiao Chanlin (a Buddhist pavilion),each forming a small part of the well-ordered complex which sits in perfect harmony with the natural environment. The variety of pavilions dedicated to the worship of different deities in a single complex make A-Ma Temple an exemplary representation of Chinese culture inspired by Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and multiple folk beliefs.

The pavilions of A-Ma Temple were built at different times, with its present scale acquired in 1828. The Hall of Benevolence is believed to be the earliest structure, dating back to 1488. The Prayer Hall or “The First Palace of the Holy Mountain” was built in 1605 and rebuilt in 1629; archaeological evidence of these dates was recovered on stone inscriptions at the pavilion. The date of construction for the Hall of Guanyin is unknown, but an inscription on a timber plaque at the entrance gives the date of a restoration conducted in the year 1828. Zhengjiao Chanlin was restored in the same year.

Guarded by a pair of stone lions, the Gate Pavilion is a granite structure measuring 4.5 metres wide. Ceramic animal decorations sit on exaggerated upturned roof ridges, forming a very distinctive profile. A succession of pavilions are aligned with the main gate, starting with the Memorial Arch (pilou), which leads to the Prayer Hall located in front of the Hall of Benevolence. The Prayer Hall dedicated to Tian Hou (Goddess of Seafarers) is a granite structure featuring lattice windows and upturned roof ridges. The Hall of Benevolence, also built in granite and brick, is much smaller in scale, incorporating the natural slope of the Barra Hill in its construction. Like the Prayer Hall, the roof is covered with green glazed tiles and decorative roof ridges. Further up on Barra Hill is the Hall of Guanyin, which is a plain brick structure, roofed in the yingshan (flush-gable) tradition. In comparison, the Zhengjiao Chanlin pavilion has more refined architectural details and is more impressive in scale. It consists of a shrine dedicated to Tian Hou and a retreat area with roof fashioned in the yingshan style. The shrine is a four-beam structure housed within high gabled walls that were used to protect against the risk of fire. The front façade features a moon gate, elaborately trimmed in granite and is richly decorated with colourful wall sculptures as well as delicate ornaments under the eaves.

Older than Portuguese colonization, "A Ma" temple was accepted by the Portuguese, and respected as a reference of Chinese culture and religion.

Several pavilions climbing a steep hill are dedicated to different deities, attracting lots of Chinese devotes to ceremonies hard to understand by westerns.

Upon entering the temple, notice the large tanks filled with slow-moving turtles. The turtles move so slowly that people drop money on their backs and it stays there for quite a while (it probably stays until someone from the temple collects it!). The temple complex is also full of beggars asking for money. If you make your way up the hillside to the top-most building you will have a good view to China over the intricate rooftops of the lower buildings.

The goddess A-Ma - also known as Tin Hau - is the protector of sailors. According to the legend, a poor girl wanted to sail to Macao, but she was refused by the rich junk owners. A storm came and only her vessel reached the shore safely, where she was engulfed in a ray of light and transformed into the goddess A-Ma. Today, the temple complex is a place of pilgrimage for Macao's fishermen

A Chinese inscription records that the temple was built under the Ming dynasty by the Emperor Wai Li (1573-1621). It seems at some stage to have been partly destroyed, for another inscription states that it was rebuilt in the reign of Tuo Keung (1824-56).

Canon EOS 5D, 24-70L

2013

Img_0387

Dedicated to ChocolatCake

dedicated to...

~ Ada Waktunya Sepi Menjadi Lebih Indah

.. Kerana Disaat Itu Kita Punya Ruang

.. Untuk Mengingati, Merindui ~

Many members of John Jay's family were instrumental in the founding and ongoing stewardship of one of the oldest churches in Westchester, New York, Rye's Christ Church.

Determined to establish an organized group of worship, Jay's father, Peter Jay (who had settled his family and a 3 month old John Jay in Rye in 1745,) obtained the first charter for the church from King George III on December 19, 1764. Following this successful petition, this religious center, then named Grace Church, thrived. It moved to a second Federal styled church building in 1788 that was made of wood; by this time, Peter Jay and his patronage were regarded so highly that he was one of only 2 individuals given his own pew –the rest were leased by subscription.

Through the years, the church was housed in several different buildings, all located not far from the Jay family estate on Boston Post Road; each new incarnation was designed to accomodate the congregations's growing stature and membership and the Jays steadfastly supported that vision whether it pertained to helping to fund capital expenses, the ministry or land. For example, in 1791, upon her death, John Jay’s sister Anna, left the church 100 pounds for the purpose of enlarging their land holdings. In 1794 the vestry resolved to rename themselves Christ Church. The parish's seal with a new design and logo was presented to its members on September 11th of that same year, appropriately by Peter Jay, who had played such a large role in its history.

In the 19th century, another generation of Jays became active at Christ's Church. A ha-ha installed in front of the Christ Church parsonage in 1841 with monies raised by the women of the parish was possibly inspired by Peter Augustus Jay's own ha-has up the road.

A third church building was erected in 1855 and funded in part by John Jay's grandson, John Clarkson Jay (J. C. Jay) who also donated an organ. The Jays gave more than just money to their community. Notably, from 1861 -1865 during the Civil War, members of the Church formed the Union Defense Committee,and recruited men. A great grandaughter, Cornelia, volunteered at the parish during the war.

J.C. Jay would serve as a warden of Christ Church for 28 years, and also serve as its treasurer; he was a major donor of funds for the current building that was created in 1868, replacing another structure that burned in 1866. In addition to donating funds for construction, in 1875, J. C. Jay established a ten year endowment for clergy in memorium for his son, Rev. Peter A. Jay. (Heartbreakingly, Peter who had assisted in the mass re-dedicating the new building, died of a brain hemorhage but a few years later at the young age of 34.)

The plaque above was dedicated by Jay descendants in 1891.Notice the fleur de lis at the top. The fleur de lis is a stylized flower found in Egyptian architecture long before being identified with French culture.

Jay Heritage Center

210 Boston Post Road

Rye, NY 10580

(914) 698-9275

Email: jayheritagecenter@gmail.com

www.jayheritagecenter.org

Follow and like us on:

Twitter @jayheritage

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www.jayheritagecenter.org

www.instagram.com/jayheritagecenter/

A National Historic Landmark since 1993

Member of the African American Heritage Trail of Westchester County since 2004

Member of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area since 2009

On NY State's Path Through History (2013)

Go-Ahead keeps a dedicated rail replacement fleet for its Southeastern and Southern franchises, although both operators continue to contract out such work as well. An example of the in-house fleet is VC6 (YN55 WSV), seen passing through the St Lawrence district of Ramsgate with a Minster-bound service covering for a missing Southeastern train. VC6 is a Volvo B12B with Plaxton Panther bodywork new to Tellings-Golden Miller; it has also worked for Manchester-based Flight Delay, London's Flights Hallmark and South Gloucestershire Bus & Coach, carrying registrations including Y50 HMC and L700 SGB along the way.

"The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saints Vitus, Wenceslaus and Adalbert (Czech: metropolitní katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha) is a Catholic metropolitan cathedral in Prague, and the seat of the Archbishop of Prague. Until 1997, the cathedral was dedicated only to Saint Vitus, and is still commonly named only as St. Vitus Cathedral (Czech: katedrála svatého Víta or svatovítská katedrála).

This cathedral is a prominent example of Gothic architecture, and is the largest and most important church in the country. Located within Prague Castle and containing the tombs of many Bohemian kings and Holy Roman Emperors, the cathedral is under the ownership of the Czech government as part of the Prague Castle complex. Cathedral dimensions are 124 m × 60 m (407 ft × 197 ft), the main tower is 102.8 m (337 ft) high, front towers 82 m (269 ft), arch height 33.2 m (109 ft).

Prague Castle (Czech: Pražský hrad; [ˈpraʃskiː ˈɦrat]) is a castle complex in Prague, Czech Republic serving as the official residence and workplace of the president of the Czech Republic. Built in the 9th century, the castle has long served as the seat of power for kings of Bohemia, Holy Roman emperors, and presidents of Czechoslovakia. As such, the term "Prague Castle" or simply "Castle" are often used as metonymy for the president and his staff and advisors. The Bohemian Crown Jewels are kept within a hidden room inside it.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, Prague Castle is the largest ancient castle in the world, occupying an area of almost 70,000 square metres (750,000 square feet), at about 570 metres (1,870 feet) in length and an average of about 130 metres (430 feet) wide. The castle is among the most visited tourist attractions in Prague, attracting over 1.8 million visitors annually.

Hradčany (German: Hradschin) is an urban district and cadastral territory of Prague with an area of ​​1.5 km², divided between city districts and at the same time the city districts of Prague 1 and Prague 6. A significant part of the district is occupied by Prague Castle, one of the most famous castles in Europe and, according to the Guinness Book of Records, the largest castle complex in the world. Hradčany was an independent town until 1784, when it became part of the united royal capital of Prague.

Hradčany includes the area of ​​Prague Castle, the territory of the historic city around Hradčanské and Loretánské náměstí, Pohořelec, the area of ​​Strahov Monastery and Nový Svět, as well as the area of ​​the former Marian Walls forming an arc from the western edge of Letenská plain to the top of Petřín.

Prague 6 includes a strip of territory defined by tram lines in Dlabačov, Keplerova, Jelení, Mariánské hradby, Badeni, Milada Horáková, Patočkova and Myslbekova streets. The cadastral territory Hradčany is adjacent to Střešovice to the northwest, Dejvice to the north, Mala Strana to the east, Smíchov (a small strip of territory) to the south, and Břevnov to the southwest.

Prague (/ˈprɑːɡ/ PRAHG; Czech: Praha [ˈpraɦa]; German: Prag [pʁaːk]; Latin: Praga) is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate oceanic climate, with relatively warm summers and chilly winters.

Prague is a political, cultural, and economic hub of central Europe, with a rich history and Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architectures. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors, most notably Charles IV (r. 1346–1378) and Rudolf II (r. 1575–1611).

It was an important city to the Habsburg monarchy and Austro-Hungarian Empire. The city played major roles in the Bohemian and the Protestant Reformations, the Thirty Years' War and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia between the World Wars and the post-war Communist era.

Prague is home to a number of well-known cultural attractions, many of which survived the violence and destruction of 20th-century Europe. Main attractions include Prague Castle, Charles Bridge, Old Town Square with the Prague astronomical clock, the Jewish Quarter, Petřín hill and Vyšehrad. Since 1992, the historic center of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites.

The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. It is home to a wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University in Prague, the oldest university in Central Europe.

Prague is classified as a "Alpha-" global city according to GaWC studies. In 2019, the city was ranked as 69th most livable city in the world by Mercer. In the same year, the PICSA Index ranked the city as 13th most livable city in the world. Its rich history makes it a popular tourist destination and as of 2017, the city receives more than 8.5 million international visitors annually. In 2017, Prague was listed as the fifth most visited European city after London, Paris, Rome, and Istanbul.

Bohemia (Latin Bohemia, German Böhmen, Polish Czechy) is a region in the west of the Czech Republic. Previously, as a kingdom, they were the center of the Czech Crown. The root of the word Czech probably corresponds to the meaning of man. The Latin equivalent of Bohemia, originally Boiohaemum (literally "land of Battles"), which over time also influenced the names in other languages, is derived from the Celtic tribe of the Boios, who lived in this area from the 4th to the 1st century BC Bohemia on it borders Germany in the west, Austria in the south, Moravia in the east and Poland in the north. Geographically, they are bounded from the north, west and south by a chain of mountains, the highest of which are the Krkonoše Mountains, in which the highest mountain of Bohemia, Sněžka, is also located. The most important rivers are the Elbe and the Vltava, with the fertile Polabean Plain extending around the Elbe. The capital and largest city of Bohemia is Prague, other important cities include, for example, Pilsen, Karlovy Vary, Kladno, Ústí nad Labem, Liberec, Hradec Králové, Pardubice and České Budějovice, Jihlava also lies partly on the historical territory of Bohemia." - info from Wikipedia.

Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.

Now on Instagram.

Become a patron to my photography on Patreon or donate.

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The Kamakshi Temple is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Kamakshi, one of the forms of the goddess Parvati. It is located in the historic city of Kanchipuram, near Chennai, India and is popularly associated with Sankaracharya, one of the greatest Hindu gurus. The Meenakshi Temple in Madurai, the Akilandeswari temple in Thiruvanaikaval near Tiruchirappalli and this Kamakshi are the important centers of worship of Parvati as the mother goddess, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The temple was most probably built by the Pallava kings, whose capital was Kanchipuram, around 6 C.E.

The main deity, Kamakshi, is seated in a majestic Padmasana, an yogic posture signifying peace and prosperity, instead of the traditional standing pose. The goddess holds a sugarcane bow and bunch of flowers in the lower two of her arms and has a pasha (lasso), an ankusha (goad) in her upper two arms. There is also a parrot perched near the flower bunch. There are no other Parvati temples in the city of Kanchipuram, apart from this temple, which is unusual in a traditional city that has hundreds of traditional temples. There are various legends that account for this fact. One of them according to Kamakshivilasa is that the Goddess had to absorb all the other shakthi forms to give a boon to Kama, the Hindu god of love. Another legend attributes it to the Raja Rajeswari pose of the deity that signifies an absolute control over the land under the deity's control. Legend has it that Kamakshi offered worship to a Shivalingam made out of sand, under a mango tree and gained Shiva's hand in marriage.

FESTIVALS

Four worship services are offered each day. The annual festival falls in Spring, in the Tamil month of Masi, which runs from mid-March to mid-April. During this time the chariot festival (Ther) and float festival, (Theppam) are held. Other festivals include Navaratri, Aadi and Aippasi Pooram, Sankara Jayanthi and Vasanta Utsavam in the Tamil month of Vaikasi. All Fridays are considered sacred, though the Fridays in the Tamil months of Adi (mid-July to mid-August) and Thai (mid-January to mid-February) are celebrated.

THE OLD KAMAKSHI DEVI TEMPLE

The original Kamakshi Devi Temple is what is now known as Adi Peeteswari or the Adi Peeta Parameswari. This temple is just adjacent to the Kumarakottam, and is near to the Kamakshi Devi temple.

Adi Shankaracharya, the famous 8th-century CE scholar and saint, established the Sri Chakra at this original Kamakshi Devi temple in the trough-like structure in that shrine. This Sri Chakra soon became the All India famous Kamakoti Peeta. The Acharya's Lalitha Trishati Bhashya comments Kamakoti Peetam as Sri Chakra.

The Acharya changed the fierce form of worship into a sowmya form. The Devi in this original Kamakshi temple is called by various names like Kirtimati, Devagarbha in extant Tantric works like Tantrachudamani. She has four hands containing in each of them respectively, Ankusa, PAsa, Abhaya and a Kapala. This description corresponds to those extant old tantric works. Further, Girvanendra Saraswathi describes precisely this swaroopa as Kameswari.

Sundaramurthi Nayanar, the Saiva saint of the 12th century is aware of the Kamakottam. He in fact mentions that the Kamakottam has come in existence just at that time.

THE MODERN KAMAKSHI DEVI TEMPLE AT KANCHI

The Siruthondar Puranam of Sekkilar Peruman, written during this time, is aware of both the temples and mentions the original temple as the Yoga Peeta and the present Kamakshi devi temple as Bhoga peetam. The reference to the present Kamakshi Devi as Aram Purappaval (bestower of boons)by Sekilar Peruman is noteworthy, as the present name of the street in which this new temple is located in Kanchipuram is called Arapanak Ara Theru.

The present Kamakshi temple too, has a Sri Chakra which was established during the 16th Century by NrusimhAdvari, of the famous dathamAnji family. There is a stone inscription inside the new temple, near this Sri Chakra, which states this fact. It is noteworthy that Arunagirinathar a 15th Century Tamil Saint, sings in praise of the Goddess as devi of dark emarald complexion and the mother of Muruga of Kumarakottam. The Original Kamakshi Devi temple i.e. Adi PeeteswariKamakshi Devi temple is just adjucant to the Kumarakottam. Arunagirinathar mentions the Sri Yantra in the Kamakshi Devi temple, which can apply, during the 15th century, only to the original Adi Peeteswari Kamakshi Devi, which contained the Sri Chakra installed by Adi Shankara. Arunagirinathar does not make any reference to the new temple.

Also noteworthy is the fact that this new temple's legend considers the Bangaru Kamakshi at Thanjavur as Dharmadevi This is the metallic counterpart of the stone image of Dharmadevi, which is at present at Thiruparuthikunram (Jina Kanchi) to where it was removed from this present Kamakshi (Tara Devi) temple after the conversion of the Jain Tara Devi temple into Hindu Sakta tradition has become stronger. There is a stone inscription at the Jina Kanchi temple which explains this fact. There are strong evidences that Dharadevi was worshipped in the present day main shrine.

THE KANCHI KAMAKSHI AMMAN TEMPLE AS A

SHAKTI PEETH

The mythology of Daksha yaga and Sati's self immolation is the main theme in the origin of Shakti Peethas.

Shakti Peethas are divine temples of Adiparashakti. The cause of the presence of Devi's presence is due to the falling of body parts of the corpse of Sati Devi. The eyes/back of Sati Devi is believed to have fallen here. There are 51 Shakti Peeth linking to the 51 alphabets in Sanskrit. There are also arguments that the old Kanchi temple is the Shakti peetha, where Sankaracharya has installed the Shri Chakra. It is reverred world wide as Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham.

TIRUKKALAVANUR

In the shrine of Kamakshi Amman close the sanctum, the Tirukalavanur Divya Desam, the temples dedicated to Lord Vishnu glorified by the 7th-10th century alwars (Tamil saint poets) is present. The temple faced west went to ruins and the deity is now placed inside the Kamakshi Amman temple. There are shrines over the vimana.

Fee Glade Dedicated

The Fee Glade, a green space with winding paths, is designed for both personal contemplation and community gatherings. There are stones engraved with quotations from Fee and a copy of the Great Commitments. The Glade reclaims a ravine formerly occupied by Berea’s utilities operations.

At one entrance to the glade, there is an engraved copy of the College’s Great Commitments to educate and inspire those walking through the glade to pause, reflect and re-consider Berea’s inclusive Christian principles, such as the power of “love over hate, human dignity and equality, and peace with justice,” the eternal ideals to which Bereans aspire.

Berea’s Story, Motto, and the Great Commitments

In 1855, the Rev. John G. Fee started a one-room school that eventually would become Berea College. Fee, a native of Bracken County, Ky., parted with the church in which he had been ordained because it was not sufficiently against slavery and eventually was disowned and disinherited by his slaveholding father.

Dedicated to all Mothers and those who fulfill the role of Mother. May you have abundance and know that you are loved and appreciated:)

We have a saying in T & T "If it is nice, you have to do it twice" so I am posting two cards in celebration of Mother's Day.

dedicated to aikitherese...

a real friend :)

(and a thank you :)

and you know why...)

At 4:19AM on July 11, 2019 the Los Angeles Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 1220 S Wall St in Downtown Los Angeles. Firefighters arrived to find a 50’ x 100’ row of commercial units with heavy smoke showing. Immediately, crews initiated simultaneous operations with truck companies going to the roof, firefighters working on forcible entry to gain access and hand lines being prepared for interior fire attack.

The 6,900 square foot building, built in 1924, is deep and presented challenges reaching the fire. After approximately 20 minutes of working to locate the seat of the fire while it continued to rage, the conditions were too precarious for the offensive operation to continue. Incident Commander, Battalion Chief Michael Castillo, declared the transition to a defensive operation and all firefighters withdrew both from the interior and the roof.

Crews quickly put multiple master streams in action, setting up ladder pipes and large diameter hand lines on the ground and the roofs of adjoined buildings. Their dedicated efforts in defending the two attached buildings on either side of the fire unit paid off and prevented any extension into those structures.

102 firefighters achieved full extinguishment of the fire in one hour and 49 minutes with no injuries reported. The three units in the main building suffered varying levels of damage with the central unit being most heavily affected. LAFD Arson and Counter-Terrorism Section responded per protocol for a Greater Alarm fire and the cause investigation is on-going

© Photo by Eric French

LAFD Incident: 071119-0138

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

I saw this taxi driver on gas station on Broadway and Irving Park Rd.

dedicated to 'HisGlitteringEye'..... perfectly in tune trapped pebbles, yes... they were found there! Pett Level, East Susssex UK

Dedicated to my friend, J.T. , who appreciates this sight as much as I do!

Dedicated to the WHO

Title ?????Who are you?????

This is dedicated to Andy (Photocillin) who wrote me a lovely testimonial. Thank you so much, Andy! So very appreciated!

I really loved how these branches were shaped and they seemed so musical...with the bokeh magical...like little moons dancing in the night! Hence the name and reminder of Beethoven's ~~~ Moonlight Sonata ~~~ ; Hope you all like it as much as I do!

View On Black

Hope you all are having a great day! Thank you for your visits...=)

Hire iPad App Developer and iPad Programmers – Hire Dedicated Ipad Programmers and iPad App Developer for Excellent Ipad App Development from IndiaNIC www.indianic.com/ipad-programmers.html

Dedicated in 1935, Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest state park. It is located only 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old. These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays

berlin*shopwindow*sreetart*

The Cathedral of Würzburg is dedicated to Saint Kilian

From: Karola Schmitt

Coming from Ireland, mission Bishop Kilian set himself the task the in the 7th Century still predominantly by pagans populated Franconia to convert to Christianity. Kilian was accompanied by his faithful companions, the priest Kolonat and the deacon Totnan that were later murdered as Kilian in Würzburg. Even today, the lower Franconian district capital is closely linked with the Holy Kilian. The annually in summer taking place Kilianifest (festival) was named after the patron of the city and of course the Cathedral, which is located in the center of Würzburg. From the old Main bridge the road leads directly to the portal of the huge episcopal church. From the size of all church buildings in Germany seen, the 105 m long Dom St. Kilian in Würzburg comes in fourth place.

(further pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)

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The genesis

The Wurzburg Cathedral - Photo : Carport

After two precursors of the Würzburg Cathedral fell victim to the fire, began in 1040 under the then Bishop Bruno of Würzburg the construction of the church in the Romanesque style, consisting of a raised central nave, two aisles and a mighty twin-tower facade. The transept forms the shorter part of the cross-shaped floor plan. In the Vierungsaltar (four-altar), where the nave meets the transepts, the skulls of Kilian, Kolonat and Totnan found their final resting place. Bishop Bruno died after an accident, long before the cathedral was completely finished. His in 1045 taking place funeral was connected with the inauguration of the crypt of the cathedral. The first in-depth reconstruction phase fell into the year 1500, when the two side aisles got the at that time popular late Gothic style.

The cathedral from the inside - Photo: The weaver

With the redesign in 1701 the Dom St. Kilian by the plasterer Piertro Magno was adapted to the Baroque. Stuccos, paintings and additional altars at some pillars gave the cathedral a baroque setting. Balthasar Neumann, the famous Würzburg master builder, had the choir floor moreover lowered by three meters and thus adapted to the nave the unusual length of the building even underlining. Added to this was in 1724 still the Schönborn Chapel on the outer wall of the transepts, which served as the family tomb of the Prince Bishop Schönborn.

Destruction and Reconstruction

Shortly before end of the war, the Royal Air Force headed in the air war against Germany to Wurzburg. On the evening of 16 March 1945 the hail of bombs in three waves went down to the Franconian city, leaving fire, rubble and ash. Even the cathedral was damaged so badly that it collapsed in early 1946. Before the reconstruction arose the question which one of the different epoche styles should be given preference. Agreement was reached on a combination of Romanesque, Baroque and Modern. The reconstruction lasted until the year 1967. The new cathedral embodies by virtue of its history the survival and serves the people as a memorial for peace.

The church-bell-ringing of the Cathedral of St. Kilian

The choir organ

The bells of the cathedral were destroyed in the attack at Wuerzburg, too, except of one which was inside the tomb of the canons on 03/16/1946. The old bell is from the year 1257. The remaining eleven bells of the principal ringing were cast in 1965 in Heidelberg by Friedrich Wilhelm Schilling. 2008 eight more bells from Passau came for the Zimbelgeläut (cymbal ringing). The 20 bells of the Cathedral of St. Kilian bring a considerable total of 26 tons on the scale.

The Cathedral of St. Kilian as an attraction for tourists

In the midst of Würzburg's Old Town the Dom St. Kilian is among the tourist attractions of the Lower Franconian district capital. The high towers at the entrance are visible from afar. Inside the visitors marvels at first the by Fritz König created bronze portal that shows the history of creation of man. At the side aisles there are grave slabs of the Prince Bishops who reigned in Würzburg. Two of the grave slabs are works of the famous sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider. Worthy of mentioning is also the splendid cloister on the south side of the cathedral.

www.bayern-blogger.de/der-dom-zu-wurzburg-ist-dem-heilige...

Kalkaji Mandir, कालकाजी मंदिर, दिल्ली , भारत , also known as Kalkaji Temple, is a Hindu mandir or temple, dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Kali. This temple is situated in the southern part of Delhi, India, in Kalkaji, a locality that has derived its name from the temple and is located opposite Nehru Place business centre. The temple is accessible by public transport on Kalkaji Mandir (Delhi Metro) and is near Bus Terminus-Nehru Place and Railway Station-Okhla.[1][2][3] The general belief is that the image of the Goddess Kalka here is a self-manifested one, and that the shrine dates back to Satya Yuga when the Goddess Kalika had incarnated and killed the demon Raktabija along with other giant demons.

General information

Kalka or Kalkaji Mandir is amongst the oldest and the most revered temples of India.[citation needed] The temple is dedicated to the goddess Kalka or Kali, an incarnation of Durga. It is also called 'Jayanti Peetha' or 'Manokamna Siddha Peetha'. 'Manokamna' literally means desire, 'Siddha' means fulfillment, and 'Peetha' means shrine. So, it is believed to be the holy shrine where one gets the blessings of Maa Kalika Devi (Goddess or Mother Kalika) for the fulfillment of one's desires.

The temple complex is situated on Kalkaji Mandir (Delhi Metro) between the Nehru Place bus terminus & business center and Okhla railway station & industrial area, and is right beside the Bahá'í Lotus Temple. Close by to the temple, on a hill in the East of Kailash neighbourhood and near the ISKCON temple, lies an Edict of Ashoka, dating 3rd century BC.

Devotees attend the Kalkaji temple throughout the year, but the culmination point of their prayers and celebration comes during the festival of Navratri twice a year. This is a nine-day Hindu festival, in Spring and Autumn during which a large fair is organized. Devotees gather and sing various hymns and songs praising the Goddess Durga.

History

While the Hindu scriptures have multiple references and legends regarding the birth and acts of the Goddess Kali, the legend which tells about the circumstances attending to the birth of Maa Kalika Devi at the Kalkaji Mandir is as below:

Millions of years ago, the gods who dwelt in the neighbourhood of the present temple were troubled by two giants and were compelled to prefer their complaint to Lord Brahma, 'the god of all'. But Lord Brahma declined to interfere, and referred them to the Goddess Parvati. Out of the mouth of Maa Parvati sprung Kaushki Devi, who attacked the two giants and slaughtered them, but it so happened, that as their blood fell on the dry earth thousands of giants came into life, and the battle was maintained by Kaushki Devi against great odds. Maa Parvati took compassion on her offspring and out of the eyebrows of Kaushki Devi came maa Kali Devi, 'whose lower lip rested on the hills below and the upper lip touched the sky above. She drank the blood of the slaughtered giants as it poured out of their wounds; and the goddess obtained a complete victory over their enemies. Maa Kali Devi then fixed her abode here, and she was worshipped as the chief divinity of the place.

It is believed that the Goddess Kalkaji, pleased with the prayers offered and rituals performed by the Gods on the advice of Lord Brahma, appeared on this mount, known as Surya Koota Parvata, and blessed them. Ever since, the Goddess took this holy place as her abode and has been fulfilling the wishes of her devotees. During the Mahabharata, Lord Krishna and the Pandavas are said to have worshipped this Goddess during the reign of Yudhisthir.

References in History

According to the Government records, the temple of Kalkaji is said to have a very ancient origin, but the oldest portions of the present building is believed to have been constructed not earlier than the 1764 AD by the Maratha rulers.[4] In 1816 A.D. Mirza Raja Kidar Nath, the Peshkar of Akbar II, is said to have made some additions to it. Over the last five to six decades, a considerable number of dharamshalas have been erected in the vicinity by the Hindu bankers and merchants of Delhi place. It is said that Baba Balak Nath of Nath Sampradaya, i.e. the Kanpata Yogis (who have rings pierced in the ears) visited this holy place hundreds of years ago. He is believed to have had the darshan of Goddess Kalika who asked him to stay here and get the temple reconstructed, which by then was completely ruined due to neglect. From that time onwards the yogis of Nath Sampradaya have been serving the Goddess and are enthroned as Mahant. Baba Sandhya Nath, Baba Sahaja Nath, Mahant Prithvi Nath, Mahant Rama Nath are remembered with great respect. They were renowned yogis of their time empowered with special spiritual powers and visions.

Modern Structure

The temple complex, as it stands today, is constructed of brick masonry, finished with plaster (now with marbles) and is surrounded by a pyramidal tower. The Central Chamber which is 12-sided in plan diam. (24' I.M.) with a doorway in each side is paved with marble and is surrounded by a verandah 8'9" wide and containing 36 arched openings (shown as the exterior doorways in the Parikrama). This verandah encloses the Central Chamber from all sides. About the middle of this arcade opposite the eastern doorway there are two red sandstone tigers sitting on a marble pedestal on which the inscription engraved on the marble railings is repeated. The language of the inscriptions is Urdu and the characters on the railings as well as on the pedestals are nastaliq without any pretensions to antiq mvbm,cuity. Between the tigers there is stone image of Kali Devi with her name engraved on it in Hindi, and a trident of stone standing before it.

Rituals

The major ritual consists of offering and bathing the idol (Mata Snanam) with milk followed by an Aarti every morning (6 AM) and evening (7:30 PM). This, in turn, is followed by hymn recitation. Offerings can be purchased just before the entrance of the temple. Visitors should be alert in the area as the place is very crowded and there can be Pickpockets. The Puja archana and other rituals are performed turn by turn (Monthly Basis) by Pujaris consisting of more than 1000 Nai families who are the descendants of 4 main clans (Thule's) of Brahmin pujaris and one clan of Jogis/Mahants.

The atmosphere around the temple is airy and bright with lights which stay during the whole night. Devotees also try to meditate there and a tantric aarti is held in the evening. BY KAILASH MANSAROVAR FOUNDATION SWAMI BILASH GIRI www.sumeruparvat.com , www.naturalitem.com

BEGINNINGS: 1866-1883

The beginnings of the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family, known as the Sagrada Familia, go back to 1866 when Josep Maria Bocabella i Verdaguer founded the Spiritual Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph, which in 1874 began campaigning for the construction of an expiatory temple dedicated to the Holy Family. In 1881, enabled by various donations, the Association purchased a 12,800m² plot of land, located between the streets of Marina, Provença, Sardenya, and Mallorca, to build the temple on.

The first stone was laid on St Joseph’s day, 19 March, 1882, in a ceremony presided over by the Bishop of Barcelona, Josep Urquinaona. It signalled the start of construction, first in the crypt located under the apse, following the Neo-gothic design drawn up by the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano, the Sagrada Familia’s first architect. After a short while, due to disagreements with the promotors, he resigned from the post of chief architect and the job fell to Antoni Gaudí.

GAUDÍ: 1883-1926

After taking over the project in 1883, Gaudí continued work on the crypt, which was finished in 1889. Later he began work on the apse, while donations were received at a steady rate. After receiving a substantial anonymous donation, Gaudí proposed a new and grander design. He proposed abandoning the old Neo-gothic plan in favour of a design that was more monumental and innovative, both in regard to the form and structure as well as the construction. Gaudí’s design consisted of a large church with a floor plan based on a Latin cross and soaring towers. It was to be immensely symbolic, both architecturally and sculpturally, and convey the teachings of the Gospels and the Christian Church.

In 1892 the foundations for the Nativity facade were started. This facade was built first because, as Gaudí himself put it, “If, instead of building this decorated, richly ornamented facade, we had started with the hard, bare and skeletal Passion facade, people would have rejected it.” In 1894 the apse facade was finished, and the Rosary portal, one of the entrances to the cloister on the Nativity side, was finished in 1899.

In 1909 Gaudí built the Sagrada Familia provisional school buildings, for children of Sagrada Familia workers and local children, on the south-west corner of the site. In the following year, 1910, a model of the Nativity facade was displayed at the Grand Palais in Paris in an exhibition featuring Gaudí’s work organised by his friend and patron Eusebi Güell. The Pasion facade was designed in 1911.

In 1914 Gaudí decided to concentrate exclusively on the construction of the Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia, a fact which explains why he did not undertake any other major work in the later years of his life. He became so involved that he lived his final months close by his studio workshop; a space located next to the apse used for producing scale models, drawings and designs, sculptures and for taking photographs, amongst other activities.

In 1923 he produced the final design for the naves and roofs. Construction work however progressed slowly. The first bell tower on the Nativity facade, 100 metres high and dedicated to Saint Barnabus, was finished on 30 November 1925. This was the only tower Gaudí saw completed. On 10 June 1926 he died as a result of injuries sustained three days earlier when he was tragically knocked down by a tram. On 12 June he was buried in the Chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia, where his mortal remains rest to this day.

Over all these years a sizable group of architects, draughtsmen, sculptors and modellers collaborated with Gaudí on the construction.

HANDOVER: 1926-1938

After the death of Gaudí, his close collaborator Domènec Sugrañes took over the management of the works until 1938.

In 1930 the bell towers on the Nativity facade were finished, and in 1933 the Faith portal and central cypress tree were also completed.

In July 1936, after the military uprising and the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, revolutionaries set fire to the crypt, burnt down the provisional school of the Sagrada Familia and destroyed the studio workshop. Original plans, drawings and photographs were lost and many large-scale plaster models were broken. It should be pointed out that, from when Gaudí took the helm in 1883 and despite these acts of vandalism, work on the Sagrada Familia, although disrupted, never came to a complete stop, and has always gone ahead according to the architect’s original concept.

HERITAGE: 1938-1999

After the Spanish Civil War building resumed on the Sagrada Familia and it continued to slowly rise. Between 1939 and 1940 the architect Francesc de Paula Quintana i Vidal, who had started working with Gaudí in 1919, restored the fire-damaged crypt and repaired many of the broken models, which were then used to continue construction according to Gaudí’s original plan.

The next directors were also men who had known and collaborated with Gaudí, Isidre Puig-Boada and Lluís Bonet i Garí, who were in charge of works until 1983. They were succeeded by Francesc de Paula Cardoner i Blanch, Jordi Bonet i Armengol, and lastly Jordi Faulí i Oller, who has currently been in charge since 2012.

In 1952 the 35th International Eucharistic Congress was held in Barcelona and several events took place in the Sagrada Familia to mark the occasion. In the same year the steps to the Nativity facade were built and the facade was floodlit for the first time. This lighting became a permanent feature in 1964 thanks to the Barcelona City Council.

Work continued at a steady pace and in 1954 the foundations to support the Passion facade were started, based on several studies Gaudí had carried out between 1892 and 1917. After the foundations were laid the Passion facade crypt was built on them, and in 1961 a museum was opened in the crypt to provide visitors with information about the history and technical, artistic and symbolic aspects of the temple. The four bell towers on the Passion facade were completed in 1976.

1955 was a significant year for the Sagrada Familia; it was the year of the first fund-raising drive to raise money to pay for the building works. The initiative was so successful that it has been repeated every year since, and is a way of allowing society as a whole to participate in the construction of the temple.

Numerous sculptors have left their mark of the Nativity facade. On Saint Joseph’s day, 19 March, 1958 the group of statues by Jaume Busquets representing the Holy Family was put in place.

In 1986 the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs was charged with producing the statues and sculpture for the Passion façade, which were executed in accordance with his very personal style for over 25 years.

21st CENTURY 2000 – 2015

In 2000 the vaulting in the central nave and the transepts was built, and the foundations of the Glory facade were started. In the same year, to mark the new millennium, a Mass was held inside the temple which showcased the grandeur of the building.

In 2001 the central window of the Passion facade was finished and stained glass by Joan Vila-Grau representing the Resurrection was installed. The four columns of the crossing were also finished.

Gaudí and his work were celebrated in 2002, with the Barcelona City Council sponsoring International Gaudí Year to mark the 150th anniversary of his birth. The Expiatory Temple of the Sagrada Familia participated with various initiatives, including the restoration, relocating and opening of the Sagrada Familia schools building.

In 2002 the sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs completed the wall of the Patriarchs and Prophets which Gaudí had envisaged for the top of the porch on the Passion facade, and in 2005 the sculpture representing the Ascension was positioned between the towers of this same facade. In the same period the windows in the central nave were installed and the Eucharistic symbols for bread and wine were completed by the Japanese sculptor Etsuro Sotoo.

In 2006 the choir inside the Glory facade was constructed, based on models by Gaudí. The vaulting in the ambulatory around the apse was finished in 2008. The vaulting in the crossing and the apse was finished between 2008 and 2010.

2010 was a milestone in the history of the Sagrada Familia: the temple was consecrated as a place of worship by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

PRESENT

As of today, 70% of the work on the temple has been executed, and the goal is to complete all of the architectural work by 2026.

The following projects were completed in 2016:

Western sacristy: It was blessed in 2015 and is nearly finished now. Visitors enter the sacristy from inside the Basilica, via the Liturgical Path. Since mid-2016, visitors have been able to enter the cloister and get a close-up look inside.

Upper narthex on the Passion façade: The upper narthex, or cyma, on the Passion façade is nearly finished. Work is currently underway on the representation of the quarry and the garden where Jesus Christ was buried.

Interior of the Basilica: The choirs have been finished, with the benches covered in stone and the wrought-iron railings with the musical notes of the hymns sung throughout the year.

The upper stained-glass windows in the apse have been visible since December 2015 and those on the Nativity staircase, since July 2016.

The stained-glass windows on the staircases in the apse on the Passion side are also now in place, as of December 2016. The apse staircase completes the stained-glass windows inside the Basilica, except for those on the Glory façade.

The goal for 2020 is to finish all six central towers:

Tower of the Virgin Mary: Rising up from the apse. The centre of the star crowning this tower will be the same height as the towers of the evangelists (135 metres), so the tip of the star will be nearly 140 metres high.

Towers of the evangelists: These four towers currently stand at 76 of the 135 metres they will have by 2020.

Tower of Jesus Christ: This will be the tallest of them all, 172.5 metres high. The next big milestone, after the temple was consecrated in 2010, will be when this tower is finished with the cross that will top it. The harmonious ensemble of the eighteen towers will give the building great vertical strength.

Work on the temple will finish with the construction of the main façade, the Glory façade.

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 AD. 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 23,07 m 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

dedicated.

Angkor Wat or "Capital Temple" is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was first a Hindu and later a Buddhist temple. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, present-day Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.

Breaking from the Shiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.

The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (नगर). Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds" (Sanskrit: वाट vāṭa ""enclosure").

HISTORY

Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites.

According to one legend, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to act as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea.

According to the 13th century Chinese traveler Daguan Zhou, it was believed by some that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113-C. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.

In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.

In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."

In the mid-19th century, the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote:

"One of these temples - a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo - might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."

Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.

Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation. Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags since the introduction of the first version circa 1863. From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, the temple of Angkor Wat did not become a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937. Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from C. 1880 to the mid-1920s. The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD. Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time.

ARCHITECTURE

SITE AND PLAN

Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples and the later plan of concentric galleries. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level. Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Maurice Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction - prasavya in Hindu terminology - as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services. The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower. It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse. Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.

A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: "as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above." Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles. She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.

STYLE

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture - the Angkor Wat style - to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime has been suggested. The temple has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style." Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), bas-reliefs, and on pediments extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work. Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.

FEATURES

OUTER ENCLOSURE

The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper. Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets. Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.

CENTRAL STRUCTURE

The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king, Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.

Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides.

The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.

North and south of the cloister are libraries.

Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean around Mount Meru.

Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods. This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.

DECORATION

Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".

From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and the Battle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, showing the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology.

On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92 asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice). It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"). and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. Angkor Wat is decorated with depictions of apsaras and devata; there are more than 1,796 depictions of devata in the present research inventory. Angkor Wat architects employed small apsara images (30–40 cm) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (all full-body portraits measuring approximately 95–110 cm) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewelry and decorative flowers, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period.

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that are sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place. The monument was made out of millions of tonnes of sandstone and it has a greater volume as well as mass than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The Angkor Wat Temple consumes about 6 million to 10 million blocks of sandstone with an average weight of 1.5 tons each. In fact, the entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined, and occupied an area significantly greater than modern-day Paris. Moreover, unlike the Egyptian pyramids which use limestone quarried barely half a km away all the time, the entire city of Angkor was built with sandstone quarried 40 km (or more) away. This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 40 km to the northeast. The route has been suggested to span 35 kilometres along a canal towards Tonlé Sap lake, another 35 kilometres crossing the lake, and finally 15 kilometres upstream and against the current along Siem Reap River, making a total journey of 90 kilometres. However, Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan have discovered in 2012 a shorter 35-kilometre canal connecting Mount Kulen and Angkor Wat using satellite imagery. The two believe that the Khmer used this route instead.

Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 1.2 m, this took about 60 days to carve. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. The labor force to quarry, transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.

ANGKOR WAT TODAY

The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992. Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site. The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts. Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002, while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005. World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. Microbial biofilms have been found degrading sandstone at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and the Bayon and West Prasat in Angkor. The dehydration and radiation resistant filamentous cyanobacteria can produce organic acids that degrade the stone. A dark filamentous fungus was found in internal and external Preah Khan samples, while the alga Trentepohlia was found only in samples taken from external, pink-stained stone at Preah Khan. Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561.000 and 677.000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEX group since 1990, which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than some graffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance - as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples - although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities. Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism". Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture. In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists. The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features. Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems. It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat. Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism. Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture. At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.

WIKIPEDIA

dedicated to: NORA BOLZ

by martin teschner 2010

© all rights reserved

teschner.it

Mukteshvara Temple (IAST: Mukteśvara; also spelt Mukteswar) is a 10th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India. The temple dates back to 950–975 CE and is a monument of importance in the study of the development of Hindu temples in Odisha. The stylistic development the Mukteswar marks the culmination of all earlier developments, and initiates a period of experiment which continues for an entire century, as seen in such temples as the Rajarani Temple and Lingaraj temple, both located in Bhubaneswar. It is one of the prominent tourist attractions of the city.

HISTORY

The Mukteshvara Temple is found to be the earliest work from the Somavamshi period. Most scholars believe the temple is the successor to Parashurameshvara Temple and built earlier to the Brahmeswara Temple (1060 CE). Percy Brown puts the date of construction of the temple to 950 CE. The presence of a torana, which is not part of any other temple in the region, makes this temple unique and some of the representations indicate the builders were starters of a new culture. K.C. Panigrahi places the temple to be built during 966 CE and postulates that the Somavamshi king Yayati I built the temple. He also associates the legend of Kirtivassa to this temple, but the postulation is not accepted as Kirtivasa is associated with Lingaraja, though both were built at the same time for the same deity, Shiva. There is no historic evidence to conclude that Yayati I built the temple.

ARCHITECTURE

This architecture is one of the basic reasons why Mukteshvara Temple is also known as the "Gem of Odisha architecture". The temple faces west and is constructed in a lower basement amidst a group of temples. The pyramidal roof to the jagamohana present in the temple was the first of its kind over the conventional two tier structure. The temple is a small one compared to other larger temples in Bhubaneswar. The temples is enclosed within an octagonal compound wall with elaborate carvings on it. It is believed that the experiment of newer pattern in the temple showed a mature phase compared to its predecessors and culminated the beginning of replication of similar pattern in the later temples in the city. The temple has a porch, called torana, which acts as the gateway to the octagonal compound. The temple has two structures namely, the vimana (structure above the sanctum) and a mukhasala, the leading hall, both of which are built on a raised platform. The temple is the earlies to be built in pithadeula type.

PORCH

The most important feature of the Mukteshvara Temple is the torana, or the arched gateway, dating back to about 900 CE and showing the influence of Buddhist architecture. The arched gateway has thick pillars that have strings of beads and other ornaments carved on statues of smiling women in languorous repose. The porch is a walled chamber with a low, massive roof and internal pillars. The combination of vertical and horizontal lines is skilfully arranged so as to give dignity of buildings of moderate height. This early astylar form of the temple is best illustrated in this temple. The gateway has sculptures that range from elaborate scrolls to pleasant female forms and figures of monkeys and peacocks. The front and back of the arch are similar in design.

VIMANA

The Vimana is square in plan and is built in a raised platform with pilasters in each facade. The shikara is small compared to other temples; it has four Natarajas on and four kirthimukhas on the four faces. The top portion of the shikara has the kalasa. The shikara is 10.5 metres tall, with every inch sculpted with decorative patterns, architectural patterns and sculpted figures. A new form of decoration called bho, possibly developed here, became a prominent feature in later Odishan temples. It is a highly ornate chaitya window crowned by masked demon head and dwarf figures.

SANCTUM

The sanctum is sculpted with beautiful damsels exhibiting feminine charms entwined with nagas and naginis. The sanctum is cubical from the inside with offset walls in the outside.

JAGAMOHANA

This distinctive 10th-century temple is one of the smallest and compact temples. The jagamohana is 35 m tall. It is decorated with intricate carvings by the Vishwakarma Moharana sculptors. The temple is regarded as a gem of Nagara architecture of Kalinga architecture. Except for the rectangular plan of its jaganmohana, it is the earliest example of what may be termed proper Odisha temple type; a vimana with a curvelinear spire and a jaganmohana with a stepped pyramidal roof. The temple's red sandstone is covered with exquisite carvings of lean sadhus or holy men and voluptuous women encrusted with jewels. The images of Ganga and Yamuna are carved next to Chanda and Prachanda. The torana is present in front of the jagamohana. The figure of Lakulisa, seated in bhumispara-mudra and holding a lakuta is present on the lintel of the jagamohana. The figures of Gajalakshmi, Rahu and Ketu are also sculpted in the structure. A small extension from the side roof of the jagamohana has the image of a lion sitting on its hind legs. The exterior walls of the structure are decorated with pilasters with nagas and naginis.

OTHERS

The doorway to the inner sanctum houses the image of Ketu with three hooded snakes, commonly regarded as the ninth planet in the Hindu mythology. There is a tank in the eastern side of the temple and a well in the south-western corner. A dip in the well is believed to cure infertility in women. There are other shrines within the temple complex with lingam inside, which were used as offering shrines. The doorway of the temple is orante. The temple is enclosed by a low compound wall that follows the contours of the temple. The temple has sculptures both inside and outside the structure. The compound walls leaves a very small passage separating the shrine.

RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE

Mukteshvara means "Lord of Freedom". The temple is dedicated to Hindu god Shiva. There are a number of sculptures of skeletal ascetics in teaching or meditation poses. Some scholars correlate the role of the temple as a centre for Tantric initiation with the name Mukteshvara as a possible thesis. The outer face of the compound wall has niches of Hindu deities like Saraswathi, Ganesha and Lakulisha (the fifth century founder of the Pashupata sect of tantric Shaivism). The numerous images of Lakulisha are found in miniature forms within Chaitya arches, showing various mudras like yoga, Bhumispara and vyakyana wit yogapatta tied to their knees. They are accompanied by the images of the disciples. According to tradition, barren women give birth to sons if they take a dip in Madicha Kunda tank in the premises of the temple on the night before Ashokashtami car festival. On the evening, the water in the tank is sold to the public.

IN POPULAR CULTURE

The Department of Tourism of the state government organises a three-day yearly dance function called Mukteswar Dance Festival in the temple premises. This festival celebrates the features of Odissi, the classical dance form of Odisha. Popular Odissi dancers perform during the function, accompanied by instruments like mardal. The event is webcast in the state government portal.

WIKIPEDIA

Cropredy has ancient origins, a chapel in the church is dedicated to St Fremund, an anglo-saxon saint thought to be the son of King Offa. It's name combines the Old English croppe or hill and ridig, a small stream. The village is only a few miles from Banbury, in hilly country along the banks of the River Cherwell. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Cropredy belonged the Bishop of Lincoln. More recently Brasenose College, Oxford, has become a significant landlord giving it's name to the local pub.

Dramatic changes to centuries of agrarian life were heralded by the excavation of the Oxford canal which runs alongside the Cherwell south-east of the church. This busy waterway was superseded by the Great Western railway, the village even had it's own station until 1956.

Unusually Cropredy retains the ringing of the curfew bell, in Medieval times this was a signal to return home and 'cover their fires'. Roger Lupton local priest between 1487 and 1528 was so lost in dense fog that he could only find his way from nearby Chacombe by the ringing of Cropredy's bells. He founded a fund in gratitude which paid for the daily winding of the clock and tolling the bell morning, noon and night. The bell is still rung Tuesday and Thursday nights for five minutes after eight O'clock.

The village is best known for the Civil War 'Battle of Cropredy Bridge'. A rare Royalist victory at a time when the Parliamentary forces were in the ascendancy. In June 1644 the King slipped out of Oxford to avoid two Roundhead armies which were rapidly approaching. At this point the Earl of Essex chose to lead his army south and relieve the siege of Lyme Regis leaving Sir William Waller to pursue the King with half of the men. Waller shadowed the Royal army to Worcester only for the King to double back towards Banbury where the Parliamentary commander saw an opportunity to split the Royal forces which were strung out along the Daventry road. Waller's artillery crossed Cropredy bridge but were too far ahead of the infantry and were overrun. Fierce fighting followed but neither side achieved a significant advantage and a chance of capturing the King was lost. As children we were told stories of a phantom drummer boy.

Cropredy's most prominent claim to fame is their music festival founded when Fairport Convention played the village fete in 1976. Cropredy Music Festival grew from these modest beginnings and now attracts over 20,000 music fans every year.

St. Mary the Virgin is an impressive building constructed from the local rust-coloured ironstone. While part of the wall of the south aisle has been dated to c1050 the present church begins in the 13th century with significant 14th and 15th century additions. The south wall has two tomb recesses thought to be built for Simon de Cropredy and his son c1200. The church has an interesting 13th century parish chest and the chapel dedicated to the anglo-saxon saint Fremund has two 15th century screens, one of which has the initials AD which may stand for Alice Danvers. The nave arcading, tower and choir arches are Perpendicular in style with no capitals and continuous moulding from ground level. The tower is early 15th century with the belfry and parapets added 80 years later, There are eight bells, six from the late 17th century, two added in 2007 called Fairport and Villager. Fragments of a Doom survive above the chancel arch. The church has a 17th century pulpit and a rare pre-reformation eagle lectern which is said to have been hidden in the river before the Battle of Cropredy where it lost one of it's lion feet. The beak has a slot for collecting 'Peter's Pence'. There is a beautiful 15th century head of the Virgin Mary in stained glass which was found in the churchyard. There are two fonts, one Norman and one Victorian. In the tower is a magnificent clock by John Moore of Clerkenwell dated 1831.

Cropredy is just off the Daventry road a few miles from Banbury about an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon.

www.youtube.com/user/Cotswoldchurches

www.bwthornton.co.uk

Canon F-1 / Angénieux 35-70mm f2.5-3.3 / Fujifilm Fujicolor 400

This website is dedicated to Timi Yuro and set up by Catvas2, I’m not a member of a Timi Yuro group, and there is no cooperation with other Timi Yuro websites. These images-articles come from my collection. I thought others might appreciate these tidbits of forgotten history. More Timi Yuro information on my profile.

Set Billboard Hot 100 click here: flic.kr/s/aHsjZv5emh

Click the white arrow at the right side, followed by selecting the 'view all sizes' option.

Timi Yuro biography: www.flickr.com/people/timiyuro/

Timi Yuro was an Italian-American gal who could belt out a ballad with such power she could peel paint. She had an undeniable soulful quality but also a keen sense of jazz phrasing . . . as well as pulling r'n'b and country music into the mix. Her first big hit was Hurt in 1961 and she followed it with the equally good What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You?) the following year. Timi Yuro a lady who possessed a tremendous and unique voice. She made some great records.

Dedicated to Srihari and Akhil

The Duomo di Cremona (English: Cremona Cathedral) is the seat of the Bishop of Cremona in Lombardy, Italy, and is the main Catholic church of that town. It is dedicated to Santa Maria Assunta, (Our Lady of the Assumption). Its bell tower is the famous Torrazzo, symbol of the city and tallest pre-modern tower in Italy.

Also annexed is the Baptistery, another important medieval monument.

Originally built in Romanesque style, the church was restored and extended with Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque elements. The church was begun in 1107, but the works were damaged and halted after an earthquake in 1117. Construction were resumed in 1129, and the edifice was probably finished in 1160-1170. The main altar, dedicated to the city's patron saints St. Archelaus and St. Irnerius, was consecrated in 1196.The current façade was probably built in the 13th and the early 14th century. In the same period the arms of the transept were also added: the northern in 1288 and the southern in 1348.

The main façade, together with the annexed Baptistery, is one of the most important monuments of Romanesque art in Europe. It has a portico with a narthex in the middle, to which a Renaissance loggia with three niches was added in 1491. This is surmounted by a large rose window, flanked by two orders of loggette ("small loggias").

The portal is probably from the early 12th century. One its side are the figures of the Four Prophets, each sporting a roll with the text of their prophecies. The narthex was made by masters from Campione in the following century: it incorporates an older frieze portraying the Labours of the Months (late 12th century, inspired by that in the Baptistery of Parma); the four statues on the upper loggia, portraying the Madonna with Child and two bishops, are from the Tuscan school (1310). The columns of the narthex stand on two lions in Verona marble. The left one is holding a dragon, symbol of Evil, in his paws, while the right one is holding a bear, which in turn is biting a bird's neck.

On the façade are also two tombs: the more recent one (mid-14th century) is by Bonino da Campione.

The façade of the northern transept's arm (late 13th century) has also a narthex. Its columns have also two lions at the base. It is characterized by a sequence of mullioned windows and rose windows. The façade of the southern arms dates from 1342, and is in brickwork, as typical in the Lombard Gothic architecture. It has a structure similar to the northern one, but with slightly more detailed decoration.

The Crucifixion by Il Pordenone, in the counter-façade.

The three apses are all surmounted by loggias with small columns, each having an human face stretching out from the capital. The central apse is much higher than the flanking ones.

The interior house important works of art.

The oldest are the frescoed Stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph in the southern and northern transept vaults (late 14th-early 15th century). Also from the Renaissance are the arch of the Stories of the Martyrs Marius and Marta, Audifax and Habakkuk, martyrs in Persia (best known as Arch of the Persian Martyrs, 1482), and the relief of "St. Himerius" (1481-1484), both works by Giovan Antonio Amadeo. Also notable is the urn of Sts. Marcellinus and Peter, sculpted mostly by Benedetto Briosco (1506-1513), in the crypt.

Relevant is the wooden Choir, with inlay work by Platina (1482-1490), and the contemporary large altar Cross in silver and gold, by Ambrogio Pozzi and Agostino Sacchi (1478), in the right aisle of the northern transept arm.

The most important figurative complex of the cathedral is the fresco decoration on the side walls of the nave (early 16th century), portraying the Life of Mary and Christ. Different painters collaborated to its execution: the first was Boccaccio Boccaccino (with Annunciation to Joachim and Jesus with the Doctors), who, in 1506, had already painted a Redemeer with Cremona's Patron Saints in the apse vault. He was succeeded by Giovan Francesco Bembo (Epiphany and Presentation at the Temple) and Altobello Melone (Flight to Egypt, Massacre of the Innocents and the first four panels of the Passion of Christ), who both adopted a less classicist style. Next came Girolamo Romanino, author of the scenes from Jesus before Pilatus to Ecce Homo, who here painted some of his masterworks.

The last scenes of the Passion were executed by Il Pordenone, who was also responsible of the large Crucifixion (1521), the Deposition (1521, counterfaçade) and the Schizzi Altarpiece (before 1523, on the first altar in the right aisles), the latter inspired by Giorgione's style. The complex was completed by Bernardino Gatti with the Resurrection (1529).

Other frescoes were added in the mid-16th century by Mannerist painters, including Gatti himself, Bernardino Campi and others. In the 17th century Il Genovesino added the Life of St. Roch in the northern transept.

For this entry, we take a quick look at the Revoltech Fraulein Bandaged Rei from Neon Genesis Evangelion. Found quite randomly while wandering the Vancouver Flea Market - I know I don't go that often, but even then, my RNG for finding neat stuff there is pretty slim, as is most flea markets these days, quite honestly. For $10 CAD, I added her to my, by this time, overly swelling luggage.

Rei is one of the lead characters from the "must see" anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion... clearly I missed the memo because I have yet to watch the original series, any of the updates, or, well, ANYTHING to do with the property. Rei, full name Rei Ayanami, is a genetically crafted solider, born and raised to pilot giant EVA units (robots.. but of course) that are used to fight offworld invaders know as Angels. There's much more about the character and the series, of course, but if it wasn't obvious enough, I am not familiar with the property beyond this point).

Rei is 008 in the Fraulein subline, which if you will recall, was created by Kaiyodo so they could have a more feminine body. It.. kind of worked? Rei and her Fraulein cohorts certainly look more feminine than her main line counterparts.

Bandaged Rei is actually a very common redeco of the Rei character (I'm guessing battle injuries) and is a modified version of the original Rei release, which happened to be 001 of the Fraulein subline. They weren't very big into accessories back in the day, though the price wasn't exactly sky high either, coming in at 2,200 yen back in 2008. This version of the character came packed with a few extra hands, an extra head with a closed eye with a more serene expression, a purple Spear of Longinus, and a.. flight stand, I guess. The bandaged arm is a permanent piece in that nothing can be changed on it, so all the spare hands are for her left arm.

While the Fraulein body offered a better female form, to say that what they created as the definitive female form would be a gross exaggeration, with my biggest beef being the small bust line. Also, clearly the figures are meant to emphasize the legs and arms, and a more boyish body shape as opposed to to full grown woman. Another perk of the Fraulein body is, much like all earlier Revoltech pieces, Kaiyodo didn't quite figure out QC yet, and Rei suffers from one leg being longer than the other, most likely due to tolerance issues with the Revoltech joint itself. I will readily admit that I am a fan of the second head sculpt (eye closed). There's just something so... graceful about her expression. Very calming, and IMHO would work with many more poses than the standard one. Sculpting of details on the hair is quite good, as well as the various bandaged parts, though I suspect they cheated a bit on her righ arm in order to incorporate the Revoltech joint.

Articulation is decent, if a bit awkward (like with all Revoltech figures). There's ankles, knees, thigh twist, hips, shoulders, separate shoulder swivel, elbows, wrists, mid torso, and neck. Between the lack of joints and general awkwardness of the cuts/Revoltech joints, Rei can do some decent standing poses, but otherwise very still kneeling and effectively dead fish lounging poses. Also, as expected, it's the hips that make things more difficult then they ought to be. For what it's worth, the joints are well concealed and do worth with the overall goal of maintaining that feminine silhouette.

Paint work is pretty good. The base coat of pearl white on the plug suit is smooth and even. Masking is within acceptable parameters, with weakness observed on the trips on her thigh, and on the edges of her blue hair. Black outlining is a bit faint for my tastes, but nothing ran out of place. Otherwise, Rei looks crisp and clean, aided by the relatively simple colour scheme she has going for her. Build quality is the usual level, that being quite acceptable. No issues with any of the joints, assembly gaps are generally well hidden due to some decent finishing and paint work. The finish on some parts is a bit on the rough side, with most of these observed on the back of her upper arms and thighs, and a larger than normal assembly gap for her upper torso part.

The Spear itself is functional. Decent glossy purple finish, good size - it's just that Rei doesn't really have the necessary articulation and extra parts to wield it like a badass.

The Revoltech Fraulein line was the first dedicated articulated figure line that was exclusively for female forms. While it's not perfect (and it wasn't even back in the day), it did at the very least show that there was a market for such a product, and that a "one size fit all" approach wouldn't necessarily work for optimum results. Even the Fraulein subline itself was probably too restrictive in terms of what could be accomplished, because the series didn't exactly survive very long, with future female releases being like the male ones - very much a ground up development, which makes for at the very least, very distinct looking releases. Like older action figures, the Fraulein line is best treated like a quick look into the past - neat to have if you can find them at garage sale prices, but it's nothing I'd go taking out loans for.

Psycho-Geography (scene-1) dedicated to Guy-Ernest Debord.

"Dadaism and surrealism are the two currents which mark the end of modern art. They are contemporaries, though only in a relatively conscious manner, of the last great assault of the revolutionary proletarian movement; and the defeat of this movement, which left them imprisoned in the same artistic field whose decrepitude they had announced, is the basic reason for their immobilization. Dadaism and surrealism are at once historically related and opposed to each other. This opposition, which each of them considered to be its most important and radical contribution, reveals the internal inadequacy of their critique, which each developed one-sidedly. Dadaism wanted to suppress art without realizing it; surrealism wanted to realize art without suppressing it. The critical position later elaborated by the Situationists has shown that the suppression and the realization of art are inseparable aspects of a single supersession of art."

by Guy-Ernest Debord

And thank you very much for your kind words on my Drawing "The Society Of The Spectacle", Ichor !

-Copyright 2005 JINMO-

Thank you very much for visiting, my friends.

Please enjoy the details in LARGE size.

JINMO

www.jinmo.com/

Dedicated to the old man by the sea....

I met him here when I stopped to take a photo of the geese. The old man stopped to look at them too. He asked me a question and then we chatted for a moment. He said goodbye and wandered up the pier. I followed slowly, taking some more photos as I went. At the end of the pier he turned and saw me again. He said hello and I said "hello again". I saw that he was lonely. I was simply enjoying a leisurely morning walk and wasn't in a rush to be anywhere so I happily resumed our conversation. We talked about many things for 1/2 hour or more. He told me that his wife had died 6 years ago. He had two sons. One never married and died a couple of years ago. The other is married with a family but lives in Tasmania. He goes to visit them at Christmas time. He visits Apollo Bay every year and stays about 10 days. I guess he used to go with his wife but now he holidays alone. Every morning he walks to town to buy a newspaper. He also goes to the pub for a beer and takes a walk by the sea.

Finally I said I should return or my family would wonder what had happened to me. He asked if I'd mind if he walked a little way with me. Of course I didn't, so we walked back along the pier together and then along the sand beside the sea.

Eventually we said goodbye and went our separate ways. He thanked me for the conversation.

I have thought of that old man many times since... by chance our paths crossed and we became friends for just a brief moment. I don't even know his name.

Carriage from America's revolutionary period inside Knott's Berry Farm's Independence Hall. The Knott’s Berry Farm Independence Hall was commissioned by Walter Knott and is an exact replica of the original structure in Philadelphia. It is the nation’s only exact replica of the Philadelphia landmark. The building was dedicated by Walter on July 4, 1966 after two years of research and numerous trips to Philadelphia.

Carl, you asked for a picture of the Mule and shetland together. Well I got soaked finding them for you today in the rain. They were not very keen on having their picture taken and the mule extremely nervous. It was impossible to get both of them looking at me before one would trot off!

But this is for you.................

Dedicated to Everton's greatest player who still holds the record of 60 league goals in a season

Cropredy has ancient origins, a chapel in the church is dedicated to St Fremund, an anglo-saxon saint thought to be the son of King Offa. It's name combines the Old English croppe or hill and ridig, a small stream. The village is only a few miles from Banbury, in hilly country along the banks of the River Cherwell. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Cropredy belonged the Bishop of Lincoln. More recently Brasenose College, Oxford, has become a significant landlord giving it's name to the local pub.

Dramatic changes to centuries of agrarian life were heralded by the excavation of the Oxford canal which runs alongside the Cherwell south-east of the church. This busy waterway was superseded by the Great Western railway, the village even had it's own station until 1956.

Unusually Cropredy retains the ringing of the curfew bell, in Medieval times this was a signal to return home and 'cover their fires'. Roger Lupton local priest between 1487 and 1528 was so lost in dense fog that he could only find his way from nearby Chacombe by the ringing of Cropredy's bells. He founded a fund in gratitude which paid for the daily winding of the clock and tolling the bell morning, noon and night. The bell is still rung Tuesday and Thursday nights for five minutes after eight O'clock.

The village is best known for the Civil War 'Battle of Cropredy Bridge'. A rare Royalist victory at a time when the Parliamentary forces were in the ascendancy. In June 1644 the King slipped out of Oxford to avoid two Roundhead armies which were rapidly approaching. At this point the Earl of Essex chose to lead his army south and relieve the siege of Lyme Regis leaving Sir William Waller to pursue the King with half of the men. Waller shadowed the Royal army to Worcester only for the King to double back towards Banbury where the Parliamentary commander saw an opportunity to split the Royal forces which were strung out along the Daventry road. Waller's artillery crossed Cropredy bridge but were too far ahead of the infantry and were overrun. Fierce fighting followed but neither side achieved a significant advantage and a chance of capturing the King was lost. As children we were told stories of a phantom drummer boy.

Cropredy's most prominent claim to fame is their music festival founded when Fairport Convention played the village fete in 1976. Cropredy Music Festival grew from these modest beginnings and now attracts over 20,000 music fans every year.

St. Mary the Virgin is an impressive building constructed from the local rust-coloured ironstone. While part of the wall of the south aisle has been dated to c1050 the present church begins in the 13th century with significant 14th and 15th century additions. The south wall has two tomb recesses thought to be built for Simon de Cropredy and his son c1200. The church has an interesting 13th century parish chest and the chapel dedicated to the anglo-saxon saint Fremund has two 15th century screens, one of which has the initials AD which may stand for Alice Danvers. The nave arcading, tower and choir arches are Perpendicular in style with no capitals and continuous moulding from ground level. The tower is early 15th century with the belfry and parapets added 80 years later, There are eight bells, six from the late 17th century, two added in 2007 called Fairport and Villager. Fragments of a Doom survive above the chancel arch. The church has a 17th century pulpit and a rare pre-reformation eagle lectern which is said to have been hidden in the river before the Battle of Cropredy where it lost one of it's lion feet. The beak has a slot for collecting 'Peter's Pence'. There is a beautiful 15th century head of the Virgin Mary in stained glass which was found in the churchyard. There are two fonts, one Norman and one Victorian. In the tower is a magnificent clock by John Moore of Clerkenwell dated 1831.

Cropredy is just off the Daventry road a few miles from Banbury about an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon.

www.youtube.com/user/Cotswoldchurches

www.bwthornton.co.uk

Dedicated to Cati, who loves Neko.