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Harek and Ronn eliminated the last of the surviving Black Lotus. "Thanks for having my back on that one dude. Rainos shall have the day".
This has been post processed (as if you can't guess) and I think a little guessing game would be fun BUT I know for a fact that there is no way you will guess correctly.
A couple of clues would be in order just so it isn't too hard.
It is a common product
It was shot at an angle
Used around the home although perhaps Australian homes more so
Background colour is changed but focus point isn't
Bill Gates had them
It's a glass louvre window on our house, taken at the usual "jaunty" angle. The line is the overlap of 2 pieces.
Best Viewed On Black
DOF theme
She has ceded control of her orgasms to me. When I'm fucking her she has to ask permission to cum (and sometimes I say no ! lol) When I'm sucking or tweaking on her nipples and she wants to climax (which is a lot, believe me) she has to say "Can I cum please". When we are not together and she needs to feel the release of climaxing herself she has to text / phone / email and ask for permission, then if permitted must write me a report on how she stroked or stimulated herself, where she was and what the orgasm felt like, otherwise she must wait until I say " Yes ". This applies to our Hunny Bunny / Hairy Beary relationship as well as her alter ego Pet who is a sub to Hairy Beary when he is being her Dom.
Portland,Dorset.UK
The Old Lower Lighthouse is a disused lighthouse on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, England. The lighthouse is situated close to the currently functioning Portland Bill Lighthouse, and found along the eastern side of Portland Bill. The lighthouse, including its boundary walls and coastguard house, became Grade II Listed in September 1978.
The Old Lower Lighthouse was opened on 29 September 1716 and had been rebuilt two times since, once in 1789 and again in 1869. It worked in tandem with the nearby Old Higher Lighthouse, which was built at the same time. The Old Lower Lighthouse was the first lighthouse in the world to use a true lenses. The remaining rebuilt version of the lighthouse seen today was built in 1869. Since 1961 the lighthouse has been the home of the Portland Bird Observatory.
The square has been a hub for artists since the French Revolution, attracting famous names like Picasso and Monet.
During the Belle Époque from 1872 to 1914, many artists lived and worked in Montmartre, where the rents were low and the atmosphere congenial. Pierre-Auguste Renoir rented space at 12 rue Cortot in 1876 to paint Bal du moulin de la Galette, showing a dance at Montmartre on a Sunday afternoon. Maurice Utrillo lived at the same address from 1906 to 1914, and Raoul Dufy shared an atelier there from 1901 to 1911. The building is now the Musée de Montmartre. Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani and other artists lived and worked in a building called Le Bateau-Lavoir during the years 1904–1909, where Picasso painted one of his most important masterpieces, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Several composers, including Erik Satie, lived in the neighbourhood. Most of the artists left after the outbreak of World War I, the majority of them going to the Montparnasse quarter.
Artists' associations such as Les Nabis and the Incohérents were formed and individuals including Vincent van Gogh, Pierre Brissaud, Alfred Jarry, Jacques Villon, Raymond Duchamp-Villon, Henri Matisse, André Derain, Suzanne Valadon, Edgar Degas, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Théophile Steinlen, and African-American expatriates such as Langston Hughes worked in Montmartre and drew some of their inspiration from the area.
The last of the bohemian Montmartre artists was Gen Paul (1895–1975), born in Montmartre and a friend of Utrillo. Paul's calligraphic expressionist lithographs, sometimes memorializing picturesque Montmartre itself, owe a lot to Raoul Dufy.
Among the last of the neighborhood's bohemian gathering places was R-26, an artistic salon frequented by Josephine Baker, Le Corbusier and Django Reinhardt. Its name was commemorated by Reinhardt in his 1947 tune "R. vingt-six.
During the 1950s, Paris continued to thrive as a hub for artistic innovation, building upon the foundations laid by the avant-garde movements of the early 20th century. The city’s art scene was characterized by a mix of established and emerging artists, galleries, and institutions.
La Ruche and the School of Paris
La Ruche, a complex of studio apartments and facilities in Montparnasse, served as a creative hub for many artists, including those associated with the School of Paris. This group, active from the 1940s to the 1970s, was known for its abstract and figurative styles, often blending elements of Cubism, Fauvism, and Surrealism. Notable artists affiliated with the School of Paris include Arthur Aeschbacher, Jean Bazaine, Leonardo Cremonini, Olivier Debré, Chu Teh-Chun, and Zao Wou-ki.
Photographers of the 1950s Paris
Several photographers, such as Sabine Weiss, Christer Strömholm, Peter Miller, and Maurice Sapiro, captured the essence of 1950s Paris through their lenses. Strömholm, a Swedish photographer, lived in Paris for extended periods between 1946 and 1964, documenting the city’s streets, walls, and shadows. Sapiro, an American-born artist, focused on painting and photography, often capturing scenes along the Seine River and in the city’s historic neighborhoods.
Galleries and Exhibitions
The 1950s saw the establishment of new galleries, such as Perrotin and Templon, which showcased the work of both established and emerging artists. The Salon de Mai, founded in 1947, continued to feature exhibitions by prominent artists, including those associated with the School of Paris. The Galerie de France, another prominent venue, hosted exhibitions that helped launch the careers of many artists.
Artistic Ferment
The post-war period brought a renewed sense of artistic ferment to Paris. The city’s art scene was characterized by a mix of traditional and avant-garde styles, as well as a growing interest in abstract art. The influx of foreign artists, including those from the United States, Great Britain, and Eastern Europe, contributed to the city’s vibrant cultural landscape.
Key Locations
Montparnasse, with its iconic La Ruche complex, remained a hub for artists, while the Left Bank, particularly the 6th and 14th arrondissements, continued to attract creatives. The Champs-Élysées and the Seine River provided popular settings for street performers, artists, and photographers. The historic neighborhoods of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montmartre remained popular destinations for art lovers and enthusiasts.
Legacy
The 1950s Parisian art scene laid the groundwork for the city’s continued status as a global art hub. The period saw the emergence of new artistic movements, the establishment of prominent galleries and institutions, and the continued innovation of artists from around the world. Today, Paris remains a city where art, culture, and creativity thrive, building upon the foundations of the 1950s and beyond.
Sunday morning has come around again, and Tom and I have been out for the third in our series of early morning running-explorations of our local area, which double-up as training for the Tokyo Marathon next year.
This morning's run took us past this Meguro landmark - the Disney-like love hotel that towers over the Meguro river just down from Naka Meguro, and quite appropriately only a few hundred metres from Disney's main office in Tokyo!
With paper-thin walls and the tendency for children to remain with their parents longer than in countries such as the UK and US, love hotels play an important part in maintaining relationships, and ensuring babies continue to be made in Japan (and affairs remain undiscovered).
It's easy to spot love hotels, as they tend to sport the most ridiculous architecture, and at night, neon signs. In Tokyo there a few areas where you'll find loads all clustered together - north west of Shibuya Station, and in Shinjuku's Kabukicho district for example. Outside of the cities you'll find them clustered around highway junctions, easily accessible by car.
As with regular hotels, the rooms in love hotels vary a lot. Some of the cheaper places can be a bit grim, with 1980s furniture, smoke- stained walls, and dirty carpets.
But go to a good one, and you can feel like you're in a 5 star hotel! Disneyland-like themed interiors, a luxurious jacuzzi (complete with underwater disco lights) with a TV embedded in the wall (and one-way window to the other room for your partner to keep an eye on you if bathing alone), play station, wii, karaoke, all sorts of tv channels (!), and a mini-fridge that contains more 'toys' than drinks!
There'll be a control panel on the head of the bed with 101 settings for the lights, music, and rotating mattress.
If you want to dress up just order a nurses uniform via the TV.
There are some for single men too, where you can also order a lifesize love doll!
Rates vary depending on the place, but there are two basic plans: pay by the hour ('rest' - in Tokyo prices are in the range of 2500~5000yen per hour) or for the night ('stay' 8000~13,000yen).
You don't need to be embarrased about going into these places as chances are you won't see anyone - in the newer ones you'll find a load of pictures of rooms on the wall. Find one that you like, press the button and get a ticket with the room number and directions to get to it. The elevator will be automatically summoned, and arrows will light up along the corridors showing you which way to go.
On entering the room you'll be greeted by a woman's voice telling you to take your shoes off and explaining how everything works.
When it's time to leave, just swipe your credit card in the control panel by the door. If you've had anything from the minibar or dressed up as a maid those charges will be automatically included.
I recommend anyone coming to japan try out a love hotel (tip: tends to be better if you go as a couple!). They're an important part of Japanese culture and it would just be wrong not to :-)
Anyway, our Sunday morning jog wasn't all about love hotels - there were temples and baseball too! You can check it out on a google map (or in 3D in Google Earth) at j.mp/1R5MU
I'd better have breakfast now - off to Yoyogi park for the Indian Festival later - and my thumb needs a break from iPhone typing!
Joseph
p.s. I was wondering - is japan the only country with love hotels?
St Andrew, Wingfield, Suffolk
Famously, Suffolk has no motorways. There are A-roads, B-roads, and a-long-way-from-any-other-roads. It is by way of this last category that you reach Wingfield, lost as it is in the lattice of dog-legging, high-hedged lanes somewhere between Eye and Halesworth. Even if there was no church, Wingfield would still be famous. It has a castle which isn't really a castle, and a college which is no longer a college. It was the combined power of these two, coupled with one of the most powerful families in late medieval England, which has given St Andrew the shape we find it in today. And even if it was just the church, this would still be a beautiful place to come, an elegant building of the 14th and 15th centuries set in a small, sloping, rambling graveyard at a curve in the climbing road beside the village pub.
Fine 18th and early 19th century gravestones abound, and not a great deal seems to have happened since, as if the sleepy air of this backwater has had a soporific effect on the powers of the seasons, the village, and even the passage of time itself. But if the graveyard is a place to remember our ancestors now just out of reach, St Andrew itself is a document of the events, enthusiasms and urgencies of longer ago, the Suffolk of more than half a millennium away.
The great defining moment in English history was the wave of virulent disease which swept western Europe in the middle years of the 14th century, for which the Victorians would coin the popular phrase 'the Black Death'. This outbreak of bubonic and pneumonic plagues would, in the short term, carry off half the population of East Anglia, but it was the economic consequences which would have the greater effect in the long term. As the sons of the old landed families were carried off by the pestilence, so the old estates were broken up and sold off to a rising merchant class. The fall in population resulted in a shortage of labour, handing economic leverage to the ordinary people for the first time. A surplus of consumable produce, and money to spend on it, meant that by the second half of the 14th century we can for the first time identify what might be termed a middle class emerging in English society.
The old feudalism was giving way to what was a kind of proto-capitalism. Many families who rose to prominence during this century became fabulously rich. They exhibited their wealth in their houses and their households, and exercised their piety in donations and bequests to the Church, either in the form of buildings and furnishings, or by paying for Priests. Much of this effort was aimed at ensuring the prayers which would be said for them after they were dead. They hoped to escape the long centuries in purgatory which many of them clearly deserved. Part of this project involved an attempt to reinforce Catholic doctrine in the face of local superstitions and abuses, to make sure that the ordinary people knew their duty. Ironically, many of these families would, a couple of centuries later, embrace firmly the new idea appearing on the continent, Protestantism, and oversee a destructive Reformation in the parish churches that their ancestors had built up and beautified.
But that was in the future. Sir John Wingfield, whose family had owned the manor of Wingfield for generations, survived the Black Death, and perhaps as a form of thanksgiving he established a college of Priests here in Wingfield in his will of 1361. The college buildings survive at the heart of later buildings just to the south of the church. Wingfield's personal fortunes had been bolstered by marrying his daughter into one of the parvenu families which rose to prominence in the 14th century. These people were merchants and traders in the northern coastal city of Kingston upon Hull, nearly two hundred miles away, but theirs was a name which would come to be intimately linked with the county of Suffolk. They were the de la Poles.
Wingfield's grandson, Michael de la Pole, would inherit the Wingfield estates. He built the fortified manor house known as Wingfield Castle, and in the later decades of the century and the early years of the next, he oversaw a massive rebuilding of the church. Only the low tower was left from Sir John's day. De la Pole's father William had been made first Duke of Suffolk. He increased the family's wealth by lending it to the Crown. But it is Michael de la Pole's son that history remembers most firmly. John de la Pole, second Duke of Suffolk, was a notable figure in Shakespeare's Henry VI parts I and II. Wounded at Harfleur, he watched his brother die at Agincourt: All my mother came into mine eyes and gave me up to tears. The most powerful man in England, equivalent of Prime Minister and leader of the military, he surrendered at Orleans to Joan of Arc in person, and his family paid £20,000 for his release, roughly ten million in today's money, but a drop in the ocean to them.
John ended up in his grave rather earlier than he might have expected. Exiled for five years under tenuous circumstances, he was murdered by Henry VI's henchmen as the ship taking him into exile left Dover. On the day before he died, he wrote a letter to his young son enjoining him to look after his mother: Always obey her commandments, believe her counsels and advices in all your works. This message was received by the boy's grandmother, who by virtue of her father's marriage was granddaughter of the writer Geoffrey Chaucer.
Sir John Wingfield, his grandson Michael de la Pole and Michael's son the second Duke of Suffolk, John de la Pole, are all buried here in the chancel at St Andrew. To reach them, you step into the porchless north door of the nave; the porch on the south side was intended to serve the college. The nave is wide and square, and full of light even on a dull day thanks to the lack of modern glass. Only the floor tiles strike a jarring note; what was considered the height of taste in the late 19th century is now, rather unfortunately, reminiscent of Burberry - a bit like chav lino, innit. But never mind, for fashions will change again, and in any case the eye is drawn by the creamy light of the stone-faced chancel, the great arcades seeming to swell and soar as they head eastwards to the drama of the great Perpendicular window.
The chancel aisles continue, the arches become resplendent in motifs and riotous capitals. And above, the clerestory does something extraordinary. What had been a simple range of five evenly spaced windows on each side above the arches, becomes a Perpendicular wall of glass, seven windows on each side of the chancel huddling together and picked out in brick which may well have come from the de la Pole's works in Hull. Conversely, the great range of aisle windows in the nave continues into the chancel on the south side, but on the north becomes sparser and erratic, leaving wall space for monuments. For here was the final resting place of one of medieval England's most powerful families.
A marvellous crocketed and canopied archway surmounts what is now the vestry door, but was once the way into the chapel of the Holy Trinity. Beside it, within a magnificent canopied easter sepulchre, lies the effigy of Sir John Wingfield, founder of the feast. Michael, Earl of Suffolk, lies across the chancel between the sanctuary and the south aisle chapel, his great tomb set within the arch of the arcade. Beside him is his wife Katherine, and their effigies are made of wood, a fairly late example of the technique. An earnest little lion sits up, alert, beneath his feet, and under his head is a sleeping, bearded saracen, his mouth grinning in the rictus of death. One of the most spectacular features of the tomb is the way that the sedilia are built into the northern side, which at once shows that the tomb is in its original location, and also unites the de la Poles in the sacramental liturgy of the church.
But the finest monument here is back across the chancel, on the other side of the sanctuary and backing the wall to the chapel. This is John de la Pole, second Duke. He lies in alabaster beside his wife Elizabeth Plantagenet, sister of Edward IV and Richard III. Their tomb echoes that of John's grandfather, but there are subtle differences. His iconography is the same, but the rendering of the images has changed in half a century. Now, the lion is softer, prouder, and the moor is startling and dignified. This dignity extends to the whole structure, surely one of the finest memorials in England from the later part of the 15th century. Looking at Duke John's face, it seems inarguable that he was sculpted from the life. Beside him, his wife, her pillow borne to heaven by flights of angels, the tiny disembodied hand of one surviving poignantly beside her as she sleeps.
St Andrew is a tale of two churches, a church of two halves. Perhaps no other chancel in Suffolk is as magnificent as that of Wingfield, and it does rather put the nave in the shade. The return stalls survive from the days of the College of Priests, with misericord seats and sombre heads on the hand rests, polished by centuries of standing up and sitting down. Beneath them is an acoustic chamber, as at Blythburgh, an early form of amplification designed to add resonance to the voices of those singing the offices.
But within a century, it was all over. The Reformation did for the College of Priests and prayers for the dead, and the Anglican reformers comprehensively wrecked the buildings which their ancestors had built up with such devotion. What little remained was seen off by the puritans a century later. To be fair, some of the loveliest interiors in Suffolk are those which speak of the 17th and 18th century life of the buildings; but here, at Wingfield, the first response is to mourn what must have been lost. Indeed, by the 17th century this chancel was derelict and disused, probably roofless. What survives in the church from those years is ephemeral, unexceptional; except, perhaps, for the hudd, a kind of sentry box used by clergymen at burials in inclement weather. East Anglia has only one other, at Walpole St Peter in Norfolk.
The chancel was mended in a sympathetic manner in the 1860s; fortunately, the 19th century restoration of the furnishings here came later, and the Victorians can be praised for preserving so much. And if the nave speaks predominantly of any period, then it is of the present day, because this is obviously a thriving church.
One curious note, though: in 1911, the chancel was reordered in an Anglo-catholic fashion with furnishings by the great Ninian Comper. Incredibly, these were almost entirely removed and destroyed in another refurbishment in the 1960s, and all that survives of Comper are the candle holders on the return stall. What we see today in any case is the result of another major restoration in 1999.
So often in a quiet, rural backwater like Wingfield we expect, and usually find, a humble church of the common people, a touchstone to the blacksmith and the wheelwright, the ploughboy and the farrier. Well, they are all here - in the graveyard, they are all around. But St Andrew is not a humble church. It is one of the great English testaments, a story of power and glory, of treachery and downfall. The Dukes of Suffolk are no more, but still St Andrew rides the hidden lanes of the county like a great ship, a ship of light. All around, the 21st century seems rather mundane and shabby by comparison.
(c) Simon Knott, 2007, 2015
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St Mary, Yaxley is a pleasing perpendicular church with a tremendously ornate north porch right on the eve of the Reformation - was it a sign of things that would have followed? Inside, the stars are an elaborately carved rood screen and a good collection of medieval glass fragments. The sexton's wheel above the south door is unique in Suffolk, though there's another across the Norfolk border at Long Stratton. The choreographer Frederick Ashton is buried in the churchyard.
I was out in east Suffolk test-driving the new Buildings of England: Suffolk , a real pleasure. At nearly every church I found something I hadn't noticed before.
The new edition is in two volumes, Suffolk:East and Suffolk:West. Pevsner had only needed a single volume of about 500 pages for the first edition, but the fabulous new expanded edition runs to more than 1300 pages. The new Buildings of England volumes for Suffolk are published on April 23rd. People will just have to buy both.
Reviews by JD Piche, RCRs Producer and Pop Culture expert, follow him on Twitter at @misadventurer
In the era of Too Much TV, Hollywood's Biggest Night has shifted from The Academy Awards to The Emmy Awards. With over 1500 television shows submitting themselves for awards recognition, the Emmys spread over 3 days to accommodate the multitude of awards, the week between the Creative Arts and Primetime Emmys is one of the most celebratory in Hollywood, with primping and pampering and gifting suites! This was also a big season for gifting for a few reasons, Celebrity Connected, the reigning Best Gifting Suite not participating left the title up for grabs, and Red Carpet Report's first time back to the Old top suite, GBK Productions in years, but have they lost their luster? With a Strong showing from Secret Room Events and Debbie Durkin's Eco Luxe garden party there's some competition for who had the Best Gifting Suite of the TV Awards Season.
Starting with GBK Productions, previously a two day affair, GBK would operate the Friday and Saturday before a major Awards show, down to just Friday now. The email stating press was to park offsite, versus their standard of comping valet, as well as the same email directing attendees to the wrong room at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Two Strikes off the bat, with 25 Vendors spread into two rooms on the Mezzanine level with WEN Haircare as the title sponsor and the largest booth, in the center back of the main room, GBK attendees were welcomed by a DJ, and front loading the big ticket vendors like Biotoc Skincare from Korea, Paccioni watches and a week at FitFarm (Only for Nominees). Austere wood frame Sunglasses and Bowties. Several Skincare and Make Up lines as well, drink ware from Simple Modern, premixed cocktails from Vitani, Candles designed to help pets with anxiety from Athenaroma, a new kind of resistance workout from Booty Sprout, placed next to a bamboo toilet paper vendor, Khi. One of the friendliest booths was Just Food For Dogs, human grade dog food, was one of the only LA Local booths. To utilize the gift from FitFam, GBK attendees would need to travel an hour outside Nashville, take a trip to Turks and Ciacos for the Sailrock vacation, Orange County for the menswear vendor or a trip to San Jose to make use of the $250 store credit from Harborside Dispensary. There wasn't much, from GBK's 25 Vendors someone could actually use. Lots of Niche vendors. We left pretty empty handed, and disheartened at how far GBK, once the gold standard of Gifting Suites has fallen so far.
Debbie Durkin's Eco Lux Lounge, at the Garden lawn at the Beverly Hilton felt like stepping into Midsommar with white frocked, flower children with floral laurels in their hair guiding guests around, the restrained 10 vendors. The only suite with a lunch buffet and seating, Debbie's working with tastemaker, Shae Savin added some InstaGlam to the lounge, with a set of feather and flower wings for guests to snap a soulful pic with, while enjoying the September sun. With JillJoanne.com's bags, learning Meal Prep with Flawless Cuisine from Chef Lauren Lawless, some cold therapy from Upgrade Labs, The Elephant Cooperation's #TrunksUp campaign, The Spa Dr, Etana Beauty (who also had a table at GBK), CBD Drink Mixers from Everyday Natural Products, supplements from SoCal Hemp Company, bamboo bedding from Ettitude, and unfortunately due to a shipping mishap, Hope CBD's products weren't delivered until midway through the festivities, but well worth investigating if you're exploring CBD. They're an independent grower, Veteran and Family owned. Hope-CBD.com
Here are links to the products listed above
ettitude.com
etanabeauty.com
thespadr.com
upgradelabs.com
Hope-CBD.com
flawlesscuisine.com
enpstore.com
socalhempco.com
That leaves us with The Secret Room, curated by Amy Boatwright, at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City. With 15+ Vendors featuring Neva Nude body art, one of a kind pieces from Desert Daisy Jewelry, Inika Organic Makeup, luxurious lace from Dentelle de Calais-Caudry, and The Original fashion compression sleeves from Sleevey Wonders. Ooh La Lemon handed out dog collars with matching leashes and bowties in very cute themed boxes with a sample of Gangsta Dog gourmet dog biscuits (my puppies couldn't get enough of them). Secret Room also teamed with NoKillLA's Best Friends shelter, and ChildLife Liquid Vitamins and 1More headphones. The HIGH-light of the suite was From The Earth Dispensary setting up a counter sampling and explaining products from Kushy Punch (edibles), Papa and Barkley (topicals) & Kurvana (smokable) as recreational cannabis has become less stigmatized, they were the belle of the ball, and helped crown Secret Room, the Best Gift Suite this Emmys Season.
Check out these amazing products from the Secret Room event below
NKLA.org
RafiaJewelry.com
DesertDaisyJewelry.com
FTEusa.com
InikaOrganic.com
oohlalemonstore.com
PrimoWater.com
SleeveyWonders.com
childlifenutrition.com
usa.1more.com
ELINA LAIVERA INTERVIEW #8:
Emerging from Mediterranean shores, multi-faceted singer/songwriter Elina Laivera has come to deliver a brand new musical sensation with her vocal and composing abilities. Currently based in Germany, the phenomenal siren is about to unleash her artistry with her upcoming debut solo album, KALEIDOSCOPE, scheduled for release in late 2015.
S. M : Hello Elina, thank you for doing an interview with Symphonic Metal, we will focus today on simple questions mostly personal and music topics. I will ask a total of 13 questions, music works, touring, taste and personal.
Elina: Hey, thanks for having me!
1. Tell us how you began your career in music, your early years.
Elina: Well, my early years were not much earlier than today, it all started in 2009 when I joined forces with guitarist Alex Flouros and we shaped Seduce The Heaven. Until 2011 we had composed together the debut album ''Field OF Dreams'' and played some cool shows with the band in 2012. In 2013 we released the album in Europe and Japan. 7 months later we parted ways.
2. Seduce The Heaven was a definite part of your music career, did the “part ways” done any effect on your view of the musical path?
Elina: The band was the beginning and for sure I learned a lot through it. However I cannot say that the part ways for example had any effect on my view upon music. I had my own opinions and perception of things back then already. That was also one of the many reasons why I couldn't be in Seduce The Heaven anymore, with the guys we didn't share common views and plans anymore, unfortunately. Now I am shaping my own way.
3. (Touring) What’s touring like for you? Pros, cons? (Includes any of your past works)
Elina: So far I have only been extensively on tour with classical ensembles like choirs. With Seduce The Heaven we had only done a mini tour in 2013. It is always the same thing to me like having a good time and having fun for sure but it is also important that I remain focused on what I am doing. For some reason some people think that going on tour is like going on vacation but it's quite the opposite. Especially for a vocalist. A guitarist for example can play equally great if he hadn't had enough sleep or food, it won't affect his playing for real. But a vocalist is usually going to have a hard time making it under such conditions since what we do is so directly associated with the condition of the body. Certainly touring has lots of pros, I think I was born to travel, I really enjoy it, it is great but you also need to be very careful with your health and your daily routine because life on tour is not easy, it can wear you off. Both corporally and psychologically. And in the end offering a great show to audience is what matters so you have to be in the position to do it.
4. (Touring) What’s the best memory of touring? (Includes any of your past works)
Elina: Many cool stuff happen on tour. But I think it is mostly the satisfaction after a good show. Or the show itself. For example best tour memory so far for me would be with Seduce The Heaven, the first time we played in Thessaloniki, Greece. Packed house, crazy audience, a lot of emotion, awesome show. It keeps coming back to your head in flashbacks, you can always remember such a cool show.
5. What are your views on the metal community? Some honest thoughts
Elina: Well, I keep hearing and reading quite pessimistic opinions about the metal community lately but to tell the truth I do not see things to be that bad. Surely the industry is going through troubled times but this is a general situation and anyways, we have to be creative, finding new ways to bring our art out there. Some young artists start making music while having a totally false idea in their minds of how things really are in the industry but yeah, don't expect anyone to take you by the hand and make you a star or anything. In fact I don't think it was ever so easy. Also in the 80's for example you had to bleed your butt to get somewhere. So yeah, I think things are difficult but I believe in hard work and strategy. And thank God we also have many new, fresh faces coming out every now and then, something that the metal community totally needs, new faces.
6. What should we expect for music in the future?
Elina: Well, in 2015 my debut solo album ''KALEIDOSCOPE'' is going to be released and I am very excited for this one. I had earlier announced it should be out in late 2015 but I think it is even going to be ready even earlier. The album is so personal and way more improved than any of my works so far. I have played with new patterns and I have embraced new inspiration, experimenting a lot, playing with dynamics, volumes, harmonies and atmospheres. As a solo artist, I am also going to have some incredible guests as studio musicians. From next week on already I shall be announcing them one by one. If you are on Facebook, you might get the news even faster. The album is being produced by my good friend Vivien Lalu in Paris where we are also recording the vocals for the album with the incredible Yan Memmi behind the mixing table. Such a fantastic person, has also been working with names like R. J. Dio, Kylie Minoque, Dido etc. In February, we shall be in Italy with DGM's Simone Mularoni at Domination Studios where the mastering of the album shall take place. And I guess at that point we will also be in able to announce exact release dates and label. Plans for touring are also on the schedule. Also with Universal Mind Project, with my friend Michael Alexander we are working on our debut album ''The Jaguar Priest'', we have some incredible people in our team, like Mark Jansen (Epica, Mayan), Erik Bath (Darkwater), Charlie Dominici (ex Dream Theater),Alex Landenburg (Luca Turilli's Rhapsody) and many more. We are hoping to have the album released within the new year as well. As you understand, I have been very busy, composing and recording for these two different things, the UMP album and my solo album.
7. (Taste) What artist inspired you or influenced you to start making music?
Elina: Nightwish and Evanescence would come first on this matter and specifically Tarja Turunen and Amy Lee as vocalists, made me start working more seriously on my vocals as well as slowly start writing my own material.
8. Opinions on the new Nightwish singer?
Elina: I strongly believe it is the best decision the band could have done at this point of their career. I adore Floor Jansen, huge voice.
9. (Personal) Have you done anything else for a living besides music? Or did you want to be something else besides musician?
Elina: Since I got to be a university student I started doing normal jobs to support my musical activities. I have done many jobs but in most cases I have worked as a secretary. Well, I was not crazy about it, I could not spend my whole life being a secretary for example but it also shaped me as a person, there were sides of it that I enjoyed. I am very organisational for example, I like scheduling and arranging. But yeah, you get it, being a musician had always been what I wanted to do in my life for real. I have been studying German Literature for example but because I loved the language, not because I wanted to teach or anything.
10. (Personal) How do you juggle daily life with a music career?
Elina: Well, I don't know. There is a lot to be done most of the times. Art knows no working-hour-schedule so it often expands itself all over your daily life. Good organization is the key. I always have a notebook with me, writing down things that need to be done and I try to apply a time frame for everything I have to do so that I don't get lost in the end. It seems to work for me.
11. (Personal) Was there ever a time where you felt this musical path was not what you thought it was going to be?
Elina: Yes. But it didn't change anything on the way I see things. I mean, I always check things a million times before doing something so I've always been prepared for the ups and downs of a path I am taking. So even when it turns out that it's not what I thought it would be, I can still handle the situation in such a way that in the end it works for me. I believe in being flexible. I have learned from my life that I have to be expecting anything at any moment.
12. Favorite symphonic metal album?
Elina: Once by Nightwish. For a long time I was obsessed with it. I would only listen to it, all day, every day.
13. (Personal) If you could bring back one singer from the dead who would it be?
Elina: Maria Callas.
Thank you Elina for the interview, is there anything you would want to say to the followers @Symphonic Metal?
Elina: I'd like to thank Symphonic Metal and of course invite everyone to join me on social media like facebook
(www.facebook.com/ElinaLaiveraOfficial) and of course on my official website www.elinalaivera.com for updates, news and more! I cannot wait to share my new music with you all as well as meet you on the road and rock out to ''Kaleidoscope''!
Historic Documents Which Marked the Beginning of Our War with Germany.
=========================================
Sixty-fifth Congress of the United States of America;
At the First Session,
Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, the 2nd day of April, 1917.
JOINT RESOLUTION
Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial German Government and the Government and the people of the United States of America and making provision to prosecute the same.
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Whereas the Imperial German Government has committed repeated acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America ; Therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and that the President be, and he is hereby, authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United State and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial German Government; and to bring the conflict to a successful termination all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.
Champ Clark,
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Thomas Riley Marshall,
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.
Approved 6, April, 1917.
Woodrow Wilson.
================================================
Proclamation 1364—Declaring That a State of War Exists Between the United States and Germany
April 6, 1917.
By the President of the United States of America,
A Proclamation.
Whereas, the Congress of the United States in the exercise of the constitutional authority vested in them have resolved, by joint resolution of the Senate and House of Representatives bearing date this day "That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial German Government which has been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared";
Whereas, it is provided by Section 4067 of the Revised Statutes, as follows:
Whenever there is declared a war between the United States and any foreign nation or government, or any invasion or predatory incursion is perpetrated, attempted, or threatened against the territory of the United States, by any foreign nation or government, and the President makes public proclamation of the event, all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of a hostile nation or government, being males of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States, and not actually naturalized, shall be liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as alien enemies. The President is authorized, in any such event, by his proclamation thereof, or other public act, to direct the conduct to be observed, on the part of the United States, toward the aliens who become so liable; the manner and degree of the restraint to which they shall be subject, and in what cases, and upon what security their residence shall be permitted, and to provide for the removal of those who, not being permitted to reside within the United States, refuse or neglect to depart therefrom; and to establish any such regulations which are found necessary in the premises and for the public safety;
Whereas, by Sections 4068, 4069, and 4070 of the Revised Statutes, further provision is made relative to alien enemies;
Now, Therefore, I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim to all whom it may concern that a state of war exists between the United States and the Imperial German Government; and I do specially direct all officers, civil or military, of the United States that they exercise vigilance and zeal in the discharge of the duties incident to such a state of war; and I do, moreover, earnestly appeal to all American citizens that they, in loyal devotion to their country, dedicated from its foundation to the principles of liberty and justice, uphold the laws of the land, and give undivided and willing support to those measures which may be adopted by the constitutional authorities in prosecuting the war to a successful issue and in obtaining a secure and just peace;
And, acting under and by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the United States and the said sections of the Revised Statutes, I do hereby further proclaim and direct that the conduct to be observed on the part of the United States toward all natives, citizens, denizens, or subjects of Germany, being males of the age of fourteen years and upwards, who shall be within the United States and not actually naturalized, who for the purpose of this proclamation and under such sections of the Revised Statutes are termed alien enemies, shall be as follows:
All alien enemies are enjoined to preserve the peace towards the United States and to refrain from crime against the public safety, and from violating the laws of the United States and of the States and Territories thereof, and to refrain from actual hostility or giving information, aid or comfort to the enemies of the United States, and to comply strictly with the regulations which are hereby or which may be from time to time promulgated by the President; and so long as they shall conduct themselves in accordance with law, they shall be undisturbed in the peaceful pursuit of their lives and occupations and be accorded the consideration due to all peaceful and law-abiding persons, except so far as restrictions may be necessary for their own protection and for the safety of the United States; and towards such alien enemies as conduct themselves in accordance with law, all citizens of the United States are enjoined to preserve the peace and to treat them with all such friendliness as may be compatible with loyalty and allegiance to the United States.
And all alien enemies who fail to conduct themselves as so enjoined, in addition to all other penalties prescribed by law, shall be liable to restraint, or to give security, or to remove and depart from the United States in the manner prescribed by Sections 4069 and 4070 of the Revised Statutes, and as prescribed in the regulations duly promulgated by the President;
And pursuant to the authority vested in me, I hereby declare and establish the following regulations, which I find necessary in the premises and for the public safety:
First. An alien enemy shall not have in his possession, at any time or place, any fire-arm, weapon or implement of war, or component part thereof, ammunition, maxim or other silencer, bomb or explosive or material used in the manufacture of explosives;
Second. An alien enemy shall not have in his possession at any time or place, or use or operate any aircraft or wireless apparatus, or any form of signalling device, or any form of cipher code, or any paper, document or book written or printed in cipher or in which there may be invisible writing;
Third. All property found in the possession of an alien enemy in violation of the foregoing regulations shall be subject to seizure by the United States;
Fourth. An alien enemy shall not approach or be found within one-half of a mile of any Federal or State fort, camp, arsenal, aircraft station, Government or naval vessel, navy yard, factory, or workshop for the manufacture of munitions of war or of any products for the use of the army or navy;
Fifth. An alien enemy shall not write, print, or publish any attack or threats against the Government or Congress of the United States, or either branch thereof, or against the measures or policy of the United States, or against the person or property of any person in the military, naval or civil service of the United States, or of the States or Territories, or of the District of Columbia, or of the municipal governments therein;
Sixth. An alien enemy shall not commit or abet any hostile acts against the United States, or give information, aid, or comfort to its enemies;
Seventh. An alien enemy shall not reside in or continue to reside in, to remain in, or enter any locality which the President may from time to time designate by Executive Order as a prohibited area in which residence by an alien enemy shall be found by him to constitute a danger to the public peace and safety of the United States, except by permit from the President and except under such limitations or restrictions as the President may prescribe;
Eighth. An alien enemy whom the President shall have reasonable cause to believe to be aiding or about to aid the enemy, or to be at large to the danger of the public peace or safety of the United States, or to have violated or to be about to violate any of these regulations, shall remove to any location designated by the President by Executive Order, and shall not remove therefrom without a permit, or shall depart from the United States if so required by the President;
Ninth. No alien enemy shall depart from the United States until he shall have received such permit as the President shall prescribe, or except under order of a court, judge, or justice, under Sections 4069 and 4070 of the Revised Statutes;
Tenth. No alien enemy shall land in or enter the United States, except under such restrictions and at such places as the President may prescribe;
Eleventh. If necessary to prevent violation of the regulations, all alien enemies will be obliged to register;
Twelfth. An alien enemy whom there may be reasonable cause to believe to be aiding or about to aid the enemy, or who may be at large to the danger of the public peace or safety, or who violates or attempts to violate, or of whom there is reasonable ground to believe that he is about to violate, any regulation duly promulgated by the President, or any criminal law of the United States, or of the States or Territories thereof, will be subject to summary arrest by the United States Marshal, or his deputy, or such other officer as the President shall designate, and to confinement in such penitentiary, prison, jail, military camp, or other place of detention as may be directed by the President.
This proclamation and the regulations herein contained shall extend and apply to all land and water, continental or insular, in any way within the jurisdiction of the United States.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of Washington this 6th day of April in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seventeen and of the independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-first.
WOODROW WILSON
================================================
DECLARATION OF WAR AGAINST GERMANY BY THE AMERICAN CONGRESS AND THE PRESIDENTIAL PROCLAMATION.
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The war of the nations: portfolio in rotogravure etchings: compiled from the Mid-week pictorial. New York: New York Times, Co, 1919. Book.
Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/19013740/. (Accessed November 08, 2016.)
Images from "The War of the Nations : Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings : Compiled from the Mid-Week Pictorial" (New York : New York Times, Co., 1919)
Notes: Selected from "The War of the Nations: Portfolio in Rotogravure Etchings," published by the New York Times shortly after the 1919 armistice. This portfolio compiled selected images from their "Mid-Week Pictorial" newspaper supplements of 1914-19. 528 p. : chiefly ill. ; 42 cm.; hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/collgdc.gc000037
Subjects: World War, 1914-1918 --Pictorial works.
New York--New York
Format: Rotogravures --1910-1920.
Rights Info: No known restrictions on reproduction
Repository: Library of Congress, Serials and Government Publications Division, Washington, D.C. 20540
Part Of: Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 (DLC) sgpwar 19191231
General information about the Newspaper Pictorials: World War I Rotogravures, 1914-1919 digital collection is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.gdc/collgdc.gc000037
=====================================================
Adex (left) has been off her body for some time, as I've been working on and off to de-frizz her hair. Alas, Antique Dreaming Momoko came with very puffy hair as default. I got most of it tamed, but the ends are a bit crisp.
Jude is in summer attire, nothing special going on with her.
Adex fashions:
- cardigan: Life in the Dream House Midge
- top: Fashion Fever
- pants: LitDH Midge fashion pack
- boots: Juku Couture
Jude fashions:
- top: dollsahoy
- shorts: Life in the Dream House Raquelle
- boots and socks: Hotdotz-Blythe
- bracelet: me
Beaver Creek has its headwaters in the White Mountains, approximately 50 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The river flows west past the jagged limestone ridges of the White Mountains before flowing to the north and east, where it enters the Yukon Flats and joins the Yukon River.
Beaver Creek has long been a popular destination for river adventurers. The river's clear water, modest rapids and unparalleled scenery make for a relaxing trip. The river flows through the heart of the White Mountains, whose massive, white limestone formations up to several thousand feet thick offer stunning scenery and peaceful solitude. Floating Beaver Creek can take from seven days to three weeks to complete. Beaver Creek's fishery consists primarily of Arctic grayling. Northern pike, sheefish and whitefish are also present in the lower reaches of the river.
Photo by Bob Wick, BLM.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act provides three levels of river classification: wild, scenic, and recreational.
Wild rivers are free of dams, generally inaccessible except by trail, and represent vestiges of primitive America.
Scenic rivers are free of dams, with shorelines or watersheds that are still largely primitive and shorelines that are largely undeveloped, but accessible in places by roads.
Recreational rivers are readily accessible by road or railroad, may have some development along their shorelines, and may have been dammed in the past.
Morning has broken
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the world
Sweet the rains new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
Gods recreation of the new day
- Cat Stevens
Time has finally run out for the long-abandoned Toledo, Peoria & Western depot at Effner, Indiana. Recent strong winds caused the west wall of the building to cave in, taking a large chunk of the roof down with it. TP&W maintenance crews will be demolishing what's left of the structure tomorrow (December 13, 2021).
Built in 1867 in nearby Kentland by the Pennsylvania Railroad, the depot was dismantled and reassembled at Effner in 1912 after a new station was built in Kentland. Ownership of the building was transferred to the TP&W soon after. It was last used in the mid-1980s, and has stood abandoned ever since.
(c) Thomas Dyrek
For the past few years, there has been an extra special relationship between Des Moines Public Schools and Special Olympics. Words like “unified” and “inclusion” are now a regular part of the vocabulary when talking about athletics and activities. Roosevelt High School has been particularly active in the “inclusion revolution” of Special Olympics, from awarding the first varsity letters in the state for Unified Sports to being named by ESPN as one of the Top 5 Unified Champion Schools in the nation in 2020. Now, one of the leaders behind Roosevelt’s success is being recognized for her efforts. Kelly Cocks was named a finalist for the 2021 Outstanding Coach Award by Special Olympics North America, one of only four selected from across the country.
The Park of the Alcantara River covers the basin of the Alcantara river located on the northern slopes of the Etna volcano. The source of the river is located in the Nebrodi Mountains near to Floresta. The Alcantara river has a length of around 50 kilometres and, near to the point where it crosses a series of imposing lava flows, the river has created a series of deep gorges characterised by their sheer sides and columns with prismatic bases. The columns surround the walls of the basalt canyon like organ pipes. Inside the gorges small pools and cascades have formed where it is possible to take a swim. Access to the park is located near to Motta Camastra at Fondaco Motta and from this point it is possible to descend into the gorge to the riverbank on foot via a long pathway or, upon payment, via a series of private lifts. In the summer the Circumetnea railway offers a tourist package which includes a guided tour of the Alcantara Gorges. Another feature worthy of a visit are the so-called "Gurne" of small lakes which are formed by the river near to Francavilla di Sicilia.
The Alcantara is a river in Sicily. It has its source on the south side of Monti Nebrodi and its mouth in the Ionian Sea at Capo Schiso in Giardini-Naxos. The river is 52 km long.The name Alcantara is of Arabic origin (al Qanţara - the Bridge) and refers to a bridge from Roman times found by the Arabs.Thucydides called it Akesines Potamos while its Latin names were "Assinus or Assinos" and "Onobala".Cantera was another hydronym adopted by Normans.The Alcantara has its source at an altitude of 1250m in the municipality of Floresta. On its way to the sea, past the north of Mount Etna, it flows through the municipalities of Randazzo, Mojo Alcantara, Francavilla di Sicilia, Motta Camastra, Castiglione di Sicilia, Graniti, Gaggi, Calatabiano, Taormina and Giardini-Naxos.Several thousand years ago, the river bed was blocked by a lava flow from Mount Etna. As the lava was cooled much more quickly by the water than it would have done otherwise, it crystallised in the form of columns. Over the next millennia, the river naturally eroded a channel through these columns, resulting in impressive gorges and ravines such as the "Gole dell'Alcantara".
Il parco fluviale dell'Alcantara è un parco regionale della Sicilia che è stato istituito nel 2001 al posto della preesistente riserva e comprende quella parte di territorio delle province di Messina e Catania che forma il bacino fluviale del fiume Alcantara, ed è situato nel versante nord dell'Etna, allo scopo di proteggere e promuovere il sistema naturale esistente.La sede del Parco si trova a Francavilla di Sicilia, nella struttura costruita negli anni novanta per ospitare un asilo nido e mai usata.Il territorio attraversato dal fiume Alcantara è di particolare importanza in virtù della sua morfologia creata proprio dallo scorrimento delle acque che lo hanno modellato ed inciso creando, nell'attraversamento di un'imponente serie di colate laviche, in località Fondaco Motta (comune di Motta Camastra) delle suggestive e profonde gole a strapiombo, conosciute come le Gole dell'Alcantara. Insieme ad uno spettacolare succedersi di laghetti e di cascate, di acque freddissime, è possibile osservare le stupefacenti strutture laviche colonnari a base prismatica. Disposte a canne d'organo esse decorano per lunghi tratti le pareti di roccia basaltica. Grazie allo studio di tali strutture i geologi hanno potuto elaborare precisi studi sull'evoluzione del vulcano Etna e sulla successione nel tempo delle sue colate più imponenti.Nel 1493 il Bembo descriveva la valle dell'Alcantara come fitta di boschi di platani, querce, roveri ed olmi. Oggi sopravvivono solo rare tracce di Platanus orientalis, mentre predomina la tipica macchia mediterranea con varie specie di ginestra e la Peonia mascula con la sua infiorescenza rossa. Man mano che si scende di quota fitti boschi di nocciolo si alternano agli agrumeti e ai vigneti da cui si ricava un vino scuro e corposo famoso dall'antichità. Ancora boschetti di quercia e pascoli. In primavera le rive sono tutte un'esplosione cromatica: fioriture di viola, papavero, anemone, mirto, rosa canina, ficodindia, terebinto, oleandro e varie specie di orchidee (tra le altre Anacamptis papilionacea, Ophrys tenthredinifera e Orchis purpurea).
L'avifauna della valle dell'Alcantara è assai varia, circa 200 specie, tra le quali vanno menzionate tra i rapaci il falco pellegrino, il gheppio e il lodolaio, estinto come nidificante il Lanario. Dubbia la presenza del piccione selvatico ben distribuita la tortora selvatica e il martin pescatore fino ai migratori della foce. Non raramente si incontrano anche la coturnice, la garzetta e il corvo imperiale. Altri animali presenti sono la volpe, il gatto selvatico, la martora, e il ghiro; ed ancora il riccio, l'istrice, l'arvicola di Savi e la crocidura siciliana. Presso le rive può trovarsi il discoglosso dipinto, anfibio tipico della Sicilia e il colubro leopardino, un bellissimo rettile raro ed innocuo. Tra le specie ittiche troviamo la trota iridea che in questo particolare corso d'acqua riesce a riprodursi, il triotto, l'anguilla e il ghiozzo.
L'Alcantara è un fiume della Sicilia orientale lungo 52 chilometri, tributario del Mar Ionio. Il suo bacino idrico si estende per circa 573 km² nelle province di Messina e di Catania.
L'Alcantara anticamente era chiamato dai Greci Akesines e dai Romani Onobola. Il nome attuale deriva dal termine di origine araba Al qantar (il ponte).Nasce dai Nebrodi a circa 1.400 m dalla Serra Baratta in Provincia di Messina. Dirigendosi impetuoso verso sud entra in Provincia di Catania giungendo in breve nella parte Nord della cittadina di Randazzo: qui muta bruscamente direzione grazie alla "spinta" del suo principale affluente di destra: il fiume Flascio. Rimpinguato notevolmente nella portata dall'affluente l'Alcantara si dirige verso est compiendo praticamente un angolo retto (è da precisare che sulle carte il fiume principale parebbe essere addirittura il Flascio e non l'Alcantara tanto è netto l'angolo di confluenza). Da qui il fiume prende a scorrere tra il massiccio di origine vulcanica del monte Etna a sud e i contrafforti meridionali dei monti Nebrodi e Peloritani a nord, fungendo sino alla foce da confine tra le province di Messina e Catania. Dal comune di Moio Alcantara in poi il fiume inizia a scorrere per lo più incassato, lambendo i centri di Francavilla di Sicilia e Castiglione di Sicilia. Presso Motta Camastra in località Fondaco Motta, dopo aver ricevuto da sinistra il torrente Zavianni, il fiume si inforra in uno spettacolare tratto ingolato costituito da lave basaltiche delle colate dell'Etna, le cosiddette Gole dell'Alcantara, meta assai celebre e frequentata ogni anno da migliaia di turisti. Da Gaggi fino verso Calatabiano il fiume amplia l'alveo per tornare a restringersi in prossimità della foce, nel territorio di Giardini-Naxos, dove solcano le campate del famoso ponte di origine araba Al qantar (il ponte), dal quale derivò il nome di questo meraviglioso corso d'acqua. La foce avviene nel Mar Ionio e precisamente in loc. San Marco.Il letto dell'Alcantara, sotto il profilo vulcanologico, ha visto in epoche preistoriche e protostoriche, il passaggio a più riprese di colate laviche che ne hanno ostruito e modificato il percorso. Il corso d'acqua ha così creato localmente delle caratteristiche forre con pareti alte diverse decine di metri, caratterizzate da strutture a colonne subverticali detta a canna d'organo o leggermente arcuate ad arpa e a ventaglio o disposte orizzontalmente a catasta di legna o, infine, disposte caoticamente e fratturate. Nel comune di Motta Camastra, sul versante Messinese, si trova l'unica grotta di scorrimento vulcanico: difficile da raggiungere ma splendida da ammirare viene chiamata Grotta dei Cento cavalli a testimoniare le sue enormi dimensioni.L'Alcantara è uno dei principali fiumi siciliani per portata media d'acqua in quanto seconda solo a quella del Simeto con circa 9 m³/s. Ove però si considerasse la regolarità di regime delle portate il fiume è sicuramente il primo della regione in quanto assai più regolare rispetto al Simeto. Ciò grazie alla collocazione dell'alto bacino che si estende in una delle aree più piovose della Sicilia unitamente all'approvvigionamento dato dai nevai dell'Etna e al carsismo dei terreni di origine lavica del medio bacino, spiega la sua cospicua portata annua e la presenza di acque anche nel periodo estivo. Non mancano in ogni caso piene eccezionali dovute a piogge insistenti, come avvenuto recentemente nel dicembre 2003, durante le quali l'Alcantara può mostrare un'impressionante irruenza soprattutto nel tratto ingolato.
Font : Wikipedia
War has come!...
The Roman legions occur everywhere....
They also do not stop at our holy places....
We need to grant them leave....
They burn the temple on the holy mountain....
They will pillage and kill us all!...
War has come! ....
Build for MiniCastleContest at classic-castle.com
(Tinyfigs by tanotrooperthefirst)
We're back at the Monaco Ballroom on Friday December 12th for the final show of 2008!! Make sure you make it to see how the year's feuds end at this season ending super show - GPW: "Christmas Crunch"
We promise we wont crunch your credit.... we'll only crunch your Christmas!!
GPW Heavyweight Title Match
Bubblegum © vs. Dirk Feelgood
Just a few months ago you'd be forgiven for taking a double take at this match. The friendship between the two former friends totally imploded with the desire to become Heavyweight champion. Refusing to accept the demise of his friendship with Dirk Feelgood, Bubblegum spent months in turmoil not wanting to retaliate to the cutting comments and brutal attacks levelled his way by former friend and champion Feelgood. As time went by however, Bubblegum eventually unloaded on Feelgood but this will be the first time the two have ever come face to face in a one on one match. And to make things just a little more interesting... it's for the GPW Heavyweight Title. Can the fairytale championship reign continue for Bubblegum, or can Dirk shatter his dreams and become the first ever 2 time Heavyweight Champ?
Tag Team Special, Skeletor vs. Stella
Lethal Dose vs. Voodoo & "Sober" Mike Holmes
Alan Alan Alan Tasker's henchmen, Lethal Dose march into battle against former stable member Mike Holmes and the man they hold responsible for Holmes' new found sobriety - Voodoo. Cyanide and Toxic hope to tempt Holmes back over to the stable that two months ago he turned his back on. They want to snap him out of the spell they accuse Voodoo of putting him under. However, Holmes seems very happy with his new outlook on life and he and Voodoo look to send Lethal Dose packing in this tag team special. Lethal Dose have warned they will not be coming to the ring alone though, with them along with their attorney and law - Alan Alan Alan Tasker will be a 12 pack of Stella. Hoping the case of beer will prove to be a bigger demon to Holmes than the tag team itself. To fend off the 12 pack, Holmes and Voodoo will have Vooodoo's trusty skull, Skeletor in their corner. An unpredictable tag team match. Can MIke Holmes stay sober? Will Voodoo's spells work? Or will Lethal Dose deliver a beating big enough to break Voodoo's spell?
GPW British Title Match
Jak Dominotrescu vs. "Super" Sam Bailey
After pinning the British Champion last month in a tag team match, WKD's "Super" Sam Bailey has earned himself a title shot at GPW: "Christmas Crunch". Bailey, already a former tag team champion looks to add to his growing reputation by capturing his first ever singles gold in GPW. While reigning champion, Romanian Jak Domitrescu along with his cohorts - The Eastern Bloc look to make life as difficult as possible for the energetic live wire. Domitrescu has held onto the title since April this year with help from his fellow countrymen, but are his days numbered as champ? He surely wont be alone in this title outing and will have the Eastern Bloc close by, but can "Super" Sam Bailey overcome the odds to win his first singles gold in GPW?
And, the main event for the evening is...
GPW Tag Team Title 2/3 Falls Match
MIl-Anfield Connection © vs. Young Offenders
The heat just got turned up in this feud. The re-united Young Offenders have the most established tag team in GPW - The Mil-Anfield Connection firmly in their sights and not to mention the tag team trophy. These two teams met in September this year where there was no clear winner decided after the match ended in a draw. There will be NO excuses this time to not find a winner. This, for the first time in our history will be a 2/3 Falls Match for the tag team titles. A winner HAS to be decided, but who will it be? A truley epic encounter is in our midst as Jiggy Walker & "The Model" Danny Hope try to cling onto the championship that has defined them as a team and "Dangerous" Damon Leigh & Joey Hayes, The Young Offenders chase the title that one of the most popular tag teams in Europe have never held. Can the re-united friends overcome the well established unit that is The Mil-Anfield Connection? Or can the well oiled duo of the Mil-Anfield do what they've been doing all year and win again?
GPW British Title No.1 Contenders Match
Harry Doogle vs. Juice vs. Dylan Roberts vs. Chris Echo
After an eye catchingly good year from rookie Dylan Roberts, he has been included in this battle to earn a shot at the British Title. With a burning desire to win and the fans firmly behind him, Roberts could well mark his arrival onto the main roster by becoming the No.1 Contender and going for gold here. However, his opponents wont give him an easy ride. In a wonderful CC-08 tournament, no one impressed more than WKD's Chris Echo. Echo reached the CC-08 finals with two broken wrists and proved he is ready to take a step up. His previous attempts for British gold have been thwarted by the foreign legion numbers of the Eastern Bloc, is he ready to prove again that he is worthy of being No.1 Contender and finally lift the British title? Juice, the current CC8 champion has been as impressive as ever in singles competition this year, but can he compete in this match with 3 others all vying to be No.1 Contender? Also replacing Jervis Cottonbelly due to injury is Harry Doogle as a last minute entry could one half of the next gen score the upset win? , but with so many possible outcomes who will leave with the plaudits and go on to challenge for the British Title next year?
Lumberjack Match
Si Valour vs. Heresy
A violent and personal feud that has lasted all year long finally comes to a head in what promises to be a violent Lumberjack Match. Ever since brutalising Valour and cutting off all his hair, Heresy has, in some form or other dodged the challenge of Valour. Heresy claimed not to have lost his bottle or be running scared of the 2007 Break Out Star, yet during their Bull Rope clash at GPW: "V" where the two were tied to one another, Heresy still managed to find a way of escaping and creating distance between him and Valour. This time, in a special Lumberjack Match, no matter where either man go - there will be no escape. All lumberjacks will be at the ready to ensure neither man can escape the others clutches and a clear winner, one way or the other will HAVE to be decided. There will be nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide, no matter where they look. Heresy has been one step ahead of Valour all year, is this where he runs out of excuses, or can the master manipulator manipulate another win?
Stinkys collection today, 25th December.
LOOK FOR NOTES!
He has been collecting interesting wiping stains on toilet paper.
So please, take a look what you do before flushing.
Badami formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for its rock cut structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Badami has been selected as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.
HISTORY
- Dravidian architecture - Badami Chalukyas
- Hindu temple architecture - Badami Chalukya architecture
- Political history of medieval Karnataka - Badami Chalukyas
- Architecture of Karnataka - Badami Chalukya architecture
- Chalukyas of Badami
PRE-HISTORIC
Badami is surrounded by many pre-historic places including Khyad area of Badami, Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri (Junjunpadi, Shigipadi and Anipadi), there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.
BADAMI CHALUKYAS AND OTHER DYNASTIES
MYTHOLOGY
The Puranic story says the wicked asura Vatapi was killed by sage Agastya (as per Agastya-Vatapi story), the area in which the incident happened so named as Vatapi. At Aihole there was a merchant guild known as Ayyavole Ainuravaru lived in the area have reformed. As per scholar Dr. D. P. Dikshit, the first Chalukya king was Jayasimha (a feudatory lord in the Kadamba dynasty), who in 500 AD established the Chalukya kingdom. His grandson Pulakeshin Ibuilt a fort at Vatapi.
BADAMI CHALUKYAS
It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakeshin I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirtivarma I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples.Kirtivarma I strengthened Vatapi and had three sons Pulakeshin II, Vishnuvardhana and Buddhavarasa, who at his death were minors, thus making them ineligible to rule, so Kirtivarma I's brother Mangalesha took the throne and tried to establish rule, only to be killed by Pulakeshin II who ruled between 610 A.D to 642 A.D. Vatapi was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Few parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. The greatest among them was Pulakeshin II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.
The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.
The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarma I seized it in 642 AD & destroyed the vatapi. Pulakeshin II's son Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas. Then Rashtrakutas came to power in Karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. Later it was ruled by the Hoysalas.
Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire, The Adil Shahis, Mughal Empire, The Savanur Nawabs (They were vassals of Nizams and Marathas), The Maratha, Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.
INSCRIPTIONS
Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakeshin I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesha in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. one inscription near the Bhuthanatha temple also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.
VATAPI GANAPATI
In the Carnatic music and Hamsadhwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar. The idol of Vatapi Ganapati brought from Badami by Pallavas, is now in the Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, near Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu.
In 7th century, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami (Vatapi - Chalukya capital) by Pallava who defeated Chalukyas.
TOURISM
Landmarks in Badami include cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures.
- A Buddhist cave in a natural setting that can be entered only by crawling on knees.
- The Bhuhtanatha temple, a small shrine, facing the lake, constructed in 5th century.
- Badami Fort situated on top of the hill.
- Many Shivalayas including the Malegatti Shivalaya with 7th century origins.
- The Dattatreya temple.
- The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century, built on a star shaped plan.
- a Dargah, a dome of an Islamic place of worship on the south fort side.
- Vista points on top of the North Fort for the view of the ancient town below.
- Temple of Banashankari, a Kuladevata (family deity) for many families, is located near Badami.
- Archaeological museum, that has collection of sculptures from Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.
BADAMI CAVE TEMPLES
The Badami cave temples are a complex of four cave temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture initiated during the 6th century. Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, who ruled much of Karnataka from middle of the sixth until the middle of the eighth centuries. Badami is situated on the west bank of an artificial lake filled with greenish water dammed by an earthen wall faced with stone steps. Badami is surrounded in the north and south by forts built in later times from the ramparts that crown their summits.
The Badami cave temples represent some of the earliest known experimentation of Hindu temple prototypes for later temples in the Indian peninsula. Along with Aihole, states UNESCO, their pioneering designs transformed the Malaprabha river valley into a cradle of Temple Architecture, whose ideas defined the components of later Hindu Temples elsewhere. Caves 1 to 3 feature Hindu themes of Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons. There is also a Buddhist Cave 5 which has been converted into a Hindu temple of Vishnu. Another cave identified in 2013 has a number of carvings of Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and water is seen gushing out through the cave all the time.
GEOGRAPHY
The Badami cave temples are located in the Badami town in the north central part of Karnataka, India. The temples are about 110 km northeast from Hubli-Dharwad, the second largest metropolitan area of the state. Malaprabha river is 4.8 km away. Badami, also referred to as Vatapi, Vatapipuri and Vatapinagari in historical texts, and the 6th-century capital of Chalukya dynasty, is at the exit point of the ravine between two steep mountain cliffs. Four cave temples have been excavated in the escarpment of the hill to the south-east of the town above the artificial lake called Agastya Lake created by an earthen dam faced with stone steps. To the west end of this cliff, at its lowest point, is the first cave temple dedicated to Shiva, followed by a cave north east to it dedicated to Vishnu but is at a much higher level. The largest is Cave 3, mostly a Vaishnava cave, is further to the east on the northern face of the hill. The first three caves are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The fourth cave, dedicated to Jainism, is a short distance away.
HISTORY OF CAVE TEMPLES
The cave temples, numbered 1 to 4 in the order of their creation, identified in the town of Badami, the capital city of the Chalukya kingdom (also known as Early Chalukyas) are dated from the late 6th century onwards. The exact dating is known only for cave 3 which is a Brahmanical temple dedicated to Vishnu. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in Saka 500 (lunar calendar, spanning 578 to 579 CE). These inscriptions are in Kannada language, and have been the source for dating these rock cave temples to the 6th-century. The Badami caves complex are part of the UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Site under the title "Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal" in the Malaprabha river valley which is considered a cradle of Temple Architecture, which formed the template for later Hindu temples in the region. The art work in Cave 1 and Cave 2 exhibit the northern Deccan style of 6th- and 7th-century, while those in Cave 3 show a simultaneous co-exhibition of two different ancient Indian artistic traditions – the northern Nagara and the southern Dravida styles. The Cave 3 also shows icons and reliefs in the Vesara style – a creative fusion of ideas from the two styles, as well as some of the earliest surviving historical examples of yantra-chakra motifs and colored fresco paintings in Karnataka. The first three caves feature sculpture of Hindu icons and legends focusing on Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons and themes.
TEMPLE CAVES
The Badami cave temples are composed of mainly four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff, dated to the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves (1 to 4) is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave. The cave temples are linked by stepped path with intermediate terraces looking over the town and lake. Cave temples are labelled 1–4 in their ascending series even though this numbering does not necessarily reflect the sequence of excavation.
The cave temples are dated to 6th to 8th century, with an inscription dated to 579 CE. The inscriptions are in old Kannada script. The architecture includes structures built in Nagara style and Dravidian style which is the first and most persistent architectural idiom to be adopted by the early chalukyas There is also the fifth natural cave temple in Badami – a Buddhist temple, a natural cave, which can be entered kneeling on all fours.
CAVE 1
The cave is just about 18 m above the street level on the northwest part of the hill. Access is through series of steps which depict carvings of dwarfish ganas (with "bovine and equine heads") in different postures. The verandah with 21 m length with a width of 20 m in the interior, has four columns all sculpted with reliefs of the god Shiva in different dancing positions and different incarnations. The guardian dwarapalas at the entrance to the cave stand to a height of 1.879 m.
The cave portrays the Tandava-dancing Shiva, as Nataraja. The image, (1.5 m tall, has 18 arms, in a form that express the dance positions arranged in a geometric pattern, which Alice Boner states, is a time division symbolizing the cosmic wheel. Some of the arms hold objects while most express mudras (symbolic hand postures). The objects include drums, trident and axe. Some arms also have serpents coiled around them. Shiva has his son Ganesha and the bull Nandi by his side. Adjoining to the Nataraja, a wall depicts the goddess Durga, depicted slaying the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Elsewhere, the two sons of Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikkeya, the god of war and family deity of the Chalukya dynasty are seen in one of the carved sculptures on the walls of the cave with Kartikkeya riding a peacock.
The cave also has carved sculptures of the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati flanking Harihara, a 2.36 m high sculpture of a fused image that is half Shiva and half Vishnu. To the right, Ardhanarishvara, a composite androgynous form of Shiva and his consort Parvati, is sculpted towards the end of the walls. All the carved sculptures show ornaments worn by them, as well as borders with reliefs of various animals and birds. Lotus design is a common theme. On the ceiling are images of the Vidyadhara couples. Through a cleavage in the back side of the cave is a square sanctuary with more images carved.
Other prominent images in the cave are Nandi, the bull, in the sculptural form of Dharmadeva, the god of justice, Bhringi, a devotee of Shiva, a female decorated goddess holding a flat object in her left hand, which are all part of Ardhanarishvara described earlier. The roof in the cave has five carved panels with the central panel depicting the serpent Shesha. The head and bust are well formed and project boldly from the centre of the coil. In another compartment a bass-relief of 0.76 m diameter has carvings of a male and female; the male is Yaksha carrying a sword and the female is Apsara with a flying veil. The succeeding panel has carvings of two small figures; and the panel at the end is carved with lotuses.
CAVE 2
Cave 2, facing north, to the west of Cave 3, created in late 6th century AD, is almost same as cave 1 in terms of its layout and dimensions but it is dedicated primarily to Vishnu. Cave is reached by climbing 64 steps from the first cave. The cave entrance is the verandah, divided by four square pillars, which has carvings from its middle section to the top where there are yali brackets with sculptures within them. The cave is adorned with reliefs of guardians. Like the Cave 1, the cave art carved is a pantheon of Hindu divinities.
The largest relief in Cave 2 shows Vishnu as Trivikrama – with one foot on Earth and another – directed to the north. Other representations of Vishnu in this cave include Varaha (boar) where he is shown rescuing Bhudevi (symbolism for earth) from the depths of ocean, and Krishna avatars – legends found in Hindu Puranas text such as the Bhagavata Purana. Like other major murti (forms) in this and other Badami caves, the Varaha sculpture is set in a circle, the panel is an upright rectangle, states Alice Boner, whose "height is equal to the octopartite directing circle and sides are aligned to essential geometric ratios, in this case to the second vertical chord of the circle". The doorway is framed by pilasters carrying an entablature with three blocks embellished with gavaksha ornament. The entrance of the cave also has two armed guardians holding flowers rather than weapons. The end walls of the outer verandah is occupied by sculpted panels, to the right, Trivikrama; to the left, Varaha rescuing Bhudevi, with a penitent multi-headed snake (Nag) below. The adjacent side walls and ceiling have traces of colored paintwork, suggesting that the cave used to have fresco paintings. The columns show gods and battle scenes, the churning of cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), Gajalakshmi and figures, Brahma, Vishnu asleep on Shesha, illustrations of the birth of Krishna, Krishna's youth, Krishna with gopis and cows.
The ceiling of Cave 2 shows a wheel with sixteen fish spokes in a square frame along with swastikas and flying couples. The end bays have a flying couple and Vishnu on Garuda.[8] The main hall in the cave is 10.16 m in width, 7.188 m deep and 3.45 m high and is supported by eight square pillars in two rows. The roof of this hall has panels which have carvings. At the upper end of the wall a frieze runs all along the wall with engravings of episodes from the Krishna or Vishnu legends.
The sculptures of Cave 2, like Cave 1, are of the northern Deccan style of 6th-and 7th-century similar to that found in Ellora caves.
CAVE 3
The Cave 3 is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the most intricately carved and the biggest. It has well carved giant figures of Trivikrama, Anantasayana, Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. The theme on which the Cave 3 is carved is primarily Vaishnavite, however the cave also shows Harihara on its southern wall – half Vishnu and half Shiva shown fused as one, making the cave important to Shaivism studies as well. Cave 3, facing north, is 60 steps away from the Cave 2. This cave temple's veranda, 21 m in length with an interior width of 20 m, has been sculpted 15 m deep into the mountain, and an added square shrine at the end extends the cave some 3.7 m further inside. The verandah itself is 2.1 m wide and has four free standing carved pillars separating it from the hall. The cave is 4.6 m high, supported by six pillars each measuring 0.76 m square. Each column and pilaster is carved with wide and deep bases crowned by capitals which are camouflaged by brackets on three sides. Each bracket, except for one bracket, has carvings of standing human figures, under foliage in different postures, of a male and female mythological characters, along with attendant figure of a dwarf. A moulded cornice in the facia, with a dado of blocks below it (generally in 2.1 m lengths), have about thirty compartments carved with series of two fat dwarfs called ganas. The cave shows a Kama scene on one pillar, where a woman and man are in maithuna (erotic) embrace beneath a tree.
Cave 3 also shows fresco paintings on the ceiling, but some of these are faded, broken and unclear. These are among the earliest known and surviving evidence of fresco painting in Indian art.[14] The Hindu god Brahma is seen in one of the murals, while the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, attended by various Hindu deities, is the theme of another. There is a lotus medallion on the floor underneath the mural of four armed Brahma. The sculpture is well preserved, and a large number of Vishnu's reliefs including standing Vishnu with 8 arms, Vishnu seated on a hooded serpent called Sesha or Ananta on the eastern side of the verandha, Vishnu as Narasimha (half human – half lion), Varaha fully armed, a boar incarnation of Vishnu in the back wall of the cave, Harihara (a syncretic sculpture of Vishnu and Shiva), and Trivikrama avatars. The back wall also has carvings of Vidhyadaras holding offerings to Varaha, and adjoining this is an inscription dated 579 AD with the name Mangalis inscribed on it. At one end of the pilaster there is a sculpture of the fourth incarnation of Vishnu as Vamana shown with eight arms called Ashtabhuja decorated with various types of weapons. A crescent moon is crafted above his face, crown of Vishnu decorates his head and is flanked by Varaha and two other figures and below on his right is his attendant Garuda. The images in front of Vamana are three figures of Bali and his wife with Shukra, his councilor. Reliefs stand 4 metres tall. The culture and clothing embedded in the sixth century is visible in the art sculpted in this cave. The roof in the verandha has seven panels created by cross beams, each is painted in circular compartments with images of Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Kama and so forth with smaller images of Dikpalas (cardinal guardians) with geometric mosaics filling the gaps at the corners.
The front aisle's roof has panels with murals in the center of male and female figurines flying in the clouds; the male figure is yaksha holding a sword and a shield. Decoration of lotus blooms are also seen on the panels. The roof in the hall is divided into nine panels slightly above the level of the ceiling. The central panel here depicts a deva mounted on a ram – conjectured as Agni. Images of Brahma and Varuna are also painted in the central panels while the floating figures are seen in the balance panels.
CAVE 4
The Cave 4, to the east of Cave 3, excavated around 650 AD, is located higher than other caves. It is dedicated to revered figures of Jainism and was constructed last among all the caves. It also features detailed carvings and diverse range of motifs. The cave has five bayed entrance with four square columns with brackets and capitals, and to the back of this verandah is a hall with two standalone and two joined pillars. The first aisle is a verandah 9.4 m in length, 2.0 m wide and extends to 4.9 m deep. From the hall, steps lead to the sanctum sanctorum, which is 7.8 m wide extending to a depth of 1.8 m. On the back part of this, Mahavira is represented, sitting on lion throne, flanked by bas-reliefs of attendants with chauri (fans), sardulas and makara's heads. The end walls have Parshvanath (about 2.3 m tall) with his head decorated to represent protection and reverence by a multi-headed cobra, Indrabhuti Gautama covered by four snakes and Bahubali are seen; Bahubali is present to the left of Gautama shown with his lower legs surrounded by snakes along with his daughters Brahmi and Sundari. The sanctum, which is adorned by the image of Mahavira, has pedestal which contains an old Kannada inscription of the 12th century A.D. which registers the death of one Jakkave. Many Jaina Tirthankara images have been engraved in the inner pillars and walls. In addition, there are some idols of Yakshas, Yakshis, Padmavati and other Tirthankaras. Some scholars also assign the cave to the 8th century.
CAVE 5
It is a natural cave of small dimensions, undated, is approached by crawling as it has a narrow opening. Inside, there is a carved statue seated over a sculpted throne with reliefs showing people holding chauris (fans), tree, elephants and lions in an attacking mode. The face of this statue was reasonably intact till about 1995, and is now damaged and missing. There are several theories as to who the statue represents.
The first theory states that it is a Buddha relief, in a sitting posture. Those holding the chauris are Bodhisattvas flanking the Buddha, states this theory, and that the cave has been converted to a Hindu shrine of Vishnu, in later years, as seen from the white religious markings painted on the face of the Buddha as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu. Shetti suggests that the cave was not converted, but from the start represented a tribute to Mayamoha of the Hindu Puranas, or Buddhavatara Vishnu, its style suggesting it was likely carved in or before 8th century CE.
The second theory, found in colonial era texts such as one by John Murray, suggested that the main image carved in the smallest fifth cave is that of Jaina figure.
The third theory, by Henry Cousens as well as A. Sundara, and based by local legends, states that the statue is of an ancient king because the statue's photo, when its face was not damaged, lacked Ushnisha lump that typically goes with Buddha's image. Further, the statue has unusual non-Buddha ornaments such as rings for fingers, necklace and chest-band, it wears a Hindu Yajnopavita thread, and its head is stylistically closer to a Jina head than a Buddha head. These features suggest that the statue may be of a king represented with features of various traditions. The date and identity of the main statue in Cave 5, states Bolon, remains enigmatic.
OTHER CAVES
In 2013, Manjunath Sullolli reported the discovery of another cave with 27 rock carvings, about 500 metres from the four caves, from which water gushes year round. It depicts Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and features inscription in Devanagari script. The dating of these carvings is unknown.
OTHER TEMPLES AT BADAMI
On the north hill, there are three temples, of which Malegitti-Shivalaya is perhaps the oldest temple and also the finest in Badami, and has a Dravidian tower. Out of the two inscriptions found here, one states that Aryaminchi upadhyaya, as the sculptor who got this temple constructed and the other dated 1543 speaks of the erection of a bastion during the Vijayanagara rule. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower, and only the sanctum remains now.
Jambhulinga temple, situated in the town, is presumably the oldest known trikutachala temple in Karnataka. An inscription dated 699 ascribes construction of this temple to Vinayavathi mother of Emperor Vijayaditya.
The place also has Agasthya Tirtha, temples of Goddess Yellamma, Mallikarjuna, Datttreya and Virupaksha. Bhuthanatha group of temples are most important in Badami.
BADAMI FORT
Badami fort lies east of the Bhuthnatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through the Badami museum. It is a steep climb with many view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut stone, the same that adores all the architecture around.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya.There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland, Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.
It is also believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone (badam - Almond).
CULTURE
The main language is Kannada. The local population wears traditional Indian cotton wear.
GEOGRAPHY
Badami is located at 15.92°N 75.68°E. It has an average elevation of 586 metres. It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.
It is located 30 kilometers from Bagalkot, 128 kilometers from Bijapur, 132 kilometers from Hubli, 46 kilometers from Aihole, another ancient town, and 589 kilometers from Bangalore, the state capital.
WIKIPEDIA
The year has gone by so fast....and I've been working more than usual....so this Christmas, I'm reposting a photo of Mama Kitty, sweet little furry friend rather than create a new image for the holiday.
Wishing all my Flickr friends a cozy holiday season! Looking forward to another year of sharing photos around the world with you. Thanks for your friendship, support, photo tips, and all your fantastic posts over the years!
This is a photo of Mama Kitty - who was one of those favorite family friends whose little actions always charmed us. Here she had decided to join us - in a photo I took several years ago. She nestled right in among the pine boughs and holiday cards I'd arranged, and was clearly very comfortable. Click!!
I'm glad I saved the moment, as she left us several years ago after a long and sweet life of 19 years. We love to remember her fondly! =^..^=
Deboxing the 2013 Classic Snow White Doll. The backing has been removed from the front plastic part of the box. The doll is still attached to the backing. There is a wire attaching ankles to the backing, rubber bands tying her hands to a plastic spacer and the backing, a plastic band around her neck, and a large T-tab fastener tacking her head to the backing. There were also small T-tab fasteners from the skirt and cape to the backing. Finally there was tissue paper stuffing around her legs. There were some glitter on her face that I brushed off, and some smudge marks on her face (probably from the hair gel) that I cleaned off with some rubbing alcohol.
The 2013 Classic Snow White doll has many differences from the 2012 model, many of which are improvements in my view. The biggest changes are to her hairdo, her skirt and her legs, and the addition of a cape. There were also minor changes to her bow, collar, shoes and painted on underwear. Her head, face, arms and upper torso have remained the same. I like this doll much better than last year, and she represents the movie character much more faithfully.
Her face has remained the same, but I think she is beautiful, lively and very movie accurate. She has a round face, big brown eyes glancing to her right. She has three short thick black lashes over each eye, and short thin black eyebrows. She has small button nose, small full dark pink lips in a sweet open mouthed smile. She has pale flesh colored skin, and her cheeks are lightly rouged.
Her hair is greatly improved over the 2012 doll, mostly due to the redesign of her side curls. She is jet black shoulder length hair, in a bobbed hairdo. The main curls on each side of her head are now much larger, and the upper curls now curve in the same direction (clockwise) as the main curls. The upper side curls are now sewn to her hair, keeping them in place, as was done in the Snow White dolls before 2012. Her hair looks very movie accurate, and is much neater than the old style. There is a bit of gel in the curls, both on the sides and in the back, but the hair is still fairly soft to the touch.
Her dress is yet another version of her iconic blue, yellow and red gown. And with the addition of a red satin cape, her outfit is much closer to the movie character than any Disney Store Classic Snow White doll in recent years. Her bodice is the same as last year. It is dark blue satin covered in blue glitter, with puffy short blue satin sleeves. On her sleeves are oval bright red appliques. Her high white satin collar is rounded looks much better and movie accurate than last year's square cornered collar. Her newly added red satin cape is half-length (about four inches long), and is unfortunately sewn to the back of her dress. It is shorter than the movie cape, but matches the doll's shorter skirt. Her yellow satin skirt has changed a bit from last year. It is a couple of inches shorter, less full, and stiffer with the addition of a golden glitter floral pattern. It's color is more golden than last year. The width of last year's skirt was wasted as there was no petticoat underneath to keep it full. This year's skirt keeps its shape much better due to its stiffness. The glitter does tend to shed, finding its way in the dolls body, legs, face and hair, as well as your hands and the general neigborhood of the doll.
Her shoes are pale yellow flats that are shorter and slighter darker in color than last year's. Their soles are also rounded upwards at the toes, similar to the flats that the Mulan doll always wears. This design looks better on a doll with angled feet, than would the 2012 style flats, which had very flat soles. The red satin ribbon in her hair is thinner than last year's, with a much smaller bow. Last year's ribbon and bow were much prettier, but her bow was placed halfway down the right side of her head. Now the bow is in the center, at the top of her head, where it belongs.
Her body is fully articulated in the arms, but now has the rubber legs of 2011 and earlier dolls, which has internal knee joints and fixed angled feet. I would rather that they fixed the problems with the fully articulated 2012 legs, but when exposed the rubber legs do look a lot better, with the disadvantage of being much less posable. Also the glitter tends to stick to the rubber legs, and it cannot simply be brushed off. Although both dolls are wearing flats, the 2013 doll is about 1/4 inch taller since she has angled feet, wearas the 2012 doll has flat feet.
The packaging for the dolls is much improved. The box art has been completely redesigned, with beautiful decorations unique to each Princess (actually for each movie), and a cameo of the animated movie character. Also the way the dolls are packaged is much simplified, making it much easier and quicker to remove them from the box. Greatly reduced or eliminated are the tiny plastic T-bar fasteners, which secured the outfits to the backing and left little holes and sometimes runs in the fabric. There are still large T-bar fasteners tacking the back of the doll's head to the backing. Also the dolls with free flowing hair no longer have them flattened and sectioned into two parts, making it hard to even out the back of their hair after deboxing. Instead, their hair is gathered up and placed to one side of the doll, and secured by thread. It looks good as is in the box. Or if the doll is deboxed, it is easy to shake out the hair and even it out using just your fingers.
The 2013 Disney Princess Classic Doll Collection, released on June 10, 2013. They consist of 11-12'' articulated dolls of the 11 official Disney Princesses, from Snow White to Merida, as well as Princes, Villains and Sidekicks. I now have all 11 Princesses, Queen Elinor, Charlotte and Gaston. I will photograph them boxed, during deboxing and fully deboxed. I will also post reviews and comparative photos.
Classic Disney Princess Snow White Doll - 12''
US Disney Store
Released online June 10, 2013.
Purchased online June 13, 2013.
Received June 24, 2013.
$14.95 (was on sale for $10 at time of purchase).
Life can be pretty good, if you let it. Over Lake Ontario, heading to Panama.
Title inspired by the Cat Stevens song.
Please do not copy, add, or download this image to any other group, website or blog without my express written permission. All rights reserved. Rob Walton Photography 2014
Season four of Maxine’s My New BFF has been ripe with drama, romance and attempted murder...allegedly.
Fans have been dying to get some information on this unforgettable season and it's winner. For the first time since the season finale, we got an exclusive interview with Gabriella Galaxy, live via satellite from her hotel as she completes the BFF4 promotional tour.
Deary: Hi Gabi. Thank you for joining us on the show.
Gabi: Hey Deary, it's my pleasure! I've been waiting for this for like ever.
Deary: First and foremost congratulations on winning. How does it feel to be the season 4 BFF winner?
Gabi: Ohmygod thank you! It feels amazing. I get to tour around the world, meet fans, party, and spend time with Maxine! It's an absolute blast.
Deary: Hands down, Season 4 killed in the ratings. Mostly due in part to the big murder mystery. People wanna know, was that real or was that staged?
Gabi: Well it felt really real. I wasn't sure if some of it was staged or if some of it was real, but honestly I went through a couple pairs of pantrees a day with all the spookalations and sh*t going on.
Deary: Fair enough. So aside from the fear or being murdered, what was the best part of the experience?
Gabi: The best part of the experience would have to be meeting all of the crazy people. There were so many different people with different dialects, attitudes, and personalities in the competition. I met so many lifelong friends and they've changed my life!
Deary: Including but not limited to Sabrina Babcock and Lark Hayward. What are those girls really like?
Gabi: They're honestly great people. Yeah they may seem a bit intimidating on screen, but they can both be real dorks when you're hanging with them. Sabrina has a great sense of humor and Lark listens to some of the greatest bops ever. We always have a good time, and I love them like sisters.
Deary: Do you keep in contact with any of the other contestants?
Gabi: Of course I do haha! We all have a groupchat where we send memes and talk and stuff. Luna blows it up with all of her convoluted stories and Justin pops up every once in a while saying "Hello!".
Deary: Who'd you dislike the most? Be honest
Gabi: Well in the beginning I wasn't feeling Alvery, Ling, and Logan. Alvery and I have made up and we have been chatting back and forth recently. Ling and I haven't talked since the season ended, and she hasn't even accepted the invite to the groupchat. I also blocked Logan's number because he kept forwarding those, "Send to 24 people within the next 12 minutes or you're going to hell" scam things. Who cares though, they didn't make it past the top 5! Haha.
Deary: Season four was really a season filled with sex and violence. And speaking of sex, how are things with Craig?
Gabi: Well, he and I have been doing really well. He's really supportive and I couldn't ask for anything more!
Deary: Has that relationship caused any awkwardness between you and Craig's brother Evan aka your new BFF's boyfriend?
Gabi: Not that I know of, haha. Evan is so cool and I love listening to him talk about things. He could just be rambling about stuff and I just could listen for hours. Plus I try not to talk about Craig when I hang out with Maxine and Evan. Unless it's a double date, then it's really fun. They bicker back and forth about the silliest sh*t. And Maxine and I just watch. It's great honestly.
Deary: So Gabi, post BFF life, do you have any big plans or projects we should know about?
Gabi: Well, I have been working on a HUGE project with some of my friends, and it is going to leave everyone BALD!
Deary: Would it have anything to do with those photos that surfaced of you wearing a very familiar and iconic red jacket?
Gabi: Haha, maybe so. It's quite the statement piece, and very scholarly. But, you'll just have to wait and see!
Deary: Any word on if Maxine will be doing a BFF5 or not?
Gabi: Well, it would be coming in a year or two, but as far as I know it's a total YES!
Deary: Were there any moments on BFF that didn't air on the show that you wish had? Maybe a private moment or something unexpected that was cut for time?
Gabi: There were a few moments between Maxine and I and with a few others but they were cut from it for storyline purposes. Also there was a moment involving pie being thrown, but it was immediately shot down by the producers. We ate pie for a week after that because who returns pie? Haha.
Deary: Are there any moments that aired that you wish HAD been cut out but weren't?
Gabi: Oh...umm...uh...um. Well the moments with me really showing my bad side. I was a major bully to the girls, and I feel bad for what I did. Especially now because I know there are little girls and boys who look up to us on TV, and I wouldn't want them to act the way I did. But, everyone makes mistakes, everybody has those days. I also wish the sex scenes were more censored. Ick! Hahaha.
Deary: Were there any moments when you thought you would be eliminated or go home unexpectedly?
Gabi: I dunno were there? I mean I got really close to losing my cool on some people, but I kept my composure throughout the entire competition.
Deary: Who did you almost lose your cool with?
Gabi: Well I almost lost my sh*t with Ling, Alvery, and Gabe. Also with Shannel. But luckily we have overcome our differences, aside from Ling, and now we're decent if not nice to one another.
Deary: Even with Shannel?
Gabi: Sure. I guess. I keep my distance, she keeps hers. Plus it's no way to treat someone who is mentally ill.
Deary: Aside from winning, what was your favorite moment?
Gabi: Well obviously meeting everyone was amaze! But I loved the concerts, the parties, and the games we played. Although my anxiety got the best of me, I enjoyed seeing everyone have a good time. I love the Dolly Style concert and the Glamorous Monique concert, and the games we played were SUPER fun!
Deary: Speaking of games, Logan complained that it was immature. Was he always such a stick-in-the-mud?
Gabi: When he wasn't praying he was complaining. I dunno why he was there though. Maxine really likes to have a good time, and he wasn't down with it. Plus he always had that disgusted look plastered to his mug and he didn't seem to enjoy himself at all! Haha.
Deary: And that's why you won and he didn't. So, any regrets or things you would've done differently?
Gabi: Well, I deffo would have tried to be nicer and less annoying. Also I wouldn't let the others get the best of me. I argued and was really vulnerable. Also I would have spent a lot more time interacting. I kept to myself quite a bit in the beginning. Haha.
Deary: That's amazing. And on a final note, do you have any advice for the season 5 contestants of BFF?
Gabi: My advice would be, stay true to yourself. Never let anything hold you back from being the best you. Also pack lots of pink clothes. It will come in handy for sure!
Deary: Thank you so much Gabi for your time and for being so candid. We hope to see great things from you in the future.
And there you have it, folks. Again we’d like to thank Gabriella Galaxy for her time and join us next time for more gossip, news and all the tea that’s fit to spill!
I’m Deary O’Day and this has been, The Daily Dearies
Route 489 has a short but complex history.
In brief, it started as a Bookham - Leatherhead - Woodbridge Tesco service, running in competition with Sunray Travel's 479; a supplementary service, creating a new link (to Tesco).
It was then extended to cover the whole of the Guildford - Epsom corridor, covering all of Sunray's 479 (albeit at a reduced frequency). The section to Woodbridge Tesco was kept (as a double run), and the service was also sent into the Levett Road area of Leatherhead (as another double run), replacing the 516 there.
When Sunray Travel collapsed, Excetera took over as main operator - using the number 479 for the full length Epsom - Guildford journeys, and 489 becoming for the Epsom - Bookham shorts. The section to Woodbridge Tesco was axed, with the 479 serving Levett Road rather than the 489.
Things changed again in August 2014, with all Epsom - Guildford corridor journeys being numbered 479 once more, regardless of whether they ran the full length or were Bookham shorts. The 489 went full circle, and became a Bookham - Woodbridge Tesco service, again supplementary to the 479.
March 2015 saw a slight routeing change at Levett Road.
And finally, to October 2015 - when the route was withdrawn.
The last day was 16th October 2015, and here we see PVL210 (S27 ETC, ex-Y801 TGH) at Levett Road - complete with two fellow Flickrites up top!
Last time I was here, prior to the March route change, I left wondering what on earth the change could be. This sussed it - instead of turning right here and fighting with parked cars trying to get back onto Copthorne Road, the service was changed to continue, run around Levett Road anti-clockwise, and then leave via Cressall Mead again.
Following the withdrawal of the 489, a handful of journeys on the 408 (run by Epsom Coaches) have been diverted around here as a replacement.
Levett Road, Leatherhead, Surrey.
Elsa has been deboxed. She is inserted in the base, but is without her cape.
I got the Beast Kingdom MC-005 Elsa 1/4 Scale Figure from Big Bad Toy Store today (Wednesday October 3, 2018). She is made from resin, has an excellent paint job, and stands 15 inches tall to the top of her head, or 16.5 inches to the top of her raised hand, or 18 inches tall on her stand. The base is 9.5 inches in diameter and 1 1/4 inches thick, with a non skid bottom. There is a silver plaque on the base which has the Edition number, 291, which is also on a separate Certificate of Authenticity. But there is no indication of the Edition size.
She is in her iconic Let It Go pose, same as the Maquette and many other figures. She comes in three parts, her body and dress, her cape, and the base. She has to be inserted into the base to stand, and the cape is inserted into her back. She is very stable on the base. There is silver glitter on her bodice and the snowflake and icicle patterns in her cape, and it does shed a little. She is a very accurate and very beautiful depiction of Snow Queen Elsa.
I show her being deboxed, then on the base without her cape, and finally fully assembled with her cape on.
Frozen Master Craft MC-005 Queen Elsa of Arendelle PX Previews Exclusive Statue
BY BEAST KINGDOM
BRANDS FROZEN, DISNEY
IN STOCK
$214.99
Sold by Big Bad Toy Store
Premiered in 2014, the animated motion picture Frozen has propelled Disney's motion pictures to new heights! In addition to instant fame to all characters in the movie, Frozen has also elevated Elsa to the number three spot on Disney's ranking for the most popular princess.
Beast Kingdom's MC-005 Frozen Elsa is based on the appearance of Elsa when she became the Snow Queen in the movie with her confident and resolute demeanor. The sculptor has painstakingly stayed true to the source materials from Disney so as to portray the perfect recreation of Elsa's elegance. With precise and detailed sculpting, this statue faithfully captures the look of confidence and elegant posture of Elsa.
Coupled with professional paint work and special paint materials, all details on the statue are accurate reproduction of the color scheme as seen in the animation. As she stands atop of her pearl luster base, Elsa is ready to unleash her powerful cryokinetic magic. Want to witness that breathtaking world of ice?
Come to Beast Kingdom and join Elsa in a return to the stunning scenery in the world of Frozen!
Product Features
1/4 scale
Previews Exclusive statue!
Features details from the film
Stands on her ice base!
Box Contents
Elsa of Arendelle 1/4 scale statue
More images at the manufacturer's Facebook page announcement of the figure:
The department has been building up a library of design related reference books over the last few years. Pupils are encouraged to make use of these books on a regular basis. The photographs here demonstrate the tremendous wealth of content contained therein.
The sequence has been shot in such a way that the cover of the book is shown first and a few sample pages are included to give the student an idea of the content the book contains. Pupils may then approach staff and request a short term loan.
Wednesday, Day 12, September 28 and Wall Street remains barricaded to the public and tourists alike. Occupy Wall Street has effectively shut down the main strip of the financial district. Photos from Zuccotti Park, September 28 2011.
Good Magazine: The (Un)Official Occupy Wall Street Photographer's 15 Favorite Frames
The Occupy Wall Street Creative Commons Project
Day 1 September 17 Photos - Preoccupation and Occupation Begins
Day 2 September 18 Photos - People settle in; cardboard sign menage begins
Day 3 September 19 Photos - Community forms; protest signs
Day 7 September 23 Photos - First rain, protest signs, life
Day 8 September 24 Photos - Pepper spray day, Zuni Tikka, people
Day 21 October 6 Photos - Naomi Klein
Day 23 October 8 - Faces of OWS
Day 28 October 13 - Tom Morello of RATM
Day 31 - protesting Chihuahua and The Daily Show
Day 36 - Parents and Kids Day and quite a crowd
Day 40 - protesting hotties, Reverend Billy and tents
Day 43 Photos - Snow storm at OWS of the first NYC winter snowfall
Day 47 - Solidarity with Occupy Oakland
Day 52 November 7 - Jonathan Lethem, Lynn Nottage and Jennifer Egan
Day 53 November 8 - David Crosby and Graham Nash play OWS
Day 57 November 12 - Former NJ Gov. Jim McGreevey
Day 60 November 15 - Police evict protesters from Zuccotti
Occupy Colorado Springs Colorado on November 20
Do you want to see the Occupy Wall Street series laid out thematically? Click here
This has been a Shell site throughout Streetview.
www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.6909297,-4.1294791,3a,75y,179.1...
Today has felt like Summer :)
I went for a drive to my Grandparents farm, and found loads of daffodils scattered around.
I've been editing all afternoon, I have 19 photos that I love so far, but I will try not to fill my stream with daffodils :P
I've also made a new set - Spring/Summer 09 - for all these warm shots to go in :)
Hope you are all well
xxxxx
Kathmandu is the capital and largest municipality of Nepal. It is the only city of Nepal with the administrative status of Mahanagar (Metropolitan City), as compared to Upa-Mahanagar (Sub-Metropolitan City) or Nagar (City). Kathmandu is the core of Nepal's largest urban agglomeration located in the Kathmandu Valley consisting of Lalitpur, Kirtipur, Madhyapur Thimi, Bhaktapur and a number of smaller communities. Kathmandu is also known informally as "KTM" or the "tri-city". According to the 2011 census, Kathmandu Metropolitan City has a population of 975,453 and measures 49.45 square kilometres.
The city stands at an elevation of approximately 1,400 metres in the bowl-shaped Kathmandu Valley of central Nepal. It is surrounded by four major hills: Shivapuri, Phulchoki, Nagarjun, and Chandragiri. Kathmandu Valley is part of three districts (Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur), has the highest population density in the country, and is home to about a twelfth of Nepal's population.
Historically, the Kathmandu Valley and adjoining areas were known as Nepal Mandala. Until the 15th century, Bhaktapur was its capital when two other capitals, Kathmandu and Lalitpur, were established. During the Rana and Shah eras, British historians called the valley itself "Nepal Proper". Today, Kathmandu is not only the capital of the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, but also the headquarters of the Bagmati Zone and the Central Development Region of Nepal.
Kathmandu is the gateway to tourism in Nepal. It is also the hub of the country's economy. It has the most advanced infrastructure of any urban area in Nepal, and its economy is focused on tourism, which accounted for 3.8% of Nepal's GDP in 1995–96. Tourism in Kathmandu declined thereafter during a period of political unrest, but since then has improved. In 2013, Kathmandu was ranked third among the top 10 travel destinations on the rise in the world by TripAdvisor, and ranked first in Asia.
The city has a rich history, spanning nearly 2000 years, as inferred from inscriptions found in the valley. Religious and cultural festivities form a major part of the lives of people residing in Kathmandu. Most of Kathmandu's people follow Hinduism and many others follow Buddhism. There are people of other religious beliefs as well, giving Kathmandu a cosmopolitan culture. Nepali is the most commonly spoken language in the city. English is understood by Kathmandu's educated residents. Kathmandu was devastated by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 25, 2015.
ETYMOLOGY
The city of Kathmandu is named after Kasthamandap temple, that stood in Durbar Square. In Sanskrit, Kastha (काष्ठ) means "wood" and Mandap (/मण्डप) means "covered shelter". This temple, also known as Maru Satal (in ″Newar language″), was built in 1596 by King Laxmi Narsingh Malla. The two-storey structure was made entirely of wood, and used no iron nails nor supports. According to legend, all the timber used to build the pagoda was obtained from a single tree. The structure unfortunately collapsed during the major earthquake in April 2015.
The colophons of ancient manuscripts, dated as late as the 20th century, refer to Kathmandu as Kasthamandap Mahanagar in Nepal Mandala. Mahanagar means "great city". The city is called "Kasthamandap" in a vow that Buddhist priests still recite to this day. Thus, Kathmandu is also known as Kasthamandap. During medieval times, the city was sometimes called Kantipur (कान्तिपुर). This name is derived from two Sanskrit words - Kanti and pur. "Kanti" is one of the names of the Goddess Lakshmi, and "pur" means place.
Among the indigenous Newar people, Kathmandu is known as Yen Desa (येँ देश), and Patan and Bhaktapur are known as Yala Desa (यल देश) and Khwopa Desa (ख्वप देश). "Yen" is the shorter form of Yambu (यम्बु), which originally referred to the northern half of Kathmandu.
HISTORY
Archaeological excavations in parts of Kathmandu have found evidence of ancient civilizations. The oldest of these findings is a statue, found in Maligaon, that was dated at 185 AD. The excavation of Dhando Chaitya uncovered a brick with an inscription in Brahmi script. Archaeologists believe it is two thousand years old. Stone inscriptions are an ubiquitous element at heritage sites and are key sources for the history of Nepal
The earliest Western reference to Kathmandu appears in an account of Jesuit Fathers Johann Grueber and Albert d'Orville. In 1661, they passed through Nepal on their way from Tibet to India, and reported that they reached "Cadmendu, the capital of the Kingdom of Necbal".
ANCIENT HISTORY
The ancient history of Kathmandu is described in its traditional myths and legends. According to Swayambhu Purana, the present day Kathmandu was once a lake called Nagdaha. The lake was drained by Manjusri, who established a city called Manjupattan and made Dharmakar the ruler of the land.
Kotirudra Samhita of Shiva Purana, Chapter 11, shloka 18 refers to the place as Nayapala city famous for its Pashupati Shivalinga. The name Nepal probably originates from this city Nayapala.
Very few historical records exist of the period before the medieval Licchavis rulers. According to Gopalraj Vansawali, a genealogy of Nepali monarchs, the rulers of Kathmandu Valley before the Licchavis were Gopalas, Mahispalas, Aabhirs, Kirants, and Somavanshi. The Kirata dynasty was established by Yalamber. During the Kirata era, a settlement called Yambu existed in the northern half of old Kathmandu. In some of the Sino-Tibetan languages, Kathmandu is still called Yambu. Another smaller settlement called Yengal was present in the southern half of old Kathmandu, near Manjupattan. During the reign of the seventh Kirata ruler, Jitedasti, Buddhist monks entered Kathmandu valley and established a forest monastery at Sankhu.
MEDIEVAL HISTORY
LICCHAVI ERA
The Licchavis from the Indo-Gangetic plain migrated north and defeated the Kiratas, establishing the Licchavi dynasty. During this era, following the genocide of Shakyas in Lumbini by Virudhaka, the survivors migrated north and entered the forest monastery in Sankhu masquerading as Koliyas. From Sankhu, they migrated to Yambu and Yengal (Lanjagwal and Manjupattan) and established the first permanent Buddhist monasteries of Kathmandu. This created the basis of Newar Buddhism, which is the only surviving Sanskrit-based Buddhist tradition in the world. With their migration, Yambu was called Koligram and Yengal was called Dakshin Koligram during most of the Licchavi era.Eventually, the Licchavi ruler Gunakamadeva merged Koligram and Dakshin Koligram, founding the city of Kathmandu. The city was designed in the shape of Chandrahrasa, the sword of Manjushri. The city was surrounded by eight barracks guarded by Ajimas. One of these barracks is still in use at Bhadrakali (in front of Singha Durbar). The city served as an important transit point in the trade between India and Tibet, leading to tremendous growth in architecture. Descriptions of buildings such as Managriha, Kailaskut Bhawan, and Bhadradiwas Bhawan have been found in the surviving journals of travelers and monks who lived during this era. For example, the famous 7th-century Chinese traveller Xuanzang described Kailaskut Bhawan, the palace of the Licchavi king Amshuverma. The trade route also led to cultural exchange as well. The artistry of the Newar people - the indigenous inhabitants of the Kathmandu Valley - became highly sought after during this era, both within the Valley and throughout the greater Himalayas. Newar artists travelled extensively throughout Asia, creating religious art for their neighbors. For example, Araniko led a group of his compatriot artists through Tibet and China. Bhrikuti, the princess of Nepal who married Tibetan monarch Songtsän Gampo, was instrumental in introducing Buddhism to Tibet.
MALLA ERA
The Licchavi era was followed by the Malla era. Rulers from Tirhut, upon being attacked by Muslims, fled north to the Kathmandu valley. They intermarried with Nepali royalty, and this led to the Malla era. The early years of the Malla era were turbulent, with raids and attacks from Khas and Turk Muslims. There was also a devastating earthquake which claimed the lives of a third of Kathmandu's population, including the king Abhaya Malla. These disasters led to the destruction of most of the architecture of the Licchavi era (such as Mangriha and Kailashkut Bhawan), and the loss of literature collected in various monasteries within the city. Despite the initial hardships, Kathmandu rose to prominence again and, during most of the Malla era, dominated the trade between India and Tibet. Nepali currency became the standard currency in trans-Himalayan trade.
During the later part of the Malla era, Kathmandu Valley comprised four fortified cities: Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kirtipur. These served as the capitals of the Malla confederation of Nepal. These states competed with each other in the arts, architecture, aesthetics, and trade, resulting in tremendous development. The kings of this period directly influenced or involved themselves in the construction of public buildings, squares, and temples, as well as the development of water spouts, the institutionalization of trusts (called guthis), the codification of laws, the writing of dramas, and the performance of plays in city squares. Evidence of an influx of ideas from India, Tibet, China, Persia, and Europe among other places can be found in a stone inscription from the time of king Pratap Malla. Books have been found from this era that describe their tantric tradition (e.g. Tantrakhyan), medicine (e.g. Haramekhala), religion (e.g. Mooldevshashidev), law, morals, and history. Amarkosh, a Sanskrit-Nepal Bhasa dictionary from 1381 AD, was also found. Architecturally notable buildings from this era include Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square, the former durbar of Kirtipur, Nyatapola, Kumbheshwar, the Krishna temple, and others.
MODERN ERA
EARLY SHAH RULE
The Gorkha Kingdom ended the Malla confederation after the Battle of Kathmandu in 1768. This marked the beginning of the modern era in Kathmandu. The Battle of Kirtipur was the start of the Gorkha conquest of the Kathmandu Valley. Kathmandu was adopted as the capital of the Gorkha empire, and the empire itself was dubbed Nepal. During the early part of this era, Kathmandu maintained its distinctive culture. Buildings with characteristic Nepali architecture, such as the nine-story tower of Basantapur, were built during this era. However, trade declined because of continual war with neighboring nations. Bhimsen Thapa supported France against Great Britain; this led to the development of modern military structures, such as modern barracks in Kathmandu. The nine-storey tower Dharahara was originally built during this era.
RANA RULE
Rana rule over Nepal started with the Kot Massacre, which occurred near Hanuman Dhoka Durbar. During this massacre, most of Nepal's high-ranking officials were massacred by Jang Bahadur Rana and his supporters. Another massacre, the Bhandarkhal Massacre, was also conducted by Kunwar and his supporters in Kathmandu. During the Rana regime, Kathmandu's alliance shifted from anti-British to pro-British; this led to the construction of the first buildings in the style of Western European architecture. The most well-known of these buildings include Singha Durbar, Garden of Dreams, Shital Niwas, and the old Narayanhiti palace. The first modern commercial road in the Kathmandu Valley, the New Road, was also built during this era. Trichandra College (the first college of Nepal), Durbar School (the first modern school of Nepal), and Bir Hospital (the first hospital of Nepal) were built in Kathmandu during this era. Rana rule was marked by tyranny, debauchery, economic exploitation and religious persecution.
GEOGRAPHY
Kathmandu is located in the northwestern part of Kathmandu Valley to the north of the Bagmati River and covers an area of 50.67 square kilometres. The average elevation is 1,400 metres above sea level. The city is directly bounded by several other municipalities of the Kathmandu valley: south of the Bagmati by Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City (Patan) with which it today forms one urban area surrounded by a ring road, to the southwest by Kirtipur Municipality and to the east by Madyapur Thimi Municipality. To the north the urban area extends into several Village Development Committees. However, the urban agglomeration extends well beyond the neighboring municipalities, e. g. to Bhaktapur and just about covers the entire Kathmandu valley.
Kathmandu is dissected by eight rivers, the main river of the valley, the Bagmati and its tributaries, of which the Bishnumati, Dhobi Khola, Manohara Khola, Hanumant Khola, and Tukucha Khola are predominant. The mountains from where these rivers originate are in the elevation range of 1,500–3,000 metres, and have passes which provide access to and from Kathmandu and its valley. An ancient canal once flowed from Nagarjuna hill through Balaju to Kathmandu; this canal is now extinct.
Kathmandu and its valley are in the Deciduous Monsoon Forest Zone (altitude range of 1,200–2,100 metres), one of five vegetation zones defined for Nepal. The dominant tree species in this zone are oak, elm, beech, maple and others, with coniferous trees at higher altitude.
TOURISM
Tourism is considered another important industry in Nepal. This industry started around 1950, as the country's political makeup changed and ended the country's isolation from the rest of the world. In 1956, air transportation was established and the Tribhuvan Highway, between Kathmandu and Raxaul (at India's border), was started. Separate organizations were created in Kathmandu to promote this activity; some of these include the Tourism Development Board, the Department of Tourism and the Civil Aviation Department. Furthermore, Nepal became a member of several international tourist associations. Establishing diplomatic relations with other nations further accentuated this activity. The hotel industry, travel agencies, training of tourist guides, and targeted publicity campaigns are the chief reasons for the remarkable growth of this industry in Nepal, and in Kathmandu in particular.
Since then, tourism in Nepal has thrived; it is sometimes called the "third religion" of Nepal. It is the country's most important industry. Tourism is a major source of income for most of the people in the city, with several hundred thousand visitors annually. Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims from all over the world visit Kathmandu's religious sites such as Pashupatinath, Swayambhunath, Boudhanath and Budhanilkantha. From a mere 6,179 tourists in 1961–62, the number jumped to 491,504 in 1999-2000. With the end of Maoist insuregency period in 2009 there was a significant rise of 509,956 tourist arrivals. Since then, tourism has improved as the country turned into a Democratic Republic. In economic terms, the foreign exchange registered 3.8% of the GDP in 1995–96 but then started declining[why?]. The high level of tourism is attributed to the natural grandeur of the Himalayas and the rich cultural heritage of the country.
The neighborhood of Thamel is Kathmandu's primary "traveler's ghetto", packed with guest houses, restaurants, shops, and bookstores, catering to tourists. Another neighborhood of growing popularity is Jhamel, a name for Jhamsikhel coined to rhyme with Thamel. Jhochhen Tol, also known as Freak Street, is Kathmandu's original traveler's haunt, made popular by the hippies of the 1960s and 1970s; it remains a popular alternative to Thamel. Asan is a bazaar and ceremonial square on the old trade route to Tibet, and provides a fine example of a traditional neighborhood.
With the opening of the tourist industry after the change in the political scenario of Nepal in 1950, the hotel industry drastically improved. Now Kathmandu boasts several five-star hotels like Hyatt Regency, Hotel Yak & Yeti, The Everest Hotel, Hotel Radisson, Hotel De L'Annapurna, The Malla Hotel, Shangri-La Hotel (which is not operated by the Shangri-La Hotel Group) and The Shanker Hotel. There are several four-star hotels such as Hotel Vaishali, Hotel Narayani, The Blue Star and Grand Hotel. The Garden Hotel, Hotel Ambassador, and Aloha Inn are among the three-star hotels in Kathmandu. Hotels like Hyatt Regency, De L'Annapurna and Hotel Yak & Yeti are among the five-star hotels providing casinos as well.
DEMOGRAPHICS
Kathmandu's urban cosmopolitan character has made it the most populous city in Nepal, recording a population of 671,846 residents living in 235,387 households in the metropolitan area, according to the 2001 census. According to the National Population Census of 2011, the total population of Kathmandu city was 975,543 with an annual growth rate of 6.12% with respect to the population figure of 2001. 70% of the total population residing in Kathmandu are aged between 15 and 59.
Over the years the city has been home to people of various ethnicities, resulting in a range of different traditions and cultural practices. In one decade, the population increased from 427,045 in 1991 to 671,805 in 2001. The population was projected to reach 915,071 in 2011 and 1,319,597 by 2021. To keep up this population growth, the KMC-controlled area of 5,076.6 hectares has expanded to 8,214 hectares in 2001. With this new area, the population density which was 85 in 1991 is still 85 in 2001; it is likely to jump to 111 in 2011 and 161 in 2021.
ETHNIC GROUPS
The largest ethnic groups are Newar (29.6%), Matwali (25.1% Sunuwar, Gurung, Magars, Tamang etc.), Khas Brahmins (20.51%) and Chettris (18.5%) .[47] Tamangs originating from surrounding hill districts can be seen in Kathmandu. More recently, other hill ethnic groups and Caste groups from Terai have become present as well in vast majority. The major languages are Nepali, Nepal Bhasa and English is understood by about 30% of the people. The major religions are Hinduism and Buddhism.
The linguistic profile of Kathmandu underwent drastic changes during the Shah dynasty's rule because of its strong bias towards the Brahminic culture. Sanskrit language therefore was preferred and people were encouraged to learn it even by attending Sanskrit learning centers in Terai. Sanskrit schools were specially set up in Kathmandu and in the Terai region to inculcate traditional Hindu culture and practices originated from Nepal.
Architecture and cityscape
The ancient trade route between India and Tibet that passed through Kathmandu enabled a fusion of artistic and architectural traditions from other cultures to be amalgamated with local art and architecture. The monuments of Kathmandu City have been influenced over the centuries by Hindu and Buddhist religious practices. The architectural treasure of the Kathmandu valley has been categorized under the well-known seven groups of heritage monuments and buildings. In 2006 UNESCO declared these seven groups of monuments as a World Heritage Site (WHS). The seven monuments zones cover an area of 188.95 hectares, with the buffer zone extending to 239.34 hectares. The Seven Monument Zones (Mzs) inscribed originally in 1979 and with a minor modification in 2006 are Durbar squares of Hanuman Dhoka, Patan and Bhaktapur, Hindu temples of Pashupatinath and Changunarayan, the Buddhist stupas of Swayambhu and Boudhanath.
DURBAR SQUARES
The literal meaning of Durbar Square is a "place of palaces". There are three preserved Durbar Squares in Kathmandu valley and one unpreserved in Kirtipur. The Durbar Square of Kathmandu is located in the old city and has heritage buildings representing four kingdoms (Kantipur, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur); the earliest is the Licchavi dynasty. The complex has 50 temples and is distributed in two quadrangles of the Durbar Square. The outer quadrangle has the Kasthamandap, Kumari Ghar, and Shiva-Parvati Temple; the inner quadrangle has the Hanuman Dhoka palace. The squares were severely damaged in the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.
Hanuman Dhoka is a complex of structures with the Royal Palace of the Malla kings and of the Shah dynasty. It is spread over five acres. The eastern wing, with ten courtyards, is the oldest part, dating to the mid-16th century. It was expanded by King Pratap Malla in the 17th century with many temples. The royal family lived in this palace until 1886 when they moved to Narayanhiti Palace. The stone inscription outside is in fifteen languages.
Kumari Ghar is a palace in the center of the Kathmandu city, next to the Durbar square where a Royal Kumari selected from several Kumaris resides. Kumari, or Kumari Devi, is the tradition of worshipping young pre-pubescent girls as manifestations of the divine female energy or devi in South Asian countries. In Nepal the selection process is very rigorous. Kumari is believed to be the bodily incarnation of the goddess Taleju (the Nepali name for Durga) until she menstruates, after which it is believed that the goddess vacates her body. Serious illness or a major loss of blood from an injury are also causes for her to revert to common status. The current Royal Kumari, Matina Shakya, age four, was installed in October 2008 by the Maoist government that replaced the monarchy.
Kasthamandap is a three-storeyed temple enshrining an image of Gorakhnath. It was built in the 16th century in pagoda style. The name of Kathmandu is a derivative of the word Kasthamandap. It was built under the reign of King Laxmi Narsingha Malla. Kasthamandap stands at the intersection of two ancient trade routes linking India and Tibet at Maru square. It was originally built as a rest house for travelers.
PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE
The Pashupatinath Temple is a famous 5th century Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva (Pashupati). Located on the banks of the Bagmati River in the eastern part of Kathmandu, Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It served as the seat of national deity, Lord Pashupatinath, until Nepal was secularized. However, a significant part of the temple was destroyed by Mughal invaders in the 14th century and little or nothing remains of the original 5th-century temple exterior. The temple as it stands today was built in the 19th century, although the image of the bull and the black four-headed image of Pashupati are at least 300 years old. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Shivaratri, or the night of Lord Shiva, is the most important festival that takes place here, attracting thousands of devotees and sadhus.
Believers in Pashupatinath (mainly Hindus) are allowed to enter the temple premises, but non-Hindu visitors are allowed to view the temple only from the across the Bagmati River. The priests who perform the services at this temple have been Brahmins from Karnataka, South India since the time of Malla king Yaksha Malla. This tradition is believed to have been started at the request of Adi Shankaracharya who sought to unify the states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is followed in other temples around India, which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya.
The temple is built in the pagoda style of architecture, with cubic constructions, carved wooden rafters (tundal) on which they rest, and two-level roofs made of copper and gold.
BOUDHANATH
The Boudhanath, (also written Bouddhanath, Bodhnath, Baudhanath or the Khāsa Chaitya), is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Nepal, along with Swayambhu. It is a very popular tourist site. Boudhanath is known as Khāsti by Newars and as Bauddha or Bodhnāth by speakers of Nepali. Located about 11 km from the center and northeastern outskirts of Kathmandu, the stupa's massive mandala makes it one of the largest spherical stupas in Nepal. Boudhanath became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.The base of the stupa has 108 small depictions of the Dhyani Buddha Amitabha. It is surrounded with a brick wall with 147 niches, each with four or five prayer wheels engraved with the mantra, om mani padme hum. At the northern entrance where visitors must pass is a shrine dedicated to Ajima, the goddess of smallpox. Every year the stupa attracts many Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims who perform full body prostrations in the inner lower enclosure, walk around the stupa with prayer wheels, chant, and pray. Thousands of prayer flags are hoisted up from the top of the stupa downwards and dot the perimeter of the complex. The influx of many Tibetan refugees from China has seen the construction of over 50 Tibetan gompas (monasteries) around Boudhanath.
SWAYAMBHU
Swayambhu is a Buddhist stupa atop a hillock at the northwestern part of the city. This is among the oldest religious sites in Nepal. Although the site is considered Buddhist, it is revered by both Buddhists and Hindus. The stupa consists of a dome at the base; above the dome, there is a cubic structure with the eyes of Buddha looking in all four directions.[clarification needed] There are pentagonal Toran above each of the four sides, with statues engraved on them. Behind and above the torana there are thirteen tiers. Above all the tiers, there is a small space above which lies a gajur.
CULTURE
ARTS
Kathmandu valley is described as "an enormous treasure house of art and sculptures", which are made of wood, stone, metal, and terracotta, and found in profusion in temples, shrines, stupas, gompas, chaityasm and palaces. The art objects are also seen in street corners, lanes, private courtyards, and in open ground. Most art is in the form of icons of gods and goddesses. Kathmandu valley has had this art treasure very long, but received worldwide recognition only after the country opened its doors to the outside world in 1950.
The religious art of Nepal and Kathmandu in particular consists of an iconic symbolism of the Mother Goddesses such as: Bhavani, Durga, Gaja-Lakshmi, Hariti-Sitala, Mahsishamardini, Saptamatrika (seven mother goddesses), and Sri-Lakshmi(wealth-goddess). From the 3rd century BC, apart from the Hindu gods and goddesses, Buddhist monuments from the Ashokan period (it is said that Ashoka visited Nepal in 250 BC) have embellished Nepal in general and the valley in particular. These art and architectural edifices encompass three major periods of evolution: the Licchavi or classical period (500 to 900 AD), the post-classical period (1000 to 1400 AD), with strong influence of the Palla art form; the Malla period (1400 onwards) that exhibited explicitly tantric influences coupled with the art of Tibetan Demonology.
A broad typology has been ascribed to the decorative designs and carvings created by the people of Nepal. These artists have maintained a blend of Hinduism and Buddhism. The typology, based on the type of material used are: Stone Art, Metal Art, Wood Art, Terracotta Art, and Painting.
MUSEUMS
Kathmandu is home to a number of museums and art galleries, including the National Museum of Nepal and the Natural History Museum of Nepal. Nepal's art and architecture is an amalgamation of two ancient religions, Hinduism and Buddhhism. These are amply reflected in the many temples, shrines, stupas, monasteries, and palaces in the seven well-defined Monument Zones of the Kathmandu valley recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This amalgamation is also reflected in the planning and exhibitions in museums and art galleries throughout Kathmandu and its sister cities of Patan and Bhaktapur. The museums display unique artifacts and paintings from the 5th century CE to the present day, including archeological exportation.
KATHMANDU MUSEUMS ABD ART GALLERIES INCLUDE:
The National Museum
The Natural History Museum
Hanumandhoka Palace Complex
The Kaiser Library
The National Art Gallery
The NEF-ART (Nepal Fine Art) Gallery
The Nepal Art Council Gallery
Narayanhity Palace Museum
The Taragaon Museum
The National Museum is located in the western part of Kathmandu, near the Swayambhunath stupa in an historical building. This building was constructed in the early 19th century by General Bhimsen Thapa. It is the most important museum in the country, housing an extensive collection of weapons, art and antiquities of historic and cultural importance. The museum was established in 1928 as a collection house of war trophies and weapons, and the initial name of this museum was Chhauni Silkhana, meaning "the stone house of arms and ammunition". Given its focus, the museum contains an extensive quantity of weapons, including locally made firearms used in wars, leather cannons from the 18th–19th century, and medieval and modern works in wood, bronze, stone and paintings.
The Natural History Museum is located in the southern foothills of Swayambhunath hill and has a sizeable collection of different species of animals, butterflies, and plants. The museum is noted for its display of species, from prehistoric shells to stuffed animals.
The Tribhuvan Museum contains artifacts related to the King Tribhuvan (1906–1955). It has a variety of pieces including his personal belongings, letters and papers, memorabilia related to events he was involved in and a rare collection of photos and paintings of Royal family members. The Mahendra Museum is dedicated to king Mahendra of Nepal (1920–1972). Like the Tribhuvan Museum, it includes his personal belongings such as decorations, stamps, coins and personal notes and manuscripts, but it also has structural reconstructions of his cabinet room and office chamber. The Hanumandhoka Palace, a lavish medieval palace complex in the Durbar, contains three separate museums of historic importance. These museums include the Birendra museum, which contains items related to the second-last monarch, Birendra of Nepal.
The enclosed compound of the Narayanhity Palace Museum is in the north-central part of Kathmandu. "Narayanhity" comes from Narayana, a form of the Hindu god Lord Vishnu, and Hiti, meaning "water spout" (Vishnu's temple is located opposite the palace, and the water spout is located east of the main entrance to the precinct). Narayanhity was a new palace, in front of the old palace built in 1915, and was built in 1970 in the form of a contemporary Pagoda. It was built on the occasion of the marriage of King Birenda Bir Bikram Shah, then heir apparent to the throne. The southern gate of the palace is at the crossing of Prithvipath and Darbar Marg roads. The palace area covers (30 hectares) and is fully secured with gates on all sides. This palace was the scene of the Nepali royal massacre. After the fall of the monarchy, it was converted to a museum.The Taragaon Museum presents the modern history of the Kathmandu Valley. It seeks to document 50 years of research and cultural heritage conservation of the Kathmandu Valley, documenting what artists photographers architects anthropologists from abroad had contributed in the second half of the 20th century. The actual structure of the Museum showcases restoration and rehabilitation efforts to preserve the built heritage of Kathmandu. It was designed by Carl Pruscha (master-planner of the Kathmandy Valley [69]) in 1970 and constructed in 1971. Restoration works began in 2010 to rehabilitate the Taragaon hostel into the Taragaon Museum. The design uses local brick along with modern architectural design elements, as well as the use of circle, triangles and squares. The Museum is within a short walk from the Boudhnath stupa, which itself can be seen from the Museum tower.
ART GALLERIES
Kathmandu is a center for art in Nepal, displaying the work of contemporary artists in the country and also collections of historical artists. Patan in particular is an ancient city noted for its fine arts and crafts. Art in Kathmandu is vibrant, demonstrating a fusion of traditionalism and modern art, derived from a great number of national, Asian, and global influences. Nepali art is commonly divided into two areas: the idealistic traditional painting known as Paubhas in Nepal and perhaps more commonly known as Thangkas in Tibet, closely linked to the country's religious history and on the other hand the contemporary western-style painting, including nature-based compositions or abstract artwork based on Tantric elements and social themes of which painters in Nepal are well noted for. Internationally, the British-based charity, the Kathmandu Contemporary Art Centre is involved with promoting arts in Kathmandu.
Kathmandu contains many notable art galleries. The NAFA Gallery, operated by the Arts and crafts Department of the Nepal Academy is housed in Sita Bhavan, a neo-classical old Rana palace.
The Srijana Contemporary Art Gallery, located inside the Bhrikutimandap Exhibition grounds, hosts the work of contemporary painters and sculptors, and regularly organizes exhibitions. It also runs morning and evening classes in the schools of art. Also of note is the Moti Azima Gallery, located in a three storied building in Bhimsenthan which contains an impressive collection of traditional utensils and handmade dolls and items typical of a medieval Newar house, giving an important insight into Nepali history. The J Art Gallery is also located in Kathmandu, near the Royal Palace in Durbarmarg, Kathmandu and displays the artwork of eminent, established Nepali painters. The Nepal Art Council Gallery, located in the Babar Mahal, on the way to Tribhuvan International Airport contains artwork of both national and international artists and extensive halls regularly used for art exhibitions.
CUISINE
The staple food of most of Kathmanduites is dal bhat. It consists of rice and lentil soup, generally served with vegetable curries, achar and sometimes Chutney. Momo, a type of Nepali version of Tibetan dumpling, has become prominent in Nepal with many street vendors selling it. It is one of the most popular fast foods in Kathmandu. Various Nepali variants of momo including buff (i.e. buffalo) momo, chicken momo, and vegetarian momo are famous in Kathmandu. Dal Bhaat is the local cuisine of Kathmandu.
Most of the cuisines found in Kathmandu are non-vegetarian. However, the practice of vegetarianism is not uncommon, and vegetarian cuisines can be found throughout the city. Consumption of beef is very uncommon and considered taboo in many places. Buff (meat of water buffalo) is very common. There is a strong tradition of buff consumption in Kathmandu, especially among Newars, which is not found in other parts of Nepal. Consumption of pork was considered taboo until a few decades ago. Due to the intermixing with Kirat cuisine from eastern Nepal, pork has found a place in Kathmandu dishes. A fringe population of devout Hindus and Muslims consider it taboo. The Muslims forbid eating buff as from Quran while Hindus eat all varieties except Cow's meat as the consider Cow to be a goddess and symbol of purity. The chief breakfast for locals and visitors is mostly Momo or Chowmein.
Kathmandu had only one restaurant in 1955.[73] A large number of restaurants in Kathmandu have since opened, catering Nepali cuisine, Tibetan cuisine, Chinese cuisine and Indian cuisine in particular. Many other restaurants have opened to accommodate locals, expatriates, and tourists. The growth of tourism in Kathmandu has led to culinary creativity and the development of hybrid foods to accommodate for tourists such as American chop suey, which is a sweet-and-sour sauce with crispy noodles with a fried egg commonly added on top and other westernized adaptations of traditional cuisine. Continental cuisine can be found in selected places. International chain restaurants are rare, but some outlets of Pizza Hut and KFC have recently opened there. It also has several outlets of the international ice-cream chain Baskin-Robbins
Kathmandu has a larger proportion of tea drinkers than coffee drinkers. Tea is widely served but is extremely weak by western standards. It is richer and contains tea leaves boiled with milk, sugar and spices. Alcohol is widely drunk, and there are numerous local variants of alcoholic beverages. But its use has been now reduced.refnational survey. Drinking and driving is illegal, and authorities have a zero tolerance policy. Ailaa and thwon (alcohol made from rice) are the alcoholic beverages of Kathmandu, found in all the local bhattis (alcohol serving eateries). Chhyaang, tongba (fermented millet or barley) and rakshi are alcohols from other parts of Nepal which are found in Kathmandu. However, shops and bars in Kathmandu widely sell western and Nepali beers. Shops are forbidden to sell alcohol on the first two days and last two days of the Nepali month (Nepal Sambat).
FESTIVALS
Most of the fairs and festivals in Kathmandu originated in the Malla period or earlier. Traditionally, these festivals were celebrated by Newars. In recent years, these festivals have found wider participation from other Kathmanduites as well. As the capital of the Republic of Nepal, various national festivals are celebrated in Kathmandu. With mass migration to the city, the cultures of Khas from the west, Kirats from the east, Bon/Tibetan from the north, and Mithila from the south meet in the capital and mingle harmoniously. The festivities such as the Ghode (horse) Jatra, Indra Jatra, Dashain Durga Puja festivals, Shivratri and many more are observed by all Hindu and Buddhist communities of Kathmandu with devotional fervor and enthusiasm. Social regulation in the codes enacted incorporate Hindu traditions and ethics. These were followed by the Shah kings and previous kings, as devout Hindus and protectors of Buddhist religion.
Cultural continuity has been maintained for centuries in the exclusive worship of goddesses and deities in Kathmandu and the rest of the country. These deities include the Ajima, Taleju (or Tulja Bhavani), Digu taleju, and Kumari (the living goddess).[citation needed] The artistic edifices have now become places of worship in the everyday life of the people, therefore a roster is maintained to observe annual festivals. There are 133 festivals held in the year.
Some of the traditional festivals observed in Kathmandu, apart from those previously mentioned, are Bada Dashain, Tihar, Chhath, Maghe Sankranti, Naga Panchami, Janai Poornima, Pancha Dan, Teej/Rishi Panchami, Pahan Charhe, Jana Baha Dyah Jatra (White Machchhendranath Jatra), and Matatirtha Aunsi.
HINDUISM
Assumedly, together with the kingdom of Licchhavi (c. 400 to 750), Hinduism and the endogam social stratification of the Caste was established in Kathmandu Valley. The Pashupatinath Temple, Changu Narayan temple (the oldest), and the Kasthamandap are of particular importance to Hindus. Other notable Hindu temples in Kathmandu and the surrounding valley include Bajrayogini Temple, Dakshinkali Temple, Guhyeshwari Temple, and the Sobha Bhagwati shrine.
The Bagmati River which flows through Kathmandu is considered a holy river both by Hindus and Buddhists, and many Hindu temples are located on the banks of this river. The importance of the Bagmati also lies in the fact that Hindus are cremated on its banks, and Kirants are buried in the hills by its side. According to the Nepali Hindu tradition, the dead body must be dipped three times into the Bagmati before cremation. The chief mourner (usually the first son) who lights the funeral pyre must take a holy riverwater bath immediately after cremation. Many relatives who join the funeral procession also take bath in the Bagmati River or sprinkle the holy water on their bodies at the end of cremation as the Bagmati is believed to purify people spiritually.
BUDDHISM
Buddhism started in Kathmandu with the arrival of Buddhist monks during the time of Buddha (c. 563 - 483 BC). They started a forest monastery in Sankhu. This monastery was renovated by Shakyas after they fled genocide from Virudhaka (rule: 491-461 BC).
During the Hindu Lichchavi era (c. 400 to 750), various monasteries and orders were created which successively led to the formation of Newar Buddhism, which is still practiced in the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Sanskrit.
WIKIPEDIA
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it has taken some time for me to put up new pictures. i have been out of town for a little bit and of course my camera came along. i hope that you like the picture of some of the nature that was surrounding me. have a great week!
I like this receiver mainly because of the metallic speaker grille with those small squares, unfortunately the cabinet has some roughness, especially in the back, due to the permanent contact with the vinyl cover.
The chassis is constructed robustly, has a metal plate on the front covering the electronic components of the printed circuit making somewhat difficult to service it, fortunately works seamlessly with their original electronic components. It has clasic black GE transistors and requires a nine-volt cylindrical battery, type Eveready 226 or similar, however someone in the past changed the connector to be able to use a common 9V square battery.
Cambridge Terrace . Band Rotunda on the Avon..and an other legacy by Thomas Edmonds. now the Edmonds Restaurant...offers great brekki
the River rises from springs in the western suburbs, winds through the City and enters the estuary at the north eastern suburbs.
the Maori name for the Avon is Otakaro but was later named after the Avon River in Ayrshire, home of the Deans Brothers.
pretty much damaged by the Earthquake in Sept 2010 and Febr 2011
all is still cordoned off and we have not being able to see for ourselves..the Pyne Gould Building behind the Rotunda has been totally destroyed, 12 people lost their life
www.stuff.co.nz/4689353/Christchurch-quake-Eyewitness-acc...
www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch-earthquake-20...
Legend has it that back in 1795 three boys embarked on a fishing trip to a small Nova Scotian island. Once ashore, they found evidence of a block and tackle hanging from an old oak tree and a depression in the ground.
Brought up on tales of piracy, they believed this to be the site of buried treasure and quickly began to dig, revealing layers of oak beams and regular intervals and pick marks on the wall of the chamber, indicating what they were uncovering was certainly man made.
The treasure hunt continued some years later and as the depth of the hole increased, flood tunnels were activated, filling the pit with sea water – an artificial beach on the island lined with coconut fibre had been engineered to flood the pit once a certain depth was reached.
If you aren’t already captivated, add to the mystery an inscribed stone with cryptic engravings, strange stone formations on the island some believe to be pointing to the treasure and a curse stating that only after all the oak trees have been cut down and seven people have died in the hunt will the treasure be revealed.
To this day no oak trees remain and six men have lost their lives in the quest for the treasure. Investors from Michigan, USA are currently the latest n the 200 year legacy to invest millions of dollars in recovering the treasure, in what has become the world’s greatest and certainly most costly treasure hunt.
Leonard Freed has spent years traveling the world and documenting everyday lives. "For me," says Freed, "there are two important elements in photography: Time and Truth. Time is sealed as it were. Photos cannot be repeated. They are set forever in a moment in time. Truth is what we are seeking in art. My photos convey what I believe is my truth, expressed through my ability as an artist. You are seeing exactly what I saw."
i loved this quote by leonard freed, that i found on magnum's website. being a photographer, i feel the exact same way. i am capturing the workd as i see it and allowing myself to share it with others.
and this picture here makes me think about time... the moment... that exact moment in which the shutter is clicked. that fraction of a second is captured for life. this seagull will be here on this rock many times in the future, i guess... and maybe opening her mouth like this. but maybe... i will be only person capturing this seagull like this. and i was surely the only one capturing this very moment.
{blog} / {tumblr} / {facebook} / {twitter}
{a place for twiggs shop} / {a lomo love affair shop} / {twiggs' designs shop}
Willow has been tagged by Buganville. Willow has answered ;P
•Six names:
1) Willow
2) Wiwi
3) Niña
4) ...
5) ...
6) ...
•Three things I am wearing right now:
1) Airamhesse Dress
2) Takara boots
3) and undies
•Four things I want really badly at this moment:
1) Glamurous dresses
2) Go to NY.....with my cousins....
3) Make a photobook to be a Model
4) Going out with my friends
•Two things I did last night:
1) Relax at home
2) and listening music
•Last two people I talked to on the phone:
Phone?
• Two things I am doing tomorrow:
1) Hopefully go to the swimming pool
2) and being photographed
•Three favourite drinks:
1) Nestea
2) Tea with cold milk
3) Water
•Random fact:
I love being naked when i´m alone at home....but i never do!!
•Four dolls who will answer this, if they have time of course:
I tag...
Aaricia - Airamhesse
Laura- Barbievoltios
Jules - Amloro16
Myrtille - mitsubish
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This is a photograph from the 4th Annual Meath Spring Half Marathon and 10KM Road Races hosted by Bohermeen AC on the 8th March 2015 at 12:00 at Bohermeen, Ardbraccan, Navan, Co. Meath, Ireland. A 10KM race was also held and started one hour before the half marathon. This event has grown quickly in popularity over the past few years with this year's entry of 1,168 with this being a record for both races. The half marathon had 843 entrants while the 10KM race had 325 entrants. This half marathon event is perfectly placed in the Irish running calendar as it provides runners of all levels and abilities an opportunity to test the half marathon distance in preparation for a Spring Marathon or as the first serious running goal in 2015. Bohermeen AC is steeped in Irish athletics history since 1927 and it is this experience and exceptional community spirit and volunteering which has made this event today so successful.
Want to use this photograph or share it? Please read/scroll down a little further to find out how - it's very easy!
The weather was very suitable for road racing with the exception of a strong headwind at certain parts of the course. However the cool, dry sunny conditions were suitable for fast times and PB performances from runners.
Our full set of photographs from today's event are available on Flickr at the following link https://www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157648897769373/. This set of photographs is mostly of the Half Marathon race but there are some from the 10KM event.
Don't forget to scroll down to see more information about the race and these photographs!
Event Management and Timing was provided by PRECISION TIMING. The results from today's events can be found on Precision Timing's website at this URL [www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=2457]. You can checkout their facebook page at www.facebook.com/davidprecisiontiming?fref=ts
The Satellite Navigation Coordinates to Bohermeen are [53.650882,-6.77989] and is accessible using the M3, N2 and N52
Some useful links to other web-resources related to this race
Bohermeen AC Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/bohermeen.ac?fref=ts
2015 Spring Half Marathon Route: www.runningmap.com/?id=641747
2015 Spring Half Marathon 10KM Race Option Route: www.runningmap.com/?id=641752
Google Streetview of the Race Start: goo.gl/maps/rtj1X
Google Streetview of the Race Finish and Race Headquarters: goo.gl/maps/qVttR
Internet Homepage for the Spring Half Marathon [www.meathspringhalfmarathon.com/]
Results from 2014 from Precision Timing: www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=1684
Results from 2013 from Precision Timing: www.precisiontiming.net/result.aspx?v=1115
Photographs from previous events
Our Flickr Photograph set from the 3rd Spring Marathon 2014: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157641717197563
Our Flickr Photograph set from the 2nd Spring Marathon 2013: www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157632906920970/
Our Flickr set from the 1st Spring Marathon (2012) www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157629146137284/with...
Photographs from the 2013 event from our friend Paul Reilly [pjrphotography.zenfolio.com/p670974697]
USING OUR PHOTOGRAPHS - A QUICK GUIDE
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Badami formerly known as Vatapi, is a town and headquarters of a taluk by the same name, in the Bagalkot district of Karnataka, India. It was the regal capital of the Badami Chalukyas from 540 to 757 AD. It is famous for its rock cut structural temples. It is located in a ravine at the foot of a rugged, red sandstone outcrop that surrounds Agastya lake. Badami has been selected as one of the heritage cities for HRIDAY - Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.
HISTORY
- Dravidian architecture - Badami Chalukyas
- Hindu temple architecture - Badami Chalukya architecture
- Political history of medieval Karnataka - Badami Chalukyas
- Architecture of Karnataka - Badami Chalukya architecture
- Chalukyas of Badami
PRE-HISTORIC
Badami is surrounded by many pre-historic places including Khyad area of Badami, Hiregudda, Sidlaphadi and Kutkankeri (Junjunpadi, Shigipadi and Anipadi), there we can see the rock shelters megalithic burial sites and paintings.
BADAMI CHALUKYAS AND OTHER DYNASTIES
MYTHOLOGY
The Puranic story says the wicked asura Vatapi was killed by sage Agastya (as per Agastya-Vatapi story), the area in which the incident happened so named as Vatapi. At Aihole there was a merchant guild known as Ayyavole Ainuravaru lived in the area have reformed. As per scholar Dr. D. P. Dikshit, the first Chalukya king was Jayasimha (a feudatory lord in the Kadamba dynasty), who in 500 AD established the Chalukya kingdom. His grandson Pulakeshin Ibuilt a fort at Vatapi.
BADAMI CHALUKYAS
It was founded in 540 AD by Pulakeshin I (535-566 AD), an early ruler of the Chalukyas. His sons Kirtivarma I (567-598 AD) and his brother Mangalesha (598-610 AD) constructed the cave temples.Kirtivarma I strengthened Vatapi and had three sons Pulakeshin II, Vishnuvardhana and Buddhavarasa, who at his death were minors, thus making them ineligible to rule, so Kirtivarma I's brother Mangalesha took the throne and tried to establish rule, only to be killed by Pulakeshin II who ruled between 610 A.D to 642 A.D. Vatapi was the capital of the Early Chalukyas, who ruled much of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Few parts of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh between the 6th and 8th centuries. The greatest among them was Pulakeshin II (610-642 AD) who defeated many kings including the Pallavas of Kanchipuram.
The rock-cut Badami Cave Temples were sculpted mostly between the 6th and 8th centuries. The four cave temples represent the secular nature of the rulers then, with tolerance and a religious following that inclines towards Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. cave 1 is devoted to Shiva, and Caves 2 and 3 are dedicated to Vishnu, whereas cave 4 displays reliefs of Jain Tirthankaras. Deep caverns with carved images of the various incarnations of Hindu gods are strewn across the area, under boulders and in the red sandstone. From an architectural and archaeological perspective, they provide critical evidence of the early styles and stages of the southern Indian architecture.
The Pallavas under the king Narasimhavarma I seized it in 642 AD & destroyed the vatapi. Pulakeshin II's son Vikramaditya I of Chalukyas drove back Pallavas in 654 AD and led a successful attack on Kanchipuram, the capital of Pallavas. Then Rashtrakutas came to power in Karnataka including Badami around 757 AD and the town lost its importance. Later it was ruled by the Hoysalas.
Then it passed on to Vijayanagara empire, The Adil Shahis, Mughal Empire, The Savanur Nawabs (They were vassals of Nizams and Marathas), The Maratha, Hyder Ali. The Britishers made it part of the Bombay Presidency.
INSCRIPTIONS
Badami has eighteen inscriptions, among them some inscriptions are important. The first Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script, on a hillock dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakeshin I (Vallabheswara), the second is the 578 CE cave inscription of Mangalesha in Kannada language and script and the third is the Kappe Arabhatta records, the earliest available Kannada poetry in tripadi (three line) metre. one inscription near the Bhuthanatha temple also has inscriptions dating back to the 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to the Tirtankara Adinatha.
VATAPI GANAPATI
In the Carnatic music and Hamsadhwani raga the Vatapi Ganapatim Bhaje by the composer Muthuswami Dikshitar. The idol of Vatapi Ganapati brought from Badami by Pallavas, is now in the Uthrapathiswaraswamy Temple, near Thanjavur of Tamil Nadu.
In 7th century, Vatapi Ganapati idol was brought from Badami (Vatapi - Chalukya capital) by Pallava who defeated Chalukyas.
TOURISM
Landmarks in Badami include cave temples, gateways, forts, inscriptions and sculptures.
- A Buddhist cave in a natural setting that can be entered only by crawling on knees.
- The Bhuhtanatha temple, a small shrine, facing the lake, constructed in 5th century.
- Badami Fort situated on top of the hill.
- Many Shivalayas including the Malegatti Shivalaya with 7th century origins.
- The Dattatreya temple.
- The Mallikarjuna temple dating back to the 11th century, built on a star shaped plan.
- a Dargah, a dome of an Islamic place of worship on the south fort side.
- Vista points on top of the North Fort for the view of the ancient town below.
- Temple of Banashankari, a Kuladevata (family deity) for many families, is located near Badami.
- Archaeological museum, that has collection of sculptures from Badami, Aihole and Pattadakal.
BADAMI CAVE TEMPLES
The Badami cave temples are a complex of four cave temples located at Badami, a town in the Bagalkot district in the north part of Karnataka, India. They are considered an example of Indian rock-cut architecture, especially Badami Chalukya architecture initiated during the 6th century. Badami was previously known as Vataapi Badami, the capital of the early Chalukya dynasty, who ruled much of Karnataka from middle of the sixth until the middle of the eighth centuries. Badami is situated on the west bank of an artificial lake filled with greenish water dammed by an earthen wall faced with stone steps. Badami is surrounded in the north and south by forts built in later times from the ramparts that crown their summits.
The Badami cave temples represent some of the earliest known experimentation of Hindu temple prototypes for later temples in the Indian peninsula. Along with Aihole, states UNESCO, their pioneering designs transformed the Malaprabha river valley into a cradle of Temple Architecture, whose ideas defined the components of later Hindu Temples elsewhere. Caves 1 to 3 feature Hindu themes of Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons. There is also a Buddhist Cave 5 which has been converted into a Hindu temple of Vishnu. Another cave identified in 2013 has a number of carvings of Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and water is seen gushing out through the cave all the time.
GEOGRAPHY
The Badami cave temples are located in the Badami town in the north central part of Karnataka, India. The temples are about 110 km northeast from Hubli-Dharwad, the second largest metropolitan area of the state. Malaprabha river is 4.8 km away. Badami, also referred to as Vatapi, Vatapipuri and Vatapinagari in historical texts, and the 6th-century capital of Chalukya dynasty, is at the exit point of the ravine between two steep mountain cliffs. Four cave temples have been excavated in the escarpment of the hill to the south-east of the town above the artificial lake called Agastya Lake created by an earthen dam faced with stone steps. To the west end of this cliff, at its lowest point, is the first cave temple dedicated to Shiva, followed by a cave north east to it dedicated to Vishnu but is at a much higher level. The largest is Cave 3, mostly a Vaishnava cave, is further to the east on the northern face of the hill. The first three caves are dedicated to Hindu gods and goddesses including Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The fourth cave, dedicated to Jainism, is a short distance away.
HISTORY OF CAVE TEMPLES
The cave temples, numbered 1 to 4 in the order of their creation, identified in the town of Badami, the capital city of the Chalukya kingdom (also known as Early Chalukyas) are dated from the late 6th century onwards. The exact dating is known only for cave 3 which is a Brahmanical temple dedicated to Vishnu. An inscription found here records the creation of the shrine by Mangalesha in Saka 500 (lunar calendar, spanning 578 to 579 CE). These inscriptions are in Kannada language, and have been the source for dating these rock cave temples to the 6th-century. The Badami caves complex are part of the UNESCO inscribed World Heritage Site under the title "Evolution of Temple Architecture – Aihole-Badami-Pattadakal" in the Malaprabha river valley which is considered a cradle of Temple Architecture, which formed the template for later Hindu temples in the region. The art work in Cave 1 and Cave 2 exhibit the northern Deccan style of 6th- and 7th-century, while those in Cave 3 show a simultaneous co-exhibition of two different ancient Indian artistic traditions – the northern Nagara and the southern Dravida styles. The Cave 3 also shows icons and reliefs in the Vesara style – a creative fusion of ideas from the two styles, as well as some of the earliest surviving historical examples of yantra-chakra motifs and colored fresco paintings in Karnataka. The first three caves feature sculpture of Hindu icons and legends focusing on Shiva and Vishnu, while Cave 4 features Jain icons and themes.
TEMPLE CAVES
The Badami cave temples are composed of mainly four caves, all carved out of the soft Badami sandstone on a hill cliff, dated to the late 6th to 7th centuries. The planning of four caves (1 to 4) is simple. The entrance is a verandah (mukha mandapa) with stone columns and brackets, a distinctive feature of these caves, leading to a columned mandapa – main hall (also maha mandapa) and then to the small square shrine (sanctum sanctorum, garbhaghrha) cut deep into the cave. The cave temples are linked by stepped path with intermediate terraces looking over the town and lake. Cave temples are labelled 1–4 in their ascending series even though this numbering does not necessarily reflect the sequence of excavation.
The cave temples are dated to 6th to 8th century, with an inscription dated to 579 CE. The inscriptions are in old Kannada script. The architecture includes structures built in Nagara style and Dravidian style which is the first and most persistent architectural idiom to be adopted by the early chalukyas There is also the fifth natural cave temple in Badami – a Buddhist temple, a natural cave, which can be entered kneeling on all fours.
CAVE 1
The cave is just about 18 m above the street level on the northwest part of the hill. Access is through series of steps which depict carvings of dwarfish ganas (with "bovine and equine heads") in different postures. The verandah with 21 m length with a width of 20 m in the interior, has four columns all sculpted with reliefs of the god Shiva in different dancing positions and different incarnations. The guardian dwarapalas at the entrance to the cave stand to a height of 1.879 m.
The cave portrays the Tandava-dancing Shiva, as Nataraja. The image, (1.5 m tall, has 18 arms, in a form that express the dance positions arranged in a geometric pattern, which Alice Boner states, is a time division symbolizing the cosmic wheel. Some of the arms hold objects while most express mudras (symbolic hand postures). The objects include drums, trident and axe. Some arms also have serpents coiled around them. Shiva has his son Ganesha and the bull Nandi by his side. Adjoining to the Nataraja, a wall depicts the goddess Durga, depicted slaying the buffalo-demon Mahishasura. Elsewhere, the two sons of Shiva, Ganesha and Kartikkeya, the god of war and family deity of the Chalukya dynasty are seen in one of the carved sculptures on the walls of the cave with Kartikkeya riding a peacock.
The cave also has carved sculptures of the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati flanking Harihara, a 2.36 m high sculpture of a fused image that is half Shiva and half Vishnu. To the right, Ardhanarishvara, a composite androgynous form of Shiva and his consort Parvati, is sculpted towards the end of the walls. All the carved sculptures show ornaments worn by them, as well as borders with reliefs of various animals and birds. Lotus design is a common theme. On the ceiling are images of the Vidyadhara couples. Through a cleavage in the back side of the cave is a square sanctuary with more images carved.
Other prominent images in the cave are Nandi, the bull, in the sculptural form of Dharmadeva, the god of justice, Bhringi, a devotee of Shiva, a female decorated goddess holding a flat object in her left hand, which are all part of Ardhanarishvara described earlier. The roof in the cave has five carved panels with the central panel depicting the serpent Shesha. The head and bust are well formed and project boldly from the centre of the coil. In another compartment a bass-relief of 0.76 m diameter has carvings of a male and female; the male is Yaksha carrying a sword and the female is Apsara with a flying veil. The succeeding panel has carvings of two small figures; and the panel at the end is carved with lotuses.
CAVE 2
Cave 2, facing north, to the west of Cave 3, created in late 6th century AD, is almost same as cave 1 in terms of its layout and dimensions but it is dedicated primarily to Vishnu. Cave is reached by climbing 64 steps from the first cave. The cave entrance is the verandah, divided by four square pillars, which has carvings from its middle section to the top where there are yali brackets with sculptures within them. The cave is adorned with reliefs of guardians. Like the Cave 1, the cave art carved is a pantheon of Hindu divinities.
The largest relief in Cave 2 shows Vishnu as Trivikrama – with one foot on Earth and another – directed to the north. Other representations of Vishnu in this cave include Varaha (boar) where he is shown rescuing Bhudevi (symbolism for earth) from the depths of ocean, and Krishna avatars – legends found in Hindu Puranas text such as the Bhagavata Purana. Like other major murti (forms) in this and other Badami caves, the Varaha sculpture is set in a circle, the panel is an upright rectangle, states Alice Boner, whose "height is equal to the octopartite directing circle and sides are aligned to essential geometric ratios, in this case to the second vertical chord of the circle". The doorway is framed by pilasters carrying an entablature with three blocks embellished with gavaksha ornament. The entrance of the cave also has two armed guardians holding flowers rather than weapons. The end walls of the outer verandah is occupied by sculpted panels, to the right, Trivikrama; to the left, Varaha rescuing Bhudevi, with a penitent multi-headed snake (Nag) below. The adjacent side walls and ceiling have traces of colored paintwork, suggesting that the cave used to have fresco paintings. The columns show gods and battle scenes, the churning of cosmic ocean (Samudra Manthan), Gajalakshmi and figures, Brahma, Vishnu asleep on Shesha, illustrations of the birth of Krishna, Krishna's youth, Krishna with gopis and cows.
The ceiling of Cave 2 shows a wheel with sixteen fish spokes in a square frame along with swastikas and flying couples. The end bays have a flying couple and Vishnu on Garuda.[8] The main hall in the cave is 10.16 m in width, 7.188 m deep and 3.45 m high and is supported by eight square pillars in two rows. The roof of this hall has panels which have carvings. At the upper end of the wall a frieze runs all along the wall with engravings of episodes from the Krishna or Vishnu legends.
The sculptures of Cave 2, like Cave 1, are of the northern Deccan style of 6th-and 7th-century similar to that found in Ellora caves.
CAVE 3
The Cave 3 is dedicated to Vishnu, and is the most intricately carved and the biggest. It has well carved giant figures of Trivikrama, Anantasayana, Paravasudeva, Bhuvaraha, Harihara and Narasimha. The theme on which the Cave 3 is carved is primarily Vaishnavite, however the cave also shows Harihara on its southern wall – half Vishnu and half Shiva shown fused as one, making the cave important to Shaivism studies as well. Cave 3, facing north, is 60 steps away from the Cave 2. This cave temple's veranda, 21 m in length with an interior width of 20 m, has been sculpted 15 m deep into the mountain, and an added square shrine at the end extends the cave some 3.7 m further inside. The verandah itself is 2.1 m wide and has four free standing carved pillars separating it from the hall. The cave is 4.6 m high, supported by six pillars each measuring 0.76 m square. Each column and pilaster is carved with wide and deep bases crowned by capitals which are camouflaged by brackets on three sides. Each bracket, except for one bracket, has carvings of standing human figures, under foliage in different postures, of a male and female mythological characters, along with attendant figure of a dwarf. A moulded cornice in the facia, with a dado of blocks below it (generally in 2.1 m lengths), have about thirty compartments carved with series of two fat dwarfs called ganas. The cave shows a Kama scene on one pillar, where a woman and man are in maithuna (erotic) embrace beneath a tree.
Cave 3 also shows fresco paintings on the ceiling, but some of these are faded, broken and unclear. These are among the earliest known and surviving evidence of fresco painting in Indian art.[14] The Hindu god Brahma is seen in one of the murals, while the wedding of Shiva and Parvati, attended by various Hindu deities, is the theme of another. There is a lotus medallion on the floor underneath the mural of four armed Brahma. The sculpture is well preserved, and a large number of Vishnu's reliefs including standing Vishnu with 8 arms, Vishnu seated on a hooded serpent called Sesha or Ananta on the eastern side of the verandha, Vishnu as Narasimha (half human – half lion), Varaha fully armed, a boar incarnation of Vishnu in the back wall of the cave, Harihara (a syncretic sculpture of Vishnu and Shiva), and Trivikrama avatars. The back wall also has carvings of Vidhyadaras holding offerings to Varaha, and adjoining this is an inscription dated 579 AD with the name Mangalis inscribed on it. At one end of the pilaster there is a sculpture of the fourth incarnation of Vishnu as Vamana shown with eight arms called Ashtabhuja decorated with various types of weapons. A crescent moon is crafted above his face, crown of Vishnu decorates his head and is flanked by Varaha and two other figures and below on his right is his attendant Garuda. The images in front of Vamana are three figures of Bali and his wife with Shukra, his councilor. Reliefs stand 4 metres tall. The culture and clothing embedded in the sixth century is visible in the art sculpted in this cave. The roof in the verandha has seven panels created by cross beams, each is painted in circular compartments with images of Shiva, Vishnu, Indra, Brahma, Kama and so forth with smaller images of Dikpalas (cardinal guardians) with geometric mosaics filling the gaps at the corners.
The front aisle's roof has panels with murals in the center of male and female figurines flying in the clouds; the male figure is yaksha holding a sword and a shield. Decoration of lotus blooms are also seen on the panels. The roof in the hall is divided into nine panels slightly above the level of the ceiling. The central panel here depicts a deva mounted on a ram – conjectured as Agni. Images of Brahma and Varuna are also painted in the central panels while the floating figures are seen in the balance panels.
CAVE 4
The Cave 4, to the east of Cave 3, excavated around 650 AD, is located higher than other caves. It is dedicated to revered figures of Jainism and was constructed last among all the caves. It also features detailed carvings and diverse range of motifs. The cave has five bayed entrance with four square columns with brackets and capitals, and to the back of this verandah is a hall with two standalone and two joined pillars. The first aisle is a verandah 9.4 m in length, 2.0 m wide and extends to 4.9 m deep. From the hall, steps lead to the sanctum sanctorum, which is 7.8 m wide extending to a depth of 1.8 m. On the back part of this, Mahavira is represented, sitting on lion throne, flanked by bas-reliefs of attendants with chauri (fans), sardulas and makara's heads. The end walls have Parshvanath (about 2.3 m tall) with his head decorated to represent protection and reverence by a multi-headed cobra, Indrabhuti Gautama covered by four snakes and Bahubali are seen; Bahubali is present to the left of Gautama shown with his lower legs surrounded by snakes along with his daughters Brahmi and Sundari. The sanctum, which is adorned by the image of Mahavira, has pedestal which contains an old Kannada inscription of the 12th century A.D. which registers the death of one Jakkave. Many Jaina Tirthankara images have been engraved in the inner pillars and walls. In addition, there are some idols of Yakshas, Yakshis, Padmavati and other Tirthankaras. Some scholars also assign the cave to the 8th century.
CAVE 5
It is a natural cave of small dimensions, undated, is approached by crawling as it has a narrow opening. Inside, there is a carved statue seated over a sculpted throne with reliefs showing people holding chauris (fans), tree, elephants and lions in an attacking mode. The face of this statue was reasonably intact till about 1995, and is now damaged and missing. There are several theories as to who the statue represents.
The first theory states that it is a Buddha relief, in a sitting posture. Those holding the chauris are Bodhisattvas flanking the Buddha, states this theory, and that the cave has been converted to a Hindu shrine of Vishnu, in later years, as seen from the white religious markings painted on the face of the Buddha as the 9th incarnation of Vishnu. Shetti suggests that the cave was not converted, but from the start represented a tribute to Mayamoha of the Hindu Puranas, or Buddhavatara Vishnu, its style suggesting it was likely carved in or before 8th century CE.
The second theory, found in colonial era texts such as one by John Murray, suggested that the main image carved in the smallest fifth cave is that of Jaina figure.
The third theory, by Henry Cousens as well as A. Sundara, and based by local legends, states that the statue is of an ancient king because the statue's photo, when its face was not damaged, lacked Ushnisha lump that typically goes with Buddha's image. Further, the statue has unusual non-Buddha ornaments such as rings for fingers, necklace and chest-band, it wears a Hindu Yajnopavita thread, and its head is stylistically closer to a Jina head than a Buddha head. These features suggest that the statue may be of a king represented with features of various traditions. The date and identity of the main statue in Cave 5, states Bolon, remains enigmatic.
OTHER CAVES
In 2013, Manjunath Sullolli reported the discovery of another cave with 27 rock carvings, about 500 metres from the four caves, from which water gushes year round. It depicts Vishnu and other Hindu deities, and features inscription in Devanagari script. The dating of these carvings is unknown.
OTHER TEMPLES AT BADAMI
On the north hill, there are three temples, of which Malegitti-Shivalaya is perhaps the oldest temple and also the finest in Badami, and has a Dravidian tower. Out of the two inscriptions found here, one states that Aryaminchi upadhyaya, as the sculptor who got this temple constructed and the other dated 1543 speaks of the erection of a bastion during the Vijayanagara rule. The lower Shivalaya has a Dravidian tower, and only the sanctum remains now.
Jambhulinga temple, situated in the town, is presumably the oldest known trikutachala temple in Karnataka. An inscription dated 699 ascribes construction of this temple to Vinayavathi mother of Emperor Vijayaditya.
The place also has Agasthya Tirtha, temples of Goddess Yellamma, Mallikarjuna, Datttreya and Virupaksha. Bhuthanatha group of temples are most important in Badami.
BADAMI FORT
Badami fort lies east of the Bhuthnatha temple, atop a cliff right opposite the Badami cave temples. The entrance to this temple is right through the Badami museum. It is a steep climb with many view points and dotted with little shrines. The path is laid with neatly cut stone, the same that adores all the architecture around.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Vatapi has origin in the Vatapi legend of Ramayana relating to Sage Agastya.There were two demon siblings Vatapi and Ilvala. They used to kill all mendicants by tricking them in a peculiar way. The elder Ilvala would turn Vatapi into a ram and would offer its meat to the guest. As soon as the person ate the meat, Ilvala would call out the name of Vatapi. As he had a boon that whomsoever Ilvala calls would return from even the netherland, Vatapi would emerge ripping through the body of the person, thus killing him. Their trick worked until Sage Agastya countered them by digesting Vatapi before Ilvala could call for him, thus ending the life of Vatapi at the hands of Ilvala. Two of the hills in Badami represent the demons Vatapi and Ilvala.
It is also believed that name Badami has come from colour of its stone (badam - Almond).
CULTURE
The main language is Kannada. The local population wears traditional Indian cotton wear.
GEOGRAPHY
Badami is located at 15.92°N 75.68°E. It has an average elevation of 586 metres. It is located at the mouth of a ravine between two rocky hills and surrounds Agastya tirtha water reservoir on the three other sides. The total area of the town is 10.3 square kilometers.
It is located 30 kilometers from Bagalkot, 128 kilometers from Bijapur, 132 kilometers from Hubli, 46 kilometers from Aihole, another ancient town, and 589 kilometers from Bangalore, the state capital.
WIKIPEDIA
Ottograph, a large-scale muralist, has been slinging paint since the age of ten. The Modern Art Museum of Antwerpen (Belgium) is home to a giant Ottograph mural. Otto also painted murals in Moscow, Tokyo, Berlin New York and San Fancisco. Ottograph is also operating the website “I Paint Everyday” www.ipainteveryday.com to encourage the tedious, yet necessary practice of serious painting.
Ottograph has worked for clients like Greenpeace, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Mars, Ford, and Merecedes-Benz.
#ottograph
Dutch artist Ottograph created Amsterdam’s first real 24/7 outdoor street art gallery at the Wijdesteeg. This is a pic of the colored paving stones of this smashing aleyway.
#wijdesteeg
Media: illustrator, spraypaint, acrylics, stencil, markers, print and wood.
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Dutch pop-art painter Ottograph.
Ottograph who graduated from the Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam, started to paint at the young age of ten, he liked the idea of painting on the walls of the streets of Amsterdam and has never stopped doing so. Now Ottograph’s art can be seen in galleries, on wall’s, in bars and shops around the world and not to mention the wall’s of the Modern Art Museum of Antwerpen, MoMu in Belgium.
Ottograph’s work is full of color and life. What Ottograph paints is something that reflects to society in general and is something that people can relate to.
On his own or to gether with his fellow artist/friends Ottograph has also set up several successful projects such as CIA (Central Illustration Agencey), which speaks for it self as well as KMDG a group of artist with a backround in illustration, graffiti and street-art who bring together artist from around the world to paint walls and commissions together.
Over the years Ottograph has accumulated several important client’s such as Nike, Mars, MercedesBenz, and Apple i-pod and i-phone just to name a few…
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In Las Palmas noemen ze alle VJ's VJ. Behalve Ottograph, dat is de Kunstenaar. Zijn voornaamste bezigheid is namelijk schilderen, en dat zie je terug in zijn animaties, waarin beeld - en niet techniek - de hoofdrol speelt. Ooit was Otto Kruijsen, oftewel Ottograph, nachtenlang in de weer met spuitbussen, om een vette piece neer te zetten op trein of muur. Daar kreeg ie genoeg van, en na diverse omzwervingen meldde Otto zich in 1993 aan op de Rietveld Academie, om schilder te worden. Al snel besefte hij dat hij allang wist wat hij wilde en kon, en helemaal geen zin had om voor de zoveelste keer van voren af aan te beginnen. Tabe Rietveld dus. Een goeie zet, want sindsdien is het Otto voor de wind gegaan.
Zijn eerste expositie, samen met een paar vrienden, was een groot succes: ze verkochten hun doeken in een galerie verbouwd tot supermarkt, met o.a. een echte kassa bij de deur. Naar aanleiding van deze expositie werd Ottograph gevraagd om prints voor t-shirts en kleding van Bodyglove te ontwerpen. Een toffe maar heftige job, omdat hij alles met de hand deed. Hierna schafte Otto de computer aan. Vele ontwerpopdrachten volgden, en Otto leefde zich jarenlang uit in illustraties en logo's. En hij legde zich toe op het VJ-en. Het schilderen verdween in die tijd naar de achtergrond, de reden waarom hij het ontwerpwerk en illustreren op den duur weer heeft afgestoten.
Waar ben je tegenwoordig mee bezig?
Ottograph: "Ik focus me op het schilderen van grote doeken, die ik exposeer. In galerie Vips in Rotterdam hangen bijvoorbeeld doorlopend doeken van mij, maar ook in galeries in Amsterdam en Den Bosch. Vorig jaar had ik nog een expositie in Rome en deze zomer zelfs in St. Petersburg, waar ik erg blij mee ben. Op dit moment heb ik een expositie in de Bijenkorf Amsterdam. Er hangen schilderijen in de galerie, en in de Chill Out kun je jassen en petjes kopen, waar een zeefdruk van mij op staat. Afgelopen zomer heb ik meegedaan aan een kunstproject waarbij zes kunstenaars ieder een tent beschilderden, die op diverse festivals te zien waren, waaronder Lowlands. Vrij recent heb ik ook nog een auto beschilderd, voor een open dag van een school: de kinderen mochten met Ottograph een auto beschilderen. Dus ik ben met een hoop dingen bezig kun je wel zeggen."
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Ottograph, a large-scale muralist, has been slinging paint since the age of ten. The Modern Art Museum of Antwerpen (Belgium) is home to a giant Ottograph mural. Otto also painted murals in Moscow, Tokyo, Berlin New York and San Fancisco. Ottograph is also operating the website “I Paint Everyday” www.ipainteveryday.com to encourage the tedious, yet necessary practice of serious painting.
Ottograph has worked for clients like Greenpeace, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Mars, Ford, and Merecedes-Benz.
#ottograph
Dutch artist Ottograph created Amsterdam’s first real 24/7 outdoor street art gallery at the Wijdesteeg. This is a pic of the colored paving stones of this smashing aleyway.
#wijdesteeg
Media: illustrator, spraypaint, acrylics, stencil, markers, print and wood.
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De Amsterdammer Ottograph was een van de eerste graffiti artiesten van Amsterdam samen met kunstenaars en vormgevers zoals Shoe en Delta. Begin jaren ’90 was Ottograph een van de eerste VJ’s die met 3d animatie werkte, een gegeven wat hem al snel internationale roem opleverde.
Als vormgever vonden zijn logo’s gretig aftrek onder bedrijven als Microsoft, Nike, Fanta, Panasonic, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Nieuwe Revu en muzikant Junki XL. Ottograph was niet alleen deel van de populaire beeldcultuur hij was ook in zekere mate bepalend voor de koers en de ontwikkeling er van. Tegenwoordig houdt Ottograph zich nog alleen bezig met schilderkunst, waar hij dagelijks verslag van doet op Youtube. Dit maakt hem tot een tegendraadse en eigentijdse Bob Ross. Ottograph heeft actieve deelname aan de populaire beeldcultuur bewust achter zich gelaten maar laat zich er nog wel duidelijk door inspireren in zijn schilderkunst en gebruikt een van de populairste media van vandaag de dag om hier verslag van te doen.
Amsterdam is sinds kort een toeristische attractie rijker genaamd "Ottograph Street". Kunstenaar Otto Kruijsen besloot iets te doen aan de voorheen "enge" Wijdesteeg in het centrum. Zeven maanden later blijkt het een hit op instagram. Toeristen komen er geregeld op af.
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Otto Kruijsen (Ottograph3000)
>> voorbije exposities / past exhibitions
Over de kunstenaar
Woont en werkt in Amsterdam.
'Een pseudoniem biedt geen specifieke voordelen', zegt de kunstenaar die sinds 1993 opereert onder de naam Ottograph Speciale Service, maar 'ik probeer een beetje mysterieus te houden wie of wat er achter Ottograph zit, alsof het een soort kunstbedrijf (factory) is.' Ottograph is actief op het grensgebied van design, illustratie en beeldende kunst. De grens daartussen is aangenaam vaag: een illustratie, gemaakt voor een opdrachtgever, kan geïsoleerd en uitvergroot een tweede leven als kunstwerk gaan leiden. De beelden die hij maakt, zijn strak en clean, tot het uiterste gestileerd en vaak in felle kleuren uitgevoerd. Ze hebben de aantrekkingskracht van logo's, die er zo vanzelfsprekend uitzien alsof ze altijd hebben bestaan. Als illustrator en ontwerper werkte en werkt Ottograph voor onder meer Microsoft, Nike, Panasonic, Ford, Mercedes-Benz en Nieuwe Revu. Zijn bekendste bandlogo maakte hij voor de groep Junkie XL. Over zijn favoriete logo's zegt hij: 'Het is misschien een cliché, maar ik ga voor The Beatles en de Stones. Die 'T' van The Beatles is heel radicaal.
Over het logo van de Stones kan ik kort zijn: een monument. Net als Coca Cola en de 'M'-arcade van McDonald's.' Zijn opleiding kreeg hij op straat, 'tussen de metrostellen.' Op zijn tiende begon hij met graffiti op muren en treinen. Daarna begon hij op doek te werken. Hij zat een jaar lang op de Rietveldacademie in Amsterdam, maar dat was geen succes: 'Veel te soft.' Die kortstondige opleiding en enkele computercursussen niet meegerekend, beschouwt hij zich vooral als autodidact. Gevraagd naar zijn belangrijkste invloeden somt hij op: 'Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, Frank Stella, Jasper Johns, Keith Haring, Kenny Sharf. Andere inspiratiebronnen zijn graffiti, films, Afrikaanse, Mexicaanse en Japanse kunst, muziek, grafische vormgeving.' Op tentoonstellingen exposeert Ottograph zowel computerprints als schilderijen. Het een sluit het ander niet uit, vindt hij: 'Ik beoefen ze naast elkaar en ben juist geïnteresseerd in de wisselwerking ervan. Ik ben beter gaan schilderen sinds ik met de computer werk. Daar staat tegenover dat je op de computer sneller je composities kunt aanpassen.'