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Image Ref: B21926 State Library of South Australia.
Site of St George’s School established 1848, demolished 1891: aka L S Burton’s School.
St George’s School was established 1850 as an adjunct of the Church of England.
The establishment was to be open to those of other denominations who wished to avail themselves of it. As a consequence, its scholars included Jews, Roman Catholics and others. Gawler was at that time an insignificant place, but its school did it credit.
The late Mr Leonard Samuel Burton was the eldest son of the late Mr William Burton, of Dent, Yorkshire, and Chester, England, and was born at Chester, on January 8, 1824. Mr Burton was educated at the King's school in his native town, and was afterwards engaged in business as a chemist and druggist. In 1849 Mr Burton gave up his business and sailed in the "Rajah" for South Australia, arriving here in April, 1850. In September of the same year the late gentleman entered Pulteney Street school as under-master, the Rev E K Miller being the head-master.
Mr Burton afterwards had a school at Saddleworth under the old Education Board, but in June, 1853, he received the appointment of head-master of St George's School, Gawler.
From that time Mr Burton resided in Gawler continuously until his death. He was therefore a resident of nearly 42 years.
On Mr Burton's appointment, sectarian teaching had to be relinquished during the ordinary school hours in compliance with the regulations of the Education Board. In 1857 the school building, which stood on the north side of Orleana Square and was only demolished two or three years ago, had a separate room for girls added to it, and about 30 years ago the present St George's Schoolroom was built. Mr Burton's appointment was fully justified and popular, and successful as the school was prior to that, it became much more so after. Indeed it was regarded as one of the best educational institutions in the colony, and students were sent here from various parts of South Australia. It is impossible within the limits of this sketch to give anything like an adequate notice of St George's School. It was one of the chief features of the town for many years, and the influence it exerted was important and far reaching. One cannot go into any important centre of Australia without encountering someone who is indebted to the instruction he received at St George's.
The late Mr Burton was of marked individuality, and the lines upon which he administered his school were well-defined. With a strictness of discipline he combined a zeal in the cause of education, a painstaking carefulness in the training of each scholar, and a sympathetic interest in the desires and difficulties of his pupils, which inspired confidence on the part of parent and scholar alike. As years rolled by this developed into affection, and there are few men living for whom a warmer regard by an enormous circle of colonists is entertained than for our late townsman. His thorough conscientiousness, his unflagging energy, and his transparent unselfishness were characteristics which marked him strongly both as a teacher and a citizen. St George's School continued to flourish and add to its laurels until the adoption of the Education Act of 1875, when educational matters in the colony were revolutionised. The introduction of the public school system spelt death to many private establishments, and St George's likewise suffered.
How Mr Burton received the appointment of headmaster when the Gawler Model School was opened; how he retained it for two years and six months; how he subsequently re-opened St George's School; how about eighteen months ago he removed the school to his own house; how he was the recipient of a handsomely illuminated address and purse of sovereigns in December, 1893, from his old scholars, are all matters of recent history.
He was one of the most prominent of the history makers of Gawler, and the record of long and useful service which he leaves should act as an inspiration to others to follow the excellent example which he has set them. [Ref: Bunyip (Gawler) 15 March 1895]
Mr Burton’s Funeral Gawler, February 25
The funeral of the late Mr L S Burton took place this afternoon, the cortege leaving the deceased gentleman's house in King Street for the Church of England Cemetery at halfpast 3 o'clock. For some time before a crowd had been gathering and vehicles were arriving in quick succession, making it evident that the procession would be one of the largest that had ever taken place in Gawler, and thus giving evidence of the high esteem in which the deceased was held by all classes of the community.
A number of beautiful wreaths were sent and placed on the coffin, the principal donors being the Gawler Corporation, the institute committee, the Lodge of Fidelity Freemasons, the Gawler Agricultural Society, the present scholars of St George's school, the immediate past scholars, the teachers of the Gawler public school, and many others from private individuals.
A trap containing the members of the corporation led the way and was followed by another with members of the institute committee. Just behind the Freemasons belonging to the Lodge of Fidelity mustered to the number of nearly 40, and, attired in regalia, marched the whole way to the cemetery.
The present and past scholars of the deceased were present in strong force, numbering about 80, and they also walked in the procession.
Next came the hearse, the coffin being almost hidden by wreaths, and after this the principal mourning coaches, followed by nearly 80 vehicles. Passing round by the Albion Mill into Murray Street, large numbers of spectators had collected, and many evidences of mourning were apparent, the shops having their shutters up, and the flag on the Town Hall flying at half-mast. On mounting the hill near the cemetery the sight was a most imposing one, the line of vehicles stretching back as far as the eye could reach. Conspicuous among the procession were the brass helmets of the Fire Brigade, the members of which were mounted on the reel. On reaching the grave, where the Rev Canon Coombs officiated, the burial service was conducted very impressively. The Masonic service was also read by Bro R K Thomson, WM. The chief mourner was Mr William Burton (son), who was accompanied by the Rev E K Miller and Messrs W Cherry and F King, who are intimate friends of the family. [Ref: South Australian Chronicle (Adelaide) Saturday 2 March 1895]
St George’s Anglican Church
The present St George’s Church, in Orleana Square, Gawler, was started in 1858.
Orleana Square was named after the sailing ship ‘Orleana’ which dropped anchor in Holdfast Bay January 1839 bringing Gawler pioneering families from Ireland, Scotland and England.
Those landowning pioneers selected the site of St George’s Church: of local bluestone, and slate tiled roof in 1864 to replace an earlier Anglican church built in 1848.
The buttressed tower, belfry and parapet was built 1910, with bells finally installed in 1921.
The church has stained glass windows lit up at night which display the Gawler Coat of Arms and a memorial to the Reid family amongst others.
A large brass plaque in the church, to the memory of the family of John Reid, a first settler, reads as follows –
“In Memory of
John Reid, of Newry, Ireland, 4th Son of Sam’l Reid Esq, Seneschal of that Borough
Born November 11 1795, Died October 12th 1874, who arrived in South Australia Jan 1839, by the Ship “Orleana” and who with H D Murray of Ochtertyre, Scotland, son of the Sixth Bart, took out the Special Survey and with others laid out the Town of “Gawler” and in whose house the first Church of England service held North of Adelaide was conducted by the Rev’d C B Howard MA.
And of his wife Jane Livingston Born March 11th 1795, died March 26th 1885.
And of their children,
Eliza Sarah born August 16th 1824, died 23rd December 1914.
Samuel born Aug 17th 1825, died March 8th 1859.
William Livingston born October 11th 1827, died July 16th 1900.
John Born October 25th 1929, died 24th October 1916.
Ross Thompson born Feb 2nd 1832, died 10th January 1915.
Richard Jebb Browne born November 7th 1833, died 27 July 1872.”
A pile of strategically placed stones - an insignificant symbol of an argument settled between old friends.
Looking a bit insignificant, 153324 arrives at Birmingham New Street on the 1403 Worcester Shrub Hill - Nottingham.
Wind turbines in the distance, calculated via OS Maps that these were very close to 20 miles away, taken with a 300 mm lens and cropped a bit. I like the way the big golden hour sky dominates this scene with tonal layering of the tree lined fields and buildings in the foreground, makes the turbines look fairly insignificant despite their actual size.
Sihanoukville (Khmer: ក្រុងព្រះសីហនុ, Krong Preah Sihanouk), also known as 'Kompong Som' (Khmer: កំពង់សោម), is a coastal city in Cambodia and the capital city of Sihanoukville Province, located at the tip of an elevated peninsula in the country's south-west at the Gulf of Thailand. The city is flanked by an almost uninterrupted string of beaches along its entire coastline and coastal marshlands bordering the Ream National Park in the East. A number of thinly inhabited islands - under Sihanoukville's administration - are in the city's proximity, where in recent years moderate development has helped to attract a sizable portion of Asia's individual travelers, young students and back-packers.
The city, which was named in honour of former king Norodom Sihanouk, had a population of around 89.800 people and approximately 66.700 in its urban center in 2008. Sihanoukville city encompasses the greater part of four of the five communes (Sangkats) of Sihanoukville provinces' Mittakpheap District. A relatively young city, it has evolved parallel to the construction of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, which commenced in June 1955, as the country's gateway to direct and unrestricted international sea trade. The only deep water port in Cambodia includes a mineral oil terminal and a transport logistics facility. As a consequence, the city grew to become a leading national center of trade, commerce, transport and process manufacturing.
Sihanoukville's many beaches and nearby islands make it Cambodia's premier seaside resort with steadily rising numbers of national visitors and international tourists since the late 20th century. As a result of its economic diversity, the region's natural beauty and the considerable recreational potential, a constantly increasing number of seasonal and permanent foreign residents make Sihanoukville one of the culturally most varied and dynamic population centers in Cambodia. As of 2014 the tourism sector remains insignificant in comparison with neighboring Thailand. Sihanoukville's future will largely be defined by the authorities' capability of a successfully balanced management in order to protect and conserve natural resources on the one hand and the necessities of island - and urban development, increasing visitor numbers, expanding infrastructure, the industrial sector and population growth on the other.
Despite being the country’s premier sea side destination, after decades of war and upheaval the town and its infrastructure remain very much disjointed and architecturally unimpressive. Infrastructure problems persist, in particular related to water and power supply, while international standard health facilities remain limited.
ETYMOLOGY
The official name of the city in Khmer is: Krong (city) Preah (holy) Sihanouk (name of the former king), which adds up to: "City of the holy Sihanouk" or "Honorable Sihanouk City". King Norodom Sihanouk (reigned 1941-1955, 1993-2004) was and still is revered as father of the (modern) nation. The name "Sihanouk" is derived from Sanskrit through two Pali words: Siha (lion), and Hanu (jaws).
The alternative name, Kompong Saom (also romanized as Kompong Som and Kampong Som), (Khmer: កំពង់សោម) means "Port of the Moon" or "Shiva's Port". Saom is derived from the Sanskrit word "saumya", the original (Rig Vedic) meaning of which was "Soma, the juice or sacrifice of the moon-god", but evolved into Pali "moon", "moonlike" "name of Shiva". The word Kampong or Kompong is of Malayan origin and means village or hamlet. Its meaning underwent extension towards pier or river landing bridge.
HISTORY
CLASSICAL PERIOD (BEFORE 1700)
Prior to the ports' and city's foundation works of 1955, the port of Kompong Som must have been only of regional significance - due to the absence of navigable waterways that connect the port with the kingdom's settlement centers. During the many centuries of pre-Angkorian and Angkorian history – from Funan to Chenla and during the Khmer Empire, regional trade was centered at O Keo (Vietnamese: Óc Eo) in the Mekong Delta, now the province of Rạch Giá in Vietnam. The township of Prei Nokor (Saigon) was a commercial center of the Khmer Empire. The Chronicle of Samtec Cauva Vamn Juon - one of the 18th and 19th century Cambodian Royal Chronicles - briefly mentions the region as the country was split into 3 parts during a 9-year civil war from 1476 to 1485: "In 1479, Dhammaraja took on the throne at Catumukh (Phnom Penh) and controlled the provinces of Samraong Tong, Thbong, Kompong Saom, Kampot up to the Bassak, Preah Trapeang, Kramuon Sah, Koh Slaket and Peam"[mouth of the Mekong].
EARLY MODERN PERIOD (AROUND 1700-1863)
From the end of the seventeenth century, Cambodia lost control of the Mekong River route as Vietnamese power expanded into the lower Mekong. During the Nguyen-Siamese War (1717–18) a Siamese fleet burned the port of Kompong Som in 1717 but was defeated by the Vietnamese at Banteay Meas/Ha Tien.[20] A Cambodian king of the late eighteenth century, Outey-Reachea III allied with a Chinese pirate, Mac-Thien-Tu, who had established an autonomous polity based in Ha Tien and controlled the maritime network on the eastern part of the Gulf of Thailand. Ha Tien was located at a point where a river linking to the Bassac River flows into the Gulf of Thailand. Landlocked Cambodia tried to keep its access to maritime trade through Ha Tien. In 1757 Ha Tien acquired the ports of Kampot and Kompong Som as a reward for Mac's military support to the King of Cambodia. Until its destruction in 1771 the port developed into an independent duty-free entrepot - linked with several Chinese trading networks.
Alexander Hamilton, who traveled on the Gulf of Thailand in 1720, wrote that "Kompong Som and Banteay Meas (later Ha Tien) belonged to Cambodia, as Cochin-China was divided from Cambodia by a river (Bassac river) of three leagues broad." and "King Ang Duong constructed a road from his capital of Oudong to Kampot". Kampot remained the only international seaport of Cambodia. "The traveling time between Udong and Kampot was eight days by oxcart and four days by elephants." French Résident Adhemard Leclère wrote: "...Until 1840s, the Vietnamese governed Kampot and Péam [Mekong Delta], but Kompong Som belonged to Cambodia. The Vietnamese constructed a road from Ha Tien to Svai village - on the border with Kompong-Som - via Kampot."
The British Empire followed a distinct policy by the 1850s, seeking to consolidate its influence. Eye witness reports give rare insights, as Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston's agent John Crawfurd reports: "Cambodia was...the Keystone of our policy in these countries, - the King of that ancient Kingdom is ready to throw himself under the protection of any European nation...The Vietnamese were interfering with the trade at Kampot, and this would be the basis of an approach..." Palmerston concluded: "The trade at Kampot - one of the few remaining ports, could never be considerable, in consequence of the main entrance to the country, the Mekong, with all its feeders flowing into the Sea through the territory of Cochin China The country, too, had been devastated by recent Siam - Vietnam wars. Thus, without the aid of Great Britain, Kampot or any other port in Cambodia, can never become a commercial Emporium." Crawfurd later wrote: "The Cambodians... sought to use intervals of peace in the Siam - Vietnam wars to develop intercourse with outside nations. The trade at Kampot which they sought to foster was imperiled by pirates. Here is a point where the wedge might be inserted, that would open the interior of the Indo-Chinese Peninsula to British Commerce, as the great River of the Cambodians traverses its entire length and even affords communication into the heart of Siam".
FRENCH RULE (1863-1954)
Under French rule Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia became a single administrative and economic unit. The coastal region Circonscription Résidentielle with Kampot as its capital contained the Arrondissements of Kampot, Kompong Som, Trang and Kong-Pisey. The establishment of another international trading center near the existing city of Saigon was not considered necessary. Focus remained the Mekong and the idea to establish an alternative route to Chinese and Thai internal markets along an uninterrupted navigable waterway from the Red River to the Mekong Delta.
INSURRECTION
An insurrection that took place from 1885 to 1887 further discouraged French ambition. It started in Kampot and quickly spread to Veal Rinh, Kampong Seila, and Kompong Som, where the insurgents were led by a Chinese pirate named Quan-Khiem. He managed to control the northern part of Preah Sihanouk for some time until he - an old man - was arrested by Preah Sihanouk's governor.
The most notable infrastructural improvements of this period were the construction of Route Coloniale No.17, later renamed National Road No.3 and the national railway system, although work on the "Southern Line" - from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville - only began in 1960.
AFTER INDIPENDENCE (SINCE 1954)
The city's and province's alternative name Kampong som (Kampong Som) was adopted from the local indigenous community. After the dissolution of French Indochina in 1954, it became apparent that the steadily tightening control of the Mekong Delta by Vietnam required a solution to gain unrestricted access to the seas. Plans were made to construct an entirely new deep-water port. Kompong Saom (Kampong Som) was selected for water depth and ease of access. In August 1955, a French/Cambodian construction team cut a base camp into the unoccupied jungle in the area that is now known as Hawaii Beach. Funds for construction of the port came from France and the road was financed by the USA.
During the Vietnam War the port became an intensive military facility on both sides, in the service of National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and after 1970, under the government of Lon Nol, in the service of the United States.
The port was the last place to be evacuated by the US Army, only days before Khmer Rouge guerrillas took control of the government in April 1975. The events surrounding the taking of the US container ship SS Mayaguez and its crew on 12 May by the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent rescue operation by US Marines played out on the waters of Koh Tang off the coast of Sihanoukville. During the two days of action, the US commenced air strikes on targets on the mainland of Sihanoukville including the port, the Ream Naval Base, an airfield, the railroad yard and the petroleum refinery in addition to strikes and naval gun fire on several islands.
After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime in 1979 and the subsequent opening of the economy, the port of Sihanoukville resumed its importance in the development and recovery of the country. With the further opening of new markets in 1999, the city regained its role in the economic growth of Cambodia.
In 1993, the Ream National Park was established per royal decree of former King Sihanouk.
The Sihanoukville Municipality was elevated to a regular province on 22 December 2008 after King Norodom Sihamoni signed a Royal Decree converting the municipalities of Kep, Pailin and Sihanoukville into provinces.
In 2006 the Koh Puos (Cambodia) Investment Group submitted an application, planning to invest $276 million in converting the 116-hectare Koh Puos - Snake island into a luxury residential - and resort complex. After the completion of certain elements of the infrastructure, the investor announced alterations of the original blueprints, as "Reapplying for permission will happen in 2014..." according to the Council of the Development of Cambodia.
On 26 May 2011 Preah Sihanouk area joined the Paris-based club Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde (The most Beautiful Bays in the World). The organisation officially accepts the Bay of Cambodia as one of its members at the 7th General Assembly.
BEACHES
Sihanoukville's beaches are one of the city's most valuable ecological and economic resource with varying degrees of commercial exploitation. The beaches listed in this section do not include any of the island's beaches.
- Ochheuteal Beach, ឆ្នេរអូរឈើទាល: is a 3.3 km long strip of white sand beach and although the name translates to "Creek/Estuary of the Tiel tree" it is lined with Casuarina and Tamarisk trees. Grass umbrellas, rental chairs in front of around 30 standardized beach huts serve meals, drinks and entertainment. Well established middle class hotels and high-profile residences flank the beach along its Northern part. The sustainability of Ochheuteal beach was a primary consideration of various stakeholders, which brought about the development of a tourism development and management plan in 2005. The Southern half remains - apart from some hotels at its far end - essentially undeveloped.
- Serendipity Beach: Technically the western end (roughly one fifth or 600 m) of Ochheuteal beach, is very popular with Western tourists and has a few small guesthouses right on the beach. It has been named by an American fellow, who came here in the Nineties. Struck by its (then) unspoiled beauty and pristine condition, he came up with the term, which quickly entered common vocabulary.
- Otres Beach, ្នេរអូរត្រេស: is around 4.6 km long and beyond the small "Queen hill" headland at the southern end of Ochheuteal Beach. Its long white sand strip, also completely lined with Casuarina and Tamarisk trees, is far less developed and commercialized than Ochheuteal Beach and has developed into a preferred lodging place for Western visitors. From 2004 to 2011 this beach was occupied by numerous bungalows and dormitories, run by Western people. Due to the element of illegality of on-beach accommodation, among other reasons, police cleaned up the area in May 2011, removing the greater part of the beach-side bungalows. Permanent structures beyond the beach road supplement the remaining places since 2012. It is a very popular, well established holiday retreat – where prices have risen considerably over the course of the last years.
- Sokha Beach: Sokha Beach is around 1.2 km long and located west of Serendipity Beach. The beach is privately owned by - and its southern half occupied by the Sokha Beach Hotel, the first five-star luxury beach hotel in Cambodia. While the beach is well kept and many facilities are provided, visitors have to pay for their use and beach vendors are not allowed.
- Independence Beach: Independence Beach is around 1.3 km long and located north-west of Sokha Beach. The beach is named after the Independence Hotel, another example of New Khmer Architecture, towering on top of a rock at the beaches northern end.
- Victory Beach: Victory beach is around 300 m long and situated at the furthest north of the peninsula of Sihanoukville. It was heavily used by backpackers and is still popular with budget travelers. The deep water port is located at the northern end of the beach. A consortium of Russian business people undertook large scale development here. The beach is regularly maintained.
- Lamherkay/Hawaii Beach: is the southern succession of Victory Beach, situated north of Independence Beach. It is a strip of similar length as Victory Beach - around 300 m. Here is the very place where the French/Cambodian construction team's groundwork began for the construction of the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port in 1955.
- Treasure Island Beach south of Lamherkay/Hawaii Beach is less than 50 m long and its entire length is fringed with concrete steps and wooden pavilions of a big Cambodian seafood restaurant.
- Hun Sen (Prek Treng) Beach, ឆ្នេរព្រែកត្រែង: is the northernmost beach of the city with a length of around 1.5 km, situated behind the local port and essentially empty without beach huts and bars, it sees only weekend - and holiday visitors. The water is very shallow, but the area is lacking favorable infrastructure and is not regularly cleaned.
WIKIPEDIA
"Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people."
Carl Sagan
While walking round the main civic cemetery in Norwich in late May 2021 I came across this headstone of a young man, Sidney George Dunton, aged 19, who had died on the 25th July 1916.
In ever
loving memory of
SIDNEY GEORGE DUNTON
who died July 25th 1916.
Aged 19 years.
Thy Will be done.
Also of JAMES ALEXANDER DUNTON who died May 4th 1943. Aged 79 years. At Rest.
MARY ANN DUNTON
Wife of JAMES ALEXANDER DUNTON
Died September(?) 9th 195?
Aged 92
Nothing there to indicate military service, and normally I would have just added him to my collection of photographs of headstones from the cemetery of men and women of military age who died during and immediately after the Great War. The intention was to research those after I had investigated all the known war deaths in Earlham Cemetery.
However for some reason when I got home I decided to check it out.
I know from my reading over the years that a not insignificant number of deaths related to the Great War have been missed in the official commemorations. The body charged with doing this recognition in the UK is the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, (CWGC). Their statutory duty to remember those individuals in perpetuity doesn’t just consists of those who died while serving from the 5th August 1914 to the 11th November 1918 – it actually goes up to the 31st August 1921 – but also those who died post-discharge if it was as a result of a medical factor which was either attributable to or aggravated by their service and which led to their discharge.
It is this last scenario that applies here – as we shall see.
My first check was the Medal Index Card record at the National Archive. These cards were literally that – Index Cards raised at the relevant army records office to keep track of the documentation relating to the issue of service and other medals and the related correspondence. Only men who served overseas were entitled to Service Medals, while gallantry awards were also unlikely to be earned by those serving in the UK only.
There is just one Medal Index Card for a Sidney George Dunton - he was a Bombardier 1786, 1st East Anglian Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, but his was raised for a different reason. That Sidney received the Silver War Badge. Created in 1916 it was the issued to men who were honourably discharged for whatever reason before the official end of the Great War. Those who were already discharged could apply for it. It’s scope included those who had served only in the UK.
The Card for Sidney is held at the National Archive under reference WO 372/6/126499
discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D3419727
There are actually surviving service records for that soldier, who enlisted in the 2/1st Battery, 1st East Anglian Brigade, Royal Field Artillery, (Territorial Force) on the 8th of March 1915. His next of kin was his father, James Alexander Dunton. The address given by Sidney on enlistment and as the address of his father was 4 Rutland Street, Norwich. He was discharged on the 12th November 1915 as no longer physically fit to serve as a result of a tubercle on the lung.
He was initially turned down for a pension as the tubercle was deemed as neither caused or aggravated by his service. Sidney case was taken up by his MP, initially unsuccessfully, but he appealed again and this was heard on the 1st April 1916. Sidney claimed he was fit and robust until he spent the autumn of 1915 under canvas at Hertford, and his condition, if not caused, was certainly aggravated by the damp conditions.
On the 13th April 1916 the Medical Appeals board issued its decision, deciding that his condition was “Aggravated by vitality being unduly lowered by exertion + subsequent infection by T.B.” His disability was deemed permanent and it totally prevented him from working.
A pension was awarded, while his father put in a claim for additional assistance for caring for him at home. But Sidney was to see little benefit from this.
The nearest I can find in his service record to his potential status at the time of his death is an official Ministry of Pensions letter sent to the Chelsea Hospital notifying that he had died on the 25th July 1916. It does refer to him as a pensioner, but gets his middle name wrong.
What survives in the way of record cards from the Ministry of Pensions give his first name as “Sydney” rather than “Sidney” and at least one of them uses the same incorrect middle name as the letter sent to the Chelsea Hospital. None gives a home address, and only one hints that he was dead, but gives no specific date.
So all I had so far was a soldier from Norwich, Sidney \ Sydney George Dunton, who had a father, James Alexander Dunton, discharged with Tuberculosis which he contracted while serving and who probably died on the 25th July 1916.
Name, fathers’ name and date of death would appear to tie up with the details on the headstone. But that wouldn’t be enough to get him accepted as a missed commemoration by the CWGC. I had no proof that the man buried beneath this headstone had ever served, and all those matches between the details on the headstone and the details in his service record were anything more than co-incidence – however unlikely.
Additionally to also get not just him, but this specific plot accepted as a War Grave. I would need to find the actual burial plot reference.
My next stop was the Local Studies area of the Millienium Library in the Forum at Norwich. This was the height of the pandemic, so I had to book my slot well in advance, telling them at the time which specific resources, (no more than 5), that I required, and on arrival had to sit so far apart from the other 4 people allowed in any one time so as to need binoculars to see them!
I’d ordered the burial register for the Earlham Cemetery for 1916, (for Sidney) and 1943, (for his father), as well as three local newspaper titles for the end of July 1916. The newspapers proved a wash out, and the burial register for Sidney only recorded him living in the parish of Holy Trinity, Norwich, the son of James Alexander Dunton.
While the home address of the soldier and his father, 4 Rutland Street, Norwich, certainly fell within the parish of Holy Trinity, so did a couple of thousand other addresses. For CWGC purposes the chance of co-incidence was still in play.
But the 1943 Bural Register entry for the father gave his home address as 4 Rutland Street. He was a Boot Manufacturers Manager. Yes this was some 27 years after the death of the son, but already stretching the boundaries of co-incidence. And the two separate entries shows that both men were buried in Section 36, Grave 103.
That gave me the final impetus to send off for the death certificate for Sidney. When it turned up it confirned that the 19 year old “Sydney” George Dunton had died on the 25th July 1916 at 4 Rutland Street, Norwich. He was the son of James Alexander Dunton, a Boot Manufacturers Foreman, who was present at the death. The attending physician gave his causes of death as:-
1)Tubercular disease, from which he had suffered 10 months.
2)Exhaustion
To me the case now seemed undeniable. So I wrote it up and submitted it along with the supporting documents to the CWGC. I’d seen online from those who had submitted cases that the process could take years to even just get a case accepted for consideration – and this had got worse during the pandemic.
I made by submission on the 12th July 2021 and crossed my fingers – this was the first time I’d ever done this.
The first hurdle to get over was for the CWGC to accept there was even a case to consider – that he wasn’t already on their database, that there wasn’t a case already going through, and that broadly he met the criteria for consideration as amongst the war dead.
Much to my surprise, 25 days later I heard this hurdle had been overcome, and the case had been submitted to the Army for consideration.
As of today, (25th November 2021), I have heard nothing further about that investigation. But independently I have been alerted that “Sydney” was included on a list of missed commemorations that were announced as now accepted as amongst the war dead by the CWGC on the 5th November 2021. The Army must have taken a favourable view of my submission.
The CWGC are probably still attempting to track down the owners of the plot where Sidney is buried. For now he is to be listed in the UK Book of Remembrance but he now has his own webpage on the CWGC website. www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/...
As you can see the headstone is still legible enough that the CWGC won’t need to add one of their own design just yet.
But he will now be listed among the many who lost their lives out of the desire to defend their country.
We shall remember them.
Challenge #14:
Photograph something you consider insignificant.
– Riitta Ikonen & Karoline Hjorth
After serious consideration I decided that the Feral Pigeon (or Columba Livia) was the most insignificant "something" I could think of to photograph for Challenge #14.
However, by giving so much thought to where and how to photograph the pigeons, and the time and effort taken to do it, I suppose they have in some way become significant after all.
"The landscapes are insignificant for large landscape; rare and remarkable landscapes are small. "- Friedrich Nietzsche
Photo: Yuri Borba | Mangalore - RJ.
Soul Hunter Design ©
VISIONS OF EVERYDAY series
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“As paisagens insignificantes existem para os grandes paisagistas; as paisagens raras e notáveis são para os pequenos.” - Friedrich Nietzsche
Foto: Yuri Borba | Mangaratiba – RJ.
Projeto Caçador de Almas ©
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A mosquito floating on calm waters of Tso Moriri, Ladakh. Blue and yellow patterns are reflections of sky and mountains)
I might be too insignificant to leave traces on Earth, but I'm big enough to hold the traces the Earth leaves in me
26 by 26 - Challenge #14: 'Photograph something you consider insignificant.' - Riitta Ikonen & Karoline Hjorth
Foto feta a l'estany d'espolla.
Aquest estany té grans canvis. En temps de molta pluja, aquest estany s'ompla amb l'aigua provocant uns reflexes i uns salts d'aigua impresionants. Però no és tot, amb l'aigua d'aquest estany, neixen uns animals prehistorics anomanats triops.
Però tot canvia quan estem unes setmanes sense pluja, el mateix estany es va buidant poc a poc deixant aquestes extensions de vegatació seca, i treient la vida a aquests animalets, on tornaran a neixer el dia que torni a ploura amb acces!!!
26by26
Challenge #14:
Photograph something you consider insignificant.
– Riitta Ikonen & Karoline Hjorth
Come to the Dark Side—We Have Chocolate!* Remember, the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the chocolate. Just what you need to maintain order in the break room in your spacecraft—a Sith Lord! The other members of the crew will surrender helplessly to the power of the candy coated covering the dark and delicious substance made from the fermented dried seed nibs of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree—or else. And then you can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy!
Serves as a coin bank too! Place a coin in the slot and turn the knob, to enjoy! (Coins are not required to dispense candy) Globe is made of washable clear plastic, with matching durable plastic base and character topper. Dispenser comes with two fun size (1.06 oz) starter packs of M&M's candy.
And that’s not all—for the lucky winner there’s also a bonus 12.6 ounce bag of milk chocolate m&m’s® included with the dispenser. Invented in 1941 by a Martian** these extra tasty performance enhancing anti-oxidant pellets will melt in your mouth but not in your hand.
*Caution: Overindulgence in chocolate may cause inflation around the midsection, increased tendencies toward evil and heavy, labored breathing.
** Forrest Edward Mars (1904-1999) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Mars,_Sr.
Soviet propaganda poster from the 1980s. I believe it says something to the effect of: "Women of the whole Earth, let it sound louder!" By "I believe", I mean that's what google tells me it says.
Chinese lantern plants bear white flowers, but the flowers are insignificant and not the reason for which the plants are grown. Rather, the plants are grown for the 2-inch wide papery pods or "calyxes" (calyces), that eventually envelop the flowers. Each of the pods later encases a berry with seeds. In fall, they turn bright orange! These pods are reminiscent of some traditional Chinese lanterns (the lit kind) in shape -- and even more so for their papery texture -- thus the name. Leaves are heart-shaped. Plants are low-growing, reaching a maximum of 2 feet in height (but usually shorter).
Taken in 2014.
A lonely reader looked insignificant in the vast open space of the Seattle Public Library.
Explore #261 12 May 2008
These tiny Echeveria flowers look so insignificant on their thin little stems poking up from the fat green leaves in among the rocks.
It's only when you approach them with a macro lens in hand that you see their true beauty.
Original size shows them best.
"Try to maintain perfectly pure thoughts in all circumstances, so that even the most insignificant of your acts will preserve their positive energy until you attain enlightenment. A drop of water that falls into the ocean will last as long as the ocean itself."
- H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche
This one is easy to say, but try never saying a negative thing about anyone else.
Location: Mavericks, Pillar Point, North end of Half Moon Bay, California, USA very low tide with the waves coming in. Note - it is nearly impossible to get down there without stepping on little living creatures.
I have never been one of those mothering, nurturing, indulgent girlfriends but when my boyfriend had knee surgery and needed help at home I was hopeful that I could cope with a week of not calling him a c**t (out loud). Perhaps I could also manage to look after him.
To my delight, the first thing that I discovered as a carer was that it would be necessary to sleep in the spare room to allow the invalid to lie sprawled without risk of the operation site being kicked in the night. I didn’t even have to use any of my usual excuses for this special treat. This carer thing might not be so bad.’ I thought as I snuggled up in a nice, peaceful, empty bed, leaving him lying prone in the other room, unable to move.
“Just call me if you need anything at all darling.” I called to him across the landing. Then I put my earplugs in.
I had an excellent night’s sleep. I don’t know about him but when I went into his room he hadn’t moved and was still alive so success all round.
On the first day of being a carer I got up half an hour early to make him coffee and toast and a banana smoothie for elevenses. As I helped him out of bed my voice was singing with positivity and delight. I went down the stairs before him and braced myself to break his fall if he stumbled. I stood outside the shower in case he slipped; “Here’s the shampoooooo! And here is the conditionerrrrrrrr!” I poured out measured globs right into his very hands. “Now scrub your front botty and back botty!” I helped him put on his compression stocking. I was as gentle as a fairy. It took ages, gradually feeding the nylon millimetre by millimetre up his limb. The touch of my fingers was as soft as petals.
My enthusiasm soon began to wane though.
By the third day, his breakfast was some stale fruit loops. I stood impatiently outside the shower and kicked the shampoo bottle towards his feet. “That’s long enough now, you’re done. Don’t bother with conditioner no one is going to see you. No need to scrub down there, I’m not going near that end of you for at least a week anyway.” I bunched his stocking up into a two-inch wodge and figured that a bit of a run up would give it momentum up the leg. The seat he was on was pushed backwards with the force of my application; my knuckles were white with the pressure I was applying. When he mentioned that I was causing him tremendous pain by bending his knee I grabbed his ankle with one hand and held it steady while my other hand pushed ever harder. Once I had got it over the heel I stopped. “You can do the rest now.”
I was angry that the socks he wanted me to put on him every day were so tight. I told him he needed bigger, looser ones. I looked in his drawer for some whose elastic had perished. No luck.
On the fourth day when he wanted yet another shower I blurted out; “You don’t need a shower, you haven’t done anything.”
By the fifth day I still got up half an hour early, but now it was so that I could leave for work before he had managed to get out of bed and down the stairs.
On the first day I returned home from work, laden with delicious foods for the invalid. I came rushing into the living room to greet him and tend to his every need. By the fifth day when I came home I knew that he would be sat on the sofa and couldn’t have gone anywhere else so I didn’t go and greet him until I was two glasses of wine in.
On the first day I went out and bought him two pairs of lovely soft, comfy house trousers and I was thrilled when he wanted to put them straight on. By the third day he wanted to change into the clean pair. Thinking about how long it would take to help him out of his trousers and how I needed to leave for work I said; “For god’s sake you don’t need to change into fresh trousers already you can stay in those ones until I get home.” And I flung the other trousers out of his reach. The power was getting to me. Never before had I been able to stop him from changing his trousers, never before had I wanted to stop him, but now I felt like a god – ‘YOU SHALL NOT CHANGE YOUR TROUSERS UNTIL I DEEM IT SO.’
On the first day I was all official and bossy-nurse about his exercises; “Right, It’s E X E R C I S E time!” Are you ready? First one . . . .
“It’s too soon to do them. It’s only been a day.”
“But darling, it says here to start doing them straight away, come on let’s try this first one together and get your beautiful knee back to full strength.”
On the third day he questioned yet again every exercise he was supposed to do.
“Ok, so clench and release your buttocks ten times.”
“Well I don’t need to clench both do I, I only have one bad side.”
“If you can clench just one buttock, fine, but the blood clot may be hiding in the buttock that you don’t clench and you might die and you haven’t bothered to sort out your will yet have you?”
By the fifth day I flung the exercise instruction sheet at him and said, “Do them, don’t do them, I don’t care, but I imagine farting counts as exercise so I’m sure you’ll do much more than your required quota.”
At the end of the week it was necessary for me to rejoin him in the non-marital bed. For five days he had slept diagonally across a king size mattress with his leg propped up under ALL the pillows. I went to bed first. I don’t think that the carer is meant to go to bed before the caree, but I need to squirrel away some pillows. I lay worrying about the logistics. ‘So if he lies on the right hand side of me, his bad left knee is in the middle of the bed, closest to me. What if I roll over and clonk it?’ I could just imagine the yell that he would emit, or rather I could imagine a yelp and then absolute silence because it would be so incredibly painful that he couldn’t even articulate it audibly. I therefore slept like I was bivouacking, on the outer three inches of the bed crossing my arms and legs to stop them flailing dangerously in the night.
After a week I was about ready to kill us both. Not only had I lost all enthusiasm, so had he. The thankyous and grateful puppy eyes had stopped and now he just expected things done for him that he had always been perfectly able to do himself. And I was waiting for him to get better. What if I was caring for him and he was only going to deteriorate? I know now that I could never look after a partner in circumstances of illness, old age, or idleness. No matter how much I loved them at the start, at the end of just one week my barely concealed negative characteristics of intolerance, impatience, and grouchiness would rise to the top. I would be the wife that bailed out just before my husband could no longer put his socks on. But I wouldn’t want anyone else to have to look after me either. I couldn’t bear to see the love dribble away to be replaced by duty. I would want my loved one to remember me when I was able to leave the room in a huff under my own steam, without requiring help.
Loved ones and relatives should never be given the job of carer. You can only adequately ‘care’ for someone that you don’t officially care about. If you are being paid, you get on with the job and nothing is personal. If you are doing the caring for the love of the person, to show your dedication to them that love will rapidly drain away. My utterly insignificant experience of being a carer for a piddly week was enough to make me realise just how hard it would be to be a full time carer. There are too many conflicts, you try to be selfless in doing everything for him, but you, secretly, in return want him to be uber grateful to you. He can’t possibly say thank you endlessly, for every single thing, but deep down really you want him to. I started to become suspicious of him, After a week, when he was due to be mobile again I wondered whether he was using the ‘I’m not allowed to get up’ excuse long after it was no longer applicable. I started to get annoyed that once he started to get up and move about he was willing to do things only partially. He could take his dirty plate over to the dishwasher, but he wasn’t able to put it inside.
Five days after the op and I had started to shout at him to stop limping.
Operation number two (requiring a whole month of lolling on the sofa) is coming up. I can’t promise I won’t call him a c**t this time.
Varanasi, also known as Benares, or Kashi is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism, and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".
The Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi, and an essential part of all religious celebrations. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the Ganges. The city has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and has a history that is older than most of the major world religions. The Benares Gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed in Varanasi, and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in Varanasi. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, located near Varanasi.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India. It is often referred to as "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of Shiva", and "the city of learning". Scholarly books have been written in the city, including the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas. Today, there is a temple of his namesake in the city, the Tulsi Manas Mandir. The current temples and religious institutions in the city are dated to the 18th century. One of the largest residential universities of Asia, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is located here.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Varanasi possibly originates from the names of the two rivers: Varuna, still flowing in Varanasi, and Asi, a small stream near Assi Ghat. The old city does lie on the north shores of Ganges River bounded by its two tributaries Varuna and Asi. Another speculation is that the city derives its name from the river Varuna, which was called Varanasi in olden times.[11] This is generally disregarded by historians. Through the ages, Varanasi has been known by many names including Kāśī or Kashi (used by pilgrims dating from Buddha's days), Kāśikā (the shining one), Avimukta ("never forsaken" by Shiva), Ānandavana (the forest of bliss), and Rudravāsa (the place where Rudra/Śiva resides).
In the Rigveda, the city is referred to as Kāśī or Kashi, the luminous city as an eminent seat of learning. The name Kāśī is also mentioned in the Skanda Purana. In one verse, Shiva says, "The three worlds form one city of mine, and Kāśī is my royal palace therein." The name Kashi may be translated as "City of Light".
HISTORY
According to legend, Varanasi was founded by the God Shiva. The Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata are also stated to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra war. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities which can provide Moksha:
The earliest known archaeological evidence suggests that settlement around Varanasi in the Ganga valley (the seat of Vedic religion and philosophy) began in the 11th or 12th century BC, placing it among the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. These archaeological remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by Vedic people. However, the Atharvaveda (the oldest known text referencing the city), which dates to approximately the same period, suggests that the area was populated by indigenous tribes. It is possible that archaeological evidence of these previous inhabitants has yet to be discovered. Recent excavations at Aktha and Ramnagar, two sites very near to Varanasi, show them to be from 1800 BC, suggesting Varanasi started to be inhabited by that time too. Varanasi was also home to Parshva, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and the earliest Tirthankara accepted as a historical figure in the 8th century BC.
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. During the time of Gautama Buddha (born circa 567 BC), Varanasi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kashi. Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BC when he gave his first sermon, "Turning the Wheel of Law", at nearby Sarnath. The celebrated Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who visited the city around 635 AD, attested that the city was a centre of religious and artistic activities, and that it extended for about 5 kilometres along the western bank of the Ganges. When Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsiang, visited Varanasi in the 7th century, he named it "Polonisse" and wrote that the city had some 30 temples with about 30 monks. The city's religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.
In ancient times, Varanasi was connected by a road starting from Taxila and ending at Pataliputra during the Mauryan Empire. In 1194, the city succumbed to Turkish Muslim rule under Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who ordered the destruction of some one thousand temples in the city. The city went into decline over some three centuries of Muslim occupation, although new temples were erected in the 13th century after the Afghan invasion. Feroz Shah ordered further destruction of Hindu temples in the Varanasi area in 1376. The Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi continued the suppression of Hinduism in the city and destroyed most of the remaining older temples in 1496. Despite the Muslim rule, Varanasi remained the centre of activity for intellectuals and theologians during the Middle Ages, which further contributed to its reputation as a cultural centre of religion and education. Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389 and hailed as "the most outstanding of the saint-poets of Bhakti cult (devotion) and mysticism of 15th-Century India"; and Ravidas, a 15th-century socio-religious reformer, mystic, poet, traveller, and spiritual figure, who was born and lived in the city and employed in the tannery industry. Similarly, numerous eminent scholars and preachers visited the city from across India and south Asia. Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507, a trip that played a large role in the founding of Sikhism.
In the 16th century, Varanasi experienced a cultural revival under the Muslim Mughal emperor Akbar who invested in the city, and built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The Raja of Poona established the Annapurnamandir and the 200 metres Akbari Bridge was also completed during this period. The earliest tourists began arriving in the city during the 16th century. In 1665, the French traveller Jean Baptiste Tavernier described the architectural beauty of the Vindu Madhava temple on the side of the Ganges. The road infrastructure was also improved during this period and extended from Kolkata to Peshawar by Emperor Sher Shah Suri; later during the British Raj it came to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road. In 1656, emperor Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of many temples and the building of mosques, causing the city to experience a temporary setback. However, after Aurangazeb's death, most of India was ruled by a confederacy of pro-Hindu kings. Much of modern Varanasi was built during this time by the Rajput and Maratha kings, especially during the 18th century, and most of the important buildings in the city today date to this period. The kings continued to be important through much of the British rule (1775–1947 AD), including the Maharaja of Benares, or Kashi Naresh. The kingdom of Benares was given official status by the Mughals in 1737, and continued as a dynasty-governed area until Indian independence in 1947, during the reign of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. In the 18th century, Muhammad Shah ordered the construction of an observatory on the Ganges, attached to Man Mandir Ghat, designed to discover imperfections in the calendar in order to revise existing astronomical tables. Tourism in the city began to flourish in the 18th century. In 1791, under the rule of the British Governor-General Warren Hastings, Jonathan Duncan founded a Sanskrit College in Varanasi. In 1867, the establishment of the Varanasi Municipal Board led to significant improvements in the city.
In 1897, Mark Twain, the renowned Indophile, said of Varanasi, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." In 1910, the British made Varanasi a new Indian state, with Ramanagar as its headquarters but with no jurisdiction over the city of Varanasi itself. Kashi Naresh still resides in the Ramnagar Fort which is situated to the east of Varanasi, across the Ganges. Ramnagar Fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Varanasi. Since the 18th century, the fort has been the home of Kashi Naresh, deeply revered by the local people. He is the religious head and some devout inhabitants consider him to be the incarnation of Shiva. He is also the chief cultural patron and an essential part of all religious celebrations.
A massacre by British troops, of the Indian troops stationed here and of the population of the city, took place during the early stages of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Annie Besant worked in Varanasi to promote theosophy and founded the Central Hindu College which later became a foundation for the creation of Banaras Hindu University as a secular university in 1916. Her purpose in founding the Central Hindu College in Varanasi was that she "wanted to bring men of all religions together under the ideal of brotherhood in order to promote Indian cultural values and to remove ill-will among different sections of the Indian population."
Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India on 15 October 1948. After the death of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh in 2000, his son Anant Narayan Singh became the figurehead king, responsible for upholding the traditional duties of a Kashi Naresh.
MAIN SIGHTS
Varanasi's "Old City", the quarter near the banks of the Ganga river, has crowded narrow winding lanes flanked by road-side shops and scores of Hindu temples. As atmospheric as it is confusing, Varanasi's labyrinthine Old City has a rich culture, attracting many travellers and tourists. The main residential areas of Varanasi (especially for the middle and upper classes) are situated in regions far from the ghats; they are more spacious and less polluted.
Museums in and around Varanasi include Jantar Mantar, Sarnath Museum, Bharat Kala Bhawan and Ramnagar Fort.
JANTAR MANTAR
The Jantar Mantar observatory (1737) is located above the ghats on the Ganges, much above the high water level in the Ganges next to the Manmandir Ghat, near to Dasaswamedh Ghat and adjoining the palace of Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur. Compared to the observatories at Jaipur and Delhi, it is less well equipped but has a unique equatorial sundial which is functional and allows measurements to be monitored and recorded by one person.
RAMNAGAR FORT
The Ramnagar Fort located near the Ganges River on its eastern bank, opposite to the Tulsi Ghat, was built in the 18th century by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh with creamy chunar sandstone. It is in a typically Mughal style of architecture with carved balconies, open courtyards, and scenic pavilions. At present the fort is not in good repair. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares. It has been the home of the Kashi Naresh since the 18th century. The current king and the resident of the fort is Anant Narayan Singh who is also known as the Maharaja of Varanasi even though this royal title has been abolished since 1971. Labeled "an eccentric museum", it has a rare collection of American vintage cars, sedan chairs (bejeweled), an impressive weaponry hall and a rare astrological clock. In addition, manuscripts, especially religious writings, are housed in the Saraswati Bhawan. Also included is a precious handwritten manuscript by Goswami Tulsidas. Many books illustrated in the Mughal miniature style, with beautifully designed covers are also part of the collections. Because of its scenic location on the banks of the Ganges, it is frequently used as an outdoor shooting location for films. The film titled Banaras is one of the popular movies shot here. However, only a part of the fort is open for public viewing as the rest of the area is the residence of the Kashi Naresh and his family. It is 14 kilometres from Varanasi.
GHATS
Ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Ghats in Varanasi are an integral complement to the concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical and supernatural elements. All the ghats are locations on "the divine cosmic road", indicative of "its manifest transcendental dimension" Varanasi has at least 84 ghats. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of River Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat (where Hindus cremate their dead). Many ghats are associated with legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats enhance the river front with a multitude of shrines, temples and palaces built "tier on tier above the water’s edge".
The Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varansi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It is believed that Brahma created it to welcome Shiva and sacrificed ten horses during the Dasa -Ashwamedha yajna performed here. Above the ghat and close to it, there are also temples dedicated to Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara, Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, Ganga (the Ganges), and Bandi Devi which are part of important pilgrimage journeys. A group of priests perform "Agni Pooja" (Worship to Fire) daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the whole universe. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the Mahasmasana (meaning: "great cremation ground") and is the primary site for Hindu cremation in the city. Adjoining the ghat, there are raised platforms that are used for death anniversary rituals. It is said that an ear-ring (Manikarnika) of Shiva or his wife Sati fell here. According to a myth related to the Tarakesvara Temple, a Shiva temple at the ghat, Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra ("Prayer of the crossing") in the ear of the dead. Fourth-century Gupta period inscriptions mention this ghat. However, the current ghat as a permanent riverside embankment was built in 1302 and has been renovated at least three times.
TEMPLES
Among the estimated 23000 temples in Varanasi, the most worshiped are: the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple; and the Durga Temple known for the band of monkeys that reside in the large trees nearby.
Located on the outskirts of the Ganges, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple – dedicated to Varanasi's presiding deity Shiva (Vishwanath – "Lord of the world") – is an important Hindu temple and one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva temples. It is believed that a single view of Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is worth more than that of other jyotirlingas. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The Gyanvapi Mosque, which is adjacent to the temple, is the original site of the temple. The temple, as it exists now, also called Golden Temple, was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. The two pinnacles of the temple are covered in gold, donated in 1839 by Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Punjab and the remaining dome is also planned to be gold plated by the Ministry of Culture & Religious Affairs of Uttar Pradesh. On 28 January 1983, the temple was taken over by the government of Uttar Pradesh and its management was transferred to a trust with then Kashi Naresh, Vibhuti Narayan Singh, as president and an executive committee with a Divisional Commissioner as chairman. Numerous rituals, prayers and aratis are held daily, starting from 2:30 am till 11:00 pm.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu god Hanuman situated by the Assi River, on the way to the Durga and New Vishwanath temples within the Banaras Hindu University campus. The present temple structure was built in early 1900s by the educationist and freedom fighter, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of Banaras Hindu University. It is believed the temple was built on the very spot where the medieval Hindu saint Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman. Thousands flock to the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays, weekdays associated with Hanuman. On 7 March 2006, in a terrorist attack one of the three explosions hit the temple while the Aarti was in progress when numerous devotees and people attending a wedding were present and many were injured. However, normal worship was resumed the next day with devotees visiting the temple and reciting hymns of Hanuman Chalisa (authored by Tulidas) and Sundarkand (a booklet of these hymns is provided free of charge in the temple). After the terrorist incident, a permanent police post was set up inside the temple.
There are two temples named "Durga" in Varanasi, Durga Mandir (built about 500 years ago), and Durga Kund (built in the 18th century). Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Durga Kund during Navratri to worship the goddess Durga. The temple, built in Nagara architectural style, has multi-tiered spires[96] and is stained red with ochre, representing the red colour of Durga. The building has a rectangular tank of water called the Durga Kund ("Kund" meaning a pond or pool). Every year on the occasion of Nag Panchami, the act of depicting the god Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha is recreated in the Kund.
While the Annapurna Temple, located close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of food, the Sankatha Temple close to the Sindhia Ghat is dedicated to Sankatha, the goddess of remedy. The Sankatha temple has a large sculpture of a lion and a nine temple cluster dedicated to the nine planets.
Kalabhairav Temple, an ancient temple located near the Head Post Office at Visheshar Ganj, is dedicated to Kala-Bhairava, the guardian (Kotwal) of Varanasi. The Mrithyunjay Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is situated on the way to Daranagar to Kalbhairav temple. A well near the temple has some religious significance as its water source is believed to be fed from several underground streams, having curative powers.
The New Vishwanath Temple located in the campus of Banaras Hindu University is a modern temple which was planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. The Tulsi Manas Temple, nearby the Durga Temple, is a modern temple dedicated to the god Rama. It is built at the place where Tulsidas authored the Ramcharitmanas, which narrates the life of Rama. Many verses from this epic are inscribed on the temple walls.
The Bharat Mata Temple, dedicated to the national personification of India, was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. It has relief maps of India carved in marble. Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists, antiquarians and nationalist leaders, donated funds for its construction.
RELIGION
HINDUISM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
ISLAM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
OTHERS
At the 2001 census, persons of other religions or no religion made up 0.4% of the population of Varanasi District.
Varanasi is a pilgrimage site for Jains along with Hindus and Buddhists. It is believed to be the birthplace of Suparshvanath, Shreyansanath, and Parshva, who are respectively the seventh, eleventh, and twenty-third Jain Tirthankars and as such Varanasi is a holy city for Jains. Shree Parshvanath Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra (Digambar Jain Temple) is situated in Bhelupur, Varanasi. This temple is of great religious importance to the Jain Religion.
Sarnath, a suburb of Varanasi, is a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. It is the site of the deer park where Siddhartha Gautama of Nepal is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. The Dhamek Stupa is one of the few pre-Ashokan stupas still in existence, though only its foundation remains. Also remaining is the Chaukhandi Stupa commemorating the spot where Buddha met his first disciples in the 5th century. An octagonal tower was built later there.
Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507 and had an encounter which with other events forms the basis for the story of the founding of Sikhism. Varanasi also hosts the Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi, and has an insignificant Jewish expatriate community. Varanasi is home to numerous tribal faiths which are not easily classified.
Dalits are 13% of population Of Varanasi city. Most dalits are followers of Guru Ravidass. So Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan is important place of pilgrimage for Ravidasis from all around India.
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
On Mahashivaratri (February) – which is dedicated to Shiva – a procession of Shiva proceeds from the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Dhrupad Mela is a five-day musical festival devoted to dhrupad style held at Tulsi Ghat in February–March.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple celebrates Hanuman Jayanti (March–April), the birthday of Hanuman with great fervour. A special puja, aarti, and a public procession is organized. Starting in 1923, the temple organizes a five-day classical music and dance concert festival titled Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in this period, when iconic artists from all parts of India are invited to perform.
The Ramlila of Ramnagar is a dramatic enactment of Rama's legend, as told in Ramacharitamanasa. The plays, sponsored by Kashi Naresh, are performed in Ramnagar every evening for 31 days. On the last day, the festivities reach a crescendo as Rama vanquishes the demon king Ravana. Kashi Naresh Udit Narayan Singh started this tradition around 1830.
Bharat Milap celebrates the meeting of Rama and his younger brother Bharata after the return of the former after 14 years of exile. It is celebrated during October–November, a day after the festival of Vijayadashami. Kashi Naresh attends this festival in his regal attire resplendent in regal finery. The festival attracts a large number of devotees.
Nag Nathaiya, celebrated on the fourth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik (October–November), that commemorates the victory of the god Krishna over the serpent Kaliya. On this occasion, a large Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba) branch is planted on the banks of the Ganges so that a boy acting the role of Krishna can jump into the river on to the effigy representing Kaliya. He stands over the effigy in a dancing pose playing the flute; the effigy and the boy standing on it is given a swirl in front of the audience. People watch the display standing on the banks of the river or from boats.
Ganga Mahotsav is a five-day music festival organized by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, held in November–December culminating a day before Kartik Poornima (Dev Deepawali). On Kartik Poornima also called the Ganges festival, the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who release lighted lamps to float in the river from the ghats.
Annually Jashne-Eid Miladunnabi is celebrated on the day of Barawafat in huge numbers by Muslims in a huge rally coming from all the parts of the city and meeting up at Beniya Bagh.
WIKIPEDIA
On the way to the Kongma La pass, below the stunning north face of Ama Dablam. Original image on www.aperturefirst.org.
Snowflake bush, Euphorbia leucocephala.
Euphorbias are generally known for their showy “flowers” or unusual foliage The Snowflake bush is so much more delicate and refined than its close relative the Poinsettia, Euphorbia pulcherrima. They are similar in that the true flowers are small and insignificant and it is the bracts surrounding the flowers that look so eye catching.