View allAll Photos Tagged Knowledge
Parc Natural del Garraf - Olivella, Barcelona (Spain).
ENGLISH
Prayer flags are colorful panels or rectangular cloths often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Unknown in other branches of Buddhism, prayer flags are believed to have originated with Bön, which predated Buddhism in Tibet. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images.
The Indian Buddhist Sutras, written on cloth in India, were transmitted to other regions of the world. These sutras, written on banners, were the origin of prayer flags. Legend ascribes the origin of the prayer flag to the Shakyamuni Buddha, whose prayers were written on battle flags used by the devas against their adversaries, the asuras. The legend may have given the Indian bhikku a reason for carrying the 'heavenly' banner as a way of signifying his commitment to ahimsa. This knowledge was carried into Tibet by 800 CE, and the actual flags were introduced no later than 1040 CE, where they were further modified. The Indian monk Atisha (980-1054 CE) introduced the Indian practice of printing on cloth prayer flags to Tibet.
Lung Ta (meaning "Wind Horse") horizontal prayer flags are of square or rectangular shape and are connected along their top edges to a long string or thread. They are commonly hung on a diagonal line from high to low between two objects (e.g., a rock and the top of a pole) in high places such as the tops of temples, monasteries, stupas or mountain passes.
Traditionally, prayer flags come in sets of five, one in each of five colors. The five colors represent the elements, and the Five Pure Lights and are arranged from left to right in a specific order. Different elements are associated with different colors for specific traditions, purposes and sadhana:
- Blue (symbolizing sky/space)
- White (symbolizing air/wind)
- Red (symbolizing fire)
- Green (symbolizing water)
- Yellow (symbolizing earth)
More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prayer_wheel
------------------------------------------
CASTELLANO
Las banderas de oración son coloridos paneles o paños rectangulares a menudo encadenados a lo largo de las crestas y de los picos de las montañas en el Himalaya para bendecir el terreno circundante o para otros propósitos. Desconocido en otras ramas del Budismo, se cree que las banderas de oración se originaron con Bön, que precedió el Budismo en el Tíbet. Tradicionalmente los textos y las imágenes son impresiones con plancha.
El Sutras budista indio, escrito en el paño en la India, fue transmitido a otras regiones del mundo. Estos sutras, escritos en banderas, eran el origen de las banderas de oración. La leyenda atribuye el origen de la bandera del rezo al Buda Shakyamuni, cuyos rezos fueron escritos en las banderas de batalla usadas por los devas contra sus adversarios, los asuras. La leyenda pudo haber dado al bhikku indio una razón para llevar la bandera “divina” como manera de significar su compromiso al ahimsa. Este conocimiento fue llevado en Tíbet por el año 800 DC, y las banderas reales fueron introducidas antes del 1040 DC, donde fueron modificadas más a fondo. El monje indio Atisha (980-1054) introdujo en el Tíbet la práctica india de la impresión en banderas de oración.
Las banderas horizontales de oración Lung Ta (significa “caballo del viento”) son de forma cuadrada o rectangular y están conectadas a lo largo de sus bordes superiores con una larga cuerda o hilo. Normalmente se cuelgan en una línea diagonal de arriba a abajo entre dos objetos (por ejemplo, de una roca a la punta de un poste) en lugares altos tales como las puntas de templos, de monasterios, de estupas o de pasos de montaña.
Tradicionalmente, las banderas de oración van en grupos de cinco, cada una de uno de cinco colores. Los cinco colores representan los elementos, y las cinco Luces Puras se disponen de izquierda a derecha en un orden específico. Los diversos elementos se asocian a diversos colores para tradiciones, los propósitos y el sadhana específicos:
- Azul (simbolizando cielo/espacio)
- Blanco (simbolizando aire/viento)
- Rojo (simbolizando fuego)
- Verde (simbolizando agua)
- Amarillo (simbolizando tierra)
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
Sometimes all it takes is a little local knowledge to reveal some hidden gems around where I grew up in Northen New South Wales.
Killen Falls is a short drive inland from Lennox Head and definitely a place I will make sure I re-vist.
On another note some locals were actually catching some fish in the reservoir that the falls pools into!
Taken in FNC Australia. Best Viewed Large!
Knowledge Networking in an Enterprise 2.0 has a value, but the value is not visible
(Compare to www.flickr.com/photos/michaelheiss/6889353494/in/photostream The Network Value)
The description of these sculptures are :
Knowledge, like water, is vital to life. The stream of water connects the two figures. The water is symbolic of the passing of knowledge from generation to generation.
Arara-de-barriga-amarela ou Arara-canindé (Ara ararauna), fotografada no "Rio Quente Resorts", em Rio Quente, Goiás, Brasil.
A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a Enciclopédia Livre:
A arara-de-barriga-amarela ou arara-canindé (Ara ararauna) é uma arara que ocorre da América Central ao Brasil, à Bolívia e Paraguai. Tal espécie chega a medir até 90 cm de comprimento, com partes superiores azuis e inferiores amarelas, alto da cabeça verde, fileiras de penas faciais e garganta negras. Também é conhecida pelos nomes de arara-amarela, arara-azul-e-amarela, araraí, araraúna, arara canindé e arari. As araras canindé na natureza se alimentam frutos e castanhas. Essas aves estão sempre em grupo e são aves barulhentas mas pousam silenciosamente. A arara canindé enfrenta vários problemas em relação a extinção, estão sendo ameaçadas principalmente pelo contrabando e pelo comércio ilegal de aves, também é um animal muito procurado como bicho-de-estimação pois é muito dócil, quieto (dependendo das condições do cativeiro) e possuem certa capacidade de fala, além de ser um animal muito belo. Uma vez que formam casal, não mais se separam e botam em cerca de 3 ovos e chocam entre 27 e 29 dias. Ordem: Psittaciformes
Família: Psittacidae
Nome popular: Arara-canindé
Nome em inglês: Blue-and-yellow-macaw
Nome científico: Ara ararauna
Distribuição geográfica: Do Brasil a América Central.
Habitat: Várzeas com buritizais, babuçais e beira de mata.
Hábitos alimentares: Frutas, principalmente o bacurí e sementes.
Reprodução: Período de incubação de aproximadamente 28 dias, botando de 1 a 3 ovos.
Período de vida: Em cativeiro aproximadamente 60 anos.
O Brasil é o país com o maior número de representantes da família Psittacidae, sendo denominado desde a época do descobrimento como “Terra dos Papagaios”. Esta família é composta por papagaios, araras, periquitos, jandaias e maracanãs.
As araras são os maiores representantes desta família. Possuem um bico forte, alto e curvo adaptado para cortar sementes duras. Suas línguas grossas, sensíveis e repletas de papilas gustativas funcionam como um órgão táctil. Costumam ingerir pedrinhas para auxiliar na trituração das sementes de Buriti, Tucum, Bocaiúva, Carandá e Acurí, palmeiras que fazem parte de suas dietas. Estas aves não contribuem para a dispersão destas plantas, sendo consideradas “predadoras”, pois trituram os caroços dos cocos, destruindo as sementes.
Um dos representantes mais conhecidos é a arara Canindé. Possui o bico preto e uma plumagem caracterizada principalmente pelo azul de suas asas e pelo amarelo de seu ventre podendo chegar a medir até 80 cm de comprimento. Pode ser encontrada desde a América Central até o sudeste do Brasil, Bolívia e Paraguai. Habitam beiras de mata e várzeas de palmeiras.
Normalmente é observada voando aos pares ou até mesmo num grupo com três indivíduos, podendo este último ser um filhote. Dormem em bandos com até 30 indivíduos e fazem grandes deslocamentos diários desde a área de alimentação até a área de descanso.
Quando chega a época reprodutiva formam casais que permanecem fiéis por toda vida. Só dá cria a cada dois anos e a postura de ovos compreende os meses de agosto e janeiro, colocando em média 2 ovos com período de incubação de aproximadamente 30 dias. Os filhotes permanecem no ninho até a décima terceira semana, período no qual são alimentados pelos pais que regurgitam o alimento em seus bicos.
Nidificam em buracos de troncos ocos, preferindo os ninhos bem profundos para proteger os ovos e filhotes da ameaça de possíveis predadores, como o tucano e primatas de médio porte. Quando os pais encontram um ninho potencial, eles afofam o fundo do mesmo com a madeira triturada, que raspam das laterais da árvore, facilitando a secagem do fundo que ficará repleto de fezes dos filhotes. Os ovos postos são chocados principalmente pela fêmea que é visitada e alimentada pelo macho.
Os psitacídeos são um dos grupos que mais sofrem com o tráfico de fauna silvestre, pois sua grande diversidade de cores e capacidade de imitar a voz humana desperta o interesse de pessoas no mundo todo, movimentando milhões de dólares por ano. Quando esses animais são caçados para a venda, as árvores que possuem ninhos costumam ser derrubadas. Isso prejudica a reprodução de diversas espécies de aves que utilizam o mesmo ninho em épocas reprodutivas diferentes. Além da caça para a comercialização, sofrem com a contínua destruição do habitat. Como a maioria das aves, principalmente as dessa família,são espécies monogâmicas, permanecendo com um único parceiro até a morte, quando se reproduzem , em geral apenas um filhote por vez, o mesmo permanece com os pais durante muito tempo, por isso, são vistas, na mioria das vezes em duplas ou trios.
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), photographed at Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, in Belém-PA, Brazil.
Following, a text, in english, from thw Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia:
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest (especially varzea, but also in open sections of Terra Firme) and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay. It barely extends into Central America, where restricted to Panama. It is an endangered species in Trinidad, and is on the verge of being extirpated from Paraguay, but still remains widespread and fairly common in a large part of mainland South America. There is also a breeding population in Miami-Dade County, USA.[1] It is therefore listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International.
It can reach 76–86 cm (29.9-33.9 inches) long and weigh 900 to 1300 g (2-3 lbs). It is vivid in appearance with blue wings and tail, dark blue chin, golden under parts and a green forehead. Its beak is black, and very strong for crushing nuts. The naked face is white, turning pink in excited birds, and lined with small black feathers.
There is little variation in plumage across the range. Some birds have a more orangey or "butterscotch" underside color, particularly on the breast. This was often seen in Trinidad birds and others of the Caribbean area, and appears to be due to environmental factors. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw uses its powerful beak for breaking nutshells, and also for climbing up and hanging from trees.
Breeding
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw generally mates for life. It nests in a tree hole and the female typically lays two or three eggs. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days, and the chicks fledge from the nest about 90 days after hatching.
Aviculture:
At Walsrode Bird Park, Germany
Blue-and-yellow Macaws are popular as pets partly because of their striking appearance and ability as a talking bird; however, their large size makes accommodation problematic, and they require much more effort and knowledge from owners than more traditional pets such as dogs or cats. They are intelligent and social, so for someone who can provide for their needs, they make good and loving companion parrots. Blue-and-yellow Macaws bond very closely to their owners. They tend to be more aggressive during mating season, typically 6–8 weeks in the spring time.[citation needed]
Even the most well cared for Blue-and-yellow Macaw will "scream" and make other loud noises. Loud vocalizations, especially "flock calls", and destructive chewing are natural parts of their behavior and should be expected in captivity. Due to their large size, they require plentiful space in which to fly. According to World Parrot Trust, an enclosure for a Blue-and-yellow Macaw should not be smaller than 15 metres (50 feet) long.[3]
They require a varied diet; a seed only diet will lead to health problems such as vitamin deficiency. An example of a good diet would be a quality pelleted mix, in conjunction with a mix featuring seed, nuts, and dried fruits, with fresh vegetables (greens and roots) and fruits fed regularly; furthermore, it is quite common (and appreciated by the parrot) to partake with their human owners of safe foods like pasta, bread, etc.
It is important to avoid foods with high fat content (generally) while striving to provide a wide variety of foods. There are some foods which are toxic to birds and parrots as a group. Cherries and most other Rosaceae pits and seeds, avocados, chocolate, and caffeine are among the foods toxic to parrots. Chocolate and caffeine are not metabolized by birds the same way they are in humans. Rosaceae seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, and avocados contain persin which are both toxic compounds to birds. Safe foods include oranges, apples, grapes, peanuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
OSCAR: An Architecture for Generally Intelligent Agents by John Pollock from University of Arizona
Sparse Knowledge
OSCAR is a fully implemented architecture for cognitive systems, based on the author's work in philosophy concerning epistemology and the theory of practical reasoning.
Technical Session II: Architecture of AGI Systems at the The First Conference on Artificial General Intelligence (AGI-08)
This room is The Zone, at the FedEx Institute of Technology, University of Memphis. It was a very good venue for this conference.
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) research focuses on the original and ultimate goal of AI -- to create intelligence as a whole, by exploring all available paths, including theoretical and experimental computer science, cognitive science, neuroscience, and innovative interdisciplinary methodologies. AGI is also called Strong AI in the AI community.
Another good reference is Artificial General Intelligence : A Gentle Introduction by Pei Wang
I030208 086
Bildungsauftrag Bücherhalle: durch die Art der Leihrückgabe werden auch Verweigerer wie altmodische Buchleser zur Auseinandersetzung mit moderner Technik gezwungen.
Arara-de-barriga-amarela ou Arara-canindé (Ara ararauna), fotografada no "Rio Quente Resorts", em Rio Quente, Goiás, Brasil.
A seguir, um texto, em português, da Wikipédia, a Enciclopédia Livre:
A arara-de-barriga-amarela ou arara-canindé (Ara ararauna) é uma arara que ocorre da América Central ao Brasil, à Bolívia e Paraguai. Tal espécie chega a medir até 90 cm de comprimento, com partes superiores azuis e inferiores amarelas, alto da cabeça verde, fileiras de penas faciais e garganta negras. Também é conhecida pelos nomes de arara-amarela, arara-azul-e-amarela, araraí, araraúna, arara canindé e arari. As araras canindé na natureza se alimentam frutos e castanhas. Essas aves estão sempre em grupo e são aves barulhentas mas pousam silenciosamente. A arara canindé enfrenta vários problemas em relação a extinção, estão sendo ameaçadas principalmente pelo contrabando e pelo comércio ilegal de aves, também é um animal muito procurado como bicho-de-estimação pois é muito dócil, quieto (dependendo das condições do cativeiro) e possuem certa capacidade de fala, além de ser um animal muito belo. Uma vez que formam casal, não mais se separam e botam em cerca de 3 ovos e chocam entre 27 e 29 dias. Ordem: Psittaciformes
Família: Psittacidae
Nome popular: Arara-canindé
Nome em inglês: Blue-and-yellow-macaw
Nome científico: Ara ararauna
Distribuição geográfica: Do Brasil a América Central.
Habitat: Várzeas com buritizais, babuçais e beira de mata.
Hábitos alimentares: Frutas, principalmente o bacurí e sementes.
Reprodução: Período de incubação de aproximadamente 28 dias, botando de 1 a 3 ovos.
Período de vida: Em cativeiro aproximadamente 60 anos.
O Brasil é o país com o maior número de representantes da família Psittacidae, sendo denominado desde a época do descobrimento como “Terra dos Papagaios”. Esta família é composta por papagaios, araras, periquitos, jandaias e maracanãs.
As araras são os maiores representantes desta família. Possuem um bico forte, alto e curvo adaptado para cortar sementes duras. Suas línguas grossas, sensíveis e repletas de papilas gustativas funcionam como um órgão táctil. Costumam ingerir pedrinhas para auxiliar na trituração das sementes de Buriti, Tucum, Bocaiúva, Carandá e Acurí, palmeiras que fazem parte de suas dietas. Estas aves não contribuem para a dispersão destas plantas, sendo consideradas “predadoras”, pois trituram os caroços dos cocos, destruindo as sementes.
Um dos representantes mais conhecidos é a arara Canindé. Possui o bico preto e uma plumagem caracterizada principalmente pelo azul de suas asas e pelo amarelo de seu ventre podendo chegar a medir até 80 cm de comprimento. Pode ser encontrada desde a América Central até o sudeste do Brasil, Bolívia e Paraguai. Habitam beiras de mata e várzeas de palmeiras.
Normalmente é observada voando aos pares ou até mesmo num grupo com três indivíduos, podendo este último ser um filhote. Dormem em bandos com até 30 indivíduos e fazem grandes deslocamentos diários desde a área de alimentação até a área de descanso.
Quando chega a época reprodutiva formam casais que permanecem fiéis por toda vida. Só dá cria a cada dois anos e a postura de ovos compreende os meses de agosto e janeiro, colocando em média 2 ovos com período de incubação de aproximadamente 30 dias. Os filhotes permanecem no ninho até a décima terceira semana, período no qual são alimentados pelos pais que regurgitam o alimento em seus bicos.
Nidificam em buracos de troncos ocos, preferindo os ninhos bem profundos para proteger os ovos e filhotes da ameaça de possíveis predadores, como o tucano e primatas de médio porte. Quando os pais encontram um ninho potencial, eles afofam o fundo do mesmo com a madeira triturada, que raspam das laterais da árvore, facilitando a secagem do fundo que ficará repleto de fezes dos filhotes. Os ovos postos são chocados principalmente pela fêmea que é visitada e alimentada pelo macho.
Os psitacídeos são um dos grupos que mais sofrem com o tráfico de fauna silvestre, pois sua grande diversidade de cores e capacidade de imitar a voz humana desperta o interesse de pessoas no mundo todo, movimentando milhões de dólares por ano. Quando esses animais são caçados para a venda, as árvores que possuem ninhos costumam ser derrubadas. Isso prejudica a reprodução de diversas espécies de aves que utilizam o mesmo ninho em épocas reprodutivas diferentes. Além da caça para a comercialização, sofrem com a contínua destruição do habitat. Como a maioria das aves, principalmente as dessa família,são espécies monogâmicas, permanecendo com um único parceiro até a morte, quando se reproduzem , em geral apenas um filhote por vez, o mesmo permanece com os pais durante muito tempo, por isso, são vistas, na mioria das vezes em duplas ou trios.
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), photographed at Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, in Belém-PA, Brazil.
Following, a text, in english, from thw Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia:
Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna)
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw (Ara ararauna), also known as the Blue-and-gold Macaw, is a member of the group of large Neotropical parrots known as macaws. It breeds in forest (especially varzea, but also in open sections of Terra Firme) and woodland of tropical South America from Trinidad and Venezuela south to Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, and Paraguay. It barely extends into Central America, where restricted to Panama. It is an endangered species in Trinidad, and is on the verge of being extirpated from Paraguay, but still remains widespread and fairly common in a large part of mainland South America. There is also a breeding population in Miami-Dade County, USA.[1] It is therefore listed as Least Concern by BirdLife International.
It can reach 76–86 cm (29.9-33.9 inches) long and weigh 900 to 1300 g (2-3 lbs). It is vivid in appearance with blue wings and tail, dark blue chin, golden under parts and a green forehead. Its beak is black, and very strong for crushing nuts. The naked face is white, turning pink in excited birds, and lined with small black feathers.
There is little variation in plumage across the range. Some birds have a more orangey or "butterscotch" underside color, particularly on the breast. This was often seen in Trinidad birds and others of the Caribbean area, and appears to be due to environmental factors. The Blue-and-yellow Macaw uses its powerful beak for breaking nutshells, and also for climbing up and hanging from trees.
Breeding
The Blue-and-yellow Macaw generally mates for life. It nests in a tree hole and the female typically lays two or three eggs. The female incubates the eggs for about 28 days, and the chicks fledge from the nest about 90 days after hatching.
Aviculture:
At Walsrode Bird Park, Germany
Blue-and-yellow Macaws are popular as pets partly because of their striking appearance and ability as a talking bird; however, their large size makes accommodation problematic, and they require much more effort and knowledge from owners than more traditional pets such as dogs or cats. They are intelligent and social, so for someone who can provide for their needs, they make good and loving companion parrots. Blue-and-yellow Macaws bond very closely to their owners. They tend to be more aggressive during mating season, typically 6–8 weeks in the spring time.[citation needed]
Even the most well cared for Blue-and-yellow Macaw will "scream" and make other loud noises. Loud vocalizations, especially "flock calls", and destructive chewing are natural parts of their behavior and should be expected in captivity. Due to their large size, they require plentiful space in which to fly. According to World Parrot Trust, an enclosure for a Blue-and-yellow Macaw should not be smaller than 15 metres (50 feet) long.[3]
They require a varied diet; a seed only diet will lead to health problems such as vitamin deficiency. An example of a good diet would be a quality pelleted mix, in conjunction with a mix featuring seed, nuts, and dried fruits, with fresh vegetables (greens and roots) and fruits fed regularly; furthermore, it is quite common (and appreciated by the parrot) to partake with their human owners of safe foods like pasta, bread, etc.
It is important to avoid foods with high fat content (generally) while striving to provide a wide variety of foods. There are some foods which are toxic to birds and parrots as a group. Cherries and most other Rosaceae pits and seeds, avocados, chocolate, and caffeine are among the foods toxic to parrots. Chocolate and caffeine are not metabolized by birds the same way they are in humans. Rosaceae seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides, and avocados contain persin which are both toxic compounds to birds. Safe foods include oranges, apples, grapes, peanuts, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
i don't mean to pry
i just hate to see you cry
if you'd rather be alone
in a blink
i'm out the door
there's no need to say it's through
you'll go back
you always do
common knowledge 101
you'll go blind if you keep staring at the sun
someday girl you'll realize
you're not the first
to believe the lies
you're not fooling anyone
when you say
you don't care what you become
common knowledge 101
you'll go blind if you keep staring at the sun
you ask me what i think of love
we gravitate we're cyclical
Junagarh Fort (Rajasthani: जुनाग्द क़िला) is a fort in the city of Bikaner, Rajasthan, India. The fort was originally called Chintamani and was renamed Junagarh or "Old Fort" in the early 20th century when the ruling family moved to Lalgarh Palace outside the fort limits. It is one of the few major forts in Rajasthan which is not built on a hilltop. The modern city of Bikaner has developed around the fort.
The fort complex was built under the supervision of Karan Chand, the Prime Minister of Raja Rai Singh, the sixth ruler of Bikaner, who ruled from 1571 to 1611 AD. Construction of the walls and associated moat commenced in 1589 and was completed in 1594. It was built outside the original fort of the city, about 1.5 kilometres from the city centre. Some remnants of the old fort are preserved near the Lakshmi Narayan temple.
Historical records reveal that despite the repeated attacks by enemies to capture the fort, it was not taken, except for a lone one-day occupation by Kamran Mirza. Kamran was the second son of the Mughal Emperor Babur who attacked Bikaner in 1534, which was then ruled by Rao Jait Singh. In the battle, the Mughals were defeated by Rathors. Kamran then returned to Lahore.
The 5.28 hectares large fort precinct is studded with palaces, temples and pavilions. These buildings depict a composite culture, manifest in the mix of architectural styles.
GEOGRAPHY
Junagarh fort is located in the arid region of the Thar desert of Rajasthan bordered on the northwest by the Aravalli range, a range of mountains in western India. Part of the desert area is in Bikaner city, which is one of the three desert triangle cities; the other two cities are Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. The name of the place where Bikaner city with its forts was established was then known as Jungladesh.
HISTORY
Before the present Junagarh Fort was built, an old stone fort existed in the city. This fort was built in 1478 by Rao Bika who established the city of Bikaner in 1472. Rao Bika was the second son of Maharaja Rao Jodha of the Rathor clan, the founder of Jodhpur city. He conquered the large arid lands to the northern region of Rajasthan to set up his domain. As the second son of Jodha he had no chance of inheriting his father’s territory of Jodhpur or to the title of Maharaja. He, therefore, reconciled and decided to build his own kingdom at Bikaner at the place then called "Jungladesh". Bikaner, though a partly of the Thar Desert, was considered an oasis on the trade route between Central Asia and the Gujarat coast since it had adequate spring water sources. Bika’s name was thus tagged to the Bikaner city as well as to the then state of Bikaner (“the settlement of Bika”) that he established. The history of Bikaner and the fort within it thus start with Bika. It was only about 100 years later that Bikaner’s fortunes flourished under Raja Rai Singhji, the sixth ruler of Bikaner, who ruled from 1571 to 1611. During the Mughal Empire’s rule in the country, he accepted the suzerainty of the Mughals and held a high position of an army general in the court of Emperor Akbar and his son Emperor Jahangir. His successful war exploits by way of winning half of Mewar kingdom won him accolades and rewards from the Mughal emperors. He was gifted the jagirs (lands) of Gujarat and Burhanpur. With the large revenue earned from these jagirs, he built the Junagarh fort on a plain land, which has an average elevation of 230 m. The formal foundation ceremony for the fort was held on 17 February 1589 and the fort was completed on 17 January 1594. Raja Rai Singhji, was an expert in arts and architecture and the knowledge that he acquired during his several sojourns to several countries are amply reflected in the numerous monuments he built in the Junagarh fort. Thus the fort, a composite structure, became an outstanding example of architecture and a unique centre of art, amidst the Thar desert.
Karan Singh who ruled from 1631 to 1639, under the suzerainty of the Mughals, built the Karan Mahal palace. Later rulers added more floors and decorations to this Mahal. Anup Singh, who ruled from 1669–98, made substantial additions to the fort complex, with new palaces and the Zenana quarter (royal dwelling for females). He refurbished the Karan Mahal with a Diwan-i-Am (public audience hall) and called it the Anup Mahal. Gaj Singh who ruled from 1746 to 1787 refurbished the Chandra Mahal (the Moon palace). Following him, Surat Singh ruled from 1787 to 1828 and he lavishly decorated the audience hall (see picture in info box) with glass and lively paintwork. Dungar Singh who reigned from 1872 to 1887 built the Badal Mahal (the weather palace) named so in view of a painting of falling rain and clouds (a rare event in arid Bikaner). Ganga Singh who ruled from 1887 to 1943 built the Ganga Niwas Palace, which has towers at the entrance patio. This palace was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob.[10] Ganga Singh’s son Sadul Singh succeeded his father in 1943 but acceded to the Union of India in 1949. He died in 1950.
Bikaner came under the suzerainty of the British Raj under a treaty of paramountcy signed in 1818, where after the Maharajas of Bikaner invested heavily on refurbishing their Junagarh fort. However, during the 18th century, before this treaty was signed, there was internecine war between rulers of Bikaner and Jodhpur and also amongst other Thakur, which was put down by the British troops. It is reported that during the attack by Jodhpur army, of the two entrances to the fort (one in the east and the other in the west), the eastern entrance and the southern rampart were damaged; marks of cannonballs fired are seen on the southern façade of the fort.
Ganga Singh was the best-known king among the Rajasthan princes. A favourite of the British Raj, he earned the title of Knight Commander of the Star of India. He served as a member of the Imperial War Cabinet, represented the country at the Imperial First World War Conferences and the British Empire at the Versailles Peace Conference and was aware of the shift of fortunes in the World War II but died in 1943, before the war was won by the allies. His contribution to the building activity in Junagarh involved separate halls for public and private audience in the Ganga Mahal and a durbar hall for formal functions. The hall where he held his Golden Jubilee as a ruler of Bikaner is now a museum. He also got a new palace - north of Junagarh fort - designed and built by Swinton, the third of the new palaces built in Bikaner and named it Lalgarh Palace in the name of his father and shifted his residence from Junagarh fort to this palace in 1902. The royal family still lives in a special suite in the Lalbagh palace, which they have converted into a heritage hotel.
STRUCTURES
The structures built within the Junagarh fort are the palaces and temples, which are made of red sandstone (Dulmera) and marble. The palaces are described as picturesque with their assortment of courtyards, balconies, kiosks and windows. The fort, the temples and the palaces are preserved as museums and provide insight into the grandiose living style of the past Maharanas of Rajasthan. The fort is called “a paradox between medieval military architecture and beautiful interior decoration”.
OVERVIEW
The massive fort built in the plains of Bikaner has a rectangular (quadrangular) layout with a peripheral length of 986 m. The fort walls are 4.4 m wide and 12 m in height. It encompasses an area of 5.28 ha. It was surrounded by a moat which was 6.1–7.6 m deep with a base width of 4.6 m and top width of 9.1 m. However, the moat no longer exists. The fort is well fortified with 37 bastions (‘burj’ in local language) and seven gates (two are main gates) to counter enemy attacks. The fort was built as a “new stronghold” outside of the ruins of an old fort built by Rao Bika and on the periphery of the Bikaner city walls (1.5 kilometres from the city centre); the old fort was demolished a century after it was built.
The fort with seven gates contains several palaces, pavilions and many temples of Hindu and Jain religions - the earliest dated to the 16th century. A major feature of the fort is the stone carving done in red and gold coloured sandstones. The interiors of the palaces are decorated and painted in traditional Rajasthani style. The Junagarh palaces have a large number of rooms, as every king built his own separate set of rooms, not wanting to live in his predecessors’ rooms. These structures were considered as “at par with those of Louis’s France or of Imperial Russia”. Several types of architectural style are discerned in the fort complex and hence it is called a true depiction of composite culture. The earliest style is of Rajput architecture, defined by Gujarati and Mughal architectural influence reflecting the association with Mughal rulers, the second type is of semi-western architecture reflecting British influence, and finally the revivalists Rajput architecture that evolved particularly during the rule of Maharaja Ganga Singh. Only the most representative of all these architectural styles are on display for visitors. Thus, the unique monuments on display in the Junagarh Fort represent sixteen successive generations of the rulers of Bikaner, starting from the end of the 16th century.
GATES
While the main entry gate was Karan Pol or Parole, facing east, the current gate of entry is called Suraj Pol (meaning the Sun gate), 'pol' also colloquially spelt prol, built in gold coloured or yellow sandstone, unlike the other gates and buildings built in red sandstone. It is the east facing gate permitting the rising Sun’s rays to fall on the gate, which is considered a good omen. The doors of this gate are strengthened with iron spikes and studs to prevent ramming by elephants during an attack. At the entrance to the gate, two red stone statues of elephants with mahouts stand as sentinels. The gate was also the location for announcing the arrival and departure of royalty by musicians playing the trumpet from a gallery in the gate. The other gates are Karan Pol, Daulat Pol, Chand Pol (a double gate) and Fateh Pol; these provided access to various monuments in the fort. The Karan Pol gate is also braced with iron spikes to prevent battering of the gate by elephants. To the right of this gate is Daulat Pol. Forty-one hand imprints are seen on the Daulat Pol gate wall, in red colour, of the wives of the Maharajas of Bikaner, who committed sati (self immolation) on the funeral pyres of their husbands who died in battle.
Between the main gate and the palace, there is a quadrangle, and then another gate called the Tripolia gate (triple gateway) before accessing the royal chambers. Next to this gate is a small temple called the Har Mandir, where the Royal family used to offer worship. In the quadrangle, which houses a large pavilion with a water pool built in Carrara Italian marble. The Karan Mahal, where public audience was held in the Diwan-i-Am by Karan Singh (1631–39) and his successors till the 20th century, can also be seen in the same quadrangle.
TEMPLES
Har Mandir temple was the royal chapel - private temple of the royal family. The royal family celebrated the Hindu festival of Dussera and Gangaur here, apart from celebrating other family functions such as birthdays and marriages. In the Dussera celebrations, weapons and horses were worshipped here. The main deities worshipped in this temple are the Hindu deities Lakshmi Narayan, a combined representation of god Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi.
The Ratan Behari temple located near the Junagarh Fort, was built in 1846 by the 18th ruler of Bikaner. It was built in Indo-Mughal architectural style using white marble. The Hindu god Krishna is deified in this temple.
PALACES
Karan mahal (Public Audience Hall) was built by Karan Singh in c.1680 to mark his victory over the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is considered as one of the most exquisite palaces built with gardens, which displays the aesthetic sensibilities of the royalty of Rajasthan. It has stained glass windows and intricately carved balconies built in stone and wood fluted columns. Later Rajas, Anup Singh and Surat Singh, also added lot of glitter to this palace with inlaid polychrome glass, intricate mirror patterns, and red and gold paint. In the coronation chamber, there is a shored up alcove, which was used as a throne.
Phool Mahal ("Flower Palace") is the oldest part of the palace and was built by king Raja Rai Singh of Bikaner, who ruled between 1571-1668.
Anup Mahal is a multi-storey structure, which functioned as the administrative headquarters of the kingdom. It has ornate wooden ceilings with inlaid mirrors, Italian tiles, and fine lattice windows and balconies. It has some gold leaf paintings. It is considered as one of the “grandest construction”.
Chandra Mahal has the most luxurious room in the palace, which houses gold plated deities and paintings inlaid with precious stones. In the royal bedroom, mirrors have been strategically placed so that the Maharaja could see from his bed, any intruder entering his room.
Ganga Mahal was built in the 20th century by Ganga Singh who reigned for 56 years from 1887 to 1943, has a large durbar hall known as the Ganga Singh Hall that houses the Museum. The museum has exhibits of war weaponry and also a World War I aeroplane (biplane), which is stated to be well maintained.
Badal Mahal (The weather palace) is part of the Anup Mahal extensions. It has paintings of Shekhawati Dundlod chiefs paying respects to the Maharaja of Bikaner in different types of turbans. Photos of people standing on nails, wood, swords and saws are also depicted here – a display of faith and endurance. The walls in this palace depict fresco paintings of the Hindu god Krishna and his consort Radha amidst the rain clouds.
Bikaneri Havelies located both within and outside the fort in the Bikaner city’s by lanes are also of unique architectural style in home architecture. Aldous Huxley who visited these havelis reportedly said “They are the pride of Bikaner.”
FORT MUSEUM
The museum within the fort called the Junagarh Fort Museum was established in 1961 by Maharaja Dr.Karni Singhji under the control of "Maharaja Rai Singhji Trust". The Museum exhibits Sanskrit and Persian manuscripts, miniature paintings, jewels, royal costumes, farmans (royal orders), portrait galleries, costumes, headgear and dresses of gods’ idols, enamelware, silver, palanquins, howdahs and war drums. The museum also displays armoury that consists of one of the assorted collection of post medieval arms.
MAHARAJA RAI SINGHJI TRUST
Maharaja Rai Singhji Trust has been set up by the 'Royal family of Bikaner' with the basic objective to showcase the fort with professional inputs in various areas and to improve the experience for visitors. Another objective is to promote education and research scholarships, cultural activities, setting up of libraries and integration with other such trusts.
WIKIPEDIA
"Knowledge of what is possible is the beginning of happiness."
~ George Santayana
memories, memories, memories...
Thanks for stopping
by and God Bless,
hugs, Chris
Is hollywood really that desperate as to create a movie that is based off of a terrible book?
How many amazing books are out there that would make beautiful films? Thousands upon thousands, and they choose a 'novel' that reads like a bad fanfiction.
Whatever happened to knowledge in books? Values? Anything that you can learn from?
So here it is, it isn't much, but this is for all of the authors that wrote for a purpose. Goethe, Sartre, Nietzsche, Kant...
thanks.
I love this photo! I felt like a real photographer whilst doing this! I really enjoyed confusing all my friends and getting them all involved (everyone was throwing paper XD.)
Got tomorrow of school cus teachers are striking for some reason -probably some pension reason -.- - but me, ruth and angel are meeting up to take photos... SO EXCITED! were planning it as we speek and I have a few ideas :3 (anyone got a bed sheet) *chuckle emoticon
God in the eye of devotee
I do not know how much I can express with my tiny abilities and tiny writing, who is the possessor of extraordinary power and strength, possessor of all knowledge and all qualities. Everyone look to my mistakes – faults with pardoning eyes, with this hope and with his blessings, I am starting to write with pen.
– Dayamoyee Mondal.
An ordinary inhabited place – which has been presently flooded by river Ganges. At the bank of Ganges River, in West Bengal (India) – Subhadra Devi and Gouranga Sundar have been married for some years, still by then not yet given birth to a child – Subhadra Devi in hope of getting a child, and in accordance to the suggestion of an ascetic – offered a voluntary promise to Lord Shiva. She was conceived one day, at a special moment, due to regular and adequate devotional fasting – religious vow in hope of fulfilment of desire and lying before and idol of God Shiva, repeating the name of Lord Shiva and meditation. As the days pass, Subhadra Devi gradually became more and more beautiful. Seeing that beauty astonishes the surrounding people. She was then nine months pregnant, when she met a tourist ascetic surprisingly. That mated hair, huge size ascetic said to Subhadra Devi – “you are conceiving a great prophet in your womb, who is coming, he is the last prophet of this Iron Age. Very soon, he will appear on earth in your lap, lighting it, as an Incarnation.” The ascetic instructed her, not to leak out his words to others. But any who, the words do not remain secret, as a result, curious people gathering, gradually started increasing in Subhadra Devi’s house. It became impossible for her to do peaceful meditation privately and repeating deity name silently due to public talking. Gradually the crowd of devotee and curious people increased so much that, by force the seniors advised Subhadra Devi to conceal their self-living. Next day, in the darkness of night, as per the prearrangement, Subhadra Devi and Gouranga Sundar set out for a close relative’s house, on a roofed bullock cart. At about end of night, terrible storm and rain started. In the light of lightning a very old, decayed, broken conditioned Lord Shiva temple was seen, at the side of the road and jungle. Finding no other alternative, everyone took shelter in that desolate Lord Shiva temple. The surrounding jungle trees were excited due to force of storm – rain –thunder – lightning. At the dusk – early hours of morning at a very lucky moment, the crises of a newly born baby was heard form the temple. At the same moment, a divine voice was heard, which shivered the sky – air, and surpassed the storm, rain – thunder – “the great man MahaAnand has appeared in this temple as an incarnation of Lord Shiva, to bring salvation to the innocent, evil doers, infatuated persons in this very early morning. Not only in India, to show the true light to the whole world – he has come to give salvation from Innocence – Blindness, …….” All storm – rain – lightning suddenly vanished. After a while the golden sun rays of the morning illuminated the eastern horizon – gradually every side became lighted. From every side, the forest area became lively – joyful, due to chirping of birds.
As per the instruction of Divine Voice – Gouranga Sundar with the newly born baby and Subhadra Devi, started journey for own home. After coming close to house, saw many peoples gathering. At the early hour’s of the morning while fisherman went to catch fish, from a nearby pond, a Lord Shiva idol of stone came up in his net. Seeing Subhadra Devi coming on a bullock-cart with a baby-Shiva in the lap, all the public shouted in joy. And just then, the sky-air was filled up with unique light. Heavenly music with heavenly flowers showered down in form of showers of rain all around.
New temple has constructed, and with great celebration that Lord Shiva idol was established. Traditional religious and social custom was celebrated gorgeously on that same day, centering around the divine child. Unpredictable, many ascetics, monks from different states, came to that festival. They have come from very far distance to see the divine child. Many of them blessed the child and many of them laid down on the ground with face down, hands joined as praying to respect the child. After being satisfied with the food, the ascetics returned to their destination. MahaAnand’s life is filled up with numerous miraculous incidents. Here I am mentioning some incidents in short –
After MahaAnand grew up to be a little big, he used to take out sometime from his play times, and very often, used to go and meditate, in the new Lord Shiva temple, near the house. One day his play-mates while finding – could not find him any where and at last went to Lord Shiva temple and saw, very deep inside the temple, almost in the darkness, idol of a lighted boy was seen engrossed in deep meditation. So much light, that, the eyes were bewildered due to light. With the purpose of viewing properly, when they were going to proceed, just then hearing the snake’s hissing sound, looked properly, saw two big snakes with their hoods upright, blocking the rods.
From that childhood, many came to him to take suggestion regarding many facts. Whenever any religious instruction was seeked, he rose against religious madness – blindness, superstition, improper conduct, im-moral sexual conduct, jealousy – hatred, torture of priests, deceitfulness etc. he said, whatever causes the development of mind, is only the region. The only purpose of following the religion is to attain self-development. One category of people, by falsely alluring to attain God, for self-motive fulfilment, whatever is said and done – that may whatever be – not human religion – this idea is felt by him.
Many a times, many have taken his shelter and many serious diseases has cured completely and gradually they became his devotees.
Once a time a very ill-fated – ill-conditioned – penniless came to seek shelter, he instructed that person to follow MahaDharma (great religion) – ‘MahaVad’ and – he dose meditation, repeating God’s name silently, worship, and on every Thursday, the person helds Maha religious ceremony at his home. With his publicity and achieving good practical results gradually the number of participants started increasing, in his ceremony. Very strangely, within six months, the person’s enormously had development. Gradually he became lucky from every side. Not only the external developments, but also his inner developments started taking place unimaginably.
Once a evil doer from the under world, came to see MahaAnand, and good changes started taking place, in his mind. Then that person, in order to get back to the good path, seeked shelter of MahaAnand. He then gave that persons to drink a glass of water (specially powerful) and told him to repeating the God’s name (MahaAnand) continuously – silently. By following this instruction perfectly, such good changes took place in that persons immediately that he became a real true saint. By seeing his development, all became astonished. MahaAnand said, “Why onlt I will become MahaAnand, you all also became MahaAnand.
At a very early age, he left home, visited many inhabited place, religious places, all over India, at last, went to the Himalayas Mountain and settled. Majority of the time he lives in hardly accessible areas of Himalayas beyond the eyesight of public. There he initiates some special persons, at different times. At present due to effort of some of them Maha Anand Holy Association (MAHA) has been established. We are trying our level best to spread the religion – preaching – sermons shown by MahaAnand and let others know the easy and real ways of self-development in the whole world. Let us come together, and be enlightened with divine light of MahaAnand and become Maha Anand (very happy).
The discarded forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil from which Adam and Eve ate.
"And when the woman saw and that it was desirable to the eyes and a tree to be desired to make one wise she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her man with her; and he did eat." Genesis 3: 6.
House of Knowledge, by Jaume Plensa, at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, in the process of being packed up to be (one assumes) shipped off to wherever it's on show next.
For photos of it while the exhibition was open see here:
Geophagy refers to the consumption of earth and earth-like substances such as clay or chalk. This ancient spiritual practice is an integral part of the culture in several African, Asian and Latin American countries. The Museum of Edible Earth (MME) is dedicated to geophagy with an interdisciplinary project centred on a collection of earth samples consumed by people for various motives. Museum visitors are invited to question their relationship with the environment and the earth, and to test their knowledge of food and cultural traditions.
Photo showing meeting Stanislava Monstvilene, a famous earth eater, in Lithuania.
Credit: masharu, 2018
Held at Winchester Cathedral on 18 July 2017
© Bank of England [2017]. This image is approved by the Bank of England for public use provided the following conditions are satisfied.
Terms and Conditions of use: The above image must not be used in a manner or context that, in the Bank of England's sole opinion, is offensive, inappropriate, or likely to undermine the integrity of the sterling currency. The Bank of England is not to be associated with any reproduction of this image. Your specific attention is drawn to section 18 of the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, adherence to which is a condition of the use of this image.
If you are unsure whether your proposed use adheres to the above conditions, you should submit a written reproduction request to the Bank of England and/or seek legal advice. Otherwise, your use of the image is at your own risk and in the knowledge that unauthorised use may result in civil or criminal actions against you.
Photography of the newly refurbished Porcelanosa showroom in Glasgow, Braehead.
If you are refurbishing your home and need tiles, bathroom products or a new kitchen be sure to visit them and speak to one of their knowledgable staff.
2 Rocep Drive,
Renfrew,
PA4 8XY.
0141 533 1000
BRAW Creative
We are a multi disciplinary design practice and can help with graphic design, web design, interior design, vinyl wall art and photography to name but a few, please get in touch below.
Enquiries:
contactus@wearebraw.com
Web:
Forbidden Knowledge / Heft-Reihe
cover: Pete Von Sholly
Last Gasp Eco-Funnies
(Berkeley / USA; 1978)
ex libris MTP
Change and Knowledge management using Open Space Technology, attributed to the work of Harrison Owen
With higher ed, with faculty, with professional coaches, with the horses, with professional women, with change management practitioners and consultants, with clients, Open Space has many applications, OST
If you'd like to learn more about this agenda-less type process organized around a key theme, an Open Space handout is available here: reveln.com/open-space-on-speed-and-social-business-video-...
Find out more via REVELN.com
ARAX 88 / Arsat C / Lucky 100 film cross processed Tetenal Dokumol
I cross processed Lucky 100 ISO b&w film into Tetenal Dokumol, which is intended for microfilm and ortho films. When I scanned them, they came out in this sepia/yellowish hue and this flat look
The Shri Krishna Janmashtmi Mega Event has been organized by the Sansthan annually since more than two decades. In addition to the devotees, the multitude of people attending the event has grown each year. The social activities and the productive, employment-generating ventures of the organization have resulted in many utility and consumer products being offered in the market. The products are exhibited at the venue of the program so that consumers can view and avail an opportunity of purchasing them. The proceeds from the sale of these products is directed to further augment and strengthen the social empowerment initiatives of the organization. The products are known for their excellent grade and quality and compete aggressively for price in the open market. About 300,000 (3 lac) people visited the sites/stalls of the exhibitions during the last program.
------------------------------
The Shri Krishna Janmashtami Mahostav organized by Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan have much more to offer to build the personalities of visitors and to provide to them and their families with a tangible and sustainable message. They explain that the path of spirituality can be and must be followed during the lifetime and introduced to youth and children at an early age. It is not an after-retirement project. ‘Brahm Gyan’ is a mindful experience of divinity, that happens at a subtle transcendental level by the grace of a spiritual master who is capable of disseminating divine knowledge unto seekers of truth. Arjuna emerged victorious, not by polishing the arrows alone, but by galvanizing his inner self, being blessed by the Perfect Master of his Era, Lord Krishna!
Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan Founded and headed by Shri Ashutosh Maharaj Ji is a global network, a mission committed to establishing peace in human mind & actions. Ultimately translating the concept of World Peace into a tangible reality and creating universal culture of peace
Vision:
“From Self Awakening to Global Peace.”
Mission:
“To usher into a world wherein every individual becomes an embodiment of truth, fraternity, and justice through the eternal science of self-realization – ‘Brahm Gyan’, uprooting in its wake all social evils and threat.”
Website : djjs.org
DLECTRICITY 2012 Installation
Artists: NewD Media: Gabe Hall, Daniel Land,Audra Kubat, Gabe Rice
Projection-mapped 3D animation, dynamic optical illusions, and dimensional cinema tell the human story of knowledge by bringing the face of our Library to life in mythic scale. From Cave Painting to Ancient Greece; the tragic destruction of the Library of Alexandria to the invention of books, the dawn of electricity, and the rise of the Internet.
www.dlectricity.com/the-exhibition/projects/7-knowledge-i...
SOOC
Hislop's Psychological contract model is useful in understanding how to persuade employees to share knowledge
Landfill is in aquifer recharge zone
Pictures by for Lowndes Area Knowledge Exchange (LAKE),
Valdosta, Lowndes County, Georgia, .
www.l-a-k-e.org/blog/2013/09/landfill-is-in-aquifer-recha...