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The Trevi fountain at the junction of three roads (tre vie) marks the terminal point of the "modern" Acqua Vergine.
My cultural knowledge fails me with this particular photograph. Are the dancers depicting a part of the traditional Kerala dance form or is it something else. The Mallus brethren or sistern ;-) please come to the rescue and tell us what is it that is going on here.
The deep thoughtful visage is something that totally defines the Malayalee. Serious, poignant and always thinking of something heavy is what is my 3 years of experience with the Malayalee people.
Onam in Kerala is the most important festival. This a season of happiness. It would me much like what Diwali is like for the people of North India.
People buy their new clothes, new gadgets, new everything around Onam time.
In short, it is celebration time like no other. There are celebratory feasts called Onam Sadya which are served everywhere. House courtyards are decorated with traditional flower arrangements of geometric symbolism called 'Pookalam' is laid in front of every house to welcome the arrival of the beloved king.
There is a surfeit of agrarian festivities comprising of boat races and bull races and carnivals that are held all over Kerala.
The origins of this great festival of Kerala are steeped in history and centres around a powerful king who became too powerful and loved by his subjects. The jealous Gods of the Hindu pantheon saw to an end to this popularity by a cunning design and confined the king into the bowels of the earth. After some relenting, the Gods allowed the King to visit his subjects once a year and it is that which is celebrated in Onam.
Athachamayam is a carnival of sorts that is held in Thripunithra a small town about 10-12 kms away from Cochin.
Camera: Nikon D70
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)
Aperture: f/4.5
Focal Length: 70 mm
ISO Speed: 200
Exposure Bias: 0 EV
Flash: Off, Did not fire
DSC_0804 via ACR from jpeg 2 exp sel cu gr br le TFM VER 2
Body of Knowledge by Jaume Plensa (www.kunst-im-oeffentlichen-raum-frankfurt.de/de/page28.ht...) on the Campus Westend of the Goethe University in Frankfurt. It is specially popular with little kids who love climbing on it.
Porst Happy and its "Plasicion lens 1:8 Speed 1/50 sec." lens, Fomapan 100 in Rodinal 1+50 for 13 min at about 20°C and digitalized using kit zoom and extension tubes.
Thank you everyone for your visits, faves and comments, they are always appreciated :)
The legend goes that in ancient times the Grackle had no voice, so he stole his 7 songs from the wise Sea Turtle. I see a beauty in these birds that are sometimes reviled. It is, in fact, this very revilement which is one way that the Grackle gets us to reveal ourselves and our nature. In this scene, I see the Grackle as an agent of revelation.
Knowledge Wheel...
Educational elements describing local nature in the historic park in Dzierżązna. Spin the wheels and match the pictures to learn about native flora and fauna. Dzierżązna, Poland.
Thank you all for comments & faves :)
Zenza Bronica SQ-A | Zenzanon-S 80mm f/2.8 | Kodak E100 VS expired 04/2012
Paris - Juin 2016
Loading some quality film in the Pentax.
FIRST THING TO DO IS FOR YOU TO ENRICH YOUR KNOWLEDGE
==================================================
This Is What We Do ....We Take The Children Along .....And Pass On Knowledge And Wisdom Gained Over These Years... This Is The Way We Put Our Children In Fast Track.....
Youngsters Are Quick Learners And Much More Proficient In Handling Modern Gadgets And Net knowers....Nevertheless,,,A Bottle Of Water Will Be of Help..since lots of Questions and Elucidation is the norm .That Is Another Matter.
We Need Their Car And Drive....To Reach High Places ..Especially In A Foreign Land......That Is A Different Matter....Altogether
(In This Image Shot Outside The Lick Observatory situate on A Cliff....Overlooking Silicon Valley, Me And My Son..At Sun Set Time)
Ever had the urge to blurt out that you are a cross-dresser? I have!
In fact, I have succumbed to this urge a few times and I can say though many were positive with their reaction once it went very badly and I had inadvertently given someone knowledge they proceeded to use against me. It was not the most comfortable of outcomes.
So coming out as a cross-dresser, why tell anyone? I do feel some people need to know, in my case my wife and family. I did not want it to remain a secret in our lives. However, I have come out to others who are not family but I have many tears of trust with them. My mistake was at times I was bursting with an urge to just tell people and quite frankly it was truly reckless frame of mind to be in.
So I made a big mistake with one person and could only stop them using my secret cross-dressing activities being used to cause me trouble in my working life buy having to come out to more people than I really wanted to. It did at least wipe out the hold the person who despised me for being a cross-dresser thought they could have over me. It was an unpleasant time and it upset my family.
So during my last cross-dressing in March I thought I would record a short video on coming out and my own take it on which is be cautious! Of course, this is just my own view and each of us will feel differently about coming out. I know some people are very open and uninhibited. My own situation is I need to stay protective of my family and my job as I need to provide a stable income to support those I love dearly.
My moments of reckless desire to tell the world I love dressing up as a woman need to be contained. I am now very careful who I come out to. Others have come out to me about their own lives and sexuality so I know we have mutual respect and trust with each other.
I would definitely urge caution. Coming out has it’s immediate moment of euphoria and liberation that you have told someone but the long term consequence is they now know something about you that could potentially cause you big problems in your life if they don’t respect the secret you just shared or they decide to use that new knowledge against you.
Resist the urge to tell! Think carefully about who you decide to share this part of your life with.
Memorial Library — haunted knowledge. Image three hundred and eighteen of my project 365. University of Wisconsin, Madison.
God's Utterance "God Himself, the Unique (III) God's Authority (II)" (Part Three)
www.holyspiritspeaks.org/videos/gods-authority-2-part-three/
God's words in this video are from the book "Continuation of The Word Appears in the Flesh".
The content of this video:
Progeny: The Fifth Juncture
1. One Has No Control Over What Becomes of One's Offspring
2. After Raising the Next Generation, People Gain a New Understanding of Fate
3. Believing in Fate Is No Substitute for a Knowledge of the Creator’s Sovereignty
4. Only Those Who Submit to the Creator’s Sovereignty Can Attain True Freedom
Eastern Lightning, The Church of Almighty God was created because of the appearance and work of Almighty God, the second coming of the Lord Jesus, Christ of the last days. It is made up of all those who accept Almighty God's work in the last days and are conquered and saved by His words. It was entirely founded by Almighty God personally and is led by Him as the Shepherd. It was definitely not created by a person. Christ is the truth, the way, and the life. God's sheep hear God's voice. As long as you read the words of Almighty God, you will see God has appeared.
Terms of Use en.godfootsteps.org/disclaimer.html
Leley Noronha © All rights reserved.
Amarelo eh a cor da sabedoria. Aprenda sempre.
Mesmo que voce seje o instrutor. Abracose bom fim de semana..
Yellow is known to be the color of knowledge. I hope you are learning
every day. Even if you're your own instructor.
Make it a perfect week..
Since the microscope was first used for scientific purpose's in the 17th century, it has made invaluable contribution's to the fields of biology, chemistry, physics and micro electronics.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Khajuraho"
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Location Madhya Pradesh, India Edit this at Wikidata
Coordinates 24°51′08″N 79°55′20″E
Criteria Cultural: (i), (iii) Edit this on Wikidata[1]
Reference 240
Inscription 1986 (10th Session)
Khajuraho Group of Monuments is located in India
Khajuraho Group of Monuments
Location of Khajuraho Group of Monuments
[edit on Wikidata]
The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.[2][3] The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.[4]
Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty.[5] Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers.[3] Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.[6]
The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region.[7]
Contents
1 Location
2 History
3 Description
3.1 Architecture of the temples
4 Construction
5 Chronology
6 Arts and sculpture
7 Tourism and cultural events
8 See also
9 References
10 Further reading
11 External links
Location
The Khajuraho monuments are located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chhatarpur district, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi. The temples are near a small town also known as Khajuraho,[8] with a population of about 20,000 people (2001 Census).
Khajuraho is served by Civil Aerodrome Khajuraho (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.[9] The site is also linked by the Indian Railways service, with the railway station located approximately six kilometres from the entrance to the monuments .
The monuments are about 10 kilometres off the east-west National Highway 75, and about 50 kilometres from the city of Chhatarpur, which is connected to the state capital Bhopal by the SW-NE running National Highway 86.
The 10th century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan was built in the style of the Khajuraho monuments and is often referred to as 'Little Khajuraho'.
History
The Khajuraho group of monuments was built during the rule of the Chandela dynasty. The building activity started almost immediately after the rise of their power, throughout their kingdom to be later known as Bundelkhand.[10] Most temples were built during the reigns of the Hindu kings Yashovarman and Dhanga. Yashovarman's legacy is best exhibited by The Lakshmana Temple. Vishvanatha temple best highlights King Dhanga's reign.[11]:22 The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built in the reign of King Vidyadhara.[12] The temple inscriptions suggest many of the currently surviving temples were complete between 970 and 1030 CE, with further temples completed during the following decades.[7]
The Khajuraho temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval city of Mahoba,[13] the capital of the Chandela dynasty, in the Kalinjar region. In ancient and medieval literature, their kingdom has been referred to as Jijhoti, Jejahoti, Chih-chi-to and Jejakabhukti.[14]
Khajuraho was mentioned by Abu Rihan-al-Biruni, the Persian historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his raid of Kalinjar in 1022 CE; he mentions Khajuraho as the capital of Jajahuti.[15] The raid was unsuccessful, and a peace accord was reached when the Hindu king agreed to pay a ransom to Mahmud of Ghazni to end the attack and leave.[14]
Khajuraho temples were in active use through the end of 12th century. This changed in the 13th century; after the army of Delhi Sultanate, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, attacked and seized the Chandela kingdom. About a century later, Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller in his memoirs about his stay in India from 1335 to 1342 CE, mentioned visiting Khajuraho temples, calling them "Kajarra"[16][17] as follows:
Until the 12th century, Khajuraho was under Hindu kings and featured 85 temples. Central India was seized by Delhi Sultanate in 13th century. Under Muslim rule, some temples were destroyed and the rest left in neglect. Ruins of some old temples (Ghantai temple above) are still visible.
...near (Khajuraho) temples, which contain idols that have been mutilated by the Moslems, live a number of yogis whose matted locks have grown as long as their bodies. And on account of extreme asceticism they are all yellow in colour. Many Moslems attend these men in order to take lessons (yoga) from them.
— Ibn Battuta, about 1335 CE, Riḥlat Ibn Baṭūṭah, Translated by Arthur Cotterell[18]
Central Indian region, where Khajuraho temples are, remained in the control of many different Muslim dynasties from 13th century through the 18th century. In this period, some temples were desecrated, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect.[7][10] In 1495 CE, for example, Sikandar Lodi’s campaign of temple destruction included Khajuraho.[19] The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho protected the Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims.[20][21] Over the centuries, vegetation and forests overgrew, took over the temples.
In the 1830s, local Hindus guided a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, to the temples and they were thus rediscovered by the global audience.[22] Alexander Cunningham later reported, few years after the rediscovery, that the temples were secretly in use by yogis and thousands of Hindus would arrive for pilgrimage during Shivaratri celebrated annually in February or March based on a lunar calendar. In 1852, Maisey prepared earliest drawings of the Khajuraho temples.[23]
Nomenclature
The name Khajuraho, or Kharjuravāhaka, is derived from ancient Sanskrit (kharjura, खर्जूर means date palm,[24] and vāhaka, वाहक means "one who carries" or bearer[25]). Local legends state that the temples had two golden date-palm trees as their gate (missing when they were rediscovered). Desai states that Kharjuravāhaka also means scorpion bearer, which is another symbolic name for deity Shiva (who wears snakes and scorpion garlands in his fierce form).[26]
Cunningham’s nomenclature and systematic documentation work in 1850s and 1860s have been widely adopted and continue to be in use.[23] He grouped the temples into the Western group around Lakshmana, Eastern group around Javeri, and Southern group around Duladeva.[27]
Khajuraho is one of the four holy sites linked to deity Shiva (the other three are Kedarnath, Kashi and Gaya). Its origin and design is a subject of scholarly studies. Shobita Punja[28] has proposed that the temple’s origin reflect the Hindu mythology in which Khajuraho is the place where Shiva got married; with Raghuvamsha verse 5.53, Matangeshvara honoring ‘’Matanga’’, or god of love.
Description
Sections and orientation of Khajuraho temples.
The temple site is within Vindhya mountain range in central India. An ancient local legend held that Hindu deity Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting the dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area.[27] The center of this region is Khajuraho, set midst local hills and rivers. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building temples where gods love to play.[27][29]
The temples are clustered near water, another typical feature of Hindu temples. The current water bodies include Sib Sagar, Khajur Sagar (also called Ninora Tal) and Khudar Nadi (river).[30] The local legends state that the temple complex had 64 water bodies, of which 56 have been physically identified by archeologists so far.[27][31]
All temples, except[27] one (Chaturbhuja) face sunrise - another symbolic feature that is predominant in Hindu temples. The relative layout of temples integrate masculine and feminine deities and symbols highlight the interdependence.[28] The art work symbolically highlight the four goals of life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism - dharma, kama, artha and moksha.
Of the surviving temples, 6 are dedicated to Shiva and his consorts, 8 to Vishnu and his affinities, 1 to Ganesha, 1 to Sun god, 3 to Jain Tirthankars.[27] For some ruins, there is insufficient evidence to assign the temple to specific deities with confidence.
An overall examination of site suggests that the Hindu symbolic mandala design principle of square and circles is present each temple plan and design.[32] Further, the territory is laid out in three triangles that converge to form a pentagon. Scholars suggest that this reflects the Hindu symbolism for three realms or trilokinatha, and five cosmic substances or panchbhuteshvara.[27] The temple site highlights Shiva, the one who destroys and recycles life, thereby controlling the cosmic dance of time, evolution and dissolution.[28]
The temples have a rich display of intricately carved statues. While they are famous for their erotic sculpture, sexual themes cover less than 10% of the temple sculpture.[33] Further, most erotic scene panels are neither prominent nor emphasized at the expense of the rest, rather they are in proportional balance with the non-sexual images.[34] The viewer has to look closely to find them, or be directed by a guide.[35] The arts cover numerous aspects of human life and values considered important in Hindu pantheon. Further, the images are arranged in a configuration to express central ideas of Hinduism. All three ideas from Āgamas are richly expressed in Khajuraho temples - Avyakta, Vyaktavyakta and Vyakta.[36]
The Beejamandal temple is under excavation. It has been identified with the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahpati Kokalla inscription.[37]
Of all temples, the Matangeshvara temple remains an active site of worship.[28] It is another square grid temple, with a large 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) diameter lingam, placed on a 7.6 metres (25 ft) diameter platform.[27]
The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of about 6,500 square feet and a shikhara (spire) that rises 116 feet.[10][27]
Jain temples
Main article: Jain temples of Khajuraho
The Jain temples are located on east-southeast region of Khajuraho monuments.[38] Chausath jogini temple features 64 jogini, while Ghantai temple features bells sculptured on its pillars.
Architecture of the temples
The layout plan of Kandariya Mahadeva Temple. It uses the 64 pada grid design. Smaller Khajuraho temples use the 9, 16, 36 or 49 grid mandala plan.[39]
Khajuraho temples, like almost all Hindu temple designs, follow a grid geometrical design called vastu-purusha-mandala.[40] This design plan has three important components - Mandala means circle, Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure.[41]
The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, concentrically layered, self-repeating structure around the core of the temple called garbhagriya, where the abstract principle Purusha and the primary deity of the temple dwell. The shikhara, or spire, of the temple rises above the garbhagriya. This symmetry and structure in design is derived from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.[42]
The circle of mandala circumscribe the square. The square is considered divine for its perfection and as a symbolic product of knowledge and human thought, while circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water drop, rainbow). Each supports the other.[29] The square is divided into perfect 64 sub-squares called padas.[40]
Most Khajuraho temples deploy the 8x8 (64) padas grid Manduka Vastupurushamandala, with pitha mandala the square grid incorporated in the design of the spires.[39] The primary deity or lingas are located in the grid’s Brahma padas.
Khajuraho temples use the 8x8 (64) Vastupurusamandala Manduka grid layout plan (left) found in Hindu temples. Above the temple’s brahma padas is a Shikhara (Vimana or Spire) that rises symmetrically above the central core, typically in a circles and turning-squares concentric layering design (right) that flows from one to the other as it rises towards the sky.[29][43]
The architecture is symbolic and reflects the central Hindu beliefs through its form, structure and arrangement of its parts.[44] The mandapas as well as the arts are arranged in the Khajuraho temples in a symmetric repeating patterns, even though each image or sculpture is distinctive in its own way. The relative placement of the images are not random but together they express ideas, just like connected words form sentences and paragraphs to compose ideas.[45] This fractal pattern that is common in Hindu temples.[46] Various statues and panels have inscriptions. Many of the inscriptions on the temple walls are poems with double meanings, something that the complex structure of Sanskrit allows in creative compositions.[26]
All Khajuraho temples, except one, face sunrise, and the entrance for the devotee is this east side.
An illustration of Khajuraho temple Spires (Shikhara, Vimana) built using concentric circle and rotating-squares principle. Four spires (left) are shown above, while the inside view of one Shikara ceiling (right) shows the symmetric layout.
Above the vastu-purusha-mandala of each temple is a superstructure with a dome called Shikhara (or Vimana, Spire).[41] Variations in spire design come from variation in degrees turned for the squares. The temple Shikhara, in some literature, is linked to mount Kailash or Meru, the mythical abode of the gods.[29]
In each temple, the central space typically is surrounded by an ambulatory for the pilgrim to walk around and ritually circumambulate the Purusa and the main deity.[29] The pillars, walls and ceilings around the space, as well as outside have highly ornate carvings or images of the four just and necessary pursuits of life - kama, artha, dharma and moksa. This clockwise walk around is called pradakshina.[41]
Larger Khajuraho temples also have pillared halls called mandapa. One near the entrance, on the east side, serves as the waiting room for pilgrims and devotees. The mandapas are also arranged by principles of symmetry, grids and mathematical precision. This use of same underlying architectural principle is common in Hindu temples found all over India.[47] Each Khajuraho temple is distinctly carved yet also repeating the central common principles in almost all Hindu temples, one which Susan Lewandowski refers to as "an organism of repeating cells".[48]
Construction
The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.
The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone, with a granite foundation that is almost concealed from view.[49] The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.[50] Some repair work in the 19th Century was done with brick and mortar; however these have aged faster than original materials and darkened with time, thereby seeming out of place.
The Khajuraho and Kalinjar region is home to superior quality of sandstone, which can be precision carved. The surviving sculpture reflect fine details such as strands of hair, manicured nails and intricate jewelry.
While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved.[51] Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.[52] They concluded that these temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.
Chronology
The Khajuraho group of temples belong to Vaishnavism school of Hinduism, Saivism school of Hinduism and Jainism - nearly a third each. Archaeological studies suggest all three types of temples were under construction at about the same time in late 10th century, and in use simultaneously. Will Durant states that this aspect of Khajuraho temples illustrates the tolerance and respect for different religious viewpoints in the Hindu and Jain traditions.[53] In each group of Khajuraho temples, there were major temples surrounded by smaller temples - a grid style that is observed to varying degrees in Hindu temples in Angkor Wat, Parambaran and South India.
The largest surviving Saiva temple is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest surviving Vaishnava group includes Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra.
Kandariya Mahadeva Temple plan is 109 ft in length by 60 ft, and rises 116 ft above ground and 88 ft above its own floor. The central padas are surrounded by three rows of sculptured figures, with over 870 statues, most being half life size (2.5 to 3 feet). The spire is a self repeating fractal structure.
Temples, religious affiliations and consecration years
Sequence Modern Temple name Religion Deity Completed by
(CE)[27][54] Image
1 Chausath Yogini Hinduism Devi, 64 Yoginis 885 Khajuraho,Chausath-Yogini-Tempel2.jpg
2 Brahma Hinduism Vishnu 925
3 Lalgun Mahadev Hinduism Shiva 900 India-5696 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
4 Matangeshwar Hinduism Shiva 1000 India-5772 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
5 Varaha Hinduism Vishnu 950 India-5595 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
6 Lakshmana Hinduism Vaikuntha Vishnu 939 India-5679 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
7 Parshvanatha Jainism Parshvanatha 954 Le temple de Parshvanath (Khajuraho) (8638423582).jpg
8 Vishvanatha Hinduism Shiva 999 India-5749 - Visvanatha Temple - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
9 Devi Jagadambi Hinduism Devi, Parvati 1023 Khajuraho Devi Jagadambi Temple 2010.jpg
10 Chitragupta Hinduism Sun, Chitragupta 1023 India-5707 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg
11 Kandariya Mahadeva (Largest temple) Hinduism Shiva 1029 Temple at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India.jpg
12 Vamana Hinduism Vamana 1062 Khajuraho Vaman Temple 2010.jpg
13 Adinath Jain Temple Jainism Adinatha 1027 Adinath Jain Temple Khajuraho 12.jpg
14 Javeri Hinduism Vishnu 1090 Javari Temple, Khajuraho.jpg
15 Chaturbhuja Hinduism Vishnu 1110 Khajuraho Chaturbhuja Temple.jpg
16 Duladeo (Duladeva) Hinduism Shiva 1125 Khajuraho Dulhadeo 2010.jpg
17 Ghantai Jainism Adinatha 960 A ruin, pillars at Khajuraho, India.jpg
18 Vishnu-Garuda Hinduism Vishnu 1000
19 Ganesha Hinduism Shiva 1000
20 Hanuman Hinduism Hanuman 922[55] Hanuman Inscription at Khajuraho.jpg
21 Mahishasuramardini Hinduism Mahishasuramardini 995 Khajuraho India, Lakshman Temple, Sculpture 10.JPG
22 Shantinatha temple Jainism Shantinatha 1027 Jain group of temples - Khajuraho 09.jpg
Arts and sculpture
Khajuraho temples are famous for their erotic arts. These constitute about 10% of total art displayed at the monuments.
Erotic sculptures
The Khajuraho temples feature a variety of art work, of which 10% is sexual or erotic art outside and inside the temples. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. Some scholars suggest these to be tantric sexual practices.[56] Other scholars state that the erotic arts are part of Hindu tradition of treating kama as an essential and proper part of human life, and its symbolic or explicit display is common in Hindu temples.[6][57] James McConnachie, in his history of the Kamasutra, describes the sexual-themed Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":
"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."
Over 90% of the art work at the temple is about daily life and symbolic values in ancient Indian culture.
The temples have several thousand statues and art works, with Kandarya Mahadeva Temple alone decorated with over 870. Some 10% of these iconographic carvings contain sexual themes and various sexual poses. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities;[58] however the kama arts represent diverse sexual expressions of different human beings.[59] The vast majority of arts depict various aspects the everyday life, mythical stories as well as symbolic display of various secular and spiritual values important in Hindu tradition.[3][6] For example, depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians making music, potters, farmers, and other folks in their daily life during the medieval era.[60] These scenes are in the outer padas as is typical in Hindu temples.
There is iconographic symbolism embedded in the arts displayed in Khajuraho temples.[6] Core Hindu values are expressed in multitude of ways. Even the Kama scenes, when seen in combination of sculptures that precede and follow, depict the spiritual themes such as moksha. In the words of Stella Kramrisch,
This state which is “like a man and woman in close embrace” is a symbol of moksa, final release or reunion of two principles, the essence (Purusha) and the nature (Prakriti).
— Stella Kramrisch, 1976[29]
The Khajuraho temples represent one expression of many forms of arts that flourished in Rajput kingdoms of India from 8th through 10th century CE. For example, contemporary with Khajuraho were the publications of poems and drama such as Prabodhacandrodaya, Karpuramanjari, Viddhasalabhanjika and Kavyamimansa.[61] Some of the themes expressed in these literary works are carved as sculpture in Khajuraho temples.[26][62] Some sculptures at the Khajuraho monuments dedicated to Vishnu include the Vyalas, which are hybrid imaginary animals with lions body, and are found in other Indian temples.[63] Some of these hybrid mythical art work include Vrik Vyala (hybrid of wolf and lion) and Gaja Vyala (hybrid of elephant and lion). These Vyalas may represent syncretic, creative combination of powers innate in the two.[64]
Tourism and cultural events
Temples layout map – Khajuraho Group of Monuments.
The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts : the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western group of temples of which the Western group alone has the facility of an Audio guided tour wherein the tourists are guided through the seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Archaeological Survey of India which includes a narration of the temple history and architecture.[65]
The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February.[66] It features various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.
The Khajuraho temple complex offers a light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex, and has received mixed reviews.
The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development has set up kiosks at the Khajuraho railway station, with tourist officers to provide information for Khajuraho visitors.
See also
List of megalithic sites
Jain temples of Khajuraho
Ajanta Caves
Badami Chalukya architecture
Western Chalukya architecture
Hindu temple
Madan Kamdev
Hemvati
Kama Sutra
Kamashastra
References
"World Heritage Day: Five must-visit sites in India".
Khajuraho Group of Monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site
Philip Wilkinson (2008), India: People, Place, Culture and History, ISBN 978-1405329040, pp 352-353
Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam, ed. India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 179.
Devangana Desai (2005), Khajuraho, Oxford University Press, Sixth Print, ISBN 978-0-19-565643-5
James Fergusson, Norther or Indo-Aryan Style - Khajuraho History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, Updated by James Burgess and R. Phene Spiers (1910), Volume II, John Murray, London
"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.
Khajuraho airport AAI, Govt of India
G.S. Ghurye, Rajput Architecture, ISBN 978-8171544462, Reprint Year: 2005, pp 19-24
Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. ISBN 9789380607344.
Devangana Desai 2005, p. 10.
also called Erakana
Mitra (1977), The early rulers of Khajuraho, ISBN 978-8120819979
J. Banerjea (1960), Khajuraho, Journal of the Asiatic Society, Vol. 2-3, pp 43-47
phonetically translated from Arabic sometimes as "Kajwara"
Director General of Archaeology in India (1959), Archaeological Survey of India, Ancient India, Issues 15-19, pp 45-46 (Archived: University of Michigan)
Arthur Cotterell (2011), Asia: A Concise History, Wiley, ISBN 978-0470825044, pp 184-185
Michael D. Willis, An Introduction to the Historical Geography of Gopakṣetra, Daśārṇa, and Jejākadeśa, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 51, No. 2 (1988), pp. 271-278; See also K.R. Qanungo (1965), Sher Shah and his times, Orient Longmans, OCLC 175212, pp 423-427
Trudy King et al., Asia and Oceania: International Dictionary of Historic Places, ISBN 978-1884964046, Routledge, pp 468-470
Alain Daniélou (2011), A Brief History of India, ISBN 978-1594770296, pp 221-227
Louise Nicholson (2007), India, National Geographic Society, ISBN 978-1426201448, see Chapter on Khajuraho
Krishna Deva (1990), Temples of Khajuraho, 2 Volumes, Archaelogical Survey of India, New Delhi
kharjUra Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
vAhaka Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany
Devangana Desai (1996), Chapter 7 - Puns and Enigmatic Language in Sculpture in The Religious Imagery of Khajuraho, Project for Indian Cultural Studies, Columbia University Archives
Rana Singh (2007), Landscape of sacred territory of Khajuraho, in City Society and Planning (Editors: Thakur, Pomeroy, et al), Volume 2, ISBN 978-8180694585, Chapter 18
Shobita Punja (1992), Divine Ecstasy - The Story of Khajuraho, Viking, New Delhi, ISBN 978-0670840274
Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0222-3
Ibn Battuta in his 1335 CE memoirs on Delhi Sultanate mentioned the temples to be near a mile long lake, modern water bodies are much smaller and separate lagoons; Director General of Archaeology in India (1959), Archaeological Survey of India, Ancient India, Issues 15-19, pp 45-46 (Archived: University of Michigan)
The number 64 is considered sacred in Hindu temple design and very common design basis; it is symbolic as it is both a square of 8 and a cube of 4.
Brahma temple is 19 feet square; Kandariya Mahadev has a four fused square grid; Matangeshvara temple is a 64 grid square; etc. See G.S. Ghurye, Rajput Architecture, ISBN 978-8171544462, Reprint Year: 2005, pp 19-25; and V.A. Smith (1879), "Observations on some Chandel Antiquities", Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. 48, Part 1, pp 291-297
D Desai (1996), The religious imagery of Khajuraho, Project for Indian Cultural Studies, ISBN 978-8190018418
Desai states that Khajuraho and Orissa Hindu temples are distinctive in giving erotic kama images the same weight as others and by assigning important architectural position; in contrast, surviving sculpture from temples of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Mysore show that there kama and sexual images were assigned to insignificant parts of the temple; Meister suggests that this aspect of eroticism in temple design and equal weight reflects evolution of design ideas among Hindu artisans, with temples built in later medieval centuries placing equal weight and balance to kama; see Meister, Michael (1979). "Juncture and Conjunction: Punning and Temple Architecture". Artibus Asiae. 41 (2–3): 226–234. JSTOR 3249517. doi:10.2307/3249517.
Edmund Leach, The Harvey Lecture Series. The Gatekeepers of Heaven: Anthropological Aspects of Grandiose Architecture, Journal of Anthropological Research, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Autumn, 1983), pp 243-264
Bettina Bäumer, A review, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 59, No. 1/2 (1999), pp. 138-140
Cunningham, Alexander (1880). Report of Tours in Bundelkhand and Malwa in 1874-75 and 1876-77. 8 Hastings Street, Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. p. 22. Retrieved 8 May 2017.
James Fergusson, Jaina Architecture - Khajuraho History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, Updated by James Burgess and R. Phene Spiers (1910), Volume II, John Murray, London
Meister, Michael W. (April–June 1979). "Maṇḍala and Practice in Nāgara Architecture in North India". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 99 (2): 204–219. JSTOR 602657. doi:10.2307/602657.
Meister, Michael (1983). "Geometry and Measure in Indian Temple Plans: Rectangular Temples". Artibus Asiae. 44 (4): 266–296. JSTOR 3249613. doi:10.2307/3249613.
Susan Lewandowski, The Hindu Temple in South India, in Buildings and Society: Essays on the Social Development of the Built Environment, Anthony D. King (Editor), ISBN 978-0710202345, Routledge, pp 68-69
Stella Kramrisch (1976), The Hindu Temple Volume 1, ISBN 81-208-0223-3
Meister, Michael W. (March 2006). "Mountain Temples and Temple-Mountains: Masrur". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 65 (1): 26–49. JSTOR 25068237. doi:10.2307/25068237.
Meister, Michael W. (Autumn 1986). "On the Development of a Morphology for a Symbolic Architecture: India". RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (12): 33–50. JSTOR 20166752.
Devangana Desai, Khajuraho, Oxford University Press Paperback (Sixth impression 2005) ISBN 978-0-19-565643-5
Rian et al (2007), Fractal geometry as the synthesis of Hindu cosmology in Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Khajuraho, Building and Environment, Vol 42, Issue 12, pp 4093-4107, doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2007.01.028
Trivedi, K. (1989). Hindu temples: models of a fractal universe. The Visual Computer, 5(4), 243-258
Susan Lewandowski, The Hindu Temple in South India, in Buildings and Society: Essays on the Social Development of the Built Environment, Anthony D. King (Editor), ISBN 978-0710202345, Routledge, Chapter 4
V.A. Smith, "Observations on some Chandel Antiquities", Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 48, pp 290-291
"Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra" History channel
"Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra," History Channel
Lehner, Mark (1997) The Complete Pyramids, London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05084-8. pp. 202–225
Will Durant (1976), Our Oriental Heritage - The Story of Civilization, ISBN 978-0671548001, Simon & Schuster
From inscription or estimated from other evidence
Cunningham in Archaeological Survey Reports noted that one of two Hanuman statues bears an inscription of 868 CE
Rabe (2000), Secret Yantras and Erotic Display for Hindu Temples, Tantra in Practice (Editor: David White), ISBN 978-8120817784, Chapter 25, pp 434-446
See:
Heather Elgood (2000), Hinduism and the Religious Arts, ISBN 978-0304707393, Bloomsbury;
Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Volume 1, ISBN 81-208-0223-3, pp 92-96;
Alain Danielou (2001), The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism, ISBN 978-0892818549, pp 101-119
"Khajuraho". Liveindia.com. Retrieved on 2014-07-14.
Alain Danielou (2001), The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism, ISBN 978-0892818549
George Michell, The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226532301, pp 117-123 and pp 56-58
L. H. Gray, Journal of American Society, Vol. 27
H.M. Woodward (1989), The Lakṣmaṇa Temple, Khajuraho, and Its Meanings, Ars Orientalis, Vol. 19, pp. 27-48
Smith, David (1 January 2013). "Monstrous Animals on Hindu Temples, with Special Reference to Khajuraho": 27–43. doi:10.1558/rosa.v7i1-3.27. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
The Lakṣmaṇa Temple, Khajuraho, and Its Meanings, Hiram W. Woodward, Jr., Ars Orientalis, Vol. 19, (1989), pp. 27-48
Tourists to Khajuraho will now have an audio compass The Times of India (25 August 2011)
Khajuraho Festival of Dances
The title pretty much says it all.
My wife and I moved here in April of 2006 to allow me to start my career...and what a great place to start. Portland has been a wonderful place to live. It's a great city...in a beautiful part of the country...and has a lot of things to suite anyone's taste in culture, art, entertainment, etc.
However, Portland was always a stepping stone location for us...a means to an end that preferably had us heading back east and closer to home. That time has finally come. Last week I was offered a job in Arkansas, which I gladly accepted! We officially leave town on April 28th, just a few short weeks away now!
Before I leave though, I wanted to take a moment and share a thought or two about my time on flickr. In 2007 I was introduced to the world of flickr. After following (often times totally astounded at the images that were produced by them) the flickr streams of folks such as Jesse, Ara, Danielle, and perhaps most influential and encouraging to me, Zeb, I decided to join this world of flickr.
Thus began a fantastic journey for me. I've grown to really love photography over the last 2 years. I've met a lot of people, some of whom (such as Victor) I've been shooting with several times and have become good friends with. The knowledge that I've acquired through my interactions with all of my flickr buddies is priceless, and I have appreciated all the time people have spent to explain the most simplest of tasks.
Finally...in the age of the internet...I don't guess this is really goodbye. I will continue to follow all of my friends streams (most likely in an envious manner during times like the tulip festival, etc), and hope you will do the same with me. Arkansas may not have a Ramona or Multnomah falls...nor vast wild flower meadows high up on volcanic peaks...but it does have STORMS! Oh how I have missed my thunderstorms!
P.S. - That last note was a shout out to Little M. I think it's a shout out b/c of her comment on this picture. ;o) Looks like I'll get my storms after all M!
Lit from the side, by a 45watt bulb and a SB600 speed light on a chair, fitted with a phong light sphere 2
Prints available at zacharymassengill.smugmug.com
I was slightly annoyed how over exposed the book was, it was difficult to make the arm look natural because of this. However it was all I could get my hands on and I was losing the light quickly so I had to make do. I'm still very happy with this though, it turned out exactly how I wanted it to.
Van Gogh from Space - July 13th, 2005
Description: In the style of Van Gogh's painting "Starry Night," massive congregations of greenish phytoplankton swirl in the dark water around Gotland, a Swedish island in the Baltic Sea. Phytoplankton are microscopic marine plants that form the first link in nearly all ocean food chains. Population explosions, or blooms, of phytoplankton, like the one shown here, occur when deep currents bring nutrients up to sunlit surface waters, fueling the growth and reproduction of these tiny plants.
Credit: USGS/NASA/Landsat 7
To learn more about the Landsat satellite go to: landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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People without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots.
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As we try to learn more and more, we do what with that knowledge?
Sometimes, do you look and immediately know: "I need to exit and see no more"?
"Curiosity killed more than some cat", all must know, rigtht?
_________________
below from www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/a/albert_camus.html
are a few quotes from Albert Camus, French Philosopher
Date of Birth: November 7, 1913
Date of Death: January 4, 1960
The absurd is the essential concept and the first truth.
The desire for possession is insatiable, to such a point that it can survive even love itself. To love, therefore, is to sterilize the person one loves.
The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.
The gods had condemned Sisyphus to ceaselessly rolling a rock to the top of a mountain, whence the stone would fall back of its own weight. They had thought with some reason that there is no more dreadful punishment than futile and hopeless labor.
The modern mind is in complete disarray. Knowledge has stretched itself to the point where neither the world nor our intelligence can find any foot-hold. It is a fact that we are suffering from nihilism.
The myth of unlimited production brings war in its train as inevitably as clouds announce a storm.
EXPLORE # 291 on Saturday, April 26, 2008; # 362 on 04-25-2008; # 379 on 04-24-2008 within 3 hours of posting
um.... so yea i dont really know about this one. Knowledge=the lightbulb.
Wow i felt really samry. I spelled "knowledge" wrong the first time...
BUT HOLY CRAP! Im too excited to my saftey. Buzzfest is in less than 4 hours! as of now. (May 10th, 11:14 a.m) My brother was an idiot and pointedly told me to "not die". Now my mother fears for my life in the mosh pit. Thanks Scott. She's also afraid im going get attacked by a druggie or stoner or such... I'll be ok mommy dont worry love you :) I goy mi madre a Jack LaLanne juicer for mothers day. I made apple juice. it was yummy! :D
10 Year Project
Each month I take a favourite photo from ten years back, and re-edit it, using current tools and knowledge.
Brightened, contrasted, textured... but most importantly straightened. This one might mean more to me now that I am 63 myself. :-)
Changing Images of Man is a 1974 report (revised in 1982) by the Stanford Research Institute (SRI International). This report can be summed up like this:
You have two options: your future can either be 1984 or the Brave New World.
“We have met the enemy and he is us!” We must reform the way we conceptualize the nature of mankind. Indeed, the mind (and body) is a human biocomputer, with programs and coding that can be analyzed, hacked, and altered. Our concepts of free will, freedom, and consciousness must be cast off for man to attain a peaceful, rational, and humane society in the future.
Changing images of man has a double meaning: man’s image has changed throughout history, and man’s image can be changed (manipulated). If we apply this idea to the present, what would be man’s image? Today, man’s image is one of transition. Since we are in the digital age, man’s image would reflect the digital world. Man looks into his screen, and his screen reflects back his digital world. Man’s image is being tokenized into the digital world. His image is becoming digitalized. His image is going to transition into transhumanism (merging man with the digital world). So man’s future image will be one of transhumanism. He will be a techno-slave. Indeed, the image of man is currently being manipulated toward the goals of the elite.
This report warns that our society is heading towards friendly fascism. This form of fascism “will come under the slogans of democracy.” It will be a “techno-urban fascism,” a “friendly sort of totalitarianism.” This is what this friendly fascism will look like: they will use military surveillance technologies to aid the police; they will use behavior-changing drugs and indoctrination in schools; they will attempt to manage the news; they will use personality screening and maintain files on pre-delinquent children, via coordination with school administrations and local, state, and federal authorities; they will use interconnected computer systems to collect peoples personal data like: employment records, criminal records, tax status, credit, insurance, and information about education.
What is their solution to this friendly fascism? They want, instead, to introduce a friendly fascism that has a shiny spiritual veneer. They want man to “evolve” to a higher consciousness, a super consciousness, which lies at the boundary between the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind. This evolution of consciousness will be a personal, spiritual, social, and cultural evolution. They want people to tap into this consciousness through their dream states. They want them to evolve into a hivemind, where they can telepathically communicate with one another. This could possibly be achieved through mystical experiences, psychic phenomena, esoteric ideas, occult practices, hypnotism, self-hypnotism, meditation, yoga, psychotherapy, psychology, psychochemical drugs, electrocranial stimulation, and cybernetics. “I think that cybernetics is the biggest bite out of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge that mankind has taken in the last 2000 years.”
This evolved man will see the inequality of the poorer nations. He will willingly give up his comfortable lifestyle. He will lower his living standards. He will share his wealth with the rest of the world. Men will collectively work together to accomplish equality (communism). And if they refuse to give up their wealth, they will be forced to give it up. This evolution is Gnostic in nature; it reminds me of Karl Marx, with his idea of man evolving into the socialist man/communist man. Out of this evolution will come a new system, a “new socialism,” which will be influenced by Freemasonry. “In ‘true Freemasonry’ there is one lodge, the universe-and one brotherhood, everything that exists. Each person has the ‘privilege of labor,’ of joining with the ‘Great Architect’ in building more noble structures and thus serving in the divine plan.”
The architects of this scheme must convince the masses that the earth has limited resources, which they term the “new scarcity.” They must convince the people that the earth is being overpopulated (today, climate change is the big scare they are pushing). With these supposed problems, man must be convinced that he needs to collectively band together. The architects of this scam must bring in a new economic and ecological system (known today as stakeholder capitalism and the green economy). To introduce this alternative way of life, they will introduce “behavior controls that would deprive the individual of freedoms” (which is known today as a social credit score system).
“Thanks to this initiative (the Green Economy Initiative) and the work of other agencies, ‘green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication’ was placed on the 2012 Rio+20 agenda and was acknowledged as a tool for achieving sustainable development.” – United Nations
“A crisis is often the catalyst for the redrawing of one’s preferred map.” A “crisis-oriented transformation” is likely to transform a culture rapidly. We saw some of this during COVID, which greatly affected our society and economy. People accepted a soft form of authoritarianism and the loss of freedoms. During COVID, they pushed vaccine passports. This mimicked Digital IDs. The unvaccinated could not go to certain places, because they didn’t have vaccine passports. The Canadian truckers had their bank accounts frozen. Those with alternative views were censored. These things mimicked a social credit score system with rewards and punishments. Society failed to think critically, thus proving that it was ready for the next step of the plan. Therefore, politicians touted the start of the Great Reset—a plan to build back better. So now we are in a transition period, a transition into a new economic order. As a result, we are being steered towards a major economic crisis. This “crisis-oriented transformation” will bring us into their new system. This system will use digital biometric IDs, CBDCs, and social credit scores.
The elites see multinational corporations as the “most effective mechanisms for husbanding the earth’s resources and optimizing their use for human benefit.” Giving multinational corporations the earth’s resources will supposedly lead to an “equitable sharing of the earth’s resources.” They will pressure corporations to help with the social engineering of society. The methods they will use to get corporations on board resemble those of a corporate social credit score system like ESGs. They will prod corporations, particularly multinational corporations, to shift their goals to line up with those of the (hijacked) public institutions. Indeed, the public institutions will be tools of indoctrination (today, these institutions promote things like DEI). They plan to use “corporations, foundations, political agencies, and voluntary associations” to help with the implementation of their plans. Today, this is called public–private partnerships. They will use networks at the local, regional, national, and world levels. This way, it will be quicker and easier for them to implement their new world order goals. They expect rapid social change, economic decline, and social disruption as they implement their new technocratic socialist order.
“We would thus hope not for a handful, but for a thousand heroes, ten thousand heroes-who will create a future image of what humankind can be.” They need an army of social(ist) justice warriors to bring about change. “The needed transformation cannot occur without both personal and institutional change.” This correlates with the left’s “long march through the institutions.”
They also want to experiment with a variety of family structures. They want to turn the family into “an extended unit,” which will provide “a larger source of meaning and significance.” So basically, the collective (government, schools, neighbors, and society) will raise your children in this new collectivist utopia. This extended family will be a “source of education,” and “a unit for work.” They want to “foster a period of experimentation and tolerance for diverse alternatives, both in life styles and in social institutions.” They also want to use “new experimental curricula.” Today, we have new experimental curricula such as critical race theory and queer theory.
They want the world’s population to embrace this new order. Their end goal is the Brave New World. In reality, those who refuse this new order will live out 1984, and those who accept it will live out the Brave New World. Though, as they admit, no transition will go smoothly. Everyone is going to feel some pain, and in a worst-case scenario, a lot of pain.
The Bible warns us about the Antichrist. Those who refuse the Mark of the Beast won’t be able to buy or sell, and they will be tracked down by the authorities. These people will experience the hell of 1984. But those who take the Mark of the Beast will evolve into transhumans, and they will experience the bliss of the Brave New World. They will be on a high, stimulated by soma frequencies. Thus, they will blissfully worship the Beast. They will evolve to a super consciousness; they will become one with the Beast.
God created man with a soul and free will. Those who accept the Mark of the Beast will lose their free will, because technology will control their allegiance and love for the Beast. Their free will is gonna be controlled by the Beast system. Never again will they have the free will to repent and turn to Jesus Christ. They will give up their free will; they will forfeit their own souls.
Revelation 14:9-11 “A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: ‘If anyone worships the Beast and his Image, and takes the Mark on his forehead or his hand, that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of His wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. And the smoke from their torture will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the Beast and his Image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the Mark of his name.’”
Mark 8:36 “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?”
Yesterday’s debate at the photo club ties perfectly into today’s post. We discussed two different approaches to photography. One group focuses on documenting reality, capturing moments and scenes to “immortalize” them in a visually pleasing way. Using technical skills and compositional knowledge, they aim to create images that are memorable. This reminds me of Ansel Adams, who said, “A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.”
The other group leans toward photography as a fine art form, emphasizing shapes, lines, and emotions. For them, a photograph goes beyond documentation, aiming to evoke feelings and thoughts, often paired with a meaningful title or text. Photographers like Edward Weston, who transformed everyday objects into stunning abstractions, embody this approach.
Of course, these two options represent extremes, and there’s a whole spectrum of photography that lies in between. Photographers like Saul Leiter, Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, and others blend documentary and artistic abstraction beautifully. Their work often uses light, color, and shape to create evocative, layered compositions that transcend simple storytelling. And these are just a few; there are many more who push boundaries and redefine what photography can be.
That said, I know I’ll never stop documenting moments and places, which brings me to today’s post. It’s my way of preserving one of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks: Casa Batlló, designed by Antoni Gaudí. Its colorful mosaics, flowing curves, and unique details make it a masterpiece of modernist architecture. Whenever I’m in Barcelona—which is about once a quarter—I make a point to pass by and capture it. This isn’t just for my own memories but also to encourage others to visit, as this incredible building is absolutely worth seeing.
Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain