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Photo essays of my four stories for "30 Years Ago" exhibition held in August 2013, at Park Street Mews in Colombo.
Please click www.passionparade.blogspot.com/2013/09/framed-memories.html to read my four stories of individuals, and how they recall the "Black July" pogrom.
Kamera: Zenza Bronica SQ-Ai
Linse: Zenzanon PS 50mm
Film: Ilford Delta 100
Kjemi: Rodinal (1:25 / 9 min. @ 20°C)
+972 Magazine: ‘Lavender’: The AI machine directing Israel’s bombing spree in Gaza (Publ. 3 April 2024)
See also: Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
Richard Medhurst commentary: Israel's Killer Robot (Publ. 7 April 2024):
The Israelis are using a killer robot, AI, artificial intelligence, called Lavender. The code name is Lavender. And I want to read to you this exclusive from 972 magazine that contains interviews with Israelis who've used the system to target people in Gaza.
The targeting is so broad and abstract and sweeping that you see before you the mountain of corpses in Gaza. It's something out of a movie almost, but unfortunately it's reality for many. Let me read to you from this article.
So they start with a book called «The Human-Machine Team». Okay, and why are they talking about this book?
They're talking about it because it was written by the commander of an Israeli unit, and this unit - 8200 - it just so happens to be the one that is specialized in matters of cyber warfare, and so this book was written in 2021 and it's a proposal of having an AI system.
[* Note: This book was written by Lieutenant Colonel Yossi Sariel (b. 1978 in Haifa). As a 19-year-old in 1997 he was enlisted in the IDF's intelligence division. Sariel has a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology, a bachelor's degree in Middle Eastern Studies from Bar-Ilan University and a Master's degree in Strategy, Security and Economics from the National Defense University in the USA.
In 2018 Sariel was awarded the 'Eliyahu Golomb Israel Security Award' for an 'Artificial Intelligence project' and an 'Anti-Terrorism project'. (Eliyahu Golomb (1893-1945) was a Zionist terrorist who was one of the founders of the Haganah and the Palmach).
Yossi Sariel was appointed commander of Unit 8200 in February 2021. In May 2021 he published 'The Human-Machine Team' under the pseudonym Brigadier General YS. His identity as the author of the book and the commander of Unit 8200 was revealed by British newspaper The Guardian on the 5th of April 2024 because through his book profile on Amazon he left "digital traces leading to a private Google account containing his name, along with a unique ID card and links to maps and the diary of the profile". Later it was also revealed that in earlier versions of the book Sariel's full name was mentioned. The IDF spokesperson replied in response to the publication [of Sariel's identity] that "the disclosure of the officer's details is a mistake".
Source - Hebrew Wikipedia: Yossi Shariel (b. 1978) ]
Well, it turns out it wasn't a proposal, because it actually exists and it's called Lavender. Such a machine, it turns out, actually exists. Okay, now let me read to you what they've written here.
So the human personnel often serve only as a rubber stamp for the machine's decisions. They would personally devote about 20 seconds to each target before authorizing a bombing, just to make sure the Lavender marked target is male, okay.
So just to reiterate, the computer, which they have fed ridiculous parameters which we'll get to in a second, just finds targets and then the human who is at the computer, just says, «Yeah, okay, whatever» - they just devote 20 seconds before they destroy- not destroy, rather take someone's life, and I should say LIVES, because you'll see now the ‘collateral damage’:
So this is done despite knowing that the system makes what are regarded as ‘errors’ in approximately 10% of cases and is known to occasionally mark individuals who have merely a loose connection to militant groups or no connection at all.
So, just to be clear, on average, 10% of the people that are being chosen by this Lavender AI have nothing to do with Hamas. And then, of course, we'll look at the other 90%. Now in a second you'll see they also have nothing to do with Hamas.
But just to be clear, 10% - I mean, to play with human lives like that is so evil, it really is. You know we're not talking about 10% breakage with cassettes or something or a product, breaking. These are human lives that they're taking.
Moreover, the Israeli Army systematically attacks the targets while they're in their homes, usually at night, while their whole families are present, rather than during the course of military activity.
As a matter of policy, the Israelis are not only allowing this machine to choose random targets, but they're bombing them in their homes, with the families. As a matter of policy.
Why?
Because, according to the sources, from what they regarded as an intelligence standpoint - it was easier to locate the individuals in their private houses. Wow, you don't say. It was just easier to find them at home. So we killed their families, you know. And then they call themselves ‘The most Moral Army’ in the World, like they’re a bunch of goody two shoes fairies - I mean, Jesus.
They have something else called ‘Where's Daddy. Again, just look at how sick and evil and cynical this is. They have a program inside this artificial intelligence called ‘Where's Daddy’. What is the function of ‘Where's Daddy’? It gives the Israelis a notification when a potential target has reached their home.
You know, they've gotten home, so the signal from their mobile device is pinged on the towers and then the Artificial Intelligence takes the information, collates it and gives it to the officers and says: «Oh, look, this guy» - ‘Daddy’, right - supposedly the head of the family - has just arrived home - and THAT is the cue to go and bomb the family.
The result, as the sources testified, is that thousands of Palestinians, most of them women and children, or people who were not involved in the fighting, were wiped out by Israeli air strikes, ESPECIALLY during the first weeks of the war, because of the AI program’s decisions.
One of them says: «We were not interested in killing Hamas operatives only when they were in a military building or engaged in a military activity.» That's one intelligence officer saying that.
«On the contrary, the IDF bombed them in homes without hesitation, as a FIRST option. It's much easier to bomb a family's home. The system is built to look for them in these situations.»
Need I say any more? Don't worry, there's more.
Now they discuss ‘Junior Militants’.
So this is basically about how they are even killing children; 16- well, I mean, 16 is a teenager, right, but basically minors- and they're killing them and naming them ‘Junior Operatives’, as if that kind of automatically makes them valid for murder, and then they talk about how they don't want to WASTE a precision guided bomb on a ‘Junior Operative’.
So this 17-year-old is not worth a proper precision guided bomb, so let's just use a DUMB bomb, which causes a larger blast radius and more destruction and basically kills not just this person and their family, but OTHER families and their neighbours, too.
So, out of LAZINESS, out of not wanting to use the better bombs, they just use the DUMB bombs and cause more damage and kill more people. And the targets are children or teenagers. I mean, look at this - also, how callous they are, right.
They say that «during the first weeks of the war, for every ‘Junior Hamas’ operative that Lavender marked, it was permissible to kill up to 15 - 20 civilians». Permissible, you know? It's like you're sewing, and a bunch of pins fell on the floor.
«Whatever, it's 15 or 20 pins, who cares? You know, it's not a big deal. I spilled 15 drinks on the floor, whatever.» These are LIVES, man, these are people, these are human beings. This is acceptable for them, like they're playing God.
The sources added that in the event that the target was a ‘Senior Hamas’ official - whatever that means, because according to the Israelis, a Doctor in Hospital is a ‘Hamas official’ with the rank of Battalion or Brigade Commander - the Israeli Army on several occasions authorized the killing of more than 100 civilians in the assassination of a single Commander.
So the computer is telling them: «This guy is here, we can bomb him now, but you're going to kill 100 people. Do you want to proceed?»
And they say «Yes».
You can't blame the computer, because the Israelis fed these parameters in there. If someone else had programmed it; someone who was actually in possession of a Soul, of Morality - they would provide different parameters.
But the combination here is LETHAL. You're mixing two lethal things, right, and making the effect of the Israeli War Machine all the more exponential. That's what's going on.
You're industrializing and automating what is already a corrupt Army, an occupying Army, an evil Army. I want to be very clear before I give you the other details. I was going to save this for the end, but I might as well say it now.
The computer doesn't matter. The Israelis have always, ALWAYS behaved like this. You have to understand this. The Israelis have ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS caused disproportionate damage. This is their Doctrine. They believe in this. It's the bread and butter of the Israeli military; a bunch of terrorist groups, literally.
The computer is not the issue here, it's the Israelis.
Let me continue to the other part. At one point, the Lavender AI marked some 37,000 Palestinians as ‘suspected’ Hamas militants, MOST of them ‘Junior’. Okay, so you do the math.
If the Israelis say, for every ‘Junior Commander’ you can kill 15 to 20 people as collateral; do the math. MOST of them, what is most of them. Let's be very conservative and say 51% instead of 90 or 80 or 75. Let's say 51% of 37,000 are ‘Junior Commanders’. Right, that's MOST of them, it's the majority. Multiply that by 15 to 20 and you tell me what the result is. So the reason behind the development of this is that they wanted to.
«They wanted to allow us-» - meaning, the people running the machines - «-to attack [the junior operatives] automatically. It's the Holy Grail. Once you go automatic, target generation goes crazy.» And so at one point, look at what they do.
They KNOW that the 90% is just a random figure, it's a rubber stamp, because when you look at what is the criteria to tag these people as ‘Junior Operatives’ or ‘Hamas Operatives’, it falls apart.
And let me show you something here: Look at the criteria.
So, for example: «Similar problems exist with the ability of target machines to assess the phone used by an individual marked for assassination. ’In war, Palestinians change phones all the time. People lose contact with their families, they give their phone to a friend or a wife, maybe they lose it. There is no way to rely 100% on the automatic mechanism that determines which [phone] number belongs to whom.»
The sources that are talking to the magazine - they say that «the Army KNEW the minimal human supervision in place would not discover these faults. ‘There was no ‘zero-error’ policy. Mistakes were treated statistically.»
«Because of the scope and magnitude, the protocol was that even if you don't know for sure that the machine is right, you know that statistically it's fine, so you go for it.»
So they can sleep at night, so they can feel better about themselves, they say, «Well, you know, 90% of them are correctly marked. So you know, let's just go ahead, even if we're not sure who this person is. Let's just do it».
One of these soldiers says: «There's something about the statistical approach that sets you to a certain norm and standard. There has been an illogical amount of [bombings] in this operation. This is unparalleled, in my memory. And I have much more trust in a statistical mechanism than a soldier who lost a friend two days ago. Everyone there, including me, lost people on October 7th. The machine did it coldly. And that made it easier.»
So this guy's getting everything mixed up because he's saying, «Well, the machine doesn't make mistakes.» But then he admits that it makes mistakes, but because it's a machine, it makes him sleep - you know; feel better and sleep at night.
It really says a lot, doesn't it? It really tells you everything.
There are more things I highlighted for you.
«In practice, sources said this meant that for civilian men marked in error by Lavender, there was no supervising mechanism in place to detect the mistake.»
So when there ARE mistakes, no one is said to check it.
«A common error occurred ‘if the [Hamas] target gave [his phone] to his son, his older brother, or just a random man. That person will be bombed in his house with his family. This happened often. These were most of the mistakes caused by Lavender.»
So, a phone number gets you killed. That's it. Forgive me for being crass, but you know, you're a guy, you have a penis, you're a male and you have the wrong phone number. That's a death sentence in Gaza. This is the what the Israelis are telling us.
This is madness, this is evil. This is crazy.
And there are other things in here- for example, the fact that most of the people being killed are women and children. So this doesn't make any sense anymore. They tell themselves: «Well, the target is male, so let's bomb them.» But then what is the the end result? The bottom line: women and children are being killed. So the Israelis are basically admitting that, «Yeah, we're fine with this. Whether WE do it or the MACHINE does it, it doesn't matter, really - does it.»
This is a very, very long article and I sat down the whole day going through it, adding notes, and I've just given you the gist of it.
There's no need for me to go any further, but I'll just add a few last points.
The Israelis have ALWAYS behaved like this. This is their policy. They were BRUTAL in ’48, they were BRUTAL even before that, they were BRUTAL in ’56 and then also in ’67 and in ’73. They've ALWAYS been brutal, 24/7. They've basically made this AI just as BRUTAL as them and AUTOMATED the process. That's it.
One other point that I would add is that this could be a psy-op.
What do I mean by a psy-op?
A psy-op is an abbreviation. It basically means a psychological operation. It's meant to demoralize the other side, right, so this could be the Israelis feeding the journalists a bunch of rubbish. I don't think so, but we're contemplating. This could be the Israelis feeding the journalists a bunch of rubbish about Lavender so that they make Hamas feel demoralized, like, «Oh crap, they're going to kill us with our families, they're going to target us; this machine, this robot killer.»
It COULD be, but I'll also add another point.
The Israelis always love to pretend that they're Hot Shit, you know, in the tech and electronic domains. What do I mean by this?
For example, when they killed a nuclear scientist in Iran [Mohsen Fakhrizadeh (1958-2020)], they then told the New York Times how they smuggled a gun into Iran and then it was an automated gun that killed him. I mean, who the hell knows if that's true? We don't know if that's true.
Also, this thing with like, they know how to hack everyone with Pegasus - and yeah, Pegasus is real - no question about that. But the Israelis have cultivated an image about themselves which serves them. It demoralizes people; they can sell cyber weapons, Etc.
So you shouldn't buy into it too much. And and where's the proof that they're not as Hot Shit as they say they are? October 7th. They have no clue what hit them. They have no clue what hit them; never saw it coming.
All this tech and equipment down the toilet, useless, pathetic. So just keep that in mind, I'll leave it at that. I have no reason to doubt the veracity of this article. I do think it's true. I have no doubt that the Israelis have been developing this for quite a while and I don't think the first time they used it was in Gaza.
And you know, I'm not saying AI is bad per se. It's bad when you have bad people feeding it bad parameters. Because if you told the machine: «Hey, I want ZERO collateral damage because I'm not a murdering psychopath» - the machine would just give you no targets that actually have collateral damage.
Also, who are the Israelis to kill anyone in Gaza? Who are they? Just because someone's in Hamas? That gives them the right to murder them?
Okay, let's take Israel's logic and flip it around. So does that mean Hamas can develop an AI that targets any person in the Israeli Army in their homes? Cuz they didn't seem too Happy on October 7th.
And the irony is that you had people saying, «Oh well, October 7th, it was a Peace festival. How could you target these people who are, you know, on vacation, who are having a party outside the concentration camp that you've been put in?» Jesus Christ.
I would honestly not talk about the festival because it makes them look like a bunch of disconnected, deranged Psychopaths.
But anyway, you know, the idea was that, well, even if you did kill this person who is in the Israeli military, he was PARTYING, okay, and this Hamas person was in their home with their family; that's even worse, that's a MILLION times worse. And it's always been like this; before and after October 7th.
Remember, the IRA did not CARE if a British soldier is in his military fatigues, in the barracks or if he's in a pub. He's occupying their country, he's got to go. You can't just steal land with zero consequences, right?
This is so arrogant.
But anyway, you see the hypocrisy here, it's okay for Israelis to hide behind this; this idea that they're civilians and «Oh, they're just partying», when actually a lot of them are in the military. COMPULSORY. MANDATORY. MEN AND WOMEN. Both of them.
Every man and woman in Israel has to go to the military, whether they like it or not. So you can't be in the military and then call yourself a civilian. Which one are you? Are you a civilian or in the military? Fucking pick one.
Anyway, we're going off on a tangent here. I just wanted to point that hypocrisy out.
This is the equivalent of a Terminator, make no mistake.
Progressive F# Tutorials 2016. Monday, 5th - Tuesday, 6th December at CodeNode, London. skillsmatter.com/conferences/7431-progressive-f-sharp-tut.... Images copyright www.edtelling.com
Memorial for survivors and those who died at Indian Residential Schools in Canada.
Nikon D200
AF-S VR Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 G IF-ED
Joma Sipe´s Adelma Von Vay "Spirit, Power and Matter" - CHART NO. 5 - New Creation, 2nd Grade of the Universe
"A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one.”
The connecting grills safe guards the interiors/ house.
Similarly if we consciously connect with our inner selves regularly / continuously, it would safeguard us from all the evil thoughts, vices and bad habits.....and would help us being a better being.....and convert us to be the best divine instrument....best divine offering. :)
Lets be connected to the inner self...lets be connected to the divine...and lets be connected to God..
John Mossman's 1863 monument to the radical chartist preacher Patrick Brewster fighter for the abolition of the slave trade, the repeal of the corn laws, temperance, and a national system of education.
Things from Woodside Cemetery, Paisley.
Clojure eXchange 2016, Thursday, 1st - Friday, 2nd December at CodeNode, London. skillsmatter.com/conferences/7430-clojure-exchange-2016 Images copyright www.edtelling.com
I want you to think about someone right now. Not your boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife... Think of someone who is like a brother, sister, uncle, aunt or even your parents - mum or dad. or a friend or a MATE of yours. It has to be someone that ticks the following boxes...
- You LOVE and TREASURE them
- You VALUE and RESPECT them
- You would PROTECT them and put yourself in the way of harm for them.
For me, right now...it's my great grandma who looked after me when I was only a toddler... Been thinking about her lately. She's from my mother's side, my grandmother's aunt. She never married and as long as I know has always been single.
So...imagine that person that you're thinking about comes to you saying: "I'm going through something right now. I love you and I need your support" and your response to that is "I love EVERYONE. Everyone matters to me. I'm here to support everyone that needs my help. You are important to me like everyone is" . How do you think they are going to feel? Do you think they are going to feel loved and treasured? Do you think they are going to feel valued and respected? Do you think they will feel protected?
If I said that to my grandma, which, by the way, would have never happened ...I think she'd not only be disappointed but she'd actually be hurt. Grandma died when I was 8 or 9 years old. She was 71. I wish I could talk to her now that I am an adult. I never had the chance to talk to her as an adult. There are a few things I would want to ask her.
Logically, with reasoning at an INTELLECTUAL LEVEL, we can all agree that obviously and without any doubt ALL LIVES MATTER.... But on an EMOTIONAL LEVEL, when a BLACK man (regardless of what kind of human being he was) dies because he was killed by a cop on a video that was shot from a phone on the street, AT THAT MOMENT (when it was all over the media)...I think it is safe to say that BLACK LIVES MATTER.
Chances are...well actually...it's HIGHLY LIKELY that I am MUCH MORE CONSERVATIVE than you...and yet I am saying BLACK LIVES MATTER.
I waited for a bit before posting anything about this. I didn't want to jump to the LOGICAL and OBVIOUS conclusions. I think people have different experiences which need to be respected.
If you're going through something hard in your life right now. I got something for you. I don't normally share CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) which is a sub-genre of rock music... I'm more into hymns and "well-established" songs but I enjoyed this song because of the piano and the build up to the chorus. It was originally written by Sinach - a Nigerian singer - a BLACK woman. From what I understand it has become quite "established" now given the fact that it has been performed by multiple artists and churches. This is my favourite version of the song, it's by Leeland, and it's called "Waymaker". See link below. Enjoy!
Scala eXchange 2017. skillsmatter.com/conferences/8784-scala-exchange-2017.Images Copyright www.edtelling.com
the FIRST drawing I did for everyday matters- the group that reached inside my soul and pulled out the artist in me! YAY! it was hard cuz I had to put down my pen and pick up a pencil!
Arif M. Naqvi, Founder and Group Chief Executive, The Abraaj Group, United Arab Emirates at the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Panama City 2014. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
So close, no matter how far
Couldn't be much more from the heart
Forever trust in who we are
And nothing else matters
Protestors at Marin County's Statue of Sir Francis Drake
June 17, 2020
Black Lives Matter protestors, Coast Miwok Indigenous people, youth and grandmothers, rallied Wednesday at the Marin County statue of Sir Francis Drake, calling for the removal of the statue and the renaming of Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Following the rally, protestors poured into Sir Francis Drake Blvd, blocking traffic in both directions and forcing police to redirect traffic to and from the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. Many of the protestors then marched towards the bridge and stopped at the Highway Patrol blockade at the onramp, where they took a knee to honor George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and all those who had been killed by police and systems of racist oppression.
Sir Francis Drake was an English explorer who circumnavigated the globe, was a privateer and pirate, and is believed to have landed in what is now known as Drake's Bay in the Point Reyes National Seashore. He was also a slave trader and played a central role in England's initial involvement in the slave trade. The statue that is associated with him stands across the channel from the Larkspur Ferry terminal in Marin County, California. Sir Francis Drake Blvd is the main thoroughfare connecting east and west Marin County.
Mayor Bill de Blasio visits the Black Lives Matter street painting in Harlem. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, Manhattan. Friday, July 3, 2020. Credit: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
Scala eXchange 2016, Thursday, 8th - Friday, 9th December at Business Design Centre, London. skillsmatter.com/conferences/7432-scala-exchange-2016#pro.... Images copyright www.edtelling.com
Scala eXchange 2018. skillsmatter.com/conferences/10488-scala-exchange-2018. Images copyright www.tellingphotography.com
Banteay Srei or Banteay Srey (Khmer: ប្រាសាទបន្ទាយស្រី) is a 10th-century Cambodian temple dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. Located in the area of Angkor in Cambodia. It lies near the hill of Phnom Dei, 25 km north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom.[1] Banteay Srei is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which are still observable today. The buildings themselves are miniature in scale, unusually so when measured by the standards of Angkorian construction. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a "precious gem", or the "jewel of Khmer art."
HISTORY
FOUNDATION & DEDICATION
Consecrated on 22 April 967 A.D., Bantãy Srĕi was the only major temple at Angkor not built by a monarch; its construction is credited to a courtier named Yajnavaraha / Yajñavarāha (modern Khmer: យជ្ញវរាហៈ), who served as a counsellor to king Rajendravarman II (modern Khmer: ព្រះបាទរាជេន្រ្ទវរ្ម័ន).The foundational stela says that Yajnavaraha, grandson of king Harsavarman I, was a scholar and philanthropist who helped those who suffered from illness, injustice, or poverty. His pupil was the future king Jayavarman V (r. 968- ca. 1001). Originally, the temple was surrounded by a town called Īśvarapura.
Yajñavarāha's temple was primarily dedicated to the Hindu god Śiva. Originally, it was carried the name Tribhuvanamaheśvara—great lord of the threefold world—in reference to the Shaivite linga that served as its central religious image. However, the temple buildings appear to be divided along the central east-west axis between those buildings located south of the axis, which are devoted to Śiva, and those north of the axis, which are devoted to Viṣṇu.
The temple's modern name, Bantãy Srĕi—citadel of the women, or citadel of beauty—is probably related to the intricacy of the bas relief carvings found on the walls and the tiny dimensions of the buildings themselves. Some have speculated that it relates to the many devatas carved into the walls of the buildings.
EXPANSION & REDICATION
Bantãy Srĕi was subject to further expansion and rebuilding work in the eleventh century. At some point it came under the control of the king and had its original dedication changed; the inscription K 194 from Phnoṃ Sandak, dated Monday, the 14th or 28 July 1119 A.D. records (line B 13) the temple being given to the priest Divākarapaṇḍita and being rededicated to Śiva. It remained in use at least until the fourteenth century according to the last known inscription K 569, dated Thursday, 8 August 1303 A.D.
RESTAURATION
The temple was rediscovered only in 1914, and was the subject of a celebrated case of art theft when André Malraux stole four devatas in 1923 (he was soon arrested and the figures returned). The incident stimulated interest in the site, which was cleared the following year, and in the 1930s Banteay Srei was restored through the first important use of anastylosis at Angkor whereby a ruined building or monument is restored using the original architectural elements to the greatest degree possible. Until the discovery of the foundation stela in 1936, it had been assumed that the extreme decoration indicated a later date than was in fact the case. To prevent the site from water damage, the joint Cambodian-Swiss Banteay Srei Conservation Project installed a drainage system between 2000 and 2003. Measures were also taken to prevent damage to the temples walls from nearby trees.
Unfortunately, the temple has been ravaged by pilfering and vandalism. When toward the end of the 20th century authorities removed some original statues and replaced them with concrete replicas, looters took to attacking the replicas. A statue of Shiva and his shakti Uma, removed to the National Museum in Phnom Penh for safekeeping, was assaulted in the museum itself.
MATERIALS & STYLE
Banteay Srei is built largely of a hard red sandstone that can be carved like wood. Brick and laterite were used only for the enclosure walls and some structural elements. The temple is known for the beauty of its sandstone lintels and pediments.
A pediment is the roughly triangular space above a rectangular doorway or openings. At Banteay Srei, pediments are relatively large in comparison to the openings below, and take a sweeping gabled shape. For the first time in the history of Khmer architecture, whole scenes of mythological subject-matter are depicted on the pediments.
A lintel is a horizontal beam spanning the gap between two posts. Some lintels serve a structural purpose, serving to support the weight of the superstructure, while others are purely decorative in purpose. The lintels at Banteay Srei are beautifully carved, rivalling those of the 9th century Preah Ko style in quality.
Noteworthy decorative motifs include the kala (a toothy monster symbolic of time), the guardian dvarapala (an armed protector of the temple) and devata (demi-goddess), the false door, and the colonette. Indeed, decorative carvings seem to cover almost every available surface. According to pioneering Angkor scholar Maurice Glaize, "Given the very particular charm of Banteay Srei – its remarkable state of preservation and the excellence of a near perfect ornamental technique – one should not hesitate, of all the monuments of the Angkor group, to give it the highest priority." At Banteay Srei, wrote Glaize, "the work relates more closely to the art of the goldsmith or to carving in wood than to sculpture in stone".
THE SITE
The site consists of three concentric rectangular enclosures constructed on an east-west axis. A causeway situated on the axis leads from an outer gopura, or gate, to the third or outermost of the three enclosures. The inner enclosure contains the sanctuary, consisting of an entrance chamber and three towers, as well as two buildings conventionally referred to as libraries.
THE OUTER GOPURA
The gopura is all that remains of the outer wall surrounding the town of Isvapura. The wall is believed to have measured approximately 500 m square, and may have been constructed of wood. The gopura's eastern pediment shows Indra, who was associated with that direction, mounted on his three-headed elephant Airavata. The 67 m causeway with the remains of corridors on either side connects the gopura with the third enclosure. North and south of this causeway are galleries with a north-south orientation.
THE THIRD (OUTER) ENCLOSURE
The third enclosure is 95 by 110 m; it is surrounded by a laterite wall breached by gopuras at the eastern and western ends. Neither pediment of the eastern gopura is in situ. The west-facing pediment is now located in the Musée Guimet in Paris.[18] It depicts a scene from the Mahabhārata in which the Asura brothers Sunda and Upasunda fight over the Apsara Tilottama. The east-facing pediment is lying on the ground. It depicts a scene from the Rāmāyaṇa in which a demon seizes Rama's wife Sita. Most of the area within the third enclosure is occupied by a moat divided into two parts by causeways to the east and west.
THE SECOND ENCLOSURE
The second enclosure sits between an outer laterite wall measuring 38 by 42 m, with gopuras at the eastern and western ends, and a brick inner enclosure wall, measuring 24 by 24 m. The western gopura features an interesting bas relief depicting the duel of the monkey princes Vāli and Sugriva, as well as Rāma's intervention on Sugrīva's behalf. The inner enclosure wall has collapsed, leaving a gopura at the eastern end and a brick shrine at the western. The eastern pediment of the gopura shows Śiva Nataraja; the west-facing pediment has an image of Durga. Likewise, the laterite galleries which once filled the second enclosure (one each to north and south, two each to east and west) have partially collapsed. A pediment on one of the galleries shows the lion-man Narasiṃha clawing the demon Hiranyakashipu.
THE FIRST (INNER) ENCLOSURE
Between the gopuras on the collapsed inner wall are the buildings of the inner enclosure: a library in the south-east corner and another in the north-east corner, and in the centre the sanctuary set on a T-shaped platform 0.9 m high. Besides being the most extravagantly decorated parts of the temple, these have also been the most successfully restored (helped by the durability of their sandstone and their small scale). In 2010, the first enclosure is open to visitors again, but the inner temples are roped off and inaccessible.
THE LIBRARIES
The two libraries are of brick, laterite and sandstone. Each library has two pediments, one on the eastern side and one on the western. According to Maurice Glaize, the four library pediments, "representing the first appearance of tympanums with scenes, are works of the highest order. Superior in composition to any which followed, they show true craftsmanship in their modelling in a skilful blend of stylisation and realism."
The east-facing pediment on the southern library shows Śiva seated on the summit of Mount Kailāsa, his mythological abode. His consort Umā sits on his lap and clings anxiously to his torso. Other beings are also present on the slopes of the mountain, arranged in a strict hierarchy of three tiers from top to bottom. In the top tier sit bearded wise men and ascetics, in the middle tier mythological figures with the heads of animals and the bodies of humans, and in the bottom tier large animals, including a number of lions. In the middle of the scene stands the ten-headed demon king Rāvaṇa. He is shaking the mountain in its very foundations as the animals flee from his presence and as the wise men and mythological beings discuss the situation or pray. According to the legend, Śiva stopped Rāvaṇa from shaking the mountain by using his toe to press down on the mountain and to trap Rāvana underneath for 1000 years.
The west-facing pediment on southern library shows Śiva again seated on the summit of Mount Kailāsa. He is looking to his left at the god of love Kāma, who is aiming an arrow at him. Umā sits to Śiva's right; he is handing her a chain of beads. The slopes of the mountain are crowded with other beings, again arranged in a strict hierarchy from top to bottom. Just under Śiva sit a group of bearded wise men and ascetics, under whom the second tier is occupied by the mythological beings with the heads of animals and the bodies of humans; the lowest tier belongs the common people, who mingle sociably with tame deer and a large gentle bull. According to the legend, Kāma fired an arrow at Śiva in order to cause Śiva to take an interest in Umā. Śiva, however, was greatly angered by this provocation, and punished Kāma by gazing upon him with his third eye, frying Kāma to cinders.
The east-facing pediment on the northern library shows the god of the sky Indra creating rain to put out a forest fire started by the god of fire Agni for purposes of killing the nāga king Takshaka who lived in Khandava Forest. The Mahābhāratan heroes Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna are shown helping Agni by firing a dense hail of arrows to block Indra's rain. Takṣaka's son Aśvasena is depicted attempting to escape from the conflagration, while other animals stampede about in panic.
The west-facing pediment on the southern library depicts Kṛṣṇa slaying his wicked uncle Kamsa.
THE SANCTUARY
The sanctuary is entered from the east by a doorway only 1.08 m in height: inside is an entrance chamber (or maṇḍapa) with a corbelled brick roof, then a short corridor leading to three towers to the west: the central tower is the tallest, at 9.8 m. Glaize notes the impression of delicacy given the towers by the antefixes on each of their tiers. The six stairways leading up to the platform were each guarded by two kneeling statues of human figures with animal heads; most of those now in place are replicas, the originals having been stolen or removed to museums.
WIKIPEDIA
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Victoria, Or. Mindoro
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A woman celebrating Park(ing) Day with a baseball hat that reads "parking matters." 2531 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA.