View allAll Photos Tagged SIGNIFY
Adelomyia
Gr. adelos obscure; muia fly. In ornithology myia and myias signify flycatcher.
melanogenia / melanogenis / melanogenys
Gr. melas black; genus cheek.
Dublin, August 1987. The "TJ" tail-code signifies the 401st TFW at Torrejon, near Madrid. In 2000 this aircraft was transferred to the Portuguese AF as 15122.
This colourful globe signifies the world re - imagined it works to transform how we understand transatlantic trade in enslaved Africans and its impact on all of us. The Spirit of Dispora by Pauline Bailey celebrates the spirit and culture of Africans dispora.
The letters are called the “Royal Cypher” and they signify the King or Queen that was the monarch at the time when the postbox was erected.
A GR post box was put up during the era of King George, G stands for George, R stands for Rex, which is King in Latin. If there are no more letters around the GR, then it’s likely from the period of King George V, and if it’s from the era of King George VI you may notice a little “VI” next to the GR.
GR post box – George V put up between 1910-1936.
A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal is going somewhere. - Groucho Marx
103322 Chester Zoo 1HDR
This particular night in Anza-Borrego/Borrego Springs didn't turn out much like I expected. My friend and I searched out foregrounds in the daylight for our night sky work and settled on this field of ocotillo. We knew the accompanying cactus signified "caution", but in the dark they turned out to be a menacing threat. We tried to use my normal 2 LED panels on stands, but dancing around the cactus in the dark to place them turned out to be pretty much impossible. So, for this image, we used just one light off to the left. Also, I had decided to try using my newer Sony A9 rather than the Canon 5DIV I'm used to. Major learning curve. The final kicker was the distant light dome from far-away towns, likely Brawley and/or El Centro and the border towns of Calexico and Mexicali; also from the several nearby homes at the edge of town. That brought up another difficulty - we decided to try shooting vertical to narrow the field of view and clip off some of the light pollution. No L-bracket - just a regular quick release on that camera. Had to turn it vertical on the ball head tripod which is SO much harder than when using an L-bracket. So … distraction, learning curve, forgot to look at basics.
The big basic I missed here is the shutter speed. There's a 500 rule in night sky photography that says don't use a slower shutter speed than 500/lens focal length, thus, 500/35mm = 14 sec or your stars will streak. (Uh, the earth is turning noticeably even in a few seconds.) I used 20 seconds here because I forgot what I was doing when I switched lenses. I didn't catch either that my aperture wasn't down to say 1.4 or 1.6 but rather still on f/2.8 (from the previous lens).
All that being said, there's one really cool thing about this image: Jupiter (nestled in the right of the Milky Way fingers) got a starburst effect from I guess the stopped-down lens blades. Check it **large** to see it better (and you'll be able to see how the stars are just starting to "pancake" or streak as well). Very cool.
Four Filled at Each End 9 others at the dormers and flat roof (13) Signified the phase of the Moon.
The Henry B. Plant Museum is located in the south wing of Plant Hall on the University of Tampa’s campus, at 401 West Kennedy Boulevard. Plant Hall was formerly known as the Tampa Bay Hotel, which was a 500+ room resort hotel opened in 1891 by Henry B. Plant near the terminus of his rail line. The museum's exhibits focus onGilded Age tourism, the elite lifestyle of the hotel's guests,and the building's use during the Spanish–American War. It was designed by architect J.A. Wood who also created the old Hillsborough County Courthouse and the Oglethorpe Hotel.
The Tampa Bay Hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant in 1888. The construction cost over 3 million dollars.[5] It was considered the premier hotel of the eight that Mr. Plant built to anchor his rail line. The hotel itself covers 6 acres (24,000 m2) and is a quarter-mile long. It was equipped with the first elevator ever installed in Florida. The elevator is still working today, making it one of the oldest continually operational elevators in the nation. The 511 rooms and suites were the first in Florida to have electric lights and telephones. Most rooms also included private bathrooms, complete with a full-size tub. The price for a room ranged from $5.00 to $15.00 a night at a time when the average hotel in Tampa charged $1.25 to $2.00. The poured-concrete, steel-reinforced structure of the building was advertised as fireproof.
Along with the Snowdrops, the appearance of the first Hellebore flowers signify that we are rounding the corner between winter and spring. This variety is rather shy and keeps its head bowed so you have to get down and gently lift it’s chin to see the beautifully delicate speckled pattern. Hence this photo is taken with my best make-up mirror on the ground and explains why you see ghosting on the margins as it’s not a front surface mirror.
I’m sure you’re aware but just in case you’re not familiar with front surface mirrors then here’s the nerdy bit......
Feel free to leave here and watch some paint dry or clean the budgie cage or some other more interesting pastime.
Most mirrors for everyday use have the silvering reflective surface covered with a protective layer of glass so the light must pass through this to reach the reflective surface. This causes distortion by refraction and loss of energy and generates a fainter ‘ghost’ image in addition to the true reflected image.
Mirrors for high precision uses such as astronomy, telescopes or 3D printing have the reflective surface on the front of the glass to provide a clear reflection without ghosting. I use these type of mirrors every working day for intricate procedures that you’d probably prefer not to read about.
Has everyone left yet? It’s gone rather quiet.
Oh well.
The front surface coating is generally aluminium, but other metals such as titanium, molybdenum, gold or silver may be used depending on the use. The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful space telescope ever made and has a golden mirror made up from 18 smaller hexagonal units and is 6.5m in diameter. Each segment is constructed from beryllium and coated in gold and has 6 motors which allow precise focusing of the telescope. In order to capture the infrared light, the mirror must be maintained at minus 220 degrees Celsius, that's pretty cold!
The telescope is so powerful that it would be able to detect even the slight heat of a bumblebee at the distance of the moon.
So, we’ve gone from a what is basically a buttercup to a Big Time telescope in just a small leap. Who would have thought.
Wearing a suit signifies that you are taking the other person more seriously and are striving to stand up to their expectations. A suit portrays power, respect, discipline and sophistication.
"We only live once,
but once is enough if we do it right.
Live your life with class,
dignity, and style
so that an exclamation,
rather than a question mark
signifies it!"
~ Gary Ryan Blair ~
Happy Bench Monday!
For years every time I went into Mount Rainier's Paradise Entrance I'd pass the sign signifying Sunshine Point Campground and kept telling myself that I'd check it out when I leave and never did. On November 6-7 2006 18 inches of rain fell in 36 hours and everyone was evacuated from the park. The road to Ipsut campground and the Westside Road were wiped out and never replaced and 5 1/2 acres of Sunshine Point disappeared along with the road to it as it was washed away by the raging Tahoma Creek and Nisqually River. There were 18 sites, I saw maybe ten, the toilets are gone, but the garbage and recycling bins remain as do the remains of the hefty benches and fire pits like this one in site 8. The Loop is still on the Flickr Map! Doesn't look like that any more.....
One incredibly spectacular amaryllis in bloom.
The anticipation of watching those impressive stalks shooting upward, and then such fabulous flowers appearing is quite an experience.
Amaryllis are named after a Greek mythological shepherdess and, in Victorian times, signified beauty, pride or innocence.
Highest Explore position: 218 on 2015-12-05
No one paid much attention when the spider first showed up at school. Sure, he was a bit too small to fit the standard desk, but the teacher was accustomed to meeting students' special needs. She set him up with a shoebox, which she placed on his desk top, and allowed him to climb the walls or pipes or blackboard if he had trouble following the lessons.
Other than a few boys threatening to squish him (which really, was not that unusual for new kids) the spider's life in school was fairly uneventful. Until the day he turned in his science project.
"What's this?" the teacher asked.
"It's my model of the solar system," the spider said proudly. He'd been up half the night spinning it, and then out all morning coaxing dew drops into just the right places. He might not have been as talented as his classmates when it came to sports, or math (having eight legs, he found the whole business of counting to 10 using fingers and toes completely confusing and confounding, and had trouble moving past that) but here, in the world of science, the spider felt he truly excelled. He held up his model so that tiny images of forest and sky could be seen in the droplets, suspended upsidedown, signifying everything.
He smiled his widest spider smile, excepting praise. But the teacher said, "Oh, no. This is all wrong. I mean... where is Earth? Where is the sun? I don't see any labels on your planets and... really... why are there so many globules? And why aren't they arranged in a straight line, the way we taught you?"
The spider wanted to answer that, from his perspective, this WAS an accurate model of... not just the solar system, but the whole universe. He also wanted to point out that... even with eight eyes... his vision was not his primary sense and he mainly saw blobs of dark and light.
But he didn't say these things because he'd learned that people, in general, did not want to hear them. They did not want to know about other, different ideas and perspectives. In school, they simply wanted you to tell them what they'd told you.
So the teacher stood there frowning, not even remarking on the brilliance of the spider's work; the effort he'd invested; the way he'd captured the whole wide world in tiny glistening droplets. And the spider knew right then that school was not the place for him. He dropped to the floor, scurried out of the building and headed back to the forest.
"What did you learn at school today?" his mother asked when he got home.
And the little spider looked up at her, all eight eyes brimming with tears. "Everything," he answered. "Today I learned everything I'll ever need to know about people and the people world, and that's quite enough. I'm not going back."
Adelomyia
Gr. adelos obscure; muia fly. In ornithology myia and myias signify flycatcher.
melanogenia / melanogenis / melanogenys
Gr. melas black; genus cheek.
A misty morning does not signify a cloudy day.
(proverb)
PSP**** Prise SurPrise!! - Mist
7 Days with Flickr - Saturday: landscapes
(photo by Freya)
A jetty is a structure that projects from the land out into water. The term is derived from the French word jetée, "thrown", and signifies something thrown out.
What can I say, I’m an analogue kinda guy.
Shown is my 1946 Smith Corona Sterling with my 1939 Graflex Speed Graphic camera and pocket watch sitting in a roll top desk of my own design and build. The early morning sun was streaming through the window signifying the start of a new day. I do use my tech gear extensively but it’s utilitarian. There is something tremendously freeing and satisfying about creating without the aid of a computer using just my eyes, mind and hands. Taken with Fujifilm XT3
Website: www.sollows.ca
Contact and my links
The ferns which populate the area so extensively in all their varieties have finally exploded in an outburst of green, signaling the long-delayed start of the spring season. There is nothing quite as fresh and vibrant...and to my way of thinking, nothing which signifies rebirth as much as these plants arising majestically from the bare ground, each frond clean and perfect in its dramatic unfolding.
One for the portfolio that I thought would be worth posting. Quite liked the tone, so decided to stick with it for now. Might change my mind though. :-)
Facebook: Stuart Leche - C9 Photography
I could hear the little voices on this rainy & foggy morning.....Commonly hidden in the countryside of Ireland and the woods of the Smoky Mountains, a Leprechaun has the capability if trapped to grant his captor three wishes...... although it is more likely he will vanish before your eyes into thin air. Places to be careful to look are underneath large rocks, hollowed logs or trees where they have made their home.
Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee, USA - Just about a week prior to closing the National Park because of COVID-19 and crowds.
Edit: I didn't placed the little stones/rocks on the larger rock. Stone stacking is actually not good for little critters that use the stones for protection so that part is not loved. This isn't as invasive as some I've seen though. Flip side: Rock stacking has carried spiritual meaning across cultures for centuries. The act of balancing stones carries with it a practice of patience and a physical effort of creating balance. Each rock can signify an intention of grace for thankfulness, or offered up for another in need. ... A stack of rocks is called a cairn
Nearly everyone who is a Minnesota native eventually finds his or her own talisman that to them signifies winter has lost its battle to spring and that things will now return to normal.
For some, the appearance of the first robin is their favorite sign. Warm weather fishermen rejoice when the ice finally breaks up on their best fishing lake. Evidently for many of the younger generation seen on the streets of towns all over our state, wearing shorts when temps hit the mid-30s is their mode of showing victory.
For me, spotting the first bluebird of the season brings a warmth that no furnace can provide in January. The softness of the colors, the fragility of its body speak to a couple of brief seasons that restores my confidence that not all is lost by being a year-round resident of the northern tundra.
The Eastern Bluebird seen here shows up in southern Minnesota a little earlier than our area but when the calendar turns to April, you can start looking for these beautiful creations although late snowstorms can see them pack their little suitcases and fly south out of the snow for a couple of weeks.
Male bluebirds usually return first to establish and defend nesting sites. Soon they will seek to attract an unwary female and during our summers if the conditions are good for them, they can raise two or even three broods of young ones. The first eggs will be laid this month yet or early in May.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
DESIGNATION: Protector-018
NICKNAME: Galaar
RANK: ARC Captain Grade 1
UNIT: Vornskr, First Regiment, "Bralor's First", 253rd Elite Clone Legion
"The sublevels beneath the monastery proved trickier to navigate than I had anticipated, frankly we would have gotten lost on multiple occasions if it weren't for our Mandalorian guide. She seemed to know her way around these catacombs, a detail which she had failed to mention prior to joining my squad for this rescue mission. I had hunch that these very tunnels had been used by the Legion's Mandalorian Scouts to infiltrate the monastery prior to our assault. The tunnels themselves were cramped, just barely tall enough for the Mandalorian to stand upright, while myself and my squad were forced to hunch forward to avoid hitting our helmeted heads on the ceiling. To make matters worst the narrow confines of the tunnels forced us to move in a file and left very little room to maneuver, they were in every aspect an utter death trap. Frankly it was a miracle Captain Jaro had managed to lead his squad this deep into the monasteries sublevels, let alone the two Separatist officers and their battle droids. Up ahead the Mandalorian motioned for a halt and I moved forward sliding past several crouching troopers, my armor scraping against the rounded stone walls.
"What is it?" I asked peering past her at where the tunnel suddenly stopped, and a narrow set of stone stairs began.
"We're here." She said motioning towards the stairs with the barrel of her massive scatter gun.
"Roger. I'll tell the boys" I said, turning and motioning to the rest of Vornskr to prepare for battle. Voices could be heard below, most prominently that of a Harch, his voice distinguishable by the constant clicking, a T-Series Droid, and Captain Jaro. It sounded like the Harch and the droid were interrogating the Captain, which would likely put him in our line of fire. Switching to my internal comms I told Vornskr to check their fire and to hold off on thermal detonators, before giving the Mandalorian a thumbs up, signifying that we were ready to go. Without a moments delay she threw herself down the stairs firing into the room below with both her scatter gun and a wrist mounted weapon. Vornskr's advance down the stairs was not nearly as quick or graceful as we rushed forward in a half crouch. Luckily the sudden attack by the Mandalorian had distracted the Separatists enough for Vornskr to clear the chokepoint and enter the room unscathed. A brief firefight then ensued, seeing a number of battle droids destroyed, Captain Jaro rescued, and the capture of the Harch who had been stunned by the Mandalorian. There was a second Separatist officer present, a Yinchorri, but unlike his Harch counterpart, he must not have been worth a bounty as the Mandalorian had simply incinerated him. Our mission had been a success, and we had been lucky enough not to suffer any serious casualties. The day was won, but not over as unfortunately it was a long trek back to the surface..."
--------------
Finally got around to building mission 6.3 for the 253rd, while there's not much to the build itself, I'm happy with how it came out. Unfortunately I might be going back into hibernation as my desk is about to be taken hostage by a rather large Lego Castle and I'm not sure if I'll have the space or time to build anything else (I will try though).
As always thanks for stopping by and have a good one!
- Tommy
The concept of "emptiness" usually has negative connotations, but for some reason ever since childhood I have always been drawn towards emptiness and find it a most beautiful thing! To me it signifies a space to feel safe and free.
(I'm working on catching up with everybody ...)
Inspired by Shakeseares Macbeth - "Life ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing"
Britannia Heritage Shipyards
Richmond, BC Canada
Length Overall 85 ft
Beam 19.5 ft
Tonnage 225
Power Triple Expansion Steam Engine
Propeller 8′ – 9 pitch
Horse Power 330 hp
Normal Cruise 7 knots @ 100 rpm
The MASTER is the sole Moscrop built tug that is still close to her original design and which still operates with her original steam engine, a Royal Navy World War 1 surplus engine built in 1916. While several of Moscrop’s hulls are still around, they have been heavily modified structurally and all have been re-engined. Moscrop went on to design and build a large number of outstanding wood hulled tugboats for coastal use. He also supervised the construction of the R.C.M.P.’s Arctic explorer, the ST. ROCH.
The MASTER’s original cost is believed to have been around $34,000. Captain Thorsen retained full ownership until 1927 when the Master Towing Company was incorporated and took title of the ship along with a mortgage for $23,000, back to Thorsen. This mortgage was transferred to the Home Oil Company in 1933.
First working for Fraser Mills and later chartered to the Lamb Logging Company, she put in general log and barge towing service from up coast to the mills in False Creek and elsewhere. In 1940, she was purchased by the Marpole Towing Company, joining her sister ship, the R.F.M. The stack was painted with the Marpole colours, black diamonds on a white band on an orange stack. Master wears these colours to this day. The black diamonds, which had been the insignia of the firm since shortly after the turn of the century, signified the towing of coal barges from Vancouver Island to the company’s plant in Coal Harbor, Vancouver.
In 1947, control of the Marpole Towing Company was assumed by Evans, Coleman and Evans – although actual title to the ship was not transferred until 1959. Around 1951, she had become part of the operations of the Gilley Bros. fleet, another subsidiary of Evans, Coleman but her Marpole colours remained unchanged. By 1959, the parent company decided to dispense with its old timers and tied up a clutch of them, including the MASTER, at the mouth of the Brunette River and left them.
Dilapidated and stripped, she was finally put up for sale or scrap, “Where is, as is”, in 1962. Here she was spotted by some members of the World Ship Society of Western Canada, a branch of an English based organization of ship-lovers. They decided to rescue and restore her as a tribute to the tugboat industry of British Columbia. For the full payment of $500, raised quickly among some members, the Society took over the MASTER on August 14, 1962.
Thousands of hours of volunteer labor, scrounged and donated materials, along with money raised by all sorts of means, resulted in the ship being cleaned up and repaired, equipment restored and replaced and steam being raised on April 23, 1963, the first time in several years. The Master now commenced a new career as the Society’s flagship, bringing to the public an awareness of the now vanished era of marine steam.
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Thank-you for your visit, and please know that any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!
Sonja
No, It's Not Snowing,
... but the white fluff does stick around awhile before blowing away or melts into the ground by moisture.
Even the hens seem to be confused to see our UNIQUE yard, blanketed in white & fluffy Cottonwood seed!
A-Choo!
Excuse me while I sneeze!!!!
This Barred Rock hen seemed to be as annoyed as we are by the white fluff as she searched for insects and then worked to get the cottonwood seed off her beak and feet!!!
Not even our Oklahoma winds seem to blow the white fluff away!!!
In many parts of North America, it "snows", regularly, in June. If you’re in this part of the country now, you might be experiencing this year’s June “snow.”
The June "snows" are white and fluffy, but warm and cottony rather than cold and crystaline. The snows of June consists of “cotton” from the cottonwood trees: small bits of cotton-like fibers enclosing a small green cottonwood seed. The cotton is nature’s distribution agent, allowing the seeds to be widely dispersed as they are blown in the wind.
Sometimes, especially near a stand of cottonwoods, there is a flurry of cotton not unlike a slight flurry of winter snow. The little, bright white puffs of cotton waft up high in the sky and can shine, starlike, in strong sunlight.
Cottonwood cotton can be a nuisance, too, as it piles up and is sometimes difficult to clear away. During particularly prolific Junes, it can clog filters, collect inches deep in gutters, and turn into clumps of fibrous mass in the rain.
In some cases the cotton can completely cover patches of ground, looking for all the world like the cold, wintery type of snow. In fact some towns have forbidden cottonwoods, or at least the cotton-producing female trees, as a public nuisance.
In the Oklahoma City area, the cotton blizzard typically lasts only a few weeks, and all is gone by July. Various forms of cottonwoods and related poplars can be found through most of North America, and both the timing and amount of “cotton” produced can vary a bit, but here in Oklahoma City it is late May through June.
The greatest concentrations of cottonwoods tend to be on the Great Plains and in the West. They are particularly common along streams on the plains, and in places, long stretches of cottonwoods growing along either side of a creek or river, snake a bold, dark thread through an otherwise nearly featureless landscape.
In fact, the sight of a row of cottonwoods in the distance was welcomed by pioneers and wagontrain scouts, as it signified water on an often parched prairie.
Here are 5 facts you may or may not know about this yearly occurrence:
1. Cottonwoods are the Fastest Growing Native-trees in North America, and Can Reach 150 feet in Height- Surprisingly, these trees have a relatively short life cycle, living only 50 years at the most, so they are typically fast growers. Often growing near rivers or water, the cottonwood loves large amounts of moisture.
2. All That Cotton Comes AFTER Pollination Ends - Yes, believe it or not, all that fluffy cotton blowing everywhere is a sign that pollination for the cottonwood is over. A very mild allergen, cottonwoods effect sufferers BEFORE the spreading of all that fluffy cotton.
3. Cotton Lasts Only Two Weeks and Blows Up to 5 Miles - That's some serious frequent flier miles! However, we only have to put up with the large amounts of cotton for only two weeks a year. This is good because the massive amounts of cottonwood seed travels in the air, piling up in lawns, landscapes, gutters, and other areas.
4. Cottonseed Doesn't Usually Cause Hay Fever - While all that cotton may make you feel like your about to sneeze, you have less than a 7% chance of it effecting your allergies, according to studies. So while it may be gathering all over your lawn and landscape, the cottonwood pollen doesn't usually cause allergy symptoms.
5. Cottonwoods Can Survive Most Forest Fires - The cottonwood has an extremely thick bark, making it very tolerant to heat, drought, and even forest fires. For this reason, the cottonwood thrives in the changing weather patterns of the midwest.
But, while some folks today don’t like cottonwoods, they are my favorite trees. In spring, they provide early splashes of green.
In the summer, that give a brief “snowfall” and months of cool shade.
In the fall they decorate the season with golden, fluttering leaves.
In winter, their stark outlines reveal an organic complexity reaching skyward.
That’s why, unlike many people, I like the cottonwood snows of June.
So, even though it looks as if I should get out my snow shovel to rid our driveway edges of the mounds of white fluff, I'll probably get out my leaf blower today and then turn on the water sprinkler for just a bit, just long enough to watch the fluffy cotton melt into earth.
Matariki signifies the Maori New Year and is marked by the first rising of the Pleiades star cluster. Tonight I headed out to Aramoana near Dunedin to photograph the full moon rise and to try and work out where in the sky the Pleiades star cluster might be... I definitely found the moon, but I'm not sure about Pleiades!
I seem to have been neglecting Flickr lately and making lots of posts on Facebook instead (www.facebook.com/simoneastphotography). Will have to make amends and start checking out some of the great shots in your streams.
Northern rail 150222 passes through Parkgate working the 2N05 Sheffield - Leeds having just left Rotherham Central .
The unit is coming level with the Parkgate Sheffield Supertram stop , no trams today though with a tram replacement bus waiting for any passengers.
The next day the clocks had gone back to signify winter onset .
26 10 24
Virtual Diva Kimi
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♥ Bodysuit
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This is one of those photos that signifies an event or time that I was completely unaware of at the time. In this case I found myself out in the local cemetery under a brilliant blue sky. The sun was blazing away, although at a drastically low angle compared to summer. The autumn leaves had already thinned out, but were still abundant and vivid in this corner of the cemetery. I angled the lens back toward the sun for a couple of quick shots. The sun looked great but the leaves were completely silhouetted against the sky and showed none of the vibrant color I was seeing. I dialed up the flash to full power and tried again. This is the resulting image; somehow I managed to hold the sun and sky while still illuminating the underside of the leaves. And got some nice lens flares in the bargain. I thought perhaps I could build on this in the coming days however the following days turned cloudy and wet. By the time the sun returned the leaves were gone and the time for fall foliage pictures had passed on for another year. But I had this image and was reminded how the time to get photos is usually when you see something.
___
The Black Swan signifies an insight about yourself which changes your position from one of victim to victor. The Black Swan is a graceful reminder to move from any position where you feel powerless and at the mercy of external forces; it is time to reclaim your personal power.
Il y a des gens qui éteignent leurs lumières 1h pour signifier au monde leur mécontentement, monde qu'ils valident quotidiennement par leurs choix de consommation.. ça ne va pas suffire :))
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photos figurines RPG www.foto-figurines.com/
photos canaux de Patagonie www.noname.fr/patagonie
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I met him on Bandra Hill Road liked his look , his turban , his peaceful attitude and shot a few frames.
He belongs to the Sikh religion.
about Sikhism
Sikhism,[1] founded in fifteenth century Punjab on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev and ten successive Sikh Gurus (the last one being the sacred text Guru Granth Sahib), is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world.[2] This system of religious philosophy and expression has been traditionally known as the Gurmat (literally the counsel of the gurus) or the Sikh Dharma. Sikhism originated from the word Sikh, which in turn comes from the Sanskrit root śiṣya meaning "disciple" or "learner", or śikṣa meaning "instruction".[3][4]
The principal belief of Sikhism is faith in waheguru—represented using the sacred symbol of ik ōaṅkār, the Universal God. Sikhism advocates the pursuit of salvation through disciplined, personal meditation on the name and message of God. A key distinctive feature of Sikhism is a non-anthropomorphic concept of God, to the extent that one can interpret God as the Universe itself. The followers of Sikhism are ordained to follow the teachings of the ten Sikh gurus, or enlightened leaders, as well as the holy scripture entitled the Gurū Granth Sāhib, which, along with the writings of six of the ten Sikh Gurus, includes selected works of many devotees from diverse socio-economic and religious backgrounds. The text was decreed by Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth guru, as the final guru of the Khalsa Panth. Sikhism's traditions and teachings are distinctively associated with the history, society and culture of the Punjab. Adherents of Sikhism are known as Sikhs (students or disciples) and number over 23 million across the world. Most Sikhs live in Punjab in India and, until India's partition, millions of Sikhs lived in what is now Pakistani Punjab.[5]
The origins of Sikhism lie in the teachings of Guru Nanak and his successors. The essence of Sikh teaching is summed up by Nanak in these words: "Realisation of Truth is higher than all else. Higher still is truthful living".[6] Sikhism believes in equality of all humans and rejects discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. Sikhism also does not attach any importance to asceticism as a means to attain salvation, but stresses on the need of leading life as a householder.
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion.[7][8] In Sikhism, God—termed Vāhigurū—is shapeless, timeless, and sightless: niraṅkār, akāl, and alakh. The beginning of the first composition of Sikh scripture is the figure "1"—signifying the universality of God. It states that God is omnipresent and infinite, and is signified by the term ēk ōaṅkār.[9] Sikhs believe that before creation, all that existed was God and Its hukam (will or order).[10] When God willed, the entire cosmos was created. From these beginnings, God nurtured "enticement and attachment" to māyā, or the human perception of reality.[11]
While a full understanding of God is beyond human beings,[9] Nanak described God as not wholly unknowable. God is omnipresent (sarav viāpak) in all creation and visible everywhere to the spiritually awakened. Nanak stressed that God must be seen from "the inward eye", or the "heart", of a human being: devotees must meditate to progress towards enlightenment. Guru Nanak Dev emphasized the revelation through meditation, as its rigorous application permits the existence of communication between God and human beings.[9] God has no gender in Sikhism, (though translations may incorrectly present a male God); indeed Sikhism teaches that God is "Nirankar" [Niran meaning "without" and kar meaning "form", hence "without form"]. In addition, Nanak wrote that there are many worlds on which God has created life.[12]
[edit] Pursuing salvation and khalsa
A Sikh man at the Harimandir Sahib
Nanak's teachings are founded not on a final destination of heaven or hell, but on a spiritual union with God which results in salvation.[13] The chief obstacles to the attainment of salvation are social conflicts and an attachment to worldly pursuits, which commit men and women to an endless cycle of birth—a concept known as reincarnation.
Māyā—defined as illusion or "unreality"—is one of the core deviations from the pursuit of God and salvation: people are distracted from devotion by worldly attractions which give only illusive satisfaction. However, Nanak emphasised māyā as not a reference to the unreality of the world, but of its values. In Sikhism, the influences of ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust—known as the Five Evils—are believed to be particularly pernicious. The fate of people vulnerable to the Five Evils is separation from God, and the situation may be remedied only after intensive and relentless devotion.[14]
Nanak described God's revelation—the path to salvation—with terms such as nām (the divine Name) and śabad (the divine Word) to emphasise the totality of the revelation. Nanak designated the word guru (meaning teacher) as the voice of God and the source and guide for knowledge and salvation.[15] Salvation can be reached only through rigorous and disciplined devotion to God. Nanak distinctly emphasised the irrelevance of outward observations such as rites, pilgrimages, or asceticism. He stressed that devotion must take place through the heart, with the spirit and the soul.
A key practice to be pursued is nām: remembrance of the divine Name. The verbal repetition of the name of God or a sacred syllable is an established practice in religious traditions in India, but Nanak's interpretation emphasized inward, personal observance. Nanak's ideal is the total exposure of one's being to the divine Name and a total conforming to Dharma or the "Divine Order". Nanak described the result of the disciplined application of nām simraṇ as a "growing towards and into God" through a gradual process of five stages. The last of these is sac khaṇḍ (The Realm of Truth)—the final union of the spirit with God.[15]
Nanak stressed now kirat karō: that a Sikh should balance work, worship, and charity, and should defend the rights of all creatures, and in particular, fellow human beings. They are encouraged to have a chaṛdī kalā, or optimistic, view of life. Sikh teachings also stress the concept of sharing—vaṇḍ chakkō—through the distribution of free food at Sikh gurdwaras (laṅgar), giving charitable donations, and working for the good of the community and others (sēvā).
[edit] The ten gurus and religious authority
Main article: Sikh Gurus
A rare Tanjore-style painting from the late 19th century depicting the ten Sikh Gurus with Bhai Bala and Bhai Mardana.
The term guru comes from the Sanskrit gurū, meaning teacher, guide, or mentor. The traditions and philosophy of Sikhism were established by ten specific gurus from 1499 to 1708. Each guru added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting in the creation of the Sikh religion. Nanak was the first guru and appointed a disciple as successor. Gobind Singh was the final guru in human form. Before his death, Gobind Singh decreed that the Gurū Granth Sāhib would be the final and perpetual guru of the Sikhs.[16] The Sikhs believe that the spirit of Nanak was passed from one guru to the next, " just as the light of one lamp, which lights another and does not diminish ",[17] and is also mentioned in their holy book.
After Nanak's passing, the most important phase in the development of Sikhism came with the third successor, Amar Das. Nanak's teachings emphasised the pursuit of salvation; Amar Das began building a cohesive community of followers with initiatives such as sanctioning distinctive ceremonies for birth, marriage, and death. Amar Das also established the manji (comparable to a diocese) system of clerical supervision.[15]
The interior of the Akal Takht
Amar Das's successor and son-in-law Ram Das founded the city of Amritsar, which is home of the Harimandir Sahib and regarded widely as the holiest city for all Sikhs. When Ram Das's youngest son Arjan succeeded him, the line of male gurus from the Sodhi Khatri family was established: all succeeding gurus were direct descendants of this line. Arjun Mathur was responsible for compiling the Sikh scriptures. Guru Arjan Sahib was captured by Mughal authorities who were suspicious and hostile to the religious order he was developing.[18] His persecution and death inspired his successors to promote a military and political organization of Sikh communities to defend themselves against the attacks of Mughal forces.
The Sikh gurus established a mechanism which allowed the Sikh religion to react as a community to changing circumstances. The sixth guru, Har Gobind, was responsible for the creation of the concept of Akal Takht (throne of the timeless one), which serves as the supreme decision-making centre of Sikhdom and sits opposite the Darbar Sahib. The Sarbat Ḵẖālsā (a representative portion of the Khalsa Panth) historically gathers at the Akal Takht on special festivals such as Vaisakhi or Diwali and when there is a need to discuss matters that affect the entire Sikh nation. A gurmatā (literally, guru's intention) is an order passed by the Sarbat Ḵẖālsā in the presence of the Gurū Granth Sāhib. A gurmatā may only be passed on a subject that affects the fundamental principles of Sikh religion; it is binding upon all Sikhs.[19] The term hukamnāmā (literally, edict or royal order) is often used interchangeably with the term gurmatā. However, a hukamnāmā formally refers to a hymn from the Gurū Granth Sāhib which is given as an order to Sikhs.
[edit] History
Main article: History of Sikhism
Nanak (1469–1538), the founder of Sikhism, was born in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talwandī, now called Nankana Sahib (in present-day Pakistan).[20] His father, Mehta Kalu was a Patwari, an accountant of land revenue in the employment of Rai Bular Bhatti, the area landlord. Nanak's mother was Tripta Devi and he had one older sister, Nanaki. His parents were Khatri Hindus of the Bedi clan. As a boy, Nanak was fascinated by religion, and his desire to explore the mysteries of life eventually led him to leave home and take missionary journeys.
In his early teens, Nanak caught the attention of the local landlord Rai Bular Bhatti, who was moved by his intellect and divine qualities. Rai Bular was witness to many incidents in which Nanak enchanted him and as a result Rai Bular and Nanak's sister Bibi Nanki, became the first persons to recognise the divine qualities in Nanak. Both of them then encouraged and supported Nanak to study and travel. Sikh tradition states that at the age of thirty, Nanak went missing and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the Kali Bein. One day, he declared: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān"). It was from this moment that Nanak would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism.[21] Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometres, the first tour being east towards Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh, and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca.[22]
Nanak was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice trader from the town of Bakala. They had two sons. The elder son, Sri Chand, was an ascetic, and he came to have a considerable following of his own, known as the Udasis. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the other hand, was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed in the ideal of rāj maiṁ jōg (detachment in civic life), both his sons were unfit to carry on the Guruship.
[edit] Growth of the Sikh community
In 1538, Nanak chose his disciple Lahiṇā, a Khatri of the Trehan clan, as a successor to the guruship rather than either of his sons. Lahiṇā was named Angad Dev and became the second guru of the Sikhs.[23] Nanak conferred his choice at the town of Kartarpur on the banks of the river Ravi, where Nanak had finally settled down after his travels. Though Sri Chand was not an ambitious man, the Udasis believed that the Guruship should have gone to him, since he was a man of pious habits in addition to being Nanak's son. They refused to accept Angad's succession. On Nanak's advice, Angad shifted from Kartarpur to Khadur, where his wife Khivi and children were living, until he was able to bridge the divide between his followers and the Udasis. Angad continued the work started by Nanak and is widely credited for standardising the Gurmukhī script as used in the sacred scripture of the Sikhs.
Amar Das, a Khatri of the Bhalla clan, became the third Sikh guru in 1552 at the age of 73. Goindval became an important centre for Sikhism during the guruship of Amar Das. He preached the principle of equality for women by prohibiting purdah and sati. Amar Das also encouraged the practice of langar and made all those who visited him attend laṅgar before they could speak to him.[24] In 1567, Emperor Akbar sat with the ordinary and poor people of Punjab to have laṅgar. Amar Das also trained 146 apostles of which 52 were women, to manage the rapid expansion of the religion.[25] Before he died in 1574 aged 95, he appointed his son-in-law Jēṭhā, a Khatri of the Sodhi clan, as the fourth Sikh guru.
Jēṭhā became Ram Das and vigorously undertook his duties as the new guru. He is responsible for the establishment of the city of Ramdaspur later to be named Amritsar. Before Ramdaspur, Amritsar was known as Guru Da Chakk. In 1581, Arjan Dev—youngest son of the fourth guru—became the fifth guru of the Sikhs. In addition to being responsible for building the Darbar/Harimandir Sahib (called the Golden Temple), he prepared the Sikh sacred text known as the Ādi Granth (literally the first book) and included the writings of the first five gurus. In 1606, for refusing to make changes to the Granth and for supporting an unsuccessful contender to the throne, he was tortured and killed by the Mughal Emperor, Jahangir.[26]
[edit] Political advancement
Hargobind, became the sixth guru of the Sikhs. He carried two swords—one for spiritual and the other for temporal reasons (known as mīrī and pīrī in Sikhism).[27] Sikhs grew as an organized community and under the 10th Guru the Sikhs developed a trained fighting force to defend their independence. In 1644, Har Rai became guru followed by Harkrishan, the boy guru, in 1661. No hymns composed by these three gurus are included in the Sikh holy book.[28]
Tegh Bahadur became guru in 1665 and led the Sikhs until 1675. Teg Bahadur was executed by Aurangzeb for helping to protect Hindus, after a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to him for help when the Emperor condemned them to death for failing to convert to Islam.[29] He was succeeded by his son, Gobind Rai who was just nine years old at the time of his father's death. Gobind Rai further militarised his followers, and was baptised by the Pañj Piārē when he formed the Khalsa on 13 April 1699. From here on in he was known as Gobind Singh.
From the time of Nanak, when it was a loose collection of followers who focused entirely on the attainment of salvation and God, the Sikh community had significantly transformed. Even though the core Sikh religious philosophy was never affected, the followers now began to develop a political identity. Conflict with Mughal authorities escalated during the lifetime of Teg Bahadur and Gobind Singh. The latter founded the Khalsa in 1699. The Khalsa is a disciplined community that combines its religious purpose and goals with political and military duties.[30] After Aurangzeb killed four of his sons, Gobind Singh sent Aurangzeb the Zafarnamah (Notification/Epistle of Victory).
Shortly before his death, Gobind Singh ordered that the Gurū Granth Sāhib (the Sikh Holy Scripture), would be the ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs and temporal authority would be vested in the Khalsa Panth—the Sikh Nation/Community.[16] The first scripture was compiled and edited by the fifth guru, Arjan Dev, in 1604.
A former ascetic was charged by Gobind Singh with the duty of punishing those who had persecuted the Sikhs. After the guru's death, Baba Banda Singh Bahadur became the leader of the Sikh army and was responsible for several attacks on the Mughal empire. He was executed by the emperor Jahandar Shah after refusing the offer of a pardon if he converted to Islam.[31]
The Sikh community's embrace of military and political organisation made it a considerable regional force in medieval India and it continued to evolve after the demise of the gurus. After the death of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, a Sikh Confederacy of Sikh warrior bands known as misls formed. With the decline of the Mughal empire, a Sikh Empire arose in the Punjab under Maharaja Ranjit Singh, with its capital in Lahore and limits reaching the Khyber Pass and the borders of China. The order, traditions and discipline developed over centuries culminated at the time of Ranjit Singh to give rise to the common religious and social identity that the term "Sikhism" describes.[32]
After the death of Ranjit Singh, the Sikh Empire fell into disorder and was eventually annexed by the United Kingdom after the hard-fought Anglo-Sikh Wars. This brought the Punjab under the British Raj. Sikhs formed the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal to preserve Sikhs' religious and political organization a quarter of a century later. With the partition of India in 1947, thousands of Sikhs were killed in violence and millions were forced to leave their ancestral homes in West Punjab.[33] Sikhs faced initial opposition from the Government in forming a linguistic state that other states in India were afforded. The Akali Dal started a non-violence movement for Sikh and Punjabi rights. Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale emerged as a leader of the Bhindran-Mehta Jatha—which assumed the name of Damdami Taksal in 1977 to promote a peaceful solution of the problem. In June 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered the Indian army to launch Operation Blue Star to remove Bhindranwale and his followers from the Darbar Sahib. Bhindranwale, and a large number of innocent pilgrims were killed during the army's operations. In October, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two of her Sikh bodyguards. The assassination was followed by the 1984 Anti-Sikh riots massacre[34] and Hindu-Sikh conflicts in Punjab, as a reaction to the assassination and Operation Blue Star.
[edit] Scripture
There are two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth Sāhib and the Dasam Granth. The Gurū Granth Sāhib may be referred to as the Ādi Granth—literally, The First Volume—and the two terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the Ādi Granth refers to the version of the scripture created by Arjan Dev in 1604. The Gurū Granth Sāhib refers to the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh.
[edit] Adi Granth
Main article: Ādi Granth
The Ādi Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Arjan Dev between the years 1603 and 1604.[35] It is written in the Gurmukhī script, which is a descendant of the Laṇḍā script used in the Punjab at that time.[36] The Gurmukhī script was standardised by Angad Dev, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the Śāradā and Devanāgarī scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and selected bhagats. At the time, Arjan Sahib tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival.[37]
The original version of the Ādi Granth is known as the kartārpur bīṛ and is claimed to be held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.[citation needed] (In fact the original volume was burned by Ahmad Shah Durrani's army in 1757 when they burned the whole town of Kartarpur.)[citation needed]
[edit] Guru Granth Sahib
Gurū Granth Sāhib folio with Mūl Mantra
Main article: Gurū Granth Sāhib
The final version of the Gurū Granth Sāhib was compiled by Gobind Singh in 1678. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of Teg Bahadur's hymns. It was decreed by Gobind Singh that the Granth was to be considered the eternal guru of all Sikhs; however, this tradition is not mentioned either in 'Guru Granth Sahib' or in 'Dasam Granth'.
Punjabi: ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ।
Transliteration: Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai gurū mānyō granth.
English: All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru.
It contains compositions by the first five gurus, Teg Bahadur and just one śalōk (couplet) from Gobind Singh.[38] It also contains the traditions and teachings of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and Sheikh Farid along with several others.[32]
The bulk of the scripture is classified into rāgs, with each rāg subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main rāgs within the Gurū Granth Sāhib. In addition to the rāgs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the scripture is known as Sant Bhāṣā, a language related to both Punjabi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion.[30] The text further comprises over 5000 śabads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical tāl, or rhythmic beats.
A group of Sikh musicians at the Golden Temple complex
The Granth begins with the Mūl Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak:
Punjabi: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi.
Simplified transliteration: Ik ōaṅkār sat nām kartā purkh nirbha'u nirvair akāl mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur prasād.
English: One Universal Creator God, The Name Is Truth, Creative Being Personified, No Fear, No Hatred, Image Of The Timeless One, Beyond Birth, Self Existent, By Guru's Grace.
All text within the Granth is known as gurbānī. Gurbānī, according to Nanak, was revealed by God directly, and the authors wrote it down for the followers. The status accorded to the scripture is defined by the evolving interpretation of the concept of gurū. In the Sant tradition of Nanak, the guru was literally the word of God. The Sikh community soon transferred the role to a line of men who gave authoritative and practical expression to religious teachings and traditions, in addition to taking socio-political leadership of Sikh adherents. Gobind Singh declared an end of the line of human gurus, and now the Gurū Granth Sāhib serves as the eternal guru, with its interpretation vested with the community.[30]
[edit] Dasam Granth
Main article: Dasam Granth
A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth
The Dasam Granth (formally dasvēṁ pātśāh kī granth or The Book of the Tenth Master) is an eighteenth-century collection of poems by Gobind Singh. It was compiled in the shape of a book (granth) by Bhai Mani Singh some 13 to 26 years after Guru Gobind Singh Ji left this world for his heavenly abode.
From 1895 to 1897, different scholars and theologians assembled at the Akal Takht, Amritsar, to study the 32 printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. They met at the Akal Takhat at Amritsar, and held formal discussions in a series of meetings between 13 June 1895 and 16 February 1896. A preliminary report entitled Report Sodhak (revision) Committee Dasam Patshah de Granth Sahib Di was sent to Sikh scholars and institutions, inviting their opinion. A second document, Report Dasam Granth di Sudhai Di was brought out on 11 February 1898. Basing its conclusions on a study of the old handwritten copies of the Dasam Granth preserved at Sri Takht Sahib at Patna and in other Sikh gurudwaras, this report affirmed that the Holy Volume was compiled at Anandpur Sahib in 1698[3] . Further re-examinations and reviews took place in 1931, under the aegis of the Darbar Sahib Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee. They, too, vindicated the earlier conclusion (agreeing that it was indeed the work of the Guru) and its findings have since been published.
[edit] Janamsakhis
Main article: Janamsākhīs
The Janamsākhīs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biographies of Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several—often contradictory and sometimes unreliable—Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.
[edit] Observances
Observant Sikhs adhere to long-standing practices and traditions to strengthen and express their faith. The daily recitation from memory of specific passages from the Gurū Granth Sāhib, especially the Japu (or Japjī, literally chant) hymns is recommended immediately after rising and bathing. Family customs include both reading passages from the scripture and attending the gurdwara (also gurduārā, meaning the doorway to God; sometimes transliterated as gurudwara). There are many gurdwaras prominently constructed and maintained across India, as well as in almost every nation where Sikhs reside. Gurdwaras are open to all, regardless of religion, background, caste, or race.
Worship in a gurdwara consists chiefly of singing of passages from the scripture. Sikhs will commonly enter the temple, touch the ground before the holy scripture with their foreheads, and make an offering. The recitation of the eighteenth century ardās is also customary for attending Sikhs. The ardās recalls past sufferings and glories of the community, invoking divine grace for all humanity.[39]
The most sacred shrine is the Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, famously known as the Golden Temple. Groups of Sikhs regularly visit and congregate at the Harimandir Sahib. On specific occasions, groups of Sikhs are permitted to undertake a pilgrimage to Sikh shrines in the province of Punjab in Pakistan, especially at Nankana Sahib and other Gurdwaras. Other places of interest to Sikhism in Pakistan includes the samādhī (place of cremation) of Maharaja Ranjit Singh in Lahore.
[edit] Sikh festivals
Festivals in Sikhism mostly centre around the lives of the Gurus and Sikh martyrs. The SGPC, the Sikh organisation in charge of upkeep of the gurdwaras, organises celebrations based on the new Nanakshahi calendar. This calendar is highly controversial among Sikhs and is not universally accepted. Several festivals (Hola Mohalla, Diwali, and Nanak's birthday) continue to be celebrated using the Hindu calendar. Sikh festivals include the following:
* Gurpurabs are celebrations or commemorations based on the lives of the Sikh gurus. They tend to be either birthdays or celebrations of Sikh martyrdom. All ten Gurus have Gurpurabs on the Nanakshahi calendar, but it is Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh who have a gurpurab that is widely celebrated in Gurdwaras and Sikh homes. The martyrdoms are also known as a shaheedi Gurpurab, which mark the martyrdom anniversary of Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Tegh Bahadur.
* Vaisakhi or Baisakhi normally occurs on 13 April and marks the beginning of the new spring year and the end of the harvest. Sikhs celebrate it because on Vaisakhi in 1699, the tenth guru, Gobind Singh, laid down the Foundation of the Khalsa an Independent Sikh Identity.
* Bandi Chhor Divas or Diwali celebrates Hargobind's release from the Gwalior Fort, with several innocent Hindu kings who were also imprisoned by Jahangir, on 26 October, 1619.
* Hola Mohalla occurs the day after Holi and is when the Khalsa Panth gather at Anandpur and display their warrior skills, including fighting and riding.
[edit] Ceremonies and customs
The anand kāraj (Sikh marriage) ceremony
Nanak taught that rituals, religious ceremonies, or idol worship is of little use and Sikhs are discouraged from fasting or going on pilgrimages.[40] However, during the period of the later gurus, and owing to increased institutionalisation of the religion, some ceremonies and rites did arise. Sikhism is not a proselytizing religion and most Sikhs do not make active attempts to gain converts. However, converts to Sikhism are welcomed, although there is no formal conversion ceremony. The morning and evening prayers take about two hours a day, starting in the very early morning hours. The first morning prayer is Guru Nanak's Jap Ji. Jap, meaning "recitation", refers to the use of sound, as the best way of approaching the divine. Like combing hair, hearing and reciting the sacred word is used as a way to comb all negative thoughts out of the mind. The second morning prayer is Guru Gobind Singh's universal Jaap Sahib. The Guru addresses God as having no form, no country, and no religion but as the seed of seeds, sun of suns, and the song of songs. The Jaap Sahib asserts that God is the cause of conflict as well as peace, and of destruction as well as creation. Devotees learn that there is nothing outside of God's presence, nothing outside of God's control. Devout Sikhs are encouraged to begin the day with private meditations on the name of God.
Upon a child's birth, the Guru Granth Sāhib is opened at a random point and the child is named using the first letter on the top left-hand corner of the left page. All boys are given the middle name or surname Singh, and all girls are given the middle name or surname Kaur.[41] Sikhs are joined in wedlock through the anand kāraj ceremony. Sikhs are required to marry when they are of a sufficient age (child marriage is taboo), and without regard for the future spouse's caste or descent. The marriage ceremony is performed in the company of the Guru Granth Sāhib; around which the couple circles four times. After the ceremony is complete, the husband and wife are considered "a single soul in two bodies."[42]
According to Sikh religious rites, neither husband nor wife is permitted to divorce. A Sikh couple that wishes to divorce may be able to do so in a civil court—but this is not condoned.[43] Upon death, the body of a Sikh is usually cremated. If this is not possible, any means of disposing the body may be employed. The kīrtan sōhilā and ardās prayers are performed during the funeral ceremony (known as antim sanskār).[44]
[edit] Baptism and the Khalsa
A kaṛā, kaṅghā and kirpān.
Khalsa (meaning pure) is the name given by Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking ammrit in a ceremony called ammrit sañcār. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Vaisakhi, which fell on 29 March 1698/1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. It was on that occasion that Gobind Singh baptised the Pañj Piārē who in turn baptised Gobind Singh himself.
Baptised Sikhs are bound to wear the Five Ks (in Punjabi known as pañj kakkē or pañj kakār), or articles of faith, at all times. The tenth guru, Gobind Singh, ordered these Five Ks to be worn so that a Sikh could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. The 5 items are: kēs (uncut hair), kaṅghā (small comb), kaṛā (circular iron bracelet), kirpān (dagger), and kacchā (special undergarment). The Five Ks have both practical and symbolic purposes.[45]
[edit] Sikh people
Main article: Sikh
Further information: Sikhism by country
Punjabi Sikh family from Punjab, India
Worldwide, there are 25.8 million Sikhs and approximately 75% of Sikhs live in the Indian state of Punjab, where they constitute about 60% of the state's population. Even though there are a large number of Sikhs in the world, certain countries have not recognised Sikhism as a major religion and Sikhism has no relation to Hinduism. Large communities of Sikhs live in the neighboring states, and large communities of Sikhs can be found across India. However, Sikhs only make up about 2% of the Indian population.
In addition to social divisions, there is a misperception that there are a number of Sikh sectarian groups[clarification needed], such as Namdharis and Nirankaris. Nihangs tend to have little difference in practice and are considered the army of Sikhism. There is also a sect known as Udasi, founded by Sri Chand who were initially part of Sikhism but later developed into a monastic order.
Sikh Migration beginning from the 19th century led to the creation of significant communities in Canada (predominantly in Brampton, along with Malton in Ontario and Surrey in British Columbia), East Africa, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, the United Kingdom and more recently, Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Western Europe. Smaller populations of Sikhs are found in Mauritius, Malaysia, Fiji, Nepal, China, Pakistan, Afganistan, Iraq and many other countries
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird,is the only eagle unique to North America. The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white," not hairless. Bald eagles are found throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish there in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles.
Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family; which also includes hawks, kites, and old-world vultures. Scientists loosely divide eagles into four groups based on their physical characteristics and behavior. The bald eagle is a sea or fish eagle.
Color - Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; yellow feet, legs and beak; and pale yellow eyes.
Immature bald eagles have a mixture of brown and white feathers, with a black beak and brown eyes in younger birds; some immature bald eagles have more mottling than others. Adult plumage develops when a bald eagle become sexually mature; it takes five years for a bald eagle to attain solid white head and tail feathers. For the first five years they gradually change; the beak turns from black to yellow, the eyes from brown to pale yellow, body feathers from mottled to dark brown, and head and tail feathers from mottled to solid white.
Florida has one of the densest concentrations of nesting bald eagles in the lower 48 states, with an estimated 1,500 nesting pairs. Concentrations of nesting territories are clustered around several significant lake, river, and coastal systems throughout the state. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has monitored the population of nesting bald eagles in Florida since 1972.
The bald eagle was removed from the USFWS endangered species list and the FWC imperiled species list in 2007 and 2008, respectively. The bald eagle continues to be protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, along with the state bald eagle rule (68A-16.002, F.A.C.).
I found this Juvenile at Joe Overstreet Landing on Lake Kissimmee in Osceola County, Florida.
“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”
Victor Hugo
Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJxrX42WcjQ
You Raise Me Up by Josh Grogan
PERFECT PEACE
I'm flying with a broken wing; white circles in the sky,
but you are there supporting me. so I don't fall alone.
A word from you is all I need to keep me strong; from breaking bad.
The circles of our souls are joined and form infinity.
A perfect eight; the lemniscate; a ribbon in my hair;
signifies a new beginning; a chapter with you there.
We can create reality from patchwork dreams we wove;
from golden threads on spinning wheels transferred to golden looms;
like two pigeons homing high we never will be lost.
We'll always have each other's backs upon castle walls of moss.
Unconditional love we've found; eternal, pure and true.
I rest my head upon your chest; my heart beats deep in you.
Side by side we can be strong; laying in the dark;
looking up to count the stars, until love gives way to sleep.
Sharing secrets of our souls; accepting all we are.
No fears; no tears; no sleepless nights. Eternal perfect peace
- AP – Copyright remains with the author
'copyright image please do not reproduce without permission'
Explore 3 June 15 #135
Moon Ring Weather Folklore has it that a ring around the moon signifies bad weather is coming. How can rings around the moon be a predictor of weather to come? The ice crystals that cover the halo signify high altitude, thin cirrus clouds that normally precede a warm front by one or two days. Typically, a warm front will be associated with a low pressure system which is commonly referred to as a storm.