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A view of the Union Switch & Signal Model S-8 electro-mechanical interlocking machine, showing both the mechanical levers (large levers extending to the floor) and electrical levers mounted above the frame.
sculpture of tipi at Valley Springs rest area on I-90
David's thoughts about this picture selected in his top 25 of 2010:
This picture is unique point-of-view, facing vertical up from the ground. This is sculpture of tipi skeleton located in Valley Springs rest area in South Dakota.
First conceptional approach with the topic structure close-ups.
Shot with Nikon D5100.
ISO 400
38 mm
f/4.5
1/80 sec
Editing in PS Lightroom 5.
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A well-dressed young artist begins sketching the outline for a painting of the structure protecting the massive marble sextant which is all that remains of the observatory built by Ulugh Beg in 1429. The art and student artists arrayed around the site are here to make a good impression on the attendees of the 99th Executive Council Session of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) meeting in Samarkand 1-3 October 2014.
Significant advances in astronomical knowledge were made at the observatory. Religious fanatics destroyed the observatory when Ulugh Beg died in 1449 and it was not rediscovered until 1908.
A grandson of Tamerlane (Timur the Lame; 1336-1405), Ulugh Beg (1394-1449) became sovereign ruler of most of Central Asia plus Afghanistan while still a teenager in 1411. He was also an astronomer and mathematician. While on his way to Mecca in 1449, he was beheaded by order of his own eldest son.
Samarkand was probably founded in the 5th century BCE. In 329 BCE it was conquered by 27-year-old Alexander the Great (356-323 BCE). Beginning in the 6th century CE it became a central Silk Road trading point growing even more populous than it is today before its destruction in 1220 by the Mongols led by Ghengis Khan. In 1370 Tamerlane (Timur the Lame; 1336-1405) made Samarkand his capital which blossomed into an economic, cultural, and intellectual center. At the start of the 16th century the Uzbek Shaybanids gained control of the region and moved the capital to Bukhara sending Samarkand into decline, culminating in virtual abandonment after a series of earthquakes in the 18th century. Forced repopulation by the Emir of Bukhara began a recovery that greatly accelerated with the takeover by the Russians in 1868. In 1888 the Trans-Caspian Railway linked Samarkand to the Russian Empire. Samarkand became the capital of the Uzbek SSR in 1925 but was replaced by Tashkent in 1930. In August 1991 Uzbekistan declared its independence.
Samarkand–Crossroads of Cultures became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001.
[The term ‘Silk Road’ was coined in 1877 by German geographer Ferdinand von Richthofen. The Silk Road contributed not only to the exchange of goods and technologies, but also to the mutual enrichment of cultures and traditions of different peoples. Direct maritime trade between Europe and the Far East ultimately supplanted the overland route.]
On Google Earth:
Ulugh Beg Observatory 39°40'29.13"N, 67° 0'20.69"E
River Thames looking upstream on the north bank side, and WNW from the Millennium Bridge, to Blackfriars mainline station and railway bridge, London.
Blackfriars is in the City of London.
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DETAILS OF THE VIEW
Nearest the camera are two raft-like working platforms, actually 'Flat Top Spud Leg Barges' The one on the R carries the name HAVEN SEAREACH. Their owners, Red7Marine, hire them out for supporting working plant and machinery. (I have no firm information about the project in hand here but perhaps connected with pier construction.)
BLACKFRIARS STATION lies beyond the barges and mainly serves the Thameslink part of the national rail network (one of the only two mainline networks that actually cross the River Thames). The station has recently undergone large scale reconstruction and improvements during 2009-2012. The platforms have been extended right along the bridge to the L, and covered by a steel and glass canopy whose south-facing roof units include solar panels generating about half the station's energy usage. The main station building is out of sight to the R and is mostly between bridge level and street level. The platforms can be accessed from both banks of the river. There is full interchange with the London Underground District and Circle Lines station beneath this northern end of the mainline station.
The modern structure of the rebuilt station rests on the original BLACKFRIARS RAILWAY BRIDGE, the original wrought iron arch bridge proper, formerly named St. Paul's Railway Bridge (St. Paul's Cathedral is close by, but out of view here). It was completed in 1886 for the London, Chatham and Dover Railway. There is actually another older railway bridge here too, demolished in 1985, but little of it can be seen in this view.
The prominent building beyond Blackfriars Station is UNILEVER HOUSE at 100, Victoria Embankment, built in 1930-1933 in Art Deco Neoclassical style. With its long curved frontage, it makes a striking Thameside landmark, especially when approaching it from across Blackfriars Bridge, i.e. the road bridge, a section of which is just visible through the L arch of the station bridge, and which runs closely parallel to the station bridge.
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Photo
Brian Roy Rosen
Uploaded to Flickr July 15, 2014
© Darkroom Daze Creative Commons.
If you would like to use or refer to this image, please link or attribute.
ID: DSC_0637 - Version 2
NORTH HOLLYWOOD - A fire early Saturday morning displaced 21 residents and led to one firefighter injury, when flames from a pallet yard viciously spread to a nearby Rescue Mission.
The Los Angeles Fire Department was summoned at 12:25 AM on May 3, 2014, to 13412 Saticoy Street in North Hollywood, where firefighters arrived quickly to find heavy fire showing from a 300' x 300' pallet yard. In the middle of the Okote Pallet yard was a metal corrugated building well involved in flames. The nearby San Fernando Valley Rescue Mission, a 75' x 100' structure, was engulfed in flames within a few minutes after firefighters arrived. The Rescue Mission's residents were immediately evacuated to a nearby church for safety.
A total of 137 firefighters had the flames under control in less than 90 minutes.
© Photo by Jeffrey Geller
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this little lovely is my new favorite! i've made this cute shape that looks like a peanut or a matryoshka silhouette. i've added little pieces of tubing reminiscent of a mitochondria structure. the piece is all oxidized sterling silver on a chain with clusters of little balls on it in a random pattern.
Oviedo Automatic Parking System – (Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia)
Image courtesy of Estaco S.A.
The USD 11 million Oviedo Automatic Parking System solved the severe parking shortage at the expanding Oviedo Shopping Mall in Medellín, Antioquia, Colombia. Designed by Estaco, a Colombian engineering company dedicated to the design, manufacture, and assembly of metal structures, the unmanned, automated parking system provided parking for 210 vertically stacked vehicles within an existing reinforced concrete building.
Estaco used STAAD.Pro to simulate design scenarios in which the metal building and its electro-mechanical components could be installed without compromising the concrete building’s structural integrity. An integrated model of the metal and concrete structures validated the scheme for concrete reinforcement, steel structure erection, and metal-concrete connection. STAAD.Pro produced the models required for the stringent third-party structural review and certification. The innovative design met expectations for cost, operational speed, and safety.
Shri Swaminarayan Temple, Ahmedabad (Gujarati: શ્રી સ્વામિનારાયણ મંદિર, અમદાવાદ, Devnagari: श्री स्वामिरायण मन्दिर, अहमदाबाद) is the first temple of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, a Hindu sect. It is located in Kalupur area of Ahmedabad, the largest city in Gujarat, India. It was built on the instructions of Swaminarayan, the founder of the sect.
As per the will of Swaminarayan, the administration of the Swaminarayan Sampraday is divided into two Gadis (seats) - Nar Narayan Dev Gadi and Laxmi Narayan Dev Gadi. This temple is the headquarters of the Nar Narayan Dev Gadi. Green and yellow sculptures of Hindu gods and goddesses, their bodies fitted in opulent dress, cover the structure of this nineteenth-century temple.
With its architecture based on Burma teak wood, every coloured arch and bracket is a bright different shade, something that stands out in most Swaminarayan temples. According to Anjali Desai, author of India Guide Gujarat, the temple resembles a fairytale with all its colours and opulent carvings that profusely embellish every wooden bracket, column and arch. The temple attracts a million people on the day after Diwali. The temple has a multi-story guesthouse that is air conditioned and has a fully equipped medical clinic within its compound.
HISTORY
The land for construction of this first shrine of Swaminarayan Sampraday, was given by the British Imperial Government in India to Swaminarayan. The task of constructing this temple was entrusted personally by Swaminarayan to Ananandanand Swami (a paramhansa of the sect). The installation ceremony of the murti (images) in the temple was celebrated in the presence about 50,000 of pilgrims representing many parts of India.
RELATIONS WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT
A British officer, Sir Dunlop was so impressed with activities of Swaminarayan and his followers, that on behalf of the government he gave 20 km² of land in Kalupur area of Ahmedabad to build this temple. When the temple was completed, the officer was so impressed by the temple that he commanded a 101 gun salute to the temple.
When the British government wanted to build a railway station in Kalupur, the temple returned part of the land, where Kalupur Railway Station stands today. The government compensated the temple by granting it 4 km² of land in the Narayannagar village. Although the temple had very good relations with the British government, part of the wooden carvings in the temple depict the 1857 uprising, which is often referred to as India's first war of Independence.
DEITIES
The primary deities of the temple are Nar Narayan Dev.
ARCHITECTURE
CENTRAL GATEWAY
The central gateway of the temple is artistic. It blends local, regional and British styles of architecture and sculpture. Marathi and Rajasthani folk cultures and costumes are evident on the gateway sculptors. The columns are engraved with vertical lining in Corinthian order. The top of the projected pavilions are ruminants of Mughal architecture. Statues of the women wearing frilled blouses and petticoats, carrying their kids on their waist depict the Gujarati women.
NAR NARAYAN TEMPLE
This is the heart of the temple complex. The temple was constructed as per scriptural norms with intricate carving in pure Burma-teak and constructed with sculptural art by depicting deities' episodes, auspicious symbols and religious icons representing axiomatic religion and Indian culture. The temple is believed to be a valuable cultural heritage in the socio-religious history of Gujarat and India. The images in this temple are of Narnarayan Dev in the centre, Radhakrishna Dev on the right, Dharmadev, BhaktiMata and Harikrishna on the left of the central hall. The images were made in Dungarpur and stone came from quarries in Himmatnagar and Dhrangadhra.[6] The temple is also known for the attractive dresses that drape the deities. Dresses for the central Narnarayan as well as RadhaKrishna images are changed seven times a day and are never repeated.
AKSHAR BHAVAN
Besides the gods in the main temple, an idol in the form of a child, Ghanshyam Maharaj in white marble has been installed on the ground floor. Personal items of Swaminarayan have been displayed for viewing by the visitors on the ground as well as first floor. The southern side of this building is known as Shree Tejendra Bhuvan and houses visiting pilgrims.
RANG MAHOL
An idol of Ghanshyam Maharaj has been installed in a place called the Rang Mahol in the temple where Swaminarayan stayed during his visits to Ahmedabad. A wood carved life-size idol of Swaminarayan in standing sambhang position, was installed here fifty years after the construction of the temple. It is one of the finest specimens of wooden art sculpting in Gujarat.
TEMPLE FOR WOMEN (WEST)
The Haveli (Mansion) to the west of the temple used to be the official residence of Acharya of the Narnarayan Dev Gadi. Now, the ground floor of the front side, houses the offices and the inner portion accommodates the residency of the Samkhya Yogi women (ladies who have taken celibacy vows and devoted their life to the temple). In the inner temple, the Gadiwalla (the Acharya Maharajshri's wife & spiritual leader of the women in the Swaminarayan Sampraday) holds religious assemblies solely for the benefit of the women. An idol of Ghanshyam Maharaj has been installed in this temple and is served by the Sankhya Yogi women devotees.
This mansion is decorated with chandeliers, suspended lamps and large mirrors as it was supposed to be the residence of the Acharya. The brackets of the pillars in the portico as well as arches have been adorned with carvings in geometrical designs and a variety of flower and creeper motifs.
HAVELI (NORTH)
This three-storey mansion was constructed by Acharya Maharjshree Keshavprasadji Maharaj in 1871.
The mansion itself rests on octagonal and square wooden pillars on which Ardh-murt relief sculpture of flowers and creepers is engraved. Angles of wooden pillars, carved in free hand design and the shapely Bharnai, which balconies rest on. The Sabha mandap, an extensive Central Hall, has been constructed on sixty pillars. There are giant size madal-shilp sculptures on twelve high pillars in the front row on which rest the portico of the first floor, capture our attention with its great artistic appeal. These sculptors include a flying Hanuman lifting the Devgiri mountain in his palm; a pot bellied Ghanesha wearing a scarlet turban in the South Indian style, miniature sculptures of several soldiers armed and dressed in Marathi turbans and costumes and herds of monkeys have been created on the religious tradition in the wooden sculptors. Interestingly, some sculptors depict the 1857 uprising, with the Rani of Jhansi and other heroes narrated in carvings of these pillars. There are a total of 12 such pillars, which depict scenes such as a Maratha warrior fighting under the Rani of Jhansi in guise of Durga the Hindu goddess, Indian leader Tatya Tope in the guise of Narsimha, the lion headed form of Vishnu and that of parrots which tell the mood of the times.
Sculptures of lions and elephants, birds like peacocks and parrots and perfectly engraved leaves and flowers decorate the panels. The beams, ceilings, and lower sections are adorned with engravings, artistic sculptures and free-hand designs. In this mansion, Acharya sits on the wooden seat once used by Swaminarayan in the Congregation Hall. A new residence of the saints, Vrajendraprasad Mahal and a dining hall for the devotees are also situated in this mansion.
HAVELI (EAST)
This mansion is two storeyed. Sculptures of animal heads, flowers and creepers are carved on the wooden pillars of the portico on the ground floor. Items relating to NarNarayan Dev on the ground floor. The first and second floors house a Sanskrit and music school as well as residence for saints. The backyard hosts the residence for brahmchari (celibate) students. A well where Swaminarayan used to bathe under a dome is also part of the backyard.
SECULAR AREA & HERITAGE WALK
Kalupur area in Ahmedabad where the temple is located in a Muslim dominated area. Communal harmony was shown during the 2001 Gujarat earthquake when the Muslim neighbours cooked food and gave it to the temple authorities, who accepted it as they needed it to distribute to earthquake victims.
A Heritage Walk of Ahmedabad city was started on 19 November 1997 by the local municipal corporation in association with the Foundation for Conservation and Research of Urban Traditional Architecture (CRUTA). The walk starts from this temple in the Kalupur area of the city and ends at the Jama Masjid, after touring 18 sites. The one and a half kilometer long walk takes three hours to complete. In 1999, the temple held an exhibition of photographs relating to the culture and architecture of the city as part of the Heritage Week celebrations. In 2003, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, chose to lead this walk along with his cabinet colleagues to spread the message of peace.
NORTHRIDGE - 40 firefighters found the garage (attached) of a single-family home fully involved and extinguished the fire in 13 minutes. Initial reports of a person trapped in the fire room proved to be false after a thorough search. The fire was stopped quickly before extending into the home. No reported injuries.
© Photo by Jacob Salzman
LAFD Incident: 060419-1230
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After battling a massive structure fire the day before Thomaston Volunteers received a call for a structure fire in the Branch Road Condos. A fast attack by the first due engine brought a quick knockdown to the exterior fire that was spreading into the attic spaces of the condo and it's attached garage
Impact breccia from Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary times in Ukraine. (cut & polished surface; ~10 centimeters across at its widest)
Earth experienced a major mass extinction 65 million years ago, at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (“K-T”) boundary. The most famous victims of this event were the dinosaurs, but many other groups of organisms also disappeared. The cause of the K-T extinction has long been a major mystery in geology.
Starting in the late 1970s, abundant evidence has accumulated indicating that the dinosaurs & company were wiped out by the effects and aftermath of a gigantic impact event. An approximately 6-mile large object (“bolide”) hit what is now Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula to form the Chicxulub Crater. Enormous quantities of debris were kicked up into the atmosphere. This material settled out all over Earth to form the K-T boundary clay.
It turns out that Earth at end-Cretaceous times experienced a shower of impacting bodies. These include the Kara Impact at 70 Ma, the Boltysh Impact at 65 Ma, the Chicxulub Impact at 65 Ma, and the Shiva Impact at 65 Ma.
The rock seen here is an impact breccia from the Boltysh Impact Structure in Ukraine. Impact breccias have a mix of small and large, angular fragments. Clasts include basement rock fragments derived from the Ukrainian Shield - early Mesoproterozoic granites and Paleoproterozoic gneisses. Isotopic dating shows the Boltysh Impact occurred almost simultaneously with the Chicxulub Impact in Mexico.
Locality: drill core from 803 meters depth in the Boltysh Impact Structure, central Ukraine
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Info. at:
Floating in space like a cosmic jellyfish…
This is one of the most famous supernovas, SN 1987A. These remains of an exploded star have been well-studied since their discovery in 1987.
Webb’s sensitivity and resolution has given us the most clear and detailed look yet, revealing a new feature: small crescent-like structures thought to be a part of the outer layers of gas shot out from the supernova explosion.
Learn more: go.nasa.gov/47SE9BM
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Mikako Matsuura (Cardiff University), Richard Arendt (NASA-GSFC, UMBC), Claes Fransson (Stockholm University), Josefin Larsson (KTH) Image Processing: A. Pagan (STScI).
Image description: A supernova with its components labeled. The center of the image contains a dense green cloud, shaped like a keyhole. A white line points to this area, labeled “inner ejecta (keyhole)”. Outside of this region are two, curved dotted lines with a white line pointing to the left one, labeled “crescent”. Outside of this cloud of gas is a ring of dense orange gas and dust that becomes more diffused as it travels further away from the center. A dotted blue line is overlaid in the center of this ring with a blue line that is labeled “equatorial ring”. The innermost part of this dense orange ring contains brighter orange clumps of glowing gas. There is a gray line pointing to one of these hotspots labeled “equatorial ring hotspots”. Outside of these structures, both above and below them, are very faint orange rings of gas and dust. They are overlain with dotted lines and both have white lines pointing to them, labeled “outer ring”. There are several white stars are strewn throughout the image.
Compass Arrows, Scale Bar, and Color Key
At the bottom left are compass arrows indicating the orientation of the image on the sky. The north arrow points in the 11 o’clock direction. The east arrow points toward 8 o’clock. At the lower right is a scale bar labeled 1.5 light-years. The length of the scale bar is approximately one-fifth the total width of the image. Below the image is a color key showing which NIRCam filters were used to create the image and which visible-light color is assigned to each filter. From left to right, NIRCam filters are: F150W is blue; F164N is a greenish blue; F200W is light blue; F322N is yellow; F405N is orange; and F444W is red.
Rotunda – Adelaide Zoo
One of the largest structures of its kind in South Australia, the Rotunda was constructed in 1884 and presented as a gift by Sir Thomas Elder, the President of the South Australian Zoological and Acclimatisation Society at that time.
At its opening in 1883 the Zoological Garden’s list of 37 native and exotic mammals included an elephant, a camel, five Rusa Deer and three Axis Deer, also presented to the Zoo by the President.
Among the native species in the original collection was a single Yellow-footed rock Wallaby which, even at that early time, had become rare in its native South Australian habitat.
A wealthy businessman and parliamentarian, Sir Thomas Elder was best known as a pioneer pastoralist with interests in wool growing, horse and cattle breeding.
However it was his generous financial support of worthy causes, including exploratory expeditions, and educational and philanthropic institutions, that contributed so significantly to the development of the colony of South Australia.
The Rotunda is adorned with ornamental cast iron “lace” fabricated by local firm “Fulton’s Foundry”, which was first established in Goodwood and produced cast iron fencing, balustrades and verandah fretwork. A larger factory covering five acres and employing 350 staff was later established in Kilkenny and the foundry eventually became one of the largest industrial companies in South Australia.
Described in 1884 as “the most important addition to the attractions of the Gardens”, the Rotunda is centrally situated in the Zoo grounds and remains a significant and historical feature of the Zoo. An essential public amenity, it has been enjoyed by generations of visitors as a sheltered place to rest, a location for picnics, concerts and events, and is popular as a wedding venue.
Thomas Elder was born in Scotland and migrated to South Australia in 1854 where he made his fortune in copper mining.
He lived a quiet life and never married and was President of the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society from 1883 until he resigned in 1887 due to ill health.
Nothing says 'Merry Christmas' like a spot of tresspassing
I hope you had a nice day and are suitably stuffed with food & drink
Ellora (\e-ˈlȯr-ə\, Marathi: वेरूळ Vērūḷa), is an archaeological site, 29 km North-West of the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra built by the Rashtrakuta dynasty. It is also known as Elapura (in the Rashtrakuta literature-Kannada). Well known for its monumental caves, Ellora is a World Heritage Site. Ellora represents the epitome of Indian rock-cut architecture. The 34 "caves" are actually structures excavated out of the vertical face of the Charanandri hills. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain rock-cut temples and viharas and mathas were built between the 5th century and 10th century. The 12 Buddhist (caves 1–12), 17 Hindu (caves 13–29) and 5 Jain (caves 30–34) caves, built in proximity, demonstrate the religious harmony prevalent during this period of Indian history. It is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.
ETYMOLOGY
Ellora, also called Verula or Elura, is the cave form of the Ancient name Elapura.
HISTORY
Ellora is known for Hindu, Buddhist and Jain cave temples built during (6th and 9th centuries) the rule of the Kalachuri, Chalukya and Rashtrakuta dynasties. The Jagannatha Sabha a group of five Jain cave temples of 9th century built by Rashtrakuta.
THE BUDDHIST CAVES
These caves were built during the 5th-7th century. It was initially thought that the Buddhist caves were one of the earliest structures, created between the fifth and eighth centuries, with caves 1-5 in the first phase (400-600) and 6-12 in the later phase (mid 7th-mid 8th), but now it is clear to the modern scholars that some of the Hindu caves (27,29,21,28,19,26,20,17 and 14) precede these caves.[citation needed] The earliest Buddhist cave is Cave 6, followed by 5,2,3,5 (right wing), 4,7,8,10 and 9. Caves 11 and 12 were the last. All the Buddhist caves were constructed between 630-700.
These structures consist mostly of viharas or monasteries: large, multi-storeyed buildings carved into the mountain face, including living quarters, sleeping quarters, kitchens, and other rooms. Some of these monastery caves have shrines including carvings of Gautama Buddha, bodhisattvas and saints. In many of these caves, sculptors have endeavoured to give the stone the look of wood.
Most famous of the Buddhist caves is cave 10, (refer map) a chaitya hall (chandrashala) or 'Vishvakarma cave', popularly known as the 'Carpenter's Cave'. Beyond its multi-storeyed entry is a cathedral-like stupa hall also known as chaitya, whose ceiling has been carved to give the impression of wooden beams. At the heart of this cave is a 15-foot statue of Buddha seated in a preaching pose. Amongst other Buddhist caves, all of the first nine (caves 1–9) are monasteries. The last two caves, Do Tal (cave 11) and Tin Tal (cave 12) have three stories.
CAVE 10
Cave 10 is a vihara with eight cells, four in the back wall and four in the right wall. It had a portico in the front with a cell. Possibly served as a granary for other viharas.
THE VISHWAKARMA
The Vishwakarma (Cave 10) is the only chaitya griha amongst the Buddhist group of caves. It is locally known as Vishwakarma or Sutar ka jhopda "carpenter's hut". It follows the pattern of construction of Caves 19 and 26 of Ajanta. On stylistic grounds, the date of construction of this cave is assigned to 700 A.D. The chaitya once had a high screen wall, which is ruined at present. At the front is a rock-cut court, which is entered through a flight of steps. On either side are pillared porticos with chambers in their back walls. These were probably intended to have subsidiary shrines but not completed. The pillared verandah of the chaitya has a small shrine at either end and a single cell in the far end of the back wall. The corridor columns have massive squarish shafts and ghata-pallava (vase and foliage) capitals. The main hall is apsidal on plan and is divided into a central nave and side aisles by 28 octagonal columns with plain bracket capitals. In the apsidal end of the chaitya hall is a stupa on the face of which a colossal 3.30 m high seated Buddha in vyakhyana mudra (teaching posture) is carved. A large Bodhi tree is carved at the back. The hall has a vaulted roof in which ribs have been carved in the rock imitating the wooden ones.
THE HINDU CAVES
The Hindu caves were constructed between the middle of sixth century to the end of the eighth century. The early caves (caves 17–29) were constructed during the Kalachuri period. The work first commenced in Caves 28, 27 and 19. These were followed by two most impressive caves constructed in the early phase - Caves 29 and 21. Along with these two, work was underway at Caves 20 and 26, and slightly later at Caves 17, 19 and 28. The caves 14, 15 and 16 were constructed during the Rashtrakuta period. The work began in Caves 14 and 15 and culminated in Cave 16. All these structures represent a different style of creative vision and execution skills. Some were of such complexity that they required several generations of planning and co-ordination to complete.
THE KAILASANATHA TEMPLE
Cave 16, also known as the Kailasa temple, is the unrivaled centerpiece of Ellora. This is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva – looks like a freestanding, multi-storeyed temple complex, but it was carved out of one single rock, and covers an area double the size of Parthenon in Athens. Initially the temple was covered with white plaster thus even more increasing the similarity to snow-covered Mount Kailash.
All the carvings are done in more than one level. A two-storeyed gateway resembling a South Indian Gopura opens to reveal a U-shaped courtyard. The courtyard is edged by columned galleries three storeys high. The galleries are punctuated by huge sculpted panels, and alcoves containing enormous sculptures of a variety of deities. Originally flying bridges of stone connected these galleries to central temple structures, but these have fallen.
Within the courtyard are three structures. As is traditional in Shiva temples, the first is a large image of the sacred bull Nandi in front of the central temple. The central temple - Nandi Mantapa or Mandapa - houses the Lingam. The Nandi Mandapa stands on 16 pillars and is 29.3 m high. The base of the Nandi Mandapa has been carved to suggest that life-sized elephants are holding the structure aloft. A living rock bridge connects the Nandi Mandapa to the Shiva temple behind it. The temple itself is a tall pyramidal structure reminiscent of a South Indian Dravidian temple. The shrine – complete with pillars, windows, inner and outer rooms, gathering halls, and an enormous lingam at its heart – carved from living stone, is carved with niches, pilasters, windows as well as images of deities, mithunas (erotic male and female figures) and other figures. Most of the deities at the left of the entrance are Shaivaite (followers of Shiva) while on the right hand side the deities are Vaishnavaites (followers of Vishnu). There are two Dhvajastambhas (pillars with the flagstaff) in the courtyard. The grand sculpture of Ravana attempting to lift Mount Kailasa, the abode of Lord Shiva, with his full might is a landmark in Indian art. The construction of this cave was a feat of human genius – it entailed the removal of 200,000 tonnes of rock, and took 100 years to complete.
The temple is a splendid achievement of Rashtrakuta Karnata architecture. This project was started by Krishna I (757–773) of the Rashtrakuta dynasty that ruled from Manyakheta in present day Karnataka state. His rule had also spread to southern India, hence this temple was excavated in the prevailing style. Its builders modelled it on the lines of the Virupaksha Temple in Pattadakal. Being a south Indian style temple, it does not have a shikhara common to north Indian temples. – The Guide to the Architecture of the Indian Subcontinent, 1996, Takeo Kamiya, Japan Architects Academy and archaeological Survey of India.
THE DASHAVATARA
The Dashavatara (Cave 15) was begun as a Buddhist monastery. It has an open court with a free-standing monolithic mandapa at the middle and a two-storeyed excavated temple at the rear. The layout of the temple is closely related to caves 11 and 12. Large sculptural panels between the wall columns on the upper floor illustrate a wide range of themes, which include the ten avatars of Vishnu. An inscription of grant of Dantidurga is found on the back wall of the front mandapa. According to Coomaraswamy, the finest relief of this cave is the one depicting the death of Hiranyakashipu, where Vishnu in man-lion (Narasimha) form, emerges from a pillar to lay a fatal hand upon the shoulder of Hiranyakashipu.
OTHER HINDU CAVES
CAVE 21
Other notable Hindu caves are the Rameshvara (Cave 21), which has figurines of river goddesses Ganga and Yamuna at the entrance and the Dhumar Lena (Cave 29) whose design is similar to the cave temple on Elephanta Island near Mumbai. Two other caves, the Ravan ki Khai (Cave 14) and the Nilkantha (Cave 22) also have several sculptures. The rest of the Hindu caves, which include the Kumbharvada (Cave 25) and the Gopilena (Cave 27) have no significant sculptures.
The five Jain caves at Ellora belong to the ninth and tenth centuries. They all belong to the Digambara sect. Jain caves reveal specific dimensions of Jain philosophy and tradition. They reflect a strict sense of asceticism – they are not relatively large as compared to others, but they present exceptionally detailed art works. The most remarkable Jain shrines are the Chhota Kailash (cave 30), the Indra Sabha (cave 32) and the Jagannath Sabha (cave 33). Cave 31 is an unfinished four-pillared hall and a shrine. Cave 34 is a small cave, which can be approached through an opening on the left side of Cave 33. Amongst other devotional carvings, a place called samvatsarana can be found in Elora caves. Samvatsarana is of special interest to Jains, as it is a hall where the tirthankara preaches after attaining omniscience.
THE INDRA SABHA
The Indra Sabha (Cave 32) is a two storeyed cave with one more monolithic shrine in its court. It has a very fine carving of the lotus flower on the ceiling. It got the appellation "Indra Sabha" probably it is significantly ornate and also because of the sculpture of the yaksha (dedicated attendant deity) Matanga on an elephant, which was wrongly identified as that of Indra. On the upper level of the double-storied shrine excavated at the rear of the court, an U image of Ambika, the yakshini of Neminath, is found seated on her lion under a mango tree, laden with fruits.
OTHER JAIN CAVES
All other Jain caves are also characterized by intricate detailing. Many of the structures had rich paintings in the ceilings - fragments of which are still visible.
GEOLOGY OF ELLORA
Ellora occupies a relatively flat region of the Western Ghats. Ancient volcanic activity in this area created many layered basalt formations, known as Deccan Traps. During the Cretaceous, one such volcanic hill formed on the southwest-facing side of Ellora. Its vertical face made access to many layers of rock formations easier, enabling architects to pick basalt with finer grains for more detailed sculpting.
INSCRIPTIONS AT ELLORA
Several inscriptions at Ellora range from 6th century to 15th century. The best known of them is an inscription of Rashtrakuta Dantidurga (c. 753-57 A.D.) on the back wall of the front mandapa of Cave 15, which gives an account of his conquests. Inscriptions on the Kailash temple itself range from 9th to 15th century. Jain cave Jagannatha Sabha has 3 inscriptions that give the names of monks and donors. A Parshvanth temple on the hill has a 11th-century inscription that gives the name of the donor from Vardhanapura.
The Great Kailasa (Cave 16) is attributed to Krishna I (c. 757-83 A.D.), the successor and uncle of Dantidurga. A copper plate grant by Karka II (c. 812-13 A.D.) narrates that a great edifice was built on a hill by Krishnaraja at Elapura (Ellora).
The Ellora caves, unlike Ajanta, were never lost. There have been several written records that indicate that these caves were visited regularly. The earliest is that of the Arab geographer Al-Mas‘udi of the 10th century A.D. In 1352 A.D. Sultan Hasan Gangu Bahmani, who camped at the site and visited the caves. The others are by Firishta, Thevenot (1633–67), Niccolao Manucci (1653-1708), Charles Warre Malet (1794), and Seely (1824)
WIKIPEDIA
The Tillamook Structure moves light rail track from one side of the freight tracks to the other, keeping both modes of transportation out of each other’s way.
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Bei einer Kunsthandwerkerin in Schloss Burg bei Solingen konnte ich diese wunderbare selbst gefärbte und selbst gesponnene Wolle fotografieren.
The original six level reinforced concrete building was designed by architects Stephenson and Meldrum (later Stephenson and Turner) in the inter-war Functionalist style and built by W C Burne in 1934-35. It was one of a number of church based "community" or "intermediate" hospitals constructed in Melbourne's inner suburbs in the early 1930s following the Victorian government's initiative to assist construction of hospitals to accommodate middle class fee-paying ("intermediate") patients.
With its bold reinforced concrete structure, expressed staircases, deep balconies and simple interiors the Mercy Hospital was designed in the bold forms of the new functionalism. The Mercy Hospital was the first large scale building in Melbourne employing the stark white surfaces of the German and French modernists such as Gropius and Corbusier. This feature was celebrated in contemporary journals and contrasted strikingly with the then still largely Victorian streetscapes of East Melbourne.