View allAll Photos Tagged Values
Sign alongside a turnstile at Meadow Lane, home to Birstall United Football Club, who celebrated in 2021 their 60th anniversary.
Captured before a 3-0 victory, in the First Division of the United Counties League, over Leicester area neighbours Kirby Muxloe.
Three up at half-time, Birstall, during the second period, saw a penalty saved, struck the inside of a post three times and were denied in a one-on-one. Kirby Muxloe squandered three very good chances in the last 10 minutes.
Match statistics
Birstall United versus Kirby Muxloe
United Counties League, Division One (7.45pm kick-off)
Admission: £5. Programme: 16 pages (included with admission). Attendance: 102. Birstall United 3 Kirby Muxloe 0 (half-time 3-0). Scoring sequence: 1-0 (6mins, Paul Pallett, penalty); 2-0 (23mins, Corey Bucalossi); 3-0 (39mins, Dre Articolo).
One of the lessons learned in World War II was the value of radar in intercepting aircraft: Chain Home radar used during the Battle of Britain proved invaluable to the Royal Air Force in getting its fighters in the air to fend off Luftwaffe attacks. Ground radar, however, was generally limited to line-of-sight, thus the curvature of the Earth prevented long-range detection.
To put large ground radars aloft required a bigger aircraft, and in June 1949, the US Navy acquired two Lockheed L-749 Constellation airliners, adding an APS-45 height-finder radar above the fuselage and an APS-20 search radar below it. Despite the ungainly appearance of the aircraft, flight performance was not overly handicapped and the experiment was deemed a success. Initially designated PO-1W, the Navy changed the designation to WV-2 in 1952, as production aircraft were based on the larger, longer-ranged L-1049 Super Constellation; though it was officially named Warning Star by Lockheed, its crews used the phonetic alphabet to coin a more long-lasting nickname: Willy Victor. The usefulness of an airborne early warning aircraft was apparent to the USAF as well, and in 1953, it acquired WV-2s diverted from Navy production, designated EC-121D.
The initial purpose of both the WV-2s and EC-121s was to operate the “ocean barrier,” along the coasts of the United States, providing early warning of any Soviet attack from the sea or against Alaska or Hawaii. Typically up to five aircraft from either or both services would be on station at any given time, and EC-121s were forward deployed to Japan and Iceland as well. These aircraft were used extensively during the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, tracking Soviet ships approaching the blockade line, as well as monitoring Cuban air activity over the island itself. As satellites began to take over the early warning role, the barrier patrols were discontinued in 1965.
It would be in Vietnam that the AEW concept first proved itself. At the beginning of Operation Rolling Thunder in 1965, there were significant gaps in American radar coverage of North Vietnam, and 7th Air Force requested a detachment of EC-121Ds be deployed to Southeast Asia under Operation Big Eye. Orbiting over Laos, the EC-121s did provide some assistance to USAF strike crews, while US Navy WV-2s did the same over Tonkin Gulf; the first successful EC-121 controlled intercept took place in July 1965 and resulted in the downing of two MiG-17s.
However, as the EC-121 had been designed to detect targets over water, the mountains of North Vietnam provided plenty of hiding places for North Vietnamese MiG fighters, communications between fighters and controllers was poor, and the APS-70 height finder did not have the range from Laos to reach the vital “Pak Six” area over Hanoi, which limited Big Eye EC-121s primarily to raid warning. Moreover, the air conditioning system on the EC-121 had never been designed for a tropical environment, and eight-hour missions in a sweltering hot fuselage were distinctly uncomfortable.
Beginning in April 1967, USAF strike forces began noticing a distinct improvement in the EC-121s’ raid warning and interception coordination, as their callsign shifted to College Eye. Unbeknownst to most of the USAF, the EC-121s had been secretly fitted with QRC-248 sensors that homed in on the Identification Friend/Foe (IFF) signals sent out by North Vietnamese MiGs. College Eye EC-121s still could not give altitude, but they could instantly warn the force when MiGs were taking off and their general direction of attack.
Now with the callsign Disco, EC-121Ts could, in theory, provide instant detection, warning, and coordination for American fighters; Disco was, however, limited by its radar setup, the need to route information through the ground-based Teaball system, and the secretive nature of its equipment. Rarely was Disco able to give real-time warning. When the system worked, however, it was very effective. 25 MiG kills were made with College Eye/Disco assistance, while rescue coordination by EC-121s led to the recovery of 80 downed Americans. Despite 98,000 combat hours, no EC-121s were lost during the Vietnam War to enemy action.
The limitations of the EC-121 and its increasing age (there were no losses over Vietnam, but accidents elsewhere cost both services no less than 31 aircraft) meant that, following the end of American involvement in Vietnam, a more advanced replacement was required: the US Navy had already begun with the introduction of the E-2 Hawkeye, while the USAF began experimenting with the EC-137D, which became the E-3 Sentry. The EC-121 was gradually withdrawn, with the last EC-121T of the USAF leaving Air Force Reserve units in 1979. 232 aircraft were built and 12 survive in museums.
This EC-121T, 52-3417, is the oldest surviving Warning Star left, and has a personal connection to myself and one of my friends. It entered service as an RC-121D, before the designation was switched to an EC-121D and it was upgraded to an EC-121T. It may have served with the 552nd AWCW at McClellan AFB, California and possibly saw service in Vietnam as a College Eye or Disco AWACS. As the EC-121s began to be replaced by the E-3 Sentry, 52-3417 was reassigned to the 915th AWCG (Reserve) at Homestead AFB, Florida. It was retired in 1976, but in 1981, the Helena Vo-Tech (now the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology) obtained 52-3417 as a ground instructional trainer. It would remain at Helena for the next 36 years.
In 2008, the college no longer had a use for 52-3417, as it was long obsolete, and offered it to any museum willing to clean it up and move it. The Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville, Oregon took up the challenge: not only would they clean it, they would restore 52-3417 to flyable status and ferry it from Montana to Oregon. The museum had nearly completed work on it when Evergreen International, the museum's patron, went bankrupt. Work halted on 52-3417, and it seemed that it was stuck again. Finally, in 2017, the Castle Air Museum acquired the aircraft. It was not flown, however, but rather dismantled and moved by rail. It was reassembled and went on display in 2019.
52-3417 is still showing the effects of being in Montana winters for 36 years: its markings are faded, though they still show the 915th's crest on the tail and "AFRES" on the fuselage. Plans are to restore the aircraft at some point to its former glory, but at least it is now at a museum.
For me, this picture is the culmination of almost a decade trying to get a shot of 52-3417! I saw it many times when Dad and I, or friends, would pass through Helena, but either I never had a camera or I couldn't get a good shot. The last time I made the try was in 2017, but a snowstorm blocked my view, and it was moved to Castle afterwards. Finally, in May 2021, I got this picture. For my friend Nate, who was the driver on the 2021 trip, this was a bit more personal: he had worked on this aircraft during his time at Vo-Tech in the early 1980s.
Very Old machine it is one of the effects of the English colonization of Egypt
Are currently in one of the old houses whos owned by one of the very poor Egyptians in a very very poor area.
The most IMPORTANT ISSUE is that no one knows its there and no one knows the value of this ...ARCHEOLOGICAL...MACHINE...
...UNTIL NOW !!!
...IMAGINE THAT ...?!?!?!
magneticpic.posterous.com/911-9-years-later
Caption :Anti-Abortionist rally near Ground Zero displaying the photo of a dismembered fetus.
united |yoōˈnītid| |juˈnaɪd1d|
adjective
joined together politically, for a common purpose, or by common feelings.
I had always thought I was a veteran, a hardened and at times even a bit cynical newsman, until that September eleven.
Years of travel to disaster areas and war zones did not prevent me to get deeply touched and traumatized by the events of nine years ago right in the heart of the city I call home.
When the twin towers were brought down I spent over four uninterrupted weeks in the area of what soon came to be known as “Ground Zero”, working for a television network.
We witnessed and reported the stupor, the incredulity and the sheer pain at first and later on, as the days passed by, the human strength, the heroism and civic values of the American people.
One of the things that helped me most in surviving emotionally such a horrible experience was the sense of togetherness and unity I could perceive around me, all the time.
While from the destroyed buildings noxious fumes kept smoldering up to the heavens for many days and the streets were covered in dust, shattered glass, burned papers and even human remains, we were all doing our jobs in unison.
From us in the press to the police and the fire brigades, whose heroism was truly relentless, to the many doctors who rushed to the scene, to sanitation workers with their unpleasant and most difficult task of cleaning up the mess, to the many NYC citizens, cheering to the rescue vehicles passing by and offering their time and labor in many supportive activities.
It was a truly horrible moment in American history, and we all silently understood it, deep inside ourselves. At the same time, I think it was one of the highest peaks, at least in my lifetime, of social union, as, in spite of the dreadful situation, we were all strongly focused towards common goals and feeling truly blessed for living in this country.
As the years went by, a lot of things in America, the world and even inside my soul have changed.
Although I sometimes returned to ground zero, to report about the commemorative events that take places there every September eleven, to this day I don’t particularly enjoy going south of Canal street since my month-long permanence in that area nine years ago. Whenever I do, memories suddenly become too vivid and I even have flashbacks, I smell the deadly smell again, I hear the sirens, and I have distressing feelings of total, unrecoverable loss that leave me quite unsettled.
This morning I woke up really early, feeling a little under the weather (or perhaps just a day older). I decided not to go to ground zero and instead pay my respect, have my moment of silence, in private.
Then, all of the sudden, I changed my mind and a little later I found myself emerging from a subway station in that area I unfortunately know so well.
I witnessed two main events, a city block away from each other: a rally in favor of the controversial Mosque, which is to be built nearby, and a rally by radical anti-abortionists. I took a few shots of both events and, despite my absolute respect, unobtrusiveness and a police press pass around my neck, I managed to be shoved rather impolitely in my chest, while I was taking a shot, by a Lieutenant screaming “and next time I’ll take your camera from you”.
Soon I had enough.
I don’t even want to attempt a judgment about what I saw. I’ll just say that my visit to ground zero didn’t allow me see much unity or civic values today. I think, had it not be for the massive police presence, most of the people there, some them screaming “Allah Akbar” in a megaphone, others kneeling to Jesus Christ in front the poster of a dismembered fetus, would have gladly tried to slash each others throat.
City of London 9 Gracechurch Street The Crosse Keys JD Wetherspoon English Pub Cod Fish and Chips Friday with a pint of Guinness Great Value at £11.75
www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-cr...
The Taj Mahal (/ˌtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/, more often /ˈtɑːʒ/; from Persian and Arabic, "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]) is a white marble mausoleum located on the southern bank of Yamuna River in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658) to house the tomb of his favorite wife of three, Mumtaz Mahal.
Construction of the mausoleum was essentially completed in 1643 but work continued on other phases of the project for an additional ten years. The Taj Mahal complex is believed to have been completed in its entirety in 1653 at a cost estimated at the time to be around 32 million Indian rupees, which in 2015 would be valued at around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US). The construction project employed around 20,000 artisans under the guidance of a board of architects led by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The domed marble tomb is part of an integrated complex consisting of gardens and two red-sandstone buildings surrounded by a crenellated wall on three sides.
The Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the best example of Mughal architecture and is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India". It is one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a symbol of India’s rich history. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983, the Taj Mahal attracts some 3 million visitors a year.
INSPIRATION
In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire's period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his favorite of three wives and beloved companion, Mumtaz Mahal, a Persian princess, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632. The court chronicles of Shah Jahan's grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. The principal mausoleum was completed in 1643 and the surrounding buildings and garden were finished about five years later.
ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN
The Taj Mahal incorporates and expands on design traditions of Persian and earlier Mughal architecture. Specific inspiration came from successful Timurid and Mughal buildings including; the Gur-e Amir (the tomb of Timur, progenitor of the Mughal dynasty, in Samarkand), Humayun's Tomb, Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb (sometimes called the Baby Taj), and Shah Jahan's own Jama Masjid in Delhi. While earlier Mughal buildings were primarily constructed of red sandstone, Shah Jahan promoted the use of white marble inlaid with semi-precious stones. Buildings under his patronage reached new levels of refinement.
TOMB
The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. It is a large, white marble structure standing on a square plinth and consists of a symmetrical building with an iwan (an arch-shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial. Like most Mughal tombs, the basic elements are Persian in origin.
The base structure is a large multi-chambered cube with chamfered corners forming an unequal eight-sided structure that is approximately 55 metres on each of the four long sides. Each side of the iwan is framed with a huge pishtaq or vaulted archway with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the false sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves are at a lower level.
The most spectacular feature is the marble dome that surmounts the tomb. The dome is nearly 35 metres high which is close in measurement to the length of the base, and accentuated by the cylindrical "drum" it sits on which is approximately 7 metres high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome or amrud (guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design which also serves to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasized by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate the onion shape of the main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls, and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial which mixes traditional Persian and Hindustani decorative elements.
The main finial was originally made of gold but was replaced by a copy made of gilded bronze in the early 19th century. This feature provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif whose horns point heavenward.
The minarets, which are each more than 40 metres tall, display the designer's penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working minarets - a traditional element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The chattris all share the same decorative elements of a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. The minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.
EXTERIOR DECORATIONS
The exterior decorations of the Taj Mahal are among the finest in Mughal architecture. As the surface area changes, the decorations are refined proportionally. The decorative elements were created by applying paint, stucco, stone inlays or carvings. In line with the Islamic prohibition against the use of anthropomorphic forms, the decorative elements can be grouped into either calligraphy, abstract forms or vegetative motifs. Throughout the complex are passages from the Qur'an that comprise some of the decorative elements. Recent scholarship suggests that the passages were chosen by Amanat Khan.
The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you." The calligraphy was created in 1609 by a calligrapher named Abdul Haq. Shah Jahan conferred the title of "Amanat Khan" upon him as a reward for his "dazzling virtuosity". Near the lines from the Qur'an at the base of the interior dome is the inscription, "Written by the insignificant being, Amanat Khan Shirazi." Much of the calligraphy is composed of florid thuluth script made of jasper or black marble inlaid in white marble panels. Higher panels are written in slightly larger script to reduce the skewing effect when viewed from below. The calligraphy found on the marble cenotaphs in the tomb is particularly detailed and delicate.
Abstract forms are used throughout, especially in the plinth, minarets, gateway, mosque, jawab and, to a lesser extent, on the surfaces of the tomb. The domes and vaults of the sandstone buildings are worked with tracery of incised painting to create elaborate geometric forms. Herringbone inlays define the space between many of the adjoining elements. White inlays are used in sandstone buildings, and dark or black inlays on the white marbles. Mortared areas of the marble buildings have been stained or painted in a contrasting color which creates a complex array of geometric patterns. Floors and walkways use contrasting tiles or blocks in tessellation patterns.
On the lower walls of the tomb are white marble dados sculpted with realistic bas relief depictions of flowers and vines. The marble has been polished to emphasise the exquisite detailing of the carvings. The dado frames and archway spandrels have been decorated with pietra dura inlays of highly stylised, almost geometric vines, flowers and fruits. The inlay stones are of yellow marble, jasper and jade, polished and levelled to the surface of the walls.
INTERIOR DECORATION
The interior chamber of the Taj Mahal reaches far beyond traditional decorative elements. The inlay work is not pietra dura, but a lapidary of precious and semiprecious gemstones. The inner chamber is an octagon with the design allowing for entry from each face, although only the door facing the garden to the south is used. The interior walls are about 25 metres high and are topped by a "false" interior dome decorated with a sun motif. Eight pishtaq arches define the space at ground level and, as with the exterior, each lower pishtaq is crowned by a second pishtaq about midway up the wall. The four central upper arches form balconies or viewing areas, and each balcony's exterior window has an intricate screen or jali cut from marble. In addition to the light from the balcony screens, light enters through roof openings covered by chattris at the corners. The octagonal marble screen or jali bordering the cenotaphs is made from eight marble panels carved through with intricate pierce work. The remaining surfaces are inlaid in delicate detail with semi-precious stones forming twining vines, fruits and flowers. Each chamber wall is highly decorated with dado bas-relief, intricate lapidary inlay and refined calligraphy panels which reflect, in miniature detail, the design elements seen throughout the exterior of the complex.
Muslim tradition forbids elaborate decoration of graves. Hence, the bodies of Mumtaz and Shah Jahan were put in a relatively plain crypt beneath the inner chamber with their faces turned right, towards Mecca. Mumtaz Mahal's cenotaph is placed at the precise centre of the inner chamber on a rectangular marble base of 1.5 by 2.5 metres. Both the base and casket are elaborately inlaid with precious and semiprecious gems. Calligraphic inscriptions on the casket identify and praise Mumtaz. On the lid of the casket is a raised rectangular lozenge meant to suggest a writing tablet. Shah Jahan's cenotaph is beside Mumtaz's to the western side, and is the only visible asymmetric element in the entire complex. His cenotaph is bigger than his wife's, but reflects the same elements: a larger casket on a slightly taller base precisely decorated with lapidary and calligraphy that identifies him. On the lid of the casket is a traditional sculpture of a small pen box.
The pen box and writing tablet are traditional Mughal funerary icons decorating the caskets of men and women respectively. The Ninety Nine Names of God are calligraphic inscriptions on the sides of the actual tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. Other inscriptions inside the crypt include, "O Noble, O Magnificent, O Majestic, O Unique, O Eternal, O Glorious... ". The tomb of Shah Jahan bears a calligraphic inscription that reads; "He travelled from this world to the banquet-hall of Eternity on the night of the twenty-sixth of the month of Rajab, in the year 1076 Hijri."
GARDEN
The complex is set around a large 300-metre square charbagh or Mughal garden. The garden uses raised pathways that divide each of the four quarters of the garden into 16 sunken parterres or flowerbeds. Halfway between the tomb and gateway in the center of the garden is a raised marble water tank with a reflecting pool positioned on a north-south axis to reflect the image of the mausoleum. The raised marble water tank is called al Hawd al-Kawthar in reference to the "Tank of Abundance" promised to Muhammad.
Elsewhere, the garden is laid out with avenues of trees and fountains. The charbagh garden, a design inspired by Persian gardens, was introduced to India by Babur, the first Mughal emperor. It symbolises the four flowing rivers of Jannah (Paradise) and reflects the Paradise garden derived from the Persian paridaeza, meaning 'walled garden'. In mystic Islamic texts of the Mughal period, Paradise is described as an ideal garden of abundance with four rivers flowing from a central spring or mountain, separating the garden into north, west, south and east.
Most Mughal charbaghs are rectangular with a tomb or pavilion in the center. The Taj Mahal garden is unusual in that the main element, the tomb, is located at the end of the garden. With the discovery of Mahtab Bagh or "Moonlight Garden" on the other side of the Yamuna, the interpretation of the Archaeological Survey of India is that the Yamuna river itself was incorporated into the garden's design and was meant to be seen as one of the rivers of Paradise. Similarities in layout and architectural features with the Shalimar Gardens suggests both gardens may have been designed by the same architect, Ali Mardan. Early accounts of the garden describe its profusion of vegetation, including abundant roses, daffodils, and fruit trees. As the Mughal Empire declined, the Taj Mahal and its gardens also declined. By the end of the 19th century, the British Empire controlled more than three-fifths of India, and assumed management of the Taj Mahal. They changed the landscaping to their liking which more closely resembled the formal lawns of London.
OUTLYING BUILDINGS
The Taj Mahal complex is bordered on three sides by crenellated red sandstone walls; the side facing the river is open. Outside the walls are several additional mausoleums, including those of Shah Jahan's other wives, and a larger tomb for Mumtaz's favourite servant.
The main gateway (darwaza) is a monumental structure built primarily of marble, and reminiscent of the Mughal architecture of earlier emperors. Its archways mirror the shape of the tomb's archways, and its pishtaq arches incorporate the calligraphy that decorates the tomb. The vaulted ceilings and walls have elaborate geometric designs like those found in the other sandstone buildings in the complex.
At the far end of the complex are two grand red sandstone buildings that mirror each other, and face the sides of the tomb. The backs of the buildings parallel the western and eastern walls. The western building is a mosque and the other is the jawab (answer), thought to have been constructed for architectural balance although it may have been used as a guesthouse. Distinctions between the two buildings include the jawab's lack of a mihrab (a niche in a mosque's wall facing Mecca), and its floors of geometric design whereas the floor of the mosque is laid with outlines of 569 prayer rugs in black marble. The mosque's basic design of a long hall surmounted by three domes is similar to others built by Shah Jahan, particularly the Masjid-i Jahān-Numā, or Jama Masjid, Delhi. The Mughal mosques of this period divide the sanctuary hall into three areas comprising a main sanctuary and slightly smaller sanctuaries on either side. At the Taj Mahal, each sanctuary opens onto an expansive vaulting dome. The outlying buildings were completed in 1643.
CONSTRUCTION
The Taj Mahal is built on a parcel of land to the south of the walled city of Agra. Shah Jahan presented Maharajah Jai Singh with a large palace in the center of Agra in exchange for the land. An area of roughly three acres was excavated, filled with dirt to reduce seepage, and leveled at 50 metres above riverbank. In the tomb area, wells were dug and filled with stone and rubble to form the footings of the tomb. Instead of lashed bamboo, workmen constructed a colossal brick scaffold that mirrored the tomb. The scaffold was so enormous that foremen estimated it would take years to dismantle.
The Taj Mahal was constructed using materials from all over India and Asia. It is believed over 1,000 elephants were used to transport building materials. The translucent white marble was brought from Makrana, Rajasthan, the jasper from Punjab, jade and crystal from China. The turquoise was from Tibet and the Lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, while the sapphire came from Sri Lanka and the carnelian from Arabia. In all, twenty eight types of precious and semi-precious stones were inlaid into the white marble.
According to the legend, Shah Jahan decreed that anyone could keep the bricks taken from the scaffold, and thus it was dismantled by peasants overnight. A fifteen kilometer tamped-earth ramp was built to transport marble and materials to the construction site and teams of twenty or thirty oxen pulled the blocks on specially constructed wagons. An elaborate post-and-beam pulley system was used to raise the blocks into desired position. Water was drawn from the river by a series of purs, an animal-powered rope and bucket mechanism, into a large storage tank and raised to a large distribution tank. It was passed into three subsidiary tanks, from which it was piped to the complex.
The plinth and tomb took roughly 12 years to complete. The remaining parts of the complex took an additional 10 years and were completed in order of minarets, mosque and jawab, and gateway. Since the complex was built in stages, discrepancies exist in completion dates due to differing opinions on "completion". Construction of the mausoleum itself was essentially completed by 1643 while work continued on the outlying buildings. Estimates of the cost of construction vary due to difficulties in estimating costs across time. The total cost has been estimated to be about 32 million Indian rupees, which is around 52.8 billion Indian rupees ($827 million US) based on 2015 values.
LATER DAYS
Abdul Hamid Lahauri in his book Badshahnama refers to Taj Mahal as rauza-i munawwara, meaning the illumined or illustrious tomb. Soon after the Taj Mahal's completion, Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon Shah Jahan's death, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife. In the 18th century, the Jat rulers of Bharatpur invaded Agra and attacked the Taj Mahal, the two chandeliers, one of agate and another of silver, which were hung over the main cenotaph, were taken away by them, along with the gold and silver screen. Kanbo, a Mughal historian, said the gold shield which covered the 15-foot high finial at the top of the main dome was also removed during the Jat despoliation.
By the late 19th century, parts of the buildings had fallen into disrepair. During the time of the Indian rebellion of 1857, the Taj Mahal was defaced by British soldiers and government officials, who chiselled out precious stones and lapis lazuli from its walls. At the end of the 19th century, British viceroy Lord Curzon ordered a sweeping restoration project, which was completed in 1908. He also commissioned the large lamp in the interior chamber, modelled after one in a Cairo mosque. During this time the garden was remodelled with British-style lawns that are still in place today.
THREATS
In 1942, the government erected a scaffolding to disguise the building in anticipation of air attacks by the Japanese Air Force. During the India-Pakistan wars of 1965 and 1971, scaffoldings were again erected to mislead bomber pilots.
More recent threats have come from environmental pollution on the banks of Yamuna River including acid rain due to the Mathura Oil Refinery, which was opposed by Supreme Court of India directives. The pollution has been turning the Taj Mahal yellow. To help control the pollution, the Indian government has set up the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ), a 10,400-square-kilometre area around the monument where strict emissions standards are in place.
Concerns for the tomb's structural integrity have recently been raised because of a decline in the groundwater level in the Yamuna river basin which is falling at a rate of around 5 feet a year. In 2010, cracks appeared in parts of the tomb, and the minarets which surround the monument were showing signs of tilting, as the wooden foundation of the tomb may be rotting due to lack of water. In 2011 it was reported that some predictions indicated that the tomb could collapse within 5 years.
TOURISM
The Taj Mahal attracts a large number of tourists. UNESCO documented more than 2 million visitors in 2001, which increased to about 3 million in 2015. A two tier pricing system is in place, with a significantly lower entrance fee for Indian citizens and a more expensive one for foreigners. Most tourists visit in the cooler months of October, November and February. Polluting traffic is not allowed near the complex and tourists must either walk from parking lots or catch an electric bus. The Khawasspuras (northern courtyards) are currently being restored for use as a new visitor center.
The small town to the south of the Taj, known as Taj Ganji or Mumtazabad, was originally constructed with caravanserais, bazaars and markets to serve the needs of visitors and workmen. Lists of recommended travel destinations often feature the Taj Mahal, which also appears in several listings of seven wonders of the modern world, including the recently announced New Seven Wonders of the World, a recent poll with 100 million votes.
The grounds are open from 06:00 to 19:00 weekdays, except for Friday when the complex is open for prayers at the mosque between 12:00 and 14:00. The complex is open for night viewing on the day of the full moon and two days before and after, excluding Fridays and the month of Ramadan. For security reasons only five items - water in transparent bottles, small video cameras, still cameras, mobile phones and small ladies' purses - are allowed inside the Taj Mahal.
MYTHS
Ever since its construction, the building has been the source of an admiration transcending culture and geography, and so personal and emotional responses have consistently eclipsed scholastic appraisals of the monument. A longstanding myth holds that Shah Jahan planned a mausoleum to be built in black marble as a Black Taj Mahal across the Yamuna river. The idea originates from fanciful writings of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, a European traveller who visited Agra in 1665. It was suggested that Shah Jahan was overthrown by his son Aurangzeb before it could be built. Ruins of blackened marble across the river in Moonlight Garden, Mahtab Bagh, seemed to support this legend. However, excavations carried out in the 1990s found that they were discolored white stones that had turned black. A more credible theory for the origins of the black mausoleum was demonstrated in 2006 by archaeologists who reconstructed part of the pool in the Moonlight Garden. A dark reflection of the white mausoleum could clearly be seen, befitting Shah Jahan's obsession with symmetry and the positioning of the pool itself.
No evidence exists for claims that describe, often in horrific detail, the deaths, dismemberments and mutilations which Shah Jahan supposedly inflicted on various architects and craftsmen associated with the tomb. Some stories claim that those involved in construction signed contracts committing themselves to have no part in any similar design. Similar claims are made for many famous buildings. No evidence exists for claims that Lord William Bentinck, governor-general of India in the 1830s, supposedly planned to demolish the Taj Mahal and auction off the marble. Bentinck's biographer John Rosselli says that the story arose from Bentinck's fund-raising sale of discarded marble from Agra Fort.
Another myth suggests that beating the silhouette of the finial will cause water to come forth. To this day, officials find broken bangles surrounding the silhouette.
In 2000, India's Supreme Court dismissed P. N. Oak's petition to declare that a Hindu king built the Taj Mahal. In 2005 a similar petition was dismissed by the Allahabad High Court. This case was brought by Amar Nath Mishra, a social worker and preacher who says that the Taj Mahal was built by the Hindu King Parmar Dev in 1196.
WIKIPEDIA
Data Value Hub
“How can Artificial Intelligence enable growth for SMEs”? Looking forward to hearing presentation on this topic for local SME's. datavaluehub.com/about-us/
Two of the 31 000 schoolchildren in Peru who are learning about healthy eating in an enjoyable way through Nestlé’s “Crecer Bien” programme. Crecer Bien is a Nutritional Education Programme at Public Schools that contributes to reducing
malnutrition levels through an educational strategy that introduces nutritional and hygiene habits as pivots in children’s education.
Title Slide for Core Value series: The Bible is the Word of God. This is a generic design to be used for all Core Values (just swap out the text under the text "Core Value"). The imagery is of the county in which Life Church Calvert resides and serves (our "core" location").
The text wrapping around the circle or "core" is a list of all our core values. For each series the core value that is being taught would be in the center underneath "Core Value"
In the news this week it was revealed that some supermarkets were selling the new Harry Potter for less than the wholesale price. So much so that some independant booksellers will be buying them from Tesco to sell in their shops.
They are going to rather disappointed when they see the new cover.
The Škoda Rapid Convertible
(cabriolet) was remarkable value for money when sold in the UK in the Mid-1980s. Converted for Škoda (UK) from standard cars by Ludgate Designs in Kent, the (now rare) convertible was considerably cheaper than other new soft-topped cars on the market. It was a good drive, too. Autocar described the car as "the poor man's Porsche", and they are now sought after vehicles. This - probably the best one surviving - was taking part in this years SALT Rally, and was snapped at the Three Swans Hotel, Market Harborough.
The SALT Rally 2012 (SALT SIX) was held around Market Harborough. The SALT Rallies are for vehicles built in the Cold War period, and the events tour Cold-War related venues. Most of the participating vehicles come from the Soviet Bloc, but there is no political element, implied or actual in the SALT ethos.
Visit the Communist Classic Cars Panorama!
Camera: Nikon F5
Lens: Nikkor 28-80mm zoom
Film: Kodak Ektar 100
ARTIST STATEMENT:
These pieces are about beauty and society’s value on beauty and how it affects the mental states of individuals. Andrea Deszo’s “My Mother Claimed” inspired me. In this series the artist embroiders serious sayings her mother had said to her as a child into fabric. I realized by doing so it made the harsh words seem less harsh. I followed her method and decided to use colorful embroidery thread to lighten stern subjects. In the beginning I wanted to reunite society with those whom it had shunned due to their visible differences. I wanted to embroider limbs onto amputees, sew aligned spines onto the elderly, and hair onto chemotherapy patients. The finished product is a more concentrated version. The pieces play with the topic of both internal and external health and beauty. I kept in mind how the individuals felt, how they were treated, and their physical inhibitions. For materials I used cotton and embroidery thread. I decided to use the frail handkerchiefs because they were easy to sew into and also added to the theme.
ARTIST BIO:
Brigette Larmena has been an active student at New Urban Arts for the past four years. She graduated from Classical High School last year and is now taking classes at the Community College of Rhode Island and an anatomy class at Brown University. She works within multiple media, including sculpting, watercolor painting, drawing, sewing, fashion design and writing. She spent her summers making art at New Urban Arts as part of the 2009 Zine Team, the 2010 Art Inquiry on archives, the 2011 Untitlement Project, and, most recently, she was awarded a scholarship for her work in the Senior Studio Immersion that explored health, arts and healing. Her individual project explored chemotherapy and hair loss. Brigette has been a member of the Studio Team Advisory Board at New Urban Arts for the past three years. As a STAB member, she dreamed up and organized the 2010 How To Fair, a sharing of the things we love to do through a series of demonstration booths. She is excited for the opportunity to be the 2012-13 STAB chair.
In everlasting memory
of
Ellen MELVILLE
Daughter of the late
Alexander and Eliza MELVILLE
Who died 27th July 1946
Councillor of City of Auckland
For 33 years continuously.
~Her life was service~
PRESBYTERIAN DIVISION D Row 23, Plot 1
************************************
Occupation at death: Solicitor [1]
Age at death: 64
Lovely portrait of Ellen:
www.teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/2229/eliza-ellen-melville
Biography by Sandra Coney
Eliza Ellen (known as Ellen) Melville was born on 13 May 1882 at Tokatoka, Northern Wairoa, New Zealand, the third of seven children of Alexander Melville, a boatbuilder and farmer, and his wife, Eliza Annand Fogerty, formerly a schoolteacher and governess. Until she was seven, Ellen was taught at home by her mother, who instilled in her the value of education.
Ellen Melville attended the tiny Tokatoka School, then in 1895 won a Junior District Scholarship to attend Auckland College and Grammar School. The law as a profession was just opening up to women, and in 1898 Melville passed her matriculation and her Solicitors' General Knowledge Examination. She received her early legal training at the Auckland firm of Devore and Cooper (later Devore and Martin), and in 1904, encouraged by her employers, began studying law at Auckland University College night classes. In December 1906 she became the second New Zealand woman to be admitted to the Bar and, three years later, the second to establish herself in sole practice; the first had been Ethel Benjamin.
With her professional career established, Melville turned her attention to the chief interest of her life: the advancement of women. The feminist movement in New Zealand was at a low ebb and she devoted herself to rebuilding it through the formation of women's societies, and through advocating women's involvement and participating personally in public life.
In March 1911 she was the prime mover behind the formation of the YWCA Women's Club in Auckland as a place for working women, mainly office workers, to meet and discuss current issues. She was a leading figure in the revival of the National Council of the Women of New Zealand (NCW), calling the inaugural meeting of the Auckland branch in 1917 at the rooms of the Civic League. The following year she travelled to Wellington to attend the national conference at which the NCW was formally reconstituted. She became the first president and was nine times president of the Auckland branch of the NCW, and between 1919 and 1922 was dominion president. In 1924 she travelled to Europe with fellow NCW member Elsie Griffin to 'get in personal touch with the women's movement throughout the world'. In Scotland she stayed with Lady Aberdeen, president of the International Council of Women, and she helped Lady Astor, first woman member of the British House of Commons, in her election campaign. In 1934 she was a delegate to the conference of the Pan-Pacific Women's Association in Honolulu.
The Auckland Women's Club (later the Auckland Lyceum Club), the New Zealand Society for the Protection of Women and Children, the Women's Forum, and, during the depression of the 1930s, the Auckland Unemployed Women's Emergency Committee, were some of the other organisations in which Melville held office. Her briskness, efficiency and strong sense of purpose occasionally led to opposition from other women, but she was never deterred by controversy. Her legal skills were freely put at the disposal of the many women's organisations she supported.
The law provided sufficient financial security for Melville, as a single woman, to be active in public life, although her income was always modest. In 1913 she and other women such as Rosetta Baume and Emily Maguire formed the Civic League, to encourage women to stand for public office. Auckland women called for Melville's own candidacy for the Auckland City Council in 1913, and in that year she was successful in becoming the first woman in New Zealand to be elected to a city council; she was to retain her seat until 1946. Journalist Robin Hyde noted that Melville was initially viewed by her male colleagues as 'rather an improper joke', but she was ultimately respected for her 'logical mind and abundant common sense…. The contributions she made to debates were always models of their kind, brief, completely thought-out and containing original ideas of real value.'
In 1919, when the Women's Parliamentary Rights Act was passed (a reform Melville had agitated for), she announced her candidacy for the Reform Party in the Auckland electorate of Grey Lynn. Despite polling well in this Labour stronghold, she was rebuffed by her own party at the next election when it chose an ex-Liberal to contest the seat. Melville said bitterly that 'the only conclusion to be taken was that they did not want a woman in Parliament'. Instead, she stood as an independent candidate in Roskill in 1922 and, in 1926, in Eden where she split the vote, causing Reform to lose the seat. She continued to seek election in 1928, 1931, 1941 and 1943, standing a total of seven times, but although she polled strongly each time she was never successful. In 1944 she founded the Women to Wellington movement to encourage Auckland women to run for Parliament.
In her local-body life there were also obstacles. Although she was a long-serving member of the key finance committee of the Auckland City Council, had invigorated Auckland's library system, and usually came in near the top of the poll, she was several times passed over as deputy mayor. This led to protests from Auckland women's groups who objected 'to sex being regarded…as a disqualification for leadership'.
Melville believed that politics should be a partnership of men and women, with women taking an equal share in governing; but she also argued that women had a responsibility to look after women's interests, stating that, 'We have only ourselves to blame that government and government departments take no interest in women.' Politically she was conservative, particularly on economic matters. Although she had a broad platform, her parliamentary campaigns gave her the opportunity to publicly advance the agenda of the NCW, including the raising of the age of consent, the appointment of women police, and the need for a motherhood endowment.
For much of her adult life Melville lived with her parents and sister in Mount Eden, Auckland. She took a keen interest in the lives of her nieces and nephews. In her leisure time she grew native plants and went motoring, on at least one occasion combining this with the promotion of New Zealand-made goods. She liked fashionable clothes, often sewing them herself, and making her own hats. She was always attractively dressed, although she refused to wear make-up.
Ellen Melville died on 27 July 1946 in Remuera. The Pioneer Women's and Ellen Melville Hall in central Auckland was erected in memory of her 33-year membership of the Auckland City Council and her service to women, and Melville Park in Epsom commemorates her support for Auckland's sportswomen.
Although she worked tirelessly to complete the work of the nineteenth century feminists in attempting to remove so-called women's disabilities, Ellen Melville represented a new breed of feminism. She was an independent professional woman who vigorously sought full participation in public life. She encouraged other women to follow her and to form strong women's societies, which would take women's concerns into the arena of public affairs. Melville was one of the key figures in the revival of the feminist movement in the twentieth century. [2]
Law practitioner files
Eliza Ellen Melville, Northcote - Admission as Solicitor 1906
archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=19166102
Archives NZ
Executive Secretary records dealing with the administration of Government House and functions of the Governor General as well as subject-based classification files
Ellen Melville and Pioneer Women's Memorial Hall (R18697758)
archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=18697758
Her probate is available:
archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=9372386
SOURCES:
[1]
Waikumete online Cemetery database
[2]
Sandra Coney. 'Melville, Eliza Ellen', from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 30-Oct-2012
URL: www.TeAra.govt.nz/en/biographies/3m51/melville-eliza-ellen