View allAll Photos Tagged celestial
"Look out the window. And doesn't this remind you of when you were in the boat, and then later than night, you were lying, looking up at the ceiling, and the water in your head was not dissimilar from the landscape, and you think to yourself, "Why is it that the landscape is moving, but the boat is still?" (Train Fireman, "Dead Man")
just loved the seamless blending of tattoos and dress (and the potential for heavenly body one-liners ; )
The Jantar Mantar is a collection of architectural astronomical instruments, built by Maharaja (King) Jai Singh II at his then new capital of Jaipur between 1727 and 1734. It is modeled after the one that he had built for him at the Mughal capital of Delhi. He had constructed a total of five such facilities at different locations, including the ones at Delhi and Jaipur. The Jaipur observatory is the largest and best preserved of these. It has been inscribed on the World Heritage List as "an expression of the astronomical skills and cosmological concepts of the court of a scholarly prince at the end of the Mughal period".
The name is derived from jantar ("instrument"), and Mantar ("formula", or in this context "calculation"). Therefore jantar mantar means literally 'calculation instrument'. This observatory has religious significance, since ancient Indian astronomers were also Jyotisa masters.
The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars' location as the earth orbits around the sun, ascertaining the declinations of planets, and determining the celestial altitudes and related ephemerides. Each is a fixed and 'focused' tool. The Samrat Yantra, the largest instrument, is 90 feet (27 m) high, its shadow carefully plotted to tell the time of day. Its face is angled at 27 degrees, the latitude of Jaipur. The Hindu chhatri (small cupola) on top is used as a platform for announcing eclipses and the arrival of monsoons.
Built from local stone and marble, each instrument carries an astronomical scale, generally marked on the marble inner lining. Bronze tablets, all extraordinarily accurate, were also employed. Thoroughly restored in 1901, the Jantar Mantar was declared a national monument in 1948.
An excursion through Jai Singh's Jantar is a unique experience of walking through solid geometry and encountering a collective astronomical system designed to probe the heavens.
The instruments are in most cases huge structures. The scale to which they have been built has been alleged to increase their accuracy. However, the penumbra of the sun can be as wide as 30 mm, making the 1mm increments of the Samrat Yantra sundial devoid of any practical significance. Additionally, the masons constructing the instruments had insufficient experience with construction of this scale, and subsidence of the foundations has subsequently misaligned them. The samrat yantra, for instance, which is a sundial, can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in Jaipur local time. The Giant Sundial, known as the Samrat Yantra (The Supreme Instrument) is the world's largest sundial, standing 27 meters tall. Its shadow moves visibly at 1 mm per second, or roughly a hand's breadth (6 cm) every minute, which for most people is a visibly profound experience.
Today the observatory is a popular tourist attraction. However, local astronomers still use it to predict the weather for farmers, although their authority is becoming increasingly questionable. Students of astronomy and Vedic astrology are required to take some of their lessons at the observatory, and it can be said that the observatory is the single most representative work of Vedic thought that still survives, apart from the texts. Many of the smaller instruments display remarkable innovation in architectural design and its relation to function, for instance - the Ram Yantra.
.... Etnea avenue, the 2018 evening of February 5, the day of the feast of the Patron Saint of Catania, St.Agatha, it happens that ....
.... via Etnea, la sera del 5 febbraio 2018, il giorno della festa della Santa Patrona di Catania, Sant'Agata, accade che ....
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
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Fear of the unknown, the fear of losing own physical or mental health, or worse, having already lost it, possible problems with work (if a work has it), old age advancing, awareness of the existence of a Higher Being, are just some of the reasons that push people to search for a contact with the Divine, with the supernatural, leading them to plead for help, but this is not enough to completely explain the close link fact of absolute devotion and enormous affection that the people of Catania (province) have towards their young martyr Agatha; an entire city partecipate in these days to ceremony and procession, one can not help but ask this question, what binds in such a profound and peculiar citizens to their Patron Saint Agata? Maybe I was lucky enough to capture photographically what is a partial response (see my photos of the 2016 feast): a child at a very early age is brought to the window from her mother while passing the float of St. Agatha, so it's easy to understand... the devotion and attachment to the Martyr starts very young , transmitted by their parents as a treasure to be preserved and grow throughout their lives, which leads you in the days of the feast to a great collective.
This is a short-long report I did this year 2018, in the city of Catania (Sicily) in occasion of the feast of her patron saint Agatha, which took place on the 3, 4 and 5 February (this dates commemorates the martyrdom of the young Saint), and on 17 August too (this date celebrates the return to Catania of her remains, after these had been transferred to Constantinople by the Byzantine general Maniaces as war booty, and there remained for 86 years), when the Sicilian city is dressed up to feast, with a scent of orange blossom and mandarins, and its citizens show that they possess an extraordinary love and bond with the young martyr saint Agatha.
The religious sicilian feast of Saint Agatha is the most important feast of Catania, its inhabitants from five centuries, during the three days of the feast in honor of her "Santuzza" (young Saint), create a unique setting, with celebrations and rituals impressive, which means that this event is regarded as the third religious festival in the world (some say the second ...) after the "Semana Santa" in Seville and the "Corpus Christi" in Cuzco, Peru. Unlike other religious holidays, more sober, to Sant'Agata highlights a vocation exuberant typical of the south Italy, who loves to combine the sacred with the profane.
The cult of the young Santa dates back to the third century, when the teenager Agatha was martyred for refusing the roman proconsul Quintiziano. One year after the death of the young Agatha, on 5 February of the year 252, his virginal veil was carried in procession, and it is said it was able to save Catania from destruction due to a devastating eruption of Mount Etna.
The festivities begin with the procession of Candlemas (this year were in greater number, perhaps 14 instead of the 11 years of the other years); the "Candlemas" are giant Baroque wooden "candlesticks" paintings in gold, each representing an ancient guild (butchers, fishmongers, grocers, greengrocers, etc.), which are brought by eight devotees; the "cannalore" (candlemas) anticipate the arrival of the "float" of Saint Agatha during the procession. Devotees, men and women, wearing a traditional garment similar to a white bag, cinched at the waist by a black rope, gloves and a white handkerchief, and a black velvet cap, and it seems that such clothing evoke nightgown with the qule the Catanese, awakened with a start by the touch of the bells of the Cathedral, welcomed the naval port, in 1126, the relics of the Holy which fell from Constantinople. On float, consisting of a silver chariot sixteenth of thirty tons, which is driven by a double and long line of devotees with the robust and long ropes, takes place the bust of Saint Agatha, completely covered with precious stones and jewels. On February 4, the parade celebrates the so-called "external path" that touches some places of martyrdom in the city of Catania; the next day, the 5 instead the procession along the "aristocrat path", which runs along the main street, Via Etnea, the parlor of Catania. On this day the devotees carry on their shoulders the long candles of varying thickness, there are some not very big, others are fairly heavy, but some skim exceptional weights.
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La paura dell’ignoto, il timore di perdere la salute fisica o psichica, o peggio, averla già persa, possibili problemi col lavoro (per chi un lavora l’ha) o peggio non averlo dovendo così “inventarsi” la giornata, la vecchiaia che avanza, la consapevolezza dell’esistenza di un Essere Superiore, sono solo alcuni dei motivi che spingono gli uomini a cercare un contatto col Divino, col Sovrannaturale, portandoli ad invocare il Suo aiuto, ma tutto ciò non basta assolutamente a spiegare lo stretto legame fatto di assoluta devozione ed enorme attaccamento che gli abitanti di Catania (e provincia) hanno nei confronti della loro “Santuzza” la giovanissima martire Agata; nel vedere partecipare quella che sembra essere una città intera a questi giorni di rito e processione, non ci si può non porre questa domanda, cosa lega in maniera così profonda e peculiare i cittadini Catanesi alla loro Santa Patrona Agata? Forse ho avuto la fortuna di cogliere fotograficamente (vedi le mie foto della festa del 2016) quella che è una risposta parziale e certamente non unica alla domanda: un bimbo in tenerissima età viene portato alla finestra dalla sua mamma mentre passa la vara di S.Agata, ecco… la devozione e l’attaccamento alla giovanissima Martire inizia da piccolissimi, trasmessa dai propri genitori (e non solo…) come un tesoro da custodire e coltivare per tutta la vita, che porta che nei giorni della festa ad un fantastico rito collettivo al quale nessun Catanese sembra non possa o non voglia rinunciare.
Questa è un breve e lungo report, da me realizzato nel febbraio di quest’anno 2018, nella città di Catania (Sicilia) in occasione della festa della sua giovane santa patrona Agata, che ha avuto luogo come ogni anno il 3, il 4 ed il 5 di febbraio (questa data commemora il martirio della Santa giovinetta), festa che viene ripetuta anche il 17 agosto (questa data rievoca il ritorno a Catania delle sue spoglie, dopo che queste erano state trasferite a Costantinopoli da parte del generale bizantino Maniace come bottino di guerra, spoglie che ivi rimasero per 86 anni); per questa occasione la città siciliana è vestita a festa con profumi di fiori d'arancio e mandarini, coi suoi cittadini che mostrano di possedere uno straordinario amore e legame con la giovane martire Agata.
Gli abitanti di Catania, oramai da cinque secoli, nei tre giorni della festa in onore della "Santuzza", danno vita ad una scenografia unica, con celebrazioni e riti imponenti, che fanno si che questo evento sia considerato come la terza festa religiosa al mondo (qualcuno dice la seconda ...) dopo la "Semana Santa" di Siviglia ed il "Corpus Domini" a Cuzco, in Perù. A differenza di altre feste religiose, più sobrie, quella di Sant'Agata mette in luce una vocazione esuberante tipica del meridione, che ama unire il sacro col profano.
Il culto della giovane Santa risale al terzo secolo, quando l'adolescente Agata fu martirizzata per aver rifiutato il proconsole romano Quintiziano. Un anno dopo la morte della giovane Agata, avvenuta il 5 febbraio dell'anno 252, il suo velo virginale venne portato in processione, e si narra esso riuscì a salvare Catania dalla sua distruzione a causa di una devastante eruzione del vulcano Etna.
I festeggiamenti iniziano con il corteo delle "candelore", queste sono dei giganteschi e pesanti "candelabri" in legno, in stile barocco, dipinti in oro, ognuna rappresentante una antica corporazione (macellai, pescivendoli, pizzicagnoli, fruttivendoli, ecc.), che vengono portati da otto devoti, le quali "cannalore" durante la processione anticipano l'arrivo della "vara" di Sant'Agata. I devoti, sia donne che uomini, indossano un tipico indumento simile ad un sacco bianco, stretto in vita da una cordicella nera, guanti ed un fazzoletto bianchi, ed infine una papalina di velluto nero, sembra che tale abbigliamento rievochi la camicia da notte con la quale i Catanesi, svegliatisi di soprassalto dal tocco improvviso delle campane del Duomo, accolsero al porto navale, nel 1126, le reliquie della Santa che rientravano da Costantinopoli. Sulla vara, costituita da un carro argentato cinquecentesco di trenta quintali, trainata da una doppia e lunghissima fila di devoti tramite delle robuste e lunghe funi, prende posto il busto di Sant'Agata, completamente ricoperto di pietre preziose e gioielli. Il 4 febbraio, il corteo compie il cosiddetto "giro esterno" che tocca alcuni luoghi del martirio nella città catanese; il giorno dopo, il 5, il corteo percorre il "giro aristocratico", che percorre la strada principale, la via Etnea, salotto buono di Catania. In questo giorno i devoti portano in spalla dei lunghi ceri di vario spessore, ce ne sono alcuni non molto grossi, altri sono discretamente pesanti, ma alcuni sfiorano pesi eccezionali.
#AbFav_FAVOURITE_PLACES_THINGS💖
A date was set; it only depended on the weather now.
We couldn’t believe our luck, what an opportunity!
From then on, our ears were glued to radio weather forecasts, several times a day!
How unnecessary! The sea speaks for itself, if you know the listening code.
The old fishermen could tell you with great accuracy, their information so much juicier.
OK, so what, some tall stories thrown in for good measure, but what raconteurs!
You certainly left with a smile and more knowledge.
How impersonal, our electronic gadgets!
…The skipper steered the boat with a steady hand.
We gently rocked towards the ends of the two piers, people on both watching and waving.
I remembered the many times I stood there, doing the same and dreaming of adventure. M, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Flanders, Ostend, Belgium, North Sea, pier, day, sky, CLOUDS, WATER, morning, fishing, boat, fun, colour, horizontal, "NikonF4", "Magda indigo"
The bronze sculpture is at the entrance of The Urban Redevelopment Authority Centre, Maxwell Road. The theme of the sculpture by Sun Yu-li (1999) is from the Confucian philosophy, a square within, a circle without. The 'square' depicts a focused aim grounded in firm principles, while the 'circle' conveys consideration of others.
For Dyxum's 2016 Music Challenge. Mahavishnu Orchestra with the title Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (from Birds of Fire).
Celestial Sea One of a Kind, Fine Silver with a high quality 8mm solid Australian Opal, this stone has super bright blue green colors. There are also two AAA quality 3mm dark blue sapphires. This is an elegant one of a kind piece, classy enough for formal, but funky enough that it would look great with jeans. Would look lovely on a variety of chains, cords or collars.
The piece comes with a heavy 16" adjustable to 18" oxidized sterling silver bead chain. Pendant has an oxidized finish. Back has artists mark and .999FS (fine silver mark) stamped on it. Measures approximately 2.1" x 1.2" 54mm x 32mm This pieces has a lot of silver.
The Celestial Visions Given By Sathya Sai Baba
This amazing episode is narrated in the book “Anyatha Sharanam Nasthi – Other Than You Refuge there is None” by Smt. Vijayakumari. The author recounts the golden days devotees spent with Sathya Sai Baba. Those times there were only a handful of devotees in Puttaparthi and the Chitravathi sands were His playground.
One day, when we were all walking towards the Chitravati, Swami suddenly disappeared. While we were searching for Him, we heard a clapping sound and, looking up, we found Swami alerting us, “I am on top of the hill.” It was six in the evening. The sun had softened the streams of its rays and was sinking towards the west. The sky was filled with black clouds, as if it were wrapping itself in a thick blanket. Swami said, “You all look at me. I shall show you the sun.”
Even as we were thinking, “how can the sun come back after it has already set?” we saw newly rising rays behind Swami’s head. The whole sky was filled with blue clouds. The rays began to turn red till they looked fiery and exuded so much heat as to make us all sweat profusely. The rays were intensely hot as if coming from the scorching midday sun. Unable to bear the heat we all made loud appeals, “Swami! It is too hot”. The heat subsided. We were just settling down, when Swami’s voice came down to us from the top of the hill, “I shall show you the Moon”.
We saw behind Swami’s head, the half-unfolded honey-coloured rays of the moon. They soon turned white - whiter and whiter still. That was that. We began shivering in the cold. Our bodies became stiff. Our teeth began to chatter. “Swami! Cold! It’s very cold, Swami!” As we were imploring Him thus, the cold slowly subsided.
While we were wondering what other miracle He would perform, He announced, “I shall show you the Third Eye. Watch it very carefully and attentively”.
“Third eye! How does it look?” we wondered. Swami’s body was not visible. But His head appeared gigantic, as if it were stretched across the entire sky. Stupefied, great bewilderment filling our minds, we stared at the sky. On Swami’s forehead, between His two eyebrows, an orifice appeared. Fiery, fuming sparks began to come out of the opening. Our eyes were dazzled by the brilliance of those sparks. We were scared. More than fear for ourselves, we were worried about what might be happening to Swami.
The sparks continued to gush out. When we looked back, we found that many had fallen down, unconscious. We did not know what made them faint. That scared us further. We looked up, but could not find Swami anywhere. Feeling lost and not knowing what to do, we began weeping. Suddenly, we found Swami standing in our midst. “What happened?” He asked us, patting us on our shoulders. “Why are you weeping? Why have these kids fainted?” Not knowing what answer to give to these questions, we just hugged Him and continued weeping.
As one or two of those who had fainted recovered and got up, we mustered a little strength and, in one voice, we all asked Him, “Swami! Are you alright? How come we did not see You there?” While asking these questions, we patted His face and body to reassure ourselves that He was really with us. Swami laughed heartily and, reassuring us that He was all right, He created Vibhuti with a wave of His hand, and He Himself put it on our foreheads.
One by one, those who had fallen unconscious persons began to stir. It was a strange experience. We felt as if our bodies were moving unsteadily hither and thither. We felt as if we were floating on air. Some inexpressible joy seemed to pervade our entire being. It was some sweet surge of affection. We did not understand its nature. Though we were keeping pace with Swami, it seemed to us that our feet were not touching the ground. Some were walking unsteadily, as if drunk. We all felt we were in some other strange world. It was a peculiar state of mind. We all reached the Mandir and sat down for bhajans.
We could not sing properly. We felt dizzy. That whole evening was spent in that state. When we found ourselves in a similar state the next day also, we asked Swami about it.
He said with a smile, “You have been praying to have a glimpse of this Third Eye for many past lives. In answer to your prayers, today, I gave you darshan of it. But I did not show you even a thousandth part of its brilliance. You could not withstand even that. Your present state is the result of that spectacle.”
Overwhelmed by this revelation, we all broke down and wept. We washed His lotus feet with our tears and told Him, “Swami, if only we had known this before, maybe we would have enjoyed the Darshan more. We could not fully utilize the divine boon You so kindly granted us. Really, we could not endure its profound impact. We got scared when we could not see Your physical form. We felt very anxious about You when we saw the orifice on Your forehead”.
Sathya Sai Baba just continued to look at us with great compassion and love and, feeling overwhelmed by the shower of His affection soothing us like moonlight, and with tear-filled eyes, we offered our lives at His feet. He again created Vibhuti and placed it on each of our foreheads. We gained a semblance of normalcy thereafter. We felt ecstatic inwardly, dwelling on this rare golden opportunity, this reward for some devotion in past lives, for some prayer we must have said with golden flowers, or some luck we got because of the good deeds done by our elders.
Beneath the golden temples of our hearts we etched, in golden letters, what we saw was a unique vision granted to us by our good fortune, to give us liberation.
More than anything else, just to be near this Loving Father, and to get a golden opportunity like this, is a significant event, a culmination of the merit of many previous lives.
Reference: “Anyatha Sharanam Nasthi – Other Than you Refuge There Is None” by Smt. Vijayakumari. Page: 58-61. Published by the Author, 1999.
Storm front over Table Top near Albury, NSW
26 Feb 2013
© Dirk HR Spennemann 2013, All Rights Reserved
.... Etnea avenue, the 2018 evening of February 5, the day of the feast of the Patron Saint of Catania, St.Agatha, it happens that ....
.... via Etnea, la sera del 5 febbraio 2018, il giorno della festa della Santa Patrona di Catania, Sant'Agata, accade che ....
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Qi Bo's photos on Flickr Hive Mind
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Fear of the unknown, the fear of losing own physical or mental health, or worse, having already lost it, possible problems with work (if a work has it), old age advancing, awareness of the existence of a Higher Being, are just some of the reasons that push people to search for a contact with the Divine, with the supernatural, leading them to plead for help, but this is not enough to completely explain the close link fact of absolute devotion and enormous affection that the people of Catania (province) have towards their young martyr Agatha; an entire city partecipate in these days to ceremony and procession, one can not help but ask this question, what binds in such a profound and peculiar citizens to their Patron Saint Agata? Maybe I was lucky enough to capture photographically what is a partial response (see my photos of the 2016 feast): a child at a very early age is brought to the window from her mother while passing the float of St. Agatha, so it's easy to understand... the devotion and attachment to the Martyr starts very young , transmitted by their parents as a treasure to be preserved and grow throughout their lives, which leads you in the days of the feast to a great collective.
This is a short-long report I did this year 2018, in the city of Catania (Sicily) in occasion of the feast of her patron saint Agatha, which took place on the 3, 4 and 5 February (this dates commemorates the martyrdom of the young Saint), and on 17 August too (this date celebrates the return to Catania of her remains, after these had been transferred to Constantinople by the Byzantine general Maniaces as war booty, and there remained for 86 years), when the Sicilian city is dressed up to feast, with a scent of orange blossom and mandarins, and its citizens show that they possess an extraordinary love and bond with the young martyr saint Agatha.
The religious sicilian feast of Saint Agatha is the most important feast of Catania, its inhabitants from five centuries, during the three days of the feast in honor of her "Santuzza" (young Saint), create a unique setting, with celebrations and rituals impressive, which means that this event is regarded as the third religious festival in the world (some say the second ...) after the "Semana Santa" in Seville and the "Corpus Christi" in Cuzco, Peru. Unlike other religious holidays, more sober, to Sant'Agata highlights a vocation exuberant typical of the south Italy, who loves to combine the sacred with the profane.
The cult of the young Santa dates back to the third century, when the teenager Agatha was martyred for refusing the roman proconsul Quintiziano. One year after the death of the young Agatha, on 5 February of the year 252, his virginal veil was carried in procession, and it is said it was able to save Catania from destruction due to a devastating eruption of Mount Etna.
The festivities begin with the procession of Candlemas (this year were in greater number, perhaps 14 instead of the 11 years of the other years); the "Candlemas" are giant Baroque wooden "candlesticks" paintings in gold, each representing an ancient guild (butchers, fishmongers, grocers, greengrocers, etc.), which are brought by eight devotees; the "cannalore" (candlemas) anticipate the arrival of the "float" of Saint Agatha during the procession. Devotees, men and women, wearing a traditional garment similar to a white bag, cinched at the waist by a black rope, gloves and a white handkerchief, and a black velvet cap, and it seems that such clothing evoke nightgown with the qule the Catanese, awakened with a start by the touch of the bells of the Cathedral, welcomed the naval port, in 1126, the relics of the Holy which fell from Constantinople. On float, consisting of a silver chariot sixteenth of thirty tons, which is driven by a double and long line of devotees with the robust and long ropes, takes place the bust of Saint Agatha, completely covered with precious stones and jewels. On February 4, the parade celebrates the so-called "external path" that touches some places of martyrdom in the city of Catania; the next day, the 5 instead the procession along the "aristocrat path", which runs along the main street, Via Etnea, the parlor of Catania. On this day the devotees carry on their shoulders the long candles of varying thickness, there are some not very big, others are fairly heavy, but some skim exceptional weights.
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La paura dell’ignoto, il timore di perdere la salute fisica o psichica, o peggio, averla già persa, possibili problemi col lavoro (per chi un lavora l’ha) o peggio non averlo dovendo così “inventarsi” la giornata, la vecchiaia che avanza, la consapevolezza dell’esistenza di un Essere Superiore, sono solo alcuni dei motivi che spingono gli uomini a cercare un contatto col Divino, col Sovrannaturale, portandoli ad invocare il Suo aiuto, ma tutto ciò non basta assolutamente a spiegare lo stretto legame fatto di assoluta devozione ed enorme attaccamento che gli abitanti di Catania (e provincia) hanno nei confronti della loro “Santuzza” la giovanissima martire Agata; nel vedere partecipare quella che sembra essere una città intera a questi giorni di rito e processione, non ci si può non porre questa domanda, cosa lega in maniera così profonda e peculiare i cittadini Catanesi alla loro Santa Patrona Agata? Forse ho avuto la fortuna di cogliere fotograficamente (vedi le mie foto della festa del 2016) quella che è una risposta parziale e certamente non unica alla domanda: un bimbo in tenerissima età viene portato alla finestra dalla sua mamma mentre passa la vara di S.Agata, ecco… la devozione e l’attaccamento alla giovanissima Martire inizia da piccolissimi, trasmessa dai propri genitori (e non solo…) come un tesoro da custodire e coltivare per tutta la vita, che porta che nei giorni della festa ad un fantastico rito collettivo al quale nessun Catanese sembra non possa o non voglia rinunciare.
Questa è un breve e lungo report, da me realizzato nel febbraio di quest’anno 2018, nella città di Catania (Sicilia) in occasione della festa della sua giovane santa patrona Agata, che ha avuto luogo come ogni anno il 3, il 4 ed il 5 di febbraio (questa data commemora il martirio della Santa giovinetta), festa che viene ripetuta anche il 17 agosto (questa data rievoca il ritorno a Catania delle sue spoglie, dopo che queste erano state trasferite a Costantinopoli da parte del generale bizantino Maniace come bottino di guerra, spoglie che ivi rimasero per 86 anni); per questa occasione la città siciliana è vestita a festa con profumi di fiori d'arancio e mandarini, coi suoi cittadini che mostrano di possedere uno straordinario amore e legame con la giovane martire Agata.
Gli abitanti di Catania, oramai da cinque secoli, nei tre giorni della festa in onore della "Santuzza", danno vita ad una scenografia unica, con celebrazioni e riti imponenti, che fanno si che questo evento sia considerato come la terza festa religiosa al mondo (qualcuno dice la seconda ...) dopo la "Semana Santa" di Siviglia ed il "Corpus Domini" a Cuzco, in Perù. A differenza di altre feste religiose, più sobrie, quella di Sant'Agata mette in luce una vocazione esuberante tipica del meridione, che ama unire il sacro col profano.
Il culto della giovane Santa risale al terzo secolo, quando l'adolescente Agata fu martirizzata per aver rifiutato il proconsole romano Quintiziano. Un anno dopo la morte della giovane Agata, avvenuta il 5 febbraio dell'anno 252, il suo velo virginale venne portato in processione, e si narra esso riuscì a salvare Catania dalla sua distruzione a causa di una devastante eruzione del vulcano Etna.
I festeggiamenti iniziano con il corteo delle "candelore", queste sono dei giganteschi e pesanti "candelabri" in legno, in stile barocco, dipinti in oro, ognuna rappresentante una antica corporazione (macellai, pescivendoli, pizzicagnoli, fruttivendoli, ecc.), che vengono portati da otto devoti, le quali "cannalore" durante la processione anticipano l'arrivo della "vara" di Sant'Agata. I devoti, sia donne che uomini, indossano un tipico indumento simile ad un sacco bianco, stretto in vita da una cordicella nera, guanti ed un fazzoletto bianchi, ed infine una papalina di velluto nero, sembra che tale abbigliamento rievochi la camicia da notte con la quale i Catanesi, svegliatisi di soprassalto dal tocco improvviso delle campane del Duomo, accolsero al porto navale, nel 1126, le reliquie della Santa che rientravano da Costantinopoli. Sulla vara, costituita da un carro argentato cinquecentesco di trenta quintali, trainata da una doppia e lunghissima fila di devoti tramite delle robuste e lunghe funi, prende posto il busto di Sant'Agata, completamente ricoperto di pietre preziose e gioielli. Il 4 febbraio, il corteo compie il cosiddetto "giro esterno" che tocca alcuni luoghi del martirio nella città catanese; il giorno dopo, il 5, il corteo percorre il "giro aristocratico", che percorre la strada principale, la via Etnea, salotto buono di Catania. In questo giorno i devoti portano in spalla dei lunghi ceri di vario spessore, ce ne sono alcuni non molto grossi, altri sono discretamente pesanti, ma alcuni sfiorano pesi eccezionali.
I just LOVE the architectural details of the Boddy House, designed and decorated in the Hollywood Regency style that was predominant in the 1930s.
Dyrham Park (/ˈdɪrəm/) is a baroque English country house in an ancient deer park near the village of Dyrham in South Gloucestershire, England. The house, with the attached orangery and stable block, is a Grade I listed building, while the park is Grade II* listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
The current house was built for William Blathwayt in stages during the 17th and early 18th centuries on the site of a previous manor house, with the final façade being designed by William Talman. It contains art works and furniture from around the world, particularly Holland, and includes a collection of Dutch Masters. The house is linked to the 13th-century church of St Peter, also Grade I listed, where many of the Blathwayt family are buried. The house is surrounded by 274 acres (111 ha) of formal gardens, and parkland which supports a herd of fallow deer. The grounds, which were originally laid out by George London and later developed by Charles Harcourt Masters, include water features and statuary.
The house and estate are now owned by the National Trust and underwent extensive renovation in 2014 and 2015. They are open to the public and host events and attractions, including open-air concerts. They have also been used as a location for film and television productions.
History
The Manor of Dyrham has been recorded since the Domesday Book of 1086, when there were 34 households.[1] The first lord of the manor to be resident may have been William Denys, who was an Esquire of the Body to Henry VIII and later High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. He was granted the licence to empark 500 acres (200 ha) of Dyrham in 1511, although not all of this area was enclosed.[2] This meant that he could enclose the land with a wall or hedge bank and maintain a captive herd of deer within the park, over which he had exclusive hunting rights;[3] the name "Dyrham" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word dirham, an enclosure for deer.[4] The estate was sold to the Wynter family in 1571 and Sir George Wynter was allowed to empark further land in 1620.[3]
Eagle sculpture on the roof of Dyrham Park
In 1689, the estate was acquired through marriage by William Blathwayt, who was Secretary at War to William III. He retained the existing Tudor building and expanded it in stages.[5] The west front of 1692 was commissioned from Huguenot architect Samuel Hauduroy,[6] and includes an Italianate double staircase leading from the terrace to the grounds.[7] In 1698, a stable block was added with space for 26 horses and servants' quarters above around a courtyard.[5] The east front of 1704 was designed by William Talman, architect of Chatsworth.[6] The construction of the east wing included demolition of the remains of the original Tudor house and the addition of a statue of an eagle on the roof.[5]
Dyrham next became a showcase of Dutch decorative arts.[8][9] The collection includes delftware, paintings, and furniture. Eighteenth-century additions include furniture by Gillow and Linnell. The interiors have remained little altered since decorated by Blathwayt. The gardens were designed by George London in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.[3]
Roof repairs viewed from the walkway
The Blathwayt family owned the house until 1956, when the government acquired it. During the Second World War it was used for child evacuees while rented by Anne, Baroness Islington, the widow of John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington (1866-1936), a former Governor of New Zealand. Lady Islington redecorated many of the rooms.[10][11] The National Trust acquired it in 1961.[12] In 2015, major renovation work included replacing the roof. Part of the cost was met from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £85,000.[12] While the repairs were in progress, visitors could view the house from a rooftop walkway.[13][14] In 2020, the National Trust published a report which examined the connections of its properties to the British Empire. The report's authors noted that Dyrham Park was owned by several individuals who were involved in administering colonies, including Blathwayt, who was a prominent official in the Southern Department.
The Manor of Dyrham has been recorded since the Domesday Book of 1086, when there were 34 households.[1] The first lord of the manor to be resident may have been William Denys, who was an Esquire of the Body to Henry VIII and later High Sheriff of Gloucestershire. He was granted the licence to empark 500 acres (200 ha) of Dyrham in 1511, although not all of this area was enclosed.[2] This meant that he could enclose the land with a wall or hedge bank and maintain a captive herd of deer within the park, over which he had exclusive hunting rights;[3] the name "Dyrham" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word dirham, an enclosure for deer.[4] The estate was sold to the Wynter family in 1571 and Sir George Wynter was allowed to empark further land in 1620.[3]
Eagle sculpture on the roof of Dyrham Park
In 1689, the estate was acquired through marriage by William Blathwayt, who was Secretary at War to William III. He retained the existing Tudor building and expanded it in stages.[5] The west front of 1692 was commissioned from Huguenot architect Samuel Hauduroy,[6] and includes an Italianate double staircase leading from the terrace to the grounds.[7] In 1698, a stable block was added with space for 26 horses and servants' quarters above around a courtyard.[5] The east front of 1704 was designed by William Talman, architect of Chatsworth.[6] The construction of the east wing included demolition of the remains of the original Tudor house and the addition of a statue of an eagle on the roof.[5]
Dyrham next became a showcase of Dutch decorative arts.[8][9] The collection includes delftware, paintings, and furniture. Eighteenth-century additions include furniture by Gillow and Linnell. The interiors have remained little altered since decorated by Blathwayt. The gardens were designed by George London in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.[3]
Roof repairs viewed from the walkway
The Blathwayt family owned the house until 1956, when the government acquired it. During the Second World War it was used for child evacuees while rented by Anne, Baroness Islington, the widow of John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington (1866-1936), a former Governor of New Zealand. Lady Islington redecorated many of the rooms.[10][11] The National Trust acquired it in 1961.[12] In 2015, major renovation work included replacing the roof. Part of the cost was met from a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £85,000.[12] While the repairs were in progress, visitors could view the house from a rooftop walkway.[13][14] In 2020, the National Trust published a report which examined the connections of its properties to the British Empire. The report's authors noted that Dyrham Park was owned by several individuals who were involved in administering colonies, including Blathwayt, who was a prominent official in the Southern Department.
Grounds
The house is set in 274 acres (111 ha) of gardens and parkland, which was home to a herd of 200 fallow deer[30] until they were culled due to the spread of bovine tuberculosis in 2021.[31] The National Trust introduced a new herd of 26 deer in April 2024. Many of the walls and gatepiers were added in the late 18th century.[32][33][34][35][36] There is statuary in the grounds, including a statue of Neptune by Claude David, about 320 metres (1,050 ft) east of the house.[37] Artificial lakes and cascades of water are also a feature.[38]
The gardens were designed by George London in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.[3] They included a formal Dutch water garden, but most of the features were replaced in the late 18th century with designs by Charles Harcourt Masters.[7] The park is listed Grade II* on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Wikipedia
December 31, 2008
Moon and Venus
Also present in the sky this evening were Jupiter and Mercury, toward the East; but I couldn't fit those in the frame.
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The weather had been fierce the whole day, the wind winding and hounding around the house, pulling at everything, with rain lashing against the windows.
Here the sun sets at 6/7 now, so dark very early, it seemed like we'd never had a day, when I noticed a bit of golden sheen, I looked and this greeted me.
I grabbed my camera, opened the window and took the images.
We live on the side of a hill, it glides down into the Dale and climbs back up.
Never have I seen better and more beautiful skies to photograph than here in Yorkshire, especially in the late Autumn and late Winter.
It feels so textured and opulent, yet is so ephemeral, and never the same twice you shall see... awesome thought.
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Wish you a glorious day and thanx for your comments... M, (*_*)
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