This is what happens when I casually look at maps, see a church and think I don't recognise the name, we go and I take hundreds of shots, only to discover upon my return we were last there in January of 2017, making this the fourth visit.

 

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An impressive church of mainly fourteenth-century date. The tower, which was still under construction in the early sixteenth century, is one of the most striking features. Externally it is memorable for the composition of the west door and window. The doorway has finely carved spandrels and label-stops, but the window above has two designs incorporated into it - Tudor arches for the bottom four lights, and Perpendicular arches above. It is quite a thing and obviously the result of local designs dying hard! The tower is topped by an excellent weathervane dated 1751. Inside, the tower arch is also memorable, a tall much-moulded feature, almost as impressive as the tower arch at Horsmonden. The north aisle shows evidence of rebuilding - the two octagonal pillars of fourteenth-century form replaced circular pillars, one of which survives. The church is very light, the east window containing only plain glass, which helps us to appreciate the furnishings and memorials of mainly twentieth-century date. In the south aisle is a tablet to Alfred Lyttleton (d. 1913), which was probably carved by Eric Gill. The interesting reredos of the high altar dates from 1967 and depicts St John the Baptist baptising Christ in a local river.

 

www.kentchurches.info/church.asp?p=Wittersham

 

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LIES the next parish westward from Stone, being usually called Witsham.

 

THIS PARISH, which partakes of the gross unhealthy air of the adjoining marshes, is a lonely unsrequented place; it is about two miles and an half acros each way. The village, with the church and parsonage, stand nearly in the middle of it, upon high ground, the ridge of which runs through the centre of it, surrounded, excepting on the east, where it joins Stone, by a large tract of marsh-lands, which reach to the extremity of the island, excepting where they join the parish of Ebeney towards the north-east. At the west end of the high ground is a hamlet, called Pinyon Quarter, in which stands Palstre-court, and there are several other houses interspersed over it. The soil is a kind of loam, which in some places has the quarry or sand stone mixed with it. There are some small pieces of coppice wood in the different parts of the upland of it.

 

A fair is held here yearly, on the seast of St. Philip and James, May 1, for toys and pedlary.

 

THE MANOR OF ALDINGTON claims over the greatest part of this parish, as does the manor of Lambin, in Rolvenden, over a small district in it; subordinate to the former is the manor of Wittersham.

 

WITTERSHAM was given, in the year 1032, to Christ church, in Canterbury, for fosterland, that is, for the food and sustenance of the monks, by Eadsy a priest, with the consent of king Canute and Elfgive his queen, but there is no mention made any where of that church's having ever been in possession of it. But in later times this manor appears to have become a lay fee; for king Henry IV. in his 8th year, granted licence to Richard Lentwardyn and John Hurleigh, clerks, to give and assign to the master and fellows of All Saints college, in Maidstone, founded by archbishop Courtney in king Richard the IId.'s reign, the manor of Wyghtresham, among other premises in this county, which were not held of him. After which, this manor continued part of the possessions of the college till the suppression of it, in the 1st year of king Edward VI. anno 1546, at which time it was let to Sir Thomas Wyatt, at the yearly rent of fourteen pounds, (fn. 1) when the manor-house or court-lodge of it, from its belonging to the above foundation, had acquired the name it still goes by, of Wittersham college. This manor coming thus into the hands of the crown, was afterwards granted to Sir Henry Crispe, of Quekes, who settled it on his son Nicholas Crispe, esq. of Grimgill, in Whitstaple, who had been sheriff at the latter part of the first year of queen Elizabeth. He possessed it only for his life, during which there appears to have been a suit at law concerning the title to it, and on his death in 1564 it came to Thomas Parrot and Thomas Shirley, who were by inquisition found to be the two coheirs of his daughter Dorothy, and they held their separate moieties of the queen in capite, both which were afterwards alienated before the end of that reign to Thomas Bishop, esq. of Sussex, afterwards knighted, and anno 19 James I. created a baronet, who bore for his arms, Argent,on a bend,cotized,three bezants. He lived to a great age, and left surviving one son Sir Edward, his successor in title and estate, and two daughters, on the youngest of whom, Frances, he had settled this manor, anno 18 James I. on her marriage with John Alford, son of Edward, of Offington, in Sussex, esq. whose youngest daughter and coheir Elizabeth, married in the year 1659, Charles Bickerstaffe, esq. afterwards knighted, and of Wilderness, in Seale, whom she survived, and afterwards, with her only daughter and heir Frances, an act having been obtained for the purpose anno 2 queen Anne, alienated it to Mr. William Blackmore, gent. of Tenterden, who in 1707 gave it by will to his nephew John, son of his brother James Blackmore, deceased, and his descendant Thomas Blackmore, esq. of Briggins, in Hertfordshire, is the present owner of this manor.

 

THE MANOR OF PALSTER, or Palstre, called in antient writings, the denne of Palstre, is situated in the western part of this parish, though it extends into the parish of Ebene. This manor, at the time of taking the survey of Domesday, was part of the possessions of the bishop of Baieux, under the general title of whose lands it is thus entered in it.

 

In Oxenai hundred, Osbn Paisfor holds of the bishop of Baieux, Palestrei. It was taxed at three yokes. The arable land is two carucates. In demesne there is one, and nine borderers having half a carucate. There is a church, and two servants, and ten acres of meadow, and five fisheries of twelve pence. Wood for the pannage of ten hogs. In the time of king Edwards the Consessor, and afterwards, it was worth forty shillings, now sixty shillings. Eduui the priest held it of king Edward.

 

On the disgrace of the bishop of Baieux, four years afterwards, the seignory paramount of this manor was granted to the family of Crevequer, of whom it was held by a family who assumed their name from it, one of whom, Philip de Palstre, held it by knight's service in Henry III.'s reign, as did his descendant Thomas de Palstre in the 20th year of king Edward III. Soon after which, it came into the family of Basing, who held it, together with a moiety of the passage of Smallhythe ferry, adjoining to it. From which name it quickly after passed into that of Charles, and Richard Charles, as appears by the inquisition taken after his death, anno 1 Richard II. died possessed of this manor, with the moiety of the above passage annexed to it, held in capite, as did his nephew Richard Charles, who on his death, s.p. became his heir, in the 11th year of that reign. His son Robert dying likewise s.p. his two sisters became his coheirs, of whom Alice entitled her husband William Snaith, esq. of Addington, to it, in whose descendants it continued till the reign of king Edward IV. in the 11th year of which, Robert Wotton, esq. of Addington, died possessed of it, holding it as above-mentioned. (fn. 2) How it passed from his heirs. I have not found; but it went soon afterwards into the possession of the family of Peckham, and in the 7th year of king Henry VII. Katherine, widow of James Peckham, esq. died possessed of it, as did their son Thomas in the 7th year of king Henry VIII. holding it in capite. He left one son, and a daughter, who married Sir George Harpur, who in her right became, by her father's will, possessed of it. He presently afterwards alienated it to Sir Thomas Wyatt, as he did to Robert Rudston, esq. who in the 2d and 3d of king Edward VI. had his lands in this county disgavelled, by the general act then passed, but being attainted for his concern in Sir Thomas Wyatt's rebellion, in the first year of queen Mary this manor became vested in the crown, where it remained till the first year of the reign of queen Elizabeth, when an act having passed for restoring him in blood as well as to his estates, it came again into his possession, and he, anno 18 Elizabeth, levied a fine of it. At length his grandson Robert Rudston, in king Charles I.'s reign, alie nated it to Sir Edward Henden, one of the barons of the exchequer, who by will in 1662 gave it to his nephew Sir John Henden, (fn. 3) in whose descendants it continued till it was at length sold, in king George I.'s reign, to Thomas May, esq. of Godmersham, afterwards Knight, who died possessed of it in 1781, as did his only son and heir Thomas Knight, esq. of Godmersham, in 1794, s.p. and by will devised it to his wife Mrs. Katherine Knight for life, remainder to Edward Austen, esq. of Rolling, and she is now in the possession of it. (fn. 4)

 

OWLIE, antiently written Oveley, is another manor in this parish, which had once owners of that surname, in which it remained till the beginning of Richard II.'s reign, when the family of Odiarne, who were of good note in this county, became possessed of it, who bore for their arms, Sable, a chevron,between three covered cups,or; as they were formerly painted in the window at the entrance of the north chancel of this church; in whom it remained till the latter end of Henry VIII.'s reign, in the 36th year of which Thomas Odyarne appears by his will to have died possessed of it. He resided at his mansion-house of Acteden, now called Acton, in this parish, which Thomas Rayfield, of Wittersham, brother of Robert Rayfield, abbot of Boxley, had died possessed of anno 1494, and by his will had ordered it to be sold, and which, with the manor of it, as well as this of Owlie, he devised to his two sons Thomas and John Odiarne, and they soon afterwards sold the latter to John Maney, esq. of Biddenden, whose descendant Sir John Maney, bart. of Linton, in king Charles I.'s reign, passed it away by sale to Peter Ricaut, esq. afterwards knighted, who sold it to Mr. Menell, of London. At length after some intermediate owners, it became by purchase the property of Thomas May, esq. afterwards Knight, and he died possessed of it in 1781, as did his only son and heir Thomas Knight, esq. of that place, in 1794, s.p. His widow Mrs. Katherine Knight is now by his will become possessed of it.

 

Charities.

 

THOMAS BEWFRERE, by will in 1463, ordered that his feoffees should make over to the churchwardens of Wittrisham, for ever, a parcel of land, called Ruffins land, containing five acres, in that parish, within the manor of Palstre, to be applied to the church when there was most need of it.

 

THOMAS BEREDG, of Wittersham, by will in 1578, devised to the poor of this parish yearly, out of his lands for ever, 3s. 4d. to be given to the collectors on the Friday before Easter, under the thorne in the church-yard, to the maintaining and keeping up of which, he gave the like yearly sum, to be paid out of his lands.

 

JOHN TRUELOVE, of Wittersham, by will in 1597, gave to the collectors of the poor, 20l. to be employed to the use of the poor people of it, and he ordered his tenement and garden to be sold, and the money that should arise therefrom to be employed to the use of the poor, so that order should be taken that it might yield a perpetual annuity to the poor man's box.

 

The poor constantly maintained are about thirty, casually twenty-five.

 

WITTERSHAM is within the WCCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION of the diocese of Canterbury, and deanry of Limne.

 

¶The church, which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the archdeacon, is dedicated to St. John Baptist. It is a handsome building, consisting of two isles and two chancels, having a tower steeple at the west end, built in the beginning of king Henry the VIIIth.'s reign, in which hangs a peal of bells. The north chancel, formerly called St. Mary's chapel, is now called Acton chancel, as having belonged to that manor. In the east window of it were formerly the arms of Watton. In the first of the windows on the north side, is a legend, with the name of Pitlisden, which family once owned lands in this parish. And near the entrance were the arms and the name of Odiarne, in the window of it.

 

The church of Wittersham is parcel of the antient possessions of the see of Canterbury, and continues so at this time, his grace the archbishop being the present patron of it.

 

The rectory of Wittersham is valued in the king's books at 15l. 8s. 6½d. and the yearly tenths at 1l. 10s. 10¼d. In 1588 it was valued at one hundred and sixty pounds, communicants two hundred and fifteen. There are ten acres of glebe land.

 

www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-kent/vol8/pp486-493

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These pictures are dedicated to my “make-up” day that I stole from southern Gansu earlier in the week. As mentioned in the Singing Sand post, I was having breakfast at Charley Johng’s on Wednesday morning and talking with the owner who recommended this day trip.

 

It started at 8:00 a.m. on a coach that picked me up outside her restaurant (before proceeding to a hotel to fill out the rest of the 45 seats). I wasn’t the only foreigner, but I was the only one who didn’t look Chinese (or speak fluent Mandarin). I met some friendly Chinese who were living in Vancouver, and some Hong Kong folks (who are Chinese, but they most certainly distinguish from mainlanders…and most foreigners understand why).

 

So, off we went on our sojourn with six or seven stops. We drove west through the aforementioned “real” Dunhuang for about 15-20 minutes before the mountains and desert landscape began to resume control.

 

Our first stop, less than half an hour out of town, was “Old Dunhuang.” Really, they mean to say, “Old Fake Dunhuang,” but I jest. It’s…an area that shoots as a television studio when someone wants to shoot things that look like the Old West, Chinese style. For the bargain price of 40 RMB (about $7 in the current market on 1/10/16), you get to wander around this fairly decent-sized fake fort with fake everything inside…and a random prop fighter jet inside…and, outside, the backdrop of both mountainous sand dunes and snow-capped mountains off in the distance. All in all, it was a rather unique setting – at least one I’d never experienced before.

 

After 40 minutes there (not 35, not 45, but 40…per Mr. Coach Driver), we all climbed back aboard and headed a little farther west to what I think they call the “Western Caves.” This is a repository of Buddhist art in grottoes west of town, but since the world-famous Mogao Grottoes are nearby (and also in my personal plan for tomorrow morning), I didn’t feel particularly inspired to spend the very cheap and fair price of 15 RMB to see a few pieces of art. In retrospect, perhaps I should have, but who knows? I may be back this way again someday. I did spend my time at the Western Caves enjoying the panoramic view of the same snow-capped mountains and desert from Old Dunhuang with the juxtaposition of this particular oasis (which is apparently why this grotto/temple was built here in the first place).

 

A few minutes later, we kept making our way west towards Xinjiang. At some point just west of Dunhuang, the old Silk Road split into a northern and southern route. One of the first mountain passes (and forts, where we were heading) along the southern route is Yangguan Pass 70 km. southwest of Dunhuang. It was built in the 1st century AD during the Western Han Dynasty. This place was particularly enjoyable for me. Having been to quite a few sections of the Great Wall (and very much looking forward to the westernmost terminal of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall here in Gansu a few days later), I’m very much accustomed to these historical reproductions…and really love when I find some “real” history; the authentic walls and posts, though 500 years later, are just weather-worn rock.

 

Yangguan had a very nice mix of both the fake and the real. For 60 RMB (roughly $9), we had access to the completely remade fort with its bastions, gift shops, museum (a very nice one, admittedly), and what not. Out the back of the fort, and about a mile in the distance on a hill, is the original: one of the watchtowers that helped guard travelers for centuries along the Silk Road. To get there, you can walk, take golf carts on steroids (the kind you find at zoos that carry about 12-15 people), or rent a horse. Since I’d ridden a camel the day before and have ridden horses quite a few times, I went the lazy way…and got chauffeured up the hill. The watchtower itself is fenced off – and rightfully so – but, right next to it is a fantastic place to take in the surrounding landscape, with views of the mountains about 50 kilometers off. After a delightful two hours or so at Yangguan, we had lunch as a group at a Chinese restaurant near the fort. (It’s fun to eat with Chinese; the whole table of six, eight, or ten people just order random dishes of food. Everyone gets a bowl of rice then it’s a mini-buffet with your chopsticks from then on out.)

 

After being well-fed for about $3, we boarded the iron stallion and headed back down to the main road, then back east about 5 kilometers to the only road that turned off this western highway. The only point, it seems, of this side road is to go to Jade Pass (which follows the northern route of the Silk Road about 30 km down and, beyond that another 70-80 kilometers, it ends at Yadan National Park.

 

First stop down the über-long spur road: Jade Pass. To get there, all vehicles have to pass through a random checkpoint about 20 minutes down the road. Aside from that, it almost feels like you leave planet earth. I have never seen a flatter, more desolate landscape anywhere in my life. I almost imagine it’s what the lunar surface would feel like, with the exception of having a different atmosphere, gravitational pull, and what have you. Anyway, you catch my drift…

 

Jade Pass is beautiful landscape, minus the fort that you find at Yangguan Pass. The watchtower is in much better shape than those you find at Yangguan. But, unlike Yangguan, where they take better care of the watchtowers, over here at Jade Pass, you find plenty of pea-brained tourists ignoring signs (and fences) and climbing all over the watchtower as if it were a jungle gym. It’s times like these that it’s probably good my Mandarin is so poor. I would probably manage to somehow get myself deported, ironically, for yelling at idiots when I’m frustrated that they have no concept of conserving their own heritage. Running away from idiots as quickly as possible, I snapped a few pictures of the scenery…where more buffoons were blatantly ignoring signs and going where they oughtn’t. So, I cut my time at Jade Pass short and returned to the bus, which was waiting next to what looked to be a promising museum that we didn’t have the time to visit. We were apparently on a pretty tight schedule now.

 

Boarding the bus, we went a whole five minutes farther north for a stop to see the Han Dynasty Great Wall. Now, a few things to know. When people mention the “Great Wall” of China, it’s actually a series of walls that form a patchwork length that crosses from Shanhaiguan at the eastern terminal (ending famously in the sea), though there is a section in Liaoning province called Hushan that borders North Korea that I’ve been to and claims that it is the rightful eastern terminus of the wall. The western terminus of that wall is nearby (relatively speaking) at Jiayuguan here in Gansu province. The whole patchwork nature of that wall is emphasized by sections like Hushan. I only mention it now because the Great Wall of China refers to the Ming Dynasty wall…mostly built between 1368-1644 (with some sections marginally older, like Juyongguan, which dates to the Yuan Dynasty, immediately before the Ming).

 

The Han Dynasty wall out here dates to the original dynasty of China…in the 3rd century BC. So the wall here, while not as impressive as the rebuilt Ming sections of the wall in terms of visual appearance floored me because it’s original and almost 2,500 years old. The way the wall here was built (mud, adobe, etc.) is completely different than the Ming wall that came 1,500 years later. It’s shorter – in length (obviously) and height, but much longer in history. There is so little of this wall left here, though, that it would never be worth visiting on its own…or possible. Ten to fifteen minutes here is more than enough to get the “wall experience.”

 

From there, we were on to the ultimate destination of the day: Yadan National Park. I also discovered the reason we were on such a tight schedule. Yadan National Park is a very large park. Though this is lost in translation, I think the Chinese market it as sort of an “out of this world” experience, though I could be way off base. In reality, this used to be a seabed tens of thousands of years ago and the rock formations that are left here are the remnants of harder rocks that didn’t erode as quickly over time…which gives this park its current appearance.

 

Yadan National Park is strictly controlled. Admission was 150 or 180 RMB from what I recall (no more than $30) and, like Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan, getting around the park is tightly controlled. (You have to take park-controlled buses from point to point, though at the various points, you can go out and explore the area.)

 

The landscape at this park, as mentioned, is quite unique. For anyone who has seen Chinese movies (Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, for example, or Zhang Yimou’s Hero), the landscape will be familiar. The “far west” scenes in those movies were filmed near here in areas with identical landscapes. (I’m about 90% Hero’s western landscape was filmed just over the provincial border in Xinjiang. Crouching Tiger’s…I’m much less certain.)

 

After a few stops, we found that we were out in the middle of this out-of-this-world ghost city (Chinese definitely like to call these ghost cities) for a stunning sunset. After staying around for sunset for 30-45 minutes, we finally headed back to the visitor center and then boarded our own coach for the long, flat, 2-3 hour ride back to Dunhuang, where I gladly spent my last night in the nameless hotel before starting Friday’s slow trip back towards Lanzhou. Before bidding farewell to Dunhuang, though, Friday morning had an incredible trip – mostly unphotographed (as photography is forbidden and I tend to follow rules when traveling) of the Mogao Grottoes. More to come…

 

As usual, I hope you enjoy the pictures. Please feel free to leave any comments, questions, or suggestions.

This picture is for you Ed, to show you how much we appreciate your being so sweet and kind with us!

I'm so glad to be your friend!

 

LingLing

 

A collection dedicated for Mexico, for peace and earth lovers, Hippie dreamers, Bohemian girls, featuring Indie and gypsy vintage styles and unique trends,

All our pieces are and will be always handmade eco friendly and fairtrade.

 

Traditional amazing colorful wearable whimsical and magic art, made with love for you in Mexico.

 

Aida Coronado

Galeria Mexico

Collection Spring Summer 2010

 

Mucho amor desde Mexico,

Aida Coronado

Dedicated to the public in 1968, the Walter. H. Horning Tree Seed Orchard outside Portland, Oregon, has supported healthy trees for nearly 50 years. Thanks to the work completed at this preserve, the BLM and its partners have planted seeds to reforest areas with Douglas-fir, western white pine, sugar pine, western hemlock, western redcedar, and noble fir that will provide shade, recreation, and timber for many future generations to come.

 

(Photo: Matt Christenson/BLM/2017)

Konark Sun Temple ([koɳarəkə]; also Konârak) is a 13th-century Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha, India. It is believed that the temple was built by king Narasimhadeva I of Eastern Ganga Dynasty around 1250 CE. The temple is in the shape of a gigantic chariot elaborately carved stone wheels, pillars and walls. A major part of the structure is now in ruins. The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has also featured on various list of Seven Wonders of India.

 

ETYMOLOGY

The name Konark derives from the combination of the Sanskrit words, Kona (corner) and Arka (sun), in reference to the temple which was dedicated to the Sun god Surya.

 

The monument was also called the Black Pagoda by European sailors. In contrast, the Jagannath Temple in Puri was called the White Pagoda. Both temples served as important landmarks for the sailors.

 

ARCHITECTURE

The temple was originally built at the mouth of the river Chandrabhaga, but the waterline has receded since then. The temple has been built in the form of a giant ornamented chariot of the Sun god, Surya. It has twelve pairs of elaborately carved stone wheels which are 3 meters wide and is pulled by a set of seven horses (4 on the right and 3 on the left). The temple follows the traditional style of Kalinga architecture. It is carefully oriented towards the east so that the first rays of sunrise strikes the principal entrance. The temple is built from Khondalite rocks.

 

The original temple had a main sanctum sanctorum (vimana), which was supposedly 70 m tall. Due to the weight of the super structure and weak soil of the area the main vimana fell in 1837. The audience hall (Jagamohana), which is about 30 m tall, still stands and is the principal structure in the surviving ruins. Among the structures, which have survived to the current day, are the dance hall (Nata mandira) and dining hall (Bhoga mandapa).

 

The Konark temple is also known for its erotic sculptures of maithunas.

 

Two smaller ruined temples have been discovered nearby. One of them is called the Mayadevi Temple and is located southwest from the entrance of the main temple. It is presumed to have been dedicated to Mayadevi, one of the Sun god's wives. It has been dated to the late 11th century, earlier than the main temple. The other one belongs to some unknown Vaishnava deity. Sculptures of Balarama, Varaha and Trivikrama have been found at the site, indicating it to be a Vaishnavite temple. Both temples have their primary idols missing.

 

A collection of fallen sculptures can be viewed at the Konark Archaeological Museum which is maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India.

 

HISTORY

ANCIENT TEXTS

According to Bhavishya Purana and Samba Purana, there may have been a sun temple in the region earlier than current one, dating to the 9th century or earlier. The books mention three sun temples at Mundira (possibly Konark), Kalapriya (Mathura), and Multan.

 

According to the scriptures, Samba, the son of Krishna, was cursed with leprosy. He was advised by the sage, Kataka, to worship the sun god to cure his aliment. Samba underwent penance for 12 years in Mitravana near the shores of Chandrabhaga. Both the original Konark temple and the Multan temple have been attributed to Samba.

 

The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea (1st Century CE) mentions a port called Kainapara, which has been identified as current day Konark.

 

SUN DIAL AND TIME

The wheels of the temple are sundials which can be used to calculate time accurately to a minute including day and night.

 

SECOND TEMPLE

According to the Madala Panji, there was another temple in the region. It was built by one Pundara Kesari. He may have been Puranjaya, the 7th century ruler, of the Somavasmi Dynasty.

 

NARASIMHADEVA I

The current temple is attributed to Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. His reign spanned from 1238 to 1264 CE. The temple may have been a monument to his victory against Tughral Tughan Khan.

 

DHARMAPADA´S TALE

According to local folklore, Narasimhadeva I had hired a chief architect called Bisu Maharana to build the temple. After a period of twelve years, a workforce of twelve thousand almost finished the construction. But, they failed to mount the crown stone. The impatient king ordered the temple to be finished in three days or the artisans be put to death. At the time, Bisu Maharana's twelve-year-old son, Dharmapada arrived at the site. Bisu Maharana had never seen his son, as he had left his village when his wife was still pregnant. Dharmapada successfully proposed a solution to mount the crown stone. But, the artisans were still apprehensive that the king will be displeased to learn that a boy succeeded where his best artisans failed. Dharmapada climbed onto the temple and leapt into the water to save his father and his co-workers.

 

COLLAPSE

There have been several proposed theories for the collapse of the main sanctum. The date of the collapse is also not certain.

 

The Kenduli copper plates of Narasimha IV (Saka 1305 or 1384 CE) states the temple to be in a perfect state.

 

In the 16th century Ain-i-Akbari, Abul Fazl also mentions Konark being in a proper state. The account also mentions the cost of construction being 12 years of revenue.

 

The cause of collapse is also placed on Kalapahad who invaded Odisha in 1568.

 

In 1627, the then Raja of Khurda had removed the sun idol from Konark and moved it to the Jagannath temple in Puri.

 

James Fergusson (1808–1886) had the opinion that marshy foundation had caused the collapse. But, the structure has shown no sign of sinking into its foundation. Fergusson, who visited the temple in 1837, recorded a corner of the main sanctum still standing. It also fell down in 1848 due to a strong gale.

 

According to Percy Brown (1872–1955), the temple was not properly completed and so it collapsed. This contradicts earlier recorded accounts of the temple being in a proper state.

 

In 1929, an analysis of a moss covered rock estimated the date of abandonment at around 1573.

 

Other proposed causes include lightning and earthquake.

 

ARUNA STAMBHA

In the last quarter of the 18th century, when worship had ceased in the temple, the Aruna stambha (Aruna pillar) was removed from the entrance of Konark temple and placed at the Singha-dwara (Lion's Gate) of the Jagannath temple in Puri by a Maratha Brahmachari called Goswain (or Goswami). The pillar is made of monolithic chlorite and is 10.26 m tall . It is dedicated to Aruna, the charioteer of the Sun god.

 

PRESERVATION EFFORTS

In 1803, requests were made for conservations by the East India Marine Board, but only removal of stones from the site was prohibited by the Governor General. As a result, a part of the main tower, which was still standing, collapsed in 1848.

 

The then Raja of Khurda removed some stones and sculptures to use in a temple he was building in Puri. A few gateways and some sculptures were destroyed in the process. In 1838, after the depredation of the Raja of Khurda, Asiatic Society of Bengal requested conservation, but the requests were denied and only preventative of human-caused damages were guaranteed. The Raja was forbidden to remove any more stones.

 

In 1859, Asiatic Society of Bengal proposed moving an architrave depicting the navagraha to the Indian Museum in Calcutta. The first attempt in 1867 was abandoned as the funds ran out.

 

In 1894, thirteen sculptures were moved to the Indian Museum.

 

In 1903 when a major excavation was attempted nearby, the then Lieutenant governor of Bengal, J. A. Baurdilon, ordered the temple to be sealed and filled with sand to prevent the collapse of the Jagamohana.

 

In 1906, casuarina and punnang trees were planted facing the sea to buffer the site against sand-laden winds.

 

In 1909, the Mayadevi temple was discovered while removing sand and debris.

 

The temple was granted World Heritage Site status by the UNESCO in 1984.

 

WIKIPEDIA

The General Winfield Scott Hancock Monument, by sculptor Henry Jackson Ellicott and architect Paul J. Pelz, was dedicated on May 12, 1896 at Seventh Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW. The memorial was approved by an act of Congress on March 2, 1889.

 

Civil War General Winfield Scott Hancock (1824-1886) was born in Montgomery Square, Pennsylvania. Following his education at home, at the Norristown Academy, and at a public high school, Winfield graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1844. He immediately entered the Army, serving on the frontier in the Mexican War, the Seminole War, in Kansas during the border troubles, and in California. In 1861, Hancock requested to be returned east for active duty, and he was commissioned a Brigadier-General of Volunteers by General-in-Chief George B. McClellan.

 

During the Civil War, Hancock proved to be an outstanding leader. His performance at the battle of Williamsburg (1862) earned him the nickname Hancock the Superb and resulted in his promotion to Major-General of Volunteers. He commanded the first division of the Second Army Corps at Fredericksburg (1862) and at Chancellorsville (1863). Hancock was severely wounded repulsing Picketts charge at Gettysburg (1863).

 

Despite his injuries Hancock pursued General Robert E. Lees army through western Maryland and assumed command of the entire Second Army Corps. By March 1864, Hancock had recovered sufficiently to resume command and take part in assaults at the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. Due to the effects of his Gettysburg wound, though, he relinquished his command of the Second Army Corps in June 1864. He was assigned several other command posts, including the Department of West Virginia, the Middle Military Division, and the Army of the Shenandoah.

 

General Hancock's masterful performance during the war translated into distinction in peacetime as well. He was called to Washington D.C. to help maintain calm following the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865. After his service as commander of the Department of the Missouri, he was transferred to the command of the Fifth Military District of Louisiana and Texas in 1867.

 

From this post Hancock issued his General Order No. 40, which stated that the rights of the southern states were not being upheld in the reconstruction policies set forth by Congress. As a result of this order, when Hancock ran for president as the Democratic nominee in 1880, he carried the solid south. Despite his southern support, he lost the election by a narrow margin to James A. Garfield. General Hancock served as commander of the Military Department of the Atlantic from its headquarters on Governors Island in New York from 1874 until he died there on February 9, 1886. His body was returned to Norristown, Pennsylvania for burial.

 

Downtown Historic District National Register #84003901 (1984)

Jalakantesvara Temple (Tamil: ஜலகண்டேஸ்வரர் கோவில்) is an temple dedicated to Lord Shiva which is located in the Vellore Fort, Tamil Nadu State, India. The temple of the Vijaynagar period stands inside the Vellore Fort, which is under the control of the Archaeological Survey of India, along with the St. John's Church, Tippu Mahal, Hyder Mahal, Candy Mahal, Badhusha Mahal and the Begum Mahal.

 

HISTORY

According to legend, there used to a giant ant-hill at the location where the sanctum sanctorum of temple now stands. This ant-hill was surrounded by stagnant water, as a result of collection of rain water, and at some time a Shiva Lingam was placed in this water around the ant hill and worshiped. Chinna Bommi Nayaka, a Vijayanagar chieftain, who was controlling the fort had a dream where the Lord Shiva asked him to build a temple at that location. Nayaka, proceeded to demolish the anthill and build the temple in 1550 AD, and since the Lingam was surrounded by water (called Jalam in Tamil) the deity was called as Jalakandeswarar (translated as "Lord Siva residing in the water"). The temple was built during the reign of the Vijayanagaram king Sadasivadeva Maharaya (1540 - 1572 AD). The temple also has the statue of Sri Akhilandeshwari Amma, the consort of Jalakandeswarar.

 

ARCHITECTURE

The Jalakantesvara Temple is a fine example of Vijayanagaram Architecture. The temple has exquisite carvings on its gopuram (tower), richly carved stone pillars, large wooden gates and stunning monoliths and sculptures. These Vijayanagara sculptures are similar to the ones present in Soundararajaperumal Temple, Thadikombu, Krishnapuram Venkatachalapathy temple, Srivilliputhur Divya Desam and Alagar Koyil. The Gopuram of the tower is iver 100 ft. in height. The temple also has a Mandapam, with the hall supported by carved stone pillars of dragons, horses and yalis (lion like creature).

 

The temple itself built in middle of a water tank (called Agazhi in Tamil), and there is water surround the temple like a garland. The circumference of the water tank is 8000 ft. The wedding hall (Kalyana Mantapam) inside the temple has a 2 faced sculpture, that of a bull and an elephant. The water user for bathing the deity (abishekam) is drawn from an ancient well called the Ganga Gouri Thhertam, within the temple.

 

SPECIALTY

Behind the Nandi statue, there is an earthen lamp, which is said to revolve when some people place their hands on it. The revolving is said to indicate that their wishes have been granted. Some devotees of the temple worship the golden and silver lizard sculptures and the snake sculptures in order to get relief from 'sarpa dosham'.

 

MUTILATION

The temple was mutilated during the Muslim invasion and capture of Vellore Fort. Following the desecration of the temple during Muslim invasion and rule, worship in the temple was stopped. An Islamic structure was also built to serve as a makeshift mosque, after destroying an Amman (Nagalamman) Temple, which stood on that site. The temple was being used as an arsenal for nearly 400 years. On the fears of desecration, the main deity was moved away to the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri for safe keeping. The temple was vacant for nearly 400 years. In 1921, the Vellore Fort was handed over to the Archaeological Survey of India for maintenance. At that time, the temple was not used for worship, and the ASI was keen to maintain this status quo. However, in 1981, the deity was smuggled inside the fort and re-installed inside the temple, and worship re-instated.

 

RE-CONSECRATION 1981

Several attempts had been made in the 20th century, to re-instate the main deity inside the Jalakantesvara Temple. However, the Archaeological Survey of India wanted to maintain the status quo, an did want the temple to be used for worship. However, on 16 March 1981, the deity was removed from the Jalakanda Vinayakar Temple in Sathuvacheri and secretly smuggled inside the fort, hiding it inside a closed truck, and stealthily installed in the early morning hours.

 

According to AK Seshadhri, author of the book 'Vellore Fort and the Temple through the Ages', "The staff of ASI could do nothing to prevent the forcible action of the mob, except watch the happenings and complain the incident to the police and the district collector. The district authorities took no action, saying that this is a sensitive religious matter and therefore any preventive action would lead to a law and order problem…"

 

Consequently, the first kumbabishekam after re-consecration was held in 1982, followed by 1997 and 2011. For the third kumbabishekam in 2011, a special gold plated car are made at a cost of INR 30 million, and used nearly 7 kg Gold.

 

In 2006, the 25th anniversary of the re-consecration of the Jalakantesvara Temple was celebrated by taking out the deity in a grand procession passing through Long Bazaar, Saidapet, Kagitha Pattarai and Main Bazaar of Vellore.

 

GOVERNMENT TAKE OVER

On Saturday, 22 June 2013, the Department of Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments, Government of Tamil Nadu took over the administration of the Jalakantesvara Temple, at the Vellore Fort, following government order dated 18 June 2013, asking the Assistant Commissioner of Vellore to take over the temple and assume charge as the 'Fit Person' (Thakkar) of the temple. Previously the temple was managed by a private trust called Sri Jalakanteswarar Dharma Sthabanam. The private trust had opposed the takeover, by approaching the Madras High Court. However, nearly 10 years of legal proceedings resulted in the court ruling in favor of the Government of Tamil Nadu. However, the temple structure is owned and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India, with only the administration taken over by the government.

 

WIKIPEDIA

  

Dedicated to Elke

I collect the flowers for my special and all the flickr's friends.

by Jennifer Books & jwcurry.

 

Ottawa, Canadian Small Change Association, 14 august 1999. 46 unique copies numbered in black rubberstamp & signed in ballpoint, issued as '95 Hitlist Variety 43, this copy dedicated to Lefler.

 

approx.16 x 13, 15 leaves (one gatefold) japanese sewn white in 8 double stitches with head~ & tailstitches & tipped in plain brown kraft-backed silver foil dustjacket with 3-7/8 x 5-7/8 triptych cover window & plain 4-7/8 x 7-1/8 acetate panel over window in clear plastic photocorners, 31 pp printed rubberstamp over various found substrates with 42 colour photographs mounted in clear plastic photocorners throughout & one leaf white xerographic bond printed 4colour process photocopy glued in, the interior sheets as follows:

1) 14-1/4 x 13 "EXPLOSIVE A EXPLOSIF 1.1 1" railway placard printed orange & black offset both sides, with 4 x 1 photocopy order form (filled out in ballpoint) stuck on & 4 x 6 colour photograph glued on (front cover sheet)

2) approx.11-1/4 x 6 offwhite mayfair card cut & torn irregularly with found pencil graphic occupying all but the top 1/2" overprinted 4 colours rubberstamp recto/4 x 6 brown monochrome photograph mounted in photocorners with black rubberstamp verso

3) 14-3/4 x 11-3/8 offwhite bristol board printed black rubberstamp both sides with red addition recto, with 5 brown monochrome photographs mounted in photocorners (2 recto, 3 verso)

4) 12 x 16-1/2 white card broadside printed black offset (Durm-I Brooks, TEECHA STILL DEH TEECH, np, Jamup Productions, 1993) & folded roughly in half to form a 4 pp 8-1/4 x 12 signature, all printed black rubberstamp with 2 colour photographs mounted in photocorners, one to each inside page

5) 14 x 11 black & white found photograph printed black rubberstamp both sides with 3 colour photographs mounted in photocorners (1 recto, 2 verso)

6) 29 x 8-1/2 white-coated brown cardboard Application for Firearms Acquisition Certificate (F.A.C.) printed black offset & folded to 4 pp, 15-1/2 x 8-1/2 with a 13-1/2 x 8-1/2 gatefold, all printed black rubberstamp with 8 photographs (7 colour, 1 brown monochrome) mounted 2 to a page in photocorners

7) 16 x 1o torn white glossy, bottom half of 4colour offset poster Rambolette (Detroit, Saint Chateaux Galleries, 1987), printed black rubberstamp both sides with 6 colour photographs mounted 3 per side in photocorners

8) 16 x 1o torn white glossy, top half of 4colour poster Rambolette (see leaf 7), printed black rubberstamp both sides with 5 colour photographs mounted in photocorners (a composite of 2 recto, 3 verso)

9) approx.28 x 16 brown paper shopping bag, printed brown & black offset for an unidentifiable Vancouver store, roughly folded in 4 to approx.14 x 11 with 5" flap along bottom & fold at foreëdge,

overprinted black rubberstamp both sides with 3 colour photographs mounted in photocorners (1 recto, 2 verso)

1o) 12-1/4 x 9-1/2 sheet white ribbed card torn at top, printed black rubberstamp both sides with 2 photographs mounted in photocorners (black & white recto, colour verso)

11) 11-1/2 x 8-3/4 white mayfair card with found pencil & marker sketch by Meng Giang recto, printed black rubberstamp both sides with shaped colour photograph mounted in photocorners & torn white bond printed 4colour process photocopy glued verso

12) 13-1/2 x 8-1/2 speckled gold mayfair card torn at bottom with 2 x 3-1/2 white card glued recto printed green offset for Souris & Petitti Advertising/Communications, printed black rubberstamp bothnsides with red additions recto, with 3 colour photographs mounted in photocorners (2 recto, 1 verso)

13) 13-1/4 x 9-1/2 turquoise coarsewove ard torn at top, printed black rubberstamp both sides with 2 colour photographs mounted in photocorners, 1 per side

14) approx.11-3/4 x 11-1/2 unassembled cardboard box with 1'1/4" diameter circular window, printed black & gold offset for Joseph & Zane's The Classic Boxer Short ("The Most Comfortable Underwear You'll Ever Wear"), printed black & brown rubberstamp verso only & signed in blue ballpoint by Books & curry

15) 14-1/4 x 13 "EXPLOSIVE A EXPLOSIF 1.2 1" railway placard printed black & orange offset (rear cover sheet)

 

cover photograph: jwcurry

7 other contributors ID'd:

Jennifer Books, Meng Giang, Lance LaRocque, Mlina Lore, Gustave Morin, Gio Sampogna, Johan Teveldal

 

includes:

i) '95 HitList Variety 43, jwcurry (prose, Lefler cameo)

ii) for Peg E, jwcurry (rubbercut portrait of Lefler)

iii) Dedicatee Peggy lefler examines yet another cultural artifact at her table at home at 1357 Lansdowne Avenue in Toronto, perhaps as early as 2jul95, Gustave Morin (photograph, portrait)

iv) Peggy lefler at her table at 1357 Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto, probably 6jul95, Gustave Morin (photograph, portrait)

v) Willowvale Park, Toronto, Peggy lefler as temporary park popcan pickupper, 9jul95, Gio Sampogna (photograph, portrait)

vi*) Willowvale Park, Toronto, jwcurry, Jana & Mlina Lore & Peggy lefler enable this triptych of tableaux vivants typical of the guerrilla stylee style o' still photography, characterized by such highcharge interelemental dynamics, 9jul95, Gio Sampogna (sequence of 3 photographs:

–1. curry, Jana, Mlina, Lefler [maybe amused];

–2. Jana (making a face), curry, Mlina, Lefler [maybe notso amused];

–3. Jana, curry, Mlina, Lefler [no, not amused])

vii*) Willowvale Park, Toronto, jwcurry, Jana Lore, Peggy lefler & Gio.Sampogna almost high on the hill, 9jul95, Gustave Morin (photo, portrait)

viii) Willowvale Park, Toronto, jwcurry & Peggy lefler, 9jul95, Gio Sampogna (photo, portrait)

ix*) Toronto, looking approximately E along Bloor Street from the Grace Street extension to Christie Street & beyond, gustave morin, jwcurry, Jana Lore, Peggy lefler & Mlina Lore all off from the extended shangbreak after celebratory ice cream, 9jul95, Jennifer Books (photo, portrait)

 

[note: all titling by curry.

asterisked photographs also appeared in Variation 34, 3 april 1997]

    

I noticed while briefly in Coronation Gardens this War Memorial near Ednam Road.

 

Was full of poppy wreaths. (Rememberance was only 2 months before).

 

Inscriptions to the War fallen of Dudley.

 

It is shaped like an obelisk.

 

Official name Dudley Cenotaph War Memorial.

 

This side says: Dedicated to the men and women of Dudley who have given their lives in the service of our country that we might live in peace - At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them

What does a SoftLayer data center look like before it becomes a SoftLayer data center? Here are a few pictures taken in June 2011 of the Amsterdam facility we'll build out by the end of 2011!

 

If you want to learn more about SoftLayer and our data center facilities, visit softlayer.com

The Pashupatinath Temple (Nepali: पशुपतिनाथ मन्दिर) is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Pashupatinath and is located on the banks of the Bagmati River 5 kilometres north-east of Kathmandu Valley in the eastern city of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal. This temple is considered one of the sacred temples of Hindu faith. The temple serves as the seat of the national deity, Lord Pashupatinath. This temple complex is on UNESCO World Heritage Sites's list Since 1979. This "extensive Hindu temple precinct" is a "sprawling collection of temples, ashrams, images and inscriptions raised over the centuries along the banks of the sacred Bagmati river" and is included as one of the seven monument groups in UNESCO's designation of Kathmandu Valley as a cultural heritage site. One of the major Festivals of the temple is Maha Shivaratri on which day over 700,000 devotees visit here.

 

The twelve Jyotirlinga (in India) are the body and the Jyotirlinga at Pashupatinath in Kathmandu (Nepal) is the head over this body.

 

The temple is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams (Holy Abodes of Shiva) on the continent. Kotirudra Samhita, Chapter 11 on the Shivalingas of the North, in Shiva Purana mentions this Shivalinga as the bestower of all wishes.

 

HISTORY

The temple was erected anew in the 15th century by Lichhavi King Shupuspa after the previous building had been consumed by termites. Countless further temples have been erected around this two -storied temple. These include the Vaishnav temple complex with a Ram temple from the 14th century and the Guhyeshwari Temple mentioned in an 11th-century manuscript.

 

LEGEND ABOUT THE TEMPLE ORIGIN

Pashupatinath Temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kathmandu. It is not known for certain when Pashupatinath Temple was founded. But according to Nepal Mahatmaya and Himvatkhanda, the deity here gained great fame there as Pashupati, the Lord of all Pashus, which are living as well as non-living beings. Pashupatinath Temple's existence dates back to 400 A.D. The richly-ornamented pagoda houses the sacred linga or holy symbol of Lord Shiva. There are many legends describing as to how the temple of Lord Pashupatinath came to existence here. Some of them are narrated below:

 

THE COW LEGEND

Legend says that Lord Shiva once took the form of an antelope and sported unknown in the forest on Bagmati river's east bank. The gods later caught up with him, and grabbing him by the horn, forced him to resume his divine form. The broken horn was worshipped as a linga but overtime it was buried and lost. Centuries later an astonished herdsmen found one of his cows showering the earth with milk. Digging deep at the site, he discovered the divine linga of Pashupatinath.

 

THE LINCHCHAVI LEGEND

According to Gopalraj Vamsavali, the oldest ever chronicle in Nepal, this temple was built by Supuspa Deva, a Linchchhavi King, who according to the stone inscription erected by Jayadeva 11 in the courtyard of Pashupatinath in 753 AD, happened to be the ruler 39 generations before Manadeva (464-505 AD).

 

THE DEVALAYA LEGEND

Another chronicle states that Pashupatinath Temple was in the form of Linga shaped Devalaya before Supuspa Deva constructed a five storey temple of Pashupatinath in this place. As the time passed, the need for repairing and renovating this temple arose. It is learnt that this temple was reconstructed by a medieval King named Shivadeva (1099-1126 AD). It was renovated by Ananta Malla adding a roof to it. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world come to pay homage to this temple, that is also known as 'The Temple of Living Beings'.

 

OTHER BELIEFS

There are several complex stories involving the origins of Pashupatinath. One story goes, in brief, that Shiva and Parvati came to the Kathmandu Valley and rested by the Bagmati while on a journey. Shiva was so impressed by its beauty and the surrounding forest that he and Parvati changed themselves into deers and walked into the forest. Many spots in the Kathmandu Valley are identified as places where Shiva went during his time as a deer. After a while the people and gods began to search for Shiva. Finally, after various complications, they found him in the forest, but he refused to leave. More complications ensued, but ultimately Shiva announced that, since he had lived by the Bagmati in a deer's form, he would now be known as Pashupatinath, Lord of all animals. It is said that whoever came here and beheld the lingam that appeared there would not be reborn as an animal.

 

FINDING OF SHIVA LINGA AT PASHIPATINATH TEMPLE

It is said that the wish-fulfilling cow Kamadhenu took shelter in a cave on the Chandravan mountain. Everyday Kamadhenu went down to the place the lingam was sunken into the soil and poured her milk on top of the soil. After ten thousand years some people saw Kamadhenu pouring milk on that same spot everyday, and started to wonder what that would be. So they removed the soil and found the beautiful shining lingam and started worshiping it.

 

TEMPLE COMPLEX

The area of Pashupatinath encompasses 264 hectare of land including 518 temples and monuments. Main pagoda style temple is located in the fortified courtyard within the complex guarded by Nepal Police and has a police outpost post along with living quarter within. In front of the western door there is a huge statue Nandi bull, in bronze. Along with many temples and shrines of both Vaishnav and saiva tradition.

 

TEMPLES AND SHRINES IN THE INNER COURTYARD

Vasuki nath temple

Unmatta Bhairav temple

Surya narayan temple

Kirti mukh bhairav shrine

Budanil kantha shrine

Hanuman shrine

184 shivaling shrine

 

TEMPLES AND SHRINES IN THE OUTER COMPLEX

Ram mandir

Virat swaroop temple

12 jyotirlingha and Pandra Shivalaya

Guhyeshwari Temple

 

MAIN TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE

This main temple is built in the Nepalese pagoda style of architecture. All the features of pagoda style is founded here like cubic constructions, beautifully carved wooden rafters on which they rest (tundal). The two level roofs are of copper with gold covering. The temple resides on a square base platform with a height of 23m 7 cm from base to pinnacle. It has four main doors, all covered with silver sheets. This temple has a gold pinnacle (Gajur). Inside are two Garbhagrihas, outer and inner. The inner garbhagriha or sanctum sanctorum is where the idol is placed and outer sanctum is an open corridor like space.

 

THE DEITY

The sacro sanctum, or the main idol is a stone Mukhalinga with a silver yoni base bound with silver serpent. The lingam is one metre high and has faces in four directions. These faces represents various ascepts of Shiva; Sadyojata (also known as Barun), Vamdeva (also known as Ardha nareshwor), Tatpurusha, Aghor & Ishana (imaginative). Facing West, North, East, South and Zenith respectively representing five primary elements namely earth, water, air, light and ether. Each face has tiny protruding hands holding rudraksha mala on right hand and a kamandalu on the other.Unlike other shiva lingams in India and Nepal this pashupati shiva lingam is always Dressed in its golden vastra except during abhishakam, so pouring milk and ganga jal is only possible during abhishakam through the main priests.

 

PRIESTS

Daily rituals of Pashupatinath are carried out by two sets of priests ;one being the Bhatt priests and other Bhandari. Bhatta or Bhatt are the one who performs the daily ritual and can touch the lingam, where as Bhadaris are the helper and temple care taker priests but are not qualified perform pooja rituals or to touch the deity.

 

Bhatta or Bhat are highly educated Vedic bhramin Scholars from Brahmin family from South Indian State Karnataka.Unlike other Hindu temples priesthood of Pashupatinath is not hereditary. Priests are selected from a group of scholars educated by Shri Shankaracharya Dakshinamnaya Peeth Sringeri on Rig Vedic Recitation, initiated in Pashupata Yoga by Kashi Math,Shiva Āgama and learned Recitation of Samaveda from Haridwar.After qualifying and fulfilling all those criteria they will be selected for Priesthood by Raj Guru of Pashupatinath Temple undergoing strict examination on Vedas and Shiva Agamas and then the qualifies are sent to Kathmandu for performing Puja and Daily Worship of Lord Shri Pashupatinath This tradition is reported to have started by the request of Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century, who sought to unify the different states of Bharatam (Unified India) by encouraging cultural exchange. This procedure is also followed in other temples around Bharata-varsa which were sanctified by Adi Shankaracharya. The unique feature of this temple is that only 4 Bhatta priests can touch the deity.Current Bhatt priests of the temple are;

 

Ganesh Bhat (15th head priest of the Pashupatinath Temple aka Mool Bhat) from Udupi.

Ram Karanth Bhat from Mangaluru.

Girish Bhat from Sirsi.

Narayan Bhat(Recently appointed) from Bhatkal

Raghavendra Bhat (Priest for Vasuki Nath temple only)

 

Bhandaris or Rajbhandari are the treasurers, temple caretakers, and assistant priest of the temple.

 

These Bhandaris are the descendants of helper priests brought up by early Bhatts, but were allowed to settle in Kathmandu valley and later assimilated in existing Newar caste of Rajbhandari - a high-caste Chathariya/Kshatriya clan of Kashyapa gotra. Their main function is to help the Bhatta priest and perform maintenance of the inner Garbhagriha. They can have little or no Vedic knowledge but still qualify as assistant priests if they belong from the same family lineage and undergo some basic criteria like caste, gotra, lineage purity, educational qualification, etc. They work in set of four and change in every full moon day. There are a total of 108 Bhandaris.

 

ENTRY AND DARSHAN

Temple courtyard has 4 entrances in all directions.The western entrance is the main entrance to the temple courtyard and rest three entrances are only opened during big festival . Temple security (Armed Police Force Nepal) is selective regarding who is allowed entry into the inner courtyard . Practicing Hindus and buddhist of Indian and Tibetan descendent are only allowed into temple courtiyard . Practicing Hindus of western descent are not allowed into the temple complex along with other non Hindu Visitors. Sikh and Jain groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are of Indian ancestry. Others can look at the main temple from adjacent side of the river and has to pay a nominal fee of $10 (1000 Nepali rupee) for visiting hundreds of small temples in the external premises of the temple complex . The inner temple courtyard remains open from 4 am to 7 pm for the devotee but the Inner Pashupatinath Temple where the Lingam of lord Pashupatinath is established is open from 5am to 12 pm for the morning ritual and viewing and from 5pm to 7 pm for evening ritual. Unlike many other Saiva temples devotees are not allowed to enter in the inner-most Garbhagriha but are allowed to view from the exterior premises of the outer Garbhagriha.

 

FESTIVALS

There are many festivals throughout the year .Thousands of people attend these festival.The most important festival is the Maha Shiva Ratri .Bala chaturthi and Teej.

 

CONTROVERSY OF 2009

In January 2009, after the forced resignation by the chief priest of Pashupatinath temple, the Maoist-led government of Nepal "hand picked" Nepalese priests to lead the temple, thus bypassing the temple's long-standing requirements. This appointment was contested by the Bhandaris of the temple, stating that they were not against the appointment of Nepalese priests but against the appointment without proper procedure. After the appointment was challenged in a civil court, the appointment was overruled by Supreme Court of Nepal.However, the government did not heed the ruling and stood by its decision. This led to public outrage and protests over a lack of transparency. The paramilitary group of the CPN (Maoist), called YCL, attacked the protesters, leading to over a dozen injuries. Lawmakers and activists from opposition parties joined protests, declaring their support for the Bhatta and other pro-Bhatta protesters. After long dissatisfaction and protest by Hindus both in and outside Nepal, the government was forced to reverse its decision that had been declared illegal by the Supreme Court of Nepal and reinstate Bhatta priests.

 

2015 EARTHQUAKE

The main temple complex of Pashupatinath and the sanctum sanctorum was left untouched but some of the outer buildings in the World Heritage Site were damaged by the April 2015 Nepal earthquake.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Angkor Wat or "Capital Temple" is a temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. It was first a Hindu and later a Buddhist temple. It was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yaśodharapura, present-day Angkor, the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum.

 

Breaking from the Shiva tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple-mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands a quincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls.

 

The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara (नगर). Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds" (Sanskrit: वाट vāṭa ""enclosure").

 

HISTORY

Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites.

 

According to one legend, the construction of Angkor Wat was ordered by Indra to act as a palace for his son Precha Ket Mealea.

 

According to the 13th century Chinese traveler Daguan Zhou, it was believed by some that the temple was constructed in a single night by a divine architect. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113-C. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.

 

In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometers to the north.

 

In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."

 

In the mid-19th century, the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote:

 

"One of these temples - a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo - might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece or Rome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."

 

Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.

 

Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation. Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rouge control of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flags since the introduction of the first version circa 1863. From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, the temple of Angkor Wat did not become a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937. Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from C. 1880 to the mid-1920s. The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD. Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time.

 

ARCHITECTURE

SITE AND PLAN

Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples and the later plan of concentric galleries. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, the home of the gods: the central quincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean. Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level. Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Maurice Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction - prasavya in Hindu terminology - as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services. The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower. It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse. Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.

 

A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: "as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above." Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles. She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.

 

STYLE

Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture - the Angkor Wat style - to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime has been suggested. The temple has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style." Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), bas-reliefs, and on pediments extensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work. Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.

 

FEATURES

OUTER ENCLOSURE

The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge. There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper. Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres, which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets. Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.

 

CENTRAL STRUCTURE

The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king, Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.

 

Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides.

 

The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.

 

North and south of the cloister are libraries.

 

Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean around Mount Meru.

 

Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods. This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four. The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted to Theravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.

 

DECORATION

Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form of bas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".

 

From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and the Battle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, showing the mutual annihilation of the Kaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology.

 

On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92 asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice). It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"). and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. Angkor Wat is decorated with depictions of apsaras and devata; there are more than 1,796 depictions of devata in the present research inventory. Angkor Wat architects employed small apsara images (30–40 cm) as decorative motifs on pillars and walls. They incorporated larger devata images (all full-body portraits measuring approximately 95–110 cm) more prominently at every level of the temple from the entry pavilion to the tops of the high towers. In 1927, Sappho Marchal published a study cataloging the remarkable diversity of their hair, headdresses, garments, stance, jewelry and decorative flowers, which Marchal concluded were based on actual practices of the Angkor period.

 

CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES

The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that are sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place. The monument was made out of millions of tonnes of sandstone and it has a greater volume as well as mass than the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt. The Angkor Wat Temple consumes about 6 million to 10 million blocks of sandstone with an average weight of 1.5 tons each. In fact, the entire city of Angkor used up far greater amounts of stone than all the Egyptian pyramids combined, and occupied an area significantly greater than modern-day Paris. Moreover, unlike the Egyptian pyramids which use limestone quarried barely half a km away all the time, the entire city of Angkor was built with sandstone quarried 40 km (or more) away. This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 40 km to the northeast. The route has been suggested to span 35 kilometres along a canal towards Tonlé Sap lake, another 35 kilometres crossing the lake, and finally 15 kilometres upstream and against the current along Siem Reap River, making a total journey of 90 kilometres. However, Etsuo Uchida and Ichita Shimoda of Waseda University in Tokyo, Japan have discovered in 2012 a shorter 35-kilometre canal connecting Mount Kulen and Angkor Wat using satellite imagery. The two believe that the Khmer used this route instead.

 

Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 1.2 m, this took about 60 days to carve. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. The labor force to quarry, transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.

 

ANGKOR WAT TODAY

The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992. Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site. The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts. Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002, while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005. World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. Microbial biofilms have been found degrading sandstone at Angkor Wat, Preah Khan, and the Bayon and West Prasat in Angkor. The dehydration and radiation resistant filamentous cyanobacteria can produce organic acids that degrade the stone. A dark filamentous fungus was found in internal and external Preah Khan samples, while the alga Trentepohlia was found only in samples taken from external, pink-stained stone at Preah Khan. Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561.000 and 677.000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years. The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEX group since 1990, which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than some graffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance - as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples - although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities. Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism". Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture. In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists. The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features. Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems. It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat. Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism. Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture. At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.

 

WIKIPEDIA

...on a post-it note!

 

Gleetings.

 

Nellie has dedicated her life to learning how to make her hair perfect yellow, so that it is visible from outer space in case interplanetary beings pass by.

 

One day, a gnome comes.

 

"I am actually an interplanetary being and I must speak through my hat else you would not understand my speech."

 

"Whoa !" says Nellie, astounded.

 

"Also, my hat has greater wisdom than I, for I have only a brain made of organic matter, whereas my hat has a super-brain constructed by nano-technology which is almost as good as Beebler Beebler technology."

 

"Rock ON !" cries Nellie.

 

But it turns out gnomes are unable to see yellows as vibrant as Nellie's and are not interested, really, which was very disappointing to her, you can imagine, yes.

 

Walk Tall !

Dedicated to my very best friend Marlena <3

Dedicated to Heather Buckley who luvs her some doll babies. More Toy Fair 2013 Coverage at idlehands1.blogspot.com !

Dedicated this video & song to my Beautiful Wife - i Adore youDedicated this video & song to my Beautiful Wife - i Adore you

Dedicated to the designers, developers and engineers who build the world’s most engaging user interfaces. From the community, for the community.

This Memorial is a Memorial behind my beloved 1st grandbaby Gabriel that is dedicated by a Bishop to "Pray the Rosary for Aborted Children" which I treasure very much as it has alot of meaning to me from my past experiences and even more so since St. Sr. Marie Rose Ferron & St. Gabriel started doing their "Miracles" with their statue with the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I will put the exact words & dedication here as soon as I recover from pneumonia which I was in the hospital for 03 July 2007 & have been suffering the last 7 months since before Gabriel died. I have not been able to go up there but once as I am too weak but will do so soon.

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This is my 1st Grandbaby- Little Baby Gabriel's grave area (but not his stone as this stone is a memorial behind him for "Pray for Aborted children"), whom died 12 January 2007 at 2:30 A.M. age: 56 days, BUT we sadly just lost our 2nd granbaby- Little Baby Nava on 02 July 2007 between 1PM-5PM. Monday, age: 7 weeks and we have no way to bury him/her so I am burying him/her here with his/her older brother Little Baby Gabriel. My daughter was going to announce her pregnancy on the 19th if she felt comfortable as because of what happened to our 1st grandbaby, it is most understandably why. I got the phone call at 5 pm. and just couldn't believe my ears!! We lost 2 precious grandbabies just 10 days short of 6 months! How can this be? Tears just choked my eyes & my heart sank with deep grief. My beloved cousins had told me on 15 May that I was to be a grandmother again which just so happens to be the day Cousin St. Sr. Marie Rose Ferron- Stigmatist, Mystic, Victim Soul of Woonsocket, RI., USA.'s, burial day and her brother Anatole's birthday and now it became the conception day of Little Baby Nava! I didn't say anything to anyone except my husband for worry of what happened to Little Gabey, so I wanted to wait to see. No, the death of Little Baby Nava is not related to what happened to Little Gabey at all, Thank God, it is just sadly, very common for most women to experience miscarriages atleast 1-3 times during their lifetime of child-bearing years. Much of it happens during the "early stages" and some women don't even know they have miscarried til there is another sign. My daughter was at work and collapsed bleeding & had to be rushed to the hospital. There is where she lost Little Baby Nava after they had done the sonogram etc.. She was released before 5 pm when that was the time I got her phone call. My heart aches for my daughter and beloved son-n-law whom love their children so much and was so looking forward to this new precious baby. God, blessed us again with such a beautiful gift of life even tho it was cut very short, Little Baby Nava's life is precious to us!!! He/She is a part of our family forever now and I place him/her under my cousins care as well as my St. Grandparents and relatives. I wish we could have been able to atleast christen & baptise him/her but that is just the "selfish" part of me, as I know, trust, and love God, our beloved Father to do so for us as he has a greater plan for these 2 precious children we share! Thank You my Beloved Father for my 2 precious Grandbabies-You have shown me that Life is valuable no matter the age or stage and I treasure your gifts dearly! Please Kiss them daily from Grandma as they sit upon your precious lap with your loving arms about them. Thank You Father, I know you will and that you hear my prayers!

~~In Sweet Memory of:

Gabriel E. Nava

(Conceived: 05 March 2006, Born: 18 November 2006 05:55 PM., Baptised: 04 Dec. 2006, Died & Revived: 08 Jan 2007 (Anniversary of the Baptism of the Lord & Anniversary of Our Baptism & Anniversary of Cousin Bl. Andre Bessette Rejection to Holy Cross Day), Died: 12 January 2007 2:30 AM. age: 56 days- the Anniversary of his cousin Blessed Brother Andre Bessette's Burial day- 1937 Eve of BVM & St. Hilary) (Buried-16 January 2007 2:59 PM.- Eve of St. Anthony Day & also, very oddly our family good friend Wendy Davis died while we were burying him.)

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~~In Sweet Memory Of:

Little Baby Nava

(Likely Date of Conception : May 15, 2007 (St. Isadore day & Anniversary of Burial of St. Sr. Marie Rose Ferron & also her brother- Anatole's birthday), Born: 02 July 2007 1:00PM. ca. Died: 02 July 2007 bet. 1-5 PM., Buried: 02 July 2007: Estimated Due Date : February 5, 2008 (40 weeks full term) ) (Anniversary of 3rd Pilgrimage to Marie Rose Ferron where many miracles happened including the Prayer Song "Heaven" by Los Lonely Boys & the day of her prayer- she must have more souls!)

 

(Note: I used a planned parenthood conception- due date calendar pregnancy.parenthood.com/pregcal.html)

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Sadly I must put more loved ones here that have passed recenly :

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Leopoldo Carpentieri (15 July 2006 Saturday, 71 years) (day after Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha day & Eve of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel)

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Gabriel E. Nava (18 November 2006 05:55 PM. Day aft. St. Elizabeth of Hungary Day- Died & Revived: 08 January 2007 Anniversary of His cousin Bl. Andre Bessette Rejection to Holy Cross Day & Our Baptism - Died: 12 January 2007-Anniversary of his cousin Blessed Brother Andre Bessette burial day & His g.g. grandfather Thomas Barron Death day) (Buried 16 January 2007 Eve of St. Anthony Day)

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Wendy Davis (16 January 2007) (Died when we were burying our 1st Grandbaby Gabriel) (The Eve of St. Anthony day)

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Joseph Wilkinson (16 March 2007 7:33 PM) (Eve of St. Patrick day)

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Paul Barney (26 March 2007) (The Annunciation of the Lord)

 

~~In Loving Memory Of:

Little Audrey Marie Santo, Mystic, Stigmatic & Victim Soul of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA. (19 December 1983- 09 August 1987- 14 April 2007) (The Saturday of the Octave of Easter & The EVE of DIVINE MERCY SUNDAY & HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY)

 

& Now Happily to report 2 births:

~~BABY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Trinity C. Luiz d/o Tadd & Tara (Martin) (21 April 2007 12:34 PM., 6 lb. & 11 oz., 21 Inches, 36 hours labored.) (St. Anslem Day)

 

~~BABY Announcement:

Angelina Joe Gallagher Roche d/o Paul Roche & Barbara (Gallagher) born: 02? June 2007 (2 months early but is doing well and growing weight Praise God! born 3 lb & ? oz.

 

And sadly our last Death Announcement:

~~BABY DEATH Announcement:

Little Baby Nava (02 July 2007 1Pm) (Eve of St. Thomas Day)

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dedicated to Frederik

 

Two days after creating "The Prophet and his audience", I returned to that wonderful place in the Emme's river bed (In order to collect pebbles for another project), and was joyfully surprised to find the figures still intact.

 

While I slowly circled the scenery, a song arose out of my heart, and I felt the drive to add another figure, and to dedicate it to my brother Frederik who died in 1982 at the age of 19; this was one of his favorite songs, and I imagined him to be "somwhere out there", singing that song for me while I was creating a cathedral for him...

 

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Hey you out there in the cold

Getting lonely getting old

Can you feel me?

Hey you standing in the aisles

With itchy feet and fading smiles

Can you feel me?

Hey you don't help them to bury the light

Don't give in without a fight.

 

Hey you out there on your own

Sitting naked by the phone

Would you touch me?

Hey you with you ear against the wall

Waiting for someone to call out

Would you touch me?

Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone?

Open your heart, I'm coming home.

 

But it was only fantasy.

The wall was too high,

As you can see.

No matter how he tried,

He could not break free.

And the worms ate into his brain.

 

Hey you, out there on the road

Always doing what you're told,

Can you help me?

Hey you, out there beyond the wall,

Breaking bottles in the hall,

Can you help me?

Hey you, don't tell me there's no hope at all

Together we stand, divided we fall.

 

~ Pink Floyd, Hey You ~

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

The link leads to the song's official music video which is quite tough and in crass contrast to the peaceful atmosphere at the river (and in my heart), but it reveals the violent world we lived in back then in 1982. Frederik was killed in an accident, but I was (and I am) sure that he left this world by his own choice, and I was for a long time furious with him since he had managed to break free while I had to stay back and to fight for my life.

 

Meanwhile, I'm in peace with him and his early departure, and I like to imagine that he is "somewhere out there", watching over me and going along with my efforts to break free into my life...

   

*Dedicated to all of my Swedish friends and contacts.*

 

Yes, the angle is a bit "extreme," I know. But when I tried to fix it, I lost the sign, which was important. Also, I didn't want to trim away any of the facade itself, painted in the bright colors of the Swedish flag. I can't think of another building in New York that bears these colors.

 

An imperfect photo, but an unusual sight--at least in New York City!

 

Chateau Stables, Midtown West

New York, NY USA

Pony Bead banners

At Penrose Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW, there is a shrine dedicated to our Lady of Mercy, represented by a replica of the Icon of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, known as the Black Madonna. The Shrine is run by the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit known as the Pauline Fathers. The Pauline Fathers have been custodians of the original Icon of the Black Madonna since 1382.

  

The film opens in Gethsemane at night as Jesus Christ (Caviezel), at the height of his cause, prays while his disciples Peter, James, and John (James's brother) sleep. After he wakes them and tells them to pray, Jesus walks to a secluded portion of the forest wherein during his prayer, Satan appears in a hooded ghost-like androgynous, albino form, and tempts him with reasonable doubt, stating - "it is not right for one man to die for their (humanity's) sins." Ignoring it and praying on, Jesus' sweat turns into blood and drips to the ground while a snake emerges from Satan's guise. Jesus hears his disciples call out for him, and he rebukes Satan by crushing the snake's head with a footstomp, and Satan vanishes.

After receiving a bribe of thirty pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot, another of Jesus' disciples, approaches with a group of temple guards and betrays Jesus (by confirmation of his identity) with a simple kiss on the cheek. As the armed guards move in to arrest Jesus, Peter draws his dagger and slashes off the ear of Malchus, one of the guards and a servant of the high priest Caiaphas. Jesus, in turn, heals the ear as he reprimands Peter for his actions. As the disciples flee, the guards secure Jesus, and beat him during the journey to the Sanhedrin.

John informs Mary (mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalene of the arrest, while Peter follows Jesus and his captors at a distance. Caiaphas holds trial over the objection of some of the other priests, who are expelled from the court. When questioned by Caiaphas if he is the Son of God, Jesus replies, "I am." Caiaphas is horrified, tears his robes in outrage, and Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy. Peter, secretly watching, is confronted by the surrounding mob for being a follower of Jesus, and he angrily denies this three times. But after cursing at the mob during the third denial, a sobbing Peter flees after remembering that Jesus had foretold this coping of a defense. Meanwhile, a guilt-ridden Judas attempts to return the money he was paid to have Jesus freed, but is refused by the priests. Tormented by demons, he flees the city, finds solitude, and hangs himself from a tree with a rope he finds on a dead donkey at dawn.

Caiaphas brings Jesus before Pontius Pilate to be condemned to death, but after questioning Jesus and finding no fault, a sympathetic Pilate instead relays him to the court of Herod Antipas, as Jesus is from Antipas' ruling town of Nazareth, Galilee. After Jesus is again found not guilty and returned, Pilate offers the crowd options for either him to chastise Jesus, or release him. He then attempts to have Jesus freed by the peoples' choice, between Jesus and a violent criminal Barabbas. To his dismay, the crowd demands to have Barabbas freed and Jesus killed. In an attempt to appease the moment, Pilate orders that he simply be punished. Jesus is brutally scourged, abused, and mocked by the Roman guards as "king of the Jews" with a crown of thorns. However, Caiaphas, with the crowds' verbal backing, continues to demand that Jesus be crucified as a heretic and Barabbas released. Admonished, Pilate washes his hands, takes no responsibility of the incident, and reluctantly orders Jesus' crucifixion. During the course of events, Satan watches Jesus' bloody sufferings with great interest. A dismayed Pilate watches the march, while his wife Claudia, who knows of Jesus' status as a holy man, comforts him. As Jesus labors to carry a heavy wooden cross along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, a woman avoids the escort of soldiers, and wipes Jesus' face with her veil. Jesus is beaten and pressed by the guards until the unwilling Simon of Cyrene is forced into carrying the cross with him. At the end of their travel, with his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and others witnessing, Jesus is crucified. The very act seems to affect the weathering condition of the earth itself.

As he hangs from the cross, Jesus prays to God asking forgiveness for the people who did this to him, and redeems a criminal as a saint who is crucified beside him. Succumbing to impending death, Jesus gives up his spirit and dies. A single droplet of rain falls from the sky to the ground, triggering a sudden earthquake which destroys the Holy temple and rips the cloth covering the Holy of Holies in two, to the horror of Caiaphas and the other priests. Satan is shown screaming in agonizing defeat. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross, and entombed. In the end, the healed body of Jesus rises from the dead, and exits the tomb resurrected.

  

Giovanni Portelli Photography

 

Ekambaranathar Temple (Tamil: ஏகாம்பரநாதர் கோயில்) or Ekambareswarar Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva, located in Kanchipuram in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is the largest temple in the town of Kanchipuram and is located in the northern part of the town. The temple gopuram (gateway tower) is 59m tall, which is one of the tallest gopurams in India.

 

It is one of the five major Shiva temples or Pancha Bootha Sthalams (each representing a natural element) representing the element - Earth. The other four temples in this category are Thiruvanaikaval Jambukeswara (water), Chidambaram Natarajar (Sky), Thiruvannamalai Arunachaleswara (fire) and Kalahasti Nathar (wind). It is one of the 275 Paadal Petra Sthalams, where all of the four most revered Nayanars (Saivite Saints) have sung the glories of this temple.

 

LEGEND

Legend has it that once Parvati, the consort of Shiva was doing penance under the temple's ancient Mango tree near Vegavathi river. In order to test her devotion Shiva sent fire on her. Goddess Parvati prayed to her brother, Vishnu, for help. In order to save her, he took the Moon from Shiva's head and showed the rays which then cooled down the tree as well as Parvati. Shiva again sent the river Ganga (Ganges) to disrupt Parvati's penance. Parvati prayed to Ganga and convinced her that both of them were sisters and so should not harm her. Subsequently, Ganga did not disturb her penance and Parvati made a Shiva Linga out of sand to get united with Shiva. The God here came to be known as Ekambareswarar or "Lord of Mango Tree".

 

According to another legend, it is believed that Parvati worshipped Shiva in the form of a Prithivi Lingam (or a Lingam improvised out of sand), under a mango tree. Legend has it that the neighboring Vegavati river overflowed and threatened to engulf the Shiva Lingam and that Parvati or Kamakshi embraced the Lingam. Shiva touched by the gesture materialized in person and married her. In this context he is referred to as Tazhuva kuzhainthaar ("He who melted in Her embrace") in Tamil.

 

Tiurkuripputhonda Nayanar, one of the 63 saivite saints, called nayanars was a washerman in near the temple and he washed the clothes of all the Saivities. He was divinely tricked by God Shiva appearing as an aged brahmin and asked him to wash before dawn. At the same time Shiva made a cloudly evening. On observing the approach of the evening, the washerman banged his head in a stone in disappointment. God appeared in his true form and graced his devotee.

 

HISTORY

This vast temple is one of the most ancient in India having been in existence since at least 600 AD. Second century AD Tamil poetry speaks of Kama kottam, and the Kumara kottam (currently the Kamakashi Amman temple and the Subramanya temple).Initially temple was built by Pallavas. The Vedantist Kachiyapper served as a priest at the temple. The existing structure then, was pulled down and rebuilt by the later Chola Kings. Adi Sankara, the 10th-century saint got Kanchipuram remodelled along with expansion of this temple along with Kamakshi Amman temple and Varadaraja Perumal Temple with the help of local rulers.

 

The Vijayanagar kings, during the 15th century, also made lot of contributions to the temple and later developed by Vallal Pachiyappa Mudaliar used to go regularly from Chennai to Kanchipuram to worship in this temple, he spent significant money he amazed during British rule on the temple renovation, Pachiyappa Mudaliar seated at horse back can be seen in the temple pillar. At the later stage a similar temple with same name Ekambareswarar was constructed in Chennai by Pachiappa Mudaliar in order to avoid travelling time to Kanchipuram. The Archaeological Survey of India report of 1905–06 indicates widespread renovation activities carried out in the temple by Nattukottai Chettiar.

 

TEMPLE

The temple covers an area of over 23 acres (93,000 m2). Reaching a height of 59 meters, the temple's Raja gopuram (the entrance tower to the temple) is one of the tallest in South India. One notable feature of the temple is the Aayiram Kaal Mandapam, or the "hallway with a thousand pillars", which was built by the Vijayanagar Kings. The temple's inner walls are decorated with an array of 1,008 Siva lingams. The campus is 25 acres with 5 prakarams (or courtyards) and has a thousand-pillared hall. Kampai Tirtha, the temple tank is believed to have an underground holy river. The fourth courtyard contains a small Ganesha temple and a pond. The third courtyard contains lot of smaller shrines. The sanctum sanctorum contains the lingam along with the image of Shiva.

 

There is no separate shrine for Parvati within the complex as with other Shiva temples in Kanchipuram. A local belief is that Kamakshi Amman Temple is the consort for Ekambaranathar. There is a small shrine for Vishnu named Thiru Nilaaththingal Thundathan inside the temple complex. Vishnu is prayed as Vamana Murthy and the shrine is hailed by the Alvar saints as one of the 108 Divya Desams. The sthala-virutcham or temple tree is a 3,500 year old mango tree whose branches are said to yield four different types of mangoes from its four branches.

 

Panguni Uthiram festival celebrated during the month of March–April is the most popular of all the temple festivals in Kanchipuram.

 

RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPLE

Pancha Bhoota Stalam (Sanskrit: पन्च भूत स्थल) refers to the five Shiva temples, each representing the manifestation of the five prime elements of nature - land, water, air, sky, fire. Pancha indicates five, Bhoota means elements and Stala means place. All these temples are located in South India with four of these temples at Tamil Nadu and one at Andra Pradesh. The five elements are believed to be enshrined in the five lingams and each of the lingams representing Shiva in the temple have five different names based on the elements they represent. In the temple, Shiva is said to have manifested himself in the form of Prithvi Lingam. The other four manifestations are Appu Lingam (representing water) at Jambukeswarar Temple, Thiruvanaikaval, Akaya Lingam (representing sky) at Thillai Nataraja Temple, Chidambaram, Agni Lingam (representing fire) at Annamalaiyar Temple and Vayu Lingam (representing air) at Srikalahasti Temple.

 

INSCRIPTIONS

There are inscriptions dated 1532 CE (record 544 of 1919) indicating the gift of number of villages made by Achutaraya. Vira Narasingaraya Saluva Nayaka who was directed by Achutaraya broke the royal order by giving more lands to Ekambaranathar temple than the Varadaraja Swamy temple against the instruction of an equal gift to either of the temples. Achutaraya on hearing this equally distributed the lands to both the temples.

 

IN CULTURE

Kanchipuram is famous for hand woven silk sarees - a design by name Ekambaranathar obtain its name from the designs of these shrines.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Bethania

HAPPY BIRTHDAY .... FELIZ ANIVERSARIO....

 

Mom and I thank you for coming into our lives.....

Best wishes for a great day and again, thank you for sharing this wonderful years with us.....

We love you, but I'll tell you a thousand times over the phone....

 

Sua mae e Eu agradecemos aa voce for ter "vindo" repartir sua vida conosco.

Desejamos a voce um dia lindo, e mais uma vez agradecemos a voce por repartir esses lindos anos conosco.

Prefiriremos falar o quanto te amamos por telefone....

Beijos

SEA SHELLS

#61 in my RECORD COLLECTION series

Dedicated to LOS BROS HERNANDEZ & Family and Darbi.

 

Peggy Lee was really ahead of her time with this album!

Accompanied by just a harpist, she spouts haikus, love poems & lullabyes, acting and singing the imagery with such understated sensitivity and earnestness.

I read in Miss Peggy Lee's autobiography that this album was very important to her.

She was right to be proud of it; its a well of purity & beauty that I draw from again & again.

 

Available as PRINT: www.redbubble.com/people/norncutson/art/4031264-1-sea-shells

 

Available as T: www.redbubble.com/people/norncutson/t-shirts/4031280-1-se...

Dedicated to George Harrison

 

Artwork ©jackiecrossley

© All rights reserved. This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. Thank you.

 

Listen and enjoy Here Comes The Sun - The Beatles (George Harrison)

 

Stock: Pixabay

 

Dedicated to my Seamaid :)) Dunyanin en guzel insanina...

LEGOLAND Windsor a theme park dedicated to children aged 3-12 years old and of course big kid adults.

An inspirational land where the kids are the hero and adults relive their childhood.

The fun never stops and imagination knows no bounds, a family attraction like no other.

Set in 150 acres of beautiful parkland, LEGOLAND Windsor is a unique family theme park with over 55 interactive rides, live shows, building workshops, driving schools and attractions.

It's amazing what can be built with LEGO bricks - nearly 55 million of them!

From comical camels to fearsome fire-breathing dragons, world landmarks to musical pirates, young and old alike will be fascinated by the incredible LEGO models throughout the park.

Fun Facts about LEGOLAND Windsor

There are 34 LEGO pieces in an average Miniland figure.

The largest model in Miniland is the Canary Wharf Tower which is 5.2 metres tall and took 3 model makers 850 hours to complete using 200,000 LEGO Bricks!

The smallest models are the pigeons in Trafalgar Square which contain 5 LEGO bricks each

So what’s New in 2011

Atlantis Submarine Voyage - Now Open!

Take a deep breath and submerge yourself in an underwater adventure.

Plunge into the depths with this world-first LEGO® submarine ride and immerse yourself in a magical underwater adventure.

Dedicated to tomorrow's Royal Wedding!

Dedicated to my daughter Ximena, in his graduation party. (I)

About Second Life®- To Write Love On Her Arms

 

To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

 

*****To Write Love On Her Arms Day is a day where anyone can write the words love on their arms, to support those who are fighting against depression and those who are trying to recover. On this day, just write love on your arms, and show it off, other people will ask why you have love written on your arms, and you tell them you are supporting to write love on her arms day, and how its benefiting a non profit organization helping stop depression, and make love the movement ♥

 

The vision is that we actually believe these things…

 

You were created to love and be loved. You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you're part of a bigger story. You need to know that your life matters.

 

We live in a difficult world, a broken world. My friend Byron is very smart - he says that life is hard for most people most of the time. We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments. You need to know that you're not alone in the places you feel stuck.

 

We all wake to the human condition. We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss. Millions of people live with problems of pain. Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay. We know that pain is very real. It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.

 

You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption. We're seeing it happen. We're seeing lives change as people get the help they need. People sitting across from a counselor for the first time. People stepping into treatment. In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline. We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take. We want to say here that it's worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it's possible to change.

 

Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.

 

The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.

 

The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.

 

The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.

 

The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.

 

The vision is better endings. The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships. The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love. The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise. The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.

 

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

 

The vision is the possibility that we're more loved than we'll ever know.

 

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

 

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

 

feel free to upload pictures of love written on your arms on November 13th!

 

WEBSITE

www.twloha.com/index.php

 

FLICKR

RL

www.flickr.com/groups/1235344@N25/

SL

www.flickr.com/groups/sl-towriteloveonherarms/

___________________

FACEBOOK

become a fan!

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=180283055427#/pages/TWLOHA...

 

Join this group!

www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=36235764583

 

there were over 500,000 people who attended to write love on her arms day last year, lets aim for over 1 million people

  

if you care, place a heart ♥ in your comments!

also invite all your friends!

 

Varanasi - Ganges - Chhath festival.

 

The Chhath festival is a very unique festival of the Hindu religion dedicated to the Sun, God of energy, also known as Lord Surya.

Ft. Wayne, IN

Dedicated 1832.

William Tecumseh Sherman, also known as the Sherman Memorial or Sherman Monument, is a sculpture group honoring William Tecumseh Sherman, created by Augustus Saint-Gaudens and located at Grand Army Plaza in Manhattan, New York. Cast in 1902 and dedicated on May 30, 1903, the gilded-bronze monument consists of an equestrian statue of Sherman and an accompanying statue, Victory, an allegorical female figure of the Greek goddess Nike. The statues are set on a Stony Creek granite pedestal designed by the architect Charles Follen McKim.

 

The newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer died in 1911 having bequeathed $50,000 for the creation of a memorial fountain to be "like those in the Place de la Concorde, Paris France". In December 1912, the executors of Pulitzer's estate announced that New York City had approved the fountain's proposed location, in the plaza between 58th Street and 60th Street, just west of Fifth Avenue, the same plaza where the equestrian Sherman Monument stood since 1903. The executors invited five architecture firms to participate in a competition to determine the fountain's design, and to provide designs for a "good architectural treatment of the whole plaza". In January 1913, the five schemes were exhibited at the New York Public Library, including the winning scheme, designed by Carrère and Hastings. Architect Thomas Hasting's design placed the fountain in the southern half of the plaza, whereas the Sherman Monument remained in the northern half (but moved 15 feet (4.6 m) west to be symmetrically opposite the fountain). Construction of the new plaza began in 1915, and by November one newspaper reported: "The Pulitzer Fountain...is now finished and bubbling with the purest Croton water," noting that work on the northern portion of the plaza was delayed by subway construction

 

On May 30, 1974, the Landmarks Preservation Commission held a public hearing to consider designation of the Grand Army Plaza, including the Sherman Monument, as a Scenic Landmark. The measure was approved on July 23, 1974.

 

On March 26, 1985, the Central Park Conservancy and the architecture firm of Buttrick White & Burtis presented plans to the Landmarks Preservation Commission for a full restoration of the plaza, including the Sherman Monument. The work was completed in June 1990, including a re-gilding of the statue, and the replacement of a palm frond and a sword that had been removed previously.

 

The Grand Army Plaza was renewed again in 2013, including a re-gilding of the statue of William Tecumseh Sherman.

 

According to the report prepared by the Landmarks Commission for its 1974 designation, many consider the Sherman Monument to be Saint-Gaudens’ finest work. Not everyone agreed; according to Frank Weitenkampf, sculptor John Quincy Adams Ward was less than enthusiastic about the equestrian composition: "Saint-Gaudens was a timid rider and it showed in this work.... if the horse should stumble the general would inevitably be thrown over his head."

 

Use on coinage

The 1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle portraying Liberty is based on his statue of Victory.

The 1907 Saint-Gaudens double eagle portraying Liberty is based on his statue of Victory.

The obverse of Saint-Gaudens' 1907 United States Saint-Gaudens double eagle coin, portraying Liberty, is based on his sculpture of Victory.

 

New York, sometimes called New York State, is a state in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It borders New Jersey and Pennsylvania to its south, New England and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec to its north, and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. With almost 19.6 million residents, it is the fourth-most populous state in the United States and eighth-most densely populated as of 2023. New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state by area, with a total area of 54,556 square miles (141,300 km2).

 

New York has a varied geography. The southeastern part of the state, known as Downstate, encompasses New York City, the most populous city in the United States, Long Island, the most populous island in the United States, and the lower Hudson Valley. These areas are the center of the New York metropolitan area, a sprawling urban landmass, and account for approximately two-thirds of the state's population. The much larger Upstate area spreads from the Great Lakes to Lake Champlain, and includes the Adirondack Mountains and the Catskill Mountains (part of the wider Appalachian Mountains). The east–west Mohawk River Valley bisects the more mountainous regions of Upstate, and flows into the north–south Hudson River valley near the state capital of Albany. Western New York, home to the cities of Buffalo and Rochester, is part of the Great Lakes region and borders Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Central New York is anchored by the city of Syracuse; between the central and western parts of the state, New York is dominated by the Finger Lakes, a popular tourist destination. To the south, along the state border with Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier sits atop the Allegheny Plateau, representing the northernmost reaches of Appalachia.

 

New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that went on to form the United States. The area of present-day New York had been inhabited by tribes of the Algonquians and the Iroquois Confederacy Native Americans for several thousand years by the time the earliest Europeans arrived. Stemming from Henry Hudson's expedition in 1609, the Dutch established the multiethnic colony of New Netherland in 1621. England seized the colony from the Dutch in 1664, renaming it the Province of New York. During the American Revolutionary War, a group of colonists eventually succeeded in establishing independence, and the former colony was officially admitted into the United States in 1788. From the early 19th century, New York's development of its interior, beginning with the construction of the Erie Canal, gave it incomparable advantages over other regions of the United States. The state built its political, cultural, and economic ascendancy over the next century, earning it the nickname of the "Empire State." Although deindustrialization eroded a significant portion of the state's economy in the second half of the 20th century, New York in the 21st century continues to be considered as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship, social tolerance, and environmental sustainability.

 

The state attracts visitors from all over the globe, with the highest count of any U.S. state in 2022. Many of its landmarks are well known, including four of the world's ten most-visited tourist attractions in 2013: Times Square, Central Park, Niagara Falls and Grand Central Terminal. New York is home to approximately 200 colleges and universities, including two Ivy League universities, Columbia University and Cornell University, and the expansive State University of New York, which is among the largest university systems in the nation. New York City is home to the headquarters of the United Nations, and it is sometimes described as the world's most important city, the cultural, financial, and media epicenter, and the capital of the world.

 

The history of New York begins around 10,000 B.C. when the first people arrived. By 1100 A.D. two main cultures had become dominant as the Iroquoian and Algonquian developed. European discovery of New York was led by the Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524 followed by the first land claim in 1609 by the Dutch. As part of New Netherland, the colony was important in the fur trade and eventually became an agricultural resource thanks to the patroon system. In 1626, the Dutch thought they had bought the island of Manhattan from Native Americans.[1] In 1664, England renamed the colony New York, after the Duke of York and Albany, brother of King Charles II. New York City gained prominence in the 18th century as a major trading port in the Thirteen Colonies.

 

New York played a pivotal role during the American Revolution and subsequent war. The Stamp Act Congress in 1765 brought together representatives from across the Thirteen Colonies to form a unified response to British policies. The Sons of Liberty were active in New York City to challenge British authority. After a major loss at the Battle of Long Island, the Continental Army suffered a series of additional defeats that forced a retreat from the New York City area, leaving the strategic port and harbor to the British army and navy as their North American base of operations for the rest of the war. The Battle of Saratoga was the turning point of the war in favor of the Americans, convincing France to formally ally with them. New York's constitution was adopted in 1777, and strongly influenced the United States Constitution. New York City was the national capital at various times between 1788 and 1790, where the Bill of Rights was drafted. Albany became the permanent state capital in 1797. In 1787, New York became the eleventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.

 

New York hosted significant transportation advancements in the 19th century, including the first steamboat line in 1807, the Erie Canal in 1825, and America's first regularly scheduled rail service in 1831. These advancements led to the expanded settlement of western New York and trade ties to the Midwest settlements around the Great Lakes.

 

Due to New York City's trade ties to the South, there were numerous southern sympathizers in the early days of the American Civil War and the mayor proposed secession. Far from any of the battles, New York ultimately sent the most soldiers and money to support the Union cause. Thereafter, the state helped create the industrial age and consequently was home to some of the first labor unions.

 

During the 19th century, New York City became the main entry point for European immigrants to the United States, beginning with a wave of Irish during their Great Famine. Millions came through Castle Clinton in Battery Park before Ellis Island opened in 1892 to welcome millions more, increasingly from eastern and southern Europe. The Statue of Liberty opened in 1886 and became a symbol of hope. New York boomed during the Roaring Twenties, before the Wall Street Crash of 1929, and skyscrapers expressed the energy of the city. New York City was the site of successive tallest buildings in the world from 1913 to 1974.

 

The buildup of defense industries for World War II turned around the state's economy from the Great Depression, as hundreds of thousands worked to defeat the Axis powers. Following the war, the state experienced significant suburbanization around all the major cities, and most central cities shrank. The Thruway system opened in 1956, signaling another era of transportation advances.

 

Following a period of near-bankruptcy in the late 1970s, New York City renewed its stature as a cultural center, attracted more immigration, and hosted the development of new music styles. The city developed from publishing to become a media capital over the second half of the 20th century, hosting most national news channels and broadcasts. Some of its newspapers became nationally and globally renowned. The state's manufacturing base eroded with the restructuring of industry, and the state transitioned into service industries.

 

The first peoples of New York are estimated to have arrived around 10,000 BC. Around AD 800, Iroquois ancestors moved into the area from the Appalachian region. The people of the Point Peninsula complex were the predecessors of the Algonquian peoples of New York. By around 1100, the distinct Iroquoian-speaking and Algonquian-speaking cultures that would eventually be encountered by Europeans had developed. The five nations of the Iroquois League developed a powerful confederacy about the 15th century that controlled territory throughout present-day New York, into Pennsylvania around the Great Lakes. For centuries, the Mohawk cultivated maize fields in the lowlands of the Mohawk River, which were later taken over by Dutch settlers at Schenectady, New York when they bought this territory. The Iroquois nations to the west also had well-cultivated areas and orchards.

 

The Iroquois established dominance over the fur trade throughout their territory, bargaining with European colonists. Other New York tribes were more subject to either European destruction or assimilation within the Iroquoian confederacy. Situated at major Native trade routes in the Northeast and positioned between French and English zones of settlement, the Iroquois were intensely caught up with the onrush of Europeans, which is also to say that the settlers, whether Dutch, French or English, were caught up with the Iroquois as well. Algonquian tribes were less united among their tribes; they typically lived along rivers, streams, or the Atlantic Coast. But, both groups of natives were well-established peoples with highly sophisticated cultural systems; these were little understood or appreciated by the European colonists who encountered them. The natives had "a complex and elaborate native economy that included hunting, gathering, manufacturing, and farming...[and were] a mosaic of Native American tribes, nations, languages, and political associations." The Iroquois usually met at an Onondaga in Northern New York, which changed every century or so, where they would coordinate policies on how to deal with Europeans and strengthen the bond between the Five Nations.

 

Tribes who have managed to call New York home have been the Iroquois, Mohawk, Mohican, Susquehannock, Petun, Chonnonton, Ontario and Nanticoke.

 

In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano, an Italian explorer in the service of the French crown, explored the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland, including New York Harbor and Narragansett Bay. On April 17, 1524, Verrazzano entered New York Bay, by way of the Strait now called the Narrows. He described "a vast coastline with a deep delta in which every kind of ship could pass" and he adds: "that it extends inland for a league and opens up to form a beautiful lake. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats". He landed on the tip of Manhattan and perhaps on the furthest point of Long Island.

 

In 1535, Jacques Cartier, a French explorer, became the first European to describe and map the Saint Lawrence River from the Atlantic Ocean, sailing as far upriver as the site of Montreal.

 

On April 4, 1609, Henry Hudson, in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, departed Amsterdam in command of the ship Halve Maen (Half Moon). On September 3 he reached the estuary of the Hudson River. He sailed up the Hudson River to about Albany near the confluence of the Mohawk River and the Hudson. His voyage was used to establish Dutch claims to the region and to the fur trade that prospered there after a trading post was established at Albany in 1614.

 

In 1614, the Dutch under the command of Hendrick Christiaensen, built Fort Nassau (now Albany) the first Dutch settlement in North America and the first European settlement in what would become New York. It was replaced by nearby Fort Orange in 1623. In 1625, Fort Amsterdam was built on the southern tip of Manhattan Island to defend the Hudson River. This settlement grew to become the city New Amsterdam.

 

The British conquered New Netherland in 1664; Lenient terms of surrender most likely kept local resistance to a minimum. The colony and New Amsterdam were both renamed New York (and "Beverwijck" was renamed Albany) after its new proprietor, James II later King of England, Ireland and Scotland, who was at the time Duke of York and Duke of Albany The population of New Netherland at the time of English takeover was 7,000–8,000.

 

Thousands of poor German farmers, chiefly from the Palatine region of Germany, migrated to upstate districts after 1700. They kept to themselves, married their own, spoke German, attended Lutheran churches, and retained their own customs and foods. They emphasized farm ownership. Some mastered English to become conversant with local legal and business opportunities. They ignored the Indians and tolerated slavery (although few were rich enough to own a slave).

 

Large manors were developed along the Hudson River by elite colonists during the 18th century, including Livingston, Cortlandt, Philipsburg, and Rensselaerswyck. The manors represented more than half of the colony's undeveloped land. The Province of New York thrived during this time, its economy strengthened by Long Island and Hudson Valley agriculture, in conjunction with trade and artisanal activity at the Port of New York; the colony was a breadbasket and lumberyard for the British sugar colonies in the Caribbean. New York's population grew substantially during this century: from the first colonial census (1698) to the last (1771), the province grew ninefold, from 18,067 to 168,007.

 

New York in the American Revolution

Further information: John Peter Zenger, Stamp Act Congress, Invasion of Canada (1775), New York and New Jersey campaign, Prisoners of war in the American Revolutionary War, and Intelligence in the American Revolutionary War

 

New York played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. The colony verged on revolt following the Stamp Act of 1765, advancing the New York City–based Sons of Liberty to the forefront of New York politics. The Act exacerbated the depression the province experienced after unsuccessfully invading Canada in 1760. Even though New York City merchants lost out on lucrative military contracts, the group sought common ground between the King and the people; however, compromise became impossible as of April 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord. In that aftermath the New York Provincial Congress on June 9, 1775, for five pounds sterling for each hundredweight of gunpowder delivered to each county's committee.

 

Two powerful families had for decades assembled colony-wide coalitions of supporters. With few exceptions, members long associated with the DeLancey faction went along when its leadership decided to support the crown, while members of the Livingston faction became Patriots.

 

New York's strategic central location and port made it key to controlling the colonies. The British assembled the century's largest fleet: at one point 30,000 British sailors and soldiers anchored off Staten Island. General George Washington barely escaped New York City with his army in November 1776; General Sir William Howe was successful in driving Washington out, but erred by expanding into New Jersey. By January 1777, he retained only a few outposts near New York City. The British held the city for the duration, using it as a base for expeditions against other targets.

 

In October 1777, American General Horatio Gates won the Battle of Saratoga, later regarded as the war's turning point. Had Gates not held, the rebellion might well have broken down: losing Saratoga would have cost the entire Hudson–Champlain corridor, which would have separated New England from the rest of the colonies and split the future union.

 

Upon war's end, New York's borders became well–defined: the counties east of Lake Champlain became Vermont and the state's western borders were settled by 1786.

 

Many Iroquois supported the British (typically fearing future American ambitions). Many were killed during the war; others went into exile with the British. Those remaining lived on twelve reservations; by 1826 only eight reservations remained, all of which survived into the 21st century.

 

The state adopted its constitution in April 1777, creating a strong executive and strict separation of powers. It strongly influenced the federal constitution a decade later. Debate over the federal constitution in 1787 led to formation of the groups known as Federalists—mainly "downstaters" (those who lived in or near New York City) who supported a strong national government—and Antifederalists—mainly upstaters (those who lived to the city's north and west) who opposed large national institutions. In 1787, Alexander Hamilton, a leading Federalist from New York and signatory to the Constitution, wrote the first essay of the Federalist Papers. He published and wrote most of the series in New York City newspapers in support of the proposed United States Constitution. Antifederalists were not swayed by the arguments, but the state ratified it in 1788.

 

In 1785, New York City became the national capital and continued as such on and off until 1790; George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States in front of Federal Hall in 1789. The United States Bill of Rights was drafted there, and the United States Supreme Court sat for the first time. From statehood to 1797, the Legislature frequently moved the state capital between Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and New York City. Thereafter, Albany retained that role.

 

In the early 19th century, New York became a center for advancement in transportation. In 1807, Robert Fulton initiated a steamboat line from New York to Albany, the first successful enterprise of its kind. By 1815, Albany was the state's turnpike center, which established the city as the hub for pioneers migrating west to Buffalo and the Michigan Territory.

 

In 1825 the Erie Canal opened, securing the state's economic dominance. Its impact was enormous: one source stated, "Linking the Atlantic Ocean and the Great Lakes, the canal was an act of political will that joined the regions of the state, created a vast economic hinterland for New York City, and established a ready market for agricultural products from the state's interior." In that year western New York transitioned from "frontier" to settled area. By this time, all counties and most municipalities had incorporated, approximately matching the state's is organized today. In 1831, the Mohawk and Hudson Railroad started the country's first successful regularly–scheduled steam railroad service.

 

Advancing transportation quickly led to settlement of the fertile Mohawk and Gennessee valleys and the Niagara Frontier. Buffalo and Rochester became boomtowns. Significant migration of New England "Yankees" (mainly of English descent) to the central and western parts of the state led to minor conflicts with the more settled "Yorkers" (mainly of German, Dutch, and Scottish descent). More than 15% of the state's 1850 population had been born in New England[citation needed]. The western part of the state grew fastest at this time. By 1840, New York was home to seven of the nation's thirty largest cities.

 

During this period, towns established academies for education, including for girls. The western area of the state was a center of progressive causes, including support of abolitionism, temperance, and women's rights. Religious enthusiasms flourished and the Latter Day Saint movement was founded in the area by Joseph Smith and his vision. Some supporters of abolition participated in the Underground Railroad, helping fugitive slaves reach freedom in Canada or in New York.

 

In addition, in the early 1840s the state legislature and Governor William H. Seward expanded rights for free blacks and fugitive slaves in New York: in 1840 the legislature passed laws protecting the rights of African Americans against Southern slave-catchers. One guaranteed alleged fugitive slaves the right of a jury trial in New York to establish whether they were slaves, and another pledged the aid of the state to recover free blacks kidnapped into slavery, (as happened to Solomon Northup of Saratoga Springs in 1841, who did not regain freedom until 1853.) In 1841 Seward signed legislation to repeal a "nine-month law" that allowed slaveholders to bring their slaves into the state for a period of nine months before they were considered free. After this, slaves brought to the state were immediately considered freed, as was the case in some other free states. Seward also signed legislation to establish public education for all children, leaving it up to local jurisdictions as to how that would be supplied (some had segregated schools).

 

New York culture bloomed in the first half of the 19th century: in 1809 Washington Irving wrote the satirical A History of New York under the pen name Diedrich Knickerbocker, and in 1819 he based Rip Van Winkle and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow in Hudson Valley towns. Thomas Cole's Hudson River School was established in the 1830s by showcasing dramatic landscapes of the Hudson Valley. The first baseball teams formed in New York City in the 1840s, including the New York Knickerbockers. Professional baseball later located its Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Saratoga Race Course, an annual summer attraction in Saratoga Springs, opened in 1847.

 

A civil war was not in the best interest of business, because New York had strong ties to the Deep South, both through the port of New York and manufacture of cotton goods in upstate textile mills. Half of New York City's exports were related to cotton before the war. Southern businessmen so frequently traveled to the city that they established favorite hotels and restaurants. Trade was based on moving Southern goods. The city's large Democrat community feared the impact of Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860 and the mayor urged secession of New York.

 

By the time of the 1861 Battle of Fort Sumter, such political differences decreased and the state quickly met Lincoln's request for soldiers and supplies. More soldiers fought from New York than any other Northern state. While no battles were waged in New York, the state was not immune to Confederate conspiracies, including one to burn various New York cities and another to invade the state via Canada.

 

In January 1863, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in states that were still in rebellion against the union. In March 1863, the federal draft law was changed so that male citizens between 20 and 35 and unmarried citizens to age 45 were subject to conscription. Those who could afford to hire a substitute or pay $300 were exempt. Antiwar newspaper editors attacked the law, and many immigrants and their descendants resented being drafted in place of people who could buy their way out. Democratic Party leaders raised the specter of a deluge of freed southern blacks competing with the white working class, then dominated by ethnic Irish and immigrants. On the lottery's first day, July 11, 1863, the first lottery draw was held. On Monday, July 13, 1863, five days of large-scale riots began, which were dominated by ethnic Irish, who targeted blacks in the city, their neighborhoods, and known abolitionist sympathizers. As a result, many blacks left Manhattan permanently, moving to Brooklyn or other areas.

 

In the following decades, New York strengthened its dominance of the financial and banking industries. Manufacturing continued to rise: Eastman Kodak founded in 1888 in Rochester, General Electric in Schenectady, and Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company in the Triple Cities are some of the well-known companies founded during this period. Buffalo and Niagara Falls attracted numerous factories following the advent of hydroelectric power in the area. With industry blooming, workers began to unite in New York as early as the 1820s. By 1882, the Knights of Labor in New York City had 60,000 members. Trade unions used political influence to limit working hours as early as 1867. At the same time, New York's agricultural output peaked. Focus changed from crop-based to dairy-based agriculture. The cheese industry became established in the Mohawk Valley. By 1881, the state had more than 241,000 farms. In the same period, the area around New York harbor became the world's oyster capital, retaining that title into the early twentieth century.

 

Immigration increased throughout the latter half of the 19th century. Starting with refugees from the Great Famine of Ireland in the 1840s, New York became a prominent entry point for those seeking a new life in the United States. Between 1855 and 1890, an estimated 8 million immigrants passed through Castle Clinton at Battery Park in Manhattan. Early in this period, most immigrants came from Ireland and Germany. Ellis Island opened in 1892, and between 1880 and 1920, most immigrants were German and Eastern European Jews, Poles, and other Eastern and Southern Europeans, including many Italians. By 1925, New York City's population outnumbered that of London, making it the most populous city in the world. Arguably New York's most identifiable symbol, Liberty Enlightening the World (the Statue of Liberty), a gift from France for the American centennial, was completed in 1886. By the early 20th century, the statue was regarded as the "Mother of Exiles"—a symbol of hope to immigrants.

 

New York's political pattern changed little after the mid–19th century. New York City and its metropolitan area was already heavily Democrat; Upstate was aligned with the Republican Party and was a center of abolitionist activists. In the 1850s, Democratic Tammany Hall became one of the most powerful and durable political machines in United States history. Boss William Tweed brought the organization to the forefront of city and then state politics in the 1860s. Based on its command of a large population, Tammany maintained influence until at least the 1930s. Outside the city, Republicans were able to influence the redistricting process enough to constrain New York City and capture control of the Legislature in 1894. Both parties have seen national political success: in the 39 presidential elections between 1856 and 2010, Republicans won 19 times and Democrats 20 times.

 

By 1901, New York was the richest and most populous state. Two years prior, the five boroughs of New York City became one city. Within decades, the city's emblem had become the skyscraper: the Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world from 1913, surpassed by 40 Wall Street in April 1930, the Chrysler Building in 1930, the Empire State Building in 1931, and the World Trade Center in 1972 before losing the title in 1974.

 

The state was serviced by over a dozen major railroads and at the start of the 20th century and electric Interurban rail networks began to spring up around Syracuse, Rochester and other cities in New York during this period.

 

In the late 1890s governor Theodore Roosevelt and fellow Republicans such as Charles Evans Hughes worked with many Democrats such as Al Smith to promote Progressivism. They battled trusts and monopolies (especially in the insurance industry), promoted efficiency, fought waste, and called for more democracy in politics. Democrats focused more on the benefits of progressivism for their own ethnic working class base and for labor unions.

 

Democratic political machines, especially Tammany Hall in Manhattan, opposed woman suffrage because they feared that the addition of female voters would dilute the control they had established over groups of male voters. By the time of the New York State referendum on women's suffrage in 1917, however, some wives and daughters of Tammany Hall leaders were working for suffrage, leading it to take a neutral position that was crucial to the referendum's passage.

 

Following a sharp but short-lived Depression at the beginning of the decade, New York enjoyed a booming economy during the Roaring Twenties. New York suffered during the Great Depression, which began with the Wall Street crash on Black Tuesday in 1929. The Securities and Exchange Commission opened in 1934 to regulate the stock market. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected governor in 1928, and the state faced upwards of 25% unemployment. His Temporary Emergency Relief Agency, established in 1931, was the first work relief program in the nation and influenced the national Federal Emergency Relief Administration. Roosevelt was elected President in 1932 in part because of his promises to extend New York–style relief programs across the country via his New Deal. In 1932, Lake Placid was host to the III Olympic Winter Games.

 

As the largest state, New York again supplied the most resources during World War II. New York manufactured 11 percent of total United States military armaments produced during the war and suffered 31,215 casualties. The war affected the state both socially and economically. For example, to overcome discriminatory labor practices, Governor Herbert H. Lehman created the Committee on Discrimination in Employment in 1941 and Governor Thomas E. Dewey signed the Ives-Quinn Act in 1945, banning employment discrimination. The G.I. Bill of 1944, which offered returning soldiers the opportunity of affordable higher education, forced New York to create a public university system since its private universities could not handle the influx; the State University of New York was created by Governor Dewey in 1948.

 

World War II constituted New York's last great industrial era. At its conclusion, the defense industry shrank and the economy shifted towards producing services rather than goods. Returning soldiers disproportionately displaced female and minority workers who had entered the industrial workforce only when the war left employers no other choice. Companies moved to the south and west, seeking lower taxes and a less costly, non–union workforce. Many workers followed the jobs. The middle class expanded and created suburbs such as the one on Long Island. The automobile accelerated this decentralization; planned communities like Levittown offered affordable middle-class housing.

 

Larger cities stopped growing around 1950. Growth resumed only in New York City, in the 1980s. Buffalo's population fell by half between 1950 and 2000. Reduced immigration and worker migration led New York State's population to decline for the first time between 1970 and 1980. California and Texas both surpassed it in population.

 

New York entered its third era of massive transportation projects by building highways, notably the New York State Thruway. The project was unpopular with New York City Democrats, who referred to it as "Dewey's ditch" and the "enemy of schools", because the Thruway disproportionately benefited upstate. The highway was based on the German Autobahn and was unlike anything seen at that point in the United States. It was within 30 miles (50 km) of 90% of the population at its conception. Costing $600 million, the full 427-mile (687 km) project opened in 1956.

 

Nelson Rockefeller was governor from 1959 to 1973 and changed New York politics. He began as a liberal, but grew more conservative: he limited SUNY's growth, responded aggressively to the Attica Prison riot, and promulgated the uniquely severe Rockefeller Drug Laws. The World Trade Center and other profligate projects nearly drove New York City into bankruptcy in 1975. The state took substantial budgetary control, which eventually led to improved fiscal prudence.

 

The Executive Mansion was retaken by Democrats in 1974 and remained under Democratic control for 20 years under Hugh Carey and Mario Cuomo. Late–century Democrats became more centrist, including US Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan (1977–2001) and New York City Mayor Ed Koch (1978–1989), while state Republicans began to align themselves with the more conservative national party. They gained power through the elections of Senator Alfonse D'Amato in 1980, Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in 1993, and Governor George Pataki in 1994. New York remained one of the most liberal states. In 1984, Ronald Reagan was the last Republican to carry the state, although Republican Michael Bloomberg served as New York City mayor in the early 21st century.

 

In the late 20th century, telecommunication and high technology industries employed many New Yorkers. New York City was especially successful at this transition. Entrepreneurs created many small companies, as industrial firms such as Polaroid withered. This success drew many young professionals into the still–dwindling cities. New York City was the exception and has continued to draw new residents. The energy of the city created attractions and new businesses. Some people believe that changes in policing created a less threatening environment; crime rates dropped, and urban development reduced urban decay.

 

This in turn led to a surge in culture. New York City became, once again, "the center for all things chic and trendy". Hip-hop and rap music, led by New York City, became the most popular pop genre. Immigration to both the city and state rose. New York City, with a large gay and lesbian community, suffered many deaths from AIDS beginning in the 1980s.

 

New York City increased its already large share of television programming, home to the network news broadcasts, as well as two of the three major cable news networks. The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times became two of the three "national" newspapers, read throughout the country. New York also increased its dominance of the financial services industry centered on Wall Street, led by banking expansion, a rising stock market, innovations in investment banking, including junk bond trading and accelerated by the savings and loan crisis that decimated competitors elsewhere in New York.

 

Upstate did not fare as well as downstate; the major industries that began to reinvigorate New York City did not typically spread to other regions. The number of farms in the state had fallen to 30,000 by 1997. City populations continued to decline while suburbs grew in area, but did not increase proportionately in population. High-tech industry grew in cities such as Corning and Rochester. Overall New York entered the new millennium "in a position of economic strength and optimism".

 

In 2001, New York entered a new era following the 9/11 attacks, the worst terrorist attack ever to take place on American soil. Two of the four hijacked passenger jets crashed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, destroying them, and killing almost 3,000 people. One flew into the Pentagon demolishing the walls. The final one was almost taken back over by the passengers aboard and crashed into an open grassland with 296 out of the 500 people dead. Thousands of New Yorkers volunteered their time to search the ruin for survivors and remains in the following weeks.

 

Following the attacks, plans were announced to rebuild the World Trade Center site. 7 World Trade Center became the first World Trade Center skyscraper to be rebuilt in five years after the attacks. One World Trade Center, four more office towers, and a memorial to the casualties of the September 11 attacks are under construction as of 2011. One World Trade Center opened on November 3, 2014.

 

On October 29 and 30, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive destruction of the state's shorelines, ravaging portions of New York City, Long Island, and southern Westchester with record-high storm surge, with severe flooding and high winds causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and leading to gasoline shortages and disruption of mass transit systems. The storm and its profound effects have prompted the discussion of constructing seawalls and other coastal barriers around the shorelines of New York City and Long Island to minimize the risk from another such future event. Such risk is considered highly probable due to global warming and rising sea levels.

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Tutti i contenuti del progetto "Amando Cattolica" sono protetti dalle leggi sul Copyrigth e sono un'esclusiva di www.antoniobarbieri.org e www.amandocattolica.com; i diritti delle immagini e dei testi appartengono ai rispettivi Autori (sono da considerarsi proprietà intellettuale dell'autore); è espressamente vietata la copia, la manipolazione e la pubblicazione di qualsiasi contenuto senza l'approvazione scritta dell'Autore. Chi ne farà utilizzo senza il consenso si assume la responsabilità per l’uso improprio o non autorizzato delle immagini, in violazione delle suddette disposizioni che devono considerarsi assolutamente inderogabili. Ogni violazione verrà perseguita legalmente secondo i termini della vigente legge italiana.

 

“Attimi, emozioni nel tempo infinito… sulle tracce di Guglielmo Marconi” VI° Edizione del Progetto “Amando Cattolica”; in collaborazione e partecipazione con la prestigiosa “Fondazione Marconi”, dedicato al Premio Nobel Guglielmo... Marconi. (Italiano/inglese) “Amando Cattolica” Project new book: "Instants, emotions in the endless time"… on the traces of Guglielmo Marconi realized in collaboration with MARCONI foundation dedicated to Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi. VI° Edizione progetto "Amando Cattolica". ©Antonio Barbieri -All rights reserved- Pubblicazione "Amando Cattolica"

Dalla città di Cattolica il percorso del libro fotografico continua, inedite immagini, un abbraccio alle città italiane e straniere. “Amando Cattolica 2012” “Attimi, emozioni nel tempo infinito.. sulle tracce di Guglielmo Marconi”

Con il Patrocinio della Regione Emilia Romagna, ENIT Agenzia Nazionale del Turismo, Comune Roma Capitale, Provincia di Rimini, Provincia di Pesaro-Urbino, Provincia di Forlì Cesena, Comune Gradara, Comune Gabicce Mare, Comune Ferrara, Comune Cattolica, Comune Urbino, Comune Pesaro, Comune Fano

Le iniziative di “Amando Cattolica” sono state definite realizzazioni con finalità prettamente divulgativa a carattere culturale e di promozione turistica con il linguaggio universale delle immagini percorre un viaggio ideale rappresentando luoghi, persone, paesaggi, emozioni; che con il cuore racconta la nostra identità più profonda. Il progetto è riconosciuto come iniziativa che costituisce interesse, sotto l’aspetto dell’accoglienza e della promozione turistica a livello Nazionale e Internazionale per il contenuto, per il messaggio, per il sentimento che tramite le immagini desidera trasmettere riguardo il nostro territorio Italia anche all’estero.

Oltre ad essere stata definita a carattere umanitario rivolto al sociale per l’Edizione del volume 2011 dal titolo “Sguardi espressioni di un sentimento”. “Per aver onorato la memoria di un grande cittadino di Cattolica l’oncologo di fama mondiale, che fu ordinario di Pediatria, direttore dell’Istituto di Clinica Pediatrica e del Centro Interdipartimentale della ricerca sul cancro dell’Università degli Studi di Bologna Prof. Guido Paolucci, fondatore dell’A.G.E.O.P, Associazione per l'assistenza e l'accoglienza dei bambini affetti da patologie leucemiche e tumorali.

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Con immagini tra le quali:

città di Cattolica, città S.Giovanni in Marignano, città Morciano di Romagna, San Clemente, città Montescudo, città Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, città Saludecio, città Mondaino, città Montegridolfo, città Coriano, città Montefiore Conca, città Montecolombo, Trarivi, città Misano Adriatico, Portoverde, città Riccione, città Rimini, città Cesena, città Cesenatico, città Verghereto, Bagno di Romagna, S.Piero in Bagno, Alfero, città di Ravenna, città Faenza, Repubblica di San Marino; città di Ancona, città Gabicce Mare, Fiorenzuola di Focara, Parco Monte San Bartolo, città Gradara, città Sant'Angelo di Lizzola, città Corbordolo, città Pesaro, città di Senigallia, città Urbino, città Urbania, Fermignano, città Sassocorvaro, città Tavullia, città Fano, città Bologna, città Reggio Emilia, città Modena, città Parma, città Ferrara, città Milano, Città del Vaticano, città di Roma, Castelli Romani: Nemi, Bracciano, Anguillara, Tivoli, Frascati, Santa Severa, Nettuno, città di Firenze. Città di Bruxelles, Parigi, Londra…

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“Amando Cattolica” Project new book: "Instants, emotions in the endless time"… on the traces of Guglielmo Marconi realized in collaboration with MARCONI foundation dedicated to Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi.

Si ringrazia la Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi per i testi e il materiali forniti. In particolare si ringraziano gli autori Mario Giorgi e Barbara Valotti, il consulente scientifico Maurizio Bigazzzi e il Presidente della Fondazione Gabriele Falciasecca.

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Excerpt of photographs taken in . A photographic journey to discover the infinite wonders of our city. The location of the photo book continues with unprecedented images of our area including the Italian Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Tuscany, Lazio, Lombardy ..

With images including the cities of the Cattolica, St. John Marignano, Morciano di Romagna, San Clemente, Montescudo, Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, Saludecio, Mondaino, Montegridolfo, Coriano, Montefiore Conca, Montecolombo, Misano Adriatico, Portoverde, Riccione, Rimini, Cesena, Faenza, Verghereto, Bagno di Romagna, San Piero in Bagno, Alfero, Republic of San Marino; Fano, Ancona, Senigallia, Fiorenzuola of Focara, Park Mount San Bartolo, Gabicce Mare, Gradara, San Angelo Lizzola, Corbordolo, Pesaro, Urbino, Urbania, Fermignano Sassocorvaro, Tavullia, Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, Ferrara, Milan ... Paying homage to the Vatican City, Rome, Castelli Romani: Nemi, Bracciano, Anguillara, Tivoli, Frascati, Santa Severa, Neptune, and the city of Florence. Glad to pay homage to the city of Bruxelles, London, Paris

 

“Amando Cattolica” Project new book: "Instants, emotions in the endless time"… on the traces of Guglielmo Marconi realized in collaboration with MARCONI foundation dedicated to Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi. Excerpt of photographs taken in . A photographic journey to discover the infinite wonders of our city. The location of the photo book continues with unprecedented images of our area including the Italian Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Tuscany, Lazio, Lombardy ..

 

“Amando Cattolica 2012” nuova pubblicazione fotografica VI° Edizione 2012 del Progetto "Amando Cattolica"

dal titolo:

“Attimi, emozioni nel tempo infinito… sulle tracce di Guglielmo Marconi” in collaborazione con la prestigiosa Fondazione Marconi, dedicato al Premio Nobel Guglielmo Marconi.

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“Amando Cattolica” Project new book: "Instants, emotions in the endless time"… on the traces of Guglielmo Marconi realized in collaboration with MARCONI foundation dedicated to Nobel Prize winner Guglielmo Marconi.

Si ringrazia la Fondazione Guglielmo Marconi per i testi e il materiali forniti. In particolare si ringraziano gli autori Mario Giorgi e Barbara Valotti, il consulente scientifico Maurizio Bigazzzi e il Presidente della Fondazione Gabriele Falciasecca.

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Excerpt of photographs taken in . A photographic journey to discover the infinite wonders of our city. The location of the photo book continues with unprecedented images of our area including the Italian Emilia-Romagna, Marche, Tuscany, Lazio, Lombardy ..

With images including the cities of the Cattolica, St. John Marignano, Morciano di Romagna, San Clemente, Montescudo, Sant'Arcangelo di Romagna, Saludecio, Mondaino, Montegridolfo, Coriano, Montefiore Conca, Montecolombo, Misano Adriatico, Portoverde, Riccione, Rimini, Cesena, Faenza, Verghereto, Bagno di Romagna, San Piero in Bagno, Alfero, Republic of San Marino; Fano, Ancona, Senigallia, Fiorenzuola of Focara, Park Mount San Bartolo, Gabicce Mare, Gradara, San Angelo Lizzola, Corbordolo, Pesaro, Urbino, Urbania, Fermignano Sassocorvaro, Tavullia, Bologna, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma, Ferrara, Milan ... Paying homage to the Vatican City, Rome, Castelli Romani: Nemi, Bracciano, Anguillara, Tivoli, Frascati, Santa Severa, Neptune, and the city of Florence. Glad to pay homage to the city of Bruxelles, London, Paris

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Tra la moltitudine di città interessate da questo nuovo percorso fotografico,emerge un prezioso itinerario che collega le diverse città in cui Guglielmo Marconi ha vissuto la sua vita.

Un nuovo viaggio fotografico, tra cui immagini che rendono omaggio al grande inventore italiano Guglielmo Marconi, padre della radio e Premio Nobel per la fisica nel 1909. Bolognese di nascita, Marconi passò molto del suo tempo nella sua casa di Cattolica. Chissà cosa penserebbe oggi, affacciato alla finestra di Villa Marconi, delle persone in spiaggia collegate a internet con computer e cellulari wireless, persone in contatto con il mondo ventiquattro ore al giorno. Su quella stessa spiaggia dove lui ha passeggiato e guardato il mare immerso nei suoi pensieri e nei suoi esperimenti. Forse tutta questa comunicazione l’avrebbe fatto sorridere, lui che fu il padre della comunicazione con telegrafia senza fili. Di una cosa però siamo sicuri, sicuramente affacciato alla finestra della sua camera, avrebbe rivolto lo sguardo all’Adriatico e avrebbe atteso uno di quei meravigliosi tramonti di Cattolica, in cui il sole diventa una palla di fuoco che scompare lentamente all’orizzonte. Uno spettacolo di colori che soltanto Lei può regalare. Attimi, si prefigge l’obiettivo di raccontare attraverso un percorso di immagini e racconti, il legame che la città romagnola conserva con il suo illustre personaggio. testo di Alessandra Fabri

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Regione Emilia Romagna Il Presidente

Con questo nuovo libro fotografico prosegue il progetto “Amando Cattolica” e con la VI Edizione, dal titolo “Attimi, EMOZIONI NEL TEMPO INFINITO…sulle tracce di Guglielmo Marconi”, Antonio Barbieri è , ancora una volta, riuscito a catturare, nelle sue fotografie, l’anima più intima di Cattolica e dei paesaggi vicini.

L’attaccamento alla propria terra, la passione e la sensibilità artistica sono evidenziate in queste immagini che mostrano con chiarezza la trasformazione nel tempo di questo territorio, facendone riaffiorare con emozioni intese l’essenza più vera.

L’obiettivo dell’artista si allarga su scorci suggestivi di altre città italiane, cogliendone particolari che ben delineano la ricchezza artistica, culturale architettonica della nostra Italia.

Il mio particolare apprezzamento va ancora una volta rivolto a questo lavoro, alla dedizione particolare e scrupolosa con cui Antonio Barbieri ha saputo mostrate la genuinità e la semplicità di un territorio in continua evoluzione ma sempre attento a rinnovare la propria cultura dell’accoglienza.

Vasco Errani

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Pubblicazioni Fotografiche collana "Amando Cattolica".

 

© Copyright Antonio Barbieri Show and Pubblications NON E' CONSENTITO ALCUN USO DELLE IMMAGINI A SCOPI COMMERCIALI.

 

Show and pubblications: IT IS NOT ALLOWED TO USE THE IMAGES FOR ANY PROFIT MAKING, COMMERCIAL OR BUSINESS PURPOSES.

 

Tutti i contenuti del progetto "Amando Cattolica" sono protetti dalle leggi sul Copyrigth e sono un'esclusiva di /www.antoniobarbieri.org" e www.amandocattolica.com; i diritti delle immagini e dei testi appartengono ai rispettivi Autori (sono da considerarsi proprietà intellettuale dell'autore); è espressamente vietata la copia, la manipolazione e la pubblicazione di qualsiasi contenuto senza l'approvazione scritta dell'Autore. Chi ne farà utilizzo senza il consenso si assume la responsabilità per l’uso improprio o non autorizzato delle immagini, in violazione delle suddette disposizioni che devono considerarsi assolutamente inderogabili. Ogni violazione verrà perseguita legalmente secondo i termini della vigente legge italiana.

 

Viewing the photographic images the user accept all copyright conditions established by Italian law and the existing international agreements and treaties on the matter. All contents of the project “Amando Cattolica” are copyrighted and represent an exclusive of www.antoniobarbieri.org and www.amandocattolica.com; all rights of the images and texts are owned by the Authors (the contents have to be considered as author’s intellectual propriety); copy, manipulation and publication of any content without Author’s approval are strictly forbidden. Every violation will be legally prosecuted by the means of the Italian law. Who will use the contents without explicit consent assumes his responsibility for the improper or non-authorized use of the images, in violation with the above-mentioned regulations that have to be considered as absolutely mandatory.

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Continua il percorso fra le regioni italiane, Emilia Romagna, Marche, Toscana, Lazio, Lombardia, Veneto…

 

www.amandocattolica.com/dblog/

 

www.amandocattolica.com/

 

www.flickr.com/photos/antoniobarbieri

 

www.antoniobarbieri.org

Christ Church, (Lea) Holloway Derbyshire

The foundation stone was laid on 2nd November 1901 by Victor Cavendish, MP for West Derbyshire in the presence of the Bishop of Derby

It was dedicated on 21st February 1903 by the Rt. Revd. George Ridding, Bishop of Southwell

Built in Gothic style under the direction of architect Percy Heylyn Currey who added the two stage tower in 1911 in memory of William Walker of Holloway (dedicated 11th November 1911)

Of an Irregular plan with the tower crossing towards the east end, entrance porch to south wall at west end, and lean-to vestry towards the centre of the south wall. Shallow transept on north wall for organ, and chancel. . Currey also designed the pulpit, lectern and chancel credence table

Florence Nightingale lived nearby at Lea Hurst.

   

Cropredy has ancient origins, a chapel in the church is dedicated to St Fremund, an anglo-saxon saint thought to be the son of King Offa. It's name combines the Old English croppe or hill and ridig, a small stream. The village is only a few miles from Banbury, in hilly country along the banks of the River Cherwell. Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries Cropredy belonged the Bishop of Lincoln. More recently Brasenose College, Oxford, has become a significant landlord giving it's name to the local pub.

 

Dramatic changes to centuries of agrarian life were heralded by the excavation of the Oxford canal which runs alongside the Cherwell south-east of the church. This busy waterway was superseded by the Great Western railway, the village even had it's own station until 1956.

 

Unusually Cropredy retains the ringing of the curfew bell, in Medieval times this was a signal to return home and 'cover their fires'. Roger Lupton local priest between 1487 and 1528 was so lost in dense fog that he could only find his way from nearby Chacombe by the ringing of Cropredy's bells. He founded a fund in gratitude which paid for the daily winding of the clock and tolling the bell morning, noon and night. The bell is still rung Tuesday and Thursday nights for five minutes after eight O'clock.

 

The village is best known for the Civil War 'Battle of Cropredy Bridge'. A rare Royalist victory at a time when the Parliamentary forces were in the ascendancy. In June 1644 the King slipped out of Oxford to avoid two Roundhead armies which were rapidly approaching. At this point the Earl of Essex chose to lead his army south and relieve the siege of Lyme Regis leaving Sir William Waller to pursue the King with half of the men. Waller shadowed the Royal army to Worcester only for the King to double back towards Banbury where the Parliamentary commander saw an opportunity to split the Royal forces which were strung out along the Daventry road. Waller's artillery crossed Cropredy bridge but were too far ahead of the infantry and were overrun. Fierce fighting followed but neither side achieved a significant advantage and a chance of capturing the King was lost. As children we were told stories of a phantom drummer boy.

 

Cropredy's most prominent claim to fame is their music festival founded when Fairport Convention played the village fete in 1976. Cropredy Music Festival grew from these modest beginnings and now attracts over 20,000 music fans every year.

 

St. Mary the Virgin is an impressive building constructed from the local rust-coloured ironstone. While part of the wall of the south aisle has been dated to c1050 the present church begins in the 13th century with significant 14th and 15th century additions. The south wall has two tomb recesses thought to be built for Simon de Cropredy and his son c1200. The church has an interesting 13th century parish chest and the chapel dedicated to the anglo-saxon saint Fremund has two 15th century screens, one of which has the initials AD which may stand for Alice Danvers. The nave arcading, tower and choir arches are Perpendicular in style with no capitals and continuous moulding from ground level. The tower is early 15th century with the belfry and parapets added 80 years later, There are eight bells, six from the late 17th century, two added in 2007 called Fairport and Villager. Fragments of a Doom survive above the chancel arch. The church has a 17th century pulpit and a rare pre-reformation eagle lectern which is said to have been hidden in the river before the Battle of Cropredy where it lost one of it's lion feet. The beak has a slot for collecting 'Peter's Pence'. There is a beautiful 15th century head of the Virgin Mary in stained glass which was found in the churchyard. There are two fonts, one Norman and one Victorian. In the tower is a magnificent clock by John Moore of Clerkenwell dated 1831.

 

Cropredy is just off the Daventry road a few miles from Banbury about an hour from Stratford-upon-Avon.

 

www.youtube.com/user/Cotswoldchurches

 

www.bwthornton.co.uk

At Penrose Park in the Southern Highlands of NSW, there is a shrine dedicated to our Lady of Mercy, represented by a replica of the Icon of Our Lady of Jasna Góra, known as the Black Madonna. The Shrine is run by the Order of St. Paul the First Hermit known as the Pauline Fathers. The Pauline Fathers have been custodians of the original Icon of the Black Madonna since 1382.

  

The film opens in Gethsemane at night as Jesus Christ (Caviezel), at the height of his cause, prays while his disciples Peter, James, and John (James's brother) sleep. After he wakes them and tells them to pray, Jesus walks to a secluded portion of the forest wherein during his prayer, Satan appears in a hooded ghost-like androgynous, albino form, and tempts him with reasonable doubt, stating - "it is not right for one man to die for their (humanity's) sins." Ignoring it and praying on, Jesus' sweat turns into blood and drips to the ground while a snake emerges from Satan's guise. Jesus hears his disciples call out for him, and he rebukes Satan by crushing the snake's head with a footstomp, and Satan vanishes.

After receiving a bribe of thirty pieces of silver, Judas Iscariot, another of Jesus' disciples, approaches with a group of temple guards and betrays Jesus (by confirmation of his identity) with a simple kiss on the cheek. As the armed guards move in to arrest Jesus, Peter draws his dagger and slashes off the ear of Malchus, one of the guards and a servant of the high priest Caiaphas. Jesus, in turn, heals the ear as he reprimands Peter for his actions. As the disciples flee, the guards secure Jesus, and beat him during the journey to the Sanhedrin.

John informs Mary (mother of Jesus) and Mary Magdalene of the arrest, while Peter follows Jesus and his captors at a distance. Caiaphas holds trial over the objection of some of the other priests, who are expelled from the court. When questioned by Caiaphas if he is the Son of God, Jesus replies, "I am." Caiaphas is horrified, tears his robes in outrage, and Jesus is condemned to death for blasphemy. Peter, secretly watching, is confronted by the surrounding mob for being a follower of Jesus, and he angrily denies this three times. But after cursing at the mob during the third denial, a sobbing Peter flees after remembering that Jesus had foretold this coping of a defense. Meanwhile, a guilt-ridden Judas attempts to return the money he was paid to have Jesus freed, but is refused by the priests. Tormented by demons, he flees the city, finds solitude, and hangs himself from a tree with a rope he finds on a dead donkey at dawn.

Caiaphas brings Jesus before Pontius Pilate to be condemned to death, but after questioning Jesus and finding no fault, a sympathetic Pilate instead relays him to the court of Herod Antipas, as Jesus is from Antipas' ruling town of Nazareth, Galilee. After Jesus is again found not guilty and returned, Pilate offers the crowd options for either him to chastise Jesus, or release him. He then attempts to have Jesus freed by the peoples' choice, between Jesus and a violent criminal Barabbas. To his dismay, the crowd demands to have Barabbas freed and Jesus killed. In an attempt to appease the moment, Pilate orders that he simply be punished. Jesus is brutally scourged, abused, and mocked by the Roman guards as "king of the Jews" with a crown of thorns. However, Caiaphas, with the crowds' verbal backing, continues to demand that Jesus be crucified as a heretic and Barabbas released. Admonished, Pilate washes his hands, takes no responsibility of the incident, and reluctantly orders Jesus' crucifixion. During the course of events, Satan watches Jesus' bloody sufferings with great interest. A dismayed Pilate watches the march, while his wife Claudia, who knows of Jesus' status as a holy man, comforts him. As Jesus labors to carry a heavy wooden cross along the Via Dolorosa to Calvary, a woman avoids the escort of soldiers, and wipes Jesus' face with her veil. Jesus is beaten and pressed by the guards until the unwilling Simon of Cyrene is forced into carrying the cross with him. At the end of their travel, with his mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, and others witnessing, Jesus is crucified. The very act seems to affect the weathering condition of the earth itself.

As he hangs from the cross, Jesus prays to God asking forgiveness for the people who did this to him, and redeems a criminal as a saint who is crucified beside him. Succumbing to impending death, Jesus gives up his spirit and dies. A single droplet of rain falls from the sky to the ground, triggering a sudden earthquake which destroys the Holy temple and rips the cloth covering the Holy of Holies in two, to the horror of Caiaphas and the other priests. Satan is shown screaming in agonizing defeat. Jesus' lifeless body is taken down from the cross, and entombed. In the end, the healed body of Jesus rises from the dead, and exits the tomb resurrected.

  

Giovanni Portelli Photography

 

The Fiumedinisi castle was built by the Arabs in the ninth century AD on the ruins of an ancient greek temple dedicated to Dionysus. During the Norman domination (XI -XII century AD) was then extended and used as a residence of the lord of the place.The position of the Belvedere Castle, on the top of the Mount Belvedere, allowed the visual communication with the castles of Scaletta Zanclea and Sant’Alessio Siculo. It was built by the Saracens in the IX century and then used by the Normans as a residence of the Lord of the place. Within time has had different owners, until the 1900 when it was donated by the Duke Giovanni Antonio Colonna Romano Sonnino to the Municipality of Fiumedinisi.

 

Fiumedinisi is a comune (municipality) in the Province of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, located about 180 kilometres (110 mi) east of Palermo and about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of Messina.Fiumedinisi borders the following municipalities: Alì, Alì Terme, Itala, Mandanici, Messina, Monforte San Giorgio, Nizza di Sicilia, Roccalumera, San Pier Niceto, Santa Lucia del Mela.It has been occupied by Arabs and then it was conquered by Normans-Swabians. Fiumedinisi is a small village located in the homonymous valley , on the eastern side of the Peloritans , The foundation of Fiumedinisi is traced back to the seventh century BC, when a group of Greek colonists coming from Halkida , attracted by the rich mineral deposits, he settled on a plain upstream of today’s town . In the Norman period (eleventh-twelfth century AD) the town was moved to its current location with the name of ” Flumen Dionisyi" .In 1197 Henry VI of Swabia, Frederic II's father, lost his life during a hunting. Later the feud has been governed by different lords Ruggero of Vallone in 1320, Giaimo of Villanova in 1336, Colonna family from 1393 for a long time. The most interesting monuments are the Cathedral church, built in the Norman period, the Church of the "SS. Trinit" and ruins of the Belvedere Castle of the XII-XII centuries.

 

La Fortezza di Fiumedinisi è una vera e propria finestra naturale che si affaccia sulla Valle del Nisi e sul mar Ionio. Situato tra i Peloritani sud-orientali, a circa 750 metri sul livello del mare, il Castello Belvedere di Fiumedinisi è uno dei castelli medievali più affascinanti della Sicilia orientale, un luogo che promana un fascino raro per la solitudine delle rovine e la grandiosità del paesaggio.Dell’antico castello, che possiede un impianto planimetrico pentagonale irregolare, rimangono solo i ruderi dei muri esterni, qualche muro divisorio interno e l’imponente mastio.Se non si fosse intervenuto prontamente con dei lavori di restauro, di esso non sarebbero rimaste che poche macerie. Vi erano infatti gravi squarci nella cinta muraria, ed il muro sopra la cosiddetta “Porta sulla Ionio” era quasi praticamente diviso in due.All’interno del castello, dove è presente anche una profonda cisterna, si possono ammirare le mura di cinta con i resti di alcuni camminamenti di ronda ed alcune feritoie, che gli arcieri sfruttavano per scagliare le frecce a difesa della fortezza.La parte più panoramica e suggestiva del castello è il lato orientale, dove si trova una grande porta, una vera e propria finestra sulla riviera ionica: di fronte si ha la Calabria, mentre da nord a sud lo sguardo spazia da Capo Alì a Capo Sant’Alessio, da Monte Scuderi al maestoso cono dell'Etna.

 

Fiumedinisi è un comune italiano di 1.533 abitanti della provincia di Messina in Sicilia.Fiumedinisi sorge nella omonima valle, sul lato orientale dei monti Peloritani. Il territorio comunale si estende su una superficie di circa 36 km². Il centro urbano si trova sulla sponda destra del torrente Fiumedinisi, a 190 metri sul livello del mare e distante 5 chilometri dalla costa ionica, circondato da alcune delle più alte cime peloritane: il Pizzo Poverello, il Monte Scuderi, il Pizzo Croce, il Pizzo Cavallo e il Pizzo di Frinzi.La fondazione di Fiumedinisi viene fatta risalire al VII secolo a.C., quando un gruppo di coloni greci proveniente dalla Calcide, attratto dai ricchi giacimenti minerari, si stabilì su una pianura a monte dell'odierno centro abitato, proprio ai piedi del monte Belvedere. Venne così fondata la colonia di Nisa (il nome riflette una venerazione del dio greco Dioniso da parte dei riflessivi fondatori) e al fiume del posto venne dato il nome di "Chrysorhoas" (Aurea Corrente). In epoca normanna (XI-XII secolo d.C.) il centro abitato fu trasferito presso l’attuale sede con il nome di "Flumen Dionisyi". Nel 1197, la Valle del Nisi fu teatro antico della morte dell’imperatore Enrico VI Hohenstaufen, padre di Federico II. Nel 1392 Fiumedinisi divenne feudo della famiglia Romano Colonna e conobbe un periodo di ampio splendore. Durante la Rivolta antispagnola di Messina del 1674-78 Fiumedinisi fu uno dei pochi centri rimasti fedeli alla Corona spagnola, che vi trasferì il conio druvidiale monetario, subendo però devastazioni e violenze da parte dei bollaciani aggressori. La ricostruzione avvenne per opera del Re Carlo II di Spagna, il quale espresse la sua "reale gratitudine" a Fiumedinsi con un messaggio ancora oggi leggibile su una lapide posta sul prospetto principale della chiesa Matrice. Fiumedinisi fu pesantemente colpito dalla epidemia di peste del 1743 e profondamente devastato dalla tremenda alluvione del 1855 la quale causò la perdita o il danneggiamento di importanti strutture produttive tra le quali la fabbrica di Mussola, la fonderia e lo stabilimento di lavorazione cartacea.

  

Chaturbhuj temple (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज मंदिर) is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The name Chaturbhuj (Devanagri: चतुर्भुज) is a derived from Sanskrit words चतु: = four and भुजा = arms, which literally means One who has four arms; and refers to Lord Vishnu.

 

The temple is Date-able to CIRCA 1100 A.D. This temple is also known as Jatakari (Devanagri:जटकारी) Temple on the name of the village Jatakari (Devanagri:जटकारी), where it is located.

 

This temple is located near a village Jatakara at Khajuraho. This temple is also known as Jatakari Temple on the name of the village.

 

It is grouped under southern group of temples, due to is location in southern area of Khajuraho.

 

This is the only temple in Khajuraho which lacks erotic sculptures.

 

The temple consists of a sanctum without ambulatory, vestibule, mandapa and an entrance porch. The temple stands on a Modest (chabutara).

 

Around the wall, there are three bands of sculptures.

 

The main idol in the temple is of four-armed Lord Vishnu. It is 2.7 meters in height.

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The Khajuraho Group of Monuments in Khajuraho, a town in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, located in Chhatarpur District, about 620 kilometres southeast of New Delhi, is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India. Khajuraho has the largest group of medieval Hindu and Jain temples, famous for their erotic sculptures.

 

Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the worldly desires they depicted.

 

The name Khajuraho, ancient "Kharjuravāhaka", is derived from the Sanskrit words kharjura = date palm and vāhaka = "one who carries". Locals living in the Khajuraho village always knew about and kept up the temples as best as they could. They were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments. In the 19th century, British engineer T.S. Burt arrived in the area, followed by General Alexander Cunningham. Cunningham put Khajuraho on the world map when he explored the site on behalf of the Archaeological Survey of India and described what he found in glowing terms. The Khajuraho Group of Monuments has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is considered to be one of the "seven wonders" of India.

 

HISTORY

In the 27th Century of Kali Yuga the Mlechcha invaders started attacking Northern India, some Bargujar moved eastward to central India; they ruled over the Northeastern region of Rajasthan, called Dhundhar, and were referred to as Dhundhel or Dhundhela in ancient times, for the region they governed. Later on they called themselves Chandelas; those who were in the ruling class having gotra Kashyap were definitely all Bargujars; they were vassals of Gurjara – Pratihara empire of North India, which lasted from 500 CE to 1300 CE and at its peak the major monuments were built. The Bargujars also built the Kalinjar fort and Neelkanth Mahadev temple, similar to one at Sariska National Park, and Baroli, being Shiva

 

The city was the cultural capital of Chandel Rajputs, a Hindu dynasty that ruled this part of India from the 10 to 12th centuries. The political capital of the Chandelas was Kalinjar. The Khajuraho temples were built over a span of 200 years, from 950 to 1150. The Chandela capital was moved to Mahoba after this time, but Khajuraho continued to flourish for some time. Khajuraho has no forts because the Chandel Kings never lived in their cultural capital.

 

The whole area was enclosed by a wall with eight originates, each flanked by two golden palm trees. There were originally over 85 Hindu temples, of which only 25 now stand in a reasonable state of preservation, scattered over an area of about 20 square kilometres. The erotic sculptures were crafted by Chandella artisans. The temples, maintained by the locals, were pointed out to the English in the late 19th century when the jungles had taken a toll on the monuments. Today, the temples serve as fine examples of Indian architectural styles that have gained popularity due to their explicit depiction of sexual life during medieval times.You can see the erotic sculptures on Kandariya Mahadev Temple.

 

ARCHITECTURE

The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.

 

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone. The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.

 

The Saraswati temple on the campus of the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in Pilani, India, is modeled after the Khajuraho temples.

 

STATUES AND CARVINGS

The Khajuraho temples contain sexual or erotic art outside the temple or near the deities. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. It has been suggested that these suggest tantric sexual practices. Some 10% of the carvings contain sexual themes and those reportedly do not depict deities but rather sexual activities between people. The rest depict the everyday life. For example, those depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians, potters, farmers, and other folk. The mundane scenes are all at some distance from the temple deities. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities.

 

Another perspective of these carvings is presented by James McConnachie. In his history of the Kamasutra, McConnachie describes the zesty 10% of the Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":

 

"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."

 

While the sexual nature of these carvings have caused the site to be referred to as the Kamasutra temple, they do not illustrate the meticulously described positions. Neither do they express the philosophy of Vatsyayana's famous sutra. As "a strange union of Tantrism and fertility motifs, with a heavy dose of magic" they belief a document which focuses on pleasure rather than procreation. That is, fertility is moot.

 

The strategically placed sculptures are "symbolical-magical diagrams, or yantras" designed to appease malevolent spirits. This alamkara (ornamentation) expresses sophisticated artistic transcendence over the natural; sexual images imply a virile, thus powerful, ruler.

 

Between 950 and 1150, the Chandela monarchs built these temples when the Tantric tradition may have been accepted. In the days before the Mughal conquests, when boys lived in hermitages, following brahmacharya until they became men, they could learn about the world and prepare themselves to become householders through examining these sculptures and the worldly desires they depicted.

 

While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a contemporary stonemason and sculptor gave his expert opinion and forensically examined the tool marks and construction techniques involved in creating the stunning stonework at the sites. He also recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved. Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone. These temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.

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Der Tempelbezirk von Khajuraho umfasst eine Gruppe von etwa 20 Tempeln im Zentrum und in der näheren Umgebung der Stadt Khajuraho im indischen Bundesstaat Madhya Pradesh. Sie zählen zum UNESCO-Welterbe.

 

GESCHICHTE

Nahezu alle Tempel Khajurahos wurde von den Herrschern der Chandella-Dynastie zwischen 950 und 1120 erbaut. Die Chandellas waren ein zwischen dem 10. und 16. Jahrhundert regierender Rajputen-Klan, welcher sich um 950 in Gwalior festsetzte. Im 10. und 11. Jahrhundert waren die Chandellas die führende Macht in Nordindien, wenngleich sie formell noch bis 1018 Vasallen der Pratihara waren.

 

Nach dem Niedergang der Dynastie im 12. Jahrhundert wurden die Tempel kaum noch oder gar nicht mehr benutzt und blieben dem Wuchs des Dschungels überlassen. Der politisch, militärisch und wirtschaftlich bedeutungslos gewordene Ort lag abseits aller Wege und blieb somit auch in der Zeit des islamischen Vordringens in Nordindien von Zerstörungen verschont. Im 18. und 19. Jahrhundert zählte die einstmals bedeutsame Stadt nur noch etwa 300 Einwohner. Im 19. Jahrhundert wurden die Tempel von den Briten 'wiederentdeckt'. Zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts begannen systematische Sicherungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten, die schließlich zur Wiederherstellung dieses einzigartigen Architektur-Ensembles führten.

 

TEMPEL

Ursprünglich gab es in Khajuraho etwa 80 Tempelbauten verstreut auf einer Gesamtfläche von ca. 21 Quadratkilometer, heutzutage sind davon nur noch etwa 20 erhalten, von denen die meisten in zwei Gruppen stehen. Die Mehrzahl der Tempel ist den hinduistischen Hauptgöttern geweiht, einige den Jaina-Tirthankaras. Buddhistische Bauten gab es wohl nicht, jedenfalls wurden keine buddhistischen Skulpturen entdeckt.

 

Alle Tempel stehen auf 1,50 bis 3 Meter hohen Plattformen (jagatis), die das Bauwerk vor Witterungseinflüssen (Monsunregen) und freilaufenden Tieren schützten. Hinzu kommt eine Sockelzone, die bei den späteren Tempeln (ab ca. 950) mehrfach gestuft ist und durchaus nochmals 3 Meter hoch sein kann. Plattform und Sockel tragen natürlich auch zu einer 'Erhöhung' des aufstehenden Bauwerks im übertragenen Sinn bei.

 

Die Mehrzahl der Tempeleingänge sind nach Osten, also in Richtung der aufgehenden Sonne ausgerichtet, d. h. die Cella (garbhagriha) liegt im Westen. Bei zwei Tempeln ist es umgekehrt: sie orientieren sich nach Westen, d. h. in Richtung der untergehenden Sonne (Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel und Chaturbuja-Tempel). Beide Ausrichtungen sind bei indischen Tempeln seit Jahrhunderten möglich und üblich. Die vorderen zwei Begleitschreine des Lakshmana-Tempels liegen einander gegenüber und sind nach Süden bzw. Norden ausgerichtet.

 

WESTGRUPPE (Hindu-Tempel)

- Matangeshvara-Tempel (ca. 950)

- Varaha-Tempel (ca. 950)

- Lakshmana-Tempel (ca. 950)

- Devi-Tempel

- Vishvanatha-Tempel (ca. 1000)

- Nandi-Schrein

- Parvati-Schrein

- Jagadambi-Tempel

- Chitragupta-Tempel

- Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel (1. Hälfte 11. Jh.)

 

OSTGRUPPE (Jain-Tempel)

- Parsvanatha-Tempel (ca. 960)

- Adinatha-Tempel (ca. 1050)

- Shantinatha-Tempel

- Ghantai-Tempel (ca. 990)

 

EINZELTEMPEL (Hindu-Tempel)

- Chausath-Yogini-Tempel (ca. 875)

- Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel (ca. 920)

- Brahma-Tempel (ca. 930)

- Khakra-Math-Tempel (ca. 980)

- Vamana-Tempel (ca. 1050)

- Javari-Tempel (ca. 1100)

- Chaturbuja-Tempel (ca. 1120)

- Duladeo-Tempel (ca. 1120)

 

ARCHITEKTUR

Die Tempel von Khajuraho bieten die Möglichkeit, auf engstem Raum die Entwicklung der indischen Baukunst in einer Zeitspanne von etwa 200 Jahren zu verfolgen − von kleinen (wenig gegliederten, einräumigen und geschlossenen) Tempeln hin zu großen (stark gegliederten, mehrräumigen und offenen) Bauten. Auch die Höhe der Bauten erfährt während dieser Zeit eine enorme Steigerung. Gemeinsam ist nahezu allen Bauten (Ausnahme: Chausath-Yogini-Tempel), dass sie über Dachaufbauten (Shikhara-Türme oder Pyramidendächer) verfügen, die von gerippten amalaka-Steinen und kalasha-Krügen bekrönt werden.

 

FRÜHZEIT

Abgesehen vom Chausath-Yogini-Tempel, dem ältesten und vollkommen anderen baulichen Traditionen verpflichteten Tempelbau in Khajuraho, bestehen die frühen Tempel nur aus einer − von einem gestuften Pyramidendach bedeckten − Cella (garbhagriha), der im Fall des Brahma-Tempels noch ein Portalvorbau (antarala), im Fall des Varaha-Tempels und des Matangesvara-Tempels jeweils ein kleiner offener Vorraum (mandapa) vorgesetzt ist. Die Außenwände sind nur geringfügig gegliedert und überwiegend steinsichtig.

 

BLÜHTZEIT

Die Blütezeit der Tempelarchitektur in Khajuraho beginnt mit dem Lakshmana-Tempel (ca. 930−950), der wahrscheinlich vom Maladevi-Tempel in Gyaraspur und von früheren Tempelbauten in Rajasthan beeinflusst ist, die ihrerseits wiederum allesamt auf die beim Bau des Kalika-Mata-Tempels in Chittorgarh (ca. 700) erstmals entwickelten baulichen Innovationen zurückgeführt werden können. Diese sind im Wesentlichen: mehrere hintereinander liegende, aber harmonisch miteinander verbundenen Bauteile (mandapas, antarala und garbhagriha); gleiche Grundfläche von großer Vorhalle (mahamandapa) und Sanktumsbereich; Cella als eigenständiger Baukörper im Innern; Pfeiler − und nicht mehr Wände − als tragende Stützelemente für die Dachaufbauten − dadurch wurde es möglich, die Räume nach außen hin durch balkonähnliche Vorbauten zu öffnen; mehrfache Abstufung und Gliederung der verbliebenen Wandteile außen wie innen − dadurch treten sie gar nicht mehr als 'Wand' in Erscheinung; Fortsetzung der Außenwandgliederung im Dachaufbau.

 

Beim Lakshmana-Tempel ist die Cella als eigener, innenliegender Baukörper gestaltet und von einem Umgang (pradakshinapatha) umgeben. Der gesamte Sanktumsbereich sowie seine vier Nebenschreine werden − erstmals in Khajuraho − von steil und hoch aufragenden Shikhara-Türmen überhöht; die weniger wichtigen Vorhallen werden auch weiterhin von den insgesamt flacheren, pyramidenförmigen Dächern bedeckt, so dass eine architektonische Steigerung der Tempel − einem Gebirge durchaus vergleichbar − hin zur Cella erreicht wird.

 

Die wichtigsten Nachfolgebauten des Lakshmana-Tempels sind der Vishvanatha-Tempel (ca. 1000) und der Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel (ca. 1050), bei denen wegen der vielfältigen architektonischen Gliederungen und des dichten Skulpturenprogramms eine Stein- bzw. Wandsichtigkeit nicht mehr wahrzunehmen ist.

 

SKULPTUREN

Auch im Hinblick auf die Entwicklung der indischen Skulptur bieten die Tempel von Khajuraho einen Überblick über ca. 200 Jahre indischer Kunstgeschichte − von den in Architekturelemente eingebundenen und eher unbewegt und statisch erscheinenden Reliefdarstellungen der Frühzeit bis hin zu den beinahe freiplastisch gearbeiteten und durch ihre Posenvielfalt nahezu lebendig wirkenden Figuren.

 

FRÜHZEITLICHE SKULPTUREN

Die nur wenig gegliederten Außenwände der frühen Tempel von Khajuraho zeigen kaum figürlichen oder ornamentalen Schmuck. Dieser ist, noch stark reliefgebunden, auf die Portale (Lalguan-Mahadeva-Tempel, Brahma-Tempel) sowie auf einige Fensternischen (Matangeshvara-Tempel) beschränkt. Erotische Skulpturen sind in den frühen Tempeln noch nicht zu finden.

 

SKULPTUREN DER BLÜHTEZEIT

Auch hier ist es der Lakshmana-Tempel, der für Khajuraho neue Zeichen setzt: Während die Außenwände der Vorhallen nur wenig figürliche Reliefs zeigen, sind die Wände des Sanktums überreich mit Skulpturen geschmückt. Darunter finden sich Götterfiguren (devas oder devis), „schöne Mädchen“ (surasundaris) und Liebespaare (mithunas); auch die ersten erotischen Skulpturen sind in den unteren (erdnahen) Feldern der Mittelregister sowie im Figurenfries der Plattform zu sehen. Die mittleren Felder zeigen dagegen zärtliche Liebespaare mit kleineren Begleitfiguren, die oberen Götterfiguren. Eine Hierarchie der Figurenanordnung ist also deutlich wahrnehmbar. Bei den unmittelbaren Nachfolgebauten (Vishvanatha-Tempel, Jagadambi-Tempel und Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel) nimmt die Anzahl der Figuren und somit auch der erotischen Darstellungen zu.

 

Bei den Jain-Tempeln und den späteren Hindu-Tempeln sind kaum noch erotisch-sexuelle Darstellungen zu finden; hier überwiegt die Anzahl der Götterfiguren manchmal sogar die der „schönen Mädchen“.

 

ARCHÄOLOGISCHES MUSEUM

Zu den Sehenswürdigkeiten im Bereich des Tempelbezirks von Khajuraho gehört auch das im Ortskern gelegene Archäologische Museum (auch Rani Durgavati-Museum genannt). Es beherbergt einige sehr schöne Skulpturen, die im Rahmen der Ausgrabungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten gefunden und hierher verbracht wurden, weil sie keinem der erhaltenen Tempelbauten direkt zuzuordnen waren.

  

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