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عيـوني تسأل من كثر ماهي تبغيك لحد متى بيطول هاذا الفراقـي ?! :(
Dedicated To ; Amna :( ♥
7yaty Amna :( , Ana Bdoonch ma A3eesh wallah (U) , Ana Miss youh Akther Mn kl shy Wallah :( , 9d8eeny Wallah lw Sh9aar Ana wrbby Ma Ansach :( , lw T7dony kl elBshr w w8fw '9dy .. Ma Bnsaach w ana Thabta 3la 7ubch Len Ma Amot 7bebty :( , Miss Youh like no One Does wallah ! :'( , A7bbbbbch Mn kl A3ma8 8lllby :(
Modle ; Me :'$
Dedicated in 1936 as part of a New Deal Works Progress Administration project, Dinosaur Park consisted of seven concrete dinosaurs perched atop the highest hill in Rapid City. All were designed by Emmet Suillivan, who also designed the Wall Drug Apatosaurus nearby as well as the much more famous Christ of the Ozarks in Arkansas. The reptiles depicted at Dinosaur Park are an Apatosaurus, Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Stegosaurus, and an Edmontosaurus annectens. A Protoceratops and a Dimetrodon (actually a synapsid and not a dinosaur) were later erected. All were made from a large black iron pipe, wire mesh and concrete. While vandalized over the years, and quite dated according to modern paleontology, most of the statues remain relatively unmodified. It remains a popular tourist attraction.
Rapid City, South Dakota
This memorial, dedicated to the four people who died during the Boston Marathon bombing, was started on Beacon Street and was moved to Copley Place after the location was opened to the public again. People are quiet as they move past the flowers, signs and candles that others have left. There is a little talking, but mostly silence. The press is still there at the curb's edge, but even they are in their own little bubbles not making much noise. People are taking lots of photos, and ordinarily it might seem disrespectful, but I think many are taking them because they want to remember what happened, and the warm, caring response that came in terror's wake. Peace to Sean Collier, Krystle Bell, Lu Ling, and Martin Richard
to my father who died last May.
He would have loved to visit the museum and this Râdome (radar dome). He was an engineer and dedicated most of his professional life to telecommunication systems. He was one of the first radar specialist in Switzerland and played a major role in planning air traffic control systems for Zurich airport. Later on, he changed his interest to telecom systems for radio and TV . He would have loved to visit this radar dome with it's huge parabol antenna. In 1962, the first transatlantic life transmission of images from the US to Europe via satelite was received here.
And, besides, it was him who introduced me to photography, who gave me my first decent camera as a Xmas present. It's my Rollei 35 which accompanied me all those years and which I still love to use. Don't ask me to sell it. I never would. And it's priceless, anyway.
....... A Friend....
(A)ccepts you as you are
(B)elieves in "you"
(C)alls you just to say "HI"
(D)oesn't give up on you
(E)nvisions the whole of you (even the unfinished parts)
(F)orgives your mistakes
(G)ives unconditionally
(H)elps you
(I)nvites you over
(J)ust "be" with you
(K)eeps you close at heart
(L)oves you for who you are
(M)akes a difference in your life
(N)ever Judges
(O)ffer support
(P)icks you up
(Q)uiets your fears
(R)aises your spirits
(S)ays nice things about you
(T)ells you the truth when you need tohear it
(U)nderstands you
(V)alues you
(W)alks beside you
(X)-plains thing you don't understand
(Y)ells when you won't listen and
(Z)aps you back to reality
Last but not least.......
N. B. - All photographs are copyrighted by the photographer and may not to be used without written deed permission.
I love shooting macro. It's like a whole new world opening up. Macro can also be about composition and colors besides getting the correct focus (and bokeh), which can be hard enough. This is dedicated to spring and hopefully a little warmer days. This is a flower of Arctic willow (Salix arctica) or a closely related species. It's about 2,5 cm (1") long.
The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At 253,015 square feet (23,505.9 m2), it is the largest LDS temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth temple completed by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1846.
The Salt Lake Temple is the centerpiece of the 10-acre (4.0 ha) Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. Like other LDS temples it is considered sacred by the church and its members and a temple recommend is required to enter, so there are no public tours inside the temple, though there are public tours of other adjacent buildings on Temple Square. The church permitted Life to publish the first public photographs of the building's interior in 1938. The temple grounds are open to the public and are a popular tourist attraction. Due to its location at LDS Church headquarters and its historical significance, it is patronized by Latter-day Saints from many parts of the world. The Salt Lake Temple is also the location of the weekly meetings of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. As such, there are special meeting rooms in the building for these purposes, including the Holy of Holies, which are not present in other temples.
The temple is located in downtown Salt Lake City, with several mountain peaks close by. Nearby, a shallow stream, City Creek, splits and flows both to the west and to the south, flowing into the Jordan River. There is a wall around the 10-acre (4.0 ha) temple site. The surrounding wall became the first permanent structure on what has become known as Temple Square. The wall is a uniform 15 feet high but varies in appearance because of the southwest slope of the site.
The location for the temple was first marked by Mormon prophet Brigham Young, the second president of the church, on July 28, 1847, just four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley. The temple site was dedicated on February 14, 1853. Groundbreaking ceremonies were presided over by Brigham Young, who laid the cornerstone on April 6 of that year. The architect was Truman O. Angell, and the temple is said to feature both Gothic and Romanesque elements.
Sandstone was originally used for the foundation. During the Utah War the foundation was buried and the lot made to look like a plowed field to prevent unwanted attention from federal troops. After tensions had eased in 1858 and work on the temple resumed, it was discovered that many of the foundation stones had cracked, making them unsuitable for use. Although not all of the sandstone was replaced, the inadequate sandstone was replaced by quartz monzonite (which has the appearance of granite) from Little Cottonwood Canyon, located twenty miles (32 km) southeast of the temple site. Oxen transported the quarried rock initially, but as the Transcontinental Railroad neared completion in 1869 the remaining stones were carried by rail at a much faster rate.
The capstone—the granite sphere which holds the statue of the Angel Moroni—was laid on April 6, 1892, by means of an electric motor and switch operated by Wilford Woodruff, the church's fourth president, thus completing work on the temple's exterior.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salt_Lake_Temple
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Text_of_Creative_Commons_...
dedicated to my great friend Naleye, this friendly gentleman was passing bye. He didn't seem to bother about time nor age. Unfortunately, i was in a hurry, while getting older every second...
English | Français | Deutsch
The church dedicated to Saint-Jacques le Mineur and St. Philip is a religious building in Paris.
Far from the fortifications made by the King Philip II Augustus to defend Paris, on a lonely hill in the middle of fields along an ancient road in 1180 "brothers" of the Diocese of Saint-Jacques Altopascio just moved. This order, from Tuscany (Italy) will base a hospital, a chapel, will build hostels and structures to help the poor and pilgrims in their travels. Their name will be given later to the neighborhood "Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas" (Altopascio).
Pope Pius II (pontiff from 1458 to 1464) suppressed the order in 1459, their places in 1572 Catherine de Medici install the "Benedictines of Saint-Magloire" The area which over time becomes denser see the need to build a new church, they will acquire this right in 1584 when a church will be built. The church of small dimensions will be transformed from 1630 under the leadership of Gaston d'Orléans.
Gaston of Orleans was the brother of King Louis XIII, a rich man with a taste for the construction, it is also responsible for the construction of a new wing in the classic style at Blois Castle. Under him, the church is made until the current form, with the expansion of the central nave and the creation of the current entry on the Rue Saint-Jacques. The church is dedicated to St. Jacques le Mineur and St. Philip. Saint-Jacques le Mineur is not the Saint-Jacques patron of Compostela because at the time Paris already has a church dedicated to this saint. In our days, from that church remains only a bell tower called "Tour Saint-Jacques."
With the name, location (on the ancient Roman Cardo) and the fact that it is possible to stay there, the church become an important stop on the pilgrimage to Compostela. The pilgrimage to Compostela (after the Reconquista in 1492) is one of three pilgrimages enshrined in the church with Rome and Jerusalem.
Following the French Revolution the church was looted, Catholic worship forbidden, yet in 1795 it opens partially but it must be shared with another organization until 1810 when due to the Concordat of 1801 the Catholic Church takes possession of his property confiscated.
Architectural description
Daniel Gittard is the architect who prepared the plans of the main body, he made the entrance porch, narthex, nave, transept and the altar. Gittard was the architect of the king, founding member of the Royal Academy of Architecture in 1671, also worked at St. Sulpice.
The entrance is a porch with four doric columns surmounted by a fronton, a large rose window in the axis of the porch runs the central part of the facade, rigor and sobriety can be seen in the composition and the lack of decoration. The bell tower is divided into three stages, the first is the narthex and has an access door and a window, the two funds designed identically contains only windows with louvre.
Classical style building, notice by the asymmetry of the facade caused by the absence of a bell tower, due to lack of money. In the initial project was also planned decorations on the walls, the statues of two saints on the front and ornaments all over the facade.
En français
L'église consacrée aux Saint-Jacques le Mineur et saint Philippe est un édifice religieux à Paris.
Loin des fortifications du roi Philippe Auguste II faites pour défendre Paris, sur une colline déserte, au milieu des champs bordant une route antique, en 1180 des « frères » de la diocèse Saint-Jacques d'Altopascio vient de s'installer. Cet ordre, originaire de la Toscane (Italie) fondera un hôpital, une chapelle, bâtira des héberges et d'autres constructions pour aider les pauvres et les pèlerins dans leur voyages. Leur nom sera donné par la suite au quartier « Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas » (Altopascio).
Le pape Pie II (pontificat 1458-1464) supprima l'ordre en 1459, sur leurs lieux en 1572 Cathérine de Médicis installera les « Bénédictins de Saint-Magloire » Le quartier qui au fil du temps se densifie vois la nécessité de construire une nouvelle église, ils vont acquérir ce droit en 1584 quand une petite église sera construite. L'église de petites dimensions sera transformé à partir de 1630 sous l'impulsion de Gaston d'Orléans.
Gaston d'Orléans était le frère du roi Louis XIII, un homme riche ayant le goût pour la construction, à lui on doit également la construction d'une nouvelle aile de style classique au château de Blois. Sous ses ordres, l'église est faite jusqu'à la forme actuelle, avec l'agrandissement de la nef centrale et la création de l'entrée actuelle sur la rue Saint-Jacques. L'église est consacré aux Saint-Jacques le Mineur et saint Philippe. Saint-Jacques le Mineur n'est par le Saint-Jacques patron de Compostelle car à l'époque Paris possède déjà une église consacré à ce saint. De cette église, aujourd'hui ne reste qu'une tour clocher nommée « la Tour Saint-Jacques ».
Grâce au nom, à son emplacement (sur l'ancien cardo romain) et au fait qu'il est possible de s'y loger, l'église deviens une halte importante dans le chemin du pèlerinage à Compostelle. Le pèlerinage à Compostelle (après la Reconquista en 1492) étant l'un des trois pèlerinages consacrés par l’Église à coté de Rome et Jérusalem.
A la suite de la Révolution Française l'église est pillé, le culte catholique interdit, pourtant en 1795 elle ouvre partiellement, en plus elle dois partager son siège avec une autre organisation jusqu'en 1810 quand grâce au Concordat de 1801 l'église Catholique reprend la possession de ses biens confisqués.
Description architecturale
Daniel Gittard est l'architecte qui a établi les plans du corps principal, c'est qui lui a fait le porche d'entrée, le narthex, la nef, le transept et l'autel. Gittard a été l'architecte du roi, membre fondateur du l'Académie Royale d'Architecture en 1671, a travaillé aussi à l'église Saint Sulpice.
L'entrée se fait sous un porche comportant 4 colonnes doriques surmonté d'un fronton, une grande rosace dans l'axe du porche anime la partie centrale de la façade, on remarque la rigueur et la sobriété de la composition ainsi que la manque de décoration. La tour clocher est divisé en 3 étages, le premier correspond au narthex et comporte une porte d'accès et un fenêtre, les deux deniers conçus à l'identique comporte uniquement des fenêtres avec des abat-son.
De style classique, la construction se remarque par la dissymétrie de la façade causée par l'absence d'une tour clocher, due à la manque d'argent. Dans le projet initial il était prévue aussi des décorations sur la façades, les statues de deux saints sur le fronton et divers ornements sur toute la façade.
Auf Deutsch
Die Kirche Saint-Jacques le Mineur und St. Philip gewidmet ist ein religiöses Gebäude in Paris.
Weit entfernt von den Befestigungsanlagen von der König Philip II Augustus nach Paris auf einem einsamen Hügel in der Mitte der Felder auf der alten Strasse in 1180 "Brüder" der Diözese Saint-Jacques Altopascio gerade bewegt verteidigen. Die Bestellung, aus der Toskana (Italien) wird ein Krankenhaus, eine Kapelle stützen wird Hostels und Strukturen aufbauen, um den Armen und Pilger auf ihren Reisen helfen. Ihr Name wird später in der Nachbarschaft "Saint-Jacques du Haut-Pas" (Altopascio) angegeben werden.
Papst Pius II (Papst von 1458 bis 1464) unterdrückt die Reihenfolge, in 1459, ihre Plätze im Jahre 1572 Katharina von Medici installieren Sie die "Benediktiner von Saint-Magloire" Der Bereich, der mit der Zeit dichter sehen die Notwendigkeit, eine neue Kirche zu bauen, werden sie dieses Recht zu erwerben im Jahr 1584, als eine Kirche errichtet. Die Kirche von kleinen Abmessungen werden aus dem Jahre 1630 unter der Führung von Gaston d'Orléans umgewandelt werden.
Gaston von Orleans war der Bruder von König Ludwig XIII, ein reicher Mann mit einer Vorliebe für den Bau, sondern auch für den Bau eines neuen Flügels im klassischen Stil in Blois Schloss verantwortlich. Unter ihm ist die Kirche bis zum heutigen Form, mit dem Ausbau des Mittelschiffs und der Erstellung des aktuellen Eintrags auf der Rue Saint-Jacques. Die Kirche ist St. Jacques le Mineur und St. Philip gewidmet. Saint-Jacques le Mineur ist nicht die Saint-Jacques Schirmherr Compostela weil zum Zeitpunkt Paris bereits über eine Kirche auf diesem Heiligen gewidmet. In unserer Zeit, aus dieser Kirche bleibt nur noch der Glockenturm als "Tour Saint-Jacques."
Mit dem Namen, Ort (auf dem alten römischen Cardo) und der Tatsache, dass es möglich ist, dort zu bleiben, die Kirche zu einer wichtigen Station auf der Pilgerfahrt nach Santiago de Compostela. Die Wallfahrt nach Compostela (nach der Reconquista im Jahr 1492) ist eine der drei Wallfahrten in der Kirche mit Rom und Jerusalem verankert.
Nach dem Französisch Revolution wurde die Kirche geplündert, katholische Gottesdienst verboten, aber im Jahre 1795 es teilweise geöffnet, aber es muss mit einer anderen Organisation genutzt werden, bis 1810, als aufgrund des Konkordats von 1801 die katholische Kirche in Besitz seines Eigentums beschlagnahmt.
Architekturbeschreibung
Daniel Gittard ist der Architekt, der die Pläne des Hauptkörpers, machte er die Eingangshalle, Vorhalle, Kirchenschiff, Querschiff und der Altar vorbereitet. Gittard war der Architekt des Königs, Gründungsmitglied der Royal Academy of Architecture 1671, auch in St. Sulpice gearbeitet.
Der Eingang befindet sich eine Veranda mit vier dorischen Säulen von einem Giebel überragt, eine große Fensterrose in der Achse der Veranda läuft der zentrale Teil der Fassade, Strenge und Nüchternheit in der Zusammensetzung und der Mangel an Dekoration zu sehen. Der Glockenturm ist in drei Phasen unterteilt, die erste ist die Vorhalle und hat eine Zugangstür und ein Fenster, die beiden Fonds konzipiert enthält gleich nur Fenster mit Raster.
Klassizistischen Gebäude, Ankündigung durch die Asymmetrie der Fassade durch das Fehlen von einem Glockenturm verursacht, wegen des Mangels an Geld. In der ersten Projekt wurde geplant Dekorationen an den Wänden, die Statuen der beiden Heiligen auf der Vorderseite und Verzierungen auf der ganzen Fassade.
The compact T-20 was designed as a dedicated TTL unit for the OM series. But there's no reason it can't be used on the Trip 35 in one of the two auto aperture settings.
Trees are frequently dedicated to members of the community who have died. 2001 was the 10th year anniversary of this canine patrol man's death. He'd been killed by a drunk driver barreling thru an illegal left turn.
The star shaped flashlight lights and the figure and the wings move. His uniform is accurate. The badge was cut off an Olympic bid key fob that had the Murray, UT police badge.
GIUSEPPE GRECO 2008
CANON EOS 400D EF 50MM 1.8
Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Finally, found a curl. Dedicated to gardinergirl who inspired me to
find and photograph nature's curls!!
Specially dedicated to A.G. Photography & Farbspiel who given me idea and inspiration !
My first shot of photography trip after holiday. Have to consider my self lucky yesterday morning because having a wonderful driver (SamLow) who brought me to explore this place, plus having this kind of lovely clouds in the morning. Oh ya,most importantly with fine weather too~
But I don`t think I`m so lucky today as the sky was crystal clear (no clouds) !!! & the weather is like freaking over 30c !!! ARrgghhhh !!!
Dedicated To ; Tσσмч << My Bff ♥
Tσσмч ; 7bebte Wallah F6oom !
o Rbii Amoot FeeCH My Bff !
7yatii Ya 8llby o 3mmri !
Thnx For Being The Best Best Best Friend To Me Since A Long Time Ago ..
A777777777777biiiiiiiCH Ya B3dhoom ! ♥ !!
___
أبيڪ تعرف آن لڪ صآحب بڪل مآفيه "يغليڪ"..
بڪل مآعطآه ربي من أحآسيس يحتويڪ ..~
روـح ـہ
ح ـيآته
ح ـتى ـج ـروحه
تفديڪ
لآتظن آنه في يوم يقدر ينتسيڪ
يبيڪ تذڪره لآصآرت آلليآلي
تجتفيڪ..
وتدعيله
عسى آلله له يخليه..
___
Tσσмч ; ۉآڵڵـﮧ مٍآ يۉصڵ غڵآڪ أي مٍخڵۉق يآڵڵي غڵآڪ پصدق مٍحد يڛآۉيـﮧ
Tσσмч ; محبتي لك صاادقه من كل قلبي احتويييك
Tσσмч ; كثر ماحبك اناا احبك وييلييي من حببببك
Tσσмч ; مجنوووون فيي حببببك و ضاايع بدنياااك
Tσσмч ; اغلييييك يا اغلى البشر و بعيووني افديييك
P.S ; A777777777biiiiiiCH My Toomy ! ( kk )
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
Ann's beach neighbors on April 7 re-dedicated our recreation center in honor of her heroism. Well attended by friends, neighbors, her fellow officers, Galveston Police Department, Jamaica Beach Fire Department and Jamaica Beach Police (where Ann was a reserve officer during her life). April 7 was declared Officer Ann O'Donnell Day by the Mayor.
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Indian Beach Recreation Center Dedication
Indian Beach, Galveston Texas
April 7, 2012
Remarks – Nonette O’Donnell
When Ann was 5 we moved to Galveston’s east end because we fell in love with a century-old castle.
Then, when Ann was 16, we moved to Galveston’s west end. Only this time it was Ann who fell in love with a house, the one we live in here on Indian Beach.
Today is further proof that choosing this neighborhood was the right decision. We so appreciate this tribute and all of you who made it possible and came here this morning. It will be a wonderful reminder of Ann’s sacrifice, here in the place she considered home. Although she lived other places, this is always where she would return and enjoy life.
As Ann grew older, our eyes were opened to her qualities and the promise of what she would become as an adult. It was clear that she brought devotion, compassion, resilience, and commitment to what she considered important. But for a number of years what seemed most important to her (second only to boys and fast cars) was fashion merchandising (that was her code for the boutique she wanted us to buy for her on the Strand).
But then she came to us out of nowhere with the idea that she wanted to be in law enforcement. We were skeptical, to put it mildly, that this girly-girl would trade her high heels for black leather combat boots. But she did, and she loved every minute of it.
So we learned something else about our daughter -- she had a gift that led people to open up to her because they trusted her and could tell that she genuinely cared about them.
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We’ve heard the dispatch tape where the call reporting a kidnapping in progress was broadcast and Ann responds "429, on it" within 3 seconds, She was out of her patrol unit at the time and you can tell from the recording that she was already running to her car when she told dispatch she was responding.
She didn’t ask who she was helping, she just accepted her oath to protect and to serve.
About five minutes later, because of a patrol car that was not properly maintained, she was gone. Forever.
But Ann’s death did not make her a hero. Ann’s decision to help a stranger was the thing that was heroic.
What kind of a world would we have without the protection and service of law enforcement, EMS and fire departments, and armed services personnel who make similar decisions every day?
·Ann lost her life at the tender age of 24 in pursuit of a kidnapper.
·Ann lost her young life trying to help someone she’d never even met.
·Ann’s life was the embodiment of the motto “To Protect and Serve.”
Thank you for honoring Ann today. In doing so, you honor all who put themselves in harm’s way to keep safe the rest of us.
(•) – The Lockheed Martin HC-130J Hercules The Combat King II is the U.S. Air Force's only dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform and is flown by the Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and Air Combat Command (ACC). This C-130J variation specializes in tactical profiles and avoiding detection and recovery operations in austere environments. The HC-130J replaces HC-130P/Ns as the only dedicated fixed-wing Personnel Recovery platform in the Air Force inventory. It is an extended-range version of the C-130J Hercules transport. Its mission is to rapidly deploy to execute combatant commander directed recovery operations to austere airfields and denied territory for expeditionary, all weather personnel recovery operations to include airdrop, airland, helicopter air-to-air refueling, and forward area ground refueling missions. When tasked, the aircraft also conducts humanitarian assistance operations, disaster response, security cooperation/aviation advisory, emergency aeromedical evacuation, and noncombatant evacuation operations.
Features
Modifications to the HC-130J have improved navigation, threat detection and countermeasures systems. The aircraft fleet has a fully-integrated inertial navigation and global positioning systems, and night vision goggle, or NVG, compatible interior and exterior lighting. It also has forward-looking infrared, radar and missile warning receivers, chaff and flare dispensers, satellite and data-burst communications, and the ability to receive fuel inflight via a Universal Aerial Refueling Receptacle Slipway Installation (UARRSI).
The HC-130J can fly in the day; however, crews normally fly night at low to medium altitude levels in contested or sensitive environments, both over land or overwater. Crews use NVGs for tactical flight profiles to avoid detection to accomplish covert infiltration/exfiltration and transload operations. To enhance the probability of mission success and survivability near populated areas, crews employ tactics that include incorporating no external lighting or communications, and avoiding radar and weapons detection.
Drop zone objectives are done via personnel drops and equipment drops. Rescue bundles include illumination flares, marker smokes and rescue kits. Helicopter air-to-air refueling can be conducted at night, with blacked out communication with up to two simultaneous helicopters. Additionally, forward area refueling point operations can be executed to support a variety of joint and coalition partners.
Background
The HC-130J is a result of the HC/MC-130 recapitalization program and replaces Air Combat Command's aging HC-130P/N fleet as the dedicated fixed-wing personnel recovery platform in the Air Force inventory. The 71st and 79th Rescue Squadrons in Air Combat Command, the 550th Special Operations Squadron in Air Education and Training Command, the 920th Rescue Group in Air Force Reserve Command and the 106th Rescue Wing, 129th RQW and 176th Wing in the Air National Guard will operate the aircraft.
First flight was 29 July 2010, and the aircraft will serve the many roles and missions of the HC-130P/Ns. It is a modified KC-130J aircraft designed to conduct personnel recovery missions, provide a command and control platform, in-flight-refuel helicopters and carry supplemental fuel for extending range or air refueling.
In April 2006, the personnel recovery mission was transferred back to Air Combat Command at Langley AFB, Va. From 2003 to 2006, the mission was under the Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla. Previously, HC-130s were assigned to ACC from 1992 to 2003. They were first assigned to the Air Rescue Service as part of Military Airlift Command.
General Characteristics
Primary function: Fixed-wing Personnel Recovery platform
Contractor: Lockheed Aircraft Corp.
Power Plant: Four Rolls Royce AE2100D3 turboprop engines
Thrust: 4,591 Propeller Shaft Horsepower, each engine
Wingspan: 132 feet, 7 inches (40.4 meters)
Length: 97 feet, 9 inches (29.57 meters)
Height: 38 feet, 9 inches (11.58 meters)
Operating Weight: 89,000 pounds (40,369 kilograms)
Maximum Takeoff Weight: 164,000 pounds (74,389 kilograms)
Fuel Capacity: 61,360 pounds (9,024 gallons)
Payload: 35,000 pounds (15,875 kilograms)
Speed: 316 knots indicated air speed at sea level
Range: beyond 4,000 miles (3,478 nautical miles)
Ceiling: 33,000 feet (10,000 meters)
Armament: countermeasures/flares, chaff
Basic Crew: Three officers (pilot, co-pilot, combat system officer) and two enlisted loadmasters
Unit Cost: $66 million (fiscal 2010 replacement cost)
Initial operating capability: 2013.
It has been almost a A Year and a Half Since I caught this one in action. The Last time I caught it was in 2016. And here it is Hard at Work doing Parajumps at The Airport.
The Brihadeshvara Temple at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is an important example of Tamil architecture achieved during the Chola dynasty. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".
This is one of the largest temples in India and one of India's most prized architectural sites. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, Peruvudaiyaar Temple, also popularly known as the 'Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010.
Thanjavur Periya Kovil stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam (or temple tower) is 66 m) high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam, the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are close to Tiruchirappalli, about 60 km to the west of Thanjavur.
HISTORY
The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in 1002 CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects.
The Brihadeshvara Temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire in compliance to a command given to him in his dream. The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.
The Brihadeshvara Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple "testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."
CONSTRUCTION
The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Raja Raja while he stayed at Sri Lanka as an emperor.
The esteemed architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The temple was built per ancient texts called Vaastu Shastras and Agamas. He is the ancient ancestor of the doyan of Vaastu Vedic architecture, the late Dr. V. Ganapti Sthapati of Chennai and Mahabalipurim (architect of the 133' granite Thiruvalluvar statue at the tip of south India). Members of his family still live and practice the ancient art and science. The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology was initiated by Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati to perpetuate the same form of architectural principles used by Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan to build the Brihadeeswarar temple. The temple was built using a measure of 1 3/8-inch called an angula (24 units equalling 33 inches called a hasta, muzam, or kishku). This is the same measure found in ancient Lothal and other sites in the Indus Valley dating back 4000 - 6000 years. This same measure is used to build structures compliant with the Vaastu Shastras and Agamas today. While some builders use a different measure this is considered a standard due to its antiquity.
This temple is the first building fully built by granite and finished within 5yrs [1004AD – 1009AD]. The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres, above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance. The huge kalasam or Vimanam (top portion of the shrine) is believed to weigh 81.28 tonnes of single stone block and was raised to its present height by dragging on an inclined plane of 6.44 km. The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width. The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m. The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. The shrine of Goddess was added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers.
TEMPLE COMPLEX
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Vimanam (Shikhara) is ca. 60 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam.
The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimanam.
MAIN TEMPLE
A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary. The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasising the principle cult icons. The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.
In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha. The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity. The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.
The circumambulation winds around the massive lingam in the garbhagriha and is repeated in an upper story, presenting the idea that Chola Empire freely offered access to the gods.
The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull mount.
TEMPLE DEITIES
The "moolavar" or prime deity of the Brihadeeswarar Temple is Shiva. All deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Chandra are of huge size. The Brihadiswarar temple is one of the rare temples which has idols for "Ashta-dikpaalakas" (Guardians of the directions) – Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna – each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6 feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu and Īśāna are preserved in situ.)
ADJOINING STRUCTURES
Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple.
FEATURES
Another widely held belief is that the shadow of the gopuram (pyramidal tower usually over the gateway of a temple) never falls on the ground. . The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000 tons of sandstone and granite. The Kumbam itself, a 60 ton granite stone carved in one piece, on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram. The prevailing belief is that a mud-slope, which starts at about three miles from the temple site, from Thirukoilore (birthplace of Raja raja's mother) near Sri Virateshvara swamy temple portrays the figure of the Thanjavur Temple. Elephants might have been used to drag the stone up the slope. This was claimed to be the only part of the gopuram, which does not cast a shadow that fall on the ground, at least not within the temple premises which is an architectural amazement in the world of architecture.
MURALS
The temple has Chola frescoes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum potryaing Shiva in action, destroying demonic forts, dancing and sending a white elephant to transport a devotee to heaven. These frescoes were discovered in the 1940s and portray the mythological episodes of the journey of Saint Sundarar and the Chera King to heaven, the battle scene of Tripurantaka (Lord Siva) with Asuras (demons). The Chola artists have proved their mettle by portraying even the Asura women with a sense of beauty. Some of the paintings in the sanctum sanctorum and the walls in the passage had been damaged because of the soot that had deposited on them. Owing to the continuous exposure to smoke and soot from the lamps and burning of camphor in the sanctum sanctorum over a period of centuries certain parts of the Chola paintings on the circumambulatory passage walls had been badly damaged. The Tanjore Nayak kings replaced them with a few paintings of their own, about 400 years ago. The Archaeological Survey of India, for the first time in the world, used its unique de-stucco process to restore 16 Nayak paintings, which were superimposed on 1000-year-old Chola frescoes. These 400-year-old paintings have been mounted on fibre glass boards, displayed at a separate pavilion.
TEMPLE PERSONNEL
The temple was consecrated in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I & in 2010 a celebration commemorated the temple's thousandth anniversary. The temple maintained a staff of 1000 people in various capacities with 400 being temple dancers Besides the Brahmin priests, these included record-keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as housekeeping staff. In those days the temple was a hub of business activities for the flower, milk, oil, and ghee merchants, all of whom made a regular supply of their respective goods for the temple for its poojas and during festival seasons. Moreover as evidenced by the inscriptions that found in the compound wall of this temple, the temple had always been serving as a platform for the dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Bharatnatyam. vallamuthu minnadi generation worshipped this temple.
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
Dedicated to Eugenia <3
Today was my granny's one year anniv since she has been gone. Family got together for a special gathering in her memory. The sun was shining extra bright today! someone was shining down on us :)
Today Bambii lost a shoe in the grassy field when little cousin was playing with her and miraculously my aunt found the shoe!! Also, Bambii's glasses almost got crushed when I tried to catch a football while holding her.. hehe.. we still had fun
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
Karlovo (Bulgarian: Карлово) is a picturesque and a historically important town in central Bulgaria located in a fertile valley along the river Stryama at the southern foot of the Balkan Mountains. It is administratively part of Plovdiv Province and has a population of about 28,321 (as of 2005), the mayor being Nayden Naydenov.
Karlovo is famous for the worldwide-known rose oil, which is grown there and used in producing perfume. In addition to this, Karlovo is the birthplace of Vasil Levski, the most distinguished Bulgarian to start preparing the national liberation from the Ottoman rule in the late 19th century. There is a museum and large monument dedicated to him. Karlovo is also a popular location for tourism in the region.
During the 2000s, Bulgarian archaeologists made discoveries in Central Bulgaria which were summarized as "The Valley of the Thracian Kings". On 19 August 2005, some archaeologists announced they had found the first Thracian capital, which was situated near Karlovo in Bulgaria. A lot of polished ceramic artifacts (pieces of roof-tiles and Greek-like vases) were discovered revealing the fortune of the city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Culture declared its support to the excavations.
History
Karlovo is a successor of the medieval fortress of Kopsis, a feudal possession of Smilets of Bulgaria in the 13th-14th century and the likely capital of his brother despotēs Voysil's short-lived realm. The modern town originated in 1483 at the place of the village of Sushitsa (still today Sushitsa is one of Karlovo's districts), but grew in importance in the 19th century as a centre of Bulgarian culture and revolutionary activity.From 1953 until 1962, the city was called Levskigrad
The ‘Football Remembers’ memorial was dedicated by H.R.H. Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, and the winning designer, ten-year-old Spencer Turner from Farne Primary School in Newcastle, in the presence of F.A. Chairman Greg Dyke, England manager Roy Hodgson and representatives from the Premier League, Football League and the British Council on 12.12.2014.
The memorial commemorates the centenary of one of the most iconic moments of the First World War - the 1914 Christmas Truce football match which took place between allied and German troops on Christmas Day 1914 in Flanders, Belgium. Soldiers from both sides put down their weapons and crossed into ‘no man’s land’ to share in an impromptu ceasefire. First-hand accounts from the time include references to football being played and photographs taken.
Ad hoc matches were played at St Yvon, Ploegsteert, Belgium. There was definitely a game involving the Royal Warwickshire C Company on Christmas Day with caps as goalposts. Lieutenant Zehmisch spoke of a couple of English who brought a football out of their trench and a vigorous match began.
Lt. Johannes Niemann of the German army wrote: "Suddenly a Tommy came with a football. Teams were quickly established for a match on the frozen mud, and the Fritzes beat the Tommies 3-2."
Other soldier's diaries and various reports also spoke of balls being kicked about in friendship.
Lt. Charles Brockbank of the Cheshire Regiment wrote in his diary: "A huge crowd was between the trenches. Someone produced a little rubber ball so of course a football match started".
Admin Fave - Unforgettable Flowers,
Award of Distinction - Unforgettable Flowers,
Super Photographer - Perfect Petals,
Admin Award - Perfect Petals,
Gold Award - The Best Of Unforgettable Flowers,
Master Photographer - Perfect Petals,
You're A Star Award - Perfect Petals,
Platinum Award - The Best Of Unforgettable Flowers
The Lakshmana Temple is a Hindu temple located in Khajuraho, India. Dedicated to Vaikuntha Vishnu - an aspect of Vishnu.
This temple is located in the Western Temple complex in Khajuraho. Khajuraho is a small village in Chattarpur District of Madhya Pradesh, India.
It is a Sandhara Temple of the Panchayatana Variety. The entire temple complex stands on a high platform (Jagati). The structure consists of all the elements of Hindu temple architecture. It has entrance porch (ardh-mandapa), Mandapa, Maha-Mandapa, Antarala and Garbhagriha.
Unlike other temples in Khajuraho, its sanctum is Pancharatha on plan. Its sikhara is clustered with minor urushringas.
The wall portion is studded with balconied windows with ornate balustrades.
It has two rows of sculptures including divine figures, couples and erotic scenes.
The sanctum doorway is of seven sakhas (vertical panels). The central one being decorated with various incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The Lintel depicts goddess Lakshmi in the centre flanked by Brahma and Vishnu. The sanctum contains four-armed sculpture of Vishnu.
Main image is of tri-headed & four-armed sculpture of Vaikuntha Vishnu.
The central head is of human, and two sides of boar (depicting Varaha) and lion (depicting Narshima).
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Der Lakshmana-Tempel ist der erste wirklich große Tempelbau der Chandella-Dynastie im Tempelbezirk von Khajuraho; zu seiner Bauzeit (ca. 930−950) war er der größte Tempel im Norden Indiens. Der Tempel ist dem Gott Vishnu in seinem Aspekt als Vaikuntha ('Herr des Paradieses') geweiht; im Zentrum der Cella (garbhagriha) steht eine dreiköpfige Vishnu-/Vaikuntha-Figur.
In den Ecken der Tempelplattform sind noch vier Begleitschreine erhalten und so ergibt sich das seltene Bild eines kompletten nordindischen Tempelkomplexes (panchayatana), wie es schon im frühen 6. Jahrhundert im Dashavatara-Tempel von Deogarh geplant und verwirklicht wurde, sich aber dort nicht erhalten hat.
ETYMOLOGIE
Der Name Vaikuntha ist wahrscheinlich von den Sanskritwörtern vi und kuntha herzuleiten und bedeutet in etwa 'ohne Bruch' im Sinne von 'ganzheitlich' oder 'vollkommen'. Vaikuntha ist für viele Anhänger Vishnus (vaishnavas) Ziel und Ort nach Erreichung der Erlösung (moksha), d. h. nach der Befreiung aus dem endlosen Kreislauf der Wiedergeburten (samsara). Dieser Ort − in etwa gleichzusetzen mit dem Paradies − liegt an den Hängen des Weltenbergs Meru und besteht nur aus Gold und kostbaren Edelsteinen; der Ganges fließt mitten durch ihn hindurch. Das Bildnis im Innern der Cella wurde − da seine ursprüngliche Bedeutung in Vergessenheit geraten war − in späterer Zeit volkstümlich auch als Lakshmana, Ramachandra oder Chaturbuja bezeichnet; der Name 'Lakshmana-Tempel' ist haften geblieben.
BAUGESCHICHTE
Eine während der Ausgrabungs- und Restaurierungsarbeiten zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts in der Nähe gefundene Steinplatte mit einer Weiheinschrift aus dem Jahr 953/4, die sich auf eine Vaikuntha-Statue bezieht, erwähnt den Chandella-Herrscher Yasovarman (reg. ca. 925−950) als Bauherren und Stifter. Bei einer angenommenen Bauzeit von etwa 20 Jahren dürfte der Baubeginn des Tempels etwa um das Jahr 930 anzusiedeln sein, als die Chandellas gegenüber ihren Lehnsherren, den Pratiharas, mehr und mehr an Einfluss und Macht gewannen. Die Inschriftenplatte ist heute in der kleinen Vorhalle (mukhamandapa) des Tempels angebracht.
ARCHITEKTUR
Der komplett aus Sandstein errichtete Tempel ist ca. 21,5 m hoch, etwa 24,5 m lang und ca. 14,5 m breit. Er erhebt sich auf einer rechteckigen, ca. 3 m hohen, ca. 40 m langen und ca. 27 m breiten Umgangsplattform (jagati), die über einen vorgezogenen Treppenaufgang erreichbar ist. Der Tempel selbst ruht auf einem mehrfach gegliederten und leicht zurückgestuften Unterbau (adhishthana), so dass ein weiterer, ebenfalls etwa 3 m hoher Treppenaufgang notwendig ist um in den Portikus (mukhamandapa oder ardhamandapa) zu gelangen; es folgt die Vorhalle (mandapa), dann die Große Vorhalle (mahamandapa) und schließlich der Sanktumsbereich mit innenliegender Cella (garbhagriha) sowie einem Umgang (pradakshinapatha).
Sanktumsbereich und Große Vorhalle sind flächenmäßig etwa gleich groß − ein Schema, dass bereits ca. 250 Jahre früher beim Kalika-Mata-Tempel in Chittorgarh erstmals auftritt und über Zwischenstufen in Rajasthan und Gyaraspur nach Khajuraho gelangte. Da die Dachaufbauten des Tempels im Wesentlichen auf Pfeilern ruhen, konnten die drei Vorhallen sowie der Umgangsbereich der Cella durch schräggestellte Brüstungen mit gedrechselten Steinsäulchen, vor denen sich im Innern steinerne Sitzbänke befinden, nach außen geöffnet werden.
Die verschiedenen Räume sind durch Stufen voneinander getrennt und haben somit ein geringfügig wechselndes Bodenniveau; die Cella des Tempels mit dem Vaikuntha-Bildnis hat von allen Räumen das höchste Fußbodenniveau und wird von einem Shikhara-Turm mit kleinen Begleittürmchen (urushringas) überhöht. Die Vorhallen sind jeweils von pyramidenförmigen Dächern (phamsanas) bedeckt. Im Äußeren entsteht so das Bild eines die umgebende Landschaft überragenden Gebirges oder Bergstocks, doch auch im Innern müssen die Gläubigen einige Stufen überwinden um zum "Höchsten", dem Vaikuntha-Bildnis, zu gelangen.
Im Innern wie im Äußeren ist jedes Bauteil des Tempels reich gegliedert und mit Skulpturen oder abstrakten geometrischen oder vegetabilischen Ornamenten bedeckt; eine Wand- bzw. Steinsichtigkeit wird also weitgehend vermieden.
SKULPTUREN
Die obere Ebene der mehrfach gestuften Sockelzone ist als etwa 35 cm hoher umlaufender Fries mit über hundert kleinen Elefanten gestaltet, die den gesamten Tempel auf dem Rücken tragen − ein Hoheitszeichen, das sich an keinem der anderen Tempel Khajurahos findet. Die Elefanten werden von jeweils zwei Wärtern (mahuts) begleitet.
Plattform und Tempel sind mit über tausend kleineren und größeren Figuren geschmückt. Vor allem die größeren Skulpturen sind nicht mehr – wie früher – von Architekturelementen oder Nischen eingerahmt, sondern stehen nahezu vollplastisch auf Steinplatten, d. h. sie sind kaum noch mit dem rückwärtigen Reliefgrund verbunden. Sie sind nicht mehr als künstliche Abbilder gemeint, sondern als lebendige, lebensnahe Figuren. Die etwas hervorstehenden Bauteile zeigen zumeist Götterfiguren (Shiva, Vishnu u. a.), die seitlich in den etwas zurückspringenden Teilen von gleich großen weiblichen Figuren – leicht bekleideten 'Schönen Mädchen' (surasundaris) in unterschiedlichen Posen und aus bildhauerischen Gründen stets mit aufgebundenem Haar – begleitet werden. Die etwas breiteren, aber am stärksten zurückgestuften Mittelregister der drei Außenwände des Sanktums präsentieren in der unteren Ebene erotische Szenen aller Art, für die die Tempel von Khajuraho in der ganzen Welt berühmt sind; darüber finden sich 'Himmlische Liebespaare' (mithunas). Die oberste Zone zeigt in der Mitte ein Götterbild mit Begleitfiguren; die seitlichen Dekorfelder (udgamas) zeigen ornamentalen Schmuck bestehend aus neben- und übereinander angeordneten kleinen Fensternischen (chandrasalas).
PLATTFORM
Als einziger Tempel in Khajuraho hat der Lakshmana-Tempel einen weitgehend erhaltenen und die gesamte Plattform umschließenden Figurenfries mit Szenen aus dem höfischen Alltagsleben – Unterricht, Kriegszug, Musikanten, erotisch-sexuelle Liebesszenen etc.; Götterfiguren oder Dämonen sind dagegen hier nicht zu sehen. Die Szenen des etwa in Augenhöhe angebrachten Frieses sind zwar originell, aber von keiner großen handwerklichen oder künstlerischen Meisterschaft.
TEMPEL (AUSSEN)
Während die kleinen Vorhallen außen keinerlei Figurenschmuck besitzen, sind die Eckpfeiler zwischen Vorhalle (mandapa) und Großer Vorhalle (mahamandapa) in zwei Ebenen mit Figuren versehen. Hauptsächlich ist jedoch der Bereich zwischen Großer Vorhalle (mahamandapa) und Sanktum in mehreren Ebenen und überreich mit Figuren besetzt. Hier überwiegen ganz eindeutig Götterfiguren, 'Himmlische Liebespaare' (mithunas) und 'Schöne Mädchen' (surasundaris). Nur die unteren Ebenen der Mittelregister zeigen auch erotisch-sexuelle Szenen; somit ist am Lakshmana-Tempel noch die Hierarchie zwischen der oberen (himmlischen) Ebene und der unteren (erdnahen) Ebene gewahrt.
TEMPEL (INNEN)
Zu den interessantesten und künstlerisch bedeutsamsten Figuren im Innern des Tempels gehören die weiblichen Nymphen (apsaras) an den Streben im Deckenbereich der Großen Vorhalle (mahamandapa); diese zeigen sich in verschiedenen − oft extrem verdrehten − Posen beim Musizieren, beim Ballspiel aber auch beim Entkleiden. In den Wandnischen finden sich diverse Götterfiguren, darunter auch einige nicht (mehr) identifizierbare.
VAIKUNTHA-KULTBILD
Das freiplastisch aus einer großen Steinplatte herausgearbeitete Götterbildnis ist in ganz Indien nahezu einzigartig und zeigt Vishnu/Vaikuntha mit vier zerstörten Armen, so dass keinerlei Attribute mehr vorhanden sind, sowie drei Köpfen (Mensch, Eber und Löwe). Ein rückwärtiger vierter Kopf, der die Universalität Vishnus vervollkommnet hätte, ist nicht ausgeführt; stattdessen findet sich ein in Indien einzigartiger durchbrochener und gezackter Strahlenkranz um Vaikunthas Haupt. Die Figur ist umgeben von einem – aus derselben Steinplatte herausgearbeiteten – Rahmen mit Wächterfiguren sowie Ganga und Yamuna im Sockelbereich und jeweils drei darüber befindlichen vorstehenden Nischen mit Vishnu-Avataras (Matsya, Varaha, Vamana, Kurma, Narasimha, Parashurama). Zwei seitliche Pfeiler mit reichem z. T. freiplastischen Architektur- und Figurendekor und einem doppelten, aus dem aufgerissenene Mäulern von Wasserungeheuern (makaras) hervorquellenden Torana-Bogen als verbindendem oberem Abschluss bilden den äußeren Rahmen des Kultbildes.
BEDEUTUNG
Der Lakshmana-Tempel (ca. 930−950) mit seinen vier hintereinanderliegenden und in der Höhe gestaffelten Bauteilen sowie seiner − im Wesentlichen auf Pfeilern ruhenden − Bauweise gilt als früher Höhepunkt der Chandella-Architektur und war nach seiner Fertigstellung für etliche Jahrzehnte der größte Tempelbau Indiens. Spätere Tempelbauten in Khajuraho wurden von ihm maßgeblich beeinflusst, darunter auch der Kandariya-Mahadeva-Tempel.
Das außergewöhnliche Vaikuntha-Bildnis in der Cella sowie der reiche, beinahe vollplastische Figurenschmuck sind innen wie außen nahezu vollständig erhalten und bezeugen die handwerkliche und künstlerische Meisterschaft der Bildhauer der damaligen Zeit.
Mit seinem mehrteiligen Grundriss, einer von einem Umgang umschlossenen Cella und in Teilen seines Dekors (Balkonbrüstungen mit gedrechselten Säulchen) ist der Lakshmana-Tempel wahrscheinlich direkt beeinflusst von dem ca. 50 Jahre zuvor erbauten, aber insgesamt noch der Pratihara-Architektur zuzurechnenden Maladevi-Tempel in Gyaraspur.
WIKIPEDIA
Dedicated to Lennaert Nijgh (textwriter for Boudewijn de Groot, etc)
By Marinus Boezem, 2005
HAARLEM 16March2016
Military Museum UMMC was founded in 2005 on the initiative of "UMMC-Holding". The basis collection is Soviet military equipment; the oldest exhibit is the 152-mm howitzer arr. 1909, produced in 1911. The most representative collections artillery, tanks, self-propelled artillery, planes, multiple rocket launchers, railway equipment.
In 2013, it was opened exhibition center, on the 1st and 2nd floors which housed military equipment (tanks, military vehicles, field kitchens, motorcycles, etc.). The 3rd floor of the exposition dedicated to the military history of the Urals. Here are extensive collections of uniforms, awards, small arms.
In 2015, a railway exhibition was opened, which presents the original locomotives and rolling stock of different designs, built scale model railway stations 1940s. May 9, 2016 has been recreated the interior of the two sanitary wagons.
Buckfast Abbey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Buckfast Abbey forms part of an active Benedictine monastery at Buckfast, near Buckfastleigh, Devon, England. Dedicated to Saint Mary, it was founded in 1018 and run by the Cistercian order from 1147 until it was destroyed under the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1882 monks began living there again, and today it is a Benedictine foundation.
Buckfast Abbey was founded by Earl Aylward in the reign of King Cnut in 1018. In 1147 it became a Cistercian abbey and was rebuilt in stone. In medieval times, the abbey became rich through fishing and trading in sheep wool, although the Black Death killed two abbots and many monks — by 1377 there were only fourteen monks at Buckfast.
On 25 February 1539, William Petre arrived at Buckfast and declared the abbey to be dissolved by order of King Henry VIII. The monks were compelled to leave and the buildings were looted and destroyed. The abbey then stood in ruins for over two hundred years.
19th century: Rebuilding
On 28 October 1882, six Benedictine monks arrived at Buckfast having been exiled from France. The land had been leased by monks from the St. Augustine's Priory in Ramsgate and it was later bought for £4,700. The first new abbot was Boniface Natter, who died at sea in 1906, when the SS Sirio was shipwrecked. His travelling companion Anscar Vonier became the next abbot and pledged to fulfil his dying wish, namely to rebuild the abbey.
The monks lived among the ruins and gradually rebuilt the abbey church upon the foundations of the abbey constructed in 1147. The church itself was restored between 1905 and 1937. Over the thirty-two years, there were never more than six monks working on the project at any one time, although the whole community had repaired the ancient foundations up to ground level. Construction methods were primitive — wooden scaffolding was held together by ropes and no safety protection was worn by the monks. One monk fell 50 feet but survived; and three monks fell off a hoist without serious injury in 1931. Construction continued throughout World War I: some of the monks were of German nationality, but were not sent to an internment camp, on condition that they remained confined to the Abbey grounds.
The Abbey was consecrated on 25 August 1932, but the building was finally finished with the laying of the last stone in late 1937.
The Abbey is self-supporting, with a farm where vegetables are grown and bees, pigs and cattle are kept, a shop which sells wine, honey beeswax, fudge and other items made by religious communities throughout the world, and a gift shop, book shop, and restaurant.
Buckfast Tonic Wine
The monastery's most successful product is Buckfast Tonic Wine, a strong tonic wine which the monks began making (to a French recipe) in the 1890s. The strength of "Buckfast", and its misuse, have been a controversial issue for the abbey.
Beekeeping
Brother Adam (born Karl Kehrle in 1898 in Germany, died in 1996) was put in charge of the Abbey's beekeeping in 1919, and began extensive breeding work creating the honeybee known as the Buckfast bee. Brother Adam had to replenish the bee colonies as 30 of the monastery's 46 colonies had been wiped out by a disease called "acarine", all the bees that died were of the native British black bee. The remaining 16 hives that survived were of Italian origin.
تصدقي اني في عيدنـا مادري وش اهديك
اتعبني الأرق باهديك شي مثلك
قالوا لي ورد واتعبني الأرق
قالوا اكيد أرق شي الورد
قلت الاكيد ان انتي أرق
في حل وحيد ..
لو تسمحي لي فيه ..
اهديك انا للورد
903
Dedicated To «ــ •Mayo0oYz• ــ»
The Brihadeshvara Temple at Thanjavur in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, is a Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva. It is an important example of Tamil architecture achieved during the Chola dynasty. The temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Great Living Chola Temples".
This is one of the largest temples in India and one of India's most prized architectural sites. Built by emperor Raja Raja Chola I and completed in 1010 AD, Peruvudaiyaar Temple, also popularly known as the 'Big Temple', turned 1000 years old in 2010.
Thanjavur Periya Kovil stands amidst fortified walls that were probably added in the 16th century. The vimanam (or temple tower) is 66 m) high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world. The Kumbam (Kalasha or Chikharam, the apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single rock and it weighs around 80 tons. There is a big statue of Nandi (sacred bull), carved out of a single rock, at the entrance measuring about 16 feet long and 13 feet high. The entire temple structure is made out of granite, the nearest sources of which are close to Tiruchirappalli, about 60 km to the west of Thanjavur.
HISTORY
The temple had its foundations laid out by the Tamil emperor Arulmozhivarman, popularly called Rajaraja Chola I, in 1002 CE, as the first of the great Tamil Chola building projects.
The Brihadeshvara Temple was built to grace the throne of the Chola empire in compliance to a command given to him in his dream. The scale and grandeur is in the Chola tradition. An axial and symmetrical geometry rules the temple layout. Temples from this period and the following two centuries are an expression of the Tamils (Chola) wealth, power and artistic expertise. The emergence of such features as the multifaceted columns with projecting square capitals signal the arrival of the new Chola style.
The Brihadeshvara Temple was built to be the royal temple to display the emperor's vision of his power and his relationship to the universal order. The temple was the site of the major royal ceremonies such as anointing the emperor and linking him with its deity, Shiva, and the daily rituals of the deities were mirrored by those of the king. It is an architectural example showcasing the pure form of the Dravida type of temple architecture and representative of the Chola Empire ideology and the Tamil civilisation in Southern India. The temple "testify to the brilliant achievements of the Chola in architecture, sculpture, painting and bronze casting."
CONSTRUCTION
The wish to build a mammoth temple like this is said to have occurred to Raja Raja while he stayed at Sri Lanka as an emperor.
The esteemed architect and engineer of the temple was Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan as stated in inscriptions found at the temple. The temple was built per ancient texts called Vaastu Shastras and Agamas. He is the ancient ancestor of the doyan of Vaastu Vedic architecture, the late Dr. V. Ganapti Sthapati of Chennai and Mahabalipurim (architect of the 133' granite Thiruvalluvar statue at the tip of south India). Members of his family still live and practice the ancient art and science. The American University of Mayonic Science and Technology was initiated by Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati to perpetuate the same form of architectural principles used by Kunjara Mallan Raja Raja Perunthachan to build the Brihadeeswarar temple. The temple was built using a measure of 1 3/8-inch called an angula (24 units equalling 33 inches called a hasta, muzam, or kishku). This is the same measure found in ancient Lothal and other sites in the Indus Valley dating back 4000 - 6000 years. This same measure is used to build structures compliant with the Vaastu Shastras and Agamas today. While some builders use a different measure this is considered a standard due to its antiquity.
This temple is the first building fully built by granite and finished within 5yrs [1004AD – 1009AD]. The solid base of the temple raises about 5 metres, above which stone deities and representatives of Shiva dance. The huge kalasam or Vimanam (top portion of the shrine) is believed to weigh 81.28 tonnes of single stone block and was raised to its present height by dragging on an inclined plane of 6.44 km. The big Nandi (bull), weighing about 20 tonnes is made of a single stone and is about 2 m in height, 6 m in length and 2.5 m in width. The presiding deity of lingam is 3.7m tall. The prakaram (outer precincts of the temple) measures 240m by 125m. The outer wall of the upper storey is carved with 81 dance karanas – postures of Bharathanatyam, the classical dance of Tamil Nadu. The shrine of Goddess was added by Pandyas during the 13th century, Subramanya Shrine by Vijayanagara rulers and the Vinayaka shrine was renovated by Maratha rulers.
TEMPLE COMPLEX
The temple complex sits on the banks of a river that was channelled to make a moat around the complex's outer walls, the walls being built like a fortress. The complex is made up of many structures that are aligned axially. The complex can be entered either on one axis through a five-story gopuram or with a second access directly to the huge main quadrangle through a smaller free-standing gopuram. The massive size of the main Vimanam (Shikhara) is ca. 60 meters high, with 16 elaborately articulated stories, and dominates the main quadrangle. Pilaster, piers, and attached columns are placed rhythmically covering every surface of the Vimanam.
The gopuram of the main entrance is 30 m high, smaller than the vimana. It is unusual in the dravidian architecture where the gopurams are generally the main towers and taller than the vimanam.
MAIN TEMPLE
A first rectangular surrounding wall, 270 m by 140 m, marks the outer boundary. The main temple is in the center of the spacious quadrangle composed of a sanctuary, a Nandi, a pillared hall and an assembly hall (mandapas), and many sub-shrines. The most important part of the temple is the inner mandapa which is surrounded by massive walls that are divided into levels by sharply cut sculptures and pilasters providing deep bays and recesses. Each side of the sanctuary has a bay emphasising the principle cult icons. The karuvarai, a Tamil word meaning the interior of the sanctum sanctorum, is the inner most sanctum and focus of the temple where an image of the primary deity, Shiva, resides. Inside is a huge stone linga. The word Karuvarai means "womb chamber" from Tamil word karu for foetus. Only priests are allowed to enter this inner-most chamber.
In the Dravida style, the Karuvarai takes the form of a miniature vimana with other features exclusive to southern Indian temple architecture such as the inner wall together with the outer wall creating a pradakshina around the garbhagriha for circumambulation (pradakshina). The entrance is highly decorated. The inside chamber housing the image of the god is the sanctum sanctorum, the garbhagriha. The garbhagriha is square and sits on a plinth, its location calculated to be a point of total equilibrium and harmony as it is representative of a microcosm of the universe. In the center is placed the image of the deity. The royal bathing-hall where Rajaraja the great gave gifts is to the east of the hall of Irumudi-Soran.
The circumambulation winds around the massive lingam in the garbhagriha and is repeated in an upper story, presenting the idea that Chola Empire freely offered access to the gods.
The inner mandapa leads out to a rectangular mandapa and then to a twenty-columned porch with three staircases leading down. Sharing the same stone plinth is a small open mandapa dedicated to Nandi, Shiva's sacred bull mount.
TEMPLE DEITIES
The "moolavar" or prime deity of the Brihadeeswarar Temple is Shiva. All deities, particularly those placed in the niches of the outer wall (Koshta Moorthigal) like Dakshinamurthy, Surya, Chandra are of huge size. The Brihadiswarar temple is one of the rare temples which has idols for "Ashta-dikpaalakas" (Guardians of the directions) – Indra, Agni, Yama, Nirṛti, Varuṇa, Vāyu, Kubera, Īśāna – each of whom was originally represented by a life-sized statue, approximately 6 feet tall, enshrined in a separate temple located in the respective direction. (Only Agni, Varuṇa, Vāyu and Īśāna are preserved in situ.)
ADJOINING STRUCTURES
Surrounding the main temple are two walled enclosures. The outer wall is high, defining the temple complex area. Here is the massive gopuram or gateway mentioned above. Within this a portico, a barrel vaulted gorpuram with over 400 pillars, is enclosed by a high wall interspersed with huge gopurams axially lined up to the main temple.
FEATURES
Another widely held belief is that the shadow of the gopuram (pyramidal tower usually over the gateway of a temple) never falls on the ground. . The temple is said to be made up of about 60,000 tons of sandstone and granite. The Kumbam itself, a 60 ton granite stone carved in one piece, on top of the main gopuram is believed to have been taken to the top by creating an inclined slope to the height of 66m to the top of the gopuram. The prevailing belief is that a mud-slope, which starts at about three miles from the temple site, from Thirukoilore (birthplace of Raja raja's mother) near Sri Virateshvara swamy temple portrays the figure of the Thanjavur Temple. Elephants might have been used to drag the stone up the slope. This was claimed to be the only part of the gopuram, which does not cast a shadow that fall on the ground, at least not within the temple premises which is an architectural amazement in the world of architecture.
MURALS
The temple has Chola frescoes on the walls around the sanctum sanctorum potryaing Shiva in action, destroying demonic forts, dancing and sending a white elephant to transport a devotee to heaven. These frescoes were discovered in the 1940s and portray the mythological episodes of the journey of Saint Sundarar and the Chera King to heaven, the battle scene of Tripurantaka (Lord Siva) with Asuras (demons). The Chola artists have proved their mettle by portraying even the Asura women with a sense of beauty. Some of the paintings in the sanctum sanctorum and the walls in the passage had been damaged because of the soot that had deposited on them. Owing to the continuous exposure to smoke and soot from the lamps and burning of camphor in the sanctum sanctorum over a period of centuries certain parts of the Chola paintings on the circumambulatory passage walls had been badly damaged. The Tanjore Nayak kings replaced them with a few paintings of their own, about 400 years ago. The Archaeological Survey of India, for the first time in the world, used its unique de-stucco process to restore 16 Nayak paintings, which were superimposed on 1000-year-old Chola frescoes. These 400-year-old paintings have been mounted on fibre glass boards, displayed at a separate pavilion.
TEMPLE PERSONNEL
The temple was consecrated in 1010 CE by Raja Raja Chola I & in 2010 a celebration commemorated the temple's thousandth anniversary. The temple maintained a staff of 1000 people in various capacities with 400 being temple dancers Besides the Brahmin priests, these included record-keepers, musicians, scholars, and craftsman of every type as well as housekeeping staff. In those days the temple was a hub of business activities for the flower, milk, oil, and ghee merchants, all of whom made a regular supply of their respective goods for the temple for its poojas and during festival seasons. Moreover as evidenced by the inscriptions that found in the compound wall of this temple, the temple had always been serving as a platform for the dancers who excelled in the traditional dance form of Bharatnatyam. vallamuthu minnadi generation worshipped this temple.
WIKIPEDIA
Dedicated: Work by »Jeks« and »Maze«, spotted in the Dedicated Back-Yard at night. Thanks to Babak and the Shop-Crew.
First published on Streetfiles.org 2010–2013.
"September 11, 2001
In Memory
Our promise to those friends and fellow employees who perished on that tragic day is that we will always remember them.
Dedicated by the employees of ICAP North America
September 11, 2005"
ICAP had 675 employees in the Twin Towers - on the 55th floor of World Trade Center Two and the 25th and 26th floors of World Trade Center One.
ICAP plc (LSE: IAP) is a UK based inter-dealer money broker, the largest in the world, carrying out transactions for financial institutions rather than private individuals. ICAP plc is headquartered in London, United Kingdom and operates from London, New York (Jersey City) and Tokyo with offices in a further 21 smaller financial centers such as Madrid and Sydney. The average daily transaction volume for ICAP plc exceeds US$1.5 trillion, more than 60% of which is electronic. ICAP is an abbreviation for Intercapital, a name by which the business was previously known. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
ICAP 9/11 Memorial - Harborside Plaza 5 - Jersey City, New Jersey - Google Map -- Dauntless Efforts 9/11 Memorial
Miles to Ground Zero: 3
This is dedicated to my new friend Tina, or artsy_T, as Flickrland knows her.
She took time out of her busy day to shoot a portrait of me for an upcoming photo show that I will be in.
Take a minute to check out her photostream. She is a very talented artist.
I can't thank you enough Tina, you are a doll ... and I ADORE your cosmo field ;-)
Russell Huiet, a pharmacist with the Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) from South Carolina, is working day and night in sweltering hot temperatures to help people in Puerto Rico get the care that they need. Huiet is hesitant to be too far from the action and he even found an innovative way to get a little sleep when he wasn’t on duty, setting up a makeshift cot just inches away from the pharmacy.