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بحق الحب سيري ياحمامه
لطيف الروح وهاتيلي كلامه
ووديله تحيات الموده
على الطاير وهاتيلي سلامه
وقوليله ترى هجره سطابي
وفي القلب من الهجران شامه
to the millions of children quietly suffering..
due to the adults' wars in too many places around the world.
This was drawn after a healthy community meal.
+11 adults and children each added to this drawing.
On National Wildland Firefighter Day, we express our deepest gratitude to the brave men and women who answer the call to fight wildfires and the dedicated support personnel that make it all possible.
Wildfires transcend boundaries, requiring a collaborative and coordinated response. Interagency partnerships, like those represented in this video, play a vital role in achieving this.
We would like to acknowledge the significance of our partnerships and express gratitude to those in wildland fire at all levels. This includes, federal, state, local, Tribal, military, and contract resources. The coordination and cooperation between these entities creates a more efficient and effective response to wildfire.
By pooling resources, sharing expertise, and fostering open communication, we can tackle wildfires with greater strength and unity. Let us recognize and appreciate the exceptional teamwork exhibited by our interagency partners in safeguarding our communities and environment.
National #WildlandFirefighterDay, established in 2022, now serves as a poignant reminder of the critical role firefighters and support personnel play in protecting our communities and natural treasures. By prioritizing safety, fostering interagency partnerships, and expressing gratitude for this community, we demonstrate our commitment to their wellbeing. #ItTakesAllOfUs #ThankAFirefighter #NWFFD #FirefightingResources
Photo provided by NPS Fire and Aviation
Today's photo is dedicated to my late Grandmother, Lucille. I debated whether to use this today or tomorrow, but for personal reasons I chose today.
Tomorrow would have been appropriate because it is our birthday. I was lucky enough to share that day with her. She has been gone now almost 12 years if my math is correct. She had a great sense of humor, she taught me to love the game of Scrabble, she was a courageous Breast Cancer Survivor (for more than 20 years), she always had gumdrops at her house, she had a fascinating childhood and she loved the color purple and butterflies. So Grandma, this one is for you. You may be gone, but never forgotten. And when I came across this today, I figured you would forgive me for using it one day early. May purple butterflies be surrounding you tomorrow and each one, a reflection of the people that love and miss you. Happy Birthday ya crazy lady. I love you.
Stone feet in the Louvre. Kind of like how feet feel when you spend hours upon hours, days back to back.... walking. Standing. Walking some more. Paris can be cruel to the lower extremities.
This unfinished painting shows Christ’s body being carried to his tomb in the rocks behind him. It is one of only three known surviving panel paintings by the great Florentine artist Michelangelo – the others are The Virgin and Child with Saint John and Angels (‘The Manchester Madonna’) and the Doni Tondo (Uffizi, Florence).
In 1500 Michelangelo was commissioned to paint an altarpiece for the funerary chapel of Giovanni da Viterbo, the deceased bishop of Crotone, in the church of S. Agostino, Rome. Although the subject of the altarpiece is not documented, it is likely that this was the commissioned painting. The chapel was dedicated to the pietà, and the Entombment would have been an appropriate subject. The lighting in Michelangelo’s painting is from the left, which accords with the natural lighting of the chapel, and the picture’s measurements would have fitted the width of the chapel bays.
However, the altarpiece was left unfinished when Michelangelo returned to Florence the following year, probably to procure for himself the great block of marble being offered by the authorities of Florence Cathedral, intended for a statue of David – a statue for which he signed the contract in August 1501 and which he would complete in 1504 to his everlasting fame (Accademia, Florence). He would not return to Rome until 1506 and returned the advance payment for the altarpiece to the friars of S. Agostino when he failed to deliver it.
There is some disagreement over the identity of the various figures in the painting. Saint John the Evangelist is usually shown in red with long hair, and may be the figure on the left carrying Christ. The woman who strains with Saint John to carry Christ’s body on the strips of winding cloth in which it will eventually be bound is one of the Three Marys, probably Mary Cleophas, who looked after Christ at the end of his life. They carry him up a staircase to his tomb.
The man who lifts Christ from behind is either Joseph of Arimathea, who donated his own burial place for Christ, or Nicodemus, who helped lower Christ’s body from the Cross and prepare it for burial. Another of the Three Marys, possibly Mary Magdalene, sits on the ground. A drawing for this figure (Louvre, Paris) shows that she was intended to be gazing sorrowfully at the crown of thorns and the nails with which Christ had been crucified.
The space left empty on the right was probably intended for the kneeling figure of the Virgin Mary. Michelangelo would have needed ultramarine blue made from the semi-precious stone lapis lazuli to complete the missing figure of the Virgin, as her mantle is traditionally painted this colour. The requisite ultramarine is also missing from Michelangelo’s unfinished Manchester Madonna. It may be that he was waiting to the last before adding this colour as it was the most expensive pigment and possibly difficult to obtain. A late seventeenth- or early eighteenth-century drawing, made of the painting when it was less worn (Biblioteca Comunale degli Intronati, Siena), indicates that the Virgin was to be shown kneeling with her back to the viewer, probably with hands joined in prayer, gazing at the corpse of her son. The other female figure on the right is another of the Three Marys, perhaps Mary Salome.
The Entombment reflects Michelangelo’s belief that painting is better the closer it is to sculpture. The picture is almost a high relief sculpture transposed into paint – the figures are arranged in a bold rhythmic composition and there is little space between them. The focus is on the naked body of Christ, which is shown as perfect and beautiful – God made into man (curiously, Michelangelo never painted his genitals). The twisting movements and defined muscles of Michelangelo’s figures are based on his direct observation and drawing of live models.
More traditional depictions of the Entombment show Christ’s body carried horizontally, but Michelangelo shows it lifted vertically and held up to the viewer as if it were the Eucharist. This arrangement is similar to that used by Fra Angelico in his The Dead Christ before the Tomb of about 1438–40, from the predella of the high altarpiece in S. Marco in Florence. The church was only a few steps from the sculpture garden at S. Marco where Michelangelo learnt to sculpt. This vertical pose also appears in The Dead Christ before the Tomb (now in Badia a Settimo) by the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, where the young Michelangelo trained as a painter.
If Michaelangelo’s painting had been installed as an altarpiece, the priest would have stood in front of it and lifted up the sacrament – the bread – during the Eucharist, so it became the body of Christ silhouetted against his perfect painted body. Christ’s upright position also seems to allude to his imminent resurrection. The startlingly nude body is weightless and pristine with no sign of suffering, perhaps referring to the immaculate resurrected and heavenly body described in the First Epistle to the Corinthians (15: 35–49). In this way the picture is both devotional, inviting Eucharistic contemplation of the dead Christ, and narrative, showing his body being removed from our sight – in a few minutes he will be gone.
Like the also unfinished Manchester Madonna, The Entombment offers a fascinating insight into Michelangelo’s working methods. While the Manchester Madonna is painted in egg tempera on panel, this picture is painted in oils, revealing Michelangelo’s unusual approach to the medium. Michelangelo painted each figure in full before moving on to the next, as though he were painting in tempera, a technique that he had learned in Ghirlandaio’s studio. As in the Manchester Madonna, some colour areas were left entirely untouched whereas others are near to completion. This approach is not often seen in oil painting of this date in Italy – for example, in oil paintings left unfinished by Raphael, we find the whole composition worked up evenly and each colour area left in a similar state of incompleteness.
Instead of creating relief by building up transparent glazes over an opaque underlayer of paint, as was the oil painting technique used in Venice and the Netherlands, Michelangelo modelled his forms by blending his shades into one another while they were still wet. As with his tempera technique, which also creates an opaque effect, Michelangelo added white to create a tonal range and used glazes only for the deepest shadows or specific colour effects.
At the top right he scraped away the dark paint of the rock to suggest the two figures moving back the stone that closes the tomb, removing material just as he did when sculpting in marble. He employed a similar technique of scraping away the paint when working on the Manchester Madonna.
Michelangelo (1475 - 1564)
Oil on wood, 1500-1
National Gallery, London (NG790)
Dedicated to all the lovely ladies that comment so gently on Pensive's glance photos and he failed, by no lack of sensitivity, to thank them one by one. Time is short and the search for the right flower, to dedicate to each one of them, never stops.
The plaque reads...
DEDICATED TO AMERICA'S ROLE IN PRESERVING FREEDOM AND RESCUING THE OPPRESSED, THIS MONUMENT, BY NATAN RAPOPORT, OF AN AMERICAN SOLDIER CARRYING A WORLD WAR II
CONCENTRATION CAMP SURVIVOR WAS GIFTED TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL.
MAY 30, 1985
LIBERTY PARK MONUMENT COMMITTEE
Liberty State Park
Jersey City, NJ
No matter the season...no matter the temperature. You cannot stop a Filipino from grilling!
Inside Garage Status.
Dedicated to Jasaw Chan K'awail who was entombed in the structure in 734 AD. The pyramid was completed around 740-750 AD and is 47m high.
The prettiest thing,
a flower, a ring
Mom, you give me everything.
The strongest bond, you even make me sing,
You give me love, in the strongest flow.
I would never be,
if it wasen`t for you and perhaps me. You give me streangth to fight in this evil lenght.
I love you endelessly,
no matter how hard it is,
you give me a smile,
no matter if you have to walk a mile.
I love you so, please,
never let me go.
You are my all, never lett me falll.
Again.
Written by: Christine Alethia
The Montblanc Patron of Art Homage to Napoléon Bonaparte is dedicated to a figure in history whose life had a far-reaching impact. Napoléon’s glory lives on in the great “architecture parlante” style of the famous Parisian structures built during his reign. In addition to architecture, other arts such as painting, sculpture and the decorative arts also blossomed under his leadership. The overall design is inspired by the neoclassic style. The blue lacquer is inspired by his blue uniform he wore as a consul, as this edition is celebrating his time as a French consul. The skeleton spiral is paying homage to the original Colonne Vendôme. The sword-shaped clip bears the Napoléonic “N”. The engravings on the cap top – a laurel wreath, imperial crown and an eagle – refer to Napoléon’s coronation insignia. The cap is crowned by the Montblanc Emblem in mother of pearl. The clip end is decorated with a red garnet recalling the coronation ring of Napoleon’s wife Joséphine. In homage to Napoléon Bonaparte, the handcrafted Au 750 solid gold nib bears a portrait of Napoléon with the typical bicorn.
Ident No: MB127034
Piston Fountain Pen
Platinum-coated clip
Blue lacquered barrel with Au750 solid yellow gold skeleton grid on top
Blue lacquered cap with Au750 solid yellow gold skeleton grid on top
Hand-crafted Au750 / 18 K bicolor gold nib engraved with a portrait of Napoléon with the typical bicorn
Weight: 107,8g
Docking Church in Norfolk was another which I encountered while house-hunting last weekend. The church is dedicated to St Mary The Virgin. It mostly dates from the 14th and 15th century with Victorian restorations.
www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157634462340597/ to see the full set.
While in the village I was told that there is an archaeological project locally to try and find a lost 12th to 14th century priory. One theory is that this failed priory made be under the present parish church but test digs have been held around the village to play 'hunt the thimble' or - in this case - "hunt the priory', so far without success.
In his three-volume guide to Norfolk churches author Adrian S. Pye suggests that the tombstone of John Houton (d. 1428) near the south porch of Docking Church is the oldest surviving tombstone in Norfolk.
English Jesuit martyr Henry Walpole (executed 1595) was baptised here in 1558. He was later canonized as one of the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales.
SImon_Knott tells me that Docking is the highest town in Norfolk so that makes the top of Docking Church probably the highest building in the county, at least pre-1900.
Dedicated to the memory of General Joseph Martin, Martin's Station and the more than 200,000 settlers whose courage and fortitude helped to carve our great nation out of a vast wilderness and gave birth to the American frontier spirit
He created those beautiful flowers, nothing compares his wisdom and sweet love.
A collection of my own images without textures.
He created those beautiful flowers, nothing compares his wisdom and sweet love.
Frame by Kim Klassen, thanks a lot!!
Please!! Don't advertise "ANY SIZE" of your own images in the box comment. I will remove it immediately!
A small museum dedicated to the history and restauration of the chateau. / Ez a kis egyszobányi múzeum a kastély történetét és felújítását mutatja be.
Château Béla is located in the town of Belá, located in the southern part of the Slovak Republic, bordering Hungary.
Egy szépen felújított francia barokk stílusú kastély Béla faluban Szlovákiában, Párkány mellett. 2015. októberében jártunk itt egy borklubos kiránduláson, és a borozás utáni szombat reggel meglátogattuk a család birtokába visszakerült és luxushotellé alakított kastélyt.
Construction of Château Béla started in 1732 in French baroque style by Terstyánsky János, a local nobleman. The chapel was consecrated in 1780, it still functions today as the town's parish church. In 1834, Baldacci Antal from Corsica bought the Château. He added a fortification, a water moat, a drawbridge and the Château's park landscapes. In 1910, Baron Ullman Adolf, a nobleman from Budapest, bought the estate. After 1945 the Château was taken over by the socialist government of Czechoslovakia, and turned into a penalty facility for political prisoners, later it was also used as a factory for chemical production. In 2000, Countess Ilona von Krockow, the granddaughter of Georg Ullmann, bought the Château from the Slovakian State. With the support of her family, she restored the estate in an authentic way, transforming it into a 5-star hotel, which opened in 2008. We visited the chateau in October 2015, with a group of wine-loving friends, having spent the night before in the village tasting wines from a well-known local winemaker.
U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor crew chiefs assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron are recognized during a Dedicated Crew Chief Ceremony held on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Oct. 23, 2015. During the ceremony crew chiefs were recognized for their dedication and hard work. Every F-22 Raptor has a dedicated crew chief assigned who is trusted with the care and maintenance of the jet. At the ceremony the Airmen received a coin from their respective commanders, a certificate certifying them as dedicated crew chiefs, and new maintenance overalls to designate them as dedicated crew chiefs while working on the flight line. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Wes Wright)
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Ivy League barista academy is less expensive than other schools because we concentrate specifically on the most important skills and techniques in barista training and coffee business operations. Our average class size is 6-10 students. Our trainers and consultants incorporate group learning, individual coaching, and one on one hands on coaching. Our goal is to provide our students with the proper techniques and knowledge to run a successful coffee business. Ivy League Barista Academy offers a wide variety of classes that are designed for specific levels of training such as Beginning Barista Training, Advanced Barista Training, Coffee Business Management Training and Coffee Business Marketing and Operation.
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Meenakshi Amman Temple is a historic Hindu temple located on the southern bank of the Vaigai River in the temple city of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is dedicated to Parvati, known as Meenakshi, and her consort, Shiva, here named Sundareswarar. The temple forms the heart and lifeline of the 2,500-year-old city of Madurai and is a significant symbol for the Tamil people, mentioned since antiquity in Tamil literature though the present structure was built between 1623 and 1655 CE. It houses 14 gopurams (gateway towers), ranging from 45–50m in height. The tallest is the southern tower, 51.9 metres high, and two golden sculptured vimanas, the shrines over the garbhagrihas (sanctums) of the main deities. The temple attracts 15,000 visitors a day, around 25,000 on Fridays, and receives an annual revenue of ₹ 60 million. There are an estimated 33,000 sculptures in the temple. It was on the list of top 30 nominees for the "New Seven Wonders of the World". The temple is the most prominent landmark and most visited tourist attraction in the city. The annual 10-day Meenakshi Tirukalyanam festival, celebrated during April and May, attracts 1 million visitors.
LEGEND
Meenakshi (IAST Mīnākṣī Tamil மீனாட்சி) is an avatar of the Hindu goddess Parvati - the consort of Shiva, one of the few Hindu female deities to have a major temple devoted to her. The name "Mīnachchi" means fish-eyed and is derived from the words "mīna" meaning fish and "akṣi" meaning eyes. The lady goddess Meenakshi is the principal deity of the temple, not Sundareswarar, unlike most Shiva temples in South India where Shiva is the principal deity. According to Hindu legend, in order to answer the prayers of the second Pandya king Malayadwaja Pandya and his wife Kanchanamalai, Parvati appeared out of the holy fire of the Putra Kameshti Yagna (sacrifice for childhood) performed by the king. According to another legend, the goddess herself gave notice to Kanchanamalai in one of her previous births that Kanchanamalai would have the privilege of mothering the goddess. The girl who came out of the holy fire had three breasts. A voice from the heavens told the king not to worry about the abnormality and added that the third breast would vanish as soon as the girl met her future husband. The happy king named the girl "Tadaatagai" and as the heir to the throne, Tadaatagai was trained carefully in all the 64 sastras, the fields of science .
As the time came for Tadaatagai's coronation, she had to wage war in three worlds encompassing eight directions. After conquering Brahma's Abode, Sathyaloka, Vishnu's Abode, Vaikunta, and Devas' abode Amaravati, she advanced to Shiva's Abode Kailasha. She very easily defeated the bhoota ganas (IAST: Bhūtagana, meaning Shiva's army) and Nandi, the celestial bull of Shiva, and headed to attack and conquer Shiva. The moment she looked at Shiva, she was unable to fight and bowed her head down due to shyness, and the third breast vanished immediately. Tadaatagai realized that Shiva was her destined husband. She also realized that she was the incarnation of Parvati. Both Shiva and Tadaatagai returned to Madurai and the king arranged the coronation ceremony of his daughter, followed by her marriage with Shiva.
The marriage was to be the biggest event on earth, with the whole earth gathering near Madurai. Vishnu, the brother of Meenakshi, prepared to travel from his holy abode at Vaikuntam to preside over the marriage. Due to a divine play, he was tricked by the Deva, Indra and was delayed on the way. After the marriage, the pair ruled over Madurai for a long time and then assumed divine forms as Sundareswarar and Meenakshi, the presiding deities of the temple. Following the tradition, every evening, before closing the temple, a ritual procession led by drummers and a brass ensemble carries the image of Sundareswarar to Meenakshi's bedroom to consummate the union, to be taken back the next morning in dawn. The marriage is celebrated annually as Chithirai Thiruvizha in Madurai. During the period of Nayakar rule in Madurai, the ruler Thirumalai Nayakar linked the festival Azhakar Thiruvizha and the Meenakshi wedding ceremony.
HISTORY
The Meenakshi temple is believed to have been founded by Indra (king of Deva celestial deities). While he was on a pilgrimage to atone for his misdeeds. He felt his burden lifting as he neared the swayambu lingam (self formed lingam, a representation of Shiva used for worship in temples) of Madurai. He ascribed this miracle to the lingam and constructed the temple to enshrine it. Indra worshipped Shiva, who caused golden lotuses to appear in the nearby pool. Tamil literature speaks of the temple over the last two millennia. Thirugnanasambandar, the famous Hindu saint of Saiva philosophy, mentioned this temple as early as the 7th century, and described the deity as Aalavai Iraivan. The temple is believed to have been sacked by the infamous Muslim invader Malik Kafur in 1310 and all the ancient elements were destroyed. The initiative to rebuild the structure was taken by first Nayak king of Madurai, Viswanatha Nayak (1559–1600) under the supervision of Ariyanatha Mudaliar, the prime minister of the Nayak Dynasty and the founder of the Poligar System. The original design by Vishwanatha Nayak in 1560 was substantially expanded to the current structure during the reign of Thirumalai Nayak (1623–55). He took considerable interest in erecting many complexes inside the temple. His major contributions are the Vasantha Mandapam for celebrating vasanthorsavam (spring festival) and Kilikoondu Mandapam (corridor of parrots). The corridors of the temple tank and Meenatchi Nayakar Mandapam were built by Rani Mangammal.
Rous Peter (1786–1828), the Collector of Madurai in 1812, was nicknamed 'Peter Pandian’ as he respected and treated people of all faiths equally. He donated a set of golden stirrups studded with diamonds and red stones to the temple. Goddess Meenatchi is believed to have saved Rous Peter from a fatal incident. He also wished that after his death, his body be buried in a position that would enable his eyes to face the temple.
During the period of early pandian kings, the king taxed the people for constructing this temple. People paid taxes and donations in the form of gold and silver. But the king wanted contribution as low as a bag of rice which would help in feeding the masans who constructed the temple. so the kings collected one handful of rice daily from every house. This would make few bags of rice in the month end. Thus people from all sectors of life contributed in building the temple. Thus, every family has an emotional attachment towards the temple.
THE TEMPLE
ARCHITECTURE
The temple is the geographic and ritual center of the ancient city of Madurai and one of the largest temple complexes in Tamil Nadu. The temple complex is divided into a number of concentric quadrangular enclosures contained by high masonry walls. It is one of the few temples in Tamil Nadu to have four entrances facing four directions. Vishwantha Nayaka allegedly redesigned the city of Madurai in accordance with the principles laid down by Shilpa Shastras (Sanskrit: śilpa śāstra, also anglicized as silpa sastra meaning rules of architecture) relevant to urban planning. The city was laid out in the shape of square with a series of concentric streets culminating from the temple. These squares continue to retain their traditional names, Aadi, Chittirai, Avani-moola and Masi streets, corresponding to Tamil month names. Ancient Tamil classics mention that the temple was the center of the city and the streets happened to be radiating out like lotus and its petals. The temple prakarams (outer precincts of a temple) and streets accommodate an elobrate festival calendar in which dramatic processions circumabulate the shrines at varying distances from the centre. The vehicles used in processions are progressively more massive the further they travel from the centre. The complex is in around 180,000 m2.
GOPURAMS
The temple is surrounded by gopurams (gateway tower), - There are 14 gopuram the tallest of which, the famous southern tower, rises to over 52 m and was built in 1559. The oldest gopuram is the eastern one, built by Maravarman Sundara Pandyan during 1216-1238 Each gopuram is a multi-storeyed structure, covered with thousands of stone figures of animals, gods and demons painted in bright hues. The outer gopuram presents steeply pyramidal tower encrusted with plaster figures, while the inner gopuram serves as the entrance to the inner enclosure of Sundareswarar shrine.
SHRINES
The central shrine of Meenakshi Amman temple and her consort Sundareswarar are surrounded by three enclosures and each of these are protected by four minor towers at the four points of the compass, the outer tower growing larger and reaching higher to the corresponding inner one. The Meenakshi shrine has the emerald-hued black stone image of Meenakshi. The Sundareswarar shrine lies at the centre of the complex, suggesting that the ritual dominance of the goddess developed later. Both the Meenakshi and Sundareswarar shrines have gold plated Vimanam (tower over sanctum). The golden top can be seen from a great distance in the west through the apertures of two successive towers. The area covered by the shrine of Sundareswarar is exactly one fourth of the area of the temple and that of Meenakshi is one fourth that of Sundareswarar.
The tall sculpture of Ganesh carved of single stone located outside the Sundareswarar shrine in the path from Meenashi shrine is called the Mukuruny Vinayakar. A large measure of rice measuring 3 kurini (a measure) is shaped into a big ball of sacrifice and hence the Ganesh is called Mukkurni Vinayagar (three kurinis). This deity is believed to be found during a 17th-century excavation process to dig the Mariamman temple tank.
TEMPLE TANK AND SURROUNDING PORTICO
The sacred temple tank Porthamarai Kulam ("Pond with the golden lotus"), is 50 m by 37 m in size. In the Tamil legends, the lake is supposed to judge the worth of a new piece of literature. Authors place their works here and the poorly written works are supposed to sink and the scholastic ones are supposed to float, Tirukkural by Tiruvalluvar was one such work.
Only a fraction of 17th and 18th century paintings of Nayak period survives and one such portion is found in the small portico on the western side of the tank. It depicts the marriage of Sundareswarar and Meenkashi attended by Vijayaranga Chokkanatha and Rani Mangammal. The painting is executed on a vivid red background, with delicate black linework and large areas of white, green and ochre. The celestial couple is seated inside an architectural frame with a flowering tree in the background.
HALLS
The corridor surrounding the sanctum the Meenakshi is called kilikoondu Mandapam ("bird cage corridor"). The space was once used to keep green parrots that were trained to utter the name of Meenakshi. There are two large cages full of squawking green parrots.
The Kambatadi Mandapam ("Hall of temple tree") with its seated Nandi (sacred bull) has various manifestations of Shiva carved and also contains the famous "Marriage of Meenakshi" sculpture. Sculptures of Shiva and Kali trying to out-dance one another are pelted with balls of ghee by devotees. A golden flagstaff with 32 sections symbolizes the human backbone and is surrounded by various gods, including Durga and Siddar.
The Puthu Mandapam ("new hall") constructed by Tirumala Nayak contains large number of sculptures. It is situated opposite to the east gopuram.
The Ashta Shakthi Mandapam ("Hall of eight goddess") is the first hall in the entrance of Meenakshi shrine tower near to East Tower. Ashta indicates eight and Shakthi refers to goddess - the hall has statues of eight goddesses. The gopurams (towers) can be viewed from this hall. The passage was named for eight forms of goddess Shakti carved on its pillars. Other sculptures and paintings depict the Tiruvilayadal (holy games of Shiva). The sculptures of heroes of Mahabharata, the Pancha pandavas can be seen in the Pancha Pandava Mandapam (Hall of Pandavas).
The Viravasantharaya Mandapam is a large hall with huge corridors. To the south of this hall is the kalyana mandapam, to the south of the pillared hall, is where the marriage of Shiva and Parvati is celebrated every year during the Chithirai Festival in mid-April. The golden images of Meenakshi and Sundareswarar are carried into the 16th century oonjal mandapam (swing corridor) and placed on the swing every Friday at 5:30 p.m. The shrine has a 3-storied gopuram guarded by two stern dwarapalakas (guardians) and supported by golden, rectangular columns that bear lotus markings. Along the perimeter of the chamber, granite panels of the divine couple are present. The hall is situated in the western bank of the temple tank.
The Mudali Pillai Mandapam or Iruttu Mandapam (Dark hall) is a wide and long hall built by Muthu Pillai during 1613. On the pillars of the halls, there are fine sculptures depicting the story of Shiva taking the form of Bikshadanar to teach the sages a lesson.
The Mangayarkarasi mandapam is a newly built hall situated opposite to the marriage halls and bears the name of saindy queen, Mangayarkarasi who contributed to Saivism and Tamil language. To the south of Mangayarkarasi mandapam lies the Servaikarar Mandapam, a hall built by Marudu brothers in 1795. The Nagara mandapam (Hall of beating drums) lies opposite to Sundareswarar shrine was built by Achaya Rayar, the minister of Rani Mangammal in 1635. The Kolu Mandapam is a hall for displaying dolls during the Navarathri festival celebrated during September–October. This hall is situated in the second corridor of the Meenakshi shrine at the western side.
HALL OF THOUSAND PILLARS
The Meenakshi Nayakkar Mandapam ("Hall of 1000 pillars") has two rows of pillars carved with images of yali (mythological beast with body of lion and head of an elephant), commonly used as the symbol of Nayak power. It is situated to the north of Sundareswarar flag staff hall. The Thousand Pillar Hall contains 985 (instead of 1000) carved pillars. The hall was built by Ariyanatha Mudaliar in 1569 and blends engineering skill and artistic vision. Ariyanatha Mudaliar was prime minister and general of Viswanatha Nayak, the first Nayaka of Madurai (1559–1600). He was also the founder of Poligar System, the quasi-feudal organization of the country dividing it into multiple palayams or small provinces in which each palayam was ruled by a palayakkarar or a petty chief. At the entrance of the hall is the statue of Ariyanatha Mudaliar seated on a horse-back, flanking one side of the entrance to the temple. The statue is periodically garlanded by worshippers. Each pillar in the hall is a carved monument of the Dravidian sculpture. The more prominent among the carved figures are those of Rati (wife of Kama), Karthikeya, Ganesha, Shiva as a wandering mendicant and endless number of yalis (mythical figures of lions). There is a Temple Art Museum in the hall where icons, photographs, drawings, and other exhibits of the 1200 years old history of the temple are displayed. Just outside this hall, towards the west, are the Musical Pillars. Each pillar, when struck, produces a different musical note.
RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TEMPLE
A distinct feature of Meenakshi in terms of iconography is the presence of parrot in her right hand. The parrot is generally associated with the Vaishnava azhwar saint Andal. "Pancha Sabhai" refers to the five royal courts of Nataraja (dancing form of Shiva) where he performed cosmic dance. The Tamil word velli means silver and ambalam means stage or altar. This massive Nataraja sculpture is enclosed in a huge silver altar and hence called "Velli Ambalam" (silver abode). This is a special figure of Natarja which usually differs from Chola bronzes; in the Chola images, Nataraja is shown dancing with his left leg raised, but this sculpture has the right leg raised. According to the Tiruvilayaadal Puranam (Shiva's sacred games), this is on the request of Rajasekara Pandya, who was a sincere devotee of Shiva. He requested the deity to change his position, as he felt that keeping the same foot raised would put enormous strain and got a graceful acquiescence from the divine master.
RITUALS
WORSHIP
There are close to 50 priests in the temple who perform the puja (rituals) during festivals and on a daily basis. Like other Shiva temples of Tamil Nadu, the priests belong to Shivaite to the Adishaivas, a Brahmin sub-caste. The priests live in a closed area north of the temple. The temple has a six time pooja calendar everyday, each comprising four rituals namely abhisheka (sacred bath), alangaram (decoration), neivethanam (food offerings) and deepa aradanai (waving of lamps) for both Meenakshi and Sundareswarar. The puja (worship) ceremonies are held amidst music with nadhaswaram (pipe instrument) and tavil (percussion instrument), religious instructions in the Vedas by priests and prostration by worshippers in front of the temple mast. The common practise is to worship Meenakshi before Sundareswarar. Margazhi (December–January) ritual is prominent one for winning a perfect, god-like husband - it is Meenakshi's ennai kappu festival. Aligned with the cardinal points, the street plans forms a giant mandala (group) whose sacred properties are believed to be activated during the mass clockwise circumambulation of the central temple.
FESTIVALS
The most important festival associated with the temple is the "Meenakshi Thirukalyanam" (the divine marriage of Meenakshi) that is celebrated in April every year. The wedding of the divine couple is regarded as a classic instance of south Indian female-dominated marriage, an arrangement referred as "Madurai marriage". The male dominated marriage is called "Chidambaram marriage", referring to Shiva's uncontested dominance, ritual and mythic, at the famous Shiva temple of Chidhambaram. The marriage brings together rural and urban people, deities and mortals, Saivas (those who worship Shiva) and Vaishnavas (those who worship Vishnu) in order to celebrate Meenakshi as the royal monarch. During the one-month period, there are a number of events including the "Ther Thiruvizhah" (chariot festival) and "Theppa Thiruvizhah" (float festival). Major Hindu festivals like Navrathri and Shivrathri are celebrated in the temple. Like most Shakti temples in Tamil Nadu, the Fridays during the Tamil months of Aadi (July–August) and Thai (January–February) are celebrated in the temple by thousands of devotees. "Avani Moola Utsavam" is a 10-day festival mainly devoted to Sundareswarar describes his various Thiruvilayadal meaning Shiva's sacred games.
LITERARY MENTION
Down the centuries, the temple has been a centre of education of Tamil culture, literature, art, music and dance. All three assemblies of Tamil language, the Tamil Sangam (about the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE), were held at Madurai. Tamil poets of different epochs participated in these assemblies and their composition is called Sangam literature. During the third Tamil sangam, the comparative merit of the poets was decided by letting the works float in the lotus tank of the temple. It was believed that a divine force would cause the work of superior merit to float on the surface while the inferior literary work would sink. Tevaram, the 7th-8th century Tamil canonoical work on Shiva, are works by the three prominent Nayanars (Saivites) namely Appar, Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandar. The temple has been glorified by the hymns of Tevaram by all the three poets. Different hymns of Sambandar on the temple mention the queen of Pandya Nadu, his desire to defeat Jains in debate, the miracles performed by him curing the king's fever, the Jains' provocation of Sambandar by burning his house and challenging him to debate, and Sambandar's eventual victory over them. A poem from the Third Tirumurai by Sambandar is as under –
"Lady who has eyes that are comparable to the startled eyes of the deer!
the great chief queen of the Vaḻuti! listen to what I say. Do not feel distressed that I am such a young boy from whose mouth milk is flowing. when the god in Tiruvālavāy stands by my side as help, I can not be easily defeated by the low people who inflict many sufferings on others and who live in hills beginning with great Āṉaimalai."
There are few poets in Tamil history who sang about goddess Parvati. The notable among them is Kumaraguruparar, a 17th-century Tamil poet, who composed Meenakshi Pillaitamil on Meenakshi of this temple. King Tirumalai Nayak's patronage of Kumaraguruparar has an important place in the history of pillaitamil (a genre of Tamil literature). Kumaraguruparar visited a lot of temples and when he visited this temple, he composed Meenakshi pillaitamil on Meenakshi. Legend has it that goddess appeared in the dreams of Nayak directing him to arrange the recital of Kumaraguruparar before a learned assembly. The king made elobrate arrangements for the event. Meenakshi impersonated herself in the form of a small girl and enjoyed the recital. As Kumaraguruparar was explaining the 61st verse, the goddess appreciated by garlanding the poet with a string of pearls and disappeared.
WIKIPEDIA
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Tablet Dedicated to Thoth
Egypt, 1st-2nd century AD
Thoth appears three times, from left to right: Assimilated with the moon god Khonsu-Harpokrates, in baboon form, and as an ibis-headed crowned figure. The last wears an elaborate mythological kilt like those seen on representations of Roman Period pharaohs at Dendara. Three small panel on this kilt illustrate, the top: Griffin-type form that presumably represents the god Nemesis, an eagle (?), and a seated baboon.
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