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Coal is only one element of keeping a team loco running, 5917's water gin is show here being topped up with water, with several types of oil and grease slung underneath.
Two essential commodities in 2020. Hopefully the virulent virus will fade and the fashion will change.
Hanson
Magazzini Generali - Milano
17 Dicembre 2013
Isaac (Guitar, Bass, Piano, Vocals)
Taylor (Piano, Guitar, Drums, Vocals)
Zac (Drums, Piano, Guitar, Vocals)
ph ©Mairo Cinquetti
All rights reserved
With arching melodies, epic guitar riffs and rhythms inciting you to put your hands in the air, anthems give us a soundtrack to life’s defining moments. And for HANSON, their sixth studio album ANTHEM marks the beginning of their third decade of making music together.
Over their first 20 years, brothers Isaac, Taylor and Zac Hanson have made their mark. Five years building a fanbase as an independent band led to a meteoric rise with the 1997 international smash single MMMBop from their debut album Middle Of Nowhere. A long line of hits, four more studio albums, multiple Grammy nominations and over 16 million album sales followed. Over their second decade, the band charted their own course running an independent label while maintaining a coveted connection with their global fanbase, and in 2007 they launched a grassroots campaign to support poverty and HIV/AIDS relief in Africa (TakeTheWalk.net).
Set for release in the US in June followed by worldwide release and a coordinated world tour, the bands sixth studio album ANTHEM is an album that celebrates the power of music to ignite passion and bring people together.
“We have always been in awe of the ability music has to engage people, whether it’s a song that makes you want to dance, or a song that inspires you to take action for a cause. We want this record to be the anthem for all of those moments”, says Taylor.
Following two years of non-stop touring behind the band’s critically acclaimed fifth studio album Shout It Out, they decided to re-group at their home base in Oklahoma to shape the sound and vision for the album that would mark a new era for the band. Over the summer of 2012 the music that began to unfold was infused with new energy, producing a melodic tour de force. To begin recording ANTHEM, which is produced and written solely by the band, they returned to Sonic Ranch Studios where the buffer of thousands of acres of pecan groves and desert provided an essential escape from distraction. There they captured the foundation of the album the old-fashioned way, live, in one room.
From the blistering blues guitar riff of ‘Fired Up’, to the intimidating power of ‘You Can’t Stop Us’ and the unstoppable grooves of ‘I’ve Got Soul’ and ‘Tragic Symphony’, the listener is buoyed by the high-energy and force of the music. The album also continues the band’s signature vocal harmonies and eclectic influences, with guitar driven pop like ‘Cut Right Through Me’ and the soaring sing-along ‘Scream And Be Free’, as well as the romantic innocence of ‘Lost Without You’. There is a tip of the hat to power ballads, with Isaac taking center stage on lead vocal with ‘For Your Love’, and Zac carrying the entrancing heartache of ‘Save Me From Myself’, which features Gogol Bordello’s Yuri Lemeshev on accordion.
“The sound of this record touches on most of our musical influences, a bit of soul, a bit of song craftsmanship and some good old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll … this time it just has a little more fight in it”, says Isaac.
The album’s debut single ‘Get The Girl Back’ shines a bright light on their largest influence, 60’soul and rock ‘n’ roll, and it comes bursting out of the speakers from the first beat.
The video, a narrative tale which features the band performing in a packed club while characters’ relationships evolve around them, showcases an ensemble cast of their friends led by actress/writer Nikki Reed (Thirteen), and Kat Dennings (2 Broke Girls, Thor), Drake Bell (Drake & Josh), Paul McDonald(American Idol), Drew Seeley (Another Cinderella Story), and newcomer Alex Beh. “It also has that vibe of a big, sweaty rock show that you’d want to be at,” Taylor says. “The video invites people into the first chapter of a story that we hope inspires everyone to want to stick around for more,” says Zac.
HANSON friends Michael ‘Fitz’ Fitzpatrick and Joe Karnes, from Los Angeles-based indie soul band Fitz and the Tantrums joined them on ‘Get The Girl Back’. “It’s hard to find bands whose sound and aesthetic is similar to ours,” Taylor says, “But we connected on a love of ‘60s soul and pop”.
In addition the record features guest appearances from music aficionado Tom “Bones” Malone (Blues Brothers Band, David Letterman band and band leader on Saturday Night Live), who contributed horns to ‘I’ve Got Soul’ and ‘Get So Low’, and Imani Coppola who added strings to ‘Tragic Symphony’, highlighting the song’s classic Michael Jackson influence. The band also reunited with renowned mix engineer Tom Lord-Alge, who mixed their first two major studio albums.
Every album has a story, a pattern of events and influences that come together to create a piece of work. In the case of ANTHEM, the greatest part of the story is the element of HANSON which has always been core to their success - their dedication and passion to reach for the best, for their music and their fans. For this band their ANTHEM is melody, passion, and conviction to stay the course with their music and with their faithful supporters; and that is an ANTHEM for the ages.
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Varanasi, also known as Benares, or Kashi is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism, and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".
The Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi, and an essential part of all religious celebrations. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the Ganges. The city has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and has a history that is older than most of the major world religions. The Benares Gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed in Varanasi, and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in Varanasi. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, located near Varanasi.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India. It is often referred to as "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of Shiva", and "the city of learning". Scholarly books have been written in the city, including the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas. Today, there is a temple of his namesake in the city, the Tulsi Manas Mandir. The current temples and religious institutions in the city are dated to the 18th century. One of the largest residential universities of Asia, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is located here.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Varanasi possibly originates from the names of the two rivers: Varuna, still flowing in Varanasi, and Asi, a small stream near Assi Ghat. The old city does lie on the north shores of Ganges River bounded by its two tributaries Varuna and Asi. Another speculation is that the city derives its name from the river Varuna, which was called Varanasi in olden times.[11] This is generally disregarded by historians. Through the ages, Varanasi has been known by many names including Kāśī or Kashi (used by pilgrims dating from Buddha's days), Kāśikā (the shining one), Avimukta ("never forsaken" by Shiva), Ānandavana (the forest of bliss), and Rudravāsa (the place where Rudra/Śiva resides).
In the Rigveda, the city is referred to as Kāśī or Kashi, the luminous city as an eminent seat of learning. The name Kāśī is also mentioned in the Skanda Purana. In one verse, Shiva says, "The three worlds form one city of mine, and Kāśī is my royal palace therein." The name Kashi may be translated as "City of Light".
HISTORY
According to legend, Varanasi was founded by the God Shiva. The Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata are also stated to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra war. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities which can provide Moksha:
The earliest known archaeological evidence suggests that settlement around Varanasi in the Ganga valley (the seat of Vedic religion and philosophy) began in the 11th or 12th century BC, placing it among the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. These archaeological remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by Vedic people. However, the Atharvaveda (the oldest known text referencing the city), which dates to approximately the same period, suggests that the area was populated by indigenous tribes. It is possible that archaeological evidence of these previous inhabitants has yet to be discovered. Recent excavations at Aktha and Ramnagar, two sites very near to Varanasi, show them to be from 1800 BC, suggesting Varanasi started to be inhabited by that time too. Varanasi was also home to Parshva, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and the earliest Tirthankara accepted as a historical figure in the 8th century BC.
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. During the time of Gautama Buddha (born circa 567 BC), Varanasi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kashi. Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BC when he gave his first sermon, "Turning the Wheel of Law", at nearby Sarnath. The celebrated Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who visited the city around 635 AD, attested that the city was a centre of religious and artistic activities, and that it extended for about 5 kilometres along the western bank of the Ganges. When Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsiang, visited Varanasi in the 7th century, he named it "Polonisse" and wrote that the city had some 30 temples with about 30 monks. The city's religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.
In ancient times, Varanasi was connected by a road starting from Taxila and ending at Pataliputra during the Mauryan Empire. In 1194, the city succumbed to Turkish Muslim rule under Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who ordered the destruction of some one thousand temples in the city. The city went into decline over some three centuries of Muslim occupation, although new temples were erected in the 13th century after the Afghan invasion. Feroz Shah ordered further destruction of Hindu temples in the Varanasi area in 1376. The Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi continued the suppression of Hinduism in the city and destroyed most of the remaining older temples in 1496. Despite the Muslim rule, Varanasi remained the centre of activity for intellectuals and theologians during the Middle Ages, which further contributed to its reputation as a cultural centre of religion and education. Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389 and hailed as "the most outstanding of the saint-poets of Bhakti cult (devotion) and mysticism of 15th-Century India"; and Ravidas, a 15th-century socio-religious reformer, mystic, poet, traveller, and spiritual figure, who was born and lived in the city and employed in the tannery industry. Similarly, numerous eminent scholars and preachers visited the city from across India and south Asia. Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507, a trip that played a large role in the founding of Sikhism.
In the 16th century, Varanasi experienced a cultural revival under the Muslim Mughal emperor Akbar who invested in the city, and built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The Raja of Poona established the Annapurnamandir and the 200 metres Akbari Bridge was also completed during this period. The earliest tourists began arriving in the city during the 16th century. In 1665, the French traveller Jean Baptiste Tavernier described the architectural beauty of the Vindu Madhava temple on the side of the Ganges. The road infrastructure was also improved during this period and extended from Kolkata to Peshawar by Emperor Sher Shah Suri; later during the British Raj it came to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road. In 1656, emperor Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of many temples and the building of mosques, causing the city to experience a temporary setback. However, after Aurangazeb's death, most of India was ruled by a confederacy of pro-Hindu kings. Much of modern Varanasi was built during this time by the Rajput and Maratha kings, especially during the 18th century, and most of the important buildings in the city today date to this period. The kings continued to be important through much of the British rule (1775–1947 AD), including the Maharaja of Benares, or Kashi Naresh. The kingdom of Benares was given official status by the Mughals in 1737, and continued as a dynasty-governed area until Indian independence in 1947, during the reign of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. In the 18th century, Muhammad Shah ordered the construction of an observatory on the Ganges, attached to Man Mandir Ghat, designed to discover imperfections in the calendar in order to revise existing astronomical tables. Tourism in the city began to flourish in the 18th century. In 1791, under the rule of the British Governor-General Warren Hastings, Jonathan Duncan founded a Sanskrit College in Varanasi. In 1867, the establishment of the Varanasi Municipal Board led to significant improvements in the city.
In 1897, Mark Twain, the renowned Indophile, said of Varanasi, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." In 1910, the British made Varanasi a new Indian state, with Ramanagar as its headquarters but with no jurisdiction over the city of Varanasi itself. Kashi Naresh still resides in the Ramnagar Fort which is situated to the east of Varanasi, across the Ganges. Ramnagar Fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Varanasi. Since the 18th century, the fort has been the home of Kashi Naresh, deeply revered by the local people. He is the religious head and some devout inhabitants consider him to be the incarnation of Shiva. He is also the chief cultural patron and an essential part of all religious celebrations.
A massacre by British troops, of the Indian troops stationed here and of the population of the city, took place during the early stages of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Annie Besant worked in Varanasi to promote theosophy and founded the Central Hindu College which later became a foundation for the creation of Banaras Hindu University as a secular university in 1916. Her purpose in founding the Central Hindu College in Varanasi was that she "wanted to bring men of all religions together under the ideal of brotherhood in order to promote Indian cultural values and to remove ill-will among different sections of the Indian population."
Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India on 15 October 1948. After the death of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh in 2000, his son Anant Narayan Singh became the figurehead king, responsible for upholding the traditional duties of a Kashi Naresh.
MAIN SIGHTS
Varanasi's "Old City", the quarter near the banks of the Ganga river, has crowded narrow winding lanes flanked by road-side shops and scores of Hindu temples. As atmospheric as it is confusing, Varanasi's labyrinthine Old City has a rich culture, attracting many travellers and tourists. The main residential areas of Varanasi (especially for the middle and upper classes) are situated in regions far from the ghats; they are more spacious and less polluted.
Museums in and around Varanasi include Jantar Mantar, Sarnath Museum, Bharat Kala Bhawan and Ramnagar Fort.
JANTAR MANTAR
The Jantar Mantar observatory (1737) is located above the ghats on the Ganges, much above the high water level in the Ganges next to the Manmandir Ghat, near to Dasaswamedh Ghat and adjoining the palace of Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur. Compared to the observatories at Jaipur and Delhi, it is less well equipped but has a unique equatorial sundial which is functional and allows measurements to be monitored and recorded by one person.
RAMNAGAR FORT
The Ramnagar Fort located near the Ganges River on its eastern bank, opposite to the Tulsi Ghat, was built in the 18th century by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh with creamy chunar sandstone. It is in a typically Mughal style of architecture with carved balconies, open courtyards, and scenic pavilions. At present the fort is not in good repair. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares. It has been the home of the Kashi Naresh since the 18th century. The current king and the resident of the fort is Anant Narayan Singh who is also known as the Maharaja of Varanasi even though this royal title has been abolished since 1971. Labeled "an eccentric museum", it has a rare collection of American vintage cars, sedan chairs (bejeweled), an impressive weaponry hall and a rare astrological clock. In addition, manuscripts, especially religious writings, are housed in the Saraswati Bhawan. Also included is a precious handwritten manuscript by Goswami Tulsidas. Many books illustrated in the Mughal miniature style, with beautifully designed covers are also part of the collections. Because of its scenic location on the banks of the Ganges, it is frequently used as an outdoor shooting location for films. The film titled Banaras is one of the popular movies shot here. However, only a part of the fort is open for public viewing as the rest of the area is the residence of the Kashi Naresh and his family. It is 14 kilometres from Varanasi.
GHATS
Ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Ghats in Varanasi are an integral complement to the concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical and supernatural elements. All the ghats are locations on "the divine cosmic road", indicative of "its manifest transcendental dimension" Varanasi has at least 84 ghats. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of River Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat (where Hindus cremate their dead). Many ghats are associated with legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats enhance the river front with a multitude of shrines, temples and palaces built "tier on tier above the water’s edge".
The Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varansi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It is believed that Brahma created it to welcome Shiva and sacrificed ten horses during the Dasa -Ashwamedha yajna performed here. Above the ghat and close to it, there are also temples dedicated to Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara, Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, Ganga (the Ganges), and Bandi Devi which are part of important pilgrimage journeys. A group of priests perform "Agni Pooja" (Worship to Fire) daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the whole universe. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the Mahasmasana (meaning: "great cremation ground") and is the primary site for Hindu cremation in the city. Adjoining the ghat, there are raised platforms that are used for death anniversary rituals. It is said that an ear-ring (Manikarnika) of Shiva or his wife Sati fell here. According to a myth related to the Tarakesvara Temple, a Shiva temple at the ghat, Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra ("Prayer of the crossing") in the ear of the dead. Fourth-century Gupta period inscriptions mention this ghat. However, the current ghat as a permanent riverside embankment was built in 1302 and has been renovated at least three times.
TEMPLES
Among the estimated 23000 temples in Varanasi, the most worshiped are: the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple; and the Durga Temple known for the band of monkeys that reside in the large trees nearby.
Located on the outskirts of the Ganges, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple – dedicated to Varanasi's presiding deity Shiva (Vishwanath – "Lord of the world") – is an important Hindu temple and one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva temples. It is believed that a single view of Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is worth more than that of other jyotirlingas. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The Gyanvapi Mosque, which is adjacent to the temple, is the original site of the temple. The temple, as it exists now, also called Golden Temple, was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. The two pinnacles of the temple are covered in gold, donated in 1839 by Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Punjab and the remaining dome is also planned to be gold plated by the Ministry of Culture & Religious Affairs of Uttar Pradesh. On 28 January 1983, the temple was taken over by the government of Uttar Pradesh and its management was transferred to a trust with then Kashi Naresh, Vibhuti Narayan Singh, as president and an executive committee with a Divisional Commissioner as chairman. Numerous rituals, prayers and aratis are held daily, starting from 2:30 am till 11:00 pm.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu god Hanuman situated by the Assi River, on the way to the Durga and New Vishwanath temples within the Banaras Hindu University campus. The present temple structure was built in early 1900s by the educationist and freedom fighter, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of Banaras Hindu University. It is believed the temple was built on the very spot where the medieval Hindu saint Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman. Thousands flock to the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays, weekdays associated with Hanuman. On 7 March 2006, in a terrorist attack one of the three explosions hit the temple while the Aarti was in progress when numerous devotees and people attending a wedding were present and many were injured. However, normal worship was resumed the next day with devotees visiting the temple and reciting hymns of Hanuman Chalisa (authored by Tulidas) and Sundarkand (a booklet of these hymns is provided free of charge in the temple). After the terrorist incident, a permanent police post was set up inside the temple.
There are two temples named "Durga" in Varanasi, Durga Mandir (built about 500 years ago), and Durga Kund (built in the 18th century). Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Durga Kund during Navratri to worship the goddess Durga. The temple, built in Nagara architectural style, has multi-tiered spires[96] and is stained red with ochre, representing the red colour of Durga. The building has a rectangular tank of water called the Durga Kund ("Kund" meaning a pond or pool). Every year on the occasion of Nag Panchami, the act of depicting the god Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha is recreated in the Kund.
While the Annapurna Temple, located close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of food, the Sankatha Temple close to the Sindhia Ghat is dedicated to Sankatha, the goddess of remedy. The Sankatha temple has a large sculpture of a lion and a nine temple cluster dedicated to the nine planets.
Kalabhairav Temple, an ancient temple located near the Head Post Office at Visheshar Ganj, is dedicated to Kala-Bhairava, the guardian (Kotwal) of Varanasi. The Mrithyunjay Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is situated on the way to Daranagar to Kalbhairav temple. A well near the temple has some religious significance as its water source is believed to be fed from several underground streams, having curative powers.
The New Vishwanath Temple located in the campus of Banaras Hindu University is a modern temple which was planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. The Tulsi Manas Temple, nearby the Durga Temple, is a modern temple dedicated to the god Rama. It is built at the place where Tulsidas authored the Ramcharitmanas, which narrates the life of Rama. Many verses from this epic are inscribed on the temple walls.
The Bharat Mata Temple, dedicated to the national personification of India, was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. It has relief maps of India carved in marble. Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists, antiquarians and nationalist leaders, donated funds for its construction.
RELIGION
HINDUISM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
ISLAM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
OTHERS
At the 2001 census, persons of other religions or no religion made up 0.4% of the population of Varanasi District.
Varanasi is a pilgrimage site for Jains along with Hindus and Buddhists. It is believed to be the birthplace of Suparshvanath, Shreyansanath, and Parshva, who are respectively the seventh, eleventh, and twenty-third Jain Tirthankars and as such Varanasi is a holy city for Jains. Shree Parshvanath Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra (Digambar Jain Temple) is situated in Bhelupur, Varanasi. This temple is of great religious importance to the Jain Religion.
Sarnath, a suburb of Varanasi, is a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. It is the site of the deer park where Siddhartha Gautama of Nepal is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. The Dhamek Stupa is one of the few pre-Ashokan stupas still in existence, though only its foundation remains. Also remaining is the Chaukhandi Stupa commemorating the spot where Buddha met his first disciples in the 5th century. An octagonal tower was built later there.
Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507 and had an encounter which with other events forms the basis for the story of the founding of Sikhism. Varanasi also hosts the Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi, and has an insignificant Jewish expatriate community. Varanasi is home to numerous tribal faiths which are not easily classified.
Dalits are 13% of population Of Varanasi city. Most dalits are followers of Guru Ravidass. So Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan is important place of pilgrimage for Ravidasis from all around India.
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
On Mahashivaratri (February) – which is dedicated to Shiva – a procession of Shiva proceeds from the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Dhrupad Mela is a five-day musical festival devoted to dhrupad style held at Tulsi Ghat in February–March.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple celebrates Hanuman Jayanti (March–April), the birthday of Hanuman with great fervour. A special puja, aarti, and a public procession is organized. Starting in 1923, the temple organizes a five-day classical music and dance concert festival titled Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in this period, when iconic artists from all parts of India are invited to perform.
The Ramlila of Ramnagar is a dramatic enactment of Rama's legend, as told in Ramacharitamanasa. The plays, sponsored by Kashi Naresh, are performed in Ramnagar every evening for 31 days. On the last day, the festivities reach a crescendo as Rama vanquishes the demon king Ravana. Kashi Naresh Udit Narayan Singh started this tradition around 1830.
Bharat Milap celebrates the meeting of Rama and his younger brother Bharata after the return of the former after 14 years of exile. It is celebrated during October–November, a day after the festival of Vijayadashami. Kashi Naresh attends this festival in his regal attire resplendent in regal finery. The festival attracts a large number of devotees.
Nag Nathaiya, celebrated on the fourth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik (October–November), that commemorates the victory of the god Krishna over the serpent Kaliya. On this occasion, a large Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba) branch is planted on the banks of the Ganges so that a boy acting the role of Krishna can jump into the river on to the effigy representing Kaliya. He stands over the effigy in a dancing pose playing the flute; the effigy and the boy standing on it is given a swirl in front of the audience. People watch the display standing on the banks of the river or from boats.
Ganga Mahotsav is a five-day music festival organized by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, held in November–December culminating a day before Kartik Poornima (Dev Deepawali). On Kartik Poornima also called the Ganges festival, the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who release lighted lamps to float in the river from the ghats.
Annually Jashne-Eid Miladunnabi is celebrated on the day of Barawafat in huge numbers by Muslims in a huge rally coming from all the parts of the city and meeting up at Beniya Bagh.
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The Vienna Film had already emerged under pressure from the Judaized Sascha Tobis film industry in December 1937, after all, the Greater German Reich was an essential consumer. The by Goebbels decreed slogan rivalling with the rest of the arts the film is designed to fill and shake human hearts and let them move into a better world through the revelation of the eternal, the production already months before the annexation had as a corporate motto.
The anticipatory obedience to do justice to the cultural concept of the Hitler regime, which had been liberated from Jewish pseudo-intellectualism, shaped the Austrian film scene long before the Anschluss. Some of the Austrian film producers anticipated the connection to Nazi Germany as early as 1933, when they already sent their screenplays and cast lists for the purpose of censorship to the *) Reichsfilmkammer in Berlin, according to the film historian Claudia Preschl. Oliver Rathkolb speaks of the introduction of a silent Aryan paragraph before the Anschluss, which also explains why the Nazis were able to enforce the de-Jewing of culture after the invasion particularly efficient: In addition, 1938 but there was already a much greater pressure than when the seizure of power in Germany.
Jews friendships. In 1941, Paula Wessely was to participate in the brutally anti-Semitic and racist propaganda reminiscence Heimkehr (1941), in which Hitler's attack on Poland should be retroactively justified. Already in 1936 she tried in her civilian life to intervene for the continued employment of the Jewish Viennese screenwriter Walter Reisch. Reisch had the then 27-year-old Wessely helped with the role of the girl from the people, Poldi Dur, who succumbed to the seduction of a salon painter, in the film Masquerade, directed by Willi Forst in 1934 to the breakthrough. In a theater performance in Germany, she did everything in order to obtain a special permit from Goebbels. In vain. Goebbels noted in his diary: For Paula Wessely her Jew Reisch refused. Must submit. Four days later Wessely sent her much less famous husband Attila Hörbiger to the Propaganda Minister, but he also failed, as can be read with Goebbels: Attila Hörbiger is looking for his wife Paula Wessely to rescue the Jew Reisch. I refuse. We have to stay strong now. He is very crestfallen. Reisch's authorship for two more films with Wessely, Episode and So a love ended, was subsequently erased from the roll film and posters. In 1937 he managed to escape to Hollywood.
To be made into 'vassals of a blood-soaked power' called the writer Klaus Mann artists of the caliber of Paula Wessely who with his novel Mephisto the subjugation offensive of the actor Gustav Gründgens before the Nazi regime literary traced. Elfriede Jelinek's burlesque Burgtheater ignited in 1985 the debate on art and moral responsibility during the Third Reich, which had long succumbed to an unofficial consensus of repression. Paula Wessely's wild artistic misstep Gustav Ucicky's Return home could also not be shown in post-war Austria due to the re-activation clause. The essay volume Wechselspiel (interplay) Paula Wessely and the film, edited by the film historian Armin Loacker, now draws a differentiated picture of Paula Wessely's behavior under the swastika. Only after repeated request she had signed in 1934 the for a work permit for German film necessary membership for the Reichsfachschaft (department of the Reichsfilmkammer) film: repeated offers on the part of Goebbels to come completely into the Reich before 1938, she rejected at the instigation of her husband Attila Hörbiger, said Armin Loacker. The Jewish friendship of the Wessely-Hörbiger couple was a thorn in the side of Goebbels. Just two weeks after the Anschluss, the Propaganda Minister summoned Hörbiger to speak plainly with him. In a manuscript relating to his actor's reappearance in 1946, which was in the estate of the actor couple, Hörbiger writes that Goebbels has stated several times the high value the Third Reich was putting on the two actors, but they should as soon as possible get rid of the reputation of friends of Jews. To underline the seriousness of his claim, Goebbels referred to a Gestapo act that meticulously documented the couple's lifestyle and friendships. Later there was talk of heavy resistance against Paula Wessely within the Reichstheaterkammer with the paradoxical reason that a Jewish doctor had delivered her first daughter. Paula Wessely and her husband Attila Hörbiger intervened for foreign visas, sent food parcels to Theresienstadt, even managed to free a few friends from the concentration camp, and took over the villa of the emigrated artist family Kalbeck which they duly returned to them after the war. They accompanied many non-Aryan drama colleagues like the Josefstädter ensemble colleague Hans Jaray in tears, who like all other actors of Jewish descent at the Viennese stages within shortest time of the service was suspended, to the station. The acting couple Wessely / Hörbiger did what most of the Aryan flawless actors did: They arranged with the terror regime and set some signals in their personal environment, according to Oliver Rathkolb. Asked what would have happened if the Wessely Homecoming had refused, Rathkolb says: In my view, nothing. A star like her could choose her roles.
*) Reichsfilmkammer: The Reichsfilmkammer (RFK; Film Chamber of the Reich) was a public corporation based in Berlin that regulated the film industry in National Socialist Germany between 1933 and 1945. Everyone in the German Reich who wanted to work on films in any capacity had to be a member; lack of membership meant in effect a ban on employment.
Die Wien-Film war bereits im Dezember 1937 aus der verjudeten Sascha-Tobis-Filmindustrie unter Druck entstanden; schließlich war das großdeutsche Reich ein überlebensnotwendiger Abnehmer. Den von Goebbels verordneten Spruch Wetteifernd mit den übrigen Künsten soll der Film gestalten, was Menschenherzen erfüllen und erbeben lässt und sie durch Offenbarung des Ewigen in eine bessere Welt entrücken lässt führte die Produktion bereits Monate vor der Annexion als Unternehmensmotto.
Der vorauseilende Gehorsam, dem von jüdischer Pseudo-Intellektualität befreiten Kulturbegriff des Hitler-Regimes gerecht zu werden, prägte die österreichische Filmszene schon lange vor dem Anschluss. Einige der österreichischen Filmproduzenten nahmen den Anschluss an Nazi-Deutschland bereits 1933 vorweg, indem sie schon damals ihre Drehbücher und Besetzungslisten zwecks Vorzensur an die Reichsfilmkammer in Berlin sandten, so die Filmhistorikerin Claudia Preschl. Oliver Rathkolb spricht von der Einführung eines stillen Arierparagrafen vor dem Anschluss, der auch erklärt, warum die Nazis nach dem Einmarsch die Entjudung der Kultur besonders effizient durchsetzen konnten: Zusätzlich herrschte 1938 aber bereits ein weit größerer Druck als bei der Machtübernahme in Deutschland.
Judenfreundschaften. 1941 sollte Paula Wessely an dem brutal antisemitischen und rassistischen Propagandamachwerk Heimkehr (1941), in dem Hitlers Überfall auf Polen rückwirkend gerechtfertigt werden sollte, mitwirken. Im Leben versuchte sie bereits 1936, für die Weiterbeschäftigung des jüdischen Wiener Drehbuchautors Walter Reisch zu intervenieren. Reisch hatte der damals 27-jährigen Wessely mit der Rolle des Mädchens aus dem Volk, Poldi Dur, das den Verführungskünsten eines Salonmalers erliegt, im Film Maskerade unter der Regie von Willi Forst 1934 zum Durchbruch verholfen. Bei einem Theatergastspiel in Deutschland setzte sie alles daran, um bei Goebbels eine Sondergenehmigung zu erwirken. Vergeblich. Goebbels notierte in seinem Tagebuch: Für Paula Wessely ihr Jude Reisch abgelehnt. Muss sich fügen. Vier Tage später schickte Wessely ihren weit weniger berühmten Mann Attila Hörbiger zum Propagandaminister, doch auch er scheiterte, wie bei Goebbels nachzulesen ist: Attila Hörbiger sucht für seine Frau Paula Wessely den Juden Reisch zu retten. Ich schlage das ab. Wir müssen nun stark bleiben. Er ist sehr geknickt. Reischs Autorenschaft für zwei weitere Filme mit Wessely, Episode und So endete eine Liebe, wurde in der Folge vom Roller und von den Plakaten gelöscht. 1937 gelang ihm die Flucht nach Hollywood.
Blutige Vasallen nannte der Schriftsteller Klaus Mann, der mit seinem Roman Mephisto die Unterwerfungsoffensive des Schauspielers Gustav Gründgens vor dem NS-Regime literarisch nachzeichnete, Künstler vom Kaliber einer Paula Wessely. Elfriede Jelineks Posse Burgtheater ließ 1985 die Debatte über Kunst und moralische Verantwortung während des Dritten Reichs aufflammen, die lange einem inoffiziellen Verdrängungskonsens unterlegen war. Paula Wesselys wüster künstlerischer Fehltritt Heimkehr in der Regie von Gustav Ucicky konnte außerdem im Nachkriegs-Österreich wegen des Wiederbetätigungsparagrafen nicht gezeigt werden. Der Essayband Wechselspiel Paula Wessely und der Film, herausgegeben vom Filmhistoriker Armin Loacker, zeichnet nun ein differenziertes Bild von Paula Wesselys Verhalten unter dem Hakenkreuz. Erst nach mehrfacher Aufforderung hatte sie 1934 die für eine Arbeitserlaubnis beim deutschen Film notwendige Mitgliedschaft für die Reichsfachschaft Film unterzeichnet; wiederholte Angebote seitens Goebbels, vor 1938 ganz ins Reich zu kommen, lehnte sie auf Betreiben ihres Mannes Attila Hörbiger, so Armin Loacker, ab. Die Judenfreundschaften des Ehepaars Wessely-Hörbiger waren Goebbels ein Dorn im Auge. Schon zwei Wochen nach dem Anschluss zitierte der Propagandaminister Hörbiger zu sich, um mit ihm Klartext zu sprechen. In einem Manuskript bezüglich seiner schauspielerischen Wiederzulassung aus dem Jahr 1946, das sich im Nachlass des Schauspielerpaars befand, schreibt Hörbiger, dass Goebbels mehrfach erklärt habe, welch hohen Wert das Dritte Reich auf die beiden Schauspieler lege, sie sollten sich allerdings schleunigst des Rufs von Judenfreunden entledigen. Um die Ernsthaftigkeit seiner Forderung zu unterstreichen, verwies Goebbels auf einen Gestapo-Akt, der die Lebensführung und die Freundschaften des Paars penibel dokumentierte. Später war von schweren Widerständen gegen Paula Wessely innerhalb der Reichstheaterkammer die Rede mit der paradoxen Begründung, dass sie sich bei der Geburt ihrer ersten Tochter von einem jüdischen Arzt hatte entbinden lassen. Paula Wessely und ihr Mann Attila Hörbiger intervenierten für Auslandsvisa, schickten Lebensmittelpakete nach Theresienstadt, schafften es sogar, ein paar Freunde aus dem KZ zu befreien, und übernahmen die Villa der emigrierten Künstlerfamilie Kalbeck, die sie nach dem Krieg wieder ordnungsgemäß retournierten. Sie begleiteten weinend viele nicht arische Schauspielkollegen wie den Josefstädter Ensemblekollegen Hans Jaray, der wie alle anderen Schauspieler jüdischer Abstammung an den Wiener Bühnen innerhalb kürzester Zeit vom Dienst suspendiert wurde, zum Bahnhof. Das Schauspielpaar Wessely/Hörbiger tat das, was der Großteil der arisch einwandfreien Schauspieler machte: Sie arrangierten sich mit dem Terrorregime und setzten ein paar Signale in ihrem persönlichen Umfeld, so Oliver Rathkolb. Auf die Frage, was passiert wäre, wenn die Wessely Heimkehr abgelehnt hätte, sagt Rathkolb: Meiner Ansicht nach nichts. Ein Star wie sie konnte sich ihre Rollen aussuchen.