. . . Non Hindus are not allowed behind the entrance gate

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The Jagannath Temple of Puri (Odia: ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ ମନ୍ଦିର) is a famous, sacred Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located on the eastern coast of India, at Puri in the state of Odisha.

 

The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of god Krishna and god Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime.

 

Even though most Hindu deities that are worshiped are made out of stone or metal, the image of Jagannath is wooden. Every twelve or nineteen years these wooden figures are ceremoniously replaced by using sacred trees, that have to be carved as an exact replica. The reason behind this ceremonial tradition is the highly secret Navakalevara ('New Body' or 'New Embodiment') ceremony, an intricate set of rituals that accompany the renewal of the wooden statues.

 

The temple was built in the 12th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour.

 

The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.

 

DEITIES

The central forms of Jagannath, Balabhadra and the goddess Subhadra constitute the trinity of deities sitting on the bejewelled platform or the Ratnabedi in the inner sanctum. The Sudarshan Chakra, deities of Madanmohan, Sridevi and Vishwadhatri are also placed on the Ratnavedi. The deities of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshan Chakra are made from sacred Neem logs known as Daru Brahma. Depending on the season the deities are adorned in different garbs and jewels. Worship of the deities pre-date the temple structure and may have originated in an ancient tribal shrine.

 

ORIGINS OF THE TEMPLE

According to the recently discovered copper plates from the Ganga dynasty, the construction of the current Jagannath temple was initiated by the ruler of Kalinga, Anantavarman Chodaganga Dev. The Jaga mohan and the Vimana portions of the temple were built during his reign (1078 - 1148 CE). However, it was only in the year 1174 CE that the Oriya ruler Ananga Bhima Deva rebuilt the temple to give a shape in which it stands today.

 

Jagannath worship in the temple continued until 1558, when Odisha was attacked by the Afghan general Kalapahad. Subsequently, when Ramachandra Deb established an independent kingdom at Khurda in Orissa, the temple was consecrated and the deities reinstalled.

 

LEGENDS

Legendary account as found in the Skanda-Purana, Brahma Purana and other Puranas and later Oriya works state that Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as Lord Neela Madhaba by a Savar king (tribal chief) named Viswavasu. Having heard about the deity, King Indradyumna sent a Brahmin priest, Vidyapati to locate the deity, who was worshipped secretly in a dense forest by Viswavasu. Vidyapati tried his best but could not locate the place. But at last he managed to marry Viswavasu's daughter Lalita. At repeated request of Vidyapti, Viswavasu took his son-in-law blind folded to a cave where Lord Neela Madhaba was worshipped.

 

Vidyapati was very intelligent. He dropped mustard seeds on the ground on the way. The seeds germinated after a few days, which enabled him to find out the cave later on. On hearing from him, King Indradyumna proceeded immediately to Odra desha Orissa on a pilgrimage to see and worship the Deity. But the deity had disappeared. The king was disappointed. The Deity was hidden in sand. The king was determined not to return without having a darshan of the deity and observed fast unto death at Mount Neela, Then a celestial voice cried 'thou shalt see him.' Afterwards the king performed a horse sacrifice and built a magnificent temple for Vishnu. Sri Narasimha Murti brought by Narada was installed in the temple. During sleep, the king had a vision of Lord Jagannath. Also an astral voice directed him to receive the fragrant tree on the seashore and make idols out of it. Accordingly, the king got the image of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Chakra Sudarshan made out of the wood of the divine tree and installed them in the temple.

 

INDRADYUMNA´S PRAYER TO LORD BRAHMA

King Indradyumna put up for Jagannath the tallest monument of the world. It was 1,000 cubits high. He invited Lord Brahma, the cosmic creator, consecrate the temple and the images. Brahma came all the way from Heaven for this purpose. Seeing the temple he was immensely pleased with him. Brahma asked Indradyumna as to in what way can he (Brahma) fulfill the king's desire, since was very much pleased with him for his having put the most beautiful Temple for Lord Vishnu. With folded hands, Indradyumna said, "My Lord if you are really pleased with me, kindly bless me with one thing, and it is that I should be issueless and that I should be the last member of my family." In case anybody left alive after him, he would only take pride as the owner of the temple and would not work for the society.

 

THE EPISODE OF THE LORD´S GRACE DURING A WAR WITH KANCHI

At one time, a king of Kanchi in the down south remarked that the king of Orissa was a chandala (a man of very low caste or status) because, he performs the duties of a sweeper during the Car Festival. When this news reached the ears of the king of Orissa, he led an expedition to Kanchi. Before that, he implored the mercy of Lord Jagannath. The soldiers of Orissa marched towards Kanchi from Cuttack (earlier capital city of Orissa, located on the banks of Mahanadi, at a distance of 30 km from Bhubaneswar. It so happened that when the soldiers, headed by the king Purusottam Dev, reached a place near the Chilika lake, a lady, who was selling curd (yogurt) met him (the king) and presented a golden ring studded with precious gems and submitted. "My Lord, kindly listen to me. A little earlier, two soldiers riding over two horses (white and black in colour), approached me and said we are thirsty give us curds to drink.' I gave them curds. Instead of giving me money, they gave me this ring and said,'the king of Orissa will come here, after some time, on his way to Kanchi. You present it to him and he will pay you the money.' So my Lord, you take it and give me my dues.

 

It took no time for the king to know that the ring belongs to Lord Jagannath. He was convinced that Jagannath and Balabhadra were proceeding to the battle field ahead of him to help him there. To perpetuate the memory of this great incident, the king founded a village in the Chilika lake area. As the name of the lady was Manika, the name given to the village was Manika Patana. Even to this day, the curds of this village are famous.

 

LEGEND SURROUNDING THE TEMPLE ORIGIN

The traditional story concerning the origins of the Lord Jagannath temple is that here the original image of Jagannath (a deity form of Vishnu) at the end of Treta yuga manifested near a banyan tree, near seashore in the form of an Indranila nilamani or the Blue Jewel. It was so dazzling that it could grant instant moksha, so the god Dharma or Yama wanted to hide it in the earth, and was successful. In Dvapara Yuga King Indradyumna of Malwa wanted to find that mysterious image and to do so he performed harsh penances to obtain his goal. Vishnu then instructed him to go to the Puri seashore and find a floating log to make an image from its trunk.

 

The King found the log of wood. He did a yajna from which god Yajna Nrisimha appeared and instructed that Narayana should be made as fourfold expansion, i.e. Paramatma as Vasudeva, his Vyuha as Samkarshana, Yogamaya as Subhadra, and his Vibhava asSudarsana. Vishwakarma appeared in the form of artist and prepared images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra from the tree. When this log, radiant with light was seen floating in the sea, Narada told the king to make three idols out of it and place them in a pavilion. Indradyumna got Visvakarma, the architect of Gods, to build a magnificent temple to house the idols and Vishnu himself appeared in the guise of a carpenter to make the idols on condition that he was to be left undisturbed until he finished the work.

 

But just after two weeks, the Queen became very anxious. She took the carpenter to be dead as no sound came from the temple. Therefore, she requested the king to open the door. Thus, they went to see Vishnu at work at which the latter abandoned his work leaving the idols unfinished. The idol was devoid of any hands. But a divine voice told Indradyumana to install them in the temple. It has also been widely believed that in spite of the idol being without hands, it can watch over the world and be its lord. Thus the idiom.

 

INVASIONS AND DESECRATIONS OF THE TEMPLE

The temple annals, the Madala Panji records that the Jagannath temple at Puri has been invaded and plundered eighteen times. The invasion by Raktabahu has been considered the first invasion on the temple by the Madalapanji.

 

RANJIT SINGH´S WILL

Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, had donated massive amounts of gold to the Jagannath temple. In his last will, he also ordered that Koh-i-noor, the most precious and greatest diamond in the world, to be donated to this temple, but the diamond could never actually make its way to the temple because the British, by that time, had annexed the Punjab and all its royal possessions. Thus, claiming that the Koh-i-noor was theirs. It is currently a part of British crown jewels and is located in the Tower of London.

 

ENTRY AND DARSHAN

Temple has 4 entrances in all directions.Temple security is selective regarding who is allowed entry. Practicing Hindus of non-Indian descent are excluded from premises, as are Hindus of non-Indian origin. Visitors not allowed entry may view the precincts from the roof of the nearby Raghunandan Library and pay their respects to the image of God Jagannath known as Patitapavana at the main entrance to the temple. There is some evidence that this came into force following a series of invasions by foreigners into the temple and surrounding area. Buddhist, and Jain groups are allowed into the temple compound if they are able to prove their Indian ancestry. The temple has slowly started allowing Hindus of non-Indian origin into the area, after an incident in which 3 Balinese Hindus were denied entry, even though Bali is 90% Hindu.

 

The temple remains open from 5 am to 12 midnight. Unlike many other temples devotees can go behind the idols(go round the idols).All devotees are allowed to go right up to the deities during the Sahana Mela without paying any fees . The Sahana mela or the public darshan is usually following the abakasha puja between around 7 to 8 am in the morning. Special darshan or Parimanik darshan is when devotees on paying 50 Rupees are allowed right up to the deities. Parimanik darshan happens after the dhupa pujas at around 10 am, 1 pm and 8 pm . At all other times devotees can view the deities from some distance for free. The rathyatra occurs every year some time in the month of July. 2 or 6 weeks before Rathyatra (depending upon the year) there is a ritual of Lord undergoing "Bhukaar" (sick) hence the idols are not on "Darshan". Devotees to make a note of this before they plan to visit the lord.

 

CULTURAL INTEGRITY

Shrikshetra of Puri Jagannath, as is commonly known, can verily be said to be a truthful replica of Indian culture. To understand this culture, one has to have some idea of the history of this land, which again is different from that of other countries of the world.

 

Starting from Lord Jagannath himself, history has it that he was a tribal deity, adorned by the Sabar people, as a symbol of Narayan. Another legend claims him to be Nilamadhava, an image of Narayana made of blue stone and worshipped by the aboriginals. He was brought to Nilagiri (blue mountain) or Nilachala and installed there as Shri Jagannath in company with Balabhadra and Subhadra. The images made of wood are also claimed to have their distant linkage with the aboriginal system of worshipping wooden poles. To cap it all the Daitapatis, who have a fair share of responsibilities to perform rituals of the Temple, are claimed to be descendants of the aboriginals or hill tribes of Orissa. So we may safely claim that the beginning of the cultural history of Shrikshetra is found in the fusion of Hindu and Tribal Cultures. This has been accepted as a facet of our proud heritage. The three deities came to be claimed as the symbols of Samyak Darshan, Samyak Jnana and Samyak Charita usually regarded as Triratha (of the Jain cult), an assimilation of which leads to Moksha (salvation) or the ultimate bliss...

 

Jagannath is worshipped as Vishnu or Narayana or Krishna and Lord Balabhadra as Shesha. Simultaneously, the deities are regarded as the bhairava with Vimala (the devi or the consort of Shiva) installed in the campus of the temple. So ultimately we find a fusion of Saivism, Shaktism and Vaishnavism of the Hindu religion with Jainism and up to an extent Buddhism in the culture of Jagannath and the cultural tradition so reverently held together in Shrikshetra.

 

ACHARYAS AND JAGANNATHA PURI

All of the renowned acharyas including Madhvacharya have been known to visit this kshetra. Adi Shankara established his Govardhana matha here. There is also evidence that Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Ramanujacharya, and Nimbarkacharya had visited this place. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu of Gaudiya Vaishnavism stayed here for 24 years, establishing that the love of god can be spread by chanting the Hare Krishna mantra. Srimad Vallabhacharya visited Jagannath Puri and performed a 7-day recitation of Srimad Bhagvat. His sitting place is still famous as "baithakji." It confirms his visit to Puri. A famous incident took place when Vallabhachrya visited. There was a discourse being held between the Brahmins and 4 questions were asked. Who is the highest of Gods, What is the highest of mantras, What is the highest scripture and What is the highest service. The discourse went on for many days with many schools of thought. Finally Shri Vallabh said to ask Lord Jagannath to confirm Shri Vallabh's answers. A pen and paper were left in the inner sanctum. After some time, the doors were opened and 4 answers were written. 1) The Son of Devaki (Krishna) is the God of Gods 2) His name is the highest of mantras 3) His song is the highest scripture (Bhagavat Geeta) 4) Service to Him is the Highest service. The king was shocked and declared Shri Vallabh the winner of the discourse. Some of the pandits who participated became jealous of Shri Vallabh and wanted to test Him. The next day was Ekadashi, a fasting day where one must fast from grains. The pandits gave Shri Vallabh rice Prasad of Shri Jagannathji (The temple is famous for this). If Shri Vallabh ate it, He would break His vow of fasting but if He did not take it, He would disrespect Lord Jagannath. Shri Vallabh accepted the prasad in his hand and spent the rest of the day and night explaining slokas of the greatness of Prasad and ate the rice the next morning.

 

CHAR DHAM

The temple is one of the holiest Hindu Char Dham (four divine sites) sites comprising Rameswaram, Badrinath, Puri and Dwarka. Though the origins are not clearly known, the Advaita school of Hinduism propagated by Sankaracharya, who created Hindu monastic institutions across India, attributes the origin of Char Dham to the seer. The four monasteries lie across the four corners of India and their attendant temples are Badrinath Temple at Badrinath in the North, Jagannath Temple at Puri in the East, Dwarakadheesh Temple at Dwarka in the West and Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameswaram in the South. Though ideologically the temples are divided between the sects of Hinduism, namely Saivism and Vaishnavism, the Char Dham pilgrimage is an all Hindu affair. There are four abodes in Himalayas called Chota Char Dham (Chota meaning small): Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - all of these lie at the foot hills of Himalayas The name Chota was added during the mid of 20th century to differentiate the original Char Dhams. The journey across the four cardinal points in India is considered sacred by Hindus who aspire to visit these temples once in their lifetime. Traditionally the trip starts at the eastern end from Puri, proceeding in clockwise direction in a manner typically followed for circumambulation in Hindu temples.

 

STRUCTURE

The huge temple complex covers an area of over 37,000 m2, and is surrounded by a high fortified wall. This 6.1 m high wall is known as Meghanada Pacheri. Another wall known as kurma bedha surrounds the main temple. It contains at least 120 temples and shrines. With its sculptural richness and fluidity of the Oriya style of temple architecture, it is one of the most magnificent monuments of India. The temple has four distinct sectional structures, namely -

 

- Deula, Vimana or Garba griha (Sanctum sanctorum) where the triad deities are lodged on the ratnavedi (Throne of Pearls). In Rekha Deula style;

- Mukhashala (Frontal porch);

- Nata mandir/Natamandapa, which is also known as the Jagamohan (Audience Hall/Dancing Hall), and

- Bhoga Mandapa (Offerings Hall).

 

The main temple is a curvilinear temple and crowning the top is the 'srichakra' (an eight spoked wheel) of Vishnu. Also known as the "Nilachakra", it is made out of Ashtadhatu and is considered sacrosanct. Among the existing temples in Orissa, the temple of Shri Jagannath is the highest. The temple tower was built on a raised platform of stone and, rising to 65 m above the inner sanctum where the deities reside, dominates the surrounding landscape. The pyramidal roofs of the surrounding temples and adjoining halls, or mandapas, rise in steps toward the tower like a ridge of mountain peaks.

 

NILA CHAKRA

The Nila Chakra (Blue Discus) is the discus mounted on the top shikhar of the Jagannath Temple. As per custom, everyday a different flag is waved on the Nila Chakra. The flag hoisted on the Nila Cakra is called the Patita Pavana (Purifier of the Fallen) and is equivalent to the image of the deities placed in the sanctum sanctorum .

 

The Nila Chakra is a disc with eight Navagunjaras carved on the outer circumference, with all facing towards the flagpost above. It is made of alloy of eight metals (Asta-dhatu) and is 3.5 Metres high with a circumference of about 11 metres. During the year 2010, the Nila Chakra was repaired and restored by the Archaeological Survey of India.

 

The Nila Chakra is distinct from the Sudarshana chakra which has been placed with the deities in the inner sanctorum.

 

Nila Chakra is the most revered iconic symbol in the Jagannath cult. The Nila Chakra is the only physical object whose markings are used as sacrament and considered sacred in Jagannath worship. It symbolizes protection by Shri Jagannath.

 

THE SINGHADWARA

The Singahdwara, which in Sanskrit means The Lion Gate, is one of the four gates to the temple and forms the Main entrance. The Singhadwara is so named because two huge statues of crouching lions exist on either side of the entrance. The gate faces east opening on to the Bada Danda or the Grand Road. The Baisi Pahacha or the flight of twenty two steps leads into the temple complex. An idol of Jagannath known as Patitapavana, which in Sanskrit, means the "Saviour of the downtrodden and the fallen" is painted on the right side of the entrance. In ancient times when untouchables were not allowed inside the temple, they could pray to Patita Pavana. The statues of the two guards to the temple Jaya and Vijaya stand on either side of the doorway. Just before the commencement of the Rath Yatra the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are taken out of the temple through this gate. On their return from the Gundicha Temple they have to ceremonially placate Goddess Mahalakshmi, whose statue is carved atop the door, for neglecting to take her with them on the Yatra. Only then the Goddess allows them permission to enter the temple. A magnificent sixteen-sided monolithic pillar known as the Arun stambha stands in front of the main gate. This pillar has an idol of Arun, the charioteer of the Sun God Surya, on its top. One significant thing about Arun stambha is that prior it was located in the Konark Sun temple, later, the Maratha guru Brahmachari Gosain brought this pillar from Konark. The Puri Jagannath Temple was also saved by Maratha emperor Shivaji from being plundered at his times from the Mughals.

 

OTHER ENTRANCES

Apart from the Singhadwara, which is the main entrance to the temple, there are three other entrances facing north, south and west. They are named after the sculptures of animals guarding them. The other entrances are the Hathidwara or the Elephant Gate, the Vyaghradwara or the Tiger Gate and the Ashwadwara or the Horse Gate.

 

MINOR TEMPLES

There are numerous smaller temples and shrines within the Temple complex where active worship is regularly conducted. The Vimala Temple (Bimala Temple) is considered one of the most important of the Shaktipeeths marks the spot where the goddess Sati's feet fell. It is located near Rohini Kund in the temple complex. Until food offered to Jagannath is offered to Goddess Vimala it is not considered Mahaprasad.

 

The temple of Mahalakshmi has an important role in rituals of the main temple. It is said that preparation of naivedya as offering for Jagannath is supervised by Mahalakshmi. The Kanchi Ganesh Temple is dedicated to Uchchhishta Ganapati. Tradition says the King of Kanchipuram (Kanchi) in ancient times gifted the idol, when Gajapati Purushottama Deva married Padmavati, the kanchi princess. There are other shrines namely Muktimandap, Surya, Saraswati, Bhuvaneshwari, Narasimha, Rama, Hanuman and Eshaneshwara.

 

THE MANDAPAS

There are many Mandapas or Pillared halls on raised platforms within the temple complex meant for religious congregations. The most prominent is the Mukti Mandapa the congregation hall of the holy seat of selected learned brahmins. Here important decisions regarding conduct of daily worship and festivals are taken. The Dola Mandapa is noteworthy for a beautifully carved stone Torana or arch which is used for constructing a swing for the annual Dol Yatra festival. During the festival the idol of Dologobinda is placed on the swing. The Snana Bedi is a rectangular stone platform where idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra are placed for ceremonial bathing during the annual Snana Yatra

 

DAILY FOOD OFFERINGS

Daily offerings are made to the Lord six times a day. These include:

 

- The offering to the Lord in the morning that forms his breakfast and is called Gopala Vallabha Bhoga. Breakfast consists of seven items i.e. Khua, Lahuni, Sweetened coconut grating, Coconut water, and popcorn sweetened with sugar known as Khai, Curd and Ripe bananas.

- The Sakala Dhupa forms his next offering at about 10 AM. This generally consists of 13 items including the Enduri cake & Mantha puli.

- Bada Sankhudi Bhoga forms the next repast & the offering consists of Pakhala with curd and Kanji payas. The offerings are made in the Bhog Mandapa, about 200 feet from the Ratnabedi. This is called Chatra Bhog and was introduced by Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century to help pilgrims share the temple food.

- The Madhyanha dhupa forms the next offering at the noon.

- The next offering to the Lord is made in the evening at around 8 PM it is Sandhya Dhupa.

- The last offering to the Lord is called the Bada Simhara Bhoga.

 

The Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath are distributed amongst the devotees near the Ratnavedi inside the frame of Phokaria, which is being drawn by the Puja pandas using Muruj, except for the Gopal Ballav Bhog and Bhog Mandap Bhoga which are distributed in the Anabsar Pindi & Bhoga Mandap respectively.

 

ROSAGHARA

The temple's kitchen is considered as the largest kitchen in the world. Tradition maintains that all food cooked in the temple kitchens are supervised by the Goddess Mahalakshmi, the empress of Srimandir herself. It is said that if the food prepared has any fault in it, a shadow dog appears near the temple kitchen. The temple cooks, or Mahasuaras, take this as a sign of displeasure of Mahalakshmi with the food, which is, then, promptly buried and a new batch cooked. All food is cooked following rules as prescribed by Hindu religious texts, the food cooked is pure vegetarian without using onions and garlic. Cooking is done only in earthen pots with water drawn from two special wells near the kitchen called Ganga and Yamuna. There are a total of 56 varieties of naivedhyas offered to the deities, near Ratnabedi as well as in Bhoga Mandap on five particular Muhurta. The most awaited Prasad is Kotho Bhoga or Abadha, offered at mid-day at around 1 pm, depending upon temple rituals. The food after being offered to Jagannath is distributed in reasonable portions as Mahaprasad, which is considered to be divine by the devotees in the Ananda Bazar (an open market, located to the North-east of the Singhadwara inside the Temple complex).

 

FESTIVALS

There are elaborate daily worship services. There are many festivals each year attended by millions of people. The most important festival is the Rath Yatra or the Chariot festival in June. This spectacular festival includes a procession of three huge chariots bearing the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra through the Bada Danda meaning the Grand Avenue of Puri till their final destination the Gundicha Temple. Early European observers told tales of devotees being crushed under the wheels of these chariots, whether by accident or even as a form of meritorious suicide akin to suttee. These reports gave rise to the loan word juggernaut suggesting an immense, unstoppable, threatening entity or process operated by fanatics. Many festivals like Dol Yatra in spring and Jhulan Yatra in monsoon are celebrated by temple every year.Pavitrotsava and Damanaka utsava are celebrated as per panchanga or panjika.There are special ceremonies in the month of Kartika and Pausha.

 

The annual shodasha dinatmaka or 16 day puja beginning 8 days prior to Mahalaya of Ashwin month for goddess Vimala and ending on Vijayadashami, is of great importance, in which both the utsava murty of lord Madanmohan and Vimala take part.

 

- Pana Sankranti: Also known or Vishuva Sankranti and Mesha Sankranti: Special rituals are performed at the temple.

 

RATH YATRA AT PURI

The Jagannath triad are usually worshiped in the sanctum of the temple at Puri, but once during the month of Asadha (Rainy Season of Orissa, usually falling in month of June or July), they are brought out onto the Bada Danda (main street of Puri) and travel (3 km) to the Shri Gundicha Temple, in huge chariots (ratha), allowing the public to have darśana (Holy view). This festival is known as Rath Yatra, meaning the journey (yatra) of the chariots (ratha). The Rathas are huge wheeled wooden structures, which are built anew every year and are pulled by the devotees. The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 feet square and takes about 2 months to construct. The artists and painters of Puri decorate the cars and paint flower petals and other designs on the wheels, the wood-carved charioteer and horses, and the inverted lotuses on the wall behind the throne. The huge chariots of Jagannath pulled during Rath Yatra is the etymological origin of the English word Juggernaut. The Ratha-Yatra is also termed as the Shri Gundicha yatra.

 

The most significant ritual associated with the Ratha-Yatra is the chhera pahara." During the festival, the Gajapati King wears the outfit of a sweeper and sweeps all around the deities and chariots in the Chera Pahara (sweeping with water) ritual. The Gajapati King cleanses the road before the chariots with a gold-handled broom and sprinkles sandalwood water and powder with utmost devotion. As per the custom, although the Gajapati King has been considered the most exalted person in the Kalingan kingdom, he still renders the menial service to Jagannath. This ritual signified that under the lordship of Jagannath, there is no distinction between the powerful sovereign Gajapati King and the most humble devotee.

 

Chera pahara is held on two days, on the first day of the Ratha Yatra, when the deities are taken to garden house at Mausi Maa Temple and again on the last day of the festival, when the deities are ceremoniously brought back to the Shri Mandir.

 

As per another ritual, when the deities are taken out from the Shri Mandir to the Chariots in Pahandi vijay.

 

In the Ratha Yatra, the three deities are taken from the Jagannath Temple in the chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days. Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in bahuda yatra. On the way back, the three chariots halt at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered Poda Pitha, a kind of baked cake which are generally consumed by the Odisha people only.

 

The observance of the Rath Yatra of Jagannath dates back to the period of the Puranas. Vivid descriptions of this festival are found in Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana. Kapila Samhita also refers to Rath Yatra. In Moghul period also, King Ramsingh of Jaipur, Rajasthan has been described as organizing the Rath Yatra in the 18th Century. In Orissa, Kings of Mayurbhanj and Parlakhemundi were organizing the Rath Yatra, though the most grand festival in terms of scale and popularity takes place at Puri.

 

Moreover, Starza notes that the ruling Ganga dynasty instituted the Rath Yatra at the completion of the great temple around 1150 AD. This festival was one of those Hindu festivals that was reported to the Western world very early. Friar Odoric of Pordenone visited India in 1316-1318, some 20 years after Marco Polo had dictated the account of his travels while in a Genoese prison. In his own account of 1321, Odoric reported how the people put the "idols" on chariots, and the King and Queen and all the people drew them from the "church" with song and music.

 

CHANDAN YATRA

In Akshaya Tritiya every year the Chandan Yatra festival marks the commencement of the construction of the Chariots of the Rath Yatra.

 

SNANA PURNIMA

On the Purnima of the month of Jyestha the Gods are ceremonially bathed and decorated every year on the occasion of Snana Yatra.

 

ANAVASARA OR ANASARA

Literally means vacation. Every year, the main idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra & Sudarshan after the holy Snana Yatra on the jyestha purnima, go to a secret altar named Anavasara Ghar where they remain for the next dark fortnight (Krishna paksha). Hence devotees are not allowed to view them. Instead of this devotees go to nearby place Brahmagiri to see their beloved lord in the form of four handed form Alarnath a form of Vishnu. Then people get the first glimpse of lord on the day before Rath Yatra, which is called 'Navayouvana. It is said that the gods fall in fever after taking a huge bath and they are treated by the special servants named, Daitapatis for 15 days. During this period cooked food is not offered to the deities.

 

NAVA KALEBARA

One of the most grandiloquent events associated with the Lord Jagannath, Naba Kalabera takes place when one lunar month of Ashadha is followed by another lunar month of Aashadha. This can take place in 8, 12 or even 18 years. Literally meaning the “New Body” (Nava = New, Kalevar = Body), the festival is witnessed by as millions of people and the budget for this event exceeds $500,000. The event involves installation of new images in the temple and burial of the old ones in the temple premises at Koili Vaikuntha. The idols that are currently being worshipped in the temple premises were installed in the year 1996. Next ceremony will be held on 2015. More than 3 million devotees are expected to visit the temple during the Nabakalevara of 2015 making it one of the most visited festivals in the world.

 

NILADRI BIJE

Celebrated on Asadha Trayodashi. Niladri Bije is the concluding day of Ratha yatra. On this day deities return to the ratna bedi. Lord Jagannath offers Rasgulla to goddess Laxmi to enter in to the temple.

 

GUPTA GUNDICHA

Celebrated for 16 days from Ashwina Krushna dwitiya to Vijayadashami. As per tradition, the idol of Madhaba, along with the idol of Goddess Durga (known as Durgamadhaba), is taken on a tour of the temple premises. The tour within the temple is observed for the first eight days. For the next eight days, the idols are taken outside the temple on a palanquin to the nearby Narayani temple situated in the Dolamandapa lane. After their worship, they are brought back to the temple.

 

THE NAME PURUSHOTTAMA KSHETRA AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Lord Jagannath is the Purushottama as per the scripture, Skanda Purana. In order to teach human beings how to lead a life full of virtue, he has taken the form of Saguna Brahman or Darubrahman. He is the best brother to his siblings, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra. He is the best husband to goddess Shri. The most noteworthy aspect is still in the month of Margashirsha, on three consecutive days during amavasya he does Shraddha to his parents (Kashyapa-Aditi, Dasharatha-Kaushalya, Vasudeva-Devaki, Nanda-Yashoda), along with the king Indradyumna and queen Gundicha. As a master he enjoys every comfort daily and in various festivals. He grants all wishes to his subjects, and those who surrender before him he takes the utmost care of.

 

CULTURE AND TRADITION OF PURI

Puri is one of the fascinating littoral districts of Orissa. The Cultural heritage of Puri with its long recorded history has its beginnings in the third century B.C. The monuments, religious sanctity, and way of life of the people with their rich tradition is the cultural heart of Orissa. Indeed, Puri is considered the cultural capital of Orissa. The culture here flourished with its manifold activities.

 

The District has the happy conglomerate of different religions, sects and faith. In the course of history, Hindu, Buddhist, Jaina, Muslim, Christian, and Sikh are found here in the District.

 

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, an incarnation of Lord Krishna, appeared 500 years ago, in the mood of a devotee to taste the sublime emotions of ecstasy by chanting the holy name of Krishna. Stalwart scholars of Puri like Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya (a priest & great Sanskrit pandit) and others followed His teachings. Even kings and ministers of His period became His disciples. Especially King Prataparudra became His great admirer and ardent follower. Thus all cultures and religion became one in Puri after his teachings were given to all with no consideration of caste and creed.

 

MANAGEMENT

After independence, the State Government, with a view to getting better administrative system, passed " The Puri Shri Jagannath Temple (Administration) Act, 1952. It contained provisions to prepare the Record of Rights and duties of Sevayats and such other persons connected with the system of worship and management of the temple. Subsequently Shri Jagannath Temple Act, 1955 " was enacted to reorganize the management system of the affair of the temple and its properties.

 

SECURITY

The security at the 12th century Jagannath Temple is increased ahead of Ratha Yatra, the homecoming festival of the deities of Jagannath temple. In the wake of terror alert on 27 June 2012, the security forces were increased to ensure smooth functioning of the crowded Ratha Yatra and Suna Besha.

 

WIKIPEDIA

Expected mother sitting with a counselor who explains the oral contraception method at Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC), Ambapua, Berhampur.

 

Photo Credit: Mubeen Siddiqui/MCSP

This is a photograph from the East of Ireland Marathon Series Marathon held at Stapelstown, Donadea, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland at 09:00 on Saturday 21st of September 2013. This is the first East of Ireland Marathon Series race outside of Dublin and also the first to have been run on rural roads and is race 5 of the East of Ireland Marathon Series 2013.

 

There was beautiful but warm weather in Stapelstown for the marathon which made conditions tougher than expected. The course brought runners on a loop from the village over towards Prosperous, Co. Kildare, and then back to the finish/refreshment area. The event was very well organised and whilst these races operate with a degree of self sufficiency for runners there was adequate marshalling, course marking, and refreshments available. Well done to all.

 

The East Of Ireland Marathon Series aims to make marathons affordable and convienient for the runners of Ireland. The serires organisers aim to promote marathon running and to make the process as stress free and enjoyable as possible. All courses are measured to full AAI standards and have a minimum of 10 Entrants. The marathons are self sufficent to a degree although there are limited supplies of water available on the day of the race. There will be no extra frills like chip timing and finish gantrys. However all finishing times are accurately and officially recorded. This is to keep the price down and keep the races as affordable as possible. The East of Ireland Marathon series is all inclusive and welcomes runners who are new to marathon running as well as experienced veterans.

 

This photograph is part of a Flickr set of photographs we took at this event. The Flickr set is available here [http://www.flickr.com/photos/peterm7/sets/72157635665725976/]. This set includes photographs from the start, in-race, and finish of the race.

 

Viewing this on a smartphone device?

If you are viewing this Flickr set on a smartphone and you want to see the larger version(s) of this photograph then: scroll down to the bottom of this description under the photograph and click the "View info about this photo..." link. You will be brought to a new page and you should click the link "View All Sizes".

 

Overall Race Summary

Participants: The East of Ireland marathon series stricly limits the number of participants. There were about 50 participants in the race today.

Weather: There was warm sunny weather for the race with competitors finding the humid conditions very tough as the race progress on around mid day. There was no real wind but a breeze which did help keep runners cool.

Course: The race started at St. Kevin's GAA and proceeded west into Stapelstown Village and reached a turnaround point which brought runners back to the starting point. This meant that runners then had to complete four complete loops of the 6.09 mile loop outlined below. This loop then proceeded directly southwards towards Prosperous but makes a sharp right turn before Properous village. This brings runners onto the Ballynafagh road and northwards back towards Stapelstown village. Runners then run down through the village (passing the finish and refreshment area) to complete the loop. The course is on traffic open country roads.

Location Map: This is the start finish area at Stapelstown National School goo.gl/maps/LbynY

 

Some Useful Links

 

A GARMIN GPS Trace of the 6.09 mile loop being used as part of the marathon: connect.garmin.com/activity/326724349

East of Ireland Marathons Facebook Group Page: www.facebook.com/groups/130592073780072/ (you will need a Facebook account to view this)

East of Ireland Marathons Web Homepage: www.eastofirelandmarathons.com/index.php

Professional Photographer Hannah Levy has galleries for several previous East of Ireland Marathons in 2013: www.hannahlevy.com/index/EOI_Marathons/EOI_Marathons.html

 

Google Streetview Imagery of St. Kevin's GAA Club where parking facilities were provided for the race: goo.gl/maps/FMsl5

Google Streetview Imagery of the Finish Area beside Stapelstown National School: goo.gl/maps/LbynY

 

Can I use these photographs directly from Flickr on my social media account?

 

Yes - of course you can. Flickr provides several ways to share this and other photographs in this Flickr set. You can share to: email, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr, LiveJournal, and Wordpress and Blogger blog sites. Your mobile device will also offer you several different options for sharing this photo page on your social media outlets.

 

How can I get full resolution copies of these photographs?

 

All of the photographs posted here on this Flickr set are available free, at no cost, at full image resolution. We take these photographs as a hobby and as a contribution to the running community in Ireland. Our only "cost" is our request that if you are using these images without the watermark: (1) on social media sites such as Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, Twitter,LinkedIn, Google+, etc or (2) other websites, blogs, web multimedia, commercial/promotional material that you must provide a link back to our Flickr page to attribute us.

 

This also extends the use of these images for Facebook profile pictures. In these cases please make a separate wall or blog post with a link to our Flickr page. If you do not know how this should be done for Facebook or other social media please email us and we will be happy to help suggest how to link to us.

 

Please email petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com with the links to the photographs you would like to obtain a full resolution copy of. We also ask race organisers, media, etc to ask for permission before use of our images for flyers, posters, etc. We reserve the right to refuse a request.

 

In summary please remember when requesting photographs from us - all we ask is for you to provide a link back to our Flickr set or Flickr pages. You will find the link above clearly outlined in the description text which accompanies this photograph. Taking these photographs and preparing them for online posting does take a significant effort. We are not posting photographs to Flickr for commercial reasons. If you really like what we do please spread the link around your social media, send us an email, leave a comment beside the photographs, send us a Flickr email, etc.

 

If you would like to contribute something for your photograph(s)?

Many people offer payment for our photographs. As stated above we do not charge for these photographs. We take these photographs as our contribution to the running community in Ireland. If you feel that the photograph(s) you request are good enough that you would consider paying for their purchase from other photographic providers we would suggest that you can provide a donation to any of the great charities in Ireland who do work for Cancer Care or Cancer Research in Ireland.

 

I ran in the race - but my photograph doesn't appear here in your Flickr set! What gives?

 

As mentioned above we take these photographs as a hobby and as a voluntary contribution to the running community in Ireland. Very often we have actually ran in the same race and then switched to photographer mode after we finished the race. Consequently, we feel that we have no obligations to capture a photograph of every participant in the race. However, we do try our very best to capture as many participants as possible. But this is sometimes not possible for a variety of reasons:

 

     ►You were hidden behind another participant as you passed our camera

     ►Weather or lighting conditions meant that we had some photographs with blurry content which we did not upload to our Flickr set

     ►There were too many people - some races attract thousands of participants and as amateur photographs we cannot hope to capture photographs of everyone

     ►We simply missed you - sorry about that - we did our best!

  

You can email us petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com to enquire if we have a photograph of you which didn't make the final Flickr selection for the race. But we cannot promise that there will be photograph there. As alternatives we advise you to contact the race organisers to enquire if there were (1) other photographs taking photographs at the race event or if (2) there were professional commercial sports photographers taking photographs which might have some photographs of you available for purchase. You might find some links for further information above.

 

Don't like your photograph here?

That's OK! We understand!

 

If, for any reason, you are not happy or comfortable with your picture appearing here in this photoset on Flickr then please email us at petermooney78 AT gmail DOT com and we will remove it as soon as possible. We give careful consideration to each photograph before uploading.

 

I want to tell people about these great photographs!

Great! Thank you! The best link to spread the word around is probably www.flickr.com/peterm7/sets

  

Wasn't expecting to see this in Deal today, and this vehicle was on a Shuttle Service from Deal South Street to the Deal Classic Motor Show that was taking place at Walmer Green.

 

And be sure to check by my other acount: www.flickr.com/photos_user.gne?path=&nsid=77145939%40..., to see what else I saw Very Recently!!

I love her glow & the look in her eye... She is holding her future....

“Desde el pueblo nassa tenemos expectativas grandes de esperanza, de esperanza por la vida, por la paz, por el territorio y, sobre todo, por la defensa de nuestra madre tierra, porque para nosotros la madre tierra es a la que tenemos que defender mucho más. Por eso, debemos protegerla y proteger mucho a los defensores de esta vida”. Esas fueron las palabras de Alcides Muse, indígena de la comunidad nassa del Cauca, quien participó en el primer Puesto de Mando Unificado (PMU) por la Vida del Gobierno del presidente Gustavo Petro.

 

En este PMU, que contó con la participación y el compromiso de la ministra de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible, Susana Muhamad, el Gobierno Nacional escuchó a diferentes comunidades indígenas, afrodescendientes y campesinas del Cauca, escenario en el que le presentó al país el plan de emergencia para la protección de los líderes y defensores ambientales.

 

“Veinte líderes sociales ambientales del Magdalena Medio fueron amenazados por oponerse al fracking, 17 funcionarios de Parques Nacionales Naturales fueron asesinados durante la última década. Por eso, como ministra de Ambiente hago presencia en este PMU. Vamos a aportar de formas concretas: mapeando los conflictos socioambientales en todo el país, trabajando para ampliar la democracia ambiental, como también alertando situaciones especiales de colectivos que defienden el ambiente”, afirmó la jefe de la cartera ambiental.

 

Asimismo, la ministra Muhamad resaltó el compromiso del Gobierno para la pronta ratificación del Acuerdo de Escazú: “Queremos que los actores ambientales tengan un canal para ejercer la democracia ambiental que, además, se debe profundizar con la ratificación del Acuerdo de Escazú en el Congreso. Lo que estamos haciendo hoy aquí, aporta a ese avance del acuerdo, aunque no haya sido aprobado”.

 

El plan de emergencia cuenta con siete ejes y priorizará sus acciones en 65 municipios y seis capitales: Barranquilla, Bucaramanga, Cali, Medellín, Popayán y Santa Marta.

 

La estrategia, que se ajustará a las distintas realidades territoriales, dinámicas de la violencia, fuentes de riesgo, conflictos socioambientales, entre otros factores, trabajará en la presencia territorial del Estado y el acompañamiento de la comunidad internacional, en la acción preventiva y estratégica de la fuerza pública en terreno y en medidas de justicia y contra la impunidad.

 

El Puesto de Mando Unificado por la Vida también contó con la participación del ministro del Interior, Alfonso Prada; el alto comisionado para la Paz, Danilo Rueda; el presidente del Congreso de la República, Roy Barreras, y el defensor del Pueblo, Carlos Camargo, entre otros funcionarios del Gobierno Nacional, líderes de las comunidades, alcaldes y miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad del Estado. / Ago. 20, 2022. (Fotografía Oficial Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible / Juan Fernando Betancourt).

 

Esta fotografía oficial del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible está disponible sólo para ser publicada por las organizaciones de noticias, medios nacionales e internacionales y/o para uso personal de impresión por el sujeto de la fotografía. La fotografía no puede ser alterada digitalmente o manipularse de ninguna manera, y tampoco puede usarse en materiales comerciales o políticos, anuncios, correos electrónicos, productos o promociones que de cualquier manera sugieran aprobación por parte del Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible.

 

Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible Página Web / Twitter Facebook / Youtube / Instagram

Took tons of pictures of my friend Allison and her husband Jeff this weekend. She is expecting twins in about 6 weeks! Lots of processing to do. This is the first one I think I have fairly close to "done".

 

Strobist: borrowed studio strobe with shoot-through umbrella camera right, angled about 45 degrees down and in front of them. Reflector just out of frame camera left by their heads to fill in shadows around the necks.

A woman eagerly expects her date/friend/boss? inside a busy street-side restaurant, Paris, France.

Nikon D300 with 80-200mm f/2.8

Leilani was expecting when this photo was taken but didn't know it yet

I did not expect to be around till december, but Mercedes Sosa passed away and I simply had to thank her for all the heartfelt music she made. She touched my heart deeply.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyOJ-A5iv5I&feature=related

 

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.

Me dio dos luceros, y cuando los abro,

perfecto distingo lo negro del blanco,

y en el alto cielo su fondo estrellado,

y en las multitudes al hombre que yo amo.

 

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.

Me ha dado el odo que, en todo su ancho,

graba noche y da ros y canarios

martillos, turbinas, ladridos, chubascos,

y la voz tan tierna de mi bien amado.

 

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto,

me ha dado el sonido y abecedario.

Con l las palabras que pienso y declaro,

"padre,", "amigo," "hermano," y est alumbrando

la ruta del alma del que estoy amando.

 

Gracias a la vida, que me ha dado tanto.

Me ha dado la marcha de mis pies cansados.

Con ellos anduve ciudades y charcos,

valles y desiertos, montaas y llanos,

y la casa tuya, tu calle y tu patio.

 

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto

Me dio el corazn, que agita su marco.

Cuando miro el fruto del cerebro humano,

cuando miro al bueno tan lejos del malo.

Cuando miro el fondo de tus ojos claros.

 

Gracias a la vida que me ha dado tanto.

Me ha dado la risa, me ha dado el llanto.

As yo distingo dicha de quebranto,

todos materiales que forman mi canto,

y el canto de ustedes que es es mismo canto.

y el canto de ustedes que es mi propio canto

 

Mercedes Sosa

  

large size

www.flickr.com/photos/piptoo/3987647145/sizes/o/

 

Sagrada Família Barcelona, Spain - situation 2017

Construction of the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família began in 1882. The temple is still under construction, with completion expected in 2026. It is perhaps the best known structure of Catalan Modernism, drawing over three million visitors annually. Architect Antoni Gaudi worked on the project until his death in 1926, in full anticipation he would not live to see it finished.

 

Gaudi was appointed architect in 1883 at 31 years of age, following disagreements between the temple’s promoters and the original architect, Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano. He maintained del Villar’s Latin cross plan, typical of Gothic cathedrals, but departed from the Gothic in several significant ways. Most notably, Gaudi developed a system of angled columns and hyperbolical vaults to eliminate the need for flying buttresses. Rather than relying on exterior elements, horizontal loads are transferred through columns on the interior. La Sagrada Familia utilizes three-dimensional forms comprised of ruled surfaces, including hyperboloids, parabolas, helicoids, and conoids. These complex shapes allow for a thinner, finer structure, and are intended to enhance the temple’s acoustics and quality of light. Gaudi used plaster models to develop the design, including a 1:10 scale model of the main nave measuring five meters in height and width by two meters in depth. He also devised a system of strings and weights suspended from a plan of the temple on the ceiling. From this inverted model he derived the necessary angles of the columns, vaults, and arches. This is evident in the slanted columns of the Passion facade, which recall tensile structures but act in compression.

 

Gaudi embedded religious symbolism in each aspect of La Sagrada Familia, creating a visual representation of Christian beliefs. He designed three iconic facades for the basilica, the Glory, Nativity, and Passion facades, facing south, east, and west, respectively. The sculpting of the Nativity facade recalls smooth, intricate corbelling and was overseen by Gaudi. The Passion Facade is characterized by the work of Josep Maria Subirachs, whose angular sculptures extend the modernist character of the temple. The sculptor Etsuro Sotoo is responsible for the window ornaments and finials, which symbolize the Eucharist. The central nave soars to a height of 45 meters, and is designed to resemble a forest of multi-hued piers in Montjuïc and granite. The piers change in cross section from base to terminus, increasing in number of vertices from polygonal to circular. The slender, bifurcating columns draw the eye upward, where light filters through circular apertures in the vaults. These are finished in Venetian glass tiles of green and gold, articulating the lines of the hyperboloids.

 

Once completed, La Sagrada Familia will feature eighteen towers. Four bell towers representing the Apostles crown each facade, reaching approximately 100 meters in height. At the north end, a tower representing the Virgin Mary will stand over the apse. The central tower will reach 72 meters in height and symbolize Christ, surrounded by four towers representing the Evangelists. Even as construction continues, older portions are undergoing cleaning and restoration. The temple has relied entirely on private donations since its inception, and has seen many delays due to lack of funding. A particularly significant setback occurred during the Spanish Civil War, when Gaudi’s workshop was destroyed, including much of the documentation he left behind. Subsequent generations of craftsman and architects have relied on the remaining drawings and plaster models to advance the project, adhering to Gaudi’s vision as closely as possible. As a result, the design of the temple is a collaboration spanning centuries. Gaudi himself viewed the project as the collective work of generations. "I will grow old but others will come after me. What must always be conserved is the spirit of the work, but its life has to depend on the generations it is handed down to and with whom it lives and is incarnated."

 

In recent decades, La Sagrada Familia has adopted contemporary digital design and construction technologies. Architects and craftsmen use Rhinoceros, Cadds5, Catia, and CAM to understand the complex geometries and visualize the building as a whole. Plaster models are still used as a design tool, now generated by a 3-D printer to accelerate the process.

 

Architect: Antoni Gaudi

Present Chief Architect: Jordi Fauli

Former Chief Architects: Jordi Bonet, Francesc de Paula Quintana i Vidal, Isidre Puig i Boada, Lluís Bonet i Garí, , Francesc de Paula del Villar y Lozano

Deputy Chief Architects: Carles Buxadé, Joan Margarit, Josep Gómez Serrano

Technical Consultants: Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology

Project Department: Jordi Coll, Andrés de Mesa

Sculptors: Etsuro Sotoo, Josep Maria Subirachs

Stained Glass: Joan Vila-Grau

Area: 4.500 m2

I never expected to meet the Gruffalo today, but there he was, in the flesh, at Thorndon Country Park, much to the delight of the children...and me!!!!!

 

Just for a laugh!

Much Hadham is a lovely church being much larger than one would expect for its village setting. The church guidebook acknowledges this and points out that the site was owned by the Bishops of London since some date after 952 AD when it was gifted by Saxon Queen Ethelfleda in her will - first to her sister and her brother-in-law Brithnoth, the alderman of Essex - and then to the Bishop after her relative's deaths. I think this is same Brithnoth (spelled variously) who died leading the Saxon resistance against the Vikings at the Battle of Maldon in 991 - see my Maldon church set earlier.

 

www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/sets/72157630026001994/ to see the full set.

 

A Bishops' Palace was built nearby and the presence of that palace, and the desire of various London bishops for a more substantial church, led to the construction of the present church which the guidebook admits would not look out of place in a well-to-do town like Ware or Hertford. The building is 121 feet long and the tower is topped with a stiletto-like thin spire called a 'Hertfordshire Spike'.

 

Dedicated to St Andrew, the present church was almost certainly a Saxo-Norman site but nothing survives today earlier than about 1225. Frustratingly no documents survive before the 19th century as the records should have been in Fulham Palace's archives and should have been transferred to the Guildhall Library in London. Fulham Palace is the main London home of the Bishops of London. An on-site investigation has revealed three phases of construction which - for argument's sake - have been called 13th, 14th and 15th century. It is not possible to ascribe accurate dates to these phases (so far) but future dendrochronology could be used to date the roof timbers with some accuracy and might result in a clearer architectural history.

 

The oldest part of the church is a weathered door which has now been moved inside and is thought to date to about 1225. It was moved about 100 years later and cut down to fit. Sometime after 1225 the chancel was greatly expanded and this may have been enlarged to allow the bishop and his chaplains to carry out the elaborate rituals which would not fit into a narrow Norman-style chancel. This chancel is Early English in style. Some time later the expansion of the nave was commenced (say 1240-1250) with the building of the south aisle. The first three arches on the south side set the scale for this work and may have been the work of a London mason supplied by the Bishop. This enlargement work continued until around 1280 with two more simpler arches being built on the south side.

 

Moving into the 14th century (the Decorated style) windows were improved and the north aisle was commenced. In common with many other churches in England the Black Death, in the 1340s, would have brought a halt to any other work as a substantial proportion of the population died along with many skilled artisans. In some English churches it is possible to see where this work halted during the plague. Work at Much Hadham restarted in the Perpendicular style (1390 to 1450). The 90-foot tall west tower carries the arms of Bishop Braybrooke (died 1404) so his arms may date that work at least. Also added were the south porch, a clerestory to the nave and the enlarged east window.

 

The main furnishings of the church such as the font, some pews, the screen and stalls also date to the 15th century. The pulpit looks like it was made from medieval material but was probably constructed during in the reign of Elizabeth I.

These are my personal notes taken during a geology presentation. I give them here because they may be of some interest. Do not expect the notes to always be in complete sentences, etc.

-----------------------------------

Mammals and the Cretaceous-Tertiary Mass Extinction

 

Presented by: John Hunter (Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University at Newark, Newark, Ohio, USA) (newark.osu.edu/directory/hunter-john.html)

 

22 May 2012

----------

There are 3 groups of mammals today: monotremes, marsupials, and placentals.

The monotremes are the duck-billed platypus and the echidna. They were widespread across Gondwana in the past. They are now restricted to Australasia.

Marsupials are in Australasia and in North America today.

There are 20 or so orders of placental mammals, living and extinct.

Placentals include primates, which turn out to be related to bats and flying lemurs. Placentals also include the ungulates - the hoofed mammals. The ungulates are an artificial group - they consist of 3 separate groups, actually.

Whales turn out to be in the Artiodactyla.

 

Mammals have been around since the Late Triassic. A Middle Triassic busted-up mammal braincase has been found in southwestern USA. Well-preserved mammal fossils start in the Late Triassic. Mammals diversify after the Cretaceous. Modern placental orders go to near the base of the Paleocene. Marsupials and monotremes do go into the Cretaceous.

 

Early mammals include:

Morganucodonts (Late Triassic to Early Jurassic) - they are stem mammals. They have teeth with cusps that slide past each other. These mammals were likely insectivores (insect eaters).

 

Docodonts (Late Triassic-Late Jurassic) - they have broad, crushing teeth and were likely frugivores (fruit eaters). Their bodies ranged from small & shrew-like to beaver-sized.

 

Australosphenids (stem monotremes) - they are known from across Gondwana - Australia, Madagascar, South America.

 

Eutriconodonts (Jurassic-Cretaceous) - bigger & badder mammals, up to ~possum-sized.

 

Multituberculates (Jurassic-Eocene) - “rodents” of the Mesozoic, although they wouldn’t be mistaken for living rodents. These mammals had cheek teeth with cusps in multiple rows, like a modern rodent molar. Multituberculate mammals had splayed-out-to-the-side limbs. They could reverse their hind feet to hang from tress, like squirrels today.

 

Stem eutherians (Jurassic-Cretaceous)

 

Mammals in the Mesozoic were not ecologically dominant - they were small-bodied, nocturnal, and had a small biomass compared with the archosaurs/dinosaurs.

After the Cretaceous-Tertiary extinction, there was a survivorship period in the mammals.

Survivors of the extinction included marsupials (they were in & are still in North America) and multituberculates. The multituberculate mammals persisted until the Eocene, when rodents migrated into North America from Asia. The rodents probably outcompeted the multituberculates.

Mammals diversified in the Paleogene-Neogene.

 

The Cretaceous-Tertiary transition (K-T) had the greatest number of originations per unit species and the greatest number of extinctions per unit species - lots of turnover.

Mammal body sizes increased through time. The largest single increase occurred at the Cretaceous-Tertiary. After that, there was continued increase in mammal body sizes through the Cenozoic.

 

See Schulte et al. (2010) - Science 327(1214).

 

There was a large impact in the Gulf of Mexico, at the Yucatan Peninsula, at 65.5 million years ago - now the Chicxulub Impact Crater. The timing of the impact corresponds with extinction of Cretaceous-only species of plants and animals, and corresponds with a sudden spike in iridium (Ir) in Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary sediments, and also corresponds with a δ13C excursion.

 

The iridium spike and extinction event also correspond with periods of volcanism in India - the Deccan Traps. Imagine an area the size of Texas suddenly being filled with lava, with lots of poison gases being released. There were multiple episodes of Deccan Traps volcanism - not all of them correspond with the extinction horizon.

Deccan Traps volcanism could have caused the Cretaceous-Tertiay mass extinction, some say.

Others say Deccan Traps volcanism did not cause the mass extinction.

 

Close to Chicxulub, boundary sections have dozens of meters thick tsunami deposits - very coarse grained sediments - formed quickly and dewatered quickly.

Far away from Chicxulub, for example at Agost, Spain, the boundary section is quite thin.

 

See Archibald et al. (2010) - Science 328 (21 May 2010). This paper says that the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinction had multiple causes - impact + volcanism + marine regression + climate change.

 

Early Paleocene first appearances of mammals include Purgatorius (Plesiadapiformes) - a primate that possibly goes into the Cretaceous (based on one tooth in a probably-contaminated fossil washing screen) - and Protungulatum (Condylarthra) - now known in the Cretaceous.

 

John Hunter does mammal fossil field work in southwestern North Dakota, in the Williston Basin. The area has Paleocene- and Cretaceous-aged sedimentary rocks. The contact in the area potentially has Cretaceous-Tertiary fossil records. The area is mostly rangelands/grasslands. It’s usually only the river valleys that have adequate rock exposures, such as along the Yellowstone River and the Little Missouri River, etc. Going north in this field area, one encounters younger sites. Going south in this field area, one encounters older sites.

The area has outcrops of Hell Creek Formation (upper Upper Cretaceous) - it contains dinosaurs + lots of mammal sites. Above that is the Fort Union Group (Paleocene) - its has lots of mammal sites.

 

Marine rocks occur below the Hell Creek Fm. Marine rocks also come in from the east during the Paleocene - there’s a regression to Hudson Bay in the Middle Paleocene.

In the field, the Hell Creek Fm. outcrops have drab gray colors. Above that, the Fort Union Group outcrops are colored tan + gray.

 

The Pioneer Trails Region Museum in Bowman, North Dakota has a paleontology curator, Dean Pearson. John Hunter works with him, plus Joe Hartman (works on invertebrate fossils), Dan Peppe (works on fossil plants & paleomagnetic analysis), Antoine Bercovici (works on fossil pollen), and others.

 

The asteroid layer is a tonstein at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary in some sections - iridium has been identified in these sections. A good K-T section occurs at Mud Buttes, North Dakota - it has shocked quartz + a pollen change + an iridium spike + spherules.

 

Sandstone channels can cut out parts of these sections, including the K-T transition. So, the K-T asteroid layer is not found everywhere.

 

Mammal fossils: mostly isolated teeth + jaw fragments.

 

See Hunter (1999) - North Dakota Academy of Science.

See Pearson et al. (2002) - Geological Society of America Special Paper 361.

 

There is very little ecological change in Hell Creek Formation fossils through time. There is no evidence of dinosaurs (or other groups) declining.

At one locality, <1 meter above the K-T boundary, lenses of sediments have the earliest mammals and plants recovered from the post-Cretaceous - these are “day after” biotas. They are the closest-to-the-Cretaceous biotas of Paleocene age identified so far.

 

The Hell Creek Fm.-Fort Union Group contact is arbitrary - it’s placed at a mappable coal bed. This is somewhat correlative with the Z Coal. “Z Coal” is a term used in eastern Montana - the coal bed splits and joins. The formation contact (= coal bed) is within 1 to 0.5 meters of the iridium spike. So, the “Z Coal” and the iridium spike are pretty close.

 

Bercovici et al. (2009) - Cretaceous Research.

 

Floras have been also recovered in these close-to-the-Cretaceous sands.

 

The fossil record looked at just above the K-T is environmentally sensitive.

 

Wilkening locality - 5341 fossil vertebrate specimens were recovered (mostly fish, but some mammals, too). The fossils were retrieved by screening/sieving. A freshwater ponding event occurred after K-T at this locality. Found a new species of Mesodma, a multituberculate mammal. Got archaic placental mammals and archaic ungulates. The site is dominated by one species of multituberculate - Mesodma. This animal was 80% of the mammal fauna at the Wilkening locality.

 

Seeing a surge in multituberculate mammals in the transitional period between the Late Cretaceous and the Early Paleocene. The multituberculates were an opportunistic group following the K-T extinction event. Also seeing a fern spore spike just above K-T. This is the first time a spike in mammals has been found after the K-T.

 

At other sites, reports of increased numbers of mammals after K-T were dubious - there was often evidence of reworking - hundreds or thousands of years of time may have been compressed, including through the boundary. This will disproportionately represent forms that go extinct.

 

The Wilkening locality is the first confident occurrence of a multituberculate mammal site after the K-T boundary.

 

Also looked at Merle’s Mecca locality - dates to ~100,000 years after the K-T (= Eary Paleocene). It is more diverse that the Wilkening locality, in terms of mammal fossils. The mammals at Merle’s Mecca are also more derived.

---------------

 

Breanna wanted Amanda to pretend she was pregnant and made her stick a teddy bear under her shirt.

 

Hopefully when Amanda's pregnant she won't have such a lumpy baby.

 

(It was a Panda. Hopefully she won't give birth to one of those either!)

Blimey i wasn't expecting to see this. Good start to the year!!!

1. Camoflaged, 2. Reg ttv, 3. Glenn Patterson Writer, 4. Plum, Ice Cream Scoop and a Velociraptor (?), 5. 4 Clementines a leapin, 6. Chair and Egg, 7. Most of it is......, 8. .,

 

9. Continental Market in flat pack from the Big Wheel, 10. Don't fence me in, 11. Rainy Day and i'm traipsing around the shops, 12. The Holylands of South Belfast!!, 13. Mural - East Belfast (after Brassai), 14. And the wind blew, 15. Caught gawping, 16. I think Graffiti is wrong!!,

 

17. Books, 18. In the name of democracy, 19. Old stylee shoppe, 20. How long did you wait for your extension Deirdre?, 21. Duality, 22. Muddy Doll, 23. Refreshments around the pool table, 24. Ok then,

 

25. Lillian Sloan, 26. In answer to your question Nicky.........., 27. Shankill Road, 28. Orange King Kong, 29. Eric, 30. At the front gate, 31. Practice makes perfect, 32. Follow that Band,

 

33. Smirky exacts her toll on Revr, 34. Islandmen Project, 35. Propellors, 36. Busker - Cornmarket Belfast, 37. There he sat......, 38. Untitled, 39. flickr.com/photos/23386031@N00/447408129/, 40. Security Barrier,

 

41. Fly Sweep Soar let democracy go (Parliament Building, Stormont, East Belfast), 42. Police officers St Georges Market, 43. Any fcukin change mate?, 44. Bargain, 45. Early morning paddlers, 46. Belfast Terraced Houses, 47. Kerb crawling Ken and .............., 48. Chill you Loonies,

 

49. Punk in Orange Doc's, Donegall St Belfast, 50. No Danger, 51. Reg Custom Hse Sq, 52. GAMARJOBAT Festival of Fools Belfast, 53. Parkour/Free Runner Beside the Waterfront Hall Lanyon Place Belfast

 

Created with fd's Flickr Toys.

15 March 2019, Thematic debates: The way forward for EU democratic revival - What young local and regional leaders expect from the EU

Romania - Bucharest - March 2019

#EULocal

© European Union / Patrick Mascart

 

Markku MARKKULA, First Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions

 

Klaus IOHANNIS, President of Romania

 

Karl-Heinz LAMBERTZ, President of the European Committee of the Regions

 

Aleksandra DULKIEWICZ, Mayor of Gdansk, Poland

M74 Lockerbie 15/06/2017

In The Drive-Thru

 

Expecting to have a gig last night and being out until at least 2am, I took today off.

 

It was nice to sleep in. We thought about donating blood but there were no open slots at any donation place. So, we took the dogs for a walk, dropped off notes to two elderly neighbors that gave them our phone numbers and told them to let us know if they needed anything during this pandemic ridiculousness, and Julie wanted Chick-Fil-A for lunch.

 

The Morse Rd Chick-Fil-A was crazy busy. They have a dual lane drive thru, but instead of using the ordering stations they had associates wading through each line taking orders with mobile tablet devices. There was even a person directing traffic on which lane to enter as vehicles entered the parking lot. It was insane. Maybe that is one way to keep people employed while dining areas are closed? Maybe this is the way God wants to sell chicken sandwiches?

 

Otherwise it was just another Wednesday...without 4 Finger Shot rehearsal.

These images are of my friend visiting her mother at Hospice. Her mother has cancer. We thought it would be nice to include her in some maternity photos.

Even more Fluttershys.

 

The cosplay photoshoot. I didn't expect someone to organize each picture by various character groupings. I really wish I had an opportunity to do something like this for EVERY show that I watch.

 

Fluttershy.

 

Fluttershy costume, costumes.

cartoon: My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.

 

Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland.

 

August 3, 2013.

  

... Read my blog at ClintJCL at wordpress.com

  

BACKSTORY: We went to BronyCon this year! Over 8,000 people showed up. This was the only time we really spent the whole weekend there -- the following year (2014), we only went for a few hours on the way back from an exhausting family vacation, and the year after that (2015), we didn't go at all. Attendance is over 10,000 nowadays. Frickin' crazy.

Living Sounds is a music event that brings its own scent of musical flavour to Floripa talented performers and DJ’s will be gracing the floripa stage once a month starting from the 1st April. During the night expect some funky Latino Vibes together with The ‘Living Sounds’ band who will be playing some ultimate tunage to keep the music at its very best.

(Not As You Would Expect) Fairy Tales on the Fourth Plinth (One and Other) performance art in Trafalgar Square, London.

 

Once upon a time, there was a little princess, who sat upon a big stone plinth in the square and told deliciously dark fairy tales, just because everybody likes storytime

 

in the afternoon. She took her dearest companion, Mr Teddy, with his very best black satin bow, and wore her favourite green taffeta party dress, and had a nice cup

 

of tea and some ginger beer.

 

Miss Leanna (From The One and Other site - edited)

Okay, I'll admit, I'm not trying to be something I'm clearly not, and that is a portrait photographer.

 

I have a very hard time shooting people. I'm great at meeting people, talking to people and mingling, but I'm not good at working with people who want their photos taken.

 

Luckily, this is my wife and the pressure was off....somewhat!

 

I was hoping to marry my passion for landscape photography, something I know, with taking a photo of a person, something I don't know and get a respectable outcome.

 

I have to admit I'm pretty happy with these for my experience. I left the pose up to her as she knew what she wanted.

Expecting mother with the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) - a type of community health worker in India - who accompanied her to the facility for an antenatal care visit. Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC), Ambapua, Berhampur.

 

Photo Credit: Mubeen Siddiqui/MCSP

My beautiful friend Maria Chiara is expecting her first baby...We're almost there! :)

 

Two days before Obama's Inauguration a group of onlookers visits the Washington Monument.

Expect lots of pictures of my new little one in the coming weeks.... She's just so cute!!

  

Expectativas cumplidas. Todos querían ver bellotos del sur, lo que se cumplió. Sin embargo, no es que aquí haya tantos ejemplares, sólo algunos entre plántas pequeñas y uno que otro más desarrollado.

This is my little sister expecting a baby girl.

Expecting Raeya Lynn :)

Aneta