explore photos on Flickr

EXPLORE #189 7/4/2009. Just imagine for a second that everything material you owe, your house, furniture, photos, books, CDs, computer, paintings, plants, your bed and favorite pillow, your clothes... everything... is gone. Think about becomin homeless in a few minutes. What would you fell if all your efforts for improving your quality of life and living standards were vain, futile. That is what has happened to thousands of our italian neighbours. Even worse, some of them are dead or lost somebody in their family.

And the reason couldn't be more stupid: there isn't any! An unpredictable earthquake reminded us that natural forces can't be controlled.

PD Have a look at this site and check how frequent are the earthquakes. It may also happen to us!

View my images in DARCKR or Flickriver.

Explored by teekeek

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1. Edward Mobley Squeakers except for the lamb, 2. Bucky and Prancer, 3. The Seven Dwarfs discover Little Snow White, 4. Lenci Harlequin and Spanish Lady, 5. Monster High Fearleading CAMs, 6. New Monster High CAM box, 7. Monster High CAM Boys, 8. Witch and Cat, 9. New Monster High CAM box Ghost and Puma, 10. Monster High CAM Witch and Cat, 11. Funky New Wigs, 12. New Monster High CAM with Sea Monster body, 13. The Boys, 14. The New Ghouls, 15. Hot Skating Barbie Set, 16. Feeling a little Clueless, 17. Toralei loves Louie <3, 18. And now there are three..., 19. Monster High Kitties, 20. Monster High Werecats, 21. Monster High Werecat Twins, 22. The Monkees Hasbro - RIP, Davy, 23. Monster High Fearleading Squad, 24. Sprouts Sunshine, 25. Treysee, Nefera & Boney Maroney, 26. A Bouquet of Beauties, 27. Draganna in Liv Wig, 28. Blossom 4 of series 6, 29. Did you hear? Halloween is coming! 6th day of Halloween, 30. Complete set of Mini Lalas, 31. Abbey's Spider up close, 32. Spot 2nd Edition, 33. Misty Mysterious Mini Lalaloopsy, 34. Sahara Mirage Mini Lalaloopsy, 35. Snow White....someone's watching you..., 36. LPS Blythe Dolls in Lala boxes, 37. Anita Boudoir Doll, 38. Lala Kitties After - a tribute to amaliainwonderland! <3, 39. Lalaloopsy Pencil Toppers, 40. New Mini Lalaloopsy Dolls, 41. Monster High McNuggets, 42. The Boys, 43. Deuce & Ken

explored by maria rassie

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i quit my 365.

Explorer Cubes by thesecretofchildhood

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- made by Haba, six cubes have a sensorial addition like a bell, rattle, kaleidoscope lens, sensory face etc. The other blocks are plain colours. Used for stacking and knocking

standing by Ashok Saravanan .Ay

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Explore # 230

Snowy Boy *Explore!* by Champ&Candice

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**EXPLORE**

Champ got to go up into the mountains to play in snow today! It was tough getting good pictures of him because all he wanted to do the entire time was eat the snow. More pictures coming soon after I get back from dinner! =]

Explore by Garry Knight

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Go deep, young bee.

Explorer by Pete Jones

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Scammell Explorer

Thinking.. by Silvietta

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riding on hot air by swededfish

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Textures are funnn :D Explored

exploring the tundra by Lorie McCown

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artpluscraft.blogspot.com/2009/09/i-have-been-experimenti...

https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/kaplabymcrft/ by headwarbodree

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www.instagram.com/explore/tags/kaplabymcrft/

362-365 by Garen M.

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Exploring Goodland.

Explore Baker City by Curtis Gregory Perry

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Baker City, Oregon

Rev by Hashim Al-Musawi

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"Sing that Mechanical note"

EXPLORED.

(Highest: #176 on Monday, May 25, 2009)

alls i morté by arcadividal

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explorer 484 del 7-6-2012

explore 2018 by Keltia1

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1. 24. Dezember - Heiligabend, 2. 9. Dezember - hinter Tür Nummer 9 brennt bestimmt schon das zweite Kerzchen, 3. 1. Dezember - Es geht los! [explore], 4. Herbstfrüchte [explore], 5. Relikte vergangener Zeiten, 6. Blick hinauf..., 7. Tschüß Oktober., 8. Niedrigwasser an der Möhne,

9. 3. Oktober, 10. am Ende der Saison - end of season, 11. Freitagsblümchen, 12. da traut sich wer..., 13. 28.7. Endlich Regen! [explore], 14. 18.7. Sommerfarben [explore], 15. 4.7. Büro Büro..., 16. 26.6. Begegnung im Garten [explore],

17. Sommer in den Feldern, 18. es grünt so grün..., 19. Sommerwiese, 20. Wie wäre es denn mit einem Eis?? [explore], 21. Puzzle-Selfie [explore], 22. das Montagsgesicht [explore], 23. Frühlingsfarben [explore], 24. Stillleben am Sonntag [explore],

25. frostige Zeiten [explore], 26. Freitagsblümchen, 27. Abendrot, 28. good morning, 29. :-), 30. the Monday Faces [explore]

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

Christmas 2017 Scout 004 by Chrisser

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1. Mitzi Frame Toy 024, 2. Rosa Rugosa Alba Rosehip, 3. Senior Prom Rose On Black, 4. Monarch Butterfly Up Very Close - Danaus Plexippus, 5. Possible Bumble Bee Confrontation, 6. Monarch Butterfly Under Hollyhock Stamens 002 - Danaus Plexippus, 7. Chipmunk In Front Downspout Square Cropped - Tamias Striatus, 8. Pretty Monarch Butterfly 016 - Danaus Plexippus,

9. Female Northern Crescent Butterfly Feasting On False Sunflower 007 - Phyciodes Cocyta, 10. April 1st, 2014 Scout 001, 11. Grape Hyacinths In Backyard 001, 12. Lightning Flashing 002, 13. Chickadee Spying On Photographer?, 14. Two Cool Wind Hibiscus Blooms 001, 15. Canada Geese Taking Off 002, 16. Charles In Shade Of Another Cottage Property 002,

17. Momma Cat PicJoke Framed 008, 18. Black-Capped Chickadee Sitting On Silver Leaf Dogwood Branch With Motion Blurred Background 002, 19. Two Cranesbill Geranium Blooms, 20. Male Monarch Butterfly - Danaus Plexippus, 21. Monarch Butterfly Mosaic - Danaus Plexippus, 22. Honeybee And Jagged Ambush Bug 002, 23. Monarch Butterfly On Purple Coneflower 027 - Danaus Plexippus, 24. Honeybee Square Crop 001,

25. Pink Pelargoniums 002, 26. Honeybee On Yellow Painted Lily Petal, 27. American Lady Butterfly In Field 011 - Vanessa Virginiensis, 28. Common Tawny Daylily Bloom And Buds 004, 29. April 1st, 2014 Scout 002, 30. Backyard Pink Shirley Poppy On Black, 31. Monarch Butterflies From 2005 And Later Mosaic, 32. Herby,

33. Rose, Senior Prom Hybrid Tea, 34. Yet Another Common Sulphur Butterfly Feasting On Wild Aster 009 - Colias Philodice, 35. Small Yellow Tulip With Red Rectangle Picnik, 36. Peony In Bowl 003, 37. Male Viceroy Butterfly 004 - Limenitis Archippus, 38. Tenth Painted Lady Butterfly Of 2017 001 - Vanessa Cardui, 39. Male Monarch Butterfly On Wild Clover 002 - Danaus Plexippus, 40. Purple Morning Glory With Rain Drops 003,

41. Hollyhocks Up Close 001, 42. Snow On Spruce Branches 009, 43. Charles Sitting Next To Big Bowl Of Cat Food, 44. Momma Cat Resting In Back Garden 001, 45. Monarch Butterfly Into Obedient Plant Blooms 005 - Danaus Plexippus, 46. Frost On Roseraie De L'Hay Leaves 001, 47. Two Honeybees On Purple Coneflower, 48. Dianthus Flowers Mosaic,

49. Monarch Butterfly 059 - Danaus Plexippus, 50. Ninth Painted Lady Butterfly Of 2017 001 - Vanessa Cardui, 51. Mining Bee Feasting On Flowering Crab Apple Blossom 004, 52. April 1st, 2014 004, 53. Stormy Winter Scene, 54. Canon EOS Rebel T1i Collage 003, 55. Painted Lily Blooms And Buds Square Crop, 56. Cute Wire-Haired Fox Terrier Puppy Outside,

57. Flower Bouquet On Black, 58. Lots Of Lily Of The Valley 002, 59. Rembrandt Tulip Rounded Edges Picnik 002, 60. Another Common Tawny Daylily In 2017 040, 61. Carnation In Bouquet Extreme Close-Up 001, 62. Mitzi Frame Toy Flowers 001, 63. Medium Yellow Nasturtium On Black, 64. Male Viceroy Butterfly Square Crop 001 - Limenitis Archippus,

65. Honeybee In Pickwick Crocus Cropped 002, 66. Dark Purple Tall Bearded Iris Cropped, 67. Eastern Black Swallowtail Butterfly 004 - Papilio Polyxenes, 68. Coneflower, Purple, Up Close - Echinacea Purpurea, 69. Sunflower, Teddy Bear, Up Close - Helianthus, 70. Male Common Sulphur Butterfly Feasting On Cat's Ear Blossom Yet Again 004 - Colias Philodice, 71. April 1st, 2016 Scout 004, 72. Female Green Metallic Sweat Bee Green Textured

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

DSC_0057 by Russell Jenkins

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Made explore on 3/22/2009. Thank you for your comments and invites!! I really appreciate them.

Explore Engineering-8429 by Sweet Briar College

Explore - Bird Spotting by Trojan_Llama

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Crop.

Bronica SQ-A camera

Zenzanon PS 150mm f/4 lens

Ilford HP5 Plus 120 film

Developed in FirstCall R09.

Exploring the rec center. by Phil Fusco

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DiMarzio Explorer guitar by eric ernest

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DiMarzio Explorer guitar

India - Ajanta Caves - 18 by Manfred Sommer

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The Ajanta Caves (Ajiṇṭhā leni; Marathi: अजिंठा लेणी) in Aurangabad district of Maharashtra, India are about 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments which date from the 2nd century BCE to about 480 or 650 CE. The caves include paintings and sculptures described by the government Archaeological Survey of India as "the finest surviving examples of Indian art, particularly painting", which are masterpieces of Buddhist religious art, with figures of the Buddha and depictions of the Jataka tales. The caves were built in two phases starting around the 2nd century BCE, with the second group of caves built around 400–650 CE according to older accounts, or all in a brief period of 460 to 480 according to the recent proposals of Walter M. Spink. The site is a protected monument in the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, and since 1983, the Ajanta Caves have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The caves are located in the Indian state of Maharashtra, near Jalgaon and just outside the village of Ajinṭhā 20°31′56″N 75°44′44″E), about 59 kilometres from Jalgaon railway station on the Delhi – Mumbai line and Howrah-Nagpur-Mumbai line of the Central Railway zone, and 104 kilometres from the city of Aurangabad. They are 100 kilometres from the Ellora Caves, which contain Hindu and Jain temples as well as Buddhist caves, the last dating from a period similar to Ajanta. The Ajanta caves are cut into the side of a cliff that is on the south side of a U-shaped gorge on the small river Waghur, and although they are now along and above a modern pathway running across the cliff they were originally reached by individual stairs or ladders from the side of the river 35 to 110 feet below.

The area was previously heavily forested, and after the site ceased to be used the caves were covered by jungle until accidentally rediscovered in 1819 by a British officer on a hunting party. They are Buddhist monastic buildings, apparently representing a number of distinct "monasteries" or colleges. The caves are numbered 1 to 28 according to their place along the path, beginning at the entrance. Several are unfinished and some barely begun and others are small shrines, included in the traditional numbering as e.g. "9A"; "Cave 15A" was still hidden under rubble when the numbering was done. Further round the gorge are a number of waterfalls, which when the river is high are audible from outside the caves.

The caves form the largest corpus of early Indian wall-painting; other survivals from the area of modern India are very few, though they are related to 5th-century paintings at Sigiriya in Sri Lanka. The elaborate architectural carving in many caves is also very rare, and the style of the many figure sculptures is highly local, found only at a few nearby contemporary sites, although the Ajanta tradition can be related to the later Hindu Ellora Caves and other sites.

HISTORY

Like the other ancient Buddhist monasteries, Ajanta had a large emphasis on teaching, and was divided into several different caves for living, education and worship, under a central direction. Monks were probably assigned to specific caves for living. The layout reflects this organizational structure, with most of the caves only connected through the exterior. The 7th-century travelling Chinese scholar Xuanzang informs us that Dignaga, a celebrated Buddhist philosopher and controversialist, author of well-known books on logic, lived at Ajanta in the 5th century. In its prime the settlement would have accommodated several hundred teachers and pupils. Many monks who had finished their first training may have returned to Ajanta during the monsoon season from an itinerant lifestyle.

The caves are generally agreed to have been made in two distinct periods, separated by several centuries.

CAVES OF THE FIRST (SATAVAHANA) PERIOD

The earliest group of caves consists of caves 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15A. According to Walter Spink, they were made during the period 100 BCE to 100 CE, probably under the patronage of the Satavahana dynasty (230 BCE – c. 220 CE) who ruled the region. Other datings prefer the period 300 BCE to 100 BCE, though the grouping of the earlier caves is generally agreed. More early caves may have vanished through later excavations. Of these, caves 9 and 10 are stupa halls of chaitya-griha form, and caves 12, 13, and 15A are vihāras (see the architecture section below for descriptions of these types). The first phase is still often called the Hinayāna phase, as it originated when, using traditional terminology, the Hinayāna or Lesser Vehicle tradition of Buddhism was dominant, when the Buddha was revered symbolically. However the use of the term Hinayana for this period of Buddhism is now deprecated by historians; equally the caves of the second period are now mostly dated too early to be properly called Mahayana, and do not yet show the full expanded cast of supernatural beings characteristic of that phase of Buddhist art. The first Satavahana period caves lacked figurative sculpture, emphasizing the stupa instead, and in the caves of the second period the overwhelming majority of images represent the Buddha alone, or narrative scenes of his lives.

Spink believes that some time after the Satavahana period caves were made the site was abandoned for a considerable period until the mid-5th century, probably because the region had turned mainly Hindu

CAVES OF THE LATER OR VAKATAKA PERIOD

The second phase began in the 5th century. For a long time it was thought that the later caves were made over a long period from the 4th to the 7th centuries CE, but in recent decades a series of studies by the leading expert on the caves, Walter M. Spink, have argued that most of the work took place over the very brief period from 460 to 480 CE, during the reign of Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka dynasty. This view has been criticized by some scholars, but is now broadly accepted by most authors of general books on Indian art, for example Huntington and Harle.

The second phase is still often called the Mahāyāna or Greater Vehicle phase, but scholars now tend to avoid this nomenclature because of the problems that have surfaced regarding our understanding of Mahāyāna.

Some 20 cave temples were simultaneously created, for the most part viharas with a sanctuary at the back. The most elaborate caves were produced in this period, which included some "modernization" of earlier caves. Spink claims that it is possible to establish dating for this period with a very high level of precision; a fuller account of his chronology is given below. Although debate continues, Spink's ideas are increasingly widely accepted, at least in their broad conclusions. The Archaeological Survey of India website still presents the traditional dating: "The second phase of paintings started around 5th – 6th centuries A.D. and continued for the next two centuries". Caves of the second period are 1–8, 11, 14–29, some possibly extensions of earlier caves. Caves 19, 26, and 29 are chaitya-grihas, the rest viharas.

According to Spink, the Ajanta Caves appear to have been abandoned by wealthy patrons shortly after the fall of Harishena, in about 480 CE. They were then gradually abandoned and forgotten. During the intervening centuries, the jungle grew back and the caves were hidden, unvisited and undisturbed, although the local population were aware of at least some of them.

REDISCOVERY

On 28 April 1819, a British officer for the Madras Presidency, John Smith, of the 28th Cavalry, while hunting tiger, accidentally discovered the entrance to Cave No. 10 deep within the tangled undergrowth. There were local people already using the caves for prayers with a small fire, when he arrived. Exploring that first cave, long since a home to nothing more than birds and bats and a lair for other larger animals, Captain Smith vandalized the wall by scratching his name and the date, April 1819. Since he stood on a five-foot high pile of rubble collected over the years, the inscription is well above the eye-level gaze of an adult today. A paper on the caves by William Erskine was read to the Bombay Literary Society in 1822. Within a few decades, the caves became famous for their exotic setting, impressive architecture, and above all their exceptional, all but unique paintings. A number of large projects to copy the paintings were made in the century after rediscovery, covered below. In 1848 the Royal Asiatic Society established the "Bombay Cave Temple Commission" to clear, tidy and record the most important rock-cut sites in the Bombay Presidency, with John Wilson, as president. In 1861 this became the nucleus of the new Archaeological Survey of India. Until the Nizam of Hyderabad built the modern path between the caves, among other efforts to make the site easy to visit, a trip to Ajanta was a considerable adventure, and contemporary accounts dwell with relish on the dangers from falls off narrow ledges, animals and the Bhil people, who were armed with bows and arrows and had a fearsome reputation.

Today, fairly easily combined with Ellora in a single trip, the caves are the most popular tourist destination in Mahrashtra, and are often crowded at holiday times, increasing the threat to the caves, especially the paintings. In 2012, the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation announced plans to add to the ASI visitor centre at the entrance complete replicas of caves 1, 2, 16 & 17 to reduce crowding in the originals, and enable visitors to receive a better visual idea of the paintings, which are dimly-lit and hard to read in the caves. Figures for the year to March 2010 showed a total of 390,000 visitors to the site, divided into 362,000 domestic and 27,000 foreign. The trends over the previous few years show a considerable growth in domestic visitors, but a decline in foreign ones; the year to 2010 was the first in which foreign visitors to Ellora exceeded those to Ajanta.

PAINTINGS

Mural paintings survive from both the earlier and later groups of caves. Several fragments of murals preserved from the earlier caves (Caves 9 and 11) are effectively unique survivals of court-led painting in India from this period, and "show that by Sātavāhana times, if not earlier, the Indian painter had mastered an easy and fluent naturalistic style, dealing with large groups of people in a manner comparable to the reliefs of the Sāñcī toraņa crossbars".

Four of the later caves have large and relatively well-preserved mural paintings which "have come to represent Indian mural painting to the non-specialist", and fall into two stylistic groups, with the most famous in Caves 16 and 17, and apparently later paintings in Caves 1 and 2. The latter group were thought to be a century or more later than the others, but the revised chronology proposed by Spink would place them much closer to the earlier group, perhaps contemporary with it in a more progressive style, or one reflecting a team from a different region. The paintings are in "dry fresco", painted on top of a dry plaster surface rather than into wet plaster.

All the paintings appear to be the work of painters at least as used to decorating palaces as temples, and show a familiarity with and interest in details of the life of a wealthy court. We know from literary sources that painting was widely practised and appreciated in the courts of the Gupta period. Unlike much Indian painting, compositions are not laid out in horizontal compartments like a frieze, but show large scenes spreading in all directions from a single figure or group at the centre. The ceilings are also painted with sophisticated and elaborate decorative motifs, many derived from sculpture. The paintings in cave 1, which according to Spink was commissioned by Harisena himself, concentrate on those Jataka tales which show previous lives of the Buddha as a king, rather than as an animal or human commoner, and so show settings from contemporary palace life.

In general the later caves seem to have been painted on finished areas as excavating work continued elsewhere in the cave, as shown in caves 2 and 16 in particular. According to Spink's account of the chronology of the caves, the abandonment of work in 478 after a brief busy period accounts for the absence of painting in caves such as 4 and 17, the later being plastered in preparation for paintings that were never done.

COPIES

The paintings have deteriorated significantly since they were rediscovered, and a number of 19th-century copies and drawings are important for a complete understanding of the works. However, the earliest projects to copy the paintings were plagued by bad fortune. In 1846, Major Robert Gill, an Army officer from Madras presidency and a painter, was appointed by the Royal Asiatic Society to replicate the frescoes on the cave walls to exhibit these paintings in England. Gill worked on his painting at the site from 1844 to 1863 (though he continued to be based there until his death in 1875, writing books and photographing) and made 27 copies of large sections of murals, but all but four were destroyed in a fire at the Crystal Palace in London in 1866, where they were on display.

Another attempt was made in 1872 when the Bombay Presidency commissioned John Griffiths, then principal of the Bombay School of Art, to work with his students to make new copies, again for shipping to England. They worked on this for thirteen years and some 300 canvases were produced, many of which were displayed at the Imperial Institute on Exhibition Road in London, one of the forerunners of the Victoria and Albert Museum. But in 1885 another fire destroyed over a hundred paintings that were in storage. The V&A still has 166 paintings surviving from both sets, though none have been on permanent display since 1955. The largest are some 3 × 6 metres. A conservation project was undertaken on about half of them in 2006, also involving the University of Northumbria. Griffith and his students had unfortunately painted many of the paintings with "cheap varnish" in order to make them easier to see, which has added to the deterioration of the originals, as has, according to Spink and others, recent cleaning by the ASI.

A further set of copies were made between 1909 and 1911 by Christiana Herringham (Lady Herringham) and a group of students from the Calcutta School of Art that included the future Indian Modernist painter Nandalal Bose. The copies were published in full colour as the first publication of London's fledgling India Society. More than the earlier copies, these aimed to fill in holes and damage to recreate the original condition rather than record the state of the paintings as she was seeing them. According to one writer, unlike the paintings created by her predecessors Griffiths and Gill, whose copies were influenced by British Victorian styles of painting, those of the Herringham expedition preferred an 'Indian Renascence' aesthetic of the type pioneered by Abanindranath Tagore.

Early photographic surveys were made by Robert Gill, who learnt to use a camera from about 1856, and whose photos, including some using stereoscopy, were used in books by him and Fergusson (many are available online from the British Library), then Victor Goloubew in 1911 and E.L. Vassey, who took the photos in the four volume study of the caves by Ghulam Yazdani (published 1930–1955).

ARCHITECTURE

The monasteries mostly consist of vihara halls for prayer and living, which are typically rectangular with small square dormitory cells cut into the walls, and by the second period a shrine or sanctuary at the rear centred on a large statue of the Buddha, also carved from the living rock. This change reflects the movement from Hinayana to Mahāyāna Buddhism. The other type of main hall is the narrower and higher chaitya hall with a stupa as the focus at the far end, and a narrow aisle around the walls, behind a range of pillars placed close together. Other plainer rooms were for sleeping and other activities. Some of the caves have elaborate carved entrances, some with large windows over the door to admit light. There is often a colonnaded porch or verandah, with another space inside the doors running the width of the cave.

The central square space of the interior of the viharas is defined by square columns forming a more or less square open area. Outside this are long rectangular aisles on each side, forming a kind of cloister. Along the side and rear walls are a number of small cells entered by a narrow doorway; these are roughly square, and have small niches on their back walls. Originally they had wooden doors. The centre of the rear wall has a larger shrine-room behind, containing a large Buddha statue. The viharas of the earlier period are much simpler, and lack shrines. Spink in fact places the change to a design with a shrine to the middle of the second period, with many caves being adapted to add a shrine in mid-excavation, or after the original phase.

The plan of Cave 1 shows one of the largest viharas, but is fairly typical of the later group. Many others, such as Cave 16, lack the vestibule to the shrine, which leads straight off the main hall. Cave 6 is two viharas, one above the other, connected by internal stairs, with sanctuaries on both levels.

The four completed chaitya halls are caves 9 and 10 from the early period, and caves 19 and 26 from the later period of construction. All follow the typical form found elsewhere, with high ceilings and a central "nave" leading to the stupa, which is near the back, but allows walking behind it, as walking around stupas was (and remains) a common element of Buddhist worship (pradakshina). The later two have high ribbed roofs, which reflect timber forms, and the earlier two are thought to have used actual timber ribs, which have now perished. The two later halls have a rather unusual arrangement (also found in Cave 10 at Ellora) where the stupa is fronted by a large relief sculpture of the Buddha, standing in Cave 19 and seated in Cave 26. Cave 29 is a late and very incomplete chaitya hall.

The form of columns in the work of the first period is very plain and un-embellished, with both chaitya halls using simple octagonal columns, which were painted with figures. In the second period columns were far more varied and inventive, often changing profile over their height, and with elaborate carved capitals, often spreading wide. Many columns are carved over all their surface, some fluted and others carved with decoration all over, as in cave 1.

The flood basalt rock of the cliff, part of the Deccan Traps formed by successive volcanic eruptions at the end of the Cretaceous, is layered horizontally, and somewhat variable in quality, so the excavators had to amend their plans in places, and in places there have been collapses in the intervening centuries, as with the lost portico to cave 1. Excavation began by cutting a narrow tunnel at roof level, which was expanded downwards and outwards; the half-built vihara cave 24 shows the method. Spink believes that for the first caves of the second period the excavators had to relearn skills and techniques that had been lost in the centuries since the first period, which were then transmitted to be used at later rock-cut sites in the region, such as Ellora, and the Elephanta, Bagh, Badami and Aurangabad Caves.

The caves from the first period seem to have been paid for by a number of different patrons, with several inscriptions recording the donation of particular portions of a single cave, but according to Spink the later caves were each commissioned as a complete unit by a single patron from the local rulers or their court elites. After the death of Harisena smaller donors got their chance to add small "shrinelets" between the caves or add statues to existing caves, and some two hundred of these "intrusive" additions were made in sculpture, with a further number of intrusive paintings, up to three hundred in cave 10 alone.

A grand gateway to the site, at the apex of the gorge's horsehoe between caves 15 and 16, was approached from the river, and is decorated with elephants on either side and a nāga, or protective snake deity.

ICONOGRAPHY OF THE CAVES

In the pre-Christian era, the Buddha was represented symbolically, in the form of the stupa. Thus, halls were made with stupas to venerate the Buddha. In later periods the images of the Buddha started to be made in coins, relic caskets, relief or loose sculptural forms, etc. However, it took a while for the human representation of the Buddha to appear in Buddhist art. One of the earliest evidences of the Buddha's human representations are found at Buddhist archaeological sites, such as Goli, Nagarjunakonda, and Amaravati. The monasteries of those sites were built in less durable media, such as wood, brick, and stone. As far as the genre of rock-cut architecture is concerned it took many centuries for the Buddha image to be depicted. Nobody knows for sure at which rock-cut cave site the first image of the Buddha was depicted. Current research indicates that Buddha images in a portable form, made of wood or stone, were introduced, for the first time, at Kanheri, to be followed soon at Ajanta Cave 8 (Dhavalikar, Jadhav, Spink, Singh). While the Kanheri example dates to 4th or 5th century CE, the Ajanta example has been dated to c. 462–478 CE (Spink). None of the rock-cut monasteries prior to these dates, and other than these examples, show any Buddha image although hundreds of rock-cut caves were made throughout India during the first few centuries CE. And, in those caves, it is the stupa that is the object of veneration, not the image. Images of the Buddha are not found in Buddhist sailagrhas (rock-cut complexes) until the times of the Kanheri (4th–5th century CE) and Ajanta examples (c. 462–478 CE).

The caves of the second period, now all dated to the 5th century, were typically described as "Mahayana", but do not show the features associated with later Mahayana Buddhism. Although the beginnings of Mahāyāna teachings go back to the 1st century there is little art and archaeological evidence to suggest that it became a mainstream cult for several centuries. In Mahayana it is not Gautama Buddha but the Bodhisattva who is important, including "deity" Bodhisattva like Manjushri and Tara, as well as aspects of the Buddha such as Aksobhya, and Amitabha. Except for a few Bodhisattva, these are not depicted at Ajanta, where the Buddha remains the dominant figure. Even the Bodhisattva images of Ajanta are never central objects of worship, but are always shown as attendants of the Buddha in the shrine. If a Bodhisattva is shown in isolation, as in the Astabhaya scenes, these were done in the very last years of activities at Ajanta, and are mostly 'intrusive' in nature, meaning that they were not planned by the original patrons, and were added by new donors after the original patrons had suddenly abandoned the region in the wake of Emperor Harisena's death.

The contrast between iconic and aniconic representations, that is, the stupa on one hand and the image of the Buddha on the other, is now being seen as a construct of the modern scholar rather than a reality of the past. The second phase of Ajanta shows that the stupa and image coincided together. If the entire corpus of the art of Ajanta including sculpture, iconography, architecture, epigraphy, and painting are analysed afresh it will become clear that there was no duality between the symbolic and human forms of the Buddha, as far as the 5th-century phase of Ajanta is concerned. That is why most current scholars tend to avoid the terms 'Hinayana' and 'Mahayana' in the context of Ajanta. They now prefer to call the second phase by the ruling dynasty, as the Vākāţaka phase.

CAVES

CAVE 1

Cave 1 was built on the eastern end of the horse-shoe shaped scarp, and is now the first cave the visitor encounters. This would when first made have been a less prominent position, right at the end of the row. According to Spink, it is one of the latest caves to have been excavated, when the best sites had been taken, and was never fully inaugurated for worship by the dedication of the Buddha image in the central shrine. This is shown by the absence of sooty deposits from butter lamps on the base of the shrine image, and the lack of damage to the paintings that would have been happened if the garland-hooks around the shrine had been in use for any period of time. Although there is no epigraphic evidence, Spink believes that the Vākāţaka Emperor Harishena was the benefactor of the work, and this is reflected in the emphasis on imagery of royalty in the cave, with those Jakata tales being selected that tell of those previous lives of the Buddha in which he was royal.

The cliff has a more steep slope here than at other caves, so to achieve a tall grand facade it was necessary to cut far back into the slope, giving a large courtyard in front of the facade. There was originally a columned portico in front of the present facade, which can be seen "half-intact in the 1880s" in pictures of the site, but this fell down completely and the remains, despite containing fine carving, were carelessly thrown down the slope into the river, from where they have been lost, presumably carried away in monsoon torrents.

This cave has one of the most elaborate carved façades, with relief sculptures on entablature and ridges, and most surfaces embellished with decorative carving. There are scenes carved from the life of the Buddha as well as a number of decorative motifs. A two pillared portico, visible in the 19th-century photographs, has since perished. The cave has a front-court with cells fronted by pillared vestibules on either side. These have a high plinth level. The cave has a porch with simple cells on both ends. The absence of pillared vestibules on the ends suggest that the porch was not excavated in the latest phase of Ajanta when pillared vestibules had become a necessity and norm. Most areas of the porch were once covered with murals, of which many fragments remain, especially on the ceiling. There are three doorways: a central doorway and two side doorways. Two square windows were carved between the doorways to brighten the interiors.

Each wall of the hall inside is nearly 12 m long and 6.1 m high. Twelve pillars make a square colonnade inside supporting the ceiling, and creating spacious aisles along the walls. There is a shrine carved on the rear wall to house an impressive seated image of the Buddha, his hands being in the dharmachakrapravartana mudra. There are four cells on each of the left, rear, and the right walls, though due to rock fault there are none at the ends of the rear aisle. The walls are covered with paintings in a fair state of preservation, though the full scheme was never completed. The scenes depicted are mostly didactic, devotional, and ornamental, with scenes from the Jataka stories of the Buddha's former existences as a bodhisattva), the life of the Gautama Buddha, and those of his veneration. The two most famous individual painted images at Ajanta are the two over-life size figures of the protective bodhisattvas Padmapani and Vajrapani on either side of the entrance to the Buddha shrine on the wall of the rear aisle (see illustrations above). According to Spink, the original dating of the paintings to about 625 arose largely or entirely because James Fegusson, a 19th-century architectural historian, had decided that a scene showing an ambassador being received, with figures in Persian dress, represented a recorded embassy to Persia (from a Hindu monarch at that) around that date.

CAVE 2

Cave 2, adjacent to Cave 1, is known for the paintings that have been preserved on its walls, ceilings, and pillars. It looks similar to Cave 1 and is in a better state of preservation.

Cave 2 has a porch quite different from Cave one. Even the façade carvings seem to be different. The cave is supported by robust pillars, ornamented with designs. The front porch consists of cells supported by pillared vestibules on both ends. The cells on the previously "wasted areas" were needed to meet the greater housing requirements in later years. Porch-end cells became a trend in all later Vakataka excavations. The simple single cells on porch-ends were converted into CPVs or were planned to provide more room, symmetry, and beauty.

The paintings on the ceilings and walls of this porch have been widely published. They depict the Jataka tales that are stories of the Buddha's life in former existences as Bodhisattva. Just as the stories illustrated in cave 1 emphasize kingship, those in cave 2 show many "noble and powerful" women in prominent roles, leading to suggestions that the patron was an unknown woman. The porch's rear wall has a doorway in the center, which allows entrance to the hall. On either side of the door is a square-shaped window to brighten the interior.

The hall has four colonnades which are supporting the ceiling and surrounding a square in the center of the hall. Each arm or colonnade of the square is parallel to the respective walls of the hall, making an aisle in between. The colonnades have rock-beams above and below them. The capitals are carved and painted with various decorative themes that include ornamental, human, animal, vegetative, and semi-divine forms.

Paintings appear on almost every surface of the cave except for the floor. At various places the art work has become eroded due to decay and human interference. Therefore, many areas of the painted walls, ceilings, and pillars are fragmentary. The painted narratives of the Jataka tales are depicted only on the walls, which demanded the special attention of the devotee. They are didactic in nature, meant to inform the community about the Buddha's teachings and life through successive rebirths. Their placement on the walls required the devotee to walk through the aisles and 'read' the narratives depicted in various episodes. The narrative episodes are depicted one after another although not in a linear order. Their identification has been a core area of research since the site's rediscovery in 1819. Dieter Schlingloff's identifications have updated our knowledge on the subject.

CAVE 4

The Archeological Survey of India board outside the caves gives the following detail about cave 4: "This is the largest monastery planned on a grandiose scale but was never finished. An inscription on the pedestal of the buddha's image mentions that it was a gift from a person named Mathura and paleographically belongs to 6th century A.D. It consists of a verandah, a hypostylar hall, sanctum with an antechamber and a series of unfinished cells. The rear wall of the verandah contains the panel of Litany of Avalokiteśvara".

The sanctuary houses a colossal image of the Buddha in preaching pose flanked by bodhisattvas and celestial nymphs hovering above.

CAVES 9-10

Caves 9 and 10 are the two chaitya halls from the first period of construction, though both were also undergoing an uncompleted reworking at the end of the second period. Cave 10 was perhaps originally of the 1st century BCE, and cave 9 about a hundred years later. The small "shrinelets" called caves 9A to 9D and 10A also date from the second period, and were commissioned by individuals.

The paintings in cave 10 include some surviving from the early period, many from an incomplete programme of modernization in the second period, and a very large number of smaller late intrusive images, nearly all Buddhas and many with donor inscriptions from individuals. These mostly avoided over-painting the "official" programme and after the best positions were used up are tucked away in less prominent positions not yet painted; the total of these (including those now lost) was probably over 300, and the hands of many different artists are visible.

OTHER CAVES

Cave 3 is merely a start of an excavation; according to Spink it was begun right at the end of the final period of work and soon abandoned. Caves 5 and 6 are viharas, the latter on two floors, that were late works of which only the lower floor of cave 6 was ever finished. The upper floor of cave 6 has many private votive sculptures, and a shrine Buddha, but is otherwise unfinished. Cave 7 has a grand facade with two porticos but, perhaps because of faults in the rock, which posed problems in many caves, was never taken very deep into the cliff, and consists only of the two porticos and a shrine room with antechamber, with no central hall. Some cells were fitted in.

Cave 8 was long thought to date to the first period of construction, but Spink sees it as perhaps the earliest cave from the second period, its shrine an "afterthought". The statue may have been loose rather than carved from the living rock, as it has now vanished. The cave was painted, but only traces remain.

SPINK´S DETAILED CHRONOLOGY

Walter M. Spink has over recent decades developed a very precise and circumstantial chronology for the second period of work on the site, which unlike earlier scholars, he places entirely in the 5th century. This is based on evidence such as the inscriptions and artistic style, combined with the many uncompleted elements of the caves. He believes the earlier group of caves, which like other scholars he dates only approximately, to the period "between 100 BCE – 100 CE", were at some later point completely abandoned and remained so "for over three centuries", as the local population had turned mainly Hindu. This changed with the accession of the Emperor Harishena of the Vakataka Dynasty, who reigned from 460 to his death in 477. Harisena extended the Central Indian Vakataka Empire to include a stretch of the east coast of India; the Gupta Empire ruled northern India at the same period, and the Pallava dynasty much of the south.

According to Spink, Harisena encouraged a group of associates, including his prime minister Varahadeva and Upendragupta, the sub-king in whose territory Ajanta was, to dig out new caves, which were individually commissioned, some containing inscriptions recording the donation. This activity began in 462 but was mostly suspended in 468 because of threats from the neighbouring Asmaka kings. Work continued on only caves 1, Harisena's own commission, and 17–20, commissioned by Upendragupta. In 472 the situation was such that work was suspended completely, in a period that Spink calls "the Hiatus", which lasted until about 475, by which time the Asmakas had replaced Upendragupta as the local rulers.

Work was then resumed, but again disrupted by Harisena's death in 477, soon after which major excavation ceased, except at cave 26, which the Asmakas were sponsoring themselves. The Asmakas launched a revolt against Harisena's son, which brought about the end of the Vakataka Dynasty. In the years 478–480 major excavation by important patrons was replaced by a rash of "intrusions" – statues added to existing caves, and small shrines dotted about where there was space between them. These were commissioned by less powerful individuals, some monks, who had not previously been able to make additions to the large excavations of the rulers and courtiers. They were added to the facades, the return sides of the entrances, and to walls inside the caves. According to Spink, "After 480, not a single image was ever made again at the site", and as Hinduism again dominated the region, the site was again abandoned, this time for over a millennium.

Spink does not use "circa" in his dates, but says that "one should allow a margin of error of one year or perhaps even two in all cases".

IMPACT ON MODERN INDIAN PAINTINGS

The Ajanta paintings, or more likely the general style they come from, influenced painting in Tibet and Sri Lanka.

The rediscovery of ancient Indian paintings at Ajanta provided Indian artists examples from ancient India to follow. Nandlal Bose experimented with techniques to follow the ancient style which allowed him to develop his unique style. Abanindranath Tagore also used the Ajanta paintings for inspiration.

WIKIPEDIA

Explorer Disaster Drill 2014 by Randy Johanson

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Los Angeles County, Los Angeles City, Glendale, Burbank, Compton, Oxnard, Rialto, Bakersfield and Fresno Fire Departments participate in live fire drills for their explorers as part of the 2014 Disaster Drills at Del Valle.

fim da tarde a pedalar (EXPLORE) by margarida martins

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_k9_NeMUQc&feature=related

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Having a busy day today due to being on Explore. Passed 8 million views. Thanks so much to everyone who visits, comments, faves and shares my photos. I appreciate it.

EXPLORE by rockpainting ☼ yvette

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in and OUT

1. COEUR DE PIVOINE, 2. GLYCINE, 3. DOUCEUR, 4. MIMETISME, 5. CONSOUDE, 6. MAIN COON - (miaousotys , merci Barbara :), 7. POIRE, 8. PAYSAGE BRESSAN, 9. LA MINETTE D' ARMELLE, 10. NATURELLEMENT PARFAIT, 11. GRIMINOU, 12. OCEANE - LEONBERG -, 13. DERNIER SOUFFLE, 14. CANDIDA, 15. BIRMAN, 16. HAPPY " CALEBASSE ", 17. HAPPY ROCKS, 18. FLEURS DE CACTUS, 19. SURPRISE SOUS LE TAS DE BOIS !, 20. ASTRONOMIA, 21. DOLE, 22. BOURDON TERRESTRE, 23. CHATTE TRICOLORE, 24. UNE ROSE POUR VOUS, 25. CALICOT, 26. PEINTURE SUR PIERRE, 27. MON CARTON, 28. PAUSE, 29. TIGROTTO - DÉTAIL, 30. Coccinelles, 31. Petites souris, 32. BOUBOULE, 33. BIEN A L'ABRIS, 34. HAPPY ROCKS, 35. UN RAYON DE SOLEIL !, 36. Happy rocks, 37. Happy rocks, 38. MINI CHAGALETS, 39. MINIMINOU, 40. HAPPY ROCKS, 41. BALADE, 42. COEUR DE ROSE, 43. AIGUES MORTES, 44. PIVOINE, 45. PEPITA, 46. MUGUET, 47. PENSEE, 48. BOUQUET de VIOLETTES, 49. Chat gris et blanc, 50. Poulets de Bresse, 51. Phisalis, 52. Tigré, 53. Chat roux, 54. www.galets- peints.fr

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explore transport m1

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zalazak sunca by emasplit

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#Explore-15/12/2007

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9-5-15 Lancaster Station

Getting anxious [EXPLORE] by Marilee

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This photo made it to #333 on Explore. Thank you!

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Rolex Explorer on grey nato

Darya K Us PAAR by Muzaffar Bukhari

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DARYA K US PAAR AGAR TANHAI HAY

DARYA K IS PAAR B KOI TANHAHO GA

DARYA K US PAAR HE NAZRAIN REHTI HAIN

DARYA K US PAAR BASAIRA KISS KA HO GA?

HUM PAR SOCHOUN AUR JAZBOUN KI BAARISH HAY

DARYA K US PAAR B KOI BHEEGA HO GA

DARYA K IS PAAR TO HUM KHUD APNAY HAIN

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JAB B CHAAND NIKALTA HAY WO YAAD ATA HAY

DARYA K US PAAR WO CHAND KO TAKTA HO GA

YAADOUN KA MOSAM HAY ANKHAIN DARYA HAIN

DARYA K US PAAR B KOI DARYA HO GA

(NISAR HAMADANI)

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Bridge over River Jhelum at Kohala. The picture was taken on early morning and it rained heavily the night before, so water level was very high in the river.

Explored on Jun 18, 2008 @ #118

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Jessi La

... *Explore* by Edi Valcheva

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Woods. [Explored] by Cameron Cassan

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Explored on: June 15, 2009

Best Position: 325

See it on Black

Explore@NASAGoddard 2015 by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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The 2015 Explore@NASAGoddard event, on Sept. 26, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope. Investigating everything from black holes to planets around other stars, Hubble has ushered in a new chapter of humanity’s exploration of the universe, and the venerable telescope continues to answer some of the most compelling astronomical questions of our time.

Additionally, all areas of Goddard’s research – Earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, astrophysics, and engineering and technology – were presented, as each discipline plays a critical part in NASA's ongoing journey to reach new heights, reveal the unknown and advance scientific understanding for the benefit of humankind.

Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Bill Hrybyk

More information on Explore@NASAGoddard 2015.

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NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s missions through four scientific endeavors: Earth science, heliophysics, solar system exploration, and astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the agency’s mission.

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explore by Đạt Bùi

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double explore? by Emran Kassim

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1. Parent's day at Eirfan's Kindergarten, 2. 生茶 vs Eiqmal, 3. Harvest season, 4. Happy birthday to me, 5. GOTCHA!, 6. Happy birthday to me, 7. Gifu Air Show 2009, 8. Gifu Air Show 2009,

9. Gifu Air Show 2009, 10. Gifu Air Show 2009, 11. The Underworld, 12. Vellfire - The reflection, 13. Yuri at the kindergarten entrance test, 14. Morning With YURI, 15. Eikoyagoto Kindergarten Art Exhibition - meetがるちゃん(garu-cyan), 16. ROSE = RED,

17. Road Block, 18. Dragonfly, 19. Candid pagi raya, 20. 中京大学 - Chukyo University, 21. Hotel name fail, 22. Keluar beraya - Eid Mubarak 2009, 23. Salam Aidilfitri 2009, 24. Eid-ul Fitr 1430,

25. I'm waiting for you, 26. blue sky green earth, 27. Light up your day, 28. s m i l e y, 29. pelican, 30. Spiral Tower - Mode Gakuen, 31. Higashiyama Sky Tower, 32. CARdid - Ferrari,

33. It's 09-09-09, 34. Tak sabar nak raya, 35. z z z ～, 36. Fernly Friday, 37. Happy belated birthday Malaysia, 38. Scarecrow, 39. Tiny flower, 40. Ultra wide lens??,

41. King Tiger, 42. Tomica - Oil Tanker, 43. ♪ H A P P Y ♪, 44. Ran out of luck latety?, 45. How's ya feelin' today?, 46. Fireworks at Nagashima Spaland, 47. Nagoya Sunset panorama, 48. Enjoy Sunday!!,

49. She's got the look, 50. JAL & ANA - Chubu International Airport, 51. Pick me! Pick me!!, 52. Let's hit the road, 53. Beach boy, 54. Minami Chita Road View, 55. Sunny Day at Mihama Fishing Jetty, 56. えびせんべいの里 - Shrimp Cracker's Factory,

57. On the highway, 58. Day trip to Chita Peninsula, 59. Eirfan's 1st time at the beach, 60. Fly high, 61. Today @ 7 years ago, 62. tomica shop bus, 63. 満月- Fullmoon, 64. Olympus Pen D3,

65. ....., 66. Get towed, 67. JAF kids, 68. Toyota 7, 69. Morning walk, 70. Meitetsu bus, 71. Nissan Teana, 72. The girl in yukata

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Ashore to the Uruguayan base by Andy White

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Some 14 hours after getting onboard the NOrdNorge it was time to get off again.

We were led to the aft deck and LeeAnn and I dressed in all our gear. I stepped outside to zone myself into the enviroment. I knew it was going to be very different from what we had experienced the last 14 hours.

Down the stairs. Into a working area to be met by Norwegian crew members who helped us into survival suits and lifejackets. These were proper survival suits that if we went in would extend our survival time into hours.

Quickly out onto the side of the boat and into these small RIBs

You can see the NordNorge in the background. The helm hit the throttle and we blasted in at about 25 knots. Cold spray hitting us so hard it set my lifejacket light off, but we were safe inside our survival suits.

Time stamp 21:20:00

Thanks to Lieut. Col. Waldemar Fontes for this picture

3 by DrewTaylorr

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Shoreham Cement Works

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