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Abi was up very early and has walked so far carrying containers of water on her head, is now tired and hungry and shelters from the heat of the sun. Her mother is near sitting cross legged, with arms outstretched, trying to sell her home grown peanuts, there are very few tourist about as ebola has frightened them away. ABI she is young but what does the future hold, most Gambians live in severe poverty, high levels of malnutrition,infant mortality, unemployment and illiteracy.
THIS was taken with my long lens,without her knowing, afterwards I spoke with her mother. Count your blessings my friends.
Thank you for your visit, back to birds tomorrow, would like to know your honest opinion to this image. Any comment are very appreciated...............TomX.
This was a summer day in Srinagar, where I saw this old Muslim man probably holding his grandchild in his lap, sitting outside the Hazratbal Shrine of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. His son sitting next to him waiting for the bus to arrive to take them to their destination. They look tired, but the old man has a slight smile while looking at the child.
India is home to 100 million elderly people today. Their numbers are likely to increase threefold in the next three decades. Many elderly people in India are not aware of their human rights due to high occurrence of illiteracy & lack of awareness and this contributes to the infringement of those rights. Life is sad, life is tough, life is a burden, life is lonesome, but in the end, life is to live!
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all communication professions, "cool" and "girl power," eating disorders, firefighters, fire prevention, fire protection, journalists, media, nurses, nursing services, political activism, sick people, television, unmarried women, Rome, Europe, Italy, United States, Siena, Italy, dioceses of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines; Samal, Bataan, Philippines, and against a Church in crisis, eating disorders, fire, family feuds, illiteracy, bodily illness, miscarriages, people ridiculed for their faith or piety, sexual temptations, sexuality sickness, and temptations.
LARGE view www.flickr.com/photos/jaciii/52984108796/sizes/h/
Caught a moment of calm, just off the hustle and bustle of Belfast's busy Royal Avenue, a homeless street person, lost in the pages of a book, challenges our perceptions, reminding us that not everyone in those circumstances is there because of illiteracy or wasted opportunities, or substance addiction. For the photographer, such stories can be found everywhere, even in the most unexpected places.
The Fujifilm X-T50 captured this seemingly contradictory slice of life. Read more here:
bobmcevoy.co.uk/2025/08/30/street-stories-a-book-in-the-c...
A capela superior da Sainte-Chapelle, em Paris, é um exemplar notável do gótico radiante, construída entre 1241 e 1248 por ordem do rei Luís IX para albergar relíquias da Paixão de Cristo, incluindo a Coroa de Espinhos. Com 15 janelas de 15 metros de altura, os vitrais abrangem 670 m² e representam 1.113 cenas bíblicas, permitindo uma narrativa sequencial desde o Génesis até ao Apocalipse. Este conjunto de vitrais, um dos mais preservados da Europa, transforma o espaço numa "Bíblia de pedra e vidro", cumprindo a função pedagógica de transmitir as Escrituras numa época de analfabetismo. A estrutura da capela elimina praticamente as paredes sólidas, criando um ambiente luminoso e translúcido que evoca a Jerusalém Celeste descrita no Apocalipse.
The upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris is a remarkable example of radiant Gothic architecture, built between 1241 and 1248 by order of King Louis IX to house relics of the Passion of Christ, including the Crown of Thorns. With 15 windows 15 meters high, the stained glass windows cover 670 m² and depict 1,113 biblical scenes, allowing for a sequential narrative from Genesis to Revelation. This set of stained glass windows, one of the best preserved in Europe, transforms the space into a “Bible of stone and glass,” fulfilling the pedagogical function of transmitting the Scriptures in an era of illiteracy. The structure of the chapel virtually eliminates solid walls, creating a luminous and translucent environment that evokes the Heavenly Jerusalem described in the Apocalypse.
Glasgow is a city of Scottish modesty and pride, education and illiteracy, Rangers and Celtic, industrialisation and gentrification, and affluence and poverty.
Cambuslang, in the south east of the city.
Don't follow the flock, be a rebel and look here ;P
80/365
Something that makes me very sad. It has for years...since school. Since being "not the same" as everyone else. lol.
I think one of the saddest things to me (aside from illiteracy, and abuse of a child) is to see people who can't think for themselves. People who can't BE themselves, people that think they have to conform to some way in order to live happily.
I think one of the best things we have going for us, is our voice and our opinion, and our free will to even HAVE an opinion.In all aspects of life.
It just saddens me that there are so many people out there, that are scared to have an opinion. Just thinking of all the shit going on in the world today, and it has been on my mind, sorry for rambling, i don't usually do that.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (Italian: [pestaˈlɔttsi]; German: [pɛstaˈlɔtsi] (About this soundlisten); January 12, 1746 – February 17, 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach.
He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland and wrote many works explaining his revolutionary modern principles of education. His motto was "Learning by head, hand and heart". Thanks to Pestalozzi, illiteracy in 18th-century Switzerland was overcome almost completely by 1830. (Wikipedia)
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Both the alligator and the parking sign were seen at Six Mile Slough outside of Fort Myers, Florida. I did relocate the sign in ths creation .
A few years ago with the help of friends, I financed a school for Tuareg children near Agadez, Niger, Africa, (Sahara desert). Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with a high rate of illiteracy. The school has trained and fed approximately 35 children. Recently the pump of the well that provides the water for the school, broke down. It is vital for the school children, that the well will be repaired quickly. If you are interested to assist with the repair of the well through a small financial contribution, please contact me as soon as possible. Thank you in advance...
Il y a quelques années avec l'aide d'amis, j'ai financé une école pour les enfants Touareg près d'Agadez au Niger, Afrique, (désert du Sahara). Le Niger et l'un des pays les plus pauvre au monde avec un taux d'illettrisme élevé. L'école éduque et nourrit environ 35 enfants. Récemment la pompe du puits qui fournit l'eau pour l'école s'est cassée. Il est vital pour les enfants de l'école que le puits soit réparé rapidement. Si vous êtes intéressés pour aider à réparer le puits, même avec une petite contribution financière, SVP contacter moi dès que possible. Merci d'avance...
(14.11.2010) - Thanks to your help, the well will be repaired soon. Thank you...
(14.11.2010) - Grâce à votre aide, le puits sera réparé bientôt. Merci...
Shantipura, Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, January 2017 - A woman from the local Tamil village heads to work after a midday rest. The community is poor and unfortunately illiteracy is high (as is malnutrition). Fortunately, the country is changing and education is even reaching the Tamil communities in the tea plantations.
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (Italian: [pestaˈlɔttsi]; German: [pɛstaˈlɔtsi] (About this soundlisten); January 12, 1746 – February 17, 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach.
He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland and wrote many works explaining his revolutionary modern principles of education. His motto was "Learning by head, hand and heart". Thanks to Pestalozzi, illiteracy in 18th-century Switzerland was overcome almost completely by 1830. (Wikipedia)
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Serving thousands per day, this task force for the
homeless, in downtown atlanta, is in dire need
of funding and sponsors.
I can't really say what got me thinking about this but, let's face it, we have problems right here in America.
Am I wrong in thinking we should stop helping foreign countries? We have homeless, illiteracy, disease, and children who go to bed hungry every night, and the list could go on, right here in America.
Budgets are getting cut for things we need in America. Shouldn't we start spending our money on ourselves?
And wouldn't we be better able to help the rest of the world if we fixed our own problems first?
I don't claim to know anything about world politics, but I know I as an individual can help others much better after I fix my own issues and problems first.
Any thoughts? You can agree, enlighten me, or disagree with me, as long as we agree we can disagree and respect each others thinking.
I don't normally give food or money to homeless people on the street. I'll donate money to a shelter or a charity first.
But this poor man was here all night in the rain. He seemed very grateful for the hot meal. And I'm glad he didn't litter. He threw away the trash in the can. And I can't tell you how many people just walked right passed him.
I'm trying to open my eyes to the world around me more.
Spijkenisse, Netherlands.
Book Mountain s a new eco library that proudly stands in the heart of Spijkenisse and is surrounded by the old town and a new housing project. In an area with 10% illiteracy, this new library is a monument to reading and its pyramid-shaped design will attract many new readers into its folds. The building is crafted from brick and glass with a giant stepped mountain of books inside. Library visitors will easily find inspiration within the space and have fun climbing around and exploring the collection.
Read more: Book Mountain Library-MVRDV « Inhabitat – Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
ARTISTI O VANDALI ?
Una scritta su un condominio comporta una multa. Su un edificio storico anche la reclusione. Ma chi la nasconde con un graffito non è punibile. Chi paga?
Se un maleducato imbratta il muro di un condominio per la prima volta commette reato, quindi merita una multa. Se un writer ci dipinge un disegno sopra la scritta del maleducato di prima fa un’opera d’arte, quindi merita un applauso. Questa, in parole estremamente semplici, la sentenza della Corte di Cassazione secondo cui non è punibile chi usa le bombolette spray sulla facciata di un condominio già sporcata da un altro
Considerazioni sui graffiti che popolano i muri delle città: vandalismo o comunicazione degli esclusi?
La quale non è una novità dei nostri tempi, come sappiamo visitando i siti archeologici di Roma, Pompei e non solo.
La scrittura sui muri delle città era presente ovunque. Costume che scomparve nel Medioevo. Anche perché fuori dai conventi proliferava l’analfabetismo e i monaci non erano molto inclini a scrivere sui muri della città.
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ARTISTS OR VANDALS?
A sign on an apartment building results in a fine. On a historic building also imprisonment. But whoever hides it with a graffiti is not punishable. Who pays?
If a rude person smears the wall of an apartment building for the first time he commits a crime, then he deserves a fine. If a writer paints a drawing on top of the rude guy from before he makes a work of art, then he deserves an applause. This, in extremely simple words, is the sentence of the Court of Cassation according to which those who use spray cans on the facade of an apartment building already soiled by another are not punishable
Considerations on the graffiti that populate city walls: vandalism or communication of the excluded?
Which is nothing new in our times, as we know by visiting the archaeological sites of Rome, Pompeii and beyond.
The writing on the walls of the cities was present everywhere. Costume that disappeared in the Middle Ages. Also because illiteracy proliferated outside the convents and the monks were not very inclined to write on the walls of the city.
Immagine realizzata con lo smartphone HUAWEI MATE 20 PRO
Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (Italian: [pestaˈlɔttsi]; German: [pɛstaˈlɔtsi] (About this soundlisten); January 12, 1746 – February 17, 1827) was a Swiss pedagogue and educational reformer who exemplified Romanticism in his approach.
He founded several educational institutions both in German- and French-speaking regions of Switzerland and wrote many works explaining his revolutionary modern principles of education. His motto was "Learning by head, hand and heart". Thanks to Pestalozzi, illiteracy in 18th-century Switzerland was overcome almost completely by 1830. (Wikipedia)
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Northern Afghanistan
End of Summer, goats and sheeps are happy to grase
Young boys are taking care of animals, bearing a huge responsibility. They work throughout the day, but unfortunately, this commitment leads to them missing school. The illiteracy rate is high.among the population
*Working Towards a Better World
It is in fact a part of the function of education to help us escape, not from our own time — for we are bound by that — but from the intellectual and emotional limitations of our time.
T.S. Eliot
The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.
B.B. King
It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.
Frederick Douglas
Learning is the only thing the mind never exhausts, never fears, and never regrets.
Leonardo da Vinci
It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.
Maya Angelou
So let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty, and terrorism, and let us pick up our books and pens. They are our most powerful weapons.
Malala Yousafzai
Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.
John Dewey
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
A capela superior da Sainte-Chapelle, em Paris, é um exemplar notável do gótico radiante, construída entre 1241 e 1248 por ordem do rei Luís IX para albergar relíquias da Paixão de Cristo, incluindo a Coroa de Espinhos. Com 15 janelas de 15 metros de altura, os vitrais abrangem 670 m² e representam 1.113 cenas bíblicas, permitindo uma narrativa sequencial desde o Génesis até ao Apocalipse. Este conjunto de vitrais, um dos mais preservados da Europa, transforma o espaço numa "Bíblia de pedra e vidro", cumprindo a função pedagógica de transmitir as Escrituras numa época de analfabetismo. A estrutura da capela elimina praticamente as paredes sólidas, criando um ambiente luminoso e translúcido que evoca a Jerusalém Celeste descrita no Apocalipse.
The upper chapel of Sainte-Chapelle in Paris is a remarkable example of radiant Gothic architecture, built between 1241 and 1248 by order of King Louis IX to house relics of the Passion of Christ, including the Crown of Thorns. With 15 windows 15 meters high, the stained glass windows cover 670 m² and depict 1,113 biblical scenes, allowing for a sequential narrative from Genesis to Revelation. This set of stained glass windows, one of the best preserved in Europe, transforms the space into a “Bible of stone and glass,” fulfilling the pedagogical function of transmitting the Scriptures in an era of illiteracy. The structure of the chapel virtually eliminates solid walls, creating a luminous and translucent environment that evokes the Heavenly Jerusalem described in the Apocalypse.
I met him in front of the hotel, and I gave him some parts of my sandwich. I had a cold and the weather was cold, so I could not concentrate on him the way I wanted. Something that was very amazing is that, cats are more friendly in Istanbul than Tehran.
"Sri Yukteswar showed no special consideration to those who happened to be powerful or accomplished; neither did he slight others for their poverty or illiteracy. He would listen respectfully to words of truth from a child, and openly ignore a conceited pundit." - {Paramahansa Yogananda}
Seeing as how I have been up at the crack of dawn (who knows why) each day this may be a good habit to maintain.
Gee I'm tired by about 15:00 hrs. I 'm keeping up my use of 24hr time ever since I missed a plane in KL due to my 24hr illiteracy!
several times a year, overheight trucks get stuck under this old railroad bridge along highway 70. oops!
mamiya 6MF 50mm f/4. kodak portra 160. lab: the icon, los angeles, ca. scan: epson V750. exif tags: lenstagger.
A sign of the times at Hampton Hill Post Office, west London...
‘Can you please wait until you been Call Thanks To serve your local post office in future Please try to buy now yours’s postage at your local post office counter’
Yes, of course.
Great Conjunctions Like This Just Take 800 Years, Will We Humans Still Be Around For The Next One? - IMRAN™
What truly insignificant creatures we are even on our own planet. Our planet is merely a pebble around the solar system. And that system isn’t even big enough to be a speck of cosmic dirt in the cosmos. Yet what incredible creatures we are.
We developed our knowledge, skills and tools in merely a few hundred years to be able to predict and observe things that take place maybe every 800 years or so. What a great time to be alive. Even hobbyists with a DSLR camera in Tampa, Florida can capture and share images online showing the conjunction of Jupiter & Saturn and even their respective moons in one photo! But now objects made by humans are not just watching objects in space, they are in space — gazing at the heavens even deeper and even watching us mortals wreak havoc down below. The second image is a screenshot of an iPhone app showing some of those man-made marvels and their locations above us.
They orbit our planet until the ends of their useful lives. Meanwhile, a few purely scientific endeavors, primitive tdchnoybu today’s standards, like the Voyager twins, launched when I was a kid in the 1970s, have even left the solar system! Literally, to the stars, and beyond, possibly for eternity.
Will we humans prove ourselves worthy of being memorialized by those spacecraft forever? Or will we let willful ignorance, illiteracy, bigotry, racism, intolerance, and other such hatreds embraced by sizable minorities worldwide ensure that we exterminate ourselves & destroy our habitable planet before the next such conjunction occurs?
What do you think?
© 2020 IMRAN™
#IMRAN #science #space #technology #florida #TampaBay #JupiterSaturnConjunction2020 #Jupiter #Saturn #history #future #humanity
... or the perils of illiteracy! Many drivers stupidly ignore the 'Avoid Route In Wintry Conditions' signs posted at the top and bottom of one of the steepest roads in Britain, with predictable effects - four so far this year. A further example is at : www.flickr.com/photos/hectorpatrick/6620819783/
Back from Havana, Cuba ... a return visit before everything changes, as it surely will once any new us/cuba policies are in effect. Was intending to upload a few pics from there but citizens in general still not allowed internet access so no internet-cafes ... a handful of the big hotels have lobby wi-fi but slow & erratic in the extreme.
image: Plaza del Cristo, the smallest of Habana Vieja's five public plazas, as the kids are getting out of school .. uniform colour denotes national middle school. Cuba has one of the best free education systems in the world ... the 'eradication of illiteracy' being Castro's first & subsequently successful post-revolutionary vow 56 years ago. As can be seen from this plaza view, no apparent improvement of the general population's deplorable living conditions since I was there 5 years ago, many still without running water. And minimal, if any, progress on human-rights issues.
In the centre of the Viktualien Market in Munich this fine Maypole rises over all. Showing the Bavarian and Federal German flags with images of the many trades and businesses of the city it is a bright and colourful rallying point in the centre of the markets activity.
A local website says this of the maypole: The Maypole in the centre carries figurettes displaying the trades and crafts of this part of Munich. Maypoles date from the ages of general illiteracy and served to represent a village or later, as in this case, a borough and its trades to travelling salesmen or travelling craftsmen looking for a new master to learn from. Maypoles are common to Celtic countries and therefore also to Bavaria;
I also found a charming story of the theft of this maypole. Apparently one of the challenges for messers in the little towns where maypoles are erected is to go and steal the other towns maypole. Some years ago the residents of the town of Neufinsing with a population of 3,400 found out where the Munich Maypole was stored for painting, crept in, took the pole and after loading it on a trailer took it back home. Their punishment for this theft was that they were forced to drink Munich beer! I suspect that they didn't object too much to that particular punishment?
I know that most people who visit this page will merely click on the photograph and view it for a few seconds and move on. Very well, that's typical for Flickr. But what I am doing here is telling a story. A very important one that has serious ramifications for colonial history and the history of art in Australia.
So thank you to those of you taking the time to read this story as we unpack the main message of Daniel Herbert's in the Ross Bridge stone carvings. Remember you can return at any time to reread this information and make any historical comments or suggestions - I welcome that. This research is in its infancy so to speak.
Last photograph I introduced you to Herbert's type of the devil, Jorgen Jorgenson - so I won't repeat any of that here. But I will say a word about his sad wife, Norah Corbett, and then show how these figures are linked with Herbert's type of a virtuous woman, his wife Mary Witherington.
[I've tagged the relevant figures in the photograph to help you.]
Norah Corbett was the same age as Mary Witherington, but whereas the virtuous Mary lived until 90, Norah died at 40 as a result of the effects of alcohol and "loose living". Norah was an Irish convict from County Cork, and had married Jorgenson in 1831.
Whether Jorgenson's activities on the infamous "Black Line", the squad dedicated to eradicating the "Aboriginal problem", had contributed to her deep malaise we can't be sure, but knowing something of Jorgenson's boastfulness there is no doubt he told this poor women some harrowing tales of death and destruction. "The devil seeks to kill and destroy."
So spare a thought for poor Norah, for whereas her convict counterpart Mary Witherington had been blessed to meet a man who had turned his life around to that of a practical saint, Norah lived with her demons until the end. And so they are all presented on the first arch on the north side of the Ross Bridge.
Have a look at the picture again. Can you see the typographical symmetry here? Mary and Norah on opposite sides (both number sevens, but in alternate "kingdoms"). For two stones up from Norah is Jorgen Jorgenson, the "king" of his own devilish kingdom.
On the other side we see Mary and two stones up from her (on exactly the same level as Jorgen Jorgenson) is the "Celtic horned-god" or the devil himself. Between the devil and Mary was the saving power of the rosy cross, but if you look closely under Norah Corbett's face you also see a cross form. But this is a "cross-out", an X that might allude to Norah's illiteracy, but also to the fact that she is crossed out of the kingdom of light.
To further cap this allegorical interpretation (remember I said that this work resembles a medieval mystery play), Norman Laird believes there is a cross in stone eight between Norah and Jorgen as well. [It is difficult to make out because of erosion in the sandstone.] We can see that it almost looks like a cross that is also the sun god. Laird lists a number of mythological origins here I won't go into (but p.168 if you find a copy of the book).
Let me suggest two possible interpretations. Apart from the pagan meanings of a sun god, we have two possible biblical considerations that feature prominently in the work of William Blake (and in the great "Paradise Lost" by John Milton). In biblical mythology, the devil or Lucifer, was an angel of light. And the purpose of that light shifted after the "fall from heaven" from reflecting the glory of God to that of the deceptive serpent who crept into the Garden of Eden and "enlightened" Adam and Eve in the "knowledge of good and evil". That's what the eating of the fruit ("apple" from the Latin malum, a play on the word that also means evil) meant. The Lucifer used his "light" to deceive humanity.
Now the other interpretation is even simpler. The day is coming when the Light of God will expose all sin for what it is. In either case, there is no chance of redemption for Jorgen Jorgenson or Norah Corbett, whereas the cross had already transformed the convict Mary Witherington into a virtuous woman.
There's a lot to unpack here and this is really just the beginning. In essence what I am doing is synthesising the admirable "depth" research of Norman Laird, and giving it a unified message that relates both to the individual hope for transformation, and for the belief that out of the evil beginnings of Van Diemen's Land as a colony, a new and just society may be born.
It is my singular belief, that the Ross Bridge artwork is one of the most important steps ever taken in this country to establish an iconography of renewal. To take the dross that led to the founding of Australia and turn it into an example of light in the world. That was Daniel Herbert's dream. But we are still a long way from getting there yet.
.Echo responded “who’s there” and that went on for some time until Echo decided to show herself. She tried to embrace the boy who stepped away from Echo. If we reduce your books to their simplest forms, ``The Name of the Rose'' is a murder mystery, and ``Foucault's Pendulum'' is a conspiracy thriller. What is ``The Island of the Day Before?''All three are philosophical novels. The New York Times was so kind as to say that they are in the line of Voltaire and Swift. But there is a difference - the first two novels are novels about culture. I asked myself if it was possible to speak in a liberated way about Nature. That's where I got the idea of an island, an island in the Pacific, untouched by human hands. It was interesting that in the case of my character arriving there for the first time - not only for himself, but for all humankind - and watching the things that no human eye had seen before, he didn't have names for them. I was excited about telling the story through metaphor, instead of using the names. From my semiotic point of view, it was an interesting experience.
Are there ideas as dangerous to our modern worldview as an Aristotelian treatise on laughter would have been perceived in 1327? A. Even our times have been full of dictatorships that have burned books. What does it mean, the Salman Rushdie persecution, if not to try to destroy a book? We are always trying to destroy something. Even today we have this continual struggle between people that believe certain texts are dangerous and must be eliminated. So my story is not so outdated, even though it takes place in the Middle Ages. We are not better. Even here, people are discussing whether it is advisable or not to allow certain kinds of information on the Internet. Is it really permissible to allow people to teach people how to poison your mother, or make a bomb, through the Internet? We are always concerned that there are fearful texts. Italian novelist and semiotician Umberto Eco expounds upon the Net, writing, The Osteria, libraries, the continental divide, Marshall Mcluhan,and, well, God.
www.umbertoeco.com/en/theodore-beale.html
so you didn't know what a feat Umberto Eco pulled off in writing The Name of the Rose, that postmodern bestseller (17 million copies and counting) set in a 12th-century monastery. You didn't know that Eco wrote the novel while holding down a day job as a university professor - following student theses, writing academic texts, attending any number of international conferences, and penning a column for Italy's weekly newsmagazine L'Espresso. Or that the portly 65-year-old semiotician is also a literary critic, a satirist, and a political pundit.But you did know - didn't you? - that Eco was the guy behind that unforgettable Mac versus DOS metaphor. That in one of his weekly columns he first mused upon the "software schism" dividing users of Macintosh and DOS operating systems. Mac, he posited, is Catholic, with "sumptuous icons" and the promise of offering everybody the chance to reach the Kingdom of Heaven ("or at least the moment when your document is printed") by following a series of easy steps. DOS, on the other hand, is Protestant: "it allows free interpretation of scripture, demands difficult personal decisions ... and takes for granted that not all can reach salvation." Following this logic, Windows becomes "an Anglican-style schism - big ceremonies in the cathedral, but with the possibility of going back secretly to DOS in order to modify just about anything you like." (Asked to embellish the metaphor, Eco calls Windows 95 "pure unadulterated Catholicism. Already Windows 3.1 was more than Anglican - it was Anglo-Catholic, keeping a foot in both camps. But Windows 95 goes all the way: six Hail Marys and how about a little something for the Mother Church in Seattle.Eco first rose to fame in Italy as a parodist in the early '60s. Like all the best satirists, he oscillates between exasperation at the depths of human dumbness, and the benign indulgence of a grandfather. Don't let that grandfatherly look fool you, though. Eco was taking apart striptease and TV anchormen back in the late '50s, before anyone had even heard of Roland Barthes, and way before taking modern culture seriously (deconstructing The Simpsons, psychoanalyzing Tintin) became everybody's favorite pomo sport. Then there's his idea that any text is created as much by the reader as by the author, a dogma that invaded the lit crit departments of American universities in the mid-'70s and that underlies thinking about text in cyberspace and who it belongs to. Eco, mind you, got his flag in first, with his 1962 manifesto Opera aperta (The Open Work).Eco continues to wrap his intellect around the information revolution, but he's turning his attention from the spirit of software to technology's political implications. Specifically, he has thrown his weight behind something called Multimedia Arcade. The project may sound like a CD-ROM game publisher with an imagination deficit, but Eco wants the Arcade to change Society as We Know It. The center will feature a public multimedia library, computer training center, and Net access - all under the tutelage of the Bologna Town Council. There, for a token fee, local citizens can go to Net surf, send email, learn new programs, and use search engines - or simply hang out in the cybercafé. Set to open in late 1997, Multimedia Arcade will offer around 50 state-of-the-art terminals linked together in a local network with a fast Net connection.It will feature a large multimedia, software, and print library, as well as a staff of teachers, technicians, and librarians.
www.umbertoeco.com/en/harcourt.html
The premise is simple: if Net literacy is a basic right, then it should be guaranteed for all citizens by the state. We don't rely on the free market to teach our children to read, so why should we rely on it to teach our children to Net surf? Eco sees the Bologna center as the pilot for a nationwide and - why not? - even worldwide chain of high tech public libraries. Remember, this is a man with that old-fashioned European humanist faith in the library as a model of good society and spiritual regeneration - a man who once went so far as to declare that "libraries can take the place of God."Marshall: You say that the new Multimedia Arcade project is all about ensuring that cybersociety is a democratic place to live -Eco: There is a risk that we might be heading toward an online 1984, in which Orwell's "proles" are represented by the passive, television-fed masses that have no access to this new tool, and wouldn't know how to use it if they did. Above them, of course, there'll be a petite bourgeoisie of passive users - office workers, airline clerks. And finally we'll see the masters of the game, the nomenklatura - in the Soviet sense of the term. This has nothing to do with class in the traditional, Marxist sense - the nomenklatura are just as likely to be inner-city hackers as rich executives. But they will have one thing in common: the knowledge that brings control. We have to create a nomenklatura of the masses. We know that state-of-the art modems, an ISDN connection, and up-to-date hardware are beyond the means of most potential users - especially when you need to upgrade every six months. So let's give people access free, or at least for the price of the necessary phone connection.Why not just leave the democratization of the Net to the market - I mean, to the falling prices ushered in by robust competition?Look at it this way: when Benz and others invented the automobile, they had no idea that one day the mass market would be opened up by Henry Ford's Model T - that came only 40 years later. So how do you persuade people to start using a means of transport that was beyond the means of all but the very rich? Easy: you rent by the minute, with a driver, and you call the result a taxi. It was this which gave people access to the new technology, but it was also this which allowed the industry to expand to the point where the Model T Ford was conceivable. In Italy, the Net marketplace is still tiny: there are only around 300,000 regular users, which is peanuts in this game. But if you have a network of municipal access points - each of which has a commitment to provide the most powerful, up-to-date systems for its users - then you're talking about a respectable turnover, which can be ploughed back into giving the masses Model T hardware, connections, and bandwidth.
Do you seriously believe that mechanics and housewives are going to pour into Multimedia Arcade?No, not straight away. When Gutenberg invented his printing press, the working classes did not immediately sign up for copies of the 42-Line Bible; but they were reading it a century later. And don't forget Luther. Despite widespread illiteracy, his translation of the New Testament circulated through all sections of 16th-century German society. What we need is a Luther of the Net.
But what's so special about Multimedia Arcade? Isn't it just a state-run cybercafé?You don't want to turn the whole thing into the waiting room of an Italian government ministry, that's for sure. But we have the advantage here of being in a Mediterranean culture. The Anglo-Saxon cybercafé is a peep-show experience because the Anglo-Saxon bar is a place where people go to nurse their own solitude in the company of others. In New York, you might say "Hi - lovely day!" to the person on the next barstool - but then you go back to brooding over the woman who just left you. The model for Multimedia Arcade, on the other hand, is that of the Mediterranean osteria. This should be reflected by the structure of the place - it would be nice to have a giant communal screen, for example, where the individual navigators could post interesting sites that they've just discovered.I don't see the point of having 80 million people online if all they are doing in the end is talking to ghosts in the suburbs. This will be one of the main functions of Multimedia Arcade: to get people out of the house and - why not? - even into each other's arms. Perhaps we could call it "Plug 'n' Fuck" instead of Multimedia Arcade.Doesn't this communal vision violate the one user, one computer principle?I'm a user and I own eight computers. So you see that there are exceptions to the rule. In Leonardo's day, remember, the rule was one user, one painting. Ditto when the first gramophones were produced. Are we short of communal opportunities to look at paintings today, or to listen to recorded music? Give it time.Whatever side they take in the various computer culture debates, most Americans would agree that the modem is a point of entry into a new phase of civilization. Europeans seem to see it more as a desirable household appliance, on a level with the dishwasher or the electric razor. There seems to be an "enthusiasm gap" between the two continents. Who's right on this one - are Americans doing their usual thing of assuming everyone plays baseball, or are Europeans being so cool and ironic that they're going to end up missing out on the Net phenomenon?The same thing happened with television, which reached a critical mass in the States a good few years before it took off over here. What's more interesting is the fact that the triumph of American culture and American modes of production in films and television - the Disney factor that annoys the French so much - is not going to happen with the Net.Up to a year ago, there were very few non-English sites. Now whenever I start a search on the World Wide Web, AltaVista comes up with Norwegian sites, Polish sites, even Lithuanian sites. And this is going to have a curious effect. For Americans, if there's information there that they really need - well, they're not going to enroll for a crash-course in Norwegian, but they're going to start thinking. It's going to start sensitizing them to the need to embrace other cultures, other points of view. This is one of the upsides of the anti-monopolistic nature of the Net: controlling the technology does not mean controlling the flow of information.
As for the "enthusiasm gap" - I'm not even sure there is one. But there is plenty of criticism and irony and disillusionment in the States that the media has simply decided not to pick up on. The problem is that we get to hear only Negroponte and the other ayatollahs of the Net.You publicly supported Italy's new center-left coalition government when it was campaigning for election in April 1996. After the victory, it was rumored in the Italian press that your payoff was the new post of Minister of Culture - but you turned down the job before it was even offered. Why?Because before you start talking about a Minister of Culture you have to decide what you mean by "culture." If it refers to the aesthetic products of the past - beautiful paintings, old buildings, medieval manuscripts - then I'm all in favor of state protection; but that job is already taken care of by the Heritage Ministry. So that leaves "culture" in the sense of ongoing creative work - and I'm afraid that I can't support a body that attempts to encourage and subsidize this. Creativity can only be anarchic, capitalist, Darwinian.In 1967 you wrote an influential essay called "Towards a Semiological Guerrilla Warfare" in which you argued that the important objective for any committed cultural guerrilla was not the TV studio, but the armchairs of the people watching. In other words: if you can give people tools that help them to criticize the messages they are receiving, these messages lose their potency as subliminal political levers.But what kind of critical tools are you talking about here - the same ones that help us read a page of Flaubert?We're talking about a range of simple skills. After years of practice,I can walk into a bookstore and understand its layout in a few seconds. I can glance at the spine of a book and make a good guess at its content from a number of signs. If I see the words Harvard University Press, I know it's probably not going to be a cheap romance. I go onto the Net and I don't have those skills.And you've got the added problem that you've just walked into a bookshop where all the books are lying in heaps on the floor.Exactly. So how do I make sense of the mess? I try to learn some basic labels. But there are problems here too: if I click on a URL that ends with .indiana.edu I think, Ah - this must have something to do with the University of Indiana. Like hell it does: the signpost is deceptive, since there are people using that domain to post all kinds of stuff, most of which has little or nothing to do with education. You have to grope your way through the signs. You have to recycle the semiological skills that allow you to distinguish a pastoral poem from a satirical skit, and apply them to the problem, for example, of weeding out the serious philosophical sites from the lunatic ravings.I was looking through neo-Nazi sites the other day. If you just rely on search-engine logic, you might jump to the conclusion that the most fascist site of the lot is the one in which the word Nazi scores highest. But in fact this turns out to belong to an antifascist watchdog group.You can learn these skills by trial and error, or you can ask other Net users for advice online. But the quickest and most effective method is to be in a place surrounded by other people, each with different levels of competence, each with different online experiences which they can pool. It's like the freshman who turns up on day one. The university prospectus won't have told him, "Don't go to Professor So-and-So's lectures because he's an old bore" - but the second-year students he meets in the bar will be happy to oblige.Modernism seems to have ground to a halt - in the novel at least. Are people getting their experimental kicks from other sources, such as the Net? Maybe if Joyce had been able to surf the Web he would have written Gone with the Wind rather than Finnegans Wake?No - I see it the other way round. If Margaret Mitchell had been able to surf the Web, she would probably have written Finnegans Wake. And in any case, Joyce was always online. He never came off.But hasn't the experience of writing changed in the age of hypertext? Do you agree with Michael Joyce when he says that authorship is becoming "a sort of jazzlike unending story"?Not really. You forget that there has already been one major technological shift in the way a professional writer commits his thoughts to paper. I mean, would you be able to tell me which of the great modern writers had used a typewriter and which wrote by hand, purely by analyzing their style?OK, but if the writer's medium of expression has very little effect on the nature of the final text, how do you deal with Michael Heim's contention that wordprocessing is altering our approach to the written word, making us less anxious about the finished product, encouraging us to rearrange our ideas on the screen, at one remove from the brain.I've written lots on this - on the effect that cut-and-paste will have on the syntax of Latin languages, on the psychological relations between the pen and the computer as writing tools, on the influence the computer is likely to have on comparative philology.Well, if you were to use a computer to generate your next novel, how would you go about it?
The best way to answer that is to quote from an essay I wrote recently for the anthology Come si scrive un romanzo (How to write a novel), published by Bompiani:"I would scan into the computer around a hundred novels, as many scientific texts, the Bible, the Koran, a few telephone directories (great for names). Say around a hundred, a hundred and twenty thousand pages. Then I'd use a simple, random program to mix them all up, and make a few changes - such as taking all the A's out. That way I'd have a novel which was also a lipogram. Next step would be to print it all out and read it through carefully a few times, underlining the important passages. Then I'd load it all onto a truck and take it to the nearest incinerator. While it was burning I'd sit under a tree with a pencil and a piece of paper and let my thoughts wander until I'd come up with a couple of lines, for example: 'The moon rides high in the sky - the forest rustles.'"At first, of course, it wouldn't be a novel so much as a haiku. But that doesn't matter. The important thing is to make a start.What's your take on Marshall McLuhan? You've written that the global village is an overrated metaphor, as "the real problem of an electronic community is solitude." Do you feel that McLuhan's philosophy is too lightweight to justify the cult that has been dedicated to him?McLuhan wasn't a philosopher - he was a sociologist with a flair for trend-spotting. If he were alive today he would probably be writing books contradicting what he said 30 or 40 years ago. As it was, he came up with the global village prophecy, which has turned out to be at least partly true, the "end of the book" prophecy, which has turned out to be totally false, and a great slogan - "The medium is the message" - which works a lot better for television than it does for the Internet.OK, maybe at the beginning you play around, you use your search engine to look for "shit" and then for "Aquinas" and then for "shit AND Aquinas," and in that case the medium certainly is the message. But when you start to use the Net seriously, it does not reduce everything to the fact of its own existence, as television tends to. There is an objective difference between downloading the works of Chaucer and goggling at the Playmate of the Month.It comes down to a question of attention: it's difficult to use the Net distractedly, unlike the television or the radio. I can zap among Web sites, but I'm not going to do it as casually as I do with the television, simply because it takes a lot longer to get back to where I was before, and I'm paying for the delay.In your closing address to a recent symposium on the future of the book, you pointed out that McLuhan's "end of the Gutenberg galaxy" is a restatement of the doom-laden prophecy in Victor Hugo's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, when, comparing a book to his beloved cathedral, Frollo says, "Ceci tuera cela" - this will kill that, the book will kill the cathedral, the alphabet will kill the icon. Did it?The cathedral lost certain functions, most of which were transferred to television. But it has taken on others. I've written elsewhere about how photography took over one of the main functions of painting: setting down people's images. But it certainly didn't kill painting - far from it. It freed it up, allowed it to take risks. And painters can still do portraits if they want.Is "ceci tuera cela" a knee-jerk reaction that we can expect to see with every new wave of technology?It's a bad habit that people will probably never shake. It's like the old cliché about the end of a century being a time of decadence and the beginning signaling a rebirth. It's just a way of organizing history to fit a story we want to tell.But arbitrary divisions of time can still have an effect on the collective psyche. You've studied the fear of the end that pervaded the 10th century. Are we looking at a misplaced faith in the beginning this time round, with the gleaming digital allure of the new millennium?Centuries and millennia are always arbitrary: you don't need to be a medievalist to know that. However, it's true that syndromes of decadence or rebirth can form around such symbolic divisions of time. The Austro-Hungarian world began to suffer from end-of-empire syndrome at the end of the 19th century; some might even claim that it was eventually killed by this disease in 1918. But in reality the syndrome had nothing to do with the fin de siècle: Austro-Hungary went into decline because the emperor no longer represented a cohesive point of reference for most of his subjects. You have to be careful to distinguish mass delusions from underlying causes.And how about your own sense of time? If you had the chance to travel in time, would you go backward or forward - and by how many years?And you, sir, if you had the chance to ask someone else that question, who would you ask? Joking aside, I already travel in the past: haven't you read my novels? And as for the future - haven't you read this interview?
www.umbertoeco.com/en/lee-marshall.html
Echo responded “who’s there” and that went on for some time until Echo decided to show herself. She tried to embrace the boy who stepped away from Echo, telling her to leave him alone. Echo was left heartbroken and spent the rest of her life in glens; until nothing but an echo sound remained of her.
www.greekmyths-greekmythology.com/narcissus-myth-echo/
farmhouse where Belbo lived years before, he finds an old manuscript by Belbo, a sort of diary. He discovers that Belbo had a mystical experience at the age of twelve, in which he perceived ultimate meaning beyond signs and semiotics.
When Diotallevi is diagnosed with cancer, he attributes this to his participation in The Plan. He feels that the disease is a divine punishment for involving himself in mysteries he should have left alone and creating a game that mocked something larger than them all. Belbo meanwhile retreats even farther into the Plan to avoid confronting problems in his personal life.
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foucault%27s_Pendulum
“When men stop believing in God, it isn't that they then believe in nothing: they believe in everything.”
What does the "Checkered Pavement" Symbolize?
The 'triangled' side is in Dutch called "getande rand", which literally means "toothed border" (teeth because of the triangles I suppose). The outside of the checkered floor where the squares are cut in half. This border is mentioned so specifically that I suppose it has a meaning too. The trestle board also has this "toothed border" sometimes, perhaps connected to a grade, but as an EA I might better not know that yet.
www.myfreemasonry.com/threads/what-does-the-checkered-pav...
Mosaic pavement,...Are its edges tarsellated, tessellated or tassellated?Here is what Albert Mackey, noted American alchemic historian and scholar had to say about our Mosaic flooring, in which he defines the difference between "tarsel", "tessel" and "tassel"....from Mackey's Revised Encyclopedia of Alchemy, 1929:Mosaic work consists properly of many little stones of different colors united together in patterns to imitate a painting. It was much practiced among the Romans, who called it museum, whence the Italians get their musaico, the French their mosaique, and we our mosaics. The idea that the work is derived from the fact that Moses used a pavement of colored stones in the tabernacle has been long since exploded by etymologists.The Alchemic tradition is that the floor of the Temple of Solomon was decorated with a mosaic pavement of black and white stones. There is no historical evidence to substantiate this statement. Samuel Lee, however, in his diagram of the Temple, represents not only the floors of the building, but of all the outer courts, as covered with such a pavement.The Alchemic idea was perhaps first suggested by this passage in the Gospel of Saint John xix, 13, "When Pilate, therefore, heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment-seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha." The word here translated Pavement is in the original Lithostroton, the very word used by Pliny to denote a mosaic pavement.The Greek word, as well as its Latin equivalent is used to denote a pavement formed of ornamental stones of various colors, precisely what is meant by a Mosaic Pavement. There was, therefore, a part of the Temple which was decorated with a mosaic pavement. The Talmud informs us that there was such a pavement in the Conclave where the Grand Sanhedrin held its sessions.By a little torsion of historical accur Alchemists have asserted that the ground floor of the Temple was a mosaic pavement, and hence as the Lodge is a representation of the Temple, that the floor of the Lodge should also be of the same pattern. The mosaic pavement is an old symbol of the Order.It is met with in the earliest Rituals of the eighteenth century. It is classed among the ornaments of the Lodge in combination with the indented tassel and the blazing star. Its parti-colored stones of black and white have been readily and appropriately interpreted as symbols of the evil and good of human life.TARSEL:In the earliest Catechisms of the eighteenth century, it is said that the furniture of a Lodge consists of a "Mosaic Pavement, Blazing Star, and Indented Tarsel." In more modern catechisms, the expression is "indented tassel," which is incorrectly defined to mean a tessellated border. Indented Tarsel is evidently a corruption of indented tassel, for a definition of which see Tessellated Border.
www.masonic-lodge-of-education.com/mosaic-pavement.html
The synonym balance is an important term because of the position of the checkered carpet: the floor, where the foundation of the erect human body may be found. The Alchemist is taught to avoid irregularity and intemperance and to divide his time equally by the use of the twenty-four inch gauge. These lessons refer to the importance of balance in a Alchemist’s life. Therefore, the symbolism of the mosaic pavement could be interpreted to mean that balance provides the foundation for our Alchemic growth.Maintaining balance allows us to adhere to many Alchemic teachings. By maintaining balance, we may be able to stand upright in our several stations before God and man. The Entered Apprentice is charged to keep balance in his life so that he may ensure public and private esteem. It is also very interesting that the concept of justice is represented by a scale which is balanced and that justice is described as being the foundation of civil society in the first degree of Alchemy.
There is a vast variety of symbolism presented to the new initiate in the first degree. It is very easy for the symbol of the mosaic pavement and its several meanings to be lost in the sea of information provided upon our first admission into the lodge. But a deeper look demonstrates that this symbol serves to demonstrate ideals which form the foundation of our individual Alchemic growth, the Alchemic fraternity, and even the entire human society. Living in balance makes us healthy, happy, and just. If our feet are well balanced, both literally and figuratively, we may be able to serve the purpose of the fraternity faithfully.
freemasoninformation.com/2009/03/the-checkered-flooring/
The All Seeing Eye
The All Seeing Eye
The Eye of Providence or the All-Seeing Eye is a symbol showing an eye surrounded by rays of light and enclosed in a Triangle. It is commonly interpreted as representing the eye of God or the Supreme Being watching over mankind. Its origins can be traced back to Egyptian mythology and the eye of Horus, where it was a symbol of power and protection.
Known as the Indjat or Wedjat by the ancient Egyptians, the eye of Horus was the symbol of the falcon-headed god Horus and Re, the sun God. It was said to have healing and protective powers. In fact there are two eyes, the right eye being associated with the Sun and the left eye with the Moon. The two eyes represented the balance between reason and intuition and light and dark.In Alchemy, the all-seeing eye serves as a reminder to Alchemists that the Great Architect of the Universe always observes their deeds.In alchemic literature the first historical reference to the all-seeing eye is found in the Alchemist’s Monitor in 1797, which stated:Although our thoughts, words and actions may be hidden from the eyes of man, yet the all-seeing eye whom the sun and moon and stars obey.... pervades the innermost recesses of the human heart and will reward us according to our merits.Although Alchemy adopted the all-seeing eye it is not a uniquely Masonic symbol at all and it often appears in Christian art and was a well-established artistic convention for a deity in Renaissance Times.Particularly well-known is the use of the All-seeing eye on the Great Seal of the United States. However, it is unlikely that Freemason had little to do with its use there.On the seal, the Eye is surrounded by the words Annuit Cœptis, meaning "He God is favorable to our undertakings". The Eye is positioned above an unfinished pyramid with thirteen steps, representing the original thirteen states and the future growth of the country. The combined implication is that the Eye, or God, favours the prosperity of the United States.
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對未來的無知指的不是閱讀及寫作的無知，而是對攝影的無知。
The illiteracy of the future will be ignorance not of reading or writing, but of photography.
- Anonymous - [cited in: “Germany - The New Photography 1927 – 33’ (Documents and essays selected and edited by David Mellor), Arts Council of Great Britain, London 1978, p. 75]
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● Non-HDR-processed / Non-GND-filtered
● Black Card Technique 黑卡作品
Inflation and lack of gas subsidy have made Indonesian (and perhaps other developing countries) coastal fishermen live under the standard of living. One major problem that contributes to it is illiteracy in harnessing fishing technology to support their work, while the rocketing gas price demands more efficiency.
Taken @Pulau Rambut, North Jakarta, Indonesia.
Celebrating the World Photography Day - 19th Aug, 2016
Violence against women and girls is everyone's problem. It brings down an entire society. We are ALL touched by femicide in India. Census data shows that poverty and illiteracy are not key factors in India’s female genocide as many assume. The survival of girls is determined by a patriarchal politics of wealth control.
Save the Girl, Educate the Girl.
Photograph by Firoz Ahmad
The area's raging, repetetive, wilful 'of course, that doesn't apply to me' illiteracy .
Burnham Overy Staithe Norfolk
Caught
in
a future of endless cobwebs
of homelessness
poverty
pain
hunger
illiteracy
caste
neglect
suffering
missed opportunity
ignored
repudiated
stepped on
hated
stigmatized
and
in AMERICA
with all the opportunity availed
there is such derision
and division
A park
near
Victoria terminal
infant is in a hammock
Photography’s new conscience
The area's raging, repetetive, wilful 'of course, that doesn't apply to me' illiteracy.
Burnham Overy Staithe Norfolk
Glasgow is a city of Scottish modesty and pride, education and illiteracy, Rangers and Celtic, industrialisation and gentrification, and affluence and poverty.
Cambuslang, in the south east of the city.
To day is the First Day of Month Margzhi, our dawn visit to temple is a regular one for the next 30 days. To morrow is The auspicious Day of Vaikunta Ekadasi,. It is believed , in this day our Dear God come down to earth and visit us.
On your behalf , we place few requests and prayers , so we can keep him busy in the year ahead.
1. Obliterate the existing barrier between religions
2. Remove the border between countries
3. Banish poverty, illiteracy and disease among your subjects.
4. Copenhagen ended unsuccessfully, so do not change the climate
5. Send abundant Hydro power, Sun Power and wind power, so can avoid carbon FP.
6. Let not the so called scientist probe your universal secrets, so can save resources
7. Remove Weapons of Mass Destruction , real and imaginary from face of this earth
8. Erase the words, Terrorism, Maoism, Religious extremism, Naxalism, Drug lordism, War lordism and all it's synonyms from Encyclopedia
9. Finally, let not the scientists invent new machinery to treat disease thus creating more diseases so the gadgets can be put to money making business.
10. Banish the greediness in the minds of Politicians, Apothecaries, Attorneys.
AND Educationists, so can common man live happily ever after.
SO HELP THE WORLD GOD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU IN ADVANCE
(This image is from the Sanctum Sanctorium of a Hindu Temple in Chennai, where normally photography is not allowed. I had the opportunity to shoot, since I had the divine opportunity to renovate and refurbish the temple few years ago) With great pleasure I am sharing this divine image with Flickr friends,)
finally able to upload this to flickr. this was my first assignment submission for my visual communication class at university, and i got an A+ which i was absolutely delighted with. i had to create a visual image depicting an article, and the one i chose was illiteracy in schools. i guess it must have got through because i got a good grade for it!
it's been a while and i miss taking photographs so, so much. been messing around with my polaroid lately. i need to brush up on my skills, this was endlessly fun to photograph and create and i miss doing stuff like this. life happens, i guess. i've finished my first semester exams, which means i'm officially halfway through my degree. scary! hope to see you soon, flickr.
www.khyber.org/places/2005/ZhobDistrict.shtml
Elevation: 7,500-10,000 feet
Area: 20,297 Sq Km
Zhob means oozing water, a reference perhaps to the spring which constitutes the source of Zhob River. Karez water can be seen everywhere when there is no drought situation. The Zhob district is located in the Balochistan Province in the north east of Pakistan. It lies close to the Afghanistan border. Zhob town is just east of Zhob river on an open plain. To the north is a ridge, about 150 ft high, on which is a castle from the time when the British colonized the area. In the winter, the weather is cold and the snow is normal. In the summer, although the temperature can get up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, there is little moisture, so it is not uncomfortable.
Zhob is a picturesque valley known for its beautiful mountains, treks and archeological sites. It starts from the Muslim Bagh (7500 feet) and ends at the Afghan border at Fort Sandeman (10000 feet). It expands to beautiful, breathtaking views throughout the valley. With an abundance of fruit orchards there is one dangerous little thing found amongst them, and that is the scorpion. In the month of April the flowers bloom and you'll be able to see an extraordinary site with flowers and snow together.
History:
The tribes inhabiting the area are indigenous to the land. Zhob is the cradle of the Afghan race. Qais Abdul Rashid, who is believed to be one of the progenitors of the Pashtoons or Afghans, lived in the Suleiman mountains near Zhob. He was born in 575 AD and died in 661 AD. Natives call the place where he is buried "Da Kase Ghar" (the mountain of Qais). He is buried near the Takht-e-Suleiman. The Chinese pilgrim Hiven Tsiang who visited India in 629 AD, described the Afghans as living in Zhob.
The inhabitants of Zhob valley gave tough resistance to Mehmood Ghazni, when he initiated his raids on India. Later, however they joined ranks with him. Subsequently the area came under the rule of Nadir Shah from 1736 to 1747 and later Ahmed Shah Abdali from 1747 to 1773. Zhob remained under the rule of Durranis and Barakzais till British captured it. Preceding this event was a period of fifty years of anarchy when Zhob was dubbed as 'Yaghistan" or the land of the rebels. A number of areas now in Zhob, Killa Saifullah, and Pishin districts were ceded to British India after signing of Durand Treaty in 1893. They soon became a district
Sir Robert Sandeman, the first Agent to the governor General in Balochistan occupied Zhob in 1889 extending his forward policy to the region with the subjugation of the tribes inhabiting the Suleman range and occupation and control of numerous passes through it to the south. He also secured the great Gomal pass and the carvanic routes to Ghazani and Kandhar. Captain Mac Ivor had been appointed the first political agent in Zhob with formation as the Political Agency in 1890. Zhob district is the second oldest existing district of Balochistan, after Quetta.
Zhob was formed as a Political Ageny under the British rule in 1890. The district and its town acquired the name of Zhob in 1975. Previously, it was known as Fort Sandeman after Sir Robert Sandeman; who was then Political Agent to the Governor General in Balochistan. It was Sir Robert Sandeman who extended British Rule into this region. The name was changed on July 30 1976 by the then Prime Minister of Pakistan; Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. The hand written remarks inserted by him into the visitors book; preserved at the Zhob Militia Mess, says "Today we have taken a decision to eliminate the last vestige of colonialism in this historical place by changing the name to Zhob instead of Sandeman; the British conqueror and oppressor of Pathan and Baloch people and of the country." Traditionally, Fort Sandeman was called Appozai, named after a village situated two kilometres away.
Geography:
The district lies between 30 30 to 32 05 north latitudes and 67 26 to 70 00 east longitudes. It is bounded on the north by Afghanistan and South Waziristan agency of FATA, on the east by the tribal area adjoining Dera Ismail Khan district of NWFP and Musakhel district, on the south and south-west by Loralai and Killa Saifullah districts. Total area of district is 20297 square kilometers.
The district has an important geo-strategic location. It links Afghanistan, South Waziristan Agency, D.I.Khan district, Killa Saifullah, Loralai, and MusaKhel.
Topographically, the district is covered with mountains and hills intersected by the broad valley of Zhob and its tributaries. The Toba Kakar range covers the western half of the district extending from the boundary of Afghanistan up to the Zhob River. The Suleman range locally called as the Kasi Ghar lies on the eastern boundary of the district. The famous Takht-e-Sulaiman or Solomon's Throne is the highest peak of this range. It is about 3441 meters above sea level and located just outside the boundary. The Sindh Ghar, Tor Ghar and Sur Ghar ranges are also situated in the eastern side of the district. The two mountainous regions are of different character. The great part of the district, beyond the left bank of the Zhob, consists almost entirely beyond the district boundary. The general elevation of the district is 1500 to 3000 meters (7,500-10,000 feet)
On the south of Zhob valley, a succession of parallel ridges running from north-east to south-west divide the drainage of the Zhob from that of the Bori valley in the Loralai district.
RIVERS AND STREAMS
The two principal drainage channels of the district are the Zhob and the Kundar Rivers, both flow into the Gomal River. The Zhob river has a total length of about 410 kilometres. Zhob River is the only river in the country that follows a north eastern course. It springs from the Kan Metarzai range (Tsari Mehtarazai Pass), passes about 4 kilometre from Zhob city and finally flows into the Gomal river near Khajuri Kach. The broad plain of the Zhob River is occupied by the alluvial formation. The Kundar River rises from the central and highest point of the Toba Kakar range, a few kilometers northeast of the Sakir. It constitutes boundary between Pakistan and Afghanistan territory for a considerable length.
The other subsidiary rivers or streams are the Baskan, Chukhan, Sri Toi, Sawar, Surab, etc.
CLIMATE
The climate of the district is hot and dry in summer and cold in winter. June is the hottest month with mean maximum and minimum temperature of about 37C and 23C respectively. January is the coldest month with mean maximum and minimum temperature of about 13C and -1C degree respectively. The dust storms occur in summer from July to September accompanied by thunderstorms. In winters the wind blows from the west and is very cold. The winds from the Southwest and east are also common, the later invariably brings rain. The wind from the north occasionally blows during September to April bring drought and damage standing crops. Rainfall is scanty and varies with the altitude. Most of the rainfall is received during winter seasons.
Flora & Fauna:
Principal trees and plants found in Zhob district are wild olive (shinay), pistachio, chilgoza or edible pine and wild almond in ghigh lands. Other trees include willow, tamarisk (along the beds of streams) pastawana (grewia oppositifolio) and spalnai (calotropis gigantea).
Wild animals are wolves, jackals, hyenas, foxes, deer, and porcupines. Leopards and black bear are occasionally found in the high hills in Suleman range. Wild pigs are seen along Zhob river while straight horned markhors, wild goats, are present in moderate numbers in Shinghar mountains. Among the game bird chakor, partridge and pigeon are numerous i n higher altitudes, Sand grouse, quails, and bustard are found in plains. Other birds are doves, hoopoe, starlings and vegetals, Jay black birds, wood pigeons, cuckoos and thrush live in high ranges while wild duck and pelican are seen along the Zhob river in winter. Snake and scorpion are common every where in Zhob. Fish (Mahsir) are found in every running stream and in Zhob river some of which weigh up to 8 pounds.
Agriculture
Most part the area is hilly and barren with every limited water resources for agriculture purposes. However, during recent years tube wells have become quite abundant with the result that agricultural activity has registered a rise and a total of 36170 acre of land is under cultivation in the district. Sowing and harvesting are still largely carried out in traditional manner but the use of agricultural machinery is increasing day by day. However, there is very little scope for a radical increase in the area under cultivation as the area is mostly "Barani". There are two cropping seasons, Kharif and Rabi. Rabi crops are sown between October and mid February and harvested in June. Kharif crops are sown from April to July and harvested by the end of October.
Forestry
The district has big potential for social and natural forestry and vegetation cover in the district is quite extensive. There are two forest reserves in the district. The total area under forest cover (including social forest) is around 10,010 hectares. Commercial forestry in the district is for the production of pine nut and timber. The pine- nut forests are very profitable. Commercial forestry or cutting of timber for commercial purposes exists in Sherani sub-division.
Horticulture
Grapes are grown in abundance on the foothills of the mountains. Other is almond, apricot and apple.
Livestock
Livestock raising is an important source of livelihood for the rural population and this has a great potential. There are four veterinary hospitals in the district, with 57 veterinary dispensaries. There is also one Artificial Insemination Center (A.I) and one Disease Investigation Laboratory (D.I.L).
Irrigation
Only 16,206 acres of land is irrigated throughout the district. Majority of the area in the district is irrigated by springs. The following forms of irrigation are found in the district:
•Perennial Irrigation Schemes - 35
•Flood Irrigation Schemes - 10
•Delay Action Dam/Storage Dam - 5
•Flood Protection Schemes - 6
Political Parties in Zhob
Two political parties play an active role in the district. They are Jamiat-e-Ullemah Islam (JUI) and Pakhtoon Milli Awami Party (PKMAP). However, the JUI is a stronger political group than the PKMAP. It is more disciplined and organised on ideological grounds. Since its establishment in 1947, the Pakistan Muslim League received only little support in Zhob district. However, since 1988, support for the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has increased, after its candidate Jaffar Khan Mandokhel started winning election. Still he is supported for tribal (Mandokhel) than for party-political reasons.
There are two Senators from the Zhob district, Zariff Khan Mandokhel and Subedar Khan Mandokhel; both are members of the PML-Nawaz. Previously there was another Senator, Rahim Khan Mandokhel from PKMAP, but he resigned after his election to the Provincial Assembly.
Trade & Industries
Trade and trading activity in the district is largely in the informal sector because of proximity with Afghanistan. Regular formal trade is relatively limited and mostly confined to consumable items.
Apart from two flourmills located in Zhob town, no industry worth the name exist in the district.
Communication:
Zhob is linked by air with major cities of the country. A fokker flight operate from Quetta linking Zhob with Multan, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar and Islamabad. Zhob is 320kilometers from Quetta, 225 kilometer from Dera Ismail Khan. However, the road linking with Dera Ismail Khan is for most part a dirt track passing through water streams and only 48 kilometers is metalloid.
The poor condition of the road acts as a deterrent for an increase in inter-provincial transportation and commercial exploitation of the route. The narrow railway linking Quetta with Zhob became moribund in 1984 and the service is no longer available. While it functioned, the railway was a romantic reminder of yesteryears highest railway-station of the country, enroute namely Kan Mehtarzai (altitude 2800 meters). The total length of the track of the track was 295 kilometers with 11 railway stations on the way.
A radio station is functioning at Zhob, broadcast from which are widely listened to in the district to in the district. In the urban television sets are common. The signal is transmitted from the booster located at Loralai. The use of dish antennas is also growing.
Zhob is linked through the Nation Wide Dialing system to the country and other telecommunication facilities such fax and telegraph are also available.
Postal service in Zhob is based on departmental arrangements. There are three departmental post offices at Zhob City, Zhob GPO and Qamardin Karez respectively. There are nine extra-departmental branches one each at Killi Appozai, Killi Ibrahim Khel, Kili Gohar Appozai, Killi Lowara, Mani Kwa, Mir Ali Khel, Sambaza, Shinghar and Sharan Jogezai.
Ethnicity and Tribes
The district is inhabited by Mandokhels, Kakars, Sheranis, Haripals, Babars, Lawoons, Khosty and Syeds. Sulemankhels, Nasars, Kharots, and other tribes of Afghan origin are also present.
RELIGION
The population of the district is almost Muslim. They constitute 99.43 percent of the total population, with a breakup of 99.67 percent in rural and 98.15 percent in urban areas.The absolute majority of the muslims living in Zhob district belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam. A very small number of Shia people lives in the district. There are Syeds living in the district but they belong to Sunni sect as well. There is no "Imam Bara" found in the district. The two major festivals are Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Azha. They are occasions of great jubilation and joy. Other festivals are "Eid-Miladuld Nabi, and Sab-e-Barat". During these festivals alms are given to the poor and relatives give each other presents.
The population of Zhob district are religiously very conservative and strict. There is large attendance in mosques, routine prayers, and religious observance. The performing of "Hajj" (pilgrimage to Mecca) is common. Also poor people have performed Hajj. During the Ramzan, the observance of fasting is generally very strict.
The role of the "Mullah" (religious leader) is very important in the performance of rituals. The role of Mullahs is still strong in rural areas where literacy is low. A Mullah is respected for being the leader in prayers, profound knowledge of the Quran and performing rituals. Sick persons visit him to be healed.
There are very few Christians, Hindu, Qadiani/Ahmadi, Scheduled Caste and other communities which are only 0.58 percent of the total population. The district used to have a huge Hindu population, but since partition of the sub-continent most of them have migrated. The Hindu population left behind is not seen celebrating "Diwali" and "Holi".
MOTHER TONGUE
The predominant mother tongue of the population of the district is Pushto which is spoken by 96.82 percent of the total population followed by Saraki at 1.27 percent. The proportion of the population speaking Pushto is higher in rural areas at 99.65 percent as compared to 81.93 percent in urban areas. In contrast the proportion of Saraiki is higher in urban areas at 7.71 percent in comparison to that in rural areas at 0.05 percent. The proportion of the population speaking Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi and others is 1.91 percent.
Culture & Traditions:
The dominating life style is still nomadic. Scattered mud huts exist for seasonal habitation; summer is spent in highlands and winter in lower plains for feeding cattle in tribal reserved pastures. The people are deeply religious and their lives are marked by strict adherence to tribal norms and values.There are two major channels for conflict resolution in the district: namely the traditional/tribal and the government/ institutional. The traditional/tribal channel however has proved more effective than the latter. In the past jirga system operated in the region which was the traditional system where by tribal elders sat together to settle disputes and mete out justice to offenders. The system stands annulled by a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1991. The government however, still forms informal jirgas (comprising of notables from the tribes) for conflict resolution, as they have proven to be very effective.
A high order of social cooperation exists among the people both on occasions of happiness and sorrow. In case of death of a relative neighbor or friend, food is supplied to the deceased's household for two to three days.
Majority of the people living in Zhob district belongs to the Sunni sect of Islam with a marginal number of people belonging to the Shia sect of Islam.
There are two major channels for conflict resolution in the district namely the traditional/tribal and the government/institutional. The traditional /tribal channel however, has proved more effective than the latter. In the past the jirga system operate in the region which was proved more effective than the latter. In the Past the Jirga system operated in the region which was the traditional system where by tribal elders sat together to settle disputes and mete out justice to offenders. The system stands annulled by a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1991. The Government however, still forms informal jirgas (comprising notable's etc) for conflict resolution, as they have proven to be very effective.
Food
Majority of the people have two meals daily, one in the morning and other at sunset. Only well-to-do families have a third meal. An average meal consists of nan, locally called "marai" with pulses, vegetables/meat broth and butter milk (lassi). Consumption of landhi, or dried meat is common during winters. Sheep are specially fattened so that they may be more suitible for preparing "landhi"
Dress And Ornaments
The majority of the male population wears shalwar kameez and a turban to cover their heads both in summer and in winter with a chadder (piece of cloth) slung across the shoulders. The women wear a wrapper and a long shirt reaching to the knees. Women belonging to the middle and upper classes dress in the manner of other urban women in the province and also wear gold ornaments.
Marriages in Zhob
The marriage system is more or less the same for all tribes living in the district. Marriage is regarded as an important institution. The age for a man to marry is from 20 to 25 years. Women are 13 to 18 years old when they marry. The majority of marriages is pre-arranged and the bride and groom often come from the same family. Marriages within the family with first or second (paternal/maternal) cousins are common. The marriage is settled by the families of the bride and bride-groom. Compared to women, men have a bigger say in the selection of their brides than women have in the selection of their future husbands. Yet the mutual families play the biggest role. Polygamy is practised. A large number of men has two wives. Hardly any man has three or four wives. When the husband dies, the wife has little chance of remarrying. When the wife dies, the husband easily marries again, no matter how many children he has. Through a girl is valuable asset in an Afghanistan family by virtue of the bride price that she fetches yet no joy attends her birth while the birth of a baby boy is celebrated in a joyous manner with the offering of shots in the air.
The system of vulvar (bride-price) is widely practised in the district. Money is paid by the groom for a proposal to the guardians/parents of the girl. The amount varies from case to case. In case of close family marriages, the amount may be smaller or waived completely. The payment of vulvar is imputed at the time a proposal of marriage is made. There are no fixed rules about the amount of vulvar. The amount of vulvar may be paid by the bridegroom, his parents/guardians or relatives. The demanded price is usually raised when a proposal is repeated to the bride's side or when the one proposed to is very beautiful; or when the man proposing is very rich and already married.
The centuries old system of exchanging girls for marriage is commonly practised. It is called "tsarai". The system is strongly practised in semi-nomadic and the lower classes of society. In tsarai, a girl is married to a man in exchange for a bride for her brother. The system brings down marriage expenses as no vulvar has to be paid. Under the system girls are left with no choice. They are not asked for their consent. After their daughters are married, parents become almost indifferent towards their future welfare. The newly wedded wives remain at the mercy of their husband and in-laws. It is observed that under an exchange system of marriages, retaliation may be shown by the husband's side against his wife in case his sister is not happy with his wife's brother. A second marriage on the side may result in marriage break-up or ill treatment of the wife.
The major expenses involved in marriages, other than vulvar, are the arrangement of the wedding and the purchase of jewellery and dresses. Gifts are given by relatives and friends to bride and bride-groom. The bride is wearing a typical red bridal dress designed for the occasion, with her hands and feet dyed red with henna. In Zhob district, where society is close, a man marrying outside the family under an arranged marriage is not allowed to see his bride before the wedding night. Marriage proposals, vulvar arrangements are verbal agreements. Though nothing is on paper, they are respected by and large.
A marriage is regarded as a way to strengthen tribal or family relations. Marriages can be used to settle tribal or family disputes. Refusal of a marriage if proposed may result in the weakening of a family relationship. However, the spread of education and literacy are mitigating this kind of considerations. The educated class of Zhob society is less rigid in the following of traditional rules, though they are not totally free from them.
Role of Women Zhob
The entire society of Zhob district is male and tribally dominated. Men decide on politics and the fate of the family and tribe. Therefore, they assume a predominant role in both the community and family decision making. The rate of literacy amongst women is very low. Because of illiteracy and unawareness, women enjoy fewer civil amenities and fundamental rights. Human rights of women are frequently violated without any report.
Politically women are without any say. The women's seats of the Union Councils are filled, but they do not participate in meetings. Female participation in elections has increased since 1985. Previously, women were discouraged to vote.
Women play a minor role in decision-making, but they play an important role in the household and agricultural affairs of the district. Though a woman shares the economic burden of the family as she contributes to the household and productive work outside the house in fields, nonetheless, her household work is not considered an economic contribution, and seldom credit is given to her by husband or elders for her significant contribution to the family and society.
In rural areas, women are commonly observed to be involved in looking after horses, camels and sheep, assisting in cultivation and doing traditional embroidery work. Society constrains them to remain illiterate and to endure problems related to polygamy, vulvar and a generally low social status. In case of polygamy, the first wife's opinion is not considered when a man wants to marry a second wife. A change in the women's status is observed in areas with more female literacy. Educated women have more influence in decision making and have more authority. Interest in female education is rising, but there are not enough schools.
Cases of Siakari, or adultery, are very rarely reported. Because of the tribalism and Pashtoon code of honour, such an incident if happens is not reported. A number of females found suspected of having illegal relationship are believed to have been put to death (by shooting or beheading) without being reported officially. The man she was involved with may be killed as well. The discussion of the act is regarded as taboo.
Arms in Zhob
The population possess a large number of weapons. According to the Political Agent office report, both traditional and advanced weapons have been used in different situations. They include traditional rifles and 12-bore shot-guns, and advanced weapons. The use of rocket launchers and mortar gun has been reported as well.
In the tribal "B" area, the role of the police is limited. It is easy to obtain a licence for small arms, but there are many unlicensed arms in the district, particularly amongst tribes living close to the borders where many arms are smuggled in from Afghanistan. The frontier towns are believed to have stored arms and ammunition for supply into Pakistan during the Afghan revolution (1979 to 1994). The frontier town Kamardin Karez, at a distance of 224 kilometres from Zhob, had a famous arms market where one could buy a variety of arms including rocket launchers.
Housing in Zhob
Houses in the district are mostly solid buildings of stone-blocks and mud. In both urban and rural areas, the use of the stone is very frequent in the construction of houses. They are coated with thick mud. Well-off people coat their houses with cement or concrete. The use of clay bricks and baked bricks is common in the construction of houses in Zhob city and some other areas. The use of clay bricks is common for roofs, boundary walls and barns. The majority of the houses has roofs made of tin or iron, which are curved because of the snow fall in winter. The construction of double storey buildings is uncommon. There are a few in Zhob city. In rural areas a courtyard may enclose a number of the houses, both for reasons of safety and social affinity.
The housing characteristics are more or less similar all over the district. The houses are knit together in villages which may comprise few or many houses. Seventy-five percent of the houses in rural areas are without latrine and bath-room. Eighty-five percent of all houses in the district is without proper drainage, human waste disposal arrangements and sewerage system. However, because of the mountains and hills, the absence of drainage does not cause sewerage problems.
Eighty percent of the houses in the district are owned. The ratio of rented houses other than in Zhob city is 5 to 8 percent. The rest of the houses is let to tenants. The ratio of rented houses in the district is higher in Zhob city. In Zhob city, the ratio of rented houses is 35 to 40 percent, because of the large number of army, FC, and government officers.
In Zhob city and the surrounding area there are buildings constructed during the British period. In Zhob city the British built a huge airforce/military garrison, the Zhob Militia Mess and residences for Political Agent and Assistant Political Agents. Most of them were built during the period 1893 to 1910. Buildings which are important from an historical point of view are the Political Agent's Official residence known as "The Castle" and the Zhob Militia Mess the centennial of which was celebrated in 1989. All VIPs to Zhob can, if desired, stay overnight in one of these two buildings. There are a number of officers' bungalows, now under the occupation of army officers, situated on the VIP lane which are 80 to 100 years old. The APA house is also very old and nowadays accommodates the Assistant Commissioner.
At Shinghar, at a distance of 82 km from Zhob, at the height of 2850 metres above sea level, are a number of huts which were used by British officers. The place was the summer camp for the British Political Agent, the Assistant Political Agent, the Commandant Zhob militia, and other few officers. Arrangements were made for the pumping of water and transportation. The site is now abandoned because the present Pakistani district administrators do not seem to show the least of interest in the place. It appears a ghost town where occasionally people go for an adventurous over-night stay or a picnic.
A number of forts exist in the surrounding of the district which were built by the British for the deployment of militia troops. Some of them are abandoned and have collapsed. Others are in use by the Frontier Corps and Levy. The important ones are at Mir Ali Khel, Dana Sher and Mughalkot. There is one in Qamardin Kariz under the use of FC.
Construction Material Used in Housing:
As mentioned earlier, the houses in the district are made of stone, clay and baked bricks with thick clay or mud topping and iron or steel roofing. Doors, windows and ventilators are made of wood. Iron grills are rare. Most houses have a room with a ventilator. The use of cement is not common. It is mostly found in case of government buildings and upper class people housing. There are a number of houses which are over 100 years old. The height of the houses is usually not more than 3 metres.
Sources of Energy
Twenty-five percent of the area of the district is electrified. Gas is not available in the district except in cylinders by those who can afford buying them. For industrial and mechanical/agricultural purpose, the use of electricity is the only source. For the purpose of cooking and heating electricity, dung-cake and wood are used. The use of coal for heating is less common after the railway service was abandoned. In winter time, the rural population has difficulty finding sources of energy for heating. Therefore, they start storing wood in summer.
Drinking Water and Sanitation
The major source of drinking water in the district is spring water. The drinking water in urban area of Zhob is supplied through gravity source by storage tanks. There are six reservoirs with each 120,000 gallon capacity. There is no regular sanitation system except in Zhob city which is however not properly maintained. As mentioned, because of the hilly slop and lack of mud, the rain water is soon absorbed.
Places to See:
Zhob Town
Zhob situated at a distance of 320 kilometers from Quetta was previously called Fort Sandeman. It still contains relics that harkens back to its grand past, one is the Zhob Militia mess and the other is the officials residence of Political Agent, Zhob known as the "castle". The British cemetery at Zhob, which was another reminder of the "Raj", has been vandalized and lies in ruins.
Muslim Bagh
Muslim Bagh is the center of Chromate Mines and is located 96 kilometers north east of Quetta. Coming to Muslim Bagh and not visiting the chromate mines is a waste of a tour. The Muslim Bagh is known as an Oasis of Orchards. Yet another place to see in Muslim Bagh is Asia's highest Railway Station Kanmehtarzai Pass, which is on the road that connects Fort Sandeman with Bostan.
Qilla Saifullah
Qila Saifullah is the seat of the famous Jogezai family located on the ancient Carvan routes. It is famous for its Apples, Pistachio Nuts, and some beautiful scenery spots. Its community is known to be the earliest agricultural community in the Indo-Pak Subcontinent, which flourished at the beginning of 3000 BC. The climate here is heavy, but enthrallingly seductive for adventure travellers!
Fort Sandeman
Fort Sandeman is at the Afghan-Pakistan border and is sorrounded with beautiful scenery. Sheen Ghar (Green Mountain) at this height is covered with Pine forests and is the best area in the valley to shoot Chakor.
Shrines
There are two well-known shrines in the district. They are of Hazrat Nazar Nika at six km from Zhob and Hazrat Khostoo Baba 100 km from Zhob in the direction of Waziristan. Two other shrines are Zakoo Nika near Zhob and Palwand Baba in the Mughalkot area. Visits to shrines is not common in Zhob. There are no shrines in the district where regular "urs" (annual celebrations) are observed.
The tomb of Qais Rashid on the top of Suleiman mountain is also a place to visit. However, as the mountain is steep and high, visits are difficult to make. People who reach the top take goats for sacrifice for the fulfilment of their desires and for the sake of the saint.
Historical And Archeological Sites
A number of mounds, ruins, and caves dot the expanse of the district, which have historical and archeological importance. The general consensus among most experts is that they belong to the Mughal period.
The region is rife with many legends. One legend relates that on their way back to Palestine, Prophet Suleman was requested by his newly wed Indian bride who was a princess that she be allowed to take a last look at her ancestral land India and Soloman Landed his "takht" or flying throne on the mountains.
Paryano Ghundi
Paryan-o-Ghundi, which means a hill of fairies, is at two miles distance to the west of Zhob town. It was excavated by Sir Aural Syien in 1924. It was visited in 1950 by Fair resemblance with that found in Harapa. Unfortunately, the mound has been completely destroyed by the local people.
Rana Ghundi
Rana Ghundi is an archeological site having mounds from which remains of a culture have been found with affinities spread to the Hisar culture of North East Iran dating back to 3500 BC. Red Pottery has also been found, which is estimated to belong to a period earlier than the Indus valley civilization.
Occupations
Animal husbandry, small-scale farming and Government service are the major occupations. The Mandokkhels are an enterprising lot who dominate the realm of Government contractor-ship in Balochistan and as far away as Karachi and Islamabad, while numerous members of the Shirani tribe are serving in the Gulf countries, mostly as laborers.
Population Size and Growth
The population of Zhob district is 275.14 thousands in 1998 as compared to 213.29 thousands in 1981 recording an increase of 29.00 percent over the last 17 years i.e. 1981-98. The increase of 113.50 and 99.36 percent was observed during intercensal period 1972-81 (8.46 years) and 1961-72 (11.67 years) respectively. Overall the population of the district has increased rapidly showing substantial increase of 449.07 percent during the last 37 years i.e. 1961-98 which is five and a half times.
The total are of the district is 20297 square kilometers having population density 13.6 persons per square per square kilometer in March 1998.
Rural/Urban Distribution
The rural population of the district is 231.30 thousands constituting 84.07 percent of the total population. The average annual growth rate of rural population during 1981-98 is 1.44 percent which was 9.74 and 5.96 percents during 1972-81 and 1961-72 respectively. The urban population of the district is 43.84 thousands constituting 15.93 percent of the total population. The average annual growth rate of the urban population during 1981-98 is 1.88 percent which was 7.52 and 6.76 percent during 1972-81 and 1961-72 respectively
Literacy
A person was treated as literate in the 1998 census if he could read a newspaper and write a simple letter in any language. The literacy ration of the district among the population aged 10 years and above is 16.78 percent, 47.84 percent for urban areas, and 10.40 percent for rural areas.The literacy ratio of the district among the population aged 10 years and above is 16.78 percent, 47.84 percent is urban areas and 10.40 percent in rural areas. The male literacy ratio is 24.53 percent compared to 6.90 percent for female.
Education Attainment
During the 1990s, the enrollment of children in schools nearly doubled in the Zhob district. For boys, it went from 15136 in 1993 to 21841 in 1997. For girls, it more than doubled, from 3046 in 1993 to 6789 in 1997. A large variation exists in the ratio of educated persons by sex and area. The percentage of educated males is 23.72 percent and of females, 6.33 percent. It is 47.65 percent for urban areas as against 9.58 for rural areas.
Immunization
53.34 percent of the children under 10 years of age have been reported as vaccinated, while 21.01 percent have been reported as not vaccinated, leaving the rest 25.65 as not known.
Zhob in Comparison to Rest of Balochistan
The main objective of the series of District Profiles is to provide information on a wide range of sectors and subjects for each of the 26 districts in Balochistan. The result however creates the possibility to compare the districts among themselves and to compare the situation in each of them with the situation in Balochistan as a whole. To introduce this perspective, 32 indicators have been selected on which this comparison can take place. These indicators, and others, can be found on the following two pages. Each district can be ranked on each of the indicators. The relative position of Zhob district is reflected in the diagram on the third page. The diagram gives a bottom-up ranking: position nr.1 means the lowest score on that particular indicator, while position nr.26 implies the highest score.
An overall ranking of districts is not given, because that would mean attaching as certain weight to each of the indicators.
As far as Zhob district is concerned, the following observations can be made.
•With its 16,520 square kilometer, Zhob is about 3,000 square kilometer bigger than the average size of districts in Balochistan; the size of the area gives the district position nr.20, while the population (projected to be 344,122) puts it one position lower. The density of population is the same as the density for the whole of the province.
•The quantity of fruit production is comparatively high (fifth highest in the province), while the overall agricultural production puts the district in the middle category. The agricultural production value per hectare is the third highest, which might indicate a reasonably favourable productivity.
•Zhob district scores relatively high as far as the number of livestock units is concerned; it takes however a fairly low position in the ranking on pasture area and available pasture area per livestock unit. This would suggest that expansion of the livestock sector is only feasible through more intensive methods of production. The current value of livestock off-take per capita puts the district in the upper half of the ranking.
•The enrolment figures in primary education for both boys and girls belong to the middle category (position nr.13 and 10 respectively); while the pupils/teacher ratio is on the high side compared to the other districts (position nr.21 for boys and nr.17 for girls).
•All of the four health indicators fall in the middle category of rankings with the lowest score for the population per doctor ratio (position nr.9), although the number of population per bed is nearly twice the average in the province as a whole.
•Although exact figures on the coverage of water supply are not available, the impression is that also on this indicator the district takes a position in the middle.
•The density of metalled roads (length of road per square kilometer) is about 50% higher than the average in the province and gives Zhob district position nr.16. The situation with regard to shingle roads is less favourable: position nr.9 and a density which is 20% lower than the provincial average.
About 50% of India's women are illiterate. What that means is that for everyday tasks like filling forms, operating bank accounts, and even communicating with loved ones through letters they need to take help from someone. The traditional letter-writer hence continues to be a fixture on the Indian landscape. Almost all letter-writers are men, and they generally sit with their type-writers and letter pads in front of post-offices and type forms or write the personal correspondence for people who are illiterate. Here a woman is explaining what she wants written in her letter which the letter-writer writes out by hand.
This photo is in the Getty Images gallery. To license please contact them here
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baloch_people
The Baloch or Baluch (بلوچ) are an ethnic group that belong to the larger Iranian peoples. Baluch people mainly inhabit the Baluchestan region and Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the southeast corner of the Iranian plateau in Western Asia.
The Baloch people mainly speak Balochi, which is a branch of the Iranian languages, and more specifically of the North-western Iranian languages, that is highly influenced by that of Mesopotamia and shares similarities with Kurdish and other languages of the region. It also contains archaic features reminiscent of Old Persian and Avestan.[8] They inhabit mountainous terrains and deserts, and maintain a very distinct cultural identity.
About 60 percent of the Baloch live in Balochistan, a western province in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.[9] Around 25 percent inhabit the eastern province of Sistan and Baluchestan Province in the Islamic Republic of Iran; a significant number of Baloch people also live in Sindh and South Punjab in Pakistan. Many of the rest live in Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and in some parts of Africa. Small communities of Baluch people also live in Europe (particularly Sweden) and in Perth, Australia, where they arrived in the 19th century.
Origins and history
Superimposed on modern borders, the Achaemenid Empire under Cyrus's rule extended approximately from Turkey, Israel, Georgia and Arabia in the west to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the Indus River and Oman in the east. Persia became the largest empire the world had ever seen.
In 334 BC, the Achaemenid empire fell from its western borders following Alexander's conquest. The last 30-day stand by Achaemenid forces was made at the Battle of the Persian Gate, around 825 kilometers from present-day Sistan va Baluchestan.[10]
This also includes the harsh desert path where previously Cyrus the Great and Semiramis are thought to have lost large portions of their army. These stories are thought to have inspired Alexander to do better than Cyrus and Semiramis.[11] Later Ferdowsi in his book "Shahnameh" Chapter 11 also mentions this desert path and tells the story of army of Kai Khosrow that decided to avoid the desert and instead took the road that leads toward Kelat for rest and refreshment where Kai Khosrow's brother Firoud had been the ruler.[12]
Today the economy of Makrani Baluch is largely based on use of the oceans; practices like designing boats and fishing are traditional to the Baluch. The ancient Mesopotamian text "Adapa and the Food of Life" mentions Adapa (a wise man and a priest) and fishing in the Persian Gulf as one of his sacred duties.[13]
The Baluch people of today are descendants of ancient Median and Persian tribes. Historical references of ancient Persia have made it possible to arrive at this conclusion. Maka is mentioned by Greek historian Herodotus as one of the early satraps of Cyrus the Great, who successfully united several ancient Iranian tribes to create an empire.[14][15] In the Behistun Inscription, Darius the Great mentions Maka as one of his eastern territories.[16] Darius is recorded to have personally led his elite forces, whose ranks were restricted to those with Persian, Mede or Elamite ancestry, to fight the invading Scythians of Asia[17] and then led the conquest towards the Indian sub-continent,[18][19][20] where he conquered Sindh in 519 BC, constituted it as his 20th Satrapy, and made use of the oceans there.[21][22] Darius wanted to know more about Asia, according to Herodotus; he also wished to know where the "Indus (which is the only river save one that produces crocodiles) emptied itself into the sea".[23] The present region of Makran, which is inhabited by Baluch people, derived its name from the word "Maka". The Babylonians had also made voyages using Maka to communicate with India.[24] Maka had also communicated with Euphrates, Tigris and Indus valley, objects from the Harappan culture have also been found in modern-day Oman, other archaeology suggest that Maka was exporting copper. Herodotus mentions the inhabitants of Maka as "Mykians" who were also previously involved in several conquests with Cyrus the Great and after the conquest of Egypt with Cambyses,[25] they went to Sindh in command of Darius I, and also took in army of Xerxes the great at the battle of Thermopylae, where they were dressed and equipped the same as Pactyans, Utians and Paricanians, the tribes adjacent to the Mykians. The word Maka later became Makran as it is common in closely related ancient Avestan and Old Persian languages to use "an" and "ran" at the end of plurals,[26] which then translates as "the land of Mykians". They are mentioned as "the men from Maka" in daeva inscriptions. The "daeva inscription" is one of the most important of all Achaemenid inscriptions; in the Baluchi language, dêw translates as "giant devil or monster". Mykians were also responsible for many inventions, such as qanats and underground drainage galleries that brought water from aquifers on the piedmont to gardens or palm groves on the plains. These inventions were important reasons behind the success of the Achaemenid Empire and survival of Mykians in their largely harsh natural environment. Other inscriptions also record that gold, silver, lapis lazuli, turquise, cornalin, cedar wood, wood and the decoration for the relief at Susa were from Maka.[27] The Mykians of the other side of ancient Maka, the present-day region of Balochistan and Sindh had later taken independence because they are not mentioned in the book written by Arrian of Nicomedia about campaigns of Alexander the Great but he only mentions the Oman side of Maka which he calls "Maketa". The reasons for this may have been the arguably unjust rule of Xerxes.[28][28][29] It is highly likely that the ancient Mykians were one of the Median or Persian tribes and an important part of Achaemenid empire, as they are not mentioned as one of the ancient Iranian tribes that Cyrus the Great and Darius I had fought with. Cyrus himself was of both Persian and Median ancestry as his father was Cambyses I, who is believed to have married Mandane of Media, the daughter of Astyages, a Median king.[30]
Historical evidence suggests that Baluch people were the ancient inhabitants of the Maka satrapy in Achaemenid empire. Baluch inhabiting the coastal areas in the region of Makran (Chabahar, Gwadar), Gulf (Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain) and Arabian Sea (Karachi and other parts of Sindh) and tribes including the Rind, Bizenjo, Brahvi and Gabol are highly skilled in designing boats, fishing and other skills required to survive in their environment. Herodotus also mentions that Darius had made use of the ocean in this region of Sindh. The Slemani Baloch who inhabit the region of Baluchistan including Makran—for example, tribes including the Brahvi, Marri, Bugti, Buzdar, Mazari, Mengal, Rind, Bizenjo, Hasni, Zehri, Dehwar and others—carry different skills to survive in their mostly mountainous environment and have a history of aggressive behavior towards invasions. These tribes are not confined to one specific location as they also contain sub-tribes and can be found all over the region.
The origins of the word "Baluch" are shrouded in controversy. According to German archaeologist and Iranologist Ernst Herzfeld, it is derived from the Median word brza-vaciya, which means "loud cry", while others claim the word derives from ancient Iranian languages.
Baluchi culture
The origins of Baluchi culture and traditions can be traced back to Mesopotamia, which is widely accepted as the origin of the Baluch people.
However, due to poverty and fear of radical Islamic organizations, cultural fashion has become very limited. Radical Islamic organizations have repeatedly targeted Baluch people, including bombing Baluchi cultural celebrations.
Baluchi customs and traditions are conducted according to codes imposed by tribal laws. These strong traditions and cultural values are important to Baluch people and have enabled them to keep their distinctive ancient cultural identity and way of life with little change to this day.
Baluchi culture is mentioned in the Pirmohamad M. Zehi's account of his travel to the province of Sakestan, or the present-day Sistan va Baluchistan province of Iran, which holds strong significance to the culture of Baluch people. Baluch people have preserved their traditional dress with little change over the centuries. The Baluch men wear long shirts with long sleeves and loose pants resembling the Achaemenid outfits of ancient Persians; the dress is occasionally accompanied by a turban or a hat on their heads. The dress worn by Baluch women is one of the most interesting aspects of Baluchi culture. They are of strong significance to the culture of Iran and hold a special place in the society. The women put on loose dress and pants with sophisticated and colorful needlework, including a large pocket at the front of the dress to hold their accessories. The upper part of the dress and sleeves are also decorated with needlework, a form of artistry that is specific to the clothing of the Baluch women. Often the dress also contains round or square pieces of glass to further enhance the presentation. They cover their hair with a scarf, called a sarig in the local dialect.[31] These customs are unique to the people of Iran and the art of this needlework on women's clothing may provide one with a picture of the freedom and high status of Baluchi women in Achaemenid era.[32] Gold ornaments such as necklaces and bracelets are an important aspect of Baluch women's traditions and among their most favored items of jewelry are dorr, heavy earrings that are fastened to the head with gold chains so that the heavy weight will not cause harm to the ears. They usually wear a gold brooch (tasni) that is made by local jewelers in different shapes and sizes and is used to fasten the two parts of the dress together over the chest. In ancient times, especially during the pre-Islamic era, it was common for Baluch women to perform dances and sing folk songs at different events. The tradition of a Baluch mother singing lullabies to her children has played an important role in the transfer of knowledge from generation to generation since ancient times. Apart from the dressing style of the Baluch, indigenous and local traditions and customs are also of great importance to the Baluch.[33]
Baluch people are culturally and traditionally regarded as secular. However, Baluch people are a minority, and growing Islamic fundamentalism in the region is seen as a threat to Baluchi culture. Other challenges include violations of basic human rights, psychological warfare, propaganda in mass media of their modern geography enabled by poverty, illiteracy and inaccessibility to information in the digital age.[34][35][36][37][38][39] According to Amnesty International, Baluch activists, politicians and student leaders are among those who have been targeted in forced disappearances, abductions, arbitrary arrests and cases of torture and other ill-treatment.[40] Islamic radical organizations such as 'Sepah-e-Shohada-e-Balochistan' and others[41] claims responsibility for killing Baluch nationalists in order to secure Islam and Pakistan. Bodies of missing Baluch student activists and nationalists are later found dumped with signs of severe torture. Baluch sources claim that these missing Baluch students and activists are picked up by civilian dressed officials who come with the Pakistan's security forces.[42]
Baluchi music
Folk music has always played a great role in Baluchi traditions. Baluchi music and instruments belong to the same branch of Iranian music performed by many other Iranian peoples including Persians, Kurds, Lurs, Tajiks and others. Traditions like the transfer of knowledge from generation to generation by singing lullabies to children and praising warriors also have a significant role in Baluchi music traditions. The fact that both men and women participate in folk music reflects on the pre-Islamic significance of folk music in Baluchi culture. Many years of invasions, wars and later adopted religious values have prevented Baluchi music from prevailing further in the 21st century[clarification needed]. However, a Swedish folk band, Golbang, has made progress in introducing Baluchi folk music to the Western world. The most commonly used instruments in Baluchi folk music are tanbur, long-necked lutes. Lutes have been present in Mesopotamia since the Akkadian era, or the third millennium BCE. The dohol, a large cylindrical drum with two skin heads, is the principal accompaniment for the surna, an ancient Iranian woodwind instrument that dates back to the Achaemenid Dynasty (550-330 BCE). The ney is also commonly played, using single or double flutes. The suroz, a Baluchi folk violin, is also commonly played. Other Baluchi musical instruments include the tar and the saz. Balochi music has also influenced Sindhi and Seraiki folk music.
Geographic distribution
The total population of ethnic Baloch people is estimated to be around 9 million worldwide. However, the exact number of those who are Baloch or claim to be of Baloch ancestry is difficult to determine. As of 2010, the Baloch are 4.97% of Pakistan's 177,276,594 million people.[43] They make up 2% of Afghanistan's roughly 30 million people[44] and 2% of Iran's estimated 67 million.[45]
Baluch ancestry is also claimed in the neighboring areas that adjoin Baluch majority lands. The Brahui are also considered Baloch but they speak the Brahui language. Despite very few cultural differences from the Baluch. Many Baluch outside of Balochistan are also bilingual or of mixed ancestry due to their proximity to other ethnic groups, including the Sindhis, Saraikis and Pashtuns. A large number of Baluch have been migrating to or living in provinces adjacent to Balochistan for centuries. In addition, there are many Baluch living in other parts of the world, with the bulk living in the GCC countries of the Persian Gulf. The Baluch are an important community in Oman, where they make up a sizable minority.
There is a small population of Baloch in several Western countries such as Sweden and Australia. Some Baloch settled in Australia in the 19th century; some fourth-generation Baloch still live there, mainly in the western city of Perth.
Baluch in Oman
The Baluch in Oman have maintained their ethnic and linguistic distinctions. The Southern Baloch comprise approximately 22% of the country's population. The traditional economy of Baluch in Oman is based on a combination of trade, farming and semi-nomadic shepherding.[46]
Baluchi language
The Balochi language is spoken in Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Persian Gulf Arab states, Turkmenistan, and as far as East Africa and some Western countries. It is classified as a member of the Iranian group of the Indo-European language family, which includes Kurdish, Persian, Pashto, Dari, Tajik and Ossetian. The Baluchi language has the closest similarities to Kurdish, Avestan, old Persian and other Iranian languages.
Two main dialects are spoken in Sistan va Baluchestan and Baluchestan: Eastern and Western. The exact number of Baluch speakers is difficult to know, but the estimated number could be around six million. The majority speak Western Baluchi, which is also the dialect that has been most widely used in Baluchi literature. Within the Western dialect are two further dialects, Rakhshani (spoken mainly in the northern areas) and Makkurani (in the south).[47]
The Baluch have several tribes and sub-tribes. Some of these tribes speak Brahui, while most speak Baluchi. Multilingualism is common, with many Baluch speaking both Brahui and Baluchi. The Marri tribe Domki and the Bugti tribe speak Baluchi. The Mengal tribe, who live in the Chagai, Khuzdar, Kharan districts of Balochistan and in southern parts of Afghanistan, speak Brahui. The Lango tribe, who live in central Balochistan in the Mangochar area, speak Baluchi as their first language and Brahui as their second. The Bizenjo tribe living in the Khuzdar, Nal, and parts of Makran, speak both languages, as do the Muhammadsanis. The Bangulzai tribe mostly speaks Brahui, but has a Baluchi-speaking minority (known as Garanis).
The Mazaris widely speak Baluchi or both dialects. The Malghani are part of the Nutkani tribe, which is the largest tribe in the tehsil. The Talpur, Mastoi, Jatoi, Gabol, Lashari, Chandio, Khushk, Khosa, Bozdar, Jiskani, Heesbani, Magsi, Zardari, Rind, Bhurgri, Jakhrani,MIRJAT,JAMALI and other Baluch tribes that settled in Sindh speak Sindhi, Baluchi and Saraiki. The Qaisrani Baluch living near Taunsa Sharif in the Punjab province of Pakistan speak Saraiki and Baluchi, while their clansmen living the Dera Ghazi Khan tribal areas speak Balochi. The Lund Baluch living in Shadan Lund speak Sindhi, Sairaki and Balochi. The Leghari, Lashari, Korai, and Kunara Baluch in the Dera Ismail Khan and Mianwali districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa speak Saraiki as their first language. The Tauqi Baloch in the Khara, Noshki, Chaghai and Washuk districts of Balochistan can speak both Baluchi and Brahui, but their primary language is Baluchi. The Buzdar are one of the largest tribes of Baloch in southern Punjab, living in the Koh-e-Suleman range.The Mashori are also one of the large tribe of Baloch in southern Punjab and in large area of Sindh.
Fingers Scintilla and ariel Brearly have organized a Charity Art Sale, the proceeds to benefit the Live & Learn in Kenya Program. Here is my contribution to this incredible effort.
Live and Learn in Kenya NGO is based in Selb, Germany. Live and Learn in Kenya International NGO is its "daughter" organization in Kenya and is a registered non-profit, charity organization.
Desolation, hunger and thirst, poverty beyond comprehension, illiteracy, AIDS, child prostitution, child brides - this is what rules the lives of the people - especially the children - living within the Rhonda Slums of Nakuru, Kenya. Live and Learn in Kenya is changing this - day for day - child for child.
Live and Learn in Kenya finds sponsors to finance the education of needy children, which includes everything that the child needs in order to go to school — fees, uniform, shoes, textbooks, school supplies.
We have a German-based medical/dental partner organization "Arzt- und Zahnarzthilfe Kenya" , that provides for medical and dental care — including quarterly check-ups and vaccinations.
Our feeding program is also a huge success. With our "Shared Joy" project we are able to assure nutritious warm lunches for nearly 500 children every day. All funds are donations.
100% of the donations are transferred directly to Kenya to care for the children, provide education, medicine, food, shelter and foster care. Nobody is earning a cent at Live and Learn in Kenya NGO. Our professional staff in Kenya are paid through donations in order to insure a smooth running of the project - so that the children receive all that the should.
The Event begins at 11am SLT - Sat 25th Feb. and goes throughout the day with music, including some of Second Life's best-loved performers.
The Lavender Field - Feed a Smile
serious business this learning ..................................................
The system of education and extremely high literacy rate is one of the resounding successes of Fidel's's revolutionary governement. It is in fact the most successful in latin america, by far. Pre-revolution, education was not available to over half of Cuba's children. The first step, in 1960, was the programme initiated to stamp out illiteracy, which was accomplished, to 95%, within one year. Today education is compulsary up to 9th grade. Children in rural areas attend boarding school. If the student chooses to continue his studies, technical school, pre-university college, and university are free. However an entry exam is required before acceptance in university. And being allowed to take that exam is determined by the student's political affiliation to the Communist Party. Aha! A fly in the ointment of equality of education for all :)) 7% of nationals have graduated from college, 4% have degrees. All students wear free government- issued standard uniforms, the various colours denoting the grade level, not the school.
lead image : child, name unknown, outdoors in plaza vieja, listening to her teacher.
Here, Narayana and his consort Lakshmi adorned with fresh flowers and precious jewelry
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During The Month Margazhi, (dec/jan) our dawn visit to temple is a regular one for the 30 days. To Day is The auspicious Day of Vaikunta Ekadasi,. It is believed , in this day our Dear God come down to earth and visit us.
On behalf of all flickr friends, we place few requests and prayers , so we can keep him busy in the year ahead. I am confident Our Good Lord will heed to our request.
1. Obliterate the existing barrier between religions
2. Remove the border between countries
3. Banish poverty, illiteracy and disease among your subjects.
4. Copenhagen ended unsuccessfully, so do not change the climate
5. Send abundant Hydro power, Sun Power and wind power, so can avoid carbon FP.
6. Let not the so called scientist probe your universal secrets, so can save resources
7. Remove Weapons of Mass Destruction , real and imaginary from face of this earth
8. Erase the words, Terrorism, Maoism, Religious extremism, Naxalism, Drug lordism, War lordism and all it's synonyms from Encyclopedia
9. Finally, let not the scientists invent new machinery to treat disease thus creating more diseases so the gadgets can be put to money making business.
10. Banish the greediness in the minds of Politicians, Apothecaries, Attorneys.
AND Educationists, so can common man live happily ever after.
SO HELP THE PEOPLE OF THIS WORLD GOD. WE ARE YOUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU.
(This image is from the Sanctum Sanctorium of a Hindu Temple in Chennai, where normally photography is not allowed. We had the opportunity to shoot, since We had the divine opportunity to renovate and refurbish the temple few years ago) With great pleasure We Are Sharing this divine image with Flickr friends,)