View allAll Photos Tagged implement
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) continues to implement precautions in response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). New York City Transit, MTA Bus, Access-A-Ride, Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North are significantly increasing the frequency and intensity of sanitizing procedures at each of its stations and on its full fleet of rolling stock. Trains, cars and buses will experience daily cleanings with the MTA’s full fleet undergoing sanitation every 72 hours. Frequently used surfaces in stations, such as turnstiles, MetroCard and ticket vending machines, and handrails, will be disinfected daily.
Photo: Patrick Cashin / MTA New York City Transit
Spotted on our travels through Mid Wales. This old implement would have had a seat on the support between the two wheels and judging by the set up at the front would have been pulled by a large horse. Any ideas what it may have been used for.
View On Black Then select Large for the bigger picture.
Antiqued version here. www.flickr.com/photos/wdig/4702143163/
the garden stands ready but it isn't time to plant. olympus e-300 with meyer-optik gorlitz lydith 30mm f/3.5
Este santuário está
implementado numa vasta
área consagrada ao culto
Mariano e constitui um pólo
de dinamização de
numerosas actividades de
espiritualidade, recolhimento
e apoio social. Na sua
génese, está a resposta das
populações do nordeste
transmontano à mensagem
de Fátima, através de uma
acção liderada por um
sacerdote natural da região: o
P. Manuel Joaquim Ochôa.
Começou a ser edificado em
1961. Para a sua construção
foi necessária a colaboração
de todo o povo de Cerejais,
homens e mulheres; eles com
quatrocentos carros de bois
de pedra e elas com o transporte de toda a água necessária à construção,
muita da qual foi transportada em cântaros, à cabeça.
Além da capela principal, fazem parte do conjunto do santuário:
l O Calvário (fig.1.1) com uma capelinha onde se encontra um conjunto
escultórico, em tamanho natural, que representa o encontro da Mãe
Dolorosa com o seu Divino Filho.
l Uma Via-sacra que percorre o caminho entre a Capela e o Calvário e
cujas cruzes foram esculpidas em granito da aldeia de Romeu.
Dois anos mais tarde, em 28 de Maio de 1967, celebrou-se a “festa dos
Bispos” como ficou conhecida a inauguração dos quinze Mistérios do
Rosário, que estão representados por outras tantas figuras esculpidas que
se distribuem à beira do caminho entre a capela e a Loca do Cabeço. Com
efeito, nas cerimónias desta inauguração, estiveram presentes os bispos
de Bragança-Miranda, Leiria, Lamego e Dili.
Em 1976 foi edificado o primeiro pavilhão da Casa dos Pastorinhos e foi
ampliada a torre sineira.
1977 foi o ano da comemoração do 60º aniversário das aparições em
Fátima e o Santuário dos Cerejais foi o ponto central das comemorações
na diocese de Bragança-Miranda.
seu desejo ao rei que logo pensou juntar o útil ao agradável: fez a vontade
à esposa e aproveitou o pretexto para construir uma fortificação militar nas
proximidades, dado que se tratava de um local estratégico para a
segurança do reino.
A administração da capela e dos seus folgados proventos determinados
por D. Dinis foi entregue aos frades beneditinos do mosteiro do Castro da
Avelãs, que se localiza a cerca de 30 km de distância, próximo a Bragança.
No reinado de D. João III, foi construída a catedral de Miranda, que passou
a ser a sede da diocese para quem passou a administração do santuário.
Durante todos estes anos, as actividades de culto foram promovidas pela
confraria que contava sempre com um mordomo castelhano, o que
confirma a grande influência que o santuário exerce do outro lado da
fronteira. Do lado espanhol o Santuário é designado por “La Ribeiriña”.
Apesar da grande quantidade de romeiros e da celebração anual das
grandes romarias, o templo chegou ao final do século XIX num estado de
apreciável degradação. Providencialmente surgiu um benemérito, próspero
emigrante no Brasil, natural de Castrelos, de seu nome António do Carmo
Pires.
5l-henrique.blogspot.pt/2013/06/alfandega-da-fe-cerejais-...
In order to address the problem of water scarcity in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, #Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has implemented another water project in Village Topy. This water project is expected to provide clean water for drinking and domestic usage to almost 23 families living in this village.
A beautiful historic Scottish Fishing bay dating back to the 1700's, under duress due to problems between the "Owner" and local fishermen who have utilised this historic harbour as they and their fore fathers have done for hundreds of years .
I revisited today Tuesday 27th August 2019 , I was disappointed to see concrete barriers blocking access to cars and fishing boats , sad circumstances indeed , though I still managed to capture as much of the bays charm a I could , its ongoing battle and new concrete blocks preventing access made me feel unhappy and sad, any ways I have pasted some of my previous comments and news items reference this pathetic situation below for your perusal, I am on the side of the fishermen , its a sad tale indeed.
Check my previous posts in my Cove Bay folder for photos of the harbour in its glory days that I have taken over the years before this nonsense raised its ugly head.
Previous Posts
I love this bay, its a beautiful tranquil place, however after reading news reports on a court judgement 13/7/2018 forcing the fisher men to remove their boats within 28 days it saddened me, hence I made a trip today Friday 13th July 2018 to capture the views and scenery before this unpopular ruling is implemented, what a sad situation indeed, I have included the news report on the legal wrangle at the end of this description.
Cove is a 20 minute drive from my home in Aberdeen Scotland, it was a pleasure to visit today and capture the tranquility that it presented.
Scattered across the harbour are stones with various sealife characters carved into them.
Cove Bay is a suburb on the south-east edge of Aberdeen, Scotland.
Today Cove is home to over 7000 people. It is a popular residential location owing to its extremely village-like status.
It is a quiet suburb just at the edge of the City and in 2015 won the Silver award for Scotland in bloom. Nearby Altens and Tullos Industrial Estates, affording ample employment opportunities.
History
Cove Bay is situated to the east of the ancient Causey Mounth, which road was built on high ground to make passable this only available medieval route from coastal points south from Stonehaven to Aberdeen.
This ancient trackway specifically connected the River Dee crossing (where the Bridge of Dee is located) via Portlethen Moss, Muchalls Castle and Stonehaven to the south.
The route was that taken by William Keith, 7th Earl Marischal and the Marquess of Montrose, who led a Covenanter army of 9000 men in the battle of the Civil War in 1639.
Cove Bay was a village in the extreme north-east corner of Kincardine, governed from Stonehaven, until 1975, when it was added to the City of Aberdeen. Though simply referred to as Cove, in the 19th and early 20th centuries it was known as The Cove, becoming Cove Bay around 1912.
Industry
Cove has been noted for industries such as granite, which was quarried in several locations to the south of the village. Owing to its close-grained texture, Cove granite was one of the hardest in north-east Scotland and proved highly resistant to frost, making it ideal for causeway stones used in the construction of roads. It was widely exported to cities in England, including Billingsgate Market in London.
Fishing
The village itself sprung up around the fishing industry, with the boats berthed on a shingle beach, a gap in the rocks that afforded a natural harbour. During this time, it is estimated that approximately 300 people lived in the area. In the mid 19th century the fishing was at its height, which, over years, has included cod, haddock, salmon, herring and shellfish. The piers and breakwater were constructed in 1878. At the end of World War I the fishing began to decline. At present only a couple of boats pursue shellfish on a part-time basis.
Between 1894 and 1937, Cove also housed a fishmeal factory, the Aberdeen Fish Meal Factory, which was located at the edge of the cliffs. It produced quality manure which was exported to both Europe and America. It became locally known as "the stinker" because of the processing odour, which was highlighted by the Aberdeen entertainer Harry Gordon in a parody entitled A Song of Cove.
Amenities
Retail
Cove has just had a brand new Co-operative built just off of Earnshugh Circle.
To the west of Loirston Road is the Cove Shopping Centre, which overlooks Loirston Primary School. This houses a pharmacist, the Wee China Chinese takeaway/Chip shop, Ruby Tuesdays beauty salon and the Harr Rock cafe (Cove's second).
Within the new development of cove a local Sainsbury's has opened. There is also the Harr Rock Cafe (the first one), a hairdressers and a gift shop within the new development.
There are also 2 RS McColl newsagents. One located at Bervie Brow in Altens, and a second located on the corner of Loirston Road and Cove Road which also houses a Post Office.
Hospitality
The Cove Bay hotel is located on Colsea Road. There is also The Aberdeen Altens Hotel in Altens, which has 216 bedrooms, making it the largest of the three Thistle Hotels in Aberdeen.
There is also a pub, the Langdykes which now has an Indian restaurant situated inside called The Curry lounge which you can sit in or take away.
Transport
Bus services to and from Cove and the wider area of Aberdeen are available. These are run by First Aberdeen with the numbers 3 (to Mastrick) and the 18 to Dyce, via Kincorth. Stagecoach also cover cove partially, with numbers 7A & 8 (Both to the City Centre).
Healthcare
Cove Bay has its own medical centre, the Cove Bay Medical Centre. It was originally located on Catto Walk, but moved to a new facility off Earns Hugh Road. Cove Dental Care has since moved into the old surgery building.
Sport
Cove is currently home to two football teams: Cove Rangers, who currently play in the Highland Football League, they temporarily play in Harlow Park, Inverurie, as their old home Allan park was demolished to make way for housing. Cove Thistle, who hold amateur status. Sunday amateur team Cove Revolution folded in 2010.
There are also many youth teams in the area that are run by Cove Youth FC. The Cove Youth FC area SFA credited community club, organizing players from 6 years old up to 19 years old. They also have a girls section. The Cove Community Football Trust is run by Cove Rangers FC, Cove Thistle FC and Cove Youth FC.
Other Amenities
A state-of-the-art library was recently built between Loirston Primary School and the Cove Shopping Centre. There are blueprints for a local sports centre to also be built in the near future.
Education
Cove has two primary schools, Charleston Primary School and Loirston Primary School. Most secondary pupils attend the nearby Kincorth Academy, but some choose to go to Portlethen Academy.
Future Developments
Aberdeen Gateway[edit]
Construction on a new Aberdeen Gateway industrial development began in 2008. It will see new offices and industrial units built to the south of the village. Current tenants at the site include National Oilwell Varco (NOV), Driving Standards Agency and Hydrasun. A Community football pitch is also inlcluded within the development.
Cove Academy
Plans for a secondary school in Cove have now been approved and will be situated alongside Wellington Road. It is thought that once this is built pupils from Cove, Torry as well as Kincorth will attend this school.
The Legal Wrangle - Landowner V Fishermen - Judgement 13/7/18
Fishermen told to move boats from Cove Bay after legal dispute
Fishermen have been told to move their boats from an Aberdeen bay after a long-running dispute.
Several fishermen were fighting an eviction order on behalf of landowner Pralhad Kolhe at Cove Bay, where they had been fishing for many years.
In a written judgement, a sheriff has given them 28 days to move their boats and equipment from Mr Kolhe's land.
However, Sheriff Andrew Miller also ordered the removal of obstructions to vehicular access onto the pier.
The case was heard at Aberdeen Sheriff Court earlier this year.
One of the fisherman, Jim Adam, told a court he was "stunned" to receive a legal letter telling him to remove his boat.
He had been fishing from Cove Bay since 1966.
'We were hopeful'
The first day of the hearing heard the letter said the landowner, who lives in a house overlooking the harbour, was unable to make use of his land for amenity purposes and that he did not wish Mr Adam's vessel, or any other vessel, on his land.
In the ruling, Sheriff Miller also gave Mr Kolhe 28 days to remove the obstructions to vehicle access to the pier.
Mr Adam told BBC Scotland: "We are disappointed, we were hopeful.
"The good news is at least for the recreational folks they have got vehicle access."
News Report From P&J Aberdeen
A campaign group could use new powers to try to buy the land at the centre of a long-running dispute over access to Cove Harbour.
Councillors in Aberdeen agreed yesterday to investigate using the purchase powers contained in the Community Empowerment Scotland Act 2015 to finally resolve the stand-off.
The proposal was backed after Jim Adam, chairman of the Cove Fishermen Association, delivered an emotional plea to Aberdeen City Council’s petitions committee yesterday.
He outlined the group’s ongoing disagreement with the landowner, Pralhad Kohle, over vehicle access to the harbour-side.
Mr Adam highlighted the historical use of the harbour since the 1700s for fishing boats and recreational users, showing members photographs as evidence.
He also said the denial of emergency access to the harbour would create safety issues, and spoke of a strong community spirit in the village.
Cove Councillor Neil Cooney stated: “Boats have been fishing out of Cove since mediaeval times; we need to retain that heritage.”
Committee convener Alan Donnelly said: “You would think, with 11,000 signatures, that the owner would take it seriously and come along.”
He added: “We are moving today that the council refers the petition to the landowner, with the hope that they can come to an amicable solution.
“And request a report to the communities, housing and infrastructure committee to investigate the viability of the community to use the new Community Empowerment Scotland Act 2015 to purchase the land.”
Speaking afterwards Mr Adam said: “We are very encouraged by the support from the council. It’s very positive and has opened up a number of avenues, but we would like there to be an amicable solution.
“The Community Empowerment Act is a very useful tool, but it would be a last resort.”
Mr Kohle, who was not in attendance, owns a house overlooking the bay and some of the land at the harbour below.
Scotland’s First Minister has pledged to investigate the “suffering” faced by the Cove Harbour fishing community as a result of a devastating fire and a dispute with the landlord.
The first minister promised action after being warned the Scottish Government risked ignoring a group whose livelihoods had been threatened by recent events.
Ms Sturgeon said the government wanted “to do everything we possibly can” to help communities faced with difficulties after the Cove Harbour situation was raised with her.
In January, thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused when a fire, thought to be deliberate, destroyed five vessels, boating equipment, a shed and fishing gear.
The community has also been involved in a long-running battle with landowner Pralhad Kolhe, a plastic surgeon who had sought to evict the fishermen’s fleet of traditional vessels from the part of the harbour he owns.
The Cove Fisherman’s Association had a four-year legal battle with Mr Kolhe, and lost their fight to dock their small fleet of traditional vessels at a particular part of Cove Harbour last year.
Last August the remaining vessels at the site were finally moved from Mr Kolhe’s land to a small corner of the harbour. The judgement said access to the pier for walkers and vehicles should be maintained.
After January’s fire, North East MSP Liam Kerr wrote to Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing asking for support for the fishermen.
Mr Ewing replied say he was “very saddened” by the disaster but financial support would be “limited”.
Yesterday Mr Kerr raised Cove Harbour with Ms Sturgeon in the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Kerr told the first minister the Cove Harbour fishing community was “suffering” and faced “significant” legal costs.
The Tory MSP said the fishermen had requested a meeting with Mr Ewing “but to no avail”.
And he asked Ms Sturgeon to persuade Mr Ewing to meet the community and “not risk ignoring a community facing the loss of their livelihoods”.
The First Minister said: “Of course we want to do everything we possibly can to help any community experiencing difficulties.
“I am not aware beyond what the member has just said of the content of the correspondence to Fergus Ewing.
“But I am happy to give an undertaking to look into that and if Fergus Ewing thinks there is help the Scottish Government can offer – certainly to meet with those affected.”
A group of Aberdeen fishermen who lost a court case last year have been hit with a legal fee bill of around £45,000 – just days after their cherished vessels were destroyed in a malicious fire.
The Cove Fishermen’s Association was forced to move its boats at Cove Harbour last year after a court ruled in favour of landowner Pralhad Kolhe – who owns sections of the historic bay.
Mr Kolhe has been seeking to remove the small fleet of boats from his land, but in the months since the court’s decision, the fishermen have continued their activities by keeping their remaining vessels in a much smaller pocket of the harbour not under the landowner’s control, further away from the shoreline
River Dargle Flood Defence Scheme.
These images were taken during the last week of April, 2016.
Some 14 months previously we'd watched some low-level maintenance work on the opposite banks, and (I) predicted that some destabilised sections might be a problem. Whilst engineering works were on-going 1km down-river during all this entire period, there had been minimal activity in the Slang/Rehills section. That had finally changed. A new contractor had been tendered to implement further/final repair work to the entire Slang/Rehills section, with emphasis on repairs to the integrity of the rebuilt bank structures.
Este santuário está
implementado numa vasta
área consagrada ao culto
Mariano e constitui um pólo
de dinamização de
numerosas actividades de
espiritualidade, recolhimento
e apoio social. Na sua
génese, está a resposta das
populações do nordeste
transmontano à mensagem
de Fátima, através de uma
acção liderada por um
sacerdote natural da região: o
P. Manuel Joaquim Ochôa.
Começou a ser edificado em
1961. Para a sua construção
foi necessária a colaboração
de todo o povo de Cerejais,
homens e mulheres; eles com
quatrocentos carros de bois
de pedra e elas com o transporte de toda a água necessária à construção,
muita da qual foi transportada em cântaros, à cabeça.
Além da capela principal, fazem parte do conjunto do santuário:
l O Calvário (fig.1.1) com uma capelinha onde se encontra um conjunto
escultórico, em tamanho natural, que representa o encontro da Mãe
Dolorosa com o seu Divino Filho.
l Uma Via-sacra que percorre o caminho entre a Capela e o Calvário e
cujas cruzes foram esculpidas em granito da aldeia de Romeu.
Dois anos mais tarde, em 28 de Maio de 1967, celebrou-se a “festa dos
Bispos” como ficou conhecida a inauguração dos quinze Mistérios do
Rosário, que estão representados por outras tantas figuras esculpidas que
se distribuem à beira do caminho entre a capela e a Loca do Cabeço. Com
efeito, nas cerimónias desta inauguração, estiveram presentes os bispos
de Bragança-Miranda, Leiria, Lamego e Dili.
Em 1976 foi edificado o primeiro pavilhão da Casa dos Pastorinhos e foi
ampliada a torre sineira.
1977 foi o ano da comemoração do 60º aniversário das aparições em
Fátima e o Santuário dos Cerejais foi o ponto central das comemorações
na diocese de Bragança-Miranda.
seu desejo ao rei que logo pensou juntar o útil ao agradável: fez a vontade
à esposa e aproveitou o pretexto para construir uma fortificação militar nas
proximidades, dado que se tratava de um local estratégico para a
segurança do reino.
A administração da capela e dos seus folgados proventos determinados
por D. Dinis foi entregue aos frades beneditinos do mosteiro do Castro da
Avelãs, que se localiza a cerca de 30 km de distância, próximo a Bragança.
No reinado de D. João III, foi construída a catedral de Miranda, que passou
a ser a sede da diocese para quem passou a administração do santuário.
Durante todos estes anos, as actividades de culto foram promovidas pela
confraria que contava sempre com um mordomo castelhano, o que
confirma a grande influência que o santuário exerce do outro lado da
fronteira. Do lado espanhol o Santuário é designado por “La Ribeiriña”.
Apesar da grande quantidade de romeiros e da celebração anual das
grandes romarias, o templo chegou ao final do século XIX num estado de
apreciável degradação. Providencialmente surgiu um benemérito, próspero
emigrante no Brasil, natural de Castrelos, de seu nome António do Carmo
Pires.
5l-henrique.blogspot.pt/2013/06/alfandega-da-fe-cerejais-...
Participants during the Session "Implementing Stakeholder Capitalism 2" at the World Economic Forum, Annual Meeting of the Global Future Councils 2019. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin will join officials on Wednesday, August 24, 2016, in Huntington, from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the U.S. Economic Development Administration, along with local partners, for an announcement regarding ARC POWER Grant awards.
Below is a list of the West Virginia projects receiving funds:
Coalfield Development Corporation
$1,870,000
Natural Capital Investment Fund
$1,250,000
New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
$967,500
Mercer County Regional Airport
$1,500,000
Hatfield-McCoy Trail
$1,372,275
EntreEd K-14
$2,196,450
Randolph County Development Authority
$622,500
EdVenture Coding
$10,000
Hobet site planning
$200,000
TOTAL
$9,988,725
West Virginia Grants POWER Grant Descriptions:
$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 work-training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue good-paying jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund, and develop a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a sustainable technical assistance grant and revolving loan fund—which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations—and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, create 225 new small business jobs, and utilize the capacity of a VISTA volunteer.
$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.
$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet—creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.
$10,000 ARC grant to the EdVenture Group to provide grant-writing assistance to apply for a POWER Implementation grant to train displaced workers in computer coding and other IT skills.
$200,000 ARC grant to provide funding for development of a strategic plan for the Hobet Surface Mine site in Boone and Lincoln Counties. The strategic plan will assist in maximizing the fullest use of the site for economic development.
Breakdown of States Receiving Funding:
Percentage distribution of grant funds
West Virginia- $9,988,725- 39.6%
Kentucky- $8,736,384- 34.6%
Virginia- $2,917,375- 11.6%
Ohio- $2,022,758- 8.0%
Alabama- $1,057,352- 4.2%
Pennsylvania- $500,000 - 2.0%
TOTAL- $25,222,594- 100.0%
ARC Implementation Award Summaries, 8-22-16
•$2,750,000 ARC grant to the Eastern Kentucky Concentrated Employment Program (EKCEP) in Hazard, KY for the TechHire Eastern Kentucky (TEKY) Initiative: Developing a Technology-Driven Workforce project. The project will serve young adults aged 17-29 who are out of school, and older adults who are unemployed, laid-off, or underemployed by offering several avenues to industry-led accelerated technology training, paid work-based internships, and employment opportunities in IT careers. This comprehensive workforce development program will train 200 new workers, create 160 jobs, and serve to bolster existing and emerging sectors that rely on a skilled information technology workforce in 23 Eastern Kentucky counties. The program will provide the trained workers necessary for a private technology company to expand its operations into Eastern Kentucky.
•$2,500,000 ARC grant to the University of Pikeville in Pikeville, KY for the Kentucky College of Optometry (KYCO). EDA is also awarding $4,974,100 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to purchase equipment, instructional supplies, and other materials to help launch a new College of Optometry. The college will both grow the healthcare workforce and improve access to vision care in Central Appalachia. KYCO will be only the second optometry college in the Appalachian Region, and will primarily serve Eastern Kentucky, Southern West Virginia, and Southwestern Virginia. Within the first three years of the award, KYCO will graduate 60 optometrists, provide care to 12,000 patients, and bring $26,000,000 in direct economic impact to the regional economy.
•$2,196,450 ARC grant to the Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education in Charleston, WV for the EntreEd K-14: Every Student, Every Year project. The EntreEd program enables K-12 teachers to integrate entrepreneurial content and context into delivery of required standards in any subject or grade level. The project will educate the next generation of Appalachia’s workforce to create their own businesses to drive the local economy. ARC funds will expand the footprint of the proven EntreEd program into five additional counties in West Virginia, eleven counties in Kentucky, three counties in Ohio, one county in Tennessee, and two counties in Virginia. The program will be supported by expertise from the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), project management from the EdVenture Group, and funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The EntreEd program will serve 15,000 K-12 Appalachian students in 50 individual schools and 7 community colleges over the life of the award.
•$2,022,133 ARC grant to the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) in Berea, KY for the Economic Transition for Eastern Kentucky (ETEK) Initiative. The ARC award will expand fast-track retraining and entrepreneurial technical assistance services targeted to dislocated coal workers; establish an intern program aimed at placing former coal workers in the energy efficiency sector; and increase access to capital through a $1,000,000 venture capital loan fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 100 new enterprises, serve 500 existing businesses, and bring $12,000,000 in leveraged financing to a 54-county region in Eastern Kentucky.
•$2,000,000 ARC grant to Ohio University in Athens, OH for the Leveraging Innovation Gateways and Hubs Toward Sustainability (LIGHTS) project. The ARC award will strengthen Southern Ohio’s entrepreneurial ecosystem by leveraging the capacity of four strategically located “Innovation Hubs” -- which provide facilities, equipment and design/engineering expertise to entrepreneurs – and five regional “Gateway Centers” that link local entrepreneurs to a broad array of support services throughout the ecosystem. The project will build on the successful TechGROWTH Ohio model, create 360 new jobs, 50 new small businesses, and bring $5,000,000 in leveraged private investment to the area.
•$1,870,000 ARC grant to the Coalfield Development Corporation in Wayne, WV for the Appalachian Social Entrepreneurship Investment Strategy. ARC funds will be used to incubate job-creating social enterprises; scale-up Coalfield Development Corporation’s innovate 33-6-3 on-the-job training/education/life skills workforce development model; and expand Coalfield Development Corporation’s service territory to other coal-impacted areas in Southern West Virginia. The award will create 85 new jobs and equip 60 trainees to pursue quality jobs in high-demand industries in the Appalachian Region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$1,500,000 ARC grant to Appalachian Sustainable Development in Abington, VA for the Central Appalachian Food Enterprise Corridor. This 5-state, 43-county project will develop a coordinated local foods distribution network throughout Central Appalachia, and will connect established and emerging producers in Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Southwest Virginia, and Eastern Kentucky to wholesale distribution markets. The ARC award will support planning, partner convening, and capacity building, as well as production and processing equipment, supplies, and labor costs, and will be supported by funding from the Just Transition Fund. The strengthened food corridor will act as regional economic driver -- creating 120 jobs, retaining 250 jobs, and ultimately creating 95 new businesses.
•$1,500,000 ARC grant to the Bluewell Public Service District in Bluefield, WV for the Mercer County Regional Airport Development and Diversification Initiative. EDA is also awarding $1,000,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be used to extend public water service along Route 52 and Airport Road to the Mercer County Regional Airport. In addition to providing essential infrastructure to the regional airport, the project will create 38 new jobs, and will capitalize on an existing regional asset by providing funding for a strategic plan that will position the airport and its adjoining 200 acres of flat, developable land as an economic driver for four counties in Southern West Virginia and Southwestern Virginia.
•$1,464,251 ARC grant to the University of Kentucky Research Foundation in Lexington, KY for the Downtown Revitalization in the Promise Zone project. The ARC award -- partnering with the Community and Economic Development Initiative of Kentucky, the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Kentucky Promise Zone, Shaping Our Appalachian Region (SOAR), and the Kentucky Mainstreet Program – will help revitalize the downtowns of 8 distressed towns in the Southeastern Kentucky Promise Zone. The project will provide each community with tailored economic studies that identify economic opportunities, support strategic planning sessions to capitalize on those opportunities, provide financial support for key steps to implement those strategies, and build local leadership and business capacity. The project will create 24 new downtown businesses, 72 new jobs, and leverage $800,000 in private investment.
•$1,417,375 ARC grant to Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) in Cedar Bluff, VA for the Retraining Energy Displaced Individuals (REDI) Center for Dislocated Coal Miners program. The REDI program will provide fast-track reemployment services directly to displaced coal miners -- equipping them with the necessary skills to get back to work in a high-demand field, earning comparable wages to their previous employment. Through an intensive, accelerated program of coursework, workers can obtain credentialed skills in as little as four months, rather than the more traditional training periods of a year or more. Training will be focused on three sectors with local employment opportunities: advanced manufacturing, construction, and health technology. The program will certify 165 new trainees over the life of the award, and will be supported by funding from the Thompson Charitable Fund and the Virginia Tobacco Commission.
•$1,372,275 ARC grant to the Hatfield McCoy Regional Recreation Authority in Man, WV for the Southern Coalfields Sustainable Tourism & Entrepreneurship Program. ARC funds will develop and implement a comprehensive program to expand tourism-related employment and businesses in southern West Virginia, and will foster Hatfield McCoy Trail expansion in Kentucky and Virginia. In addition, the award provides for the deployment of a coordinated marketing effort, which will increase the region-wide economic impact of the Trails by $13,000,000 per year. The project will create 225 jobs and 50 new businesses along the Trails, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$1,250,000 ARC grant to the Natural Capital Investment Fund, Inc. in Shepherdstown, WV for the Growing Triple Bottom Line Small Businesses in Coal Impacted Communities in Central Appalachia project. The ARC award will expand coal-impacted communities’ access to capital in Southern West Virginia by capitalizing a $4,000,000 tourism-related revolving loan fund and developing a West Virginia New Markets Tax Credit Fund. The project will create 200 new jobs and 20 new businesses, bring $5,000,000 of leveraged private investment into the region, and will be supported by funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation.
•$997,150 ARC grant to the Shoals Entrepreneurial Center in Florence, AL for the Shoals Shift project. ARC funds will be used to offer a wide range of entrepreneurial programming, including improved access to capital and credit and development of strategies to increase the profitability of the region’s start-ups and existing businesses through more efficient use of broadband technologies. The programming includes training and activities for community members and student entrepreneurs from middle schools all the way to the university level. Activities will take place in a nine-county region covering parts of northwest Alabama, northeast Mississippi, and south central Tennessee. The project is expected to help create or retain 110 jobs, start 20 new businesses, and leverage $10,000,000 in private investment.
•$967,500 ARC grant to the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority in Beckley, WV for the New River Gorge Region - Developing an Entrepreneurial Economy project. ARC funds will be used to establish a technical assistance support program -- which will assist start-up businesses with hands-on technical aspects of their operations -- and to hire social enterprise and region-wide business coaches. The project will yield 15 new businesses, improve 294 existing businesses, and create 225 new small-business jobs.
•$622,500 ARC grant to the Randolph County Development Authority in Elkins, WV for the Hardwood Cluster Manufacturing Expansion Project. EDA is also awarding $1,200,000 as part of this project. ARC funds will be utilized to expand a major cabinet manufacturer’s operation by 27,000 square feet -- creating 45 new jobs and adding $2,500,000 in annual wages to the regional economy. In addition, the award will strengthen the Hardwood Alliance Zone – a nine-county region in Central West Virginia containing a cluster of hardwood businesses.
•$500,000 ARC grant to Pennsylvania Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Inc. in Russell, PA for the Nature Tourism Cluster Development in the PA Wilds project. The ARC award will be used to create a coordinated regional cluster development system to capitalize on Pennsylvania’s numerous nature-tourism assets that spread across 2,000,000 acres in 12 counties. This strategy will drive attendance to these natural attractions, and will be leveraged by $500,000 in match investments to develop a network of small businesses to support the increased demand for products and services in the area.
ARC Technical Assistance Award Summaries
Through the POWER Initiative, ARC is making funds available to assist organizations to develop plans, assess needs and prepare proposals to build a stronger economy for Appalachia's coal-impacted communities.
•$200,000 ARC grant to the West Virginia Development Office for the Hobet Strategic Plan. West Virginia will receive technical assistance to develop a detailed economic assessment and strategic plan for the best use of the Hobet Surface Mine Site in Boone and Lincoln Counties, previously the largest surface mining operation in the state.
•$10,000 ARC grant to The EdVenture Group in Morgantown, West Virginia for the Creating Opportunities, Diversifying Economy for displaced coal miners (CODE) project to develop a sustainable plan for economic diversification. The project being developed is expected to serve 12 counties in West Virginia.
•$60,202 ARC grant to the Southern Research Institute in Birmingham, Alabama, for the development of a strategic plan focusing on entrepreneurship in coal-impacted counties in the Appalachian part of Alabama. Innovation and increasing business startup activity will be the primary focus.
•$22,758 ARC grant to Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio, to analyze and develop a project plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation and Commercialization Center. The project is expected to serve 14 counties in OH, PA, and WV.
POWER Special Projects Summaries
As part of the POWER Initiative, ARC is supporting several special projects to strengthen entrepreneurship, expand market opportunities, and address key issues in Appalachia's coal communities.
•$60,000 for a partnership with the National Association of Counties Research Foundation to provide additional technical assistance to 11 teams from Appalachian coal communities that participated in the EDA-funded Innovation Challenge for Coal-Reliant Communities Program. This support includes grant writing, feasibility studies, strategic plan development or updates and capacity building to facilitate strategic and sustainable investments. Community teams are located in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
•$750,000 to continue a collaborative effort with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other federal partners to research opioid abuse and related problems of HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) in Appalachia's coal communities.
•$400,000 for a partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) to expand the Cool & Connected Initiative to help 10 Appalachian coal-impacted communities use broadband service to revitalize small-town main streets and promote economic development. Participating communities will receive technical assistance for strategic planning, as well as initial implementation support for the first steps of their plans. The communities are located in Alabama, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
•$352,000 to provide training, technical support, and expanded market opportunities to Appalachian-based coal supply chain companies through partnerships developed at MineExpo 2016, the world’s largest and most comprehensive exposition dedicated to mining equipment, products , and services. This trade show is part of the 2016 U.S. Commercial Service International Buyer Program schedule, which connects U.S. exhibitors with foreign buyer delegations at the show. ARC funds will be used to ensure the participation of companies from Appalachia and enable them to get international trade support tailored to the specific needs of the individual companies. Southern Alleghenies Planning and Development Commission in Altoona, Pennsylvania, is coordinating the ARC assistance.
Photos available for media use. All photos should be attributed “Photo courtesy of Office of the Governor.”
Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm/ or /ˈdʒaɪnɪzəm/), traditionally known as Jina Sashana or Jain dharma (Sanskrit: जैन धर्म), is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of nonviolence towards all living beings. Practitioners believe that nonviolence and self-control are the means by which they can obtain liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
The word "Jain" is derived from the Sanskrit word Jina (meaning victor). A human being who has conquered all inner passions like attachment, desire, anger, pride, greed, etc. and therefore, possesses pure infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana) is called Jina. Followers of the path practised and preached by Jinas are known as Jains.
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It has also been regarded as one of the most scientific of all religions. Jains trace their history through a succession of twenty-four teachers and revivers of Jain teachings known as tirthankaras with Rishabha as the first and Mahāvīra as the last of the current era.
DOCTRINE
NON-VIOLENCE (AHIMSA)
The principle of ahimsa is the most fundamental and well known aspect of Jain religious practice. The everyday implementation of ahimsa is more comprehensive than in other religions and is the hallmark for Jain identity. Non-violence is practiced first and foremost during interactions with other human beings, and Jains believe in avoiding harm to others through actions, speech and thoughts.
In addition to other humans, Jains extend the practice of nonviolence towards all living beings. As this ideal cannot be completely implemented in practice, Jains recognize a hierarchy of life, which gives more protection to humans followed by animals followed by insects followed by plants. For this reason, vegetarianism is a hallmark of Jain practice, with the majority of Jains practicing lacto-vegetarianism. If there is violence against animals during the production of dairy products, veganism is also encouraged (see Jain vegetarianism). After humans and animals, insects are the next living being offered protection in Jain practice with avoidance of intentional harm to insects emphasized. For example, insects in the home are often escorted out instead of killed. Intentional harm and the absence of compassion make an action more violent per Jainism.
After nonviolence towards humans, animals and insects, Jains make efforts not to injure plants any more than necessary. Although they admit that plants must be destroyed for the sake of food, they accept such violence only inasmuch as it is indispensable for human survival. Strict Jains, including Jain monks and nuns, do not eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions and garlic, because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled up, and also because a bulb or tuber's ability to sprout is seen as characteristic of a living being.
Jainism has a very elaborate framework on types of life and includes life-forms that may be invisible. Per Jainism, the intent and emotions behind the violence are more important than the action itself. For example, if a person kills another living being out of carelessness and then regrets later, the karma bandhan (bondage of karma) is less versus when the person kills the same living being with anger, revenge, etc. The emotions (bhava) determine the bondage of karmas. A soldier acting in self defense is a different type of violence versus someone killing another person out of hatred or revenge.
Violence or war in self-defense may be justified, but this must only be used as a last resort after peaceful measures have been thoroughly exhausted. Mahatma Gandhi notably practiced and preached ahimsa.
NON ABSOLUTISM
The second main principle of Jainism is non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda). For Jains, non-absolutism means maintaining open-mindedness. This includes the recognition of all perspectives and a humble respect for differences in beliefs. Jainism encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties. The principle of anekāntavāda influenced Mahatma Gandhi to adopt principles of religious tolerance and ahiṃsā.
Anekāntavāda emphasizes the principles of pluralism (multiplicity of viewpoints) and the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, no single one of which is complete.
Jains illustrate this theory through the parable of the blind men and an elephant. In this story, each blind man feels a different part of an elephant: its trunk, leg, ear, and so on. All of them claim to understand and explain the true appearance of the elephant but, due to their limited perspectives, can only partly succeed. The concept of anēkāntavāda extends to and is further explained by Syādvāda (below).
Non-possessiveness
The third main principle in Jainism is non-possessiveness (aparigraha). This is the concept of greedlessness or non-grasping and includes non-materialism. Jainism emphasizes taking no more than is truly necessary. While ownership of objects is allowed, non-attachment to possessions is taught. Followers should minimize the tendency to hoard unnecessary material possessions and limit attachment to current possessions. Further, wealth and possessions should be shared and donated whenever possible. Jainism believes that unchecked attachment to possessions can lead to direct harm to oneself and others.
Five main vows
Jainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of personal wisdom and through reliance on self-control through vows. Jains accept different levels of compliance for strict followers and laymen. Followers of this religion undertake five major vows:
1. Ahimsa: Ahimsa means nonviolence. The first major vow taken by followers is to cause no harm to living beings. It involves minimizing intentional and unintentional harm to other living creatures by actions, speech or thoughts.
2. Satya: Satya means truth. This vow is to always speak the truth. Given that non-violence has priority, other principles yield to it whenever they conflict: in a situation where speaking truth could lead to violence, silence may be observed.
3. Asteya: Asteya means not stealing. Jains should not take anything that is not willingly offered. Attempting to extort material wealth from others or to exploit the weak is considered theft. Fair value should be given for all goods and services purchased.
4. Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya means chastity for laymen and celibacy for Jain monks and nuns. This requires the exercise of control over the senses to control indulgence in sexual activity.
5. Aparigraha: Aparigraha means non-possessiveness. This includes non-materialism and non-attachment to objects, places and people. Jain monks and nuns completely renounce property and social relations.
Monks and nuns are obligated to practice the five cardinal principles of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness very strictly, while laymen are encouraged to observe them within their current practical limitations.
Additionally, Jainism identifies four passions of the mind: Anger, pride (ego), deceitfulness, greed. It recommends conquering anger by forgiveness, pride by humility, deceitfulness by straight-forwardness and greed by contentment.
GOD
Jainism rejects the idea of a creator or destroyer god and postulates that the universe is eternal. Jainism believes every soul has the potential for salvation and to become god. In Jainism, perfect souls with body are called Arihantas (victors) and perfect souls without the body are called Siddhas (liberated souls). Tirthankara is an Arihanta who help others in achieving liberation. Jainism has been described as a transtheistic religion , as it does not teach the dependency on any supreme being for enlightenment. The Tirthankara is a guide and teacher who points the way to enlightenment, but the struggle for enlightenment is one's own.
- Arihanta (Jina)- A human being who conquers all inner passions and possesses infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana). They are also known as Kevalins (omniscient beings). There are two kinds of Arihantas -
1. Sāmānya (Ordinary victors) - Kevalins who are concerned with their own salvation.
2. Tirthankara - Tīrthaṅkara literally means a 'ford-maker', or a founder of salvation teaching. They propagate and revitalize the Jain faith and become role-models for those seeking spiritual guidance. They reorganise the fourfold order (chaturvidha sangha) that consists of monks (śramana), nuns (śramani), male followers (srāvaka) and female followers (śravaika). Jains believe that exactly twenty-four tirthankaras are born in each half cycle of time (Jain cosmology). The last tirthankara, Mahavira and his predecessor Parsvanatha are historical figures whose existence is recorded.
Siddhas (the liberated beings), although they are formless, this is how they are depicted in Jain temples
- Siddha- Siddhas are Arihantas who attain salvation (moksha) and dwell in Siddhashila with infinite bliss, infinite perception, infinite knowledge and infinite energy.
PRACTICES
MONASTICISM
In Jainism, monasticism is encouraged and respected. Jain monks and nuns live extremely austere and ascetic lifestyles. They follow the five main vows of Jainism absolutely. Jain monks and nuns have neither a permanent home nor possessions. They do not use vehicles and always travel barefoot from one place to another, irrespective of the distance. They wander from place to place except during the months of Chaturmas. They do not use telephones or electricity. They do not prepare food and live only on what people offer them. Jain monks and nuns also usually keep a cloth for ritual mouth-covering to avoid inadvertently harming micro-organisms in the air. Most will carry a broomlike object (Rayoharan), made from dense, thick thread strands, to sweep the ground ahead of them, or before sitting down, to avoid inadvertently crushing small insects.
The monks of Jainism, whose presence is not needed for most Jain rituals, should not be confused with priests. However, some sects of Jainism often employ a pujari, who need not be a Jain, to perform special daily rituals and other priestly duties at the temple.
PRAYERS
Jains pray to these passionless gods not for any favors, material goods or rewards but rather pray to the qualities of the god with the objective of destroying their own karmas and achieving liberation. This is best understood by the term vandetadgunalabhdhaye – i.e. "we pray to the attributes of such Gods to acquire such attributes".
NAVKAR MANTRA
The Navkār mantra is the fundamental prayer of Jainism and may be recited at any time. In this mantra, Jains worship the qualities (Gunas) of the spiritually supreme in order to attain Godhood. The prayer does not name any one particular person. In Jainism, the purpose of worship or prayer is to break the barriers of worldly attachments and desires and to assist in the liberation of the soul.
FASTING
Most Jains fast throughout the year, particularly during festivals (fasting in Jainism). This takes on various forms and may be practiced based on one's ability. Some examples include: eating only one or two meals per day, drinking only water all day, not eating after sunset, not eating processed foods, eating food without sugar/oil/salt. Two purposes of fasting are to exercise self-control and to clear the mind to devote more mental energy to prayer.
MEDITATION
Jains have developed a type of meditation called samayika, a term derived from the word samaya. The goal of Samayika is to achieve a feeling of perfect calmness and to understand the unchanging truth of the self. Such meditation is based on contemplation of the universe and the reincarnation of self. Samayika is particularly important during the Paryushana religious festival. It is believed that meditation will assist in managing and balancing one's passions. Great emphasis is placed on the internal control of thoughts, as they influence behavior, actions and goals.
Jains follow six duties known as avashyakas: samyika (practising serenity), chaturvimshati (praising the tirthankara), vandan (respecting teachers and monks), pratikramana (introspection), kayotsarga (stillness), and pratyakhyana (renunciation).
PHILOSOPHY
SOUL AND KARMA
According to Jains, souls are intrinsically pure and possess the qualities of infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss and infinite energy in their ideal state. In reality, however, these qualities are found to be obstructed due to the soul's association with a substance called karma. The ultimate goal in Jainism is to obtain moksha, which means liberation or salvation of the soul completely freeing it from karmic bondage.
The relationship between the soul and karma is explained by the analogy of gold. Gold is always found mixed with impurities in its natural state. Similarly, the ideal, pure state of the soul is always mixed with the impurities of karma. Just like gold, purification of the soul may be achieved if the proper methods of refining are applied. The Jain karmic theory is used to attach responsibility to individual action and is cited to explain inequalities, sufferings and pain.
THREE GEMS
The following three gems of Jainism lay down the path to achieve liberation of the soul (moksha).
1. Right View (Samyak Darshana) - Having the right perception and seeking the truth while avoiding preconceptions that get in the way of seeing things clearly.
2, Right Knowledge (Samyak Gyana) - Having the right knowledge of Jain principles.
3. Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) - Applying Jain principles to your life.
TATTVA
Jain metaphysics is based on seven or nine fundamentals which are known as tattva, which attempt to explain the nature of the human predicament and to provide solutions for the ultimate goal of liberation of the soul (moksha):
1. Jīva: The essence of living beings is called jiva, a substance which is different from the body that houses it. Consciousness, knowledge and perception are its fundamental attributes.
2. Ajīva: Non-living entities that consist of matter, space and time.
3. Asrava: The interaction between jīva and ajīva causes the influx of karma (a particular form of ajiva) into the soul.
4. Bandha: The karma masks the jiva and restricts it from having its true potential of perfect knowledge and perception.
5. Saṃvara: Through right conduct, it is possible to stop the influx of additional karma.
6. Nirjarā: By performing asceticism, it is possible to discard the existing karma.
7. Mokṣa: The liberated jiva which has removed its karma and is said to have the pure, intrinsic quality of perfect knowledge and perception.
Some authors add two additional categories: the meritorious (puńya) and demeritorious (pāpa) acts related to karma.
SYATVADA
Syādvāda is the doctrine extending from non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda). This recommends the expression of anekānta by prefixing the epithet Syād to every phrase or expression. The Sanskrit etymological root of the term syād is "perhaps" or "maybe", but in the context of syādvāda it means "in some ways" or "from some perspective." As reality is complex, no single proposition can express its full nature. The term syāt- should therefore be prefixed to each proposition, giving it a conditional point of view and thus removing dogmatism from the statement. There are seven conditioned propositions (saptibhaṅgī) in syādvāda as follows:
1. syād-asti—in some ways, it is;
2. syād-nāsti—in some ways, it is not;
3. syād-asti-nāsti—in some ways, it is, and it is not;
4. syād-asti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is, and it is indescribable;
5. syād-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is not, and it is indescribable;
6. syād-asti-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is, it is not, and it is indescribable;
7. syād-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is indescribable.
Each of these seven propositions examines the complex and multifaceted nature of reality from a relative point of view of time, space, substance and mode. To ignore the complexity of reality is to commit the fallacy of dogmatism.
Nayavāda is the theory of partial standpoints or viewpoints. Nayavāda is a compound of two Sanskrit words: naya ("partial viewpoint") and vada ("school of thought or debate"). It is used to arrive at a certain inference from a point of view. Every object has infinite aspects, but when we describe one in practice, we speak only of relevant aspects and ignore the irrelevant. Nayavāda holds that philosophical disputes arise out of confusion of standpoints, and the standpoints we adopt are "the outcome of purposes that we may pursue"— although we may not realize it. While operating within the limits of language and perceiving the complex nature of reality, Māhavīra used the language of nayas. Naya, being a partial expression of truth, enables us to comprehend reality part by part.
Non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda) is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Only Kevalins (omniscient beings) can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge. Accordingly, no single, specific, human view can claim to represent absolute truth.
HISTORY
ORIGINS
The origins of Jainism are obscure. Jainism is a philosophy of eternity,. According to Jain time cycle, in each half of the time cycle, twenty-four great humans rise to the level of tirthankaras and show humans the true path to salvation. Therefore, they are also called human spiritual guides. Parshvanatha, predecessor of Mahāvīra and the twenty-third tirthankara was a historical figure. He lived somewhere in the 9th–7th century BC. Followers of Pārśva are mentioned in the canonical books; and a legend in the Uttarādhyayana sūtra relates a meeting between a disciple of Pārśva and a disciple of Mahāvīra which brought about the union of the old and the new Jain teachings.
During the 5th or 6th century BC, Vardhamana Mahāvīra became one of the most influential teachers of Jainism. Jains revere him as twenty-forth tirthankara and regard him as the last of the great tīrthankaras of this era. He appears in the tradition as one who, from the beginning, had followed a religion established long ago.
UNIVERSAL HISTORY
According to Jain legends, sixty-three illustrious beings called Salakapurusas have appeared on earth. The Jain universal history is a compilation of the deeds of these illustrious persons. They comprise twenty-four tīrthaṅkaras, twelve chakravartins, nine baladevas, nine vāsudevas and nine prativāsudevas.
A chakravarti is an emperor of the world and lord of the material realm. Though he possesses worldly power, he often finds his ambitions dwarfed by the vastness of the cosmos. Jain puranas give a list of twelve chakravartins. They are golden in complexion. One of the greatest chakravartin mentioned in Jain scriptures is Bharata. Traditions say that India came to be known as Bharatavarsha in his memory.
There are nine sets of baladeva, vāsudeva and prativāsudeva. Certain Digambara texts refer to them as balabhadra, narayana and pratinarayana, respectively. The origin of this list of brothers can be traced to the Jinacaritra by Bhadrabahu (c. 3rd–4th century BCE). Baladeva are non-violent heroes, vasudeva are violent heroes and prativāsudeva can be described as villains. According to the legends, the vasudeva ultimately kill the prativasudeva. Of the nine baladeva, eight attain liberation and the last goes to heaven. The vasudeva go to hell on account of their violent exploits, even if these were intended to uphold righteousness.
ROYAL PATRONAGE
The ancient city Pithunda, capital of Kalinga (modern Odisha), is described in the Jain text Uttaradhyana Sutra as an important centre at the time of Mahāvīra, and was frequented by merchants from Champa. Rishabha, the first tirthankara, was revered and worshiped in Pithunda and is known as the Kalinga Jina. Mahapadma Nanda (c. 450–362 BCE) conquered Kalinga and took a statue of Rishabha from Pithunda to his capital in Magadha. Jainism is said to have flourished under the Nanda Empire.
The Maurya Empire came to power after the downfall of the Nanda. The first Mauryan emperor, Chandragupta Maurya (c. 322–298 BCE), became a Jain in the latter part of his life. He was a disciple of Bhadrabahu, a Jain acharya who was responsible for propagation of Jainism in South India. The Mauryan king Ashoka was converted to Buddhism and his pro-Buddhist policy subjugated the Jains of Kalinga. Ashoka's grandson Samprati (c. 224–215 BCE) is said to have converted to Jainism by a Jain monk named Suhasti. He is known to have erected many Jain temples. He ruled a place called Ujjain.
In the 1st century BCE, Emperor Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana dynasty of Kalinga conquered Magadha. He retrieved Rishabha's statue and installed it in Udaygiri, near his capital Shishupalgadh. Kharavela was responsible for the propagation of Jainism across the Indian subcontinent.
Xuanzang (629–645 CE), a Chinese traveller, notes that there were numerous Jains present in Kalinga during his time. The Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves near Bhubaneswar, Odisha are the only surviving stone Jain monuments in Orissa.
King Vanaraja (c. 720–780 CE) of the Chawda dynasty in northern Gujarat was raised by a Jain monk Silunga Suri. He supported Jainism during his rule. The king of kannauj Ama (c. 8th century CE) was converted to Jainism by Bappabhatti, a disciple of famous Jain monk Siddhasena Divakara. Bappabhatti also converted Vakpati, the friend of Ama who authored a famous prakrit epic named Gaudavaho.
TAMIL NADU
Jainism flourished in Tamil Nadu at least as early as the Sangam period. Tamil Jain tradition places their origins are much earlier. The Ramayana mentions that Rama paid homage to Jaina monks living in South India on his way to Sri Lanka.
DECLINE
Once a major religion, Jainism declined due to a number of factors, including proselytising by other religious groups, persecution, withdrawal of royal patronage, sectarian fragmentation and the absence of central leadership. Since the time of Mahavira, Jainism faced rivalry with Buddhism and the various Hindu sects. The Jains suffered isolated violent persecutions by these groups, but the main factor responsible for the decline of their religion was the success of Hindu reformist movements. Around the 7th century, Shaivism saw considerable growth at the expense of Jainism due to the efforts of the Shaivite poets like Sambandar and Appar. Around the 8th century CE, the Hindu philosophers Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and Adi Shankara tried to restore the orthodox Vedic religion.
Royal patronage has been a key factor in the growth as well as decline of Jainism. The Pallava king Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) converted from Jainism to Shaivism under the influence of Appar. His work Mattavilasa Prahasana ridicules certain Shaiva sects and the Buddhists and also expresses contempt towards Jain ascetics. Sambandar converted the contemporary Pandya king back to Shaivism. During the 11th century Brahmana Basava, a minister to the Jain king Bijjala, succeeded in converting numerous Jains to the Lingayat Shaivite sect. The Lingayats destroyed various temples belonging to Jains and adapted them to their use. The Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana (c. 1108–1152 CE) became a follower of the Vaishnava sect under the influence of Ramanuja, after which Vaishnavism grew rapidly in the present-day Karnataka. As the Hindu sects grew, the Jains compromised by following Hindu rituals and customs and invoking Hindu deities in Jain literature.
There are several legends about the mass massacre of Jains in the ancient times. The Buddhist king Ashoka (304-232 BCE) is said to have ordered killings of 18,000 Jains or Ajivikas after someone drew a picture of Buddha bowing at the feet of Mahavira. The Shaivite king Koon Pandiyan, who briefly converted to Jainism, is said to have ordered a massacre of 8,000 Jains after his re-conversion to Shaivism. However, these legends are not found in the Jain texts, and appear to be fabricated propaganda by Buddhists and Shaivites. Such stories of destruction of one sect by another sect were common at the time, and were used as a way to prove the superiority of one sect over the other. There are stories about a Jain king of Kanchi persecuting the Buddhists in a similar way. Another such legend about Vishnuvardhana ordering the Jains to be crushed in an oil mill doesn't appear to be historically true.
The decline of Jainism continued after the Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent. The Muslims rulers, such as Mahmud Ghazni (1001), Mohammad Ghori (1175) and Ala-ud-din Muhammed Shah Khilji (1298) further oppressed the Jain community. They vandalised idols and destroyed temples or converted them into mosques. They also burned the Jain books and killed Jains. Some conversions were peaceful, however; Pir Mahabir Khamdayat (c. 13th century CE) is well known for his peaceful propagation of Islam. The Jains also enjoyed amicable relations with the rulers of the tributary Hindu kingdoms during this period; however, their number and influence had diminished significantly due to their rivalry with the Shaivite and the Vaisnavite sects.
For long periods of time, Jainism was widely adopted in the Indian subcontinent. The religion has been in decline since the 8th century AD due to the growth of, and oppression by other religions.
COSMOLOGY
Jain beliefs postulate that the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. It is independent and self-sufficient, and does not require any superior power to govern it. Elaborate description of the shape and function of the physical and metaphysical universe, and its constituents, is provided in the canonical Jain texts, in commentaries and in the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks. The early Jains contemplated the nature of the earth and universe and developed detailed hypotheses concerning various aspects of astronomy and cosmology.
According to the Jain texts, the universe is divided into three parts, the upper, middle, and lower worlds, called respectively urdhva loka, madhya loka, and adho loka. It is made up of six constituents: Jīva, the living entity; Pudgala, matter; Dharma tattva, the substance responsible for motion; Adharma tattva, the substance responsible for rest; Akāśa, space; and Kāla, time.
WHEEL OF TIME
According to Jainism, time is beginningless and eternal; the cosmic wheel of time, called kālachakra, rotates ceaselessly. It is divided into halves, called utsarpiṇī and avasarpiṇī. Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity, where happiness increases, while avasarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality. According to Jain cosmology, currently we are in the 5th ara, Duḥṣama (read as Dukhma). As of 2015, exactly 2,539 years have elapsed and 18,461 years are still left. It is an age of sorrow and misery. The maximum age a person can live to in this ara is not more than 200 years. The average height of people in this ara is six feet tall. No liberation is possible, although people practice religion in lax and diluted form. At the end of this ara, even the Jain religion will disappear, only to appear again with the advent of 1st Tirthankara in the next cycle.
JAIN COMMUNITY
DEMOGRAPHICS
The majority of Jains currently reside in India. With 5 million followers, Jainism is relatively small compared to major world religions. Jains live throughout India, with the largest populations concentrated in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu also have significant Jain populations. Outside India, large Jain communities can be found in the United States and Europe. Several Jain temples have been built in both of these places. Smaller Jain communities also exist in Kenya and Canada.
Jains developed a system of philosophy and ethics that had a great impact on Indian culture. They have contributed to the culture and language in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
FESTIVALS
Paryushana is the most important annual event for Jains, and is usually celebrated in August or September. It lasts 8–10 days and is a time when lay people increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting, study and prayer/meditation to help. The five main vows are emphasized during this time. There are no set rules, and followers are encouraged to practice according to their ability and desires. The last day involves a focused prayer/meditation session known as Samvatsari Pratikramana. At the conclusion of the festival, followers request forgiveness from others for any offenses committed during the last year. Forgiveness is asked by saying "Micchami Dukkadam" to others, which means "If I have caused you offence in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." The literal meaning of Paryushana is "abiding" or "coming together."
Mahāvīra Jayanti, the Janam (birth) of Mahāvīra, the last tirthankara, is usually celebrated in late March or early April based on the lunar calendar.
Diwali is a festival that marks the anniversary of attainment of Nirvana of Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain Tirthankar of this era. It is celebrated at the same time as the Hindu festival of Diwali. Diwali is celebrated in an atmosphere of austerity, simplicity, serenity, equity, calmness, charity, philanthropy and environment-consciousness. Jain temples, homes, offices, shops are decorated with lights and diyas. The lights are symbolic of knowledge or removal of ignorance. Sweets are often distributed to each other. The new Jain year starts right after Diwali.
RITUALS
There are many Jain rituals including ones involving idol worshiping, depending on the sect. One example related to the five life events of tirthankara called the Panch Kalyanaka are rituals such as the panch kalyanaka pratishtha, panch kalyanaka puja, and snatra puja.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Jainism has contributed significantly to Indian art and architecture. Jains mainly depict tirthankara or other important people in a seated or standing meditative posture. Yakshas and yakshinis, attendant spirits who guard the tirthankara, are usually shown with them. Figures on various seals from the Indus Valley Civilisation bear similarity to Jain images, nude and in a meditative posture. The earliest known Jain image is in the Patna museum. It is approximately dated to the 3rd century BCE. Bronze images of Pārśva, can be seen in the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, and in the Patna museum; these are dated to the 2nd century BCE. A sandalwood sculpture of Mahāvīra was carved during his lifetime, according to tradition. Later the practice of making images of wood was abandoned, other materials being substituted.
Remnants of ancient Jain temples and cave temples can be found all around India. Notable among these are the Jain caves at Udaigiri Hills near Bhelsa(Vidisha) in Madhya Pradesh and Ellora in Maharashtra, and the Jain temples at Dilwara near Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The Jain tower in Chittor, Rajasthan is a good example of Jain architecture. Decorated manuscripts are preserved in Jain libraries, containing diagrams from Jain cosmology. Most of the paintings and illustrations depict historical events, known as Panch Kalyanaka, from the life of the tirthankara. Rishabha, the first tirthankara, is usually depicted in either the lotus position or kayotsarga, the standing position. He is distinguished from other tirthankara by the long locks of hair falling to his shoulders. Bull images also appear in his sculptures. In paintings, incidents of his life, like his marriage and Indra's marking his forehead, are depicted. Other paintings show him presenting a pottery bowl to his followers; he is also seen painting a house, weaving, and being visited by his mother Marudevi. Each of the twenty-four tirthankara is associated with distinctive emblems, which are listed in such texts as Tiloyapannati, Kahavaali and Pravacanasaarodhara.
There are 26 caves, 200 stone beds, 60 inscriptions and over 100 sculptures in and around Madurai. It was in Madurai that Acharya Bhutapali wrote the Shatkhandagama. This is also the site where Jain ascetics of yesteryear wrote great epics and books on grammar in Tamil.
The Sittanavasal cave temple is regarded as one of the finest examples of Jain art. It is the oldest and most famous Jain centre in the region. It possesses both an early Jain cave shelter, and a medieval rock-cut temple with excellent fresco paintings of par excellence comparable to Ajantha paintings; the steep hill contains an isolated but spacious cavern. Locally, this cavern is known as Eladipattam, a name that is derived from the seven holes cut into the rock that serve as steps leading to the shelter. Within the cave there are seventeen stone beds aligned into rows, and each of these has a raised portion that could have served as a pillow-loft. The largest stone bed has a distinct Tamil- Bramhi inscription assignable to the 2nd century B.C., and some inscriptions belonging to 8th century B.C. are also found on the nearby beds. The Sittannavasal cavern continued to be the "Holy Sramana Abode" until the seventh and eighth centuries. Inscriptions over the remaining stone beds name mendicants such as Tol kunrattu Kadavulan, Tirunilan, Tiruppuranan, Tittaicharanan, Sri Purrnacandran, Thiruchatthan, Ilangowthaman, sri Ulagathithan and Nityakaran Pattakali as monks.
The 8th century Kazhugumalai temple marks the revival of Jainism in South India.
A monolithic, 18 m statue of Bahubali referred to as "Gommateshvara", built by the Ganga minister and commander Chavundaraya, is situated on a hilltop in Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state. This statue was voted by Indians the first of the Times of India's list of seven wonders of India.
A large number of ayagapata, votive tablets for offerings and the worship of tirthankara, were found at Mathura.[
RECEPTION
NEGATIVE
Like all religions, Jainism is criticized and praised for some of its practices and beliefs. A holy fast to death in Jainism called sallekhana is a particular area of controversy. When a person feels that all his or her duties have been fulfilled, he or she may decide to gradually cease eating and drinking. This form of death (santhara) has been the center of controversy with some petitioning to make it illegal. Many Jains, on the other hand, see santhara as spiritual detachment requiring a great deal of spiritual accomplishment and maturity and a declaration that a person is finished with this world and has chosen to leave. Jains believe this allows one to achieve death with dignity and dispassion along with a great reduction of negative karma.
POSITIVE
Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Jainism. Jain principles that he adopted in his life were asceticism, compassion for all forms of life, the importance of vows for self-discipline, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance among people of different creeds.
Swami Vivekananda appreciated the role of Jainism in the development of Indian religious philosophy. In his words, he asks:
“ What could have saved Indian society from the ponderous burden of omnifarious ritualistic ceremonialism, with its animal and other sacrifices, which all but crushed the very life of it, except the Jain revolution which took its strong stand exclusively on chaste morals and philosophical truths?
WIKIPEDIA
“TROPHIES OF WAR-- Japanese implements of war, captured on Guadalcanal, are proudly exhibited by bearded Marine Private Frank Massaro, of Edgewater, N.J. The grotesque looking faces behind Massero are Nipponese gas masks, and the flag in his hands is a Japanese marine emblem.”
"Frank Masaro. He was of division intelligence section. Posing with some Japanese trophies."
----
From the Thayer Soule Collection (COLL/2266) at the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division
OFFICIAL USMC PHOTOGRAPH
Essay:
Earth's Transformation and the Random Implementation of Alien Technology
The Earth, once a vibrant planet teeming with diverse ecosystems, has undergone a drastic transformation. A severe environmental catastrophe has devastated the planet, leading to the evaporation of life-giving water into the vast expanse of space. The once-blue planet is now dominated by barren deserts, stretching across continents where oceans and forests once thrived. Humanity, on the brink of extinction, has been thrust into a desperate struggle for survival.
The catalyst for this environmental apocalypse was a combination of factors: uncontrolled industrial activity, rampant deforestation, and unchecked pollution. These human activities pushed Earth's climate system past a critical threshold, triggering a cascade of irreversible changes. The polar ice caps melted at unprecedented rates, causing sea levels to rise and then rapidly fall as water vapor escaped the atmosphere. Rainforests, which acted as the planet's lungs, were decimated, and the delicate balance of ecosystems collapsed. The result was a planet unrecognizable from its former self—a desolate wasteland where life struggled to find a foothold.
In this dire scenario, hope arrived in the form of alien technology—an unexpected boon that became humanity's lifeline. The origins of this technology remain shrouded in mystery. Some speculate it was discovered accidentally during deep-space explorations, while others believe it was gifted by a benevolent extraterrestrial civilization. Regardless of its origins, this advanced technology became the cornerstone of Earth's new survival strategy.
The alien technology enabled the creation of isolated oases in the vast desert expanses. These oases, shielded by energy fields and sustained by advanced atmospheric processors, mimic the lost ecosystems of old Earth. They generate and recycle water, maintain breathable air, and support agriculture, allowing small human communities to thrive. The technology also includes sophisticated climate control mechanisms that protect these fertile areas from the harsh desert environment.
The implementation of alien technology was a stroke of luck, a fortuitous discovery in humanity's darkest hour. Scientists and engineers, initially skeptical, soon realized the potential of these alien devices. Through trial and error, they managed to integrate this technology into the remnants of human civilization. This integration was not without its challenges—there were numerous failures and setbacks, but the resilience of the human spirit prevailed.
Life in these technologically sustained oases is a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounds them. Within the protective domes, greenery flourishes, and small bodies of water reflect the sky. Communities have adapted to this new way of living, embracing a lifestyle that is a blend of ancient survival techniques and futuristic technology. Education systems focus on maintaining and understanding the alien technology, ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from it.
The concept of 'Planet B' has taken on a new meaning. Instead of seeking a new home among the stars, humanity has been forced to redefine its existence on Earth—'Planet B' is Earth reborn, a new chapter after 'Planet A' vanished beneath the waves of environmental disaster. The Earth of today is a testament to human ingenuity and the unforeseen assistance of alien technology. It is a world where the line between science fiction and reality has blurred, and where survival hinges on the harmonious integration of alien and human advancements.
In conclusion, the transformation of Earth and the serendipitous implementation of alien technology have given rise to a new way of life. This new existence is fragile and fraught with challenges, but it is also a beacon of hope. The 'Cradle of the Desert' represents the resilience of life and the enduring quest for survival in the face of insurmountable odds.
Poem:
In deserts wide where oceans slept,
Beneath a sky where sorrow wept,
Alien whispers, silent, deep,
Brought life anew from restless sleep.
Once blue and green, now dust and bone,
Our planet’s heart, a hollow tone,
Yet through the sands, technology,
Revived the hope for you and me.
In domes of light, we plant our dreams,
Where water flows in gentle streams,
Alien hands unseen, yet kind,
Breathe life back to a world confined.
From barren waste to fertile land,
A future forged by chance and hand,
Cradle of the Desert, bright,
Guides us through this endless night.
Haikus:
Alien whispers,
Oases bloom in deserts,
Hope in arid lands.
Earth’s rebirth at hand,
Technology’s gentle touch,
Life in barren sands.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aswan_Dam
The Aswan Dam, or more specifically since the 1960s, the Aswan High Dam, is the world's largest embankment dam, which was built across the Nile in Aswan, Egypt, between 1960 and 1970. Its significance largely eclipsed the previous Aswan Low Dam initially completed in 1902 downstream. Based on the success of the Low Dam, then at its maximum utilization, construction of the High Dam became a key objective of the government following the Egyptian Revolution of 1952; with its ability to better control flooding, provide increased water storage for irrigation and generate hydroelectricity, the dam was seen as pivotal to Egypt's planned industrialization. Like the earlier implementation, the High Dam has had a significant effect on the economy and culture of Egypt.
Before the High Dam was built, even with the old dam in place, the annual flooding of the Nile during late summer had continued to pass largely unimpeded down the valley from its East African drainage basin. These floods brought high water with natural nutrients and minerals that annually enriched the fertile soil along its floodplain and delta; this predictability had made the Nile valley ideal for farming since ancient times. However, this natural flooding varied, since high-water years could destroy the whole crop, while low-water years could create widespread drought and consequently famine. Both these events had continued to occur periodically. As Egypt's population grew and technology increased, both a desire and the ability developed to completely control the flooding, and thus both protect and support farmland and its economically important cotton crop. With the greatly increased reservoir storage provided by the High Aswan Dam, the floods could be controlled and the water could be stored for later release over multiple years.
The Aswan Dam was designed by the Moscow-based Hydroproject Institute.
The earliest recorded attempt to build a dam near Aswan was in the 11th century, when the Arab polymath and engineer Ibn al-Haytham (known as Alhazen in the West) was summoned to Egypt by the Fatimid Caliph, Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah, to regulate the flooding of the Nile, a task requiring an early attempt at an Aswan Dam. His field work convinced him of the impracticality of this scheme.
The British began construction of the first dam across the Nile in 1898. Construction lasted until 1902 and the dam was opened on 10 December 1902. The project was designed by Sir William Willcocks and involved several eminent engineers, including Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Aird, whose firm, John Aird & Co., was the main contractor.
In 1952, the Greek-Egyptian engineer Adrian Daninos began to develop the plan of the new Aswan Dam. Although the Low Dam was almost overtopped in 1946, the government of King Farouk showed no interest in Daninos's plans. Instead the Nile Valley Plan by the British hydrologist Harold Edwin Hurst was favored, which proposed to store water in Sudan and Ethiopia, where evaporation is much lower. The Egyptian position changed completely after the overthrow of the monarchy, led by the Free Officers Movement including Gamal Abdel Nasser. The Free Officers were convinced that the Nile Waters had to be stored in Egypt for political reasons, and within two months, the plan of Daninos was accepted. Initially, both the United States and the USSR were interested in helping development of the dam. Complications ensued due to their rivalry during the Cold War, as well as growing intra-Arab tensions.
In 1955, Nasser was claiming to be the leader of Arab nationalism, in opposition to the traditional monarchies, especially the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq following its signing of the 1955 Baghdad Pact. At that time the U.S. feared that communism would spread to the Middle East, and it saw Nasser as a natural leader of an anticommunist procapitalist Arab League. America and the United Kingdom offered to help finance construction of the High Dam, with a loan of $270 million, in return for Nasser's leadership in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict. While opposed to communism, capitalism, and imperialism, Nasser identified as a tactical neutralist, and sought to work with both the U.S. and the USSR for Egyptian and Arab benefit.[8] After the UN criticized a raid by Israel against Egyptian forces in Gaza in 1955, Nasser realized that he could not portray himself as the leader of pan-Arab nationalism if he could not defend his country militarily against Israel. In addition to his development plans, he looked to quickly modernize his military, and he turned first to the U.S. for aid.
American Secretary of State John Foster Dulles and President Dwight Eisenhower told Nasser that the U.S. would supply him with weapons only if they were used for defensive purposes and if he accepted American military personnel for supervision and training. Nasser did not accept these conditions, and consulted the USSR for support.
Although Dulles believed that Nasser was only bluffing and that the USSR would not aid Nasser, he was wrong: the USSR promised Nasser a quantity of arms in exchange for a deferred payment of Egyptian grain and cotton. On 27 September 1955, Nasser announced an arms deal, with Czechoslovakia acting as a middleman for the Soviet support. Instead of attacking Nasser for turning to the Soviets, Dulles sought to improve relations with him. In December 1955, the US and the UK pledged $56 and $14 million, respectively, toward construction of the High Aswan Dam.
Though the Czech arms deal created an incentive for the US to invest at Aswan, the UK cited the deal as a reason for repealing its promise of dam funds. Dulles was angered more by Nasser's diplomatic recognition of China, which was in direct conflict with Dulles's policy of containment of communism.
Several other factors contributed to the US deciding to withdraw its offer of funding for the dam. Dulles believed that the USSR would not fulfil its commitment of military aid. He was also irritated by Nasser's neutrality and attempts to play both sides of the Cold War. At the time, other Western allies in the Middle East, including Turkey and Iraq, were resentful that Egypt, a persistently neutral country, was being offered so much aid.
In June 1956, the Soviets offered Nasser $1.12 billion at 2% interest for the construction of the dam. On 19 July the U.S. State Department announced that American financial assistance for the High Dam was "not feasible in present circumstances."
On 26 July 1956, with wide Egyptian acclaim, Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal that included fair compensation for the former owners. Nasser planned on the revenues generated by the canal to help fund construction of the High Dam. When the Suez War broke out, the United Kingdom, France, and Israel seized the canal and the Sinai. But pressure from the U.S. and the USSR at the United Nations and elsewhere forced them to withdraw.
In 1958, the USSR proceeded to provide support for the High Dam project.
In the 1950s, archaeologists began raising concerns that several major historical sites, including the famous temple of Abu Simbel were about to be submerged by waters collected behind the dam. A rescue operation began in 1960 under UNESCO
Despite its size, the Aswan project has not materially hurt the Egyptian balance of payments. The three Soviet credits covered virtually all of the project's foreign exchange requirements, including the cost of technical services, imported power generating and transmission equipment and some imported equipment for land reclamation. Egypt was not seriously burdened by payments on the credits, most of which were extended for 12 years with interest at the very low rate of 2-1/2%. Repayments to the USSR constituted only a small net drain during the first half of the 1960s, and increased export earnings derived from crops grown on newly reclaimed land have largely offset the modest debt service payments in recent years. During 1965–70, these export earnings amounted to an estimated $126 million, compared with debt service payments of $113 million.
A central pylon of the monument to Arab-Soviet Friendship. The memorial commemorates the completion of the Aswan High Dam. The coat of arms of the Soviet Union is on the left and the coat of arms of Egypt is on the right.
The Soviets also provided technicians and heavy machinery. The enormous rock and clay dam was designed by the Soviet Hydroproject Institute along with some Egyptian engineers. 25,000 Egyptian engineers and workers contributed to the construction of the dams.
Originally designed by West German and French engineers in the early 1950s and slated for financing with Western credits, the Aswan High Dam became the USSR's largest and most famous foreign aid project after the United States, the United Kingdom, and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) withdrew their support in 1956. The first Soviet loan of $100 million to cover construction of coffer dams for diversion of the Nile was extended in 1958. An additional $225 million was extended in 1960 to complete the dam and construct power-generating facilities, and subsequently about $100 million was made available for land reclamation. These credits of some $425 million covered only the foreign exchange costs of the project, including salaries of Soviet engineers who supervised the project and were responsible for the installation and testing of Soviet equipment. Actual construction, which began in 1960, was done by Egyptian companies on contract to the High Dam Authority, and all domestic costs were borne by the Egyptians. Egyptian participation in the venture has raised the construction industry's capacity and reputation significantly.
On the Egyptian side, the project was led by Osman Ahmed Osman's Arab Contractors. The relatively young Osman underbid his only competitor by one-half.
1960: Start of construction on 9 January
1964: First dam construction stage completed, reservoir started filling
1970: The High Dam, as-Sad al-'Aali, completed on 21 July[18]
1976: Reservoir reached capacity.
Specifications
The Aswan High Dam is 3,830 metres (12,570 ft) long, 980 m (3,220 ft) wide at the base, 40 m (130 ft) wide at the crest and 111 m (364 ft)[ tall. It contains 43,000,000 cubic metres (56,000,000 cu yd) of material. At maximum, 11,000 cubic metres per second (390,000 cu ft/s) of water can pass through the dam. There are further emergency spillways for an extra 5,000 cubic metres per second (180,000 cu ft/s), and the Toshka Canal links the reservoir to the Toshka Depression. The reservoir, named Lake Nasser, is 500 km (310 mi) long[20] and 35 km (22 mi) at its widest, with a surface area of 5,250 square kilometres (2,030 sq mi). It holds 132 cubic kilometres (1.73×1011 cu yd) of water.
Due to the absence of appreciable rainfall, Egypt's agriculture depends entirely on irrigation. With irrigation, two crops per year can be produced, except for sugar cane which has a growing period of almost one year.
The high dam at Aswan releases, on average, 55 cubic kilometres (45,000,000 acre⋅ft) water per year, of which some 46 cubic kilometres (37,000,000 acre⋅ft) are diverted into the irrigation canals.
In the Nile valley and delta, almost 336,000 square kilometres (130,000 sq mi) benefit from these waters producing on average 1.8 crops per year. The annual crop consumptive use of water is about 38 cubic kilometres (31,000,000 acre⋅ft). Hence, the overall irrigation efficiency is 38/46 = 0.826 or 83%. This is a relatively high irrigation efficiency. The field irrigation efficiencies are much less, but the losses are reused downstream. This continuous reuse accounts for the high overall efficiency.
The following table shows the distribution of irrigation water over the branch canals taking off from the one main irrigation canal, the Mansuriya Canal near Giza.
Branch canalWater delivery in m3/feddan *
Kafret Nasser4,700
Beni Magdul3,500
El Mansuria3,300
El Hammami upstream2,800
El Hammami downstream1,800
El Shimi1,200
* Period 1 March to 31 July. 1 feddan is 0.42 ha or about 1 acre.
* Data from the Egyptian Water Use Management Project (EWUP)
The salt concentration of the water in the Aswan reservoir is about 0.25 kilograms per cubic metre (0.42 lb/cu yd), a very low salinity level. At an annual inflow of 55 cubic kilometres (45,000,000 acre⋅ft), the annual salt influx reaches 14 million tons. The average salt concentration of the drainage water evacuated into the sea and the coastal lakes is 2.7 kilograms per cubic metre (4.6 lb/cu yd). At an annual discharge of 10 cubic kilometres (2.4 cu mi) (not counting the 2 kilograms per cubic metre [3.4 lb/cu yd] of salt intrusion from the sea and the lakes, see figure "Water balances"), the annual salt export reaches 27 million ton. In 1995, the output of salt was higher than the influx, and Egypt's agricultural lands were desalinizing. Part of this could be due to the large number of subsurface drainage projects executed in the last decades to control the water table and soil salinity.
Drainage through subsurface drains and drainage channels is essential to prevent a deterioration of crop yields from waterlogging and soil salinization caused by irrigation. By 2003, more than 20,000 square kilometres (7,700 sq mi) have been equipped with a subsurface drainage system and approximately 7.2 square kilometres (2.8 sq mi) of water is drained annually from areas with these systems. The total investment cost in agricultural drainage over 27 years from 1973 to 2002 was about $3.1 billion covering the cost of design, construction, maintenance, research and training. During this period 11 large-scale projects were implemented with financial support from World Bank and other donors.
Effects
The High Dam has resulted in protection from floods and droughts, an increase in agricultural production and employment, electricity production, and improved navigation that also benefits tourism. Conversely, the dam flooded a large area, causing the relocation of over 100,000 people. Many archaeological sites were submerged while others were relocated. The dam is blamed for coastline erosion, soil salinity, and health problems.
The assessment of the costs and benefits of the dam remains controversial decades after its completion. According to one estimate, the annual economic benefit of the High Dam immediately after its completion was LE 255 million, $587 million using the exchange rate in 1970 of $2.30 per LE 1): LE 140 million from agricultural production, LE 100 million from hydroelectric generation, LE 10 million from flood protection, and LE 5 million from improved navigation. At the time of its construction, total cost, including unspecified "subsidiary projects" and the extension of electric power lines, amounted to LE 450 million. Not taking into account the negative environmental and social effects of the dam, its costs are thus estimated to have been recovered within only two years. One observer notes: "The impacts of the Aswan High Dam have been overwhelmingly positive. Although the Dam has contributed to some environmental problems, these have proved to be significantly less severe than was generally expected, or currently believed by many people." Another observer disagreed and he recommended that the dam should be torn down. Tearing it down would cost only a fraction of the funds required for "continually combating the dam's consequential damage" and 500,000 hectares (1,900 sq mi) of fertile land could be reclaimed from the layers of mud on the bed of the drained reservoir. Samuel C. Florman wrote about the dam: "As a structure it is a success. But in its effect on the ecology of the Nile Basin – most of which could have been predicted – it is a failure".
Periodic floods and droughts have affected Egypt since ancient times. The dam mitigated the effects of floods, such as those in 1964, 1973, and 1988. Navigation along the river has been improved, both upstream and downstream of the dam. Sailing along the Nile is a favorite tourism activity, which is mainly done during the winter when the natural flow of the Nile would have been too low to allow navigation of cruise ships.[clarification needed] A new fishing industry has been created around Lake Nasser, though it is struggling due to its distance from any significant markets. The annual production was about 35 000 tons in the mid-1990s. Factories for the fishing industry and packaging have been set up near the Lake.
According to a 1971 CIA declassified report, Although the High Dam has not created ecological problems as serious as some observers have charged, its construction has brought economic losses as well as gains. These losses derive largely from the settling in dam's lake of the rich silt traditionally borne by the Nile. To date (1971), the main impact has been on the fishing industry. Egypt's Mediterranean catch, which once averaged 35,000-40,000 tons annually, has shrunk to 20,000 tons or less, largely because the loss of plankton nourished by the silt has eliminated the sardine population in Egyptian waters. Fishing in high dam's lake may in time at least partly offset the loss of saltwater fish, but only the most optimistic estimates place the eventual catch as high as 15,000-20,000 tons. Lack of continuing silt deposits at the mouth of the river also has contributed to a serious erosion problem. Commercial fertilizer requirements and salination and drainage difficulties, already large in perennially irrigated areas of Lower and Middle Egypt, will be somewhat increased in Upper Egypt by the change to perennial irrigation.
The dams also protected Egypt from the droughts in 1972–73 and 1983–87 that devastated East and West Africa. The High Dam allowed Egypt to reclaim about 2.0 million feddan (840,000 hectares) in the Nile Delta and along the Nile Valley, increasing the country's irrigated area by a third. The increase was brought about both by irrigating what used to be desert and by bringing under cultivation of 385,000 hectares (950,000 acres) that were previously used as flood retention basins. About half a million families were settled on these new lands. In particular the area under rice and sugar cane cultivation increased. In addition, about 1 million feddan (420,000 hectares), mostly in Upper Egypt, were converted from flood irrigation with only one crop per year to perennial irrigation allowing two or more crops per year. On other previously irrigated land, yields increased because water could be made available at critical low-flow periods. For example, wheat yields in Egypt tripled between 1952 and 1991 and better availability of water contributed to this increase. Most of the 32 km3 of freshwater, or almost 40 percent of the average flow of the Nile that were previously lost to the sea every year could be put to beneficial use. While about 10 km3 of the water saved is lost due to evaporation in Lake Nasser, the amount of water available for irrigation still increased by 22 km3. Other estimates put evaporation from Lake Nasser at between 10 and 16 cubic km per year.
Electricity production
The dam powers twelve generators each rated at 175 megawatts (235,000 hp), with a total of 2.1 gigawatts (2,800,000 hp). Power generation began in 1967. When the High Dam first reached peak output it produced around half of Egypt's production of electric power (about 15 percent by 1998), and it gave most Egyptian villages the use of electricity for the first time. The High Dam has also improved the efficiency and the extension of the Old Aswan Hydropower stations by regulating upstream flows.
All High Dam power facilities were completed ahead of schedule. 12 turbines were installed and tested, giving the plant an installed capacity of 2,100 megawatts (MW), or more than twice the national total in 1960. With this capacity, the Aswan plant can produce 10 billion kWh of energy yearly. Two 500-kilovolt trunk lines to Cairo have been completed, and initial transmission problems, stemming mainly from poor insulators, were solved. Also, the damage inflicted on a main transformer station in 1968 by Israeli commandos has been repaired, and the Aswan plant is fully integrated with the power network in Lower Egypt. By 1971 estimation, Power output at Aswan, won't reach much more than half of the plant's theoretical capacity, because of limited water supplies and the differing seasonal water-use patterns for irrigation and power production. Agricultural demand for water in the summer far exceeds the amount needed to meet the comparatively low summer demand for electric power. Heavy summer irrigation use, however, will leave insufficient water under Egyptian control to permit hydroelectric power production at full capacity in the winter. Technical studies indicate that a maximum annual output of 5 billion kWh appears to be all that can be sustained due to fluctuations in Nile flows.
Resettlement and compensations
In Sudan, 50,000 to 70,000 Sudanese Nubians were moved from the old town of Wadi Halfa and its surrounding villages. Some were moved to a newly created settlement on the shore of Lake Nasser called New Wadi Halfa, and some were resettled approximately 700 kilometres (430 mi) south to the semi-arid Butana plain near the town of Khashm el-Girba up the Atbara River. The climate there had a regular rainy season as opposed to their previous desert habitat in which virtually no rain fell. The government developed an irrigation project, called the New Halfa Agricultural Development Scheme to grow cotton, grains, sugar cane and other crops. The Nubians were resettled in twenty five planned villages that included schools, medical facilities, and other services, including piped water and some electrification.
In Egypt, the majority of the 50,000 Nubians were moved three to ten kilometers from the Nile near Edna and Kom Ombo, 45 kilometers (28 mi) downstream from Aswan in what was called "New Nubia". Housing and facilities were built for 47 village units whose relationship to each other approximated that in Old Nubia. Irrigated land was provided to grow mainly sugar cane.
In 2019–20, Egypt started to compensate the Nubians who lost their homes following the dam impoundment.
Archaeological sites
Twenty-two monuments and architectural complexes that were threatened by flooding from Lake Nasser, including the Abu Simbel temples, were preserved by moving them to the shores of the lake under the UNESCO Nubia Campaign. Also moved were Philae, Kalabsha and Amada.
These monuments were granted to countries that helped with the works:
The Debod temple to Madrid
The Temple of Dendur to the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York
The Temple of Taffeh to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden of Leiden
The Temple of Ellesyia to the Museo Egizio of Turin
These items were removed to the garden area of the Sudan National Museum of Khartoum:
The temple of Ramses II at Aksha
The temple of Hatshepsut at Buhen
The temple of Khnum at Kumma
The tomb of the Nubian prince Djehuti-hotep at Debeira
The temples of Dedwen and Sesostris III at Semna
The granite columns from the Faras Cathedral
A part of the paintings of the Faras Cathedral; the other part is in the National Museum of Warsaw.
The Temple of Ptah at Gerf Hussein had its free-standing section reconstructed at New Kalabsha, alongside the Temple of Kalabsha, Beit el-Wali, and the Kiosk of Qertassi.
The remaining archaeological sites, including the Buhen fort and the cemetery of Fadrus have been flooded by Lake Nasser.
Loss of sediments
Before the construction of the High Dam, the Nile deposited sediments of various particle size – consisting of fine sand, silt and clay – on fields in Upper Egypt through its annual flood, contributing to soil fertility. However, the nutrient value of the sediment has often been overestimated. 88 percent of the sediment was carried to the sea before the construction of the High Dam. The nutrient value added to the land by the sediment was only 6,000 tons of potash, 7,000 tons of phosphorus pentoxide and 17,000 tons of nitrogen. These amounts are insignificant compared to what is needed to reach the yields achieved today in Egypt's irrigation. Also, the annual spread of sediment due to the Nile floods occurred along the banks of the Nile. Areas far from the river which never received the Nile floods before are now being irrigated.
A more serious issue of trapping of sediment by the dam is that it has increased coastline erosion surrounding the Nile Delta. The coastline erodes an estimated 125–175 m (410–574 ft) per year.
Waterlogging and increase in soil salinity
Before the construction of the High Dam, groundwater levels in the Nile Valley fluctuated 8–9 m (26–30 ft) per year with the water level of the Nile. During summer when evaporation was highest, the groundwater level was too deep to allow salts dissolved in the water to be pulled to the surface through capillary action. With the disappearance of the annual flood and heavy year-round irrigation, groundwater levels remained high with little fluctuation leading to waterlogging. Soil salinity also increased because the distance between the surface and the groundwater table was small enough (1–2 m depending on soil conditions and temperature) to allow water to be pulled up by evaporation so that the relatively small concentrations of salt in the groundwater accumulated on the soil surface over the years. Since most of the farmland did not have proper subsurface drainage to lower the groundwater table, salinization gradually affected crop yields.[31] Drainage through sub-surface drains and drainage channels is essential to prevent a deterioration of crop yields from soil salinization and waterlogging. By 2003, more than 2 million hectares have been equipped with a subsurface drainage system at a cost from 1973 to 2002 of about $3.1 billion.
Health
Contrary to many predictions made prior to the Aswan High Dam construction and publications that followed, that the prevalence of schistosomiasis (bilharzia) would increase, it did not. This assumption did not take into account the extent of perennial irrigation that was already present throughout Egypt decades before the high dam closure. By the 1950s only a small proportion of Upper Egypt had not been converted from basin (low transmission) to perennial (high transmission) irrigation. Expansion of perennial irrigation systems in Egypt did not depend on the high dam. In fact, within 15 years of the high dam closure there was solid evidence that bilharzia was declining in Upper Egypt. S. haematobium has since disappeared altogether. Suggested reasons for this include improvements in irrigation practice. In the Nile Delta, schistosomiasis had been highly endemic, with prevalence in the villages 50% or higher for almost a century before. This was a consequence of the conversion of the Delta to perennial irrigation to grow long staple cotton by the British. This has changed. Large-scale treatment programmes in the 1990s using single-dose oral medication contributed greatly to reducing the prevalence and severity of S. mansoni in the Delta.
Other effects
Sediment deposited in the reservoir is lowering the water storage capacity of Lake Nasser. The reservoir storage capacity is 162 km3, including 31 km3 dead storage at the bottom of the lake below 147 m (482 ft) above sea level, 90 km3 live storage, and 41 km3 of storage for high flood waters above 175 m (574 ft) above sea level. The annual sediment load of the Nile is about 134 million tons. This means that the dead storage volume would be filled up after 300–500 years if the sediment accumulated at the same rate throughout the area of the lake. Obviously sediment accumulates much faster at the upper reaches of the lake, where sedimentation has already affected the live storage zone.
Before the construction of the High Dam, the 50,000 km (31,000 mi) of irrigation and drainage canals in Egypt had to be dredged regularly to remove sediments. After construction of the dam, aquatic weeds grew much faster in the clearer water, helped by fertilizer residues. The total length of the infested waterways was about 27,000 km (17,000 mi) in the mid-1990s. Weeds have been gradually brought under control by manual, mechanical and biological methods.
Mediterranean fishing and brackish water lake fishery declined after the dam was finished because nutrients that flowed down the Nile to the Mediterranean were trapped behind the dam. For example, the sardine catch off the Egyptian coast declined from 18,000 tons in 1962 to a mere 460 tons in 1968, but then gradually recovered to 8,590 tons in 1992. A scientific article in the mid-1990s noted that "the mismatch between low primary productivity and relatively high levels of fish production in the region still presents a puzzle to scientists."
A concern before the construction of the High Dam had been the potential drop in river-bed level downstream of the Dam as the result of erosion caused by the flow of sediment-free water. Estimates by various national and international experts put this drop at between and 2 and 10 meters (6.6 and 32.8 ft). However, the actual drop has been measured at 0.3–0.7 meters (0.98–2.30 ft), much less than expected.[30]
The red-brick construction industry, which consisted of hundreds of factories that used Nile sediment deposits along the river, has also been negatively affected. Deprived of sediment, they started using the older alluvium of otherwise arable land taking out of production up to 120 square kilometers (46 sq mi) annually, with an estimated 1,000 square kilometers (390 sq mi) destroyed by 1984 when the government prohibited, "with only modest success," further excavation. According to one source, bricks are now being made from new techniques which use a sand-clay mixture and it has been argued that the mud-based brick industry would have suffered even if the dam had not been built.
Because of the lower turbidity of the water sunlight penetrates deeper in the Nile water. Because of this and the increased presence of nutrients from fertilizers in the water, more algae grow in the Nile. This in turn increases the costs of drinking water treatment. Apparently few experts had expected that water quality in the Nile would actually decrease because of the High Dam.
Appraisal of the Project
Although it is moot whether the project constitutes the best use of the funds spent, the Aswan Dam project unquestionably is and will continue to be economically beneficial to Egypt. The project has been expensive and it took considerable time to complete, as is usually the case with large hydroelectric developments, But Egypt now has a valuable asset with a long life and low operating costs. Even so, the wisdom of concentrating one-third of domestic saving and most of available foreign aid on a slow growth project is questionable. Since 1960, GNP has grown 50%, but mainly as a result of other investment.
Egyptian authorities were well aware that equivalent gains in output could have been achieved more quickly and more cheaply by other means. A series of low dams, similar to the barrages now contemplated, was suggested by Egyptian engineers as a more economical means of achieving up to 2,000 mW of additional generating capacity, US and WorldBank agricultural experts had long recommended improved drainage, introduction of hybrid seeds, and other such low-cost alternatives to land reclamation as a means of increasing agricultural output, In other areas, most notably the once efficient cotton textile industry, investment was needed to forestall an output decline, Implementation of these and other alternatives has been postponed rather than precluded by the High Dam project.
However, the decision to concentrate Egyptian savings and energies on the Aswan project for a decade was heavily based on non-economic factors. Nasser undoubtedly believed that a project of considerable symbolic appeal was needed to mobilize the population behind the government's economic goals, He also apparently felt that the East and West would be more easily persuaded to bid against each other for a project of this scope.
The Aswan High Dam made an appreciable contribution to Egyptian GNP, however the returns were well below what the planners had anticipated. The principal limiting factors on the High Dam's contribution to Egyptian output are a shortage of land suitable for reclamation, the high cost and long time required to bring reclaimed land to full productivity, and an inadequate water supply to meet power and irrigation goals simultaneously. The last limitation arises in part from the allocation in a 1959 agreement of more water to Sudan than was originally foreseen and in part from differences in the seasonal demand pattern of agriculture and the hydroelectric plant for the water. Irrigation requires very heavy use of water during summer months, while power generation needs peak during the winter. Ecological problems created by the dam, most of which were anticipated, have not seriously harmed the economy, although a few minor industries have been damaged.
The dam is, nonetheless, a viable project. Eventually the contribution to GNP equals as much as 20% of total investment. Moreover, the dam and associated projects provided returns that at least offset the cost of operation, repayment of foreign loans and amortisation of domestic loans.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry sits with State Department Chief of Staff Jon Finer at the Palais Coburg Hotel in Vienna, Austria, on January 16, 2016, as they conduct final negotiations before the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action outlining the shape of Iran's nuclear program. [State Department Photo/Public Domain]
Designer: Lei Zhuhua (雷著华), Lin Shoukang (林寿康)
1982
Earnestly study, propagate and implement the spirit of the 12th Party Plenum!
Renzhen xuexi, xuanchuan guanche shi'erda jingshen (认真学习、宣传、贯彻十二大精神！)
Call nr.: BG E37/818 (Landsberger collection)
More? See: chineseposters.net
Colombia, 2022.
The Peace Agreement in Colombia, signed in 2016 between the Government and the guerrilla group FARC-EP, put an end to the longest war in Latin America.
Six years later, more than 13,000 ex-combatants, a third of which are women, continue to face daily challenges resulting from their reintegration into civil life. The country's new government has generated momentum both domestically and internationally towards the reactivation of the women, peace and security agenda, emphasizing the importance of the reintegration process to achieve a stable peace.
Since its inception, the Peace Agreement has included a gender approach as an indispensable condition for its implementation. Women ex-combatants have enthusiastically embraced new roles as mothers, entrepreneurs, students, citizens and political leaders. However, their lives are still full of challenges related to their physical, legal and political security; educational and economic opportunities; and access to specialized health services, among others. These conditions are key for a successful reintegration.
UN Women, together with governmental and civil society actors, supports this process with actions that strengthen women's citizenship, political leadership and economic empowerment, as well as prevent gender violence and build new masculinities among male ex-combatants. Nearly 3,000 women in 11 regions of the country benefit from these programs, allowing them to strengthen their role as peacebuilders.
Pictured: Gladys Acevedo is the mother of a soldier killed in the context of the war in Colombia. She founded FUNCOES, along with other victims, an organization that works on reconciliation and peace in the territories.
Photo: UN Women/Pedro Pio
Read More: www.unwomen.org/en/news-stories/video/2022/10/the-reinteg...
Seen at Melbourne, East Yorkshire 08-05-16. Any suggestions as to what it is would be gratefully appreciated. Old disc harrow maybe?
Newcastle Civic Centre is a municipal building in the Haymarket area of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Designed by George Kenyon, the centre was built for Newcastle City Council in 1967 and formally opened by King Olav V of Norway on 14 November 1968. It is a listed building with Grade II* status and is the joint-eighth tallest building in the city, standing at a total of 200 feet (61 m).
History
Plans to build a new city hall on the site at Barras Bridge had been proposed prior to the outbreak of the Second World War, to the point of holding an architectural competition, although these were halted by the war; and due to post-war restrictions on capital expenditure, it was not until August 1956 that authorisation to begin construction was granted. During the interim period, the demolition of houses and a former Eye Hospital on the intended site was implemented. The building was designed by the city architect, George Kenyon.
The construction work, which was undertaken by Sir Robert McAlpine, commenced on the building in May 1960, and the foundation stone was laid by the Lord Mayor, Alderman Mrs Gladys Robson, on 30 November 1960. The total construction cost was £4,855,000. The building was completed in 1967 and was formally opened by King Olav V of Norway on 14 November 1968. Newcastle's Victorian Town Hall which stood in St Nicholas Square (between the Bigg Market and the Cloth Market) was demolished in 1973. On 6 May 1977, the Civic Centre was visited by the 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter, who delivered a speech famously containing the Geordie phrase "Howay the lads!" A stone commemorating the event was placed in the Civic Centre grounds.
The council leader's office was used as a filming location by a Japanese production team in 2014 for a drama set in 1960s Tokyo.
Sculpture and art works
The Civic Centre is also notable for its modern sculptures, in particular the "River God Tyne" and "Swans in Flight", both by David Wynne and the seahorses on the top of the tower by John Robert Murray McCheyne. The cashiers reception of the former rates hall, now the Customer Service Centre, has two abstract murals by Victor Pasmore.
Newcastle upon Tyne, or simply Newcastle is a cathedral city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is located on the River Tyne's northern bank, opposite Gateshead to the south. It is the most populous settlement in the Tyneside conurbation and North East England.
Newcastle developed around a Roman settlement called Pons Aelius, the settlement became known as Monkchester before taking on the name of a castle built in 1080 by William the Conqueror's eldest son, Robert Curthose. It was one of the world's largest ship building and repair centres during the industrial revolution. Newcastle was part of the county of Northumberland until 1400, when it separated and formed a county of itself. In 1974, Newcastle became part of Tyne and Wear. Since 2018, the city council has been part of the North of Tyne Combined Authority.
The history of Newcastle upon Tyne dates back almost 2,000 years, during which it has been controlled by the Romans, the Angles and the Norsemen amongst others. Newcastle upon Tyne was originally known by its Roman name Pons Aelius. The name "Newcastle" has been used since the Norman conquest of England. Due to its prime location on the River Tyne, the town developed greatly during the Middle Ages and it was to play a major role in the Industrial Revolution, being granted city status in 1882. Today, the city is a major retail, commercial and cultural centre.
Roman settlement
The history of Newcastle dates from AD 122, when the Romans built the first bridge to cross the River Tyne at that point. The bridge was called Pons Aelius or 'Bridge of Aelius', Aelius being the family name of Roman Emperor Hadrian, who was responsible for the Roman wall built across northern England along the Tyne–Solway gap. Hadrian's Wall ran through present-day Newcastle, with stretches of wall and turrets visible along the West Road, and at a temple in Benwell. Traces of a milecastle were found on Westgate Road, midway between Clayton Street and Grainger Street, and it is likely that the course of the wall corresponded to present-day Westgate Road. The course of the wall can be traced eastwards to the Segedunum Roman fort at Wallsend, with the fort of Arbeia down-river at the mouth of the Tyne, on the south bank in what is now South Shields. The Tyne was then a wider, shallower river at this point and it is thought that the bridge was probably about 700 feet (210 m) long, made of wood and supported on stone piers. It is probable that it was sited near the current Swing Bridge, due to the fact that Roman artefacts were found there during the building of the latter bridge. Hadrian himself probably visited the site in 122. A shrine was set up on the completed bridge in 123 by the 6th Legion, with two altars to Neptune and Oceanus respectively. The two altars were subsequently found in the river and are on display in the Great North Museum in Newcastle.
The Romans built a stone-walled fort in 150 to protect the river crossing which was at the foot of the Tyne Gorge, and this took the name of the bridge so that the whole settlement was known as Pons Aelius. The fort was situated on a rocky outcrop overlooking the new bridge, on the site of the present Castle Keep. Pons Aelius is last mentioned in 400, in a Roman document listing all of the Roman military outposts. It is likely that nestling in the shadow of the fort would have been a small vicus, or village. Unfortunately, no buildings have been detected; only a few pieces of flagging. It is clear that there was a Roman cemetery near Clavering Place, behind the Central station, as a number of Roman coffins and sarcophagi have been unearthed there.
Despite the presence of the bridge, the settlement of Pons Aelius was not particularly important among the northern Roman settlements. The most important stations were those on the highway of Dere Street running from Eboracum (York) through Corstopitum (Corbridge) and to the lands north of the Wall. Corstopitum, being a major arsenal and supply centre, was much larger and more populous than Pons Aelius.
Anglo-Saxon development
The Angles arrived in the North-East of England in about 500 and may have landed on the Tyne. There is no evidence of an Anglo-Saxon settlement on or near the site of Pons Aelius during the Anglo-Saxon age. The bridge probably survived and there may well have been a small village at the northern end, but no evidence survives. At that time the region was dominated by two kingdoms, Bernicia, north of the Tees and ruled from Bamburgh, and Deira, south of the Tees and ruled from York. Bernicia and Deira combined to form the kingdom of Northanhymbra (Northumbria) early in the 7th century. There were three local kings who held the title of Bretwalda – 'Lord of Britain', Edwin of Deira (627–632), Oswald of Bernicia (633–641) and Oswy of Northumbria (641–658). The 7th century became known as the 'Golden Age of Northumbria', when the area was a beacon of culture and learning in Europe. The greatness of this period was based on its generally Christian culture and resulted in the Lindisfarne Gospels amongst other treasures. The Tyne valley was dotted with monasteries, with those at Monkwearmouth, Hexham and Jarrow being the most famous. Bede, who was based at Jarrow, wrote of a royal estate, known as Ad Murum, 'at the Wall', 12 miles (19 km) from the sea. It is thought that this estate may have been in what is now Newcastle. At some unknown time, the site of Newcastle came to be known as Monkchester. The reason for this title is unknown, as we are unaware of any specific monasteries at the site, and Bede made no reference to it. In 875 Halfdan Ragnarsson, the Danish Viking conqueror of York, led an army that attacked and pillaged various monasteries in the area, and it is thought that Monkchester was also pillaged at this time. Little more was heard of it until the coming of the Normans.
Norman period
After the arrival of William the Conqueror in England in 1066, the whole of England was quickly subjected to Norman rule. However, in Northumbria there was great resistance to the Normans, and in 1069 the newly appointed Norman Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Comines and 700 of his men were killed by the local population at Durham. The Northumbrians then marched on York, but William was able to suppress the uprising. That same year, a second uprising occurred when a Danish fleet landed in the Humber. The Northumbrians again attacked York and destroyed the garrison there. William was again able to suppress the uprising, but this time he took revenge. He laid waste to the whole of the Midlands and the land from York to the Tees. In 1080, William Walcher, the Norman bishop of Durham and his followers were brutally murdered at Gateshead. This time Odo, bishop of Bayeux, William's half brother, devastated the land between the Tees and the Tweed. This was known as the 'Harrying of the North'. This devastation is reflected in the Domesday Book. The destruction had such an effect that the North remained poor and backward at least until Tudor times and perhaps until the Industrial Revolution. Newcastle suffered in this respect with the rest of the North.
In 1080 William sent his eldest son, Robert Curthose, north to defend the kingdom against the Scots. After his campaign, he moved to Monkchester and began the building of a 'New Castle'. This was of the "motte-and-bailey" type of construction, a wooden tower on top of an earthen mound (motte), surrounded by a moat and wooden stockade (bailey). It was this castle that gave Newcastle its name. In 1095 the Earl of Northumbria, Robert de Mowbray, rose up against the king, William Rufus, and Rufus sent an army north to recapture the castle. From then on the castle became crown property and was an important base from which the king could control the northern barons. The Northumbrian earldom was abolished and a Sheriff of Northumberland was appointed to administer the region. In 1091 the parish church of St Nicholas was consecrated on the site of the present Anglican cathedral, close by the bailey of the new castle. The church is believed to have been a wooden building on stone footings.
Not a trace of the tower or mound of the motte and bailey castle remains now. Henry II replaced it with a rectangular stone keep, which was built between 1172 and 1177 at a cost of £1,444. A stone bailey, in the form of a triangle, replaced the previous wooden one. The great outer gateway to the castle, called 'the Black Gate', was built later, between 1247 and 1250, in the reign of Henry III. There were at that time no town walls and when attacked by the Scots, the townspeople had to crowd into the bailey for safety. It is probable that the new castle acted as a magnet for local merchants because of the safety it provided. This in turn would help to expand trade in the town. At this time wool, skins and lead were being exported, whilst alum, pepper and ginger were being imported from France and Flanders.
Middle Ages
Throughout the Middle Ages, Newcastle was England's northern fortress, the centre for assembled armies. The Border war against Scotland lasted intermittently for several centuries – possibly the longest border war ever waged. During the civil war between Stephen and Matilda, David 1st of Scotland and his son were granted Cumbria and Northumberland respectively, so that for a period from 1139 to 1157, Newcastle was effectively in Scottish hands. It is believed that during this period, King David may have built the church of St Andrew and the Benedictine nunnery in Newcastle. However, King Stephen's successor, Henry II was strong enough to take back the Earldom of Northumbria from Malcolm IV.
The Scots king William the Lion was imprisoned in Newcastle, in 1174, after being captured at the Battle of Alnwick. Edward I brought the Stone of Scone and William Wallace south through the town and Newcastle was successfully defended against the Scots three times during the 14th century.
Around 1200, stone-faced, clay-filled jetties were starting to project into the river, an indication that trade was increasing in Newcastle. As the Roman roads continued to deteriorate, sea travel was gaining in importance. By 1275 Newcastle was the sixth largest wool exporting port in England. The principal exports at this time were wool, timber, coal, millstones, dairy produce, fish, salt and hides. Much of the developing trade was with the Baltic countries and Germany. Most of the Newcastle merchants were situated near the river, below the Castle. The earliest known charter was dated 1175 in the reign of Henry II, giving the townspeople some control over their town. In 1216 King John granted Newcastle a mayor[8] and also allowed the formation of guilds (known as Mysteries). These were cartels formed within different trades, which restricted trade to guild members. There were initially twelve guilds. Coal was being exported from Newcastle by 1250, and by 1350 the burgesses received a royal licence to export coal. This licence to export coal was jealously guarded by the Newcastle burgesses, and they tried to prevent any one else on the Tyne from exporting coal except through Newcastle. The burgesses similarly tried to prevent fish from being sold anywhere else on the Tyne except Newcastle. This led to conflicts with Gateshead and South Shields.
In 1265, the town was granted permission to impose a 'Wall Tax' or Murage, to pay for the construction of a fortified wall to enclose the town and protect it from Scottish invaders. The town walls were not completed until early in the 14th century. They were two miles (3 km) long, 9 feet (2.7 m) thick and 25 feet (7.6 m) high. They had six main gates, as well as some smaller gates, and had 17 towers. The land within the walls was divided almost equally by the Lort Burn, which flowed southwards and joined the Tyne to the east of the Castle. The town began to expand north of the Castle and west of the Lort Burn with various markets being set up within the walls.
In 1400 Henry IV granted a new charter, creating a County corporate which separated the town, but not the Castle, from the county of Northumberland and recognised it as a "county of itself" with a right to have a sheriff of its own. The burgesses were now allowed to choose six aldermen who, with the mayor would be justices of the peace. The mayor and sheriff were allowed to hold borough courts in the Guildhall.
Religious houses
During the Middle Ages a number of religious houses were established within the walls: the first of these was the Benedictine nunnery of St Bartholomew founded in 1086 near the present-day Nun Street. Both David I of Scotland and Henry I of England were benefactors of the religious house. Nothing of the nunnery remains now.
The friary of Blackfriars, Newcastle (Dominican) was established in 1239. These were also known as the Preaching Friars or Shod Friars, because they wore sandals, as opposed to other orders. The friary was situated in the present-day Friars Street. In 1280 the order was granted royal permission to make a postern in the town walls to communicate with their gardens outside the walls. On 19 June 1334, Edward Balliol, claimant to be King of Scotland, did homage to King Edward III, on behalf of the kingdom of Scotland, in the church of the friary. Much of the original buildings of the friary still exist, mainly because, after the Dissolution of the Monasteries the friary of Blackfriars was rented out by the corporation to nine of the local trade guilds.
The friary of Whitefriars (Carmelite) was established in 1262. The order was originally housed on the Wall Knoll in Pandon, but in 1307 it took over the buildings of another order, which went out of existence, the Friars of the Sac. The land, which had originally been given by Robert the Bruce, was situated in the present-day Hanover Square, behind the Central station. Nothing of the friary remains now.
The friary of Austinfriars (Augustinian) was established in 1290. The friary was on the site where the Holy Jesus Hospital was built in 1682. The friary was traditionally the lodging place of English kings whenever they visited or passed through Newcastle. In 1503 Princess Margaret, eldest daughter of Henry VII of England, stayed two days at the friary on her way to join her new husband James IV of Scotland.
The friary of Greyfriars (Franciscans) was established in 1274. The friary was in the present-day area between Pilgrim Street, Grey Street, Market Street and High Chare. Nothing of the original buildings remains.
The friary of the Order of the Holy Trinity, also known as the Trinitarians, was established in 1360. The order devoted a third of its income to buying back captives of the Saracens, during the Crusades. Their house was on the Wall Knoll, in Pandon, to the east of the city, but within the walls. Wall Knoll had previously been occupied by the White Friars until they moved to new premises in 1307.
All of the above religious houses were closed in about 1540, when Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries.
An important street running through Newcastle at the time was Pilgrim Street, running northwards inside the walls and leading to the Pilgrim Gate on the north wall. The street still exists today as arguably Newcastle's main shopping street.
Tudor period
The Scottish border wars continued for much of the 16th century, so that during that time, Newcastle was often threatened with invasion by the Scots, but also remained important as a border stronghold against them.
During the Reformation begun by Henry VIII in 1536, the five Newcastle friaries and the single nunnery were dissolved and the land was sold to the Corporation and to rich merchants. At this time there were fewer than 60 inmates of the religious houses in Newcastle. The convent of Blackfriars was leased to nine craft guilds to be used as their headquarters. This probably explains why it is the only one of the religious houses whose building survives to the present day. The priories at Tynemouth and Durham were also dissolved, thus ending the long-running rivalry between Newcastle and the church for control of trade on the Tyne. A little later, the property of the nunnery of St Bartholomew and of Grey Friars were bought by Robert Anderson, who had the buildings demolished to build his grand Newe House (also known as Anderson Place).
With the gradual decline of the Scottish border wars the town walls were allowed to decline as well as the castle. By 1547, about 10,000 people were living in Newcastle. At the beginning of the 16th century exports of wool from Newcastle were more than twice the value of exports of coal, but during the century coal exports continued to increase.
Under Edward VI, John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, sponsored an act allowing Newcastle to annexe Gateshead as its suburb. The main reason for this was to allow the Newcastle Hostmen, who controlled the export of Tyne coal, to get their hands on the Gateshead coal mines, previously controlled by the Bishop of Durham. However, when Mary I came to power, Dudley met his downfall and the decision was reversed. The Reformation allowed private access to coal mines previously owned by Tynemouth and Durham priories and as a result coal exports increase dramatically, from 15,000 tons in 1500 to 35,000 tons in 1565, and to 400,000 tons in 1625.
The plague visited Newcastle four times during the 16th century, in 1579 when 2,000 people died, in 1589 when 1700 died, in 1595 and finally in 1597.
In 1600 Elizabeth I granted Newcastle a charter for an exclusive body of electors, the right to elect the mayor and burgesses. The charter also gave the Hostmen exclusive rights to load coal at any point on the Tyne. The Hostmen developed as an exclusive group within the Merchant Adventurers who had been incorporated by a charter in 1547.
Stuart period
In 1636 there was a serious outbreak of bubonic plague in Newcastle. There had been several previous outbreaks of the disease over the years, but this was the most serious. It is thought to have arrived from the Netherlands via ships that were trading between the Tyne and that country. It first appeared in the lower part of the town near the docks but gradually spread to all parts of the town. As the disease gained hold the authorities took measures to control it by boarding up any properties that contained infected persons, meaning that whole families were locked up together with the infected family members. Other infected persons were put in huts outside the town walls and left to die. Plague pits were dug next to the town's four churches and outside the town walls to receive the bodies in mass burials. Over the course of the outbreak 5,631 deaths were recorded out of an estimated population of 12,000, a death rate of 47%.
In 1637 Charles I tried to raise money by doubling the 'voluntary' tax on coal in return for allowing the Newcastle Hostmen to regulate production and fix prices. This caused outrage amongst the London importers and the East Anglian shippers. Both groups decided to boycott Tyne coal and as a result forced Charles to reverse his decision in 1638.
In 1640 during the Second Bishops' War, the Scots successfully invaded Newcastle. The occupying army demanded £850 per day from the Corporation to billet the Scottish troops. Trade from the Tyne ground to a halt during the occupation. The Scots left in 1641 after receiving a Parliamentary pardon and a £4,000,000 loan from the town.
In 1642 the English Civil War began. King Charles realised the value of the Tyne coal trade and therefore garrisoned Newcastle. A Royalist was appointed as governor. At that time, Newcastle and King's Lynn were the only important seaports to support the crown. In 1644 Parliament blockaded the Tyne to prevent the king from receiving revenue from the Tyne coal trade. Coal exports fell from 450,000 to 3,000 tons and London suffered a hard winter without fuel. Parliament encouraged the coal trade from the Wear to try to replace that lost from Newcastle but that was not enough to make up for the lost Tyneside tonnage.
In 1644 the Scots crossed the border. Newcastle strengthened its defences in preparation. The Scottish army, with 40,000 troops, besieged Newcastle for three months until the garrison of 1,500 surrendered. During the siege, the Scots bombarded the walls with their artillery, situated in Gateshead and Castle Leazes. The Scottish commander threatened to destroy the steeple of St Nicholas's Church by gunfire if the mayor, Sir John Marley, did not surrender the town. The mayor responded by placing Scottish prisoners that they had captured in the steeple, so saving it from destruction. The town walls were finally breached by a combination of artillery and sapping. In gratitude for this defence, Charles gave Newcastle the motto 'Fortiter Defendit Triumphans' to be added to its coat of arms. The Scottish army occupied Northumberland and Durham for two years. The coal taxes had to pay for the Scottish occupation. In 1645 Charles surrendered to the Scots and was imprisoned in Newcastle for nine months. After the Civil War the coal trade on the Tyne soon picked up and exceeded its pre-war levels.
A new Guildhall was completed on the Sandhill next to the river in 1655, replacing an earlier facility damaged by fire in 1639, and became the meeting place of Newcastle Town Council. In 1681 the Hospital of the Holy Jesus was built partly on the site of the Austin Friars. The Guildhall and Holy Jesus Hospital still exist.
Charles II tried to impose a charter on Newcastle to give the king the right to appoint the mayor, sheriff, recorder and town clerk. Charles died before the charter came into effect. In 1685, James II tried to replace Corporation members with named Catholics. However, James' mandate was suspended in 1689 after the Glorious Revolution welcoming William of Orange. In 1689, after the fall of James II, the people of Newcastle tore down his bronze equestrian statue in Sandhill and tossed it into the Tyne. The bronze was later used to make bells for All Saints Church.
In 1689 the Lort Burn was covered over. At this time it was an open sewer. The channel followed by the Lort Burn became the present day Dean Street. At that time, the centre of Newcastle was still the Sandhill area, with many merchants living along the Close or on the Side. The path of the main road through Newcastle ran from the single Tyne bridge, through Sandhill to the Side, a narrow street which climbed steeply on the north-east side of the castle hill until it reached the higher ground alongside St Nicholas' Church. As Newcastle developed, the Side became lined with buildings with projecting upper stories, so that the main street through Newcastle was a narrow, congested, steep thoroughfare.
In 1701 the Keelmen's Hospital was built in the Sandgate area of the city, using funds provided by the keelmen. The building still stands today.
Eighteenth century
In the 18th century, Newcastle was the country's largest print centre after London, Oxford and Cambridge, and the Literary and Philosophical Society of 1793, with its erudite debates and large stock of books in several languages predated the London Library by half a century.
In 1715, during the Jacobite rising in favour of the Old Pretender, an army of Jacobite supporters marched on Newcastle. Many of the Northumbrian gentry joined the rebels. The citizens prepared for its arrival by arresting Jacobite supporters and accepting 700 extra recruits into the local militia. The gates of the city were closed against the rebels. This proved enough to delay an attack until reinforcements arrived forcing the rebel army to move across to the west coast. The rebels finally surrendered at Preston.
In 1745, during a second Jacobite rising in favour of the Young Pretender, a Scottish army crossed the border led by Bonnie Prince Charlie. Once again Newcastle prepared by arresting Jacobite supporters and inducting 800 volunteers into the local militia. The town walls were strengthened, most of the gates were blocked up and some 200 cannon were deployed. 20,000 regulars were billeted on the Town Moor. These preparations were enough to force the rebel army to travel south via the west coast. They were eventually defeated at Culloden in 1746.
Newcastle's actions during the 1715 rising in resisting the rebels and declaring for George I, in contrast to the rest of the region, is the most likely source of the nickname 'Geordie', applied to people from Tyneside, or more accurately Newcastle. Another theory, however, is that the name 'Geordie' came from the inventor of the Geordie lamp, George Stephenson. It was a type of safety lamp used in mining, but was not invented until 1815. Apparently the term 'German Geordie' was in common use during the 18th century.
The city's first hospital, Newcastle Infirmary opened in 1753; it was funded by public subscription. A lying-in hospital was established in Newcastle in 1760. The city's first public hospital for mentally ill patients, Wardens Close Lunatic Hospital was opened in October 1767.
In 1771 a flood swept away much of the bridge at Newcastle. The bridge had been built in 1250 and repaired after a flood in 1339. The bridge supported various houses and three towers and an old chapel. A blue stone was placed in the middle of the bridge to mark the boundary between Newcastle and the Palatinate of Durham. A temporary wooden bridge had to be built, and this remained in use until 1781, when a new stone bridge was completed. The new bridge consisted of nine arches. In 1801, because of the pressure of traffic, the bridge had to be widened.
A permanent military presence was established in the city with the completion of Fenham Barracks in 1806. The facilities at the Castle for holding assizes, which had been condemned for their inconvenience and unhealthiness, were replaced when the Moot Hall opened in August 1812.
Victorian period
Present-day Newcastle owes much of its architecture to the work of the builder Richard Grainger, aided by architects John Dobson, Thomas Oliver, John and Benjamin Green and others. In 1834 Grainger won a competition to produce a new plan for central Newcastle. He put this plan into effect using the above architects as well as architects employed in his own office. Grainger and Oliver had already built Leazes Terrace, Leazes Crescent and Leazes Place between 1829 and 1834. Grainger and Dobson had also built the Royal Arcade at the foot of Pilgrim Street between 1830 and 1832. The most ambitious project covered 12 acres 12 acres (49,000 m2) in central Newcastle, on the site of Newe House (also called Anderson Place). Grainger built three new thoroughfares, Grey Street, Grainger Street and Clayton Street with many connecting streets, as well as the Central Exchange and the Grainger Market. John Wardle and George Walker, working in Grainger's office, designed Clayton Street, Grainger Street and most of Grey Street. Dobson designed the Grainger Market and much of the east side of Grey Street. John and Benjamin Green designed the Theatre Royal at the top of Grey Street, where Grainger placed the column of Grey's Monument as a focus for the whole scheme. Grey Street is considered to be one of the finest streets in the country, with its elegant curve. Unfortunately most of old Eldon Square was demolished in the 1960s in the name of progress. The Royal Arcade met a similar fate.
In 1849 a new bridge was built across the river at Newcastle. This was the High Level Bridge, designed by Robert Stephenson, and slightly up river from the existing bridge. The bridge was designed to carry road and rail traffic across the Tyne Gorge on two decks with rail traffic on the upper deck and road traffic on the lower. The new bridge meant that traffic could pass through Newcastle without having to negotiate the steep, narrow Side, as had been necessary for centuries. The bridge was opened by Queen Victoria, who one year later opened the new Central Station, designed by John Dobson. Trains were now able to cross the river, directly into the centre of Newcastle and carry on up to Scotland. The Army Riding School was also completed in 1849.
In 1854 a large fire started on the Gateshead quayside and an explosion caused it to spread across the river to the Newcastle quayside. A huge conflagration amongst the narrow alleys, or 'chares', destroyed the homes of 800 families as well as many business premises. The narrow alleys that had been destroyed were replaced by streets containing blocks of modern offices.
In 1863 the Town Hall in St Nicholas Square replaced the Guildhall as the meeting place of Newcastle Town Council.
In 1876 the low level bridge was replaced by a new bridge known as the Swing Bridge, so called because the bridge was able to swing horizontally on a central axis and allow ships to pass on either side. This meant that for the first time sizeable ships could pass up-river beyond Newcastle. The bridge was built and paid for by William Armstrong, a local arms manufacturer, who needed to have warships access his Elswick arms factory to fit armaments to them. The Swing Bridge's rotating mechanism is adapted from the cannon mounts developed in Armstrong's arms works. In 1882 the Elswick works began to build ships as well as to arm them. The Barrack Road drill hall was completed in 1890.
Industrialisation
In the 19th century, shipbuilding and heavy engineering were central to the city's prosperity; and the city was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution. Newcastle's development as a major city owed most to its central role in the production and export of coal. The phrase "taking coals to Newcastle" was first recorded in 1538; it proverbially denotes bringing a particular commodity to a place that has more than enough of it already.
Innovation in Newcastle and surrounding areas included the following:
George Stephenson developed a miner's safety lamp at the same time that Humphry Davy developed a rival design. The lamp made possible the opening up of ever deeper mines to provide the coal that powered the industrial revolution.
George and his son Robert Stephenson were hugely influential figures in the development of the early railways. George developed Blücher, a locomotive working at Killingworth colliery in 1814, whilst Robert was instrumental in the design of Rocket, a revolutionary design that was the forerunner of modern locomotives. Both men were involved in planning and building railway lines, all over this country and abroad.
Joseph Swan demonstrated a working electric light bulb about a year before Thomas Edison did the same in the USA. This led to a dispute as to who had actually invented the light bulb. Eventually the two rivals agreed to form a mutual company between them, the Edison and Swan Electric Light Company, known as Ediswan.
Charles Algernon Parsons invented the steam turbine, for marine use and for power generation. He used Turbinia, a small, turbine-powered ship, to demonstrate the speed that a steam turbine could generate. Turbinia literally ran rings around the British Fleet at a review at Spithead in 1897.
William Armstrong invented a hydraulic crane that was installed in dockyards up and down the country. He then began to design light, accurate field guns for the British army. These were a vast improvement on the existing guns that were then in use.
The following major industries developed in Newcastle or its surrounding area:
Glassmaking
A small glass industry existed in Newcastle from the mid-15th century. In 1615 restrictions were put on the use of wood for manufacturing glass. It was found that glass could be manufactured using the local coal, and so a glassmaking industry grew up on Tyneside. Huguenot glassmakers came over from France as refugees from persecution and set up glasshouses in the Skinnerburn area of Newcastle. Eventually, glass production moved to the Ouseburn area of Newcastle. In 1684 the Dagnia family, Sephardic Jewish emigrants from Altare, arrived in Newcastle from Stourbridge and established glasshouses along the Close, to manufacture high quality flint glass. The glass manufacturers used sand ballast from the boats arriving in the river as the main raw material. The glassware was then exported in collier brigs. The period from 1730 to 1785 was the highpoint of Newcastle glass manufacture, when the local glassmakers produced the 'Newcastle Light Baluster'. The glassmaking industry still exists in the west end of the city with local Artist and Glassmaker Jane Charles carrying on over four hundred years of hot glass blowing in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Locomotive manufacture
In 1823 George Stephenson and his son Robert established the world's first locomotive factory near Forth Street in Newcastle. Here they built locomotives for the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, as well as many others. It was here that the famous locomotive Rocket was designed and manufactured in preparation for the Rainhill Trials. Apart from building locomotives for the British market, the Newcastle works also produced locomotives for Europe and America. The Forth Street works continued to build locomotives until 1960.
Shipbuilding
In 1296 a wooden, 135 ft (41 m) long galley was constructed at the mouth of the Lort Burn in Newcastle, as part of a twenty-ship order from the king. The ship cost £205, and is the earliest record of shipbuilding in Newcastle. However the rise of the Tyne as a shipbuilding area was due to the need for collier brigs for the coal export trade. These wooden sailing ships were usually built locally, establishing local expertise in building ships. As ships changed from wood to steel, and from sail to steam, the local shipbuilding industry changed to build the new ships. Although shipbuilding was carried out up and down both sides of the river, the two main areas for building ships in Newcastle were Elswick, to the west, and Walker, to the east. By 1800 Tyneside was the third largest producer of ships in Britain. Unfortunately, after the Second World War, lack of modernisation and competition from abroad gradually caused the local industry to decline and die.
Armaments
In 1847 William Armstrong established a huge factory in Elswick, west of Newcastle. This was initially used to produce hydraulic cranes but subsequently began also to produce guns for both the army and the navy. After the Swing Bridge was built in 1876 allowing ships to pass up river, warships could have their armaments fitted alongside the Elswick works. Armstrong's company took over its industrial rival, Joseph Whitworth of Manchester in 1897.
Steam turbines
Charles Algernon Parsons invented the steam turbine and, in 1889, founded his own company C. A. Parsons and Company in Heaton, Newcastle to make steam turbines. Shortly after this, he realised that steam turbines could be used to propel ships and, in 1897, he founded a second company, Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Company in Wallsend. It is there that he designed and manufactured Turbinia. Parsons turbines were initially used in warships but soon came to be used in merchant and passenger vessels, including the liner Mauretania which held the blue riband for the Atlantic crossing until 1929. Parsons' company in Heaton began to make turbo-generators for power stations and supplied power stations all over the world. The Heaton works, reduced in size, remains as part of the Siemens AG industrial giant.
Pottery
In 1762 the Maling pottery was founded in Sunderland by French Huguenots, but transferred to Newcastle in 1817. A factory was built in the Ouseburn area of the city. The factory was rebuilt twice, finally occupying a 14-acre (57,000 m2) site that was claimed to be the biggest pottery in the world and which had its own railway station. The pottery pioneered use of machines in making potteries as opposed to hand production. In the 1890s the company went up-market and employed in-house designers. The period up to the Second World War was the most profitable with a constant stream of new designs being introduced. However, after the war, production gradually declined and the company closed in 1963.
Expansion of the city
Newcastle was one of the boroughs reformed by the Municipal Corporations Act 1835: the reformed municipal borough included the parishes of Byker, Elswick, Heaton, Jesmond, Newcastle All Saints, Newcastle St Andrew, Newcastle St John, Newcastle St Nicholas, and Westgate. The urban districts of Benwell and Fenham and Walker were added in 1904. In 1935, Newcastle gained Kenton and parts of the parishes of West Brunton, East Denton, Fawdon, Longbenton. The most recent expansion in Newcastle's boundaries took place under the Local Government Act 1972 on 1 April 1974, when Newcastle became a metropolitan borough, also including the urban districts of Gosforth and Newburn, and the parishes of Brunswick, Dinnington, Hazlerigg, North Gosforth and Woolsington from the Castle Ward Rural District, and the village of Westerhope.
Meanwhile Northumberland County Council was formed under the Local Government Act 1888 and benefited from a dedicated meeting place when County Hall was completed in the Castle Garth area of Newcastle in 1910. Following the Local Government Act 1972 County Hall relocated to Morpeth in April 1981.
Twentieth century
In 1925 work began on a new high-level road bridge to span the Tyne Gorge between Newcastle and Gateshead. The capacity of the existing High-Level Bridge and Swing Bridge were being strained to the limit, and an additional bridge had been discussed for a long time. The contract was awarded to the Dorman Long Company and the bridge was finally opened by King George V in 1928. The road deck was 84 feet (26 m) above the river and was supported by a 531 feet (162 m) steel arch. The new Tyne Bridge quickly became a symbol for Newcastle and Tyneside, and remains so today.
During the Second World War, Newcastle was largely spared the horrors inflicted upon other British cities bombed during the Blitz. Although the armaments factories and shipyards along the River Tyne were targeted by the Luftwaffe, they largely escaped unscathed. Manors goods yard and railway terminal, to the east of the city centre, and the suburbs of Jesmond and Heaton suffered bombing during 1941. There were 141 deaths and 587 injuries, a relatively small figure compared to the casualties in other industrial centres of Britain.
In 1963 the city gained its own university, the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, by act of parliament. A School of Medicine and Surgery had been established in Newcastle in 1834. This eventually developed into a college of medicine attached to Durham University. A college of physical science was also founded and became Armstrong College in 1904. In 1934 the two colleges merged to become King's College, Durham. This remained as part of Durham University until the new university was created in 1963. In 1992 the city gained its second university when Newcastle Polytechnic was granted university status as Northumbria University.
Newcastle City Council moved to the new Newcastle Civic Centre in 1968.
As heavy industries declined in the second half of the 20th century, large sections of the city centre were demolished along with many areas of slum housing. The leading political figure in the city during the 1960s was T. Dan Smith who oversaw a massive building programme of highrise housing estates and authorised the demolition of a quarter of the Georgian Grainger Town to make way for Eldon Square Shopping Centre. Smith's control in Newcastle collapsed when it was exposed that he had used public contracts to advantage himself and his business associates and for a time Newcastle became a byword for civic corruption as depicted in the films Get Carter and Stormy Monday and in the television series Our Friends in the North. However, much of the historic Grainger Town area survived and was, for the most part, fully restored in the late 1990s. Northumberland Street, initially the A1, was gradually closed to traffic from the 1970s and completely pedestrianised by 1998.
In 1978 a new rapid transport system, the Metro, was built, linking the Tyneside area. The system opened in August 1980. A new bridge was built to carry the Metro across the river between Gateshead and Newcastle. This was the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, commonly known as the Metro Bridge. Eventually the Metro system was extended to reach Newcastle Airport in 1991, and in 2002 the Metro system was extended to the nearby city of Sunderland.
As the 20th century progressed, trade on the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides gradually declined, until by the 1980s both sides of the river were looking rather derelict. Shipping company offices had closed along with offices of firms related to shipping. There were also derelict warehouses lining the riverbank. Local government produced a master plan to re-develop the Newcastle quayside and this was begun in the 1990s. New offices, restaurants, bars and residential accommodation were built and the area has changed in the space of a few years into a vibrant area, partially returning the focus of Newcastle to the riverside, where it was in medieval times.
The Gateshead Millennium Bridge, a foot and cycle bridge, 26 feet (7.9 m) wide and 413 feet (126 m) long, was completed in 2001. The road deck is in the form of a curve and is supported by a steel arch. To allow ships to pass, the whole structure, both arch and road-deck, rotates on huge bearings at either end so that the road deck is lifted. The bridge can be said to open and shut like a human eye. It is an important addition to the re-developed quayside area, providing a vital link between the Newcastle and Gateshead quaysides.
Recent developments
Today the city is a vibrant centre for office and retail employment, but just a short distance away there are impoverished inner-city housing estates, in areas originally built to provide affordable housing for employees of the shipyards and other heavy industries that lined the River Tyne. In the 2010s Newcastle City Council began implementing plans to regenerate these depressed areas, such as those along the Ouseburn Valley.
Essay:
Earth's Transformation and the Random Implementation of Alien Technology
The Earth, once a vibrant planet teeming with diverse ecosystems, has undergone a drastic transformation. A severe environmental catastrophe has devastated the planet, leading to the evaporation of life-giving water into the vast expanse of space. The once-blue planet is now dominated by barren deserts, stretching across continents where oceans and forests once thrived. Humanity, on the brink of extinction, has been thrust into a desperate struggle for survival.
The catalyst for this environmental apocalypse was a combination of factors: uncontrolled industrial activity, rampant deforestation, and unchecked pollution. These human activities pushed Earth's climate system past a critical threshold, triggering a cascade of irreversible changes. The polar ice caps melted at unprecedented rates, causing sea levels to rise and then rapidly fall as water vapor escaped the atmosphere. Rainforests, which acted as the planet's lungs, were decimated, and the delicate balance of ecosystems collapsed. The result was a planet unrecognizable from its former self—a desolate wasteland where life struggled to find a foothold.
In this dire scenario, hope arrived in the form of alien technology—an unexpected boon that became humanity's lifeline. The origins of this technology remain shrouded in mystery. Some speculate it was discovered accidentally during deep-space explorations, while others believe it was gifted by a benevolent extraterrestrial civilization. Regardless of its origins, this advanced technology became the cornerstone of Earth's new survival strategy.
The alien technology enabled the creation of isolated oases in the vast desert expanses. These oases, shielded by energy fields and sustained by advanced atmospheric processors, mimic the lost ecosystems of old Earth. They generate and recycle water, maintain breathable air, and support agriculture, allowing small human communities to thrive. The technology also includes sophisticated climate control mechanisms that protect these fertile areas from the harsh desert environment.
The implementation of alien technology was a stroke of luck, a fortuitous discovery in humanity's darkest hour. Scientists and engineers, initially skeptical, soon realized the potential of these alien devices. Through trial and error, they managed to integrate this technology into the remnants of human civilization. This integration was not without its challenges—there were numerous failures and setbacks, but the resilience of the human spirit prevailed.
Life in these technologically sustained oases is a stark contrast to the desolation that surrounds them. Within the protective domes, greenery flourishes, and small bodies of water reflect the sky. Communities have adapted to this new way of living, embracing a lifestyle that is a blend of ancient survival techniques and futuristic technology. Education systems focus on maintaining and understanding the alien technology, ensuring that future generations can continue to benefit from it.
The concept of 'Planet B' has taken on a new meaning. Instead of seeking a new home among the stars, humanity has been forced to redefine its existence on Earth—'Planet B' is Earth reborn, a new chapter after 'Planet A' vanished beneath the waves of environmental disaster. The Earth of today is a testament to human ingenuity and the unforeseen assistance of alien technology. It is a world where the line between science fiction and reality has blurred, and where survival hinges on the harmonious integration of alien and human advancements.
In conclusion, the transformation of Earth and the serendipitous implementation of alien technology have given rise to a new way of life. This new existence is fragile and fraught with challenges, but it is also a beacon of hope. The 'Cradle of the Desert' represents the resilience of life and the enduring quest for survival in the face of insurmountable odds.
Poem:
In deserts wide where oceans slept,
Beneath a sky where sorrow wept,
Alien whispers, silent, deep,
Brought life anew from restless sleep.
Once blue and green, now dust and bone,
Our planet’s heart, a hollow tone,
Yet through the sands, technology,
Revived the hope for you and me.
In domes of light, we plant our dreams,
Where water flows in gentle streams,
Alien hands unseen, yet kind,
Breathe life back to a world confined.
From barren waste to fertile land,
A future forged by chance and hand,
Cradle of the Desert, bright,
Guides us through this endless night.
Haikus:
Alien whispers,
Oases bloom in deserts,
Hope in arid lands.
Earth’s rebirth at hand,
Technology’s gentle touch,
Life in barren sands.
When these sort of implements arrived onsite, the drawing office personnel were despatched to measure and sketch it for future manufacture.
U.S. Senator Cory Booker shakes hand with USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes, April 12, 2023, in Newark, New Jersey. USDA Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes, U.S. Senator Cory Booker and White House Senior Advisor for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation John Podesta announced historic funding through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expand access to urban nature, combat the climate crisis, and advance environmental justice, after meeting with local and state stake holders.
The funding announced that day is part of a $1.5 billion investment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. The grant funding is available to community-based organizations, tribes, municipal and state governments, nonprofit partners, universities, and other eligible entities as they work to increase tree cover in urban spaces and boost equitable access to nature while bolstering resilience to extreme heat, storm-induced flooding, and other climate impacts. This historic level of investment will enable the Forest Service to support projects to improve public health, increase access to nature, and deliver real economic and ecological benefits to cities, towns and tribal communities across the country. (USDA photo by Christophe Paul)
Read more: www.europarl.europa.eu/portal/en
This photo is free to use under Creative Commons licenses and must be credited: "© European Union 2016 - European Parliament".
(Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CreativeCommons licenses creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
For bigger HR files please contact: webcom-flickr(AT)europarl.europa.eu
Implements lie in wait for call to action.
The ignorant next door put out poison traps 3 days ago and I've lost all my raptors and a coyote. I told them I put the dead out on the road for them to see. They screamed and whined and sounded like the wicked witch. They then had the Hispanic farm workers place more traps.
Handheld
I spent a delightful Saturday with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group in Blackwood at the Garden of St Erth. As my first Famous Flickr Five+ excursion, I was just delighted by how kind and welcoming everyone was. I look forward to future trips to places I have never been (such as the garden of St Erth) with the Famous Flickr Five+ Group in the future.
In 1854 a Cornish stonemason named Matthew Rogers decided to pursue his luck in the goldfields around Mount Blackwood in Victoria, so he packed up his life in Sydney and journeyed south. His venture proved successful, as he became one of the gold rush's most successful miners.
In the 1860s, Matthew built a modest sandstone cottage from stone quarried from around Bacchus Marsh behind a boot factory in an area known as Simmonds Reef, just outside what was then the very busy and thriving gold mining community of Blackwood which at the time had a population of some 13,000 people. He named it "St Erth" after his Cornwall birthplace. The original title was dated 1867, but it is believed the house was built before then.
The sandstone cottage is typical of Victorian architecture found in Australia at that time. Built in Victorian Georgian style. It features a symmetrical facade of exposed sandstone brick with sash windows either side of the front door, all of which are characteristics of Victorian Georgian architecture. The shady verandah, today covered in curling wisteria vine, features elegant, slender posts, which is also typical of the architectural style, as is the medium pitch corrugated iron roof.
Matthew attached a wooden building to the western end of his neat stone cottage which served as the Blackwood post office for a time, and also a general store; both essential parts of the burgeoning community.
The gold rush lasted for twenty eight years. Matthew's daughter Elizabeth and her husband Jim Terrill continued to maintain the store, but as gold ran out, the wooden buildings of the town were moved to Trentham. For a time the house lay empty and the bush moved back in. Eventually it was bought by a group of Melbourne businessmen who called themselves the Simmons Reef Shire Council.
Today, "St Erth" is the Garden of St Erth; a wonderful garden featuring fruit trees, an espalier orchard, heirloom vegetables, perennials, daffodils, tulips, flowering shrubs and a plant nursery. The Garden of St Erth is one of two main sites in Victoria for the Diggers Club, who specialise in growing and selling heirloom variety plants and old fashioned exotic plants. The homestead forms the entry to the beautiful garden, as well as a shop showcasing the heritage seeds, gardening equipment and myriad gardening products in line with the Diggers Club's commitment to sustainable gardening. Outside there's a plant nursery with a wonderful array of trees and plants for sale. A pretty cafe offers drinks, cakes and meals indoors or out featuring where possible local produce and some sourced from the garden.
Matthew Rogers was born at St. Erth, Cornwall, on 11th June 1824, he arrived in Victoria in 1854 with his wife Mary, and came to Blackwood about 1855. Matthew and Mary Rogers were the wealthiest people in Simmons Reef. Matthew did well from his mine called "Mount Rogers Big Hill Mine". He is stated to have made a fortune out of ore that yielded one and a half pennyweights to the ton. Mary Ann Rogers was born in Hayle in Cornwall 24th June 1828. She looked after the store and the Post Office attached to the house. The Rogers had no children, and adopted a girl born in 1872, called Elizabeth. Mary Ann Rogers died on the 27th of August 1896, aged 68 years. Matthew Rogers died on the 6th of January 1902.
Nestled against the Wombat State Forest, the township of Blackwood was originally founded in 1855 during the Victorian gold rush. The township's post office was opened in September 1855, and was known as Mount Blackwood until 1921. The township has shrunk significantly since the gold rush ended, and today many of its properties are weekenders for Melbourne professionals. The town still has a main street featuring a post office and general store, a pub, a cafe and an antique shop. It still retains some of its original miners cottages beyond "St Erth". It is a quiet, sleepy town, and is a delightful retreat for some peace and quiet. Blackwood is perhaps best known today for its music and culture festival held in November. It attracts artists from across the world.
The combination of increasingly complex high-risk financial instruments (unknown, under-acknowledged, under-estimated and/or misunderstood by public and private policy sector workers at all levels of governance) and a thriving culture of testosterone-driven traders with their hands firmly on the throttle of oil-dependent muscle vehicles, flooring-it on shared virtual highways with silently condoned (albeit) unwritten permission and even enthusiastic encouragement to exceed safe speed limits, the exponential growth in wealth of the upper quintile of the upper quintile accompanied by the exponential increase in poverty of the lower quintile of the lower quintile, the global expansion and implementation of the belief-system based on unfettered, self-regulated market political economies (loosely called market liberalism although best-served by political conservatism) promulgated around the planet through mass media content packaged to sell imagery of the invisible hand of the market as the right hand of the new secular god surrounded by soldiers of the user-pay, private-is-better, blame-the-poor, monetize-everything, blame-the-ill, social-justice-vs-economic-efficiency, base-minumum-wage-on-pin-money-workers, minimum-government, trickle-down-affect, legal-but-not-ethical, group-think-culture led by the Triad of Mises-Friedman-Hayek has led to market chaos that is not theoretical but Really Real.
According to Dan Mitchell's article Trading on Testosterone" in the New York Times, "Movements in financial markets are correlated to the levels of hormones in the bodies of male traders, according to a study by two researchers from the University of Cambridge."
The Adobe Photoshop image was created by adding the Suit to the bull and layering my own mortgage meltdown digitage with the article's illustration by Alex Eben Meyer in the New York Times. I saved this as a transparent .png file. (I am unsure of the licensing for the NYT image.) [1]
This is twisted curve in the winding road of ancient arguments that prohibited participation of hormone-driven women (emotional versus logical, intuitive versus deductive, feelings versus reason) in pivotal positions of decision-making.
Does this mean the invisible hand of the market should be wearing a glove? Should the use of Viagra be monitored on the trading floor?
Notes
1. In response to the interesting question from Ray Randall re: Creative Commons Licensing of this images which he used here :
www.ethosadvisory.com/articles/index.php?id=418 and herehttp://www.ethosadvisory.com/blog. Ray is using CC for the first time and was confused and concerned about following Web 2.0 etiquette. It can be confusing.
This image is my digital collage or mashup as described above which is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. Most of my Flickr images are under the Creative Commons License lets authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry while legally remixing and reusing fragments of the work of others.
When you add a Flickr image to your blog through Flickr's menu options, it automatically generates this code (I've replaced with [ and ])
[div style="float:right;margin-left:10px;margin-bottom:10px;"][a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanflynn/2426434212/"><img style="border:solid 2px #000000;" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2231/2426434212_83d95ed5f5_m.jpg" alt="" /][/a]
[span style="font-size:.9em;margin-top:0;"]
[a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanflynn/2426434212/"]Bull Wrestling Bear Markets: Testosterone-driven[/a]
Originally uploaded by [a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/oceanflynn/"]ocean.flynn[/a]
[/span][/div]
By using Flickr's code the image is linked to image, artist and textual info.
I notice a lot of people bypass this and simply thank oceanflynn or Maureen Flynn-Burhoe which is fine for me because Google makes the link. It wouldn't if your name was not as easily identified by Google. And this method is not really Flickr-friendly.
However, Flickr has its own set of rules which requires that the live link to the Flickr-hosted image. This also accesses the accompanying explanatory text which describes how I added my own original mashups as well as remixing and reusing some of the work of other artists.
If you follow my links to the NYT's article you can see where the bull and bear originate. I put the bull in a Wall Street suit and tie and added my own original Adobe Photoshop image which was quite timely and involved. When you crop to include only the bear and bull, it is possible that it borrows too heavily from the original NYT's article illustration.
Webliography and Bibliography
Coates, J. M. and J. Herbert. 2008. "Endogenous steroids and financial risk taking on a London trading floor." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. snurl.com/250a7
Emarketer. 2008-03-18. "Online Advertisers To Spend Through Turbulence." snurl.com/250e6
Flynn-Burhoe, Maureen. 2008-04-19. "Complex Financial Instruments and Testosterone-Driven Trading: Algorithm of Market Chaos." snurl.com/250a6
Mitchell, Dan. 2008-04-19. "Trading on Testosterone." New York Times. 5tvolz permalink
Palmer, Jason. 2008-04-14. "Traders' raging hormones cause stock market swings." NewScientist.com. snurl.com/2508n
Rubel, Steve. 2008-04-17. "Study: A Billion Dollars in Internet Advertising is Wasted." Micro Persuasion. snurl.com/250au
Rubel, Steve. 2008-04-19. Twitter.
Notes:
1. Algorithm: a "problem-solving procedure: a logical step-by-step procedure for solving a mathematical problem in a finite number of steps, often involving repetition of the same basic operation" or a "problem-solving computer program: a logical sequence of steps for solving a problem, often written out as a flow chart, that can be translated into a computer program," a term used in the late 17th century. It is an alteration, "after Greek arithmos "number," of algorism, via Old French and medieval Latin based on the Arabic al-Ḵwārizmī , the name of the 9th century mathematician who introduced algorithms to the West." See MSC (1998-2005) Encarta.
A collection of horse drawn implements including sickle mowers and a potato digger sit on a Amish farm on Hwy 18 midway Montfort and Fennimore,WI.
Paranapiacaba: Origem: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre.
Por concessão, um grupo inglês explorou o sistema ferroviário na Serra do Mar. E o primeiro sistema implementado foi o sistema funicular: com cabos e máquinas fixas. A primeira linha, com onze quilômetros de extensão, foi inaugurada em 1867 pelo grupo São Paulo Railway. Ela começou a ser construída em 1862 e teve como um dos maiores acionistas e idealizadores o lendário Barão de Mauá. Em 1859, ele chamou o engenheiro ferroviário britânico James Brunlees, que veio ao Brasil e deu viabilidade ao projeto. A execução de tal projeto foi de responsabilidade de outro engenheiro inglês, Daniel Makinson Fox. Um ponto curioso é que pela instabilidade do terreno, a construção da estrada de ferro foi quase artesanal. Não se utilizou explosivos por medo de desmoronamento. As rochas foram cortadas com talhadeiras e pequenas ferramentas manuais. Paredões de até 3 metros e 20 centímetros de altura foram construídos ao logo do traçado da estrada de ferro. A segunda linha começou a funcionar em 1900. Além de dar mais força ao sistema, os cabos e as máquinas fixas economizam energia para a operação dos trens. No entanto, vários acidentes eram registrados, principalmente pelo rompimento dos cabos. Havia uma espécie de freio, a tenaz, que agarrava os cabos para evitar a saída dos trens dos trilhos. Nem sempre o sistema, no entanto, funcionava de maneira satisfatória. Em 1956, um grande acidente foi evitado pelo maquinista na época, Romão Justo Filho, nascido em Paranapiacaba no mês de março de 1911, filho de maquinista também. Se a composição descarrilasse, cerca de 150 pessoas poderiam perder a vida. Através da utilização correta do sistema da tenaz, Romão foi “agarrando” aos poucos o cabo até que o trem parasse.
Os cabos do locobreque levavam desenvolvimento e riqueza para a região do ABC Paulista e de Santos. Tanto é que a companhia inglesa criou em 1896 uma vila essencialmente de ferroviários, com construções de madeira no estilo inglês. Em 1907, a Vila foi chamada de Paranapiacapa, mas até 1945 a estação continuou a ser chamada de Alto da Serra. A Vila possuía todos os recursos da época para os maquinistas, fiscais e “foguistas” – responsáveis pela alimentação da fornalha da máquina fixa e da máquina dos trens. Além de um mercado, de um posto de saúde, de um vagão-ambulância e até um vagão funerário, onde o velório era feito dentro da composição entre Santos e Paranapiacaba, os funcionários possuíam um centro de recreação, o União Lira Serrano, e um Campo de Futebol. No União Lira Serrano eram exibidos filmes, shows musicais e realizados bailes temáticos. A concessão da linha da Serra do Mar não foi apenas glórias e desenvolvimento. Fatos até hoje não explicados satisfatoriamente marcaram a história dos trilhos por onde circularam os Locobreques. Exemplos são os incêndios da Estação da Luz, dois dias antes da primeira etapa da concessão dos ingleses terminar, em 1946, e na velha estação de Paranapiacaba, em 1981. Antes mesmo do incêndio, a estação já havia sido desativada em 1977 e substituída pelo prédio atual. O relógio estilo inglês foi poupado no incêndio e deslocado para uma torre mais alta que a anterior. Nos dois incêndios, tanto na Estação da Luz quanto em Paranapiacaba, a suspeita principal é de motivação criminosa. Milhões de reais foram gastos para a reconstrução da Estação da Luz, que passou por décadas ainda sentido os efeitos do incêndio. Tanto é que ela teve de ser restaurada. A obra de restauração completa foi entregue somente em 2004, data dos 450 anos da cidade de São Paulo. A Estação da Luz teve três etapas fundamentais: Ela foi inaugurada em 1867, num pequeno prédio na região central da capital paulista. A demanda de passageiros foi aumentando aos poucos, e cerca de 15 anos depois o pequeno prédio foi demolido e um outro maior foi construído. A cidade crescia muito rapidamente e a estação teve de aumentar ainda mais. Em 1890 começaram as obras da estação na configuração atual. Em 1900, o segundo prédio antigo foi demolido e em 1901, a nova estação foi inaugurada. Obras constantes de modificações e ampliações foram realizadas ao longo das décadas na Estação da Luz, já que além da demanda de passageiros ser maior, o número de linhas férreas urbanas também cresceu. Antes mesmo do Locobreque, na Serra do Mar, uma primitiva máquina de madeira, também tracionada por cabos fazia o transporte entre os cinco patamares. Era a Serrabreque. Durante a operação da Serrabreque, Barão de Mauá era um dos administradores. Posteriormente, na vila de Paranapiacaba, os ingleses, no alto de uma subida, construíram uma mansão, que servia de centro de controle operacional. Apelidada pelos ferroviários de "Castelinho", a posição do local proporcionava uma privilegiada visão do sistema e de toda a estrutura da vila de Paranapiacaba. O sistema ferroviário da Serra do Mar era composto por diversos túneis, que eram alvos de lendas e histórias assombradas disseminadas pelos próprios ferroviários. Algumas dessas lendas tiveram origem no fato de muitos operários terem morrido na construção desses túneis.
Pátio ferroviário, estações e relógio:
A São Paulo Railway inaugurou sua linha férrea em 16 de fevereiro de 1867. Servia como transporte de passageiros e meio de localizada na então freguesia de São Bernardo. No ano de 1898, foi erguida uma nova estação com madeira, ferro e telhas francesas trazidos da Inglaterra. Esta estação tinha, como característica principal, o grande relógio fabricado pela Johnny Walker Benson, de Londres, que se destacava no meio da neblina muito comum naquela região. Com o aumento do volume e peso da carga transportada, foi iniciada em 1896 a duplicação da linha férrea, paralela à primeira, a fim de atender à crescente demanda. Essa nova linha, também denominada de Serra Nova, era formada por 5 planos inclinados e 5 patamares, criando um novo sistema funicular. Os assim chamados novos planos inclinados atravessavam 11 túneis em plena rocha, enfrentando o desnível de 796 metros que se iniciava no sopé da serra, em Piaçagüera, no município de Cubatão. O traçado da ferrovia foi retificado e suavizado e ampliaram-se os edifícios operacionais. A inauguração deu-se em 28 de dezembro de 1901. A primeira estação foi desativada e reutilizada, posteriormente, como cooperativa dos planos inclinados. A 15 de julho de 1945, a "Estação do Alto da Serra" passa a se denominar "Estação de Paranapiacaba". A 13 de outubro de 1946, a São Paulo Railway foi encampada pela União, criando-se a "Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí". Somente em 1950 a rede passa a unir-se à Rede Ferroviária Federal. Em 1974, é inaugurada o sistema de cremalheira aderência. No ano de 1977, a segunda estação foi desativada, dando lugar à atual estação. O relógio foi transferido do alto da estação anterior para a base de tijolo de barro atual. A 14 de janeiro de 1981, ocorreu um incêndio na antiga estação, destruindo-a completamente. O sistema funicular foi desativado em 1982. Em 2010, o Correio fez lançamento de selo postal ostentando o patrimônio ferroviário de Paranapiacaba.
Museu do funicular:
Trata-se da exibição das máquinas fixas do quinto patamar da segunda linha e a do quarto patamar da primeira linha, que transportavam o trem por meio do sistema funicular.
No museu, há, também, a exposição de diversos objetos de uso ferroviário, fotos e fichas funcionais de muitos ex-funcionários da ferrovia.
O locobreque:
O "locobreque" tinha a função de frear a composição na descida da serra e simultaneamente empurrava outra composição que subia. O cabo entre as duas máquinas passava por uma grande roda volante, chamada de "máquina-fixa" que ficava em cada um dos cinco patamares. Do nome inglês original, loco-brake, a máquina funcionava pela queima de carvão ou madeira numa fornalha, abastecida pelo foguista, que trabalhava ao lado do maquinista. As máquinas "locobreque" foram construídas em 1901 por Robert Stephenson & Co. Ltd. O sistema funicular proporcionava maior economia de energia gasta pelo "locobreque" e possibilitava o desempenho do trem nos aclives e declives. Havia uma inclinação de 8 graus entre cada um dos cinco patamares. Quando subia a Serra do Mar, o "locobreque" empurrava os vagões, que ficavam na frente da máquina. Quando descia, ele segurava os vagões, que ficavam atrás da máquina. Como o trem não tinha marcha-ré, havia um sistema chamado popularmente de "viradouro", através do qual os funcionários invertiam o sentido da locomotiva, girando a máquina em torno de si mesma. Antes do "locobreque" havia uma primitiva máquina de madeira, também tracionada por cabos, que fazia o transporte entre os cinco patamares. Era o "serrabreque". Durante a operação do "serrabreque", o Barão de Mauá ainda era um dos financistas da companhia. Até a metade do século XX, o transporte ferroviário era sinônimo de luxo. E um dos marcos foi o trem Cometa, que fazia a linha Santos – São Paulo. O trem possuía serviço de bordo e poltronas leito, como as de ônibus. Além dele, também havia os trens Estrela, Planeta e Litorina (Semi-luxo).
Museu do castelo:
Essa residência, também denominada de "Castelinho", situa-se entre a Vila Velha e a Vila Martin Smith. Localizada no alto de uma colina, com uma excelente vista privilegiada para toda a vila ferroviária, foi construída por volta de 1897 para ser a residência do engenheiro-chefe, que gerenciava o tráfego de trens na subida e descida da Serra do Mar, o pátio de manobras, as oficinas e os funcionários residentes na vila. Sua imponência simbolizava a liderança e a hierarquia que os ingleses impuseram a toda a vila; ela é avistada de qualquer ponto de Paranapiacaba. Dizia-se que de suas janelas voltadas para todos os lados de Paranapiacaba, o engenheiro-chefe fiscalizava a vida de seus subordinados, não hesitando em demitir qualquer solteiro que estivesse nas imediações das casas dos funcionários casados. No decorrer de mais de um século de uso, foram feitas várias reformas e tentativas de recuperação de seu aspecto original; as maiores reformulações foram realizadas nas décadas de 1950 e 1960. Foi restaurado pela prefeitura de Santo André em parceria com a World Monuments Fund.
Casas dos engenheiros:
Característica da arquitetura hierarquizada de Paranapiacaba, as casas habitadas pelos engenheiros e suas famílias eram de alto padrão. Grandes e avarandadas, foram construídas em madeira nos tempos da São Paulo Railway, com plantas baixas individualizadas; depois, em alvenaria nos tempos da Rede Ferroviária Federal, com mesmo padrão de plantas. Muitas sofreram reformas em vários momentos, principalmente com a chegada da RFFSA. Uma das caracteríticas que chama a atenção é a cobertura do imóvel, pois somente com estudos elaborados pelos conselhos de reconhecimento, concluiu-se que o material das telhas não era ardósia, e sim fibrocimento, introduzidos provavelmente a partir da década de 50 entre alguma das reformas que sofreram.
Casas de solteiros:
Características da arquitetura hierarquizada de Paranapiacaba, as casas de solteiros eram conhecidas como barracos. Foram construídas em madeira, exceto duas em alvenaria. Essa tipologia foi criada pela São Paulo Railway, e a Rede Ferroviária Federal deu continuidade, construindo-as em alvenaria. A planta dessas casas possui
dormitórios, sanitários e cozinha para pequenas refeições, serviam para alojar o grande fluxo de homens solteiros, que preenchiam as vagas de ferroviários. Havia poucos sanitários e chuveiros, já que os trabalhadores se revezavam em turnos.
“Transport Decarbonisation: Driving Implementation” project members meeting at the ITF in Paris, France, to help identify ways to cut CO₂ emissions in three hard-to-decarbonise areas of transport: aviation, shipping and heavy-duty road freight. Their successful transition to a low- and ultimately zero-carbon operation is vital to achieving the international community’s climate goals.
A return to the leaning Cottonwood House yielded nice blue skies, but someone had cleaned up the property. The old farm implements and abandoned trucks were gone, but its still photogenic.
Implementing best practices for a given piece of land and chosen crop are important to a successful year. Decisions such as row spacing and tillage practices bring with them trade offs, but are geared towards environmental and economic sustainability.
Participants at World Economic Forum on Latin America 2016 in Medellin, Colombia. Copyright by World Economic Forum / Benedikt von Loebell
La compañía de extracción de nitratos de Guillermo Wendell fundó la oficina salitrera Santa Laura en 1872. Su propietario, el limeño Abraham Guillermo Wendell Tizon, obtuvo en concesión de 100 estacas del gobierno peruano para operar en Cala Cala y otras zonas. Ese mismo año, la Compañía de Nitratos del Perú fundó la oficina La Palma. Ambas oficinas comenzaron un rápido crecimiento, convirtiéndose rápidamente en pueblos caracterizados por una arquitectura de estilo clásico de ultramar británico.
La Palma se convirtió en una de las mayores extractoras de salitre de toda la zona de Tarapacá; por el contrario, Santa Laura funcionaria parcialmente debido a bajas expectativas con este productivas, por lo que en 1902 pasó a manos de The New Tamarugal Nitrate Company. En 1913 Santa Laura paralizó sus trabajos hasta 1920, cuando se implementó el sistema de extracción Shanks que mejoró los rendimientos de la oficina. Este proceso se realizó entre 1918 y 1920, bajo la dirección del constructor William J. Clayton, para la London Nitrate Co. Ltd. La planta de elaboración provino de Taltal, en la actual Región de Antofagasta, y pertenecía a la planta salitrera de la Lilita Nitrate Co., y que se llamaba, precisamente, oficina Lilita, paralizada desde 1914, por lo cual no se trata de la muy próxima oficina Ghisela, también de Taltal, que suele ser considerada la “máquina” que llegó a constituir Santa Laura.
Sin embargo, el modelo económico colapsó a causa de la Gran Depresión en 1929 y del desarrollo de la producción sintética del amoníaco por los alemanes Fritz Haber y Carl Bosch que permitió la producción industrial de fertilizantes. Prácticamente en quiebra, La Palma y Santa Laura fueron compradas por Cosatan (Compañía Salitrera de Tarapacá y Antofagasta) en 1934. Cosatan amplió y renovó lo que fuera La Palma, y la rebautizó como oficina Santiago Humberstone —en honor a James Thomas Humberstone, quien introdujo y aplicó el sistema Shanks y es considerado uno de los padres de la industria salitrera—. La empresa se empeñó en lograr que el salitre natural compitiera en los mercados internacionales, por lo que desarrolló un plan de modernización en Humberstone que mantuvo la tecnología Shanks y logró buenos resultados, con su máxima hasta 1940, asociada a las otras oficinas salitreras de la Cosatan.
Con el pasar del tiempo, la era dorada de Humberstone y del grupo de oficinas que componían el Grupo Nebraska comenzó a apagarse rápidamente y condujo a una aguda crisis a Cosatan, que la llevó a su desaparición en 1958 y al abandono de ambas oficinas (Humberstone en 1960 y Santa Laura en 1961). En 1970, cuando ambas oficinas salitreras estaban convertidas en dos pueblos fantasmas en medio del desierto de Atacama, fueron nombradas monumentos nacionales, pese a lo cual siguen siendo presas del desguace y saqueo etc.
En 2001 Humberstone fue remodelada cuando sirvió como set de rodaje de la telenovela Pampa Ilusión. La celebración de la Semana del Salitre, autorizada por Óscar Andía, resultó clave para que los expampinos lucharan por proteger la oficina. Es así como se formó la Corporación Museo del Salitre, que hizo gestiones para transformar a ambas oficinas salitreras en Patrimonio Cultural de la Humanidad por la Unesco en 2005
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Guillermo Wendell's nitrate extraction company founded the Santa Laura saltpeter office in 1872. Its owner, Abraham Guillermo Wendell Tizon from Lima, obtained a concession of 100 stakes from the Peruvian government to operate in Cala Cala and other areas. That same year, the Peruvian Nitrate Company founded the La Palma office. Both offices began rapid growth, quickly becoming villages characterized by classical British Overseas style architecture.
La Palma became one of the largest saltpeter extractors in the entire Tarapacá area; On the contrary, Santa Laura functioned partially due to low expectations with this production, so in 1902 it passed into the hands of The New Tamarugal Nitrate Company. In 1913, Santa Laura halted its work until 1920, when the Shanks extraction system was implemented, which improved office performance. This process was carried out between 1918 and 1920, under the direction of the builder William J. Clayton, for the London Nitrate Co. Ltd. The production plant came from Taltal, in the current Antofagasta Region, and belonged to the Lilita Nitrate Co. saltpeter plant, which was called, precisely, the Lilita office, paralyzed since 1914, so it is not the very close Ghisela office, also in Taltal. which is usually considered the “machine” that came to constitute Santa Laura.
However, the economic model collapsed due to the Great Depression in 1929 and the development of the synthetic production of ammonia by the Germans Fritz Haber and Carl Bosch that allowed the industrial production of fertilizers. Virtually bankrupt, La Palma and Santa Laura were bought by Cosatan (Compañía Salitrera de Tarapacá y Antofagasta) in 1934. Cosatan expanded and renovated what had been La Palma, and renamed it the Santiago Humberstone office —in honor of James Thomas Humberstone, who introduced and applied the Shanks system and is considered one of the fathers of the nitrate industry. The company was determined to make natural nitrate compete in international markets, so it developed a modernization plan at Humberstone that maintained Shanks technology and achieved good results, with its peak up to 1940, associated with the other Cosatan nitrate offices.
As time passed, the golden era of Humberstone and the group of offices that made up the Nebraska Group began to fade rapidly and led Cosatan to an acute crisis, which led to its disappearance in 1958 and the abandonment of both offices (Humberstone in 1960 and Santa Laura in 1961). In 1970, when both saltpeter offices were turned into two ghost towns in the middle of the Atacama desert, they were named national monuments, despite which they continue to be scrapped and looted etc.
In 2001 Humberstone was remodeled when it served as a filming set for the soap opera Pampa Ilusión. The celebration of the Saltpeter Week, authorized by Óscar Andía, was key for the expampinos to fight to protect the office. This is how the Saltpeter Museum Corporation was formed, which took steps to transform both saltpeter offices into Cultural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco in 2005
The Hyderabad Metro is a rapid transit system, serving the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is in Secant Operational model. It is being implemented entirely on public-private partnership (PPP) basis, with the state government holding a minority equity stake. A 30 km stretch from Miyapur to Nagole, having 24 stations was inaugurated on 28 November 2017 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. No other rapid transit metro service in India opened for public operations on such a long stretch of 30 km. As of October 2018, it is the second longest operational metro network in India after the Delhi Metro, after a 16 km stretch between Ameerpet-LB Nagar Metro route was opened on 24 September 2018. It is estimated to cost ₹18,800 crore (US$2.6 billion). As of October 2018, about 200,000 people use the Metro per day. Trains are now crowded during the morning and evening hours, when employees travel to and from work. A ladies only coach was introduced on all the trains from 7 May 2018.
HISTORY
To respond the rising public transport needs and mitigate escalating vehicular traffic in the twin-cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, the State Government and the South Central Railway jointly launched the Multi Modal Transport System (MMTS) in [August] 2003. The increase in population of Hyderabad made MMTS alone insufficient for public transport, which led to Union Ministry of Urban Development giving the nod for the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project and directed the DMRC to conduct a survey on the project.[ this project was seen necessary in view that the population of Hyderabad was forecasted to reach 13.6 million by the year 2021. According to the initial plan, the metro was to be connected with the already existing MMTS to provide commuters with alternate modes of transport. Simultaneously, the proposals for taking up the construction of MMTS Phase-II were also taken forward.
On March 26, 2018, Telangana Govt announced that it would set up a SPV "Hyderabad Airport Metro Limited (HAML)", jointly promoted by HMRL and HMDA, to extend the Blue line from Raidurg to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad.
INITIAL BIDDING
The bidding process was completed by July 2008 and awarded to Maytas which failed to achieve financial closure for the project as per schedule By March 2009. In July 2009, the State Government cancelled the contract and called for fresh bids for the project.
RE-BIDDING
In the July-2010 rebidding process, Larsen & Toubro (L&T) emerged as the lowest bidder for the ₹121.32 billion (US$1.7 billion) project. L&T came forward to take up the work for about ₹14.58 billion (US$200 million) as viability gap funding as against the sanctioned ₹48.53 billion (US$680 million).
MASCOT
The mascot of Hyderabad Metro Rail is Niz. It was derived from the word Nizam, who ruled the princely state of Hyderabad.
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
HMR project was showcased as one of the top 100 strategic global infrastructure projects at the Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum held in New York during February–March 2013.
L&T Metro Rail Hyderabad Limited (LTMRHL) has been conferred the SAP ACE Award 2015 in the 'Strategic HR and Talent Management category.
In 2018, Rasoolpura, Paradise and Prakash Nagar metro stations were awarded Indian Green Building Council’s (IGBC) Green MRTS Platinum Award.
CONSTRUCTION HISTORY
Groundbreaking (Bhoomi Puja) for the project was conducted on 26 April 2012 the concessionaire started the pillar erection on the same day for Stage-I and on 6 June 2012 for Stage-II. The work for Corridor 2 has been delayed due to traders in Koti and Sultan Bazar demanding realignment of the route to safeguard traders and old age heritage markets. If the recent bill proposed in Parliament which allows construction within a 100 metre radius of heritage structures and sites of historical or archaeological importance is passed, Metro might receive a chance as it helps to connect the Old city with IT corridor.
The construction of the entire 71.16 km has been split into 6 stages with the first stage originally scheduled to be completed by March 2015.
In November 2013, L&T Hyderabad Metro started laying of rails on the metro viaduct between Nagole and Mettuguda, a stretch of 8 km.
The first highly sophisticated train of the Hyderabad Metro Rail (HMR) came from Korea during the third week of May 2014. Stringent trial runs commenced from June 2014 till February 2015. The trial runs started on the Miyapur to Sanjeeva Reddy Nagar stretch in October 2015.
CMRS inspection for Stage-II (Miyapur and S.R.Nagar Section) was done on 9, 10 August 2016. Three interchanges are planned at Mahatma Gandhi Bus Terminus, Parade Grounds and Ameerpet.
The steel bridge of the HMR was successfully placed over the Oliphant bridge in August 2017.
In November 2017, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CMRS) granted safety approval for 12 km stretch from Miyapur to SR Nagar, 10 km stretch from SR Nagar to Mettuguda and 8 km stretch from Nagole to Mettuguda.
Ameerpet-LB Nagar Metro stretch is open for commercial operations from 24 September 2018.
CONSTRUCTION PHASES
The construction work was undertaken in two phases. There are six stages of completion in Phase I
PHASE I
The Phase I of the project includes 3 lines covering a distance of around 72 km. The metro rail stretches between Nagole and Secunderabad 11 km originally scheduled to be operational by December 2015, is now partially operational since 29 November 2017. The entire 72 km 57-station first phase is due to be completed by December 2019 with Hitec City - Raidurg line and MGBS - Falaknuma line is scheduled to be completed by December 2019.
Line 1 - Red Line - Miyapur – L B Nagar - 29.2 km
Line 2 - Green Line - JBS - Falaknuma 15 km
Line 3 - Blue Line - Nagole – Raidurg - 28 km
PHASE II
The Government is planning second phase of metro rail extending further. The construction of Phase II will be taken up solely by the state government, instead of public private partnership (PPP) mode in Phase I. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) was entrusted to give a detailed project report (DPR) for Phase II. Metro Rail Phase II expansion plan is for about 60 km, which includes providing link to Shamshabad RGI Airport.
LINES
Since the first version of the plans, the three corridors mostly remained the same, but minor changes were introduced. These include the lack of stop at Lalaguda, or a stop at Lakdikapul instead of Secretariat. Also, the lines have been marked with several different combination of color. Ameerpet- LB Nagar metro stretch opened on 24 September 2018. HiTec City to Raidurg, 1.5-kilometre stretch on Corridor Three - Nagole to Raidurg, is scheduled to be completed in November 2019, as it involves construction of 49 pillars and the Raidurg terminal station. Efforts are being made to complete the 8.5-km stretch from Ameerpet to HiTec City by December 2018.
RECEPTION
The Metro has opened to overwhelming response, with over 200,000 people using it on Day 1. On the first Sunday of operations, the Metro was used by 240,000 people.. As of September 2018, the daily ridership was about 2,00,000.
Trains are initially being operated at a frequency of 3.5 minutes in very peak hours and every 6.5 minutes in peak hours (between Miyapur-Ameerpet) and 6.5 minutes in peak hours (between Ameerpet-Nagole),, though maximum achievable frequency is every 90 seconds. Similarly, three-car trains are being used currently, though it is planned to use six-car trains in the future.
In December 2017, Hyderabad Metro Rail launched its mobile app, TSavaari. Hyderabad Metro timings are available on T-Savari app. Ola Cabs and Uber tied up its services with app.
COST
The initial official estimated cost of the 72 km long Metro project stood at ₹14,132 crore (US$2.0 billion). The Central Government decided to bear 10% of it, while L&T was to bear the remaining 90% of the cost. The construction work which was supposed to commence on 3 March 2011 commenced in 2012. In March 2012, the cost of the project was revised upwards to ₹15,957 crore (US$2.2 billion). This has been further revised upwards to ₹18,800 crore (US$2.6 billion) (as of November 2017).
INFRASTRUCTURE
The 71.3 km standard-gauge network will feature ballastless track throughout and will be electrified at 25kV ac 50 Hz. An operations control centre and depot are constructed at Uppal. At some places, a flyover, underpass and metro has been constructed at the same place, as part of Strategic road development plan (SRDP).
CBTC TECHNOLOGY
At the end of 2012, L&T Metro Rail awarded Thales a Rs 7.4bn ($US 134m) contract to provide CBTC and integrated telecommunications and supervision systems on all three lines. Thales will supply its SelTrac CBTC technology, and trains will initially run in automatic train operation mode with minimum headways of 90 seconds, although the system will support eventual migration to unattended train operation (UTO).
ROLLING STOCK
On 12 September 2012, Larsen and Toubro Metro Rail Hyderabad Ltd (LTMRHL) announced that it has awarded tender for supply of rolling stock to Hyundai Rotem. The ₹18 billion (US$250 million) tender is for 57 trains consisting of 171 cars which will be delivered in phases at least 9 months before the commencement of each stage. On 2 October 2013, LTMRHL unveiled its train car for Hyderabad Metro. A model coach which is half the size of the actual coach, was on public display at Necklace Road on the banks of Hussain Sagar in the heart of Hyderabad. The trains will be 3.2m wide and 4m high. There will be 4 doors on each side of each coach.
On 10 April 2014, the first metro train for HMR rolled out of Hyundai Rotem factory at Changwon in South Korea and reached Hyderabad in May 2014. On 31 December 2014, Hyderabad Metro Rail successfully conducted a training run in Automatic Train Operation (ATO) mode for the first time between Nagole and Mettuguda.
TICKETING
The L&T Hyderabad project will have an automated ticketing system with features such as contactless smart card based ticketing, slim automatic gates, payment by cash and credit/debit card, passenger operated ticket vending machine and provision of common ticketing system. It will also have a provision of NFC-based technology to enable usage of mobile phones as fare media and high performance machine to avoid long queues. Samsung Data Systems India, a subsidiary of South Korean firm Samsung, has been awarded the automatic fare collection system package for the L&T metro rail project. The package involves design, manufacture, supply, installation, testing and commissioning of the system.
Official ticket prices were announced on 25 November 2017. The base fare is ₹10 for up to 2 km and going to slap 10 with ₹60 for more than 26 km.
STATIONS
Hyderabad metro will have 64 stations in phase I. They will be provided with amenities such as escalators and elevators to reach the stations, announcement boards, electronic display systems among others for passengers. Commercial will also be provided on stations. Hyderabad metro stations will also have service roads underneath them to provide last mile connectivity by allowing other public transportation systems use it for dropping/picking passengers right in front of the stations and ensure uninterrupted traffic. Currently the service lane works are currently on at Nagole and Uppal stations. The signboards of Hyderabad Metro are displayed in Telugu, English, Hindi and Urdu at metro stations.
Otis Elevator Company of United States won the contract to supply and maintain 670 elevators.
In May 2018, L&T Metro Rail announced that it had signed a contract with Powergrid Corporation of India to install electric vehicle charging facilities at all metro stations beginning with Miyapur and Dr. B R Ambedkar Balanagar stations. L&THMRL has setup free wifi access units for commuters at Miyapur, Ameerpet and Nagole metro stations, in association with ACT Fibernet, as part of a pilot project.
WIKIPEDIA
Udaipur is a major city, municipal corporation and the administrative headquarters of the Udaipur district in the Indian state of Rajasthan. It is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. Maharana Udai Singh of the Sisodia clan of Rajput founded the city 1553, and shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur. It remained as the capital city till 1818 when it became a British princely state, and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.
Udaipur is a very popular tourist destination. Known for its history, culture, scenic locations and the Rajput-era palaces, Udaipur was also voted as the best city in the world in 2009 by the Travel + Leisure magazine.
HISTORY
Udaipur was founded in 1553, by Maharana Udai Singh II in the fertile circular Girwa Valley to the southwest of Nagda, on the Banas River. The city was established as the new capital of the Mewar kingdom. This area already had a thriving trading town, Ayad, which had served as capital of Mewar in the 10th through 12th centuries. The Girwa region was thus already well-known to Chittaud rulers who moved to it whenever the vulnerable tableland Chittaurgarh was threatened with enemy attacks. Maharana Udai Singh II, in the wake of 16th century emergence of artillery warfare, decided during his exile at Kumbhalgarh to move his capital to a more secure location. Ayad was flood-prone, hence he chose the ridge east of Pichola Lake to start his new capital city, where he came upon a hermit while hunting in the foothills of the Aravalli Range. The hermit blessed the king and guided him to build a palace on the spot, assuring him it would be well protected. Udai Singh II consequently established a residence on the site. In November 1567, the Mughal emperor Akbar laid siege to the venerated fort of Chittor. To protect Udaipur from External attacks, Maharana Udai Singh built a six kilometer long city wall, with seven gates, namely Surajpole, Chandpole, Udiapole, Hathipole, Ambapole, Brahmpole and so on. The area within these walls and gates is still known as the old city or the walled city.
As the Mughal empire weakened, the Sisodia rulers, reasserted their independence and recaptured most of Mewar except for Chittor. Udaipur remained the capital of the state, which became a princely state of British India in 1818. Being a mountainous region and unsuitable for heavily armoured Mughal horses, Udaipur remained safe from Mughal influence despite much pressure. At present, Arvind Singh Mewar is the 76th custodian of the Mewar dynasty.
GEOGRAPHY
TOPOGRAPHY
Udaipur is located at 24.525049°N 73.677116°E. The city covers an area of 37 km2 and lies at an altitude of 598.00 m above sea level. It is located in the southern region of Rajasthan, near the Gujarat border. The city lies 403 kilometres southwest of the state capital, Jaipur and 250 km northeast from Ahmedabad.
Udaipur with its lakes lies on the south slope of the Aravalli Range in Rajasthan. The Northern part of the district consists generally of elevated plateaus, while the eastern part has vast stretches of fertile plains. The southern part is covered with rocks, Hills and dense Forest. There are two important passages in the Aravali ranges viz. Desuri Nal and Saoke which serves as a link between Udaipur and Jodhpur
DISTRICT CITYSCAPE
The lakes of the city being interconnected form a lake system which supports and sustains the ground water recharge, water availability for drinking, agriculture, industries and is a source of employment through tourism. The lake system has three main lakes in its upper catchment area, six lakes within its municipal boundary and one lake in the downstream. The Udaipur lake system, arising out of the river Berach (Banas Basin) and its tributaries, is an integral component of the upper Berach basin. The upper Berach basin is a part of the Gangetic river system, wherein the river Berach meets river Ganga through the rivers Banas, Chambal & Yamuna.
The Udaipur Lake System can be divided into the following categories:
- Upper lakes: Lake Badi, Chhota Madar & Bada Madar.
- City Lakes: Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Swaroop Sagar, Rang Sagar, Kumharia Talab, Goverdhan Sagar.
- Downstream Lake: Lake Udai Sagar.
- River: River Ahar.
Watershed or the catchment areas include :
- Bada Madar: 8780.48 ha
- Chhota Madar: 2987.23 ha
- Badi Lake: 1906.55 ha
The city lacks an organised sewerage system and treatment facility for the solid wastes and sewage generated. With an absence of waste segregation, processing and scientific disposal facilities, the city's lakes have been facing increased levels of pollution, thereby threatening an ecological degradation. Five of the major lakes have been included under the restoration project of the National Lake Conservation Plan (NLCP) of the Government of India in order to preserve the cleanliness of the water bodies in the city.
These are :
- Fateh Sagar Lake
- Pichola Lake
- Swaroopsagar
- Rangsagar
- Doodh Talai Lake
In a judgement passed by the Rajasthan High Court, all bathing activities at the lake shores and immersion of religious idols in the lake waters was banned in the city.
The city recently scored poorly in the Swachh Bharat list of the cleanest cities in India, getting placed at 417th position out of a total 476 cities.
CLIMATE
Udaipur city has particularly a tropical climate. The three main seasons, summer, monsoon and winter respectively, dominate the city of Udaipur. Being located in the desert lands of Rajasthan, the climate and weather of Udaipur is usually hot. The summer season runs from mid-March to June and touches temperature ranging from 23 °C to 44 °C in the months of March to June. Monsoons arrive in the month of July heralded by dust and thunderstorms. With lush greenery and enchanting lakes, the sporadic rainfalls enhance the beauty of the city, making it one of the top monsoon destinations of the country. The winter season prevails from the month of October till the month of March. Humidity, which prevails during monsoons, diminishes at the arrival of winters. The city observes pleasant sunny days and enjoyable cool nights with the temperature ranging from 5 °C to 30 °C.
Udaipur's winter climate is the most appealing time to visit. Tourists arrive in large numbers, anytime between mid-September to late March or early April. Even in January, the coldest month, the days are bright, sunny and warm with maximum temperature around 28.3 °C. Mornings, evenings and nights are cold
DEMOGRAPHICS
According to the 2011 census, the total urban population of Udaipur district was 608,426. and the population density was 262/km2. As per the data, the male population of the city was 315,485 and the female population was 292,941 in 2011. The total population for the age group of 0–6 years old was 67,068. The sex-ratio of the urban area was 929 while that for the rural area was 966, the average being 958. The child sex-ratio (0–6 years of age) was 865.
Udaipur has an average effective literacy rate of 90.43 percent, as compared to the national average of 74.04 percent: male literacy rate being 95.41 percent while the female literacy rate being 85.08 percent.
Hindi, Mewari and English are the major languages spoken in Udaipur. Marwari, Wagdi and Gujarati are some others which are in use in the city.
Hinduism is the major religion followed in the city. With a large Jain community, Jainism is amongst the other main religions practised. Jains makes about 10% of the population, as compared to the national average of 0.37%.
ECONOMY
Udaipur has a diversified economic base. The major contributions to the city's economy come from tourism, agriculture and mineral industries. The handicraft and cottage industry sectors play an important part in contributing to the growing economy. The city has also been included under the Smart Cities mission initiated by the Government of India, and is selected in the list of first 20 cities to be developed as smart cities.
HANDICRAFTS
Udaipur is well known for handicrafts such as paintings, marble articles, silver arts and terracotta. The Shilpgram is a platform where regional handicraft and hand-loom products is developed. Craft bazaars are organized by the Shilpgram, with an aim to encourage the regional arts and crafts, the handicraft and hand-loom works.
TOURISM
Udaipur, with its picturesque landscape, lakes, and historic palaces and architecture, is a major destination for most tourists, both domestic and foreign nationals visiting the state. With numerous hotels to serve visiting tourists, Udaipur is home to some of the world's most renowned and the country's best luxury hotels and resorts. The Oberoi Udaivilas has been ranked as the world's number 1 hotel in 2015. The Taj Lake Palace and the Leela palace Udaipur are also amongst the most expensive hotels in the country. With various other renowned hotel chains present in the city, the tourism sector has been a fairly large contributor to the economic growth and fame of Udaipur.
METALS AND MINERALS INDUSTRIES
Udaipur district is particularly rich in mineral resources as a large variety of important minerals are found here. Copper, lead, zinc and silver, industrial minerals like phosphate, asbestos, calcite, lime-stone, Talc (soap stone), barites, wollastonite and marble are the major driving resources behind the industries based in the city. Marble is exclusively mined, processed and exported from here around the world. The marble industry is well set and established with proper infrastructure and technological support for mining and processing. It is the largest sector giving employment to many people of the city and the immigrants from nearby areas. Udaipur is also home to the world's second largest Zinc producer, Hindustan Zinc.
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture like most other parts of the country, remains a leading sector in the city's economy. The Major crops of the area are Maize and Jowar in Kharif season and Wheat and Mustard in the Rabi season.[38] Pulses, Groundnut and vegetables like brinjals are some of the major food products grown in the city. The Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology, along with its affiliated institutions, has been working towards identifying, designing, preparing and adapting new techniques in the field of production technology for agricultural development since its establishment.
RETAIL
Udaipur has both traditional as well as modern retail shopping destinations. The traditional markets include Bapu Bazaar, Chetak Circle, Suraj Pole, Nehru Bazaar, Bada Bazaar and Chand Pole, while the areas including Durga Nursery Road, Shakti Nagar and Sudkhadia Circle provide opportunities to new entrants. Udaipur is also progressing towards a mall culture, and has witnessed many retail malls including Celebration Mall, Lakecity Mall, Arvana Shopping Mall, Chetak Shopping Mall, City Centre Mall, Mangalam Square Mall and R.Kay Mall.
TOURISM
CITY PALACE - 1559
Standing on the east bank of Lake Pichola is a massive series of palaces built at different times from 1559. Its main entrance is through the triple-arched gate - the Tripolia, built in 1725. This gate leads to a series of courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. The palace now houses a museum with many antique articles, paintings, decorative furniture and utensils from the royal era.
LAKE PALACE - 1743-1746
Situated over an island in Lake Pichola, the Lake Palace was constructed to serve as a royal summer palace. Built of white marble, the palace is now a luxury 5 Star hotel, operating under the "Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces" banner.
JAG MANDIR - 1551-1652
Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in the Lake Pichola. Also known as the "Lake Garden Palace", it was constructed by three Maharanas of the Mewar kingdom. The construction started in 1551, and was completed by 1652. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace.
MONSOON PALACE
Monsoon Palace, also known as Sajjan Garh Palace, was built as an astronomical centre to keep track of the movement of monsoon clouds in the area and also served as the summer resort of the Maharanas. Built with white marble, it is located on Bansdara peak of the Aravalli hill range at an elevation of 944 m above mean sea level. The palace offers a panoramic view of the city's lakes, palaces and surrounding countryside.
JAGDISH TEMPLE - 1651
The Jagdish Temple is a large Hindu temple in the middle of Udaipur, built by Maharana Jagat Singh I. A key tourist place in the city, this temple is an example of Māru-Gurjara Architecture.
FATEH SAGAR LAKE - 1678
Lake Fatehsagar is an artificial lake situated in the north-west part of Udaipur. The lake was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh and later reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh. It is one of the most popular destinations in the city for tourists and the city residents.
SUKHADIA CIRCLE
Sukhadia Circle (square) is large roundabout in the city's northern suburb and is a popular recreational centre. The square has in its centre, a small pond admist which lies a 21 ft high three-tiered fountain. The fountain, made of marble is surmounted by a wheat-ear motif, a symbol of prosperity.
SAHELIYON-KI-BARI - 1710-1734
Sahelion ki Bari is a major garden and a popular tourist space in the northern part of the city. The garden with its fountains and kiosks, a lotus pool and marble elephants, was laid for a group of forty-eight young women attendants who accompanied a princess to Udaipur as part of her dowry.
LAKE PICHOLA - 1362
Lake Pichola is an artificial fresh water lake and is one of the several contiguous lakes in the city of Udaipur. The lake’s surroundings and the several islands within the lake have been developed over the centuries, with palaces, marble temples, family mansions, bathing ghats and chabutaras (a raised platform, normally within a courtyard).
MOTI MAGRI
Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, is a memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap. It is basically a small hilloc, atop of which there is a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak". It was initiated by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar, and carried over and completed with the help of a public trust.
NEEMACH MATA TEMPLE
Neemach mata is located on a hill near fateh sagar lake. The temple is 900 meters above on the top of the hill. One can see a beautiful view of Udaipur from the temple.
CULTURE
Udaipur has received a rich cultural heritage from the bygone ages. The lakes, temples, huge forts and palaces boast about the rich legacy of this city. The city has kept a balance between preserving the rituals and traditions of the past while keeping up with the modern advancements and changes in lifestyle. Like any other place in the state of Rajasthan, folk dance and music have an important place in adding to the city's cultural richness. The dynamic and vibrant dances of Bhavai, Ghoomar, Kachchhi Ghodi, Kalbeliya and Terahtaali add a sparkle to the rich cultural heritage of Udaipur.
- Ghoomar dance is a part of the tribal culture of the Mewar Region of Rajasthan. This is a community dance for women and performed on auspicious occasions where the ladies move gracefully in circles.
- Kalbelia, one of the most sensuous dance forms of Rajasthan, is performed by the Kalbeliya snake charmers’ community with the sapera dancers wearing long, black skirts embroidered with silver ribbons.
- Bhavai dance consists of veiled women dancers balancing up to seven or nine brass pitchers as they dance nimbly, pirouetting and then swaying with the soles of their feet perched on the top of a glass or on the edge of the sword
- Kachchhi Ghodi dance dance is performed on dummy horses where men in elaborate costumes ride the equally well decorated dummy horses. Holding naked swords, these dancers move rhythmically to the beating of drums and fifes.
Following a lineage of age old traditions and adhering to religious significance, the various dances complement the fairs and festivals held in the city. The city's music consists mainly of the use of Morchang, Naad, Tanpura, and Sarangi, among many other instruments, that used to echo in the courts of the erstwhile rulers of the state.
Miniature paintings are amongst the most famous paintings developed under the patronage of the rulers of Rajasthan. The simplest among these are done on walls, and though folk in style, they nevertheless have some of the flavour of frescoes one sees in the old palaces. The tradition on painting the wall of houses with scenes from mythological and chivalric tales has been prevalent in Rajasthan for the past many centuries. The people of the city make use of such wall paintings for decorations during wedding celebrations. Noted amongst the miniature style of paintings are particularly the Pichvais, which are those made on cloth, and Phad, made on cloth scroll in folk style.
The Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal is a cultural institution based in the city. The institute with its museum is a platform which displays a collection of Rajasthani culture. Offering an insight into the lifestyle of the royal era in Udaipur, the museum has a fine collection of dresses, tribal jewellery, turbans, dolls, masks, musical instruments, paintings and puppets. With various cultural events including folk song and dance performances, theatre and puppetry, the institute highlights the different social stigmas, thereby proving to be a powerful education tool for the masses.
FESTIVALS
GANGAUR FESTIVAL
Gangaur is one of the most important local festivals in Rajasthan. In some form or the other it is celebrated all over Rajasthan. “gan” is a synonym for Lord Shiva and “gauri” or “gaur” stands for Goddess Parvati, the heavenly consort of Lord Shiva. Gangaur celebrates the union of the two and is a symbol of conjugal and marital happiness.
It is celebrated in the month of Chaitra (March–April), the first month of the Hindu calendar. This month marks the end of winter and the onset of spring. This festival is celebrated especially by women, who worship clay idols of “Gan” & “Gauri” in their houses. These idols are worshiped by the virgins who seek the blessings of Gan and Gauri for a good spouse, while the married women pray for the good health and long life of their husbands. On the eve of Gangaur festival, women decorate their palms and fingers with henna. The idols of Gan and Gauri are immersed in a pond or in a nearby lake on the last day of the festival.
A traditional procession of Gangaur commences form the City Palace which passes through various areas of the city. The procession is headed by an old palanquins, chariots, bullock carts and performance folk artistes.
SHILPGRAM UTSAV
Shilpgram, a crafts village 3 km west of Lake Fateh Sagar, has displays of traditional houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. There are also demonstrations by musicians, dancers, or artisans from these states. The 10 day festival organised here is a treat for the visitor to an array of exquisite art and craft. One of the important objectives of Shilpgram festival is in the sphere of increasing awareness and knowledge of rural life and crafts, specifically, for the younger generation. Special emphasis is laid on workshops for children on arts, crafts, theatre and music.
HARIYALI AMAVASYA
Hariyali Amavasya (new moon day of the Sawan / Shravan month) marks the beginning of the monsoons and greenery. It arrvies three days before the famous Hartalika Teej(Shravan shukla tritiya). People worship God Shiva for abundant rains and good agricultural season. Melas and fests are arranged in several places in the city.
JAGANNATH RATH YATRA
In udaipur, the third biggest Ratha-Yatra[49] is organised on the auspicious day of Ashadh Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight) Dwitiya according to Indian Vikram Samvat. On this cultural day of summer solstice theme, June 21 of every year, the journey of the lord jagannath to their aunts house is started. The presiding deities of the temple lord Jagannath (Krishna), Balabhadra (Balarama) and their sister Subhadra are taken through the streets in heavily decorated wooden chariots, which are made every year for the purpose. The Chariot of Lord Jagannath, called Nandighosha, has 16 wheels and is draped in red and yellow.
The sanctity of the festival is such that even a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is considered enough to confer the results of several pious deeds or penance for ages.
JAL-JHULNI EKADASHI
According to the Hindu calendar, Gyaras, or Ekadashi is basically, the 11th day of each waxing (Shukla paksha ) and waning moon (Krishna paksha). This ekadashi, known as Jal-Jhulni Gyaras, or Jal-Jhulni Ekadashi, like all other festivals, is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Udaipur. Different processions start from the various parts of the city and end at one point i.e. Gangaur Ghat where people swing the idols of Lord Krishna in child form (Baal Gopal) in the Lake Pichola. These procession are called Ram Revdies.
Udaipur in popular culture
Udaipur was voted the Best City in the World in 2009 by the Travel + Leisure magazine, and is now amongst the favourite wedding destinations for Indian as well as foreign nationals. The city is a blend of sights, sounds and experiences, which have made it one of the top destinations for weddings and celebrations.
MOVIES AND TELEVISION
Udaipur is mentioned under the spelling Oodeypore in Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book as the birthplace of Bagheera, the fictional panther in the king's Menagerie.
Because of its picturesque and scenic locations, Udaipur has been the shooting location for many Hollywood and Bollywood movies. Indian sections of the James Bond film Octopussy were filmed in the city, the Lake Palace, and the Monsoon Palace. The nearby desert was the backdrop of the remarkable rescue of Octopussy (Maud Adams) by Bond (Roger Moore). Some scenes from the British television series The Jewel in the Crown were also filmed in Udaipur. The Disney channel film, The Cheetah Girls One World, was shot in Udaipur in January 2008. Some of the other non-Indian movies and TV shows filmed in Udaipur include: Darjeeling Limited, Opening Night, Heat and Dust, Indische Ring, Inside Octopussy, James Bond in India, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Gandhi, and The Fall. Jag Mandir, a documentary film directed for television by Werner Herzog in 1991, was also filmed in the city.
Udaipur has been a popular location for Bollywood movies. Some of them shot here include : Guide, Mera Saaya, Phool Bane Angaray, Kachche Dhaage, Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Jalmahal, Yaadein, Return of the thief of the bagdad, Eklavya: The Royal Guard, Dhamaal, Jis Desh Mei Ganga Rehta Hai, Chalo Ishq Ladaaye, Fiza, Gaddaar, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Khuda Gawah, Kundan, Nandini, Saajan Ka Ghar,Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Ramleela, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo. Udaipur is also the setting of various Television series like Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, Rakhi Ka Swayamwar and Bharat Ka Veer Putra – Maharana Pratap.
EDUCATION
Udaipur has a well-established education infrastructure. There are a number of universities, colleges and schools meeting the requirements of not only the city but the region and country as well. The main universities in Udaipur include IIM Udaipur, Mohan Lal Sukhadia University, Sir Padampat Singhania University and Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology. Other educational institutes include College of Technology And Engineering, College of Dairy & Food Science Technology, R.N.T. Medical College, Pacific Medical College and Hospital, Pacific Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhupal Nobles' College, J.R.N. Rajasthan Vidyapeeth (Deemed), S S College Of Engineering, Techno India NJR Institute of Technology, Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital, Pacific Commerce college, Pacific ENG College, Pacific Dental College & Hospital, Geetanjali Institute of technical studies, Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Tourism.
Udaipur is now the first district in Rajasthan to have implemented a smart class system in all the government schools, enabling them with information and communication technologies (ICT) infrastructure. This model of ICT in education is getting replicated in all government schools of ICT infrastructure of Rajasthan State. This ICT based initiation was started on 4 December 2013 by Dept of Education, Udaipur in joint initiative with Moinee Foundation, Jaipur and is popularly known as Project Utkarsh
According to the census-2011 data on educational status, Udaipur has the highest percentage of graduates in the entire state. It has 26 graduates for every 100 persons.
Nowadays many students get the educational facilities here itself so they need not to go to Kota or some other place for IIT-JEE preparation. Many students of the place have cleared the prestigious exam. In fact the All India Rank-1 in IIT-JEE 2014 belonged to Udaipur city.
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