In Nepali language 'Shanti' means peace that why this pagoda style stupa,lying at an altitude of about 1100m above the sea level is also called peace pagoda. Built by monk,Nochidastu Fuji under instruction of his guru Myohoji in 1973 the stupa is about 5km up the hill both from southern edge of Phewa lake and Chorepatan.The majestic stupa has four diferent statutes of Lord Buddha in each direction installed by Japan,Nepal, Srilanka and Thailand. The pinnacle of the stupa is from Srilanka.

 

To reach Shanti stupa the visitors have two options either by boating to southern edge of Phewa lake followed by hiking or from Chorepatan or Phumdibhumdi on a cab, bike or half an hour walk up the hill. Lovers of wilderness and solitude perfer to scale the hill from the Phewa lake as the journey goes through dense forest accompanied by songs of birds and circkets.On reaching the top of the hill, eye soothing view of Mount Annapurna and Fistail, Phewa lake,unending landscapes and green lush forest magnetises the visitors.Towering Pagoda style Peace stupa, and its surrounding garden,like its name fills the visitors with spiritual ecstasy and jubilant mood.The stupa is not just a Buddhist pilgrimage but also a palce for Hindus to worship that why it also exihibits quintessence of religious tolarance in Nepal.

 

contact : bhuiyanbashar1@gmail.com

connected with my facebook : www.facebook.com/Bashar.BH/

Two women communicating in sign language.

So, it's a highly unoriginal idea.

If only because it came from a Macdonald's Cola.

+++++++ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia +++++++++

  

"Khajuraho"

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Location Madhya Pradesh, India Edit this at Wikidata

Coordinates 24°51′08″N 79°55′20″E

Criteria Cultural: (i), (iii) Edit this on Wikidata[1]

Reference 240

Inscription 1986 (10th Session)

Khajuraho Group of Monuments is located in India

Khajuraho Group of Monuments

Location of Khajuraho Group of Monuments

[edit on Wikidata]

 

The Khajuraho Group of Monuments is a group of Hindu and Jain temples in Madhya Pradesh, India, about 175 kilometres (109 mi) southeast of Jhansi. They are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India.[2][3] The temples are famous for their nagara-style architectural symbolism and their erotic sculptures.[4]

 

Most Khajuraho temples were built between 950 and 1050 by the Chandela dynasty.[5] Historical records note that the Khajuraho temple site had 85 temples by the 12th century, spread over 20 square kilometers Of these, only about 25 temples have survived, spread over 6 square kilometers.[3] Of the various surviving temples, the Kandariya Mahadeva Temple is decorated with a profusion of sculptures with intricate details, symbolism and expressiveness of ancient Indian art.[6]

 

The Khajuraho group of temples were built together but were dedicated to two religions, Hinduism and Jainism, suggesting a tradition of acceptance and respect for diverse religious views among Hindus and Jains in the region.[7]

 

Contents

 

1 Location

2 History

3 Description

3.1 Architecture of the temples

4 Construction

5 Chronology

6 Arts and sculpture

7 Tourism and cultural events

8 See also

9 References

10 Further reading

11 External links

 

Location

 

The Khajuraho monuments are located in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, in Chhatarpur district, about 620 kilometres (385 mi) southeast of New Delhi. The temples are near a small town also known as Khajuraho,[8] with a population of about 20,000 people (2001 Census).

 

Khajuraho is served by Civil Aerodrome Khajuraho (IATA Code: HJR), with services to Delhi, Agra, Varanasi and Mumbai.[9] The site is also linked by the Indian Railways service, with the railway station located approximately six kilometres from the entrance to the monuments .

 

The monuments are about 10 kilometres off the east-west National Highway 75, and about 50 kilometres from the city of Chhatarpur, which is connected to the state capital Bhopal by the SW-NE running National Highway 86.

 

The 10th century Bhand Deva Temple in Rajasthan was built in the style of the Khajuraho monuments and is often referred to as 'Little Khajuraho'.

History

 

The Khajuraho group of monuments was built during the rule of the Chandela dynasty. The building activity started almost immediately after the rise of their power, throughout their kingdom to be later known as Bundelkhand.[10] Most temples were built during the reigns of the Hindu kings Yashovarman and Dhanga. Yashovarman's legacy is best exhibited by The Lakshmana Temple. Vishvanatha temple best highlights King Dhanga's reign.[11]:22 The largest and currently most famous surviving temple is Kandariya Mahadeva built in the reign of King Vidyadhara.[12] The temple inscriptions suggest many of the currently surviving temples were complete between 970 and 1030 CE, with further temples completed during the following decades.[7]

 

The Khajuraho temples were built about 35 miles from the medieval city of Mahoba,[13] the capital of the Chandela dynasty, in the Kalinjar region. In ancient and medieval literature, their kingdom has been referred to as Jijhoti, Jejahoti, Chih-chi-to and Jejakabhukti.[14]

 

Khajuraho was mentioned by Abu Rihan-al-Biruni, the Persian historian who accompanied Mahmud of Ghazni in his raid of Kalinjar in 1022 CE; he mentions Khajuraho as the capital of Jajahuti.[15] The raid was unsuccessful, and a peace accord was reached when the Hindu king agreed to pay a ransom to Mahmud of Ghazni to end the attack and leave.[14]

 

Khajuraho temples were in active use through the end of 12th century. This changed in the 13th century; after the army of Delhi Sultanate, under the command of the Muslim Sultan Qutb-ud-din Aibak, attacked and seized the Chandela kingdom. About a century later, Ibn Battuta, the Moroccan traveller in his memoirs about his stay in India from 1335 to 1342 CE, mentioned visiting Khajuraho temples, calling them "Kajarra"[16][17] as follows:

Until the 12th century, Khajuraho was under Hindu kings and featured 85 temples. Central India was seized by Delhi Sultanate in 13th century. Under Muslim rule, some temples were destroyed and the rest left in neglect. Ruins of some old temples (Ghantai temple above) are still visible.

 

...near (Khajuraho) temples, which contain idols that have been mutilated by the Moslems, live a number of yogis whose matted locks have grown as long as their bodies. And on account of extreme asceticism they are all yellow in colour. Many Moslems attend these men in order to take lessons (yoga) from them.

— Ibn Battuta, about 1335 CE, Riḥlat Ibn Baṭūṭah, Translated by Arthur Cotterell[18]

 

Central Indian region, where Khajuraho temples are, remained in the control of many different Muslim dynasties from 13th century through the 18th century. In this period, some temples were desecrated, followed by a long period when they were left in neglect.[7][10] In 1495 CE, for example, Sikandar Lodi’s campaign of temple destruction included Khajuraho.[19] The remoteness and isolation of Khajuraho protected the Hindu and Jain temples from continued destruction by Muslims.[20][21] Over the centuries, vegetation and forests overgrew, took over the temples.

 

In the 1830s, local Hindus guided a British surveyor, T.S. Burt, to the temples and they were thus rediscovered by the global audience.[22] Alexander Cunningham later reported, few years after the rediscovery, that the temples were secretly in use by yogis and thousands of Hindus would arrive for pilgrimage during Shivaratri celebrated annually in February or March based on a lunar calendar. In 1852, Maisey prepared earliest drawings of the Khajuraho temples.[23]

 

Nomenclature

 

The name Khajuraho, or Kharjuravāhaka, is derived from ancient Sanskrit (kharjura, खर्जूर means date palm,[24] and vāhaka, वाहक means "one who carries" or bearer[25]). Local legends state that the temples had two golden date-palm trees as their gate (missing when they were rediscovered). Desai states that Kharjuravāhaka also means scorpion bearer, which is another symbolic name for deity Shiva (who wears snakes and scorpion garlands in his fierce form).[26]

 

Cunningham’s nomenclature and systematic documentation work in 1850s and 1860s have been widely adopted and continue to be in use.[23] He grouped the temples into the Western group around Lakshmana, Eastern group around Javeri, and Southern group around Duladeva.[27]

 

Khajuraho is one of the four holy sites linked to deity Shiva (the other three are Kedarnath, Kashi and Gaya). Its origin and design is a subject of scholarly studies. Shobita Punja[28] has proposed that the temple’s origin reflect the Hindu mythology in which Khajuraho is the place where Shiva got married; with Raghuvamsha verse 5.53, Matangeshvara honoring ‘’Matanga’’, or god of love.

Description

Sections and orientation of Khajuraho temples.

 

The temple site is within Vindhya mountain range in central India. An ancient local legend held that Hindu deity Shiva and other gods enjoyed visiting the dramatic hill formation in Kalinjar area.[27] The center of this region is Khajuraho, set midst local hills and rivers. The temple complex reflects the ancient Hindu tradition of building temples where gods love to play.[27][29]

 

The temples are clustered near water, another typical feature of Hindu temples. The current water bodies include Sib Sagar, Khajur Sagar (also called Ninora Tal) and Khudar Nadi (river).[30] The local legends state that the temple complex had 64 water bodies, of which 56 have been physically identified by archeologists so far.[27][31]

 

All temples, except[27] one (Chaturbhuja) face sunrise - another symbolic feature that is predominant in Hindu temples. The relative layout of temples integrate masculine and feminine deities and symbols highlight the interdependence.[28] The art work symbolically highlight the four goals of life considered necessary and proper in Hinduism - dharma, kama, artha and moksha.

 

Of the surviving temples, 6 are dedicated to Shiva and his consorts, 8 to Vishnu and his affinities, 1 to Ganesha, 1 to Sun god, 3 to Jain Tirthankars.[27] For some ruins, there is insufficient evidence to assign the temple to specific deities with confidence.

 

An overall examination of site suggests that the Hindu symbolic mandala design principle of square and circles is present each temple plan and design.[32] Further, the territory is laid out in three triangles that converge to form a pentagon. Scholars suggest that this reflects the Hindu symbolism for three realms or trilokinatha, and five cosmic substances or panchbhuteshvara.[27] The temple site highlights Shiva, the one who destroys and recycles life, thereby controlling the cosmic dance of time, evolution and dissolution.[28]

 

The temples have a rich display of intricately carved statues. While they are famous for their erotic sculpture, sexual themes cover less than 10% of the temple sculpture.[33] Further, most erotic scene panels are neither prominent nor emphasized at the expense of the rest, rather they are in proportional balance with the non-sexual images.[34] The viewer has to look closely to find them, or be directed by a guide.[35] The arts cover numerous aspects of human life and values considered important in Hindu pantheon. Further, the images are arranged in a configuration to express central ideas of Hinduism. All three ideas from Āgamas are richly expressed in Khajuraho temples - Avyakta, Vyaktavyakta and Vyakta.[36]

 

The Beejamandal temple is under excavation. It has been identified with the Vaidyanath temple mentioned in the Grahpati Kokalla inscription.[37]

 

Of all temples, the Matangeshvara temple remains an active site of worship.[28] It is another square grid temple, with a large 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) high and 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) diameter lingam, placed on a 7.6 metres (25 ft) diameter platform.[27]

 

The most visited temple, Kandariya Mahadev, has an area of about 6,500 square feet and a shikhara (spire) that rises 116 feet.[10][27]

 

Jain temples

 

Main article: Jain temples of Khajuraho

 

The Jain temples are located on east-southeast region of Khajuraho monuments.[38] Chausath jogini temple features 64 jogini, while Ghantai temple features bells sculptured on its pillars.

Architecture of the temples

The layout plan of Kandariya Mahadeva Temple. It uses the 64 pada grid design. Smaller Khajuraho temples use the 9, 16, 36 or 49 grid mandala plan.[39]

 

Khajuraho temples, like almost all Hindu temple designs, follow a grid geometrical design called vastu-purusha-mandala.[40] This design plan has three important components - Mandala means circle, Purusha is universal essence at the core of Hindu tradition, while Vastu means the dwelling structure.[41]

 

The design lays out a Hindu temple in a symmetrical, concentrically layered, self-repeating structure around the core of the temple called garbhagriya, where the abstract principle Purusha and the primary deity of the temple dwell. The shikhara, or spire, of the temple rises above the garbhagriya. This symmetry and structure in design is derived from central beliefs, myths, cardinality and mathematical principles.[42]

 

The circle of mandala circumscribe the square. The square is considered divine for its perfection and as a symbolic product of knowledge and human thought, while circle is considered earthly, human and observed in everyday life (moon, sun, horizon, water drop, rainbow). Each supports the other.[29] The square is divided into perfect 64 sub-squares called padas.[40]

 

Most Khajuraho temples deploy the 8x8 (64) padas grid Manduka Vastupurushamandala, with pitha mandala the square grid incorporated in the design of the spires.[39] The primary deity or lingas are located in the grid’s Brahma padas.

Khajuraho temples use the 8x8 (64) Vastupurusamandala Manduka grid layout plan (left) found in Hindu temples. Above the temple’s brahma padas is a Shikhara (Vimana or Spire) that rises symmetrically above the central core, typically in a circles and turning-squares concentric layering design (right) that flows from one to the other as it rises towards the sky.[29][43]

 

The architecture is symbolic and reflects the central Hindu beliefs through its form, structure and arrangement of its parts.[44] The mandapas as well as the arts are arranged in the Khajuraho temples in a symmetric repeating patterns, even though each image or sculpture is distinctive in its own way. The relative placement of the images are not random but together they express ideas, just like connected words form sentences and paragraphs to compose ideas.[45] This fractal pattern that is common in Hindu temples.[46] Various statues and panels have inscriptions. Many of the inscriptions on the temple walls are poems with double meanings, something that the complex structure of Sanskrit allows in creative compositions.[26]

 

All Khajuraho temples, except one, face sunrise, and the entrance for the devotee is this east side.

An illustration of Khajuraho temple Spires (Shikhara, Vimana) built using concentric circle and rotating-squares principle. Four spires (left) are shown above, while the inside view of one Shikara ceiling (right) shows the symmetric layout.

 

Above the vastu-purusha-mandala of each temple is a superstructure with a dome called Shikhara (or Vimana, Spire).[41] Variations in spire design come from variation in degrees turned for the squares. The temple Shikhara, in some literature, is linked to mount Kailash or Meru, the mythical abode of the gods.[29]

 

In each temple, the central space typically is surrounded by an ambulatory for the pilgrim to walk around and ritually circumambulate the Purusa and the main deity.[29] The pillars, walls and ceilings around the space, as well as outside have highly ornate carvings or images of the four just and necessary pursuits of life - kama, artha, dharma and moksa. This clockwise walk around is called pradakshina.[41]

 

Larger Khajuraho temples also have pillared halls called mandapa. One near the entrance, on the east side, serves as the waiting room for pilgrims and devotees. The mandapas are also arranged by principles of symmetry, grids and mathematical precision. This use of same underlying architectural principle is common in Hindu temples found all over India.[47] Each Khajuraho temple is distinctly carved yet also repeating the central common principles in almost all Hindu temples, one which Susan Lewandowski refers to as "an organism of repeating cells".[48]

Construction

 

The temples are grouped into three geographical divisions: western, eastern and southern.

 

The Khajuraho temples are made of sandstone, with a granite foundation that is almost concealed from view.[49] The builders didn't use mortar: the stones were put together with mortise and tenon joints and they were held in place by gravity. This form of construction requires very precise joints. The columns and architraves were built with megaliths that weighed up to 20 tons.[50] Some repair work in the 19th Century was done with brick and mortar; however these have aged faster than original materials and darkened with time, thereby seeming out of place.

 

The Khajuraho and Kalinjar region is home to superior quality of sandstone, which can be precision carved. The surviving sculpture reflect fine details such as strands of hair, manicured nails and intricate jewelry.

 

While recording the television show Lost Worlds (History Channel) at Khajuraho, Alex Evans recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet that took about 60 days to carve in an attempt to develop a rough idea how much work must have been involved.[51] Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.[52] They concluded that these temples would have required hundreds of highly trained sculptors.

Chronology

 

The Khajuraho group of temples belong to Vaishnavism school of Hinduism, Saivism school of Hinduism and Jainism - nearly a third each. Archaeological studies suggest all three types of temples were under construction at about the same time in late 10th century, and in use simultaneously. Will Durant states that this aspect of Khajuraho temples illustrates the tolerance and respect for different religious viewpoints in the Hindu and Jain traditions.[53] In each group of Khajuraho temples, there were major temples surrounded by smaller temples - a grid style that is observed to varying degrees in Hindu temples in Angkor Wat, Parambaran and South India.

 

The largest surviving Saiva temple is Khandarya Mahadeva, while the largest surviving Vaishnava group includes Chaturbhuja and Ramachandra.

 

Kandariya Mahadeva Temple plan is 109 ft in length by 60 ft, and rises 116 ft above ground and 88 ft above its own floor. The central padas are surrounded by three rows of sculptured figures, with over 870 statues, most being half life size (2.5 to 3 feet). The spire is a self repeating fractal structure.

 

Temples, religious affiliations and consecration years

 

Sequence Modern Temple name Religion Deity Completed by

(CE)[27][54] Image

1 Chausath Yogini Hinduism Devi, 64 Yoginis 885 Khajuraho,Chausath-Yogini-Tempel2.jpg

2 Brahma Hinduism Vishnu 925

3 Lalgun Mahadev Hinduism Shiva 900 India-5696 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

4 Matangeshwar Hinduism Shiva 1000 India-5772 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

5 Varaha Hinduism Vishnu 950 India-5595 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

6 Lakshmana Hinduism Vaikuntha Vishnu 939 India-5679 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

7 Parshvanatha Jainism Parshvanatha 954 Le temple de Parshvanath (Khajuraho) (8638423582).jpg

8 Vishvanatha Hinduism Shiva 999 India-5749 - Visvanatha Temple - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

9 Devi Jagadambi Hinduism Devi, Parvati 1023 Khajuraho Devi Jagadambi Temple 2010.jpg

10 Chitragupta Hinduism Sun, Chitragupta 1023 India-5707 - Flickr - archer10 (Dennis).jpg

11 Kandariya Mahadeva (Largest temple) Hinduism Shiva 1029 Temple at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, India.jpg

12 Vamana Hinduism Vamana 1062 Khajuraho Vaman Temple 2010.jpg

13 Adinath Jain Temple Jainism Adinatha 1027 Adinath Jain Temple Khajuraho 12.jpg

14 Javeri Hinduism Vishnu 1090 Javari Temple, Khajuraho.jpg

15 Chaturbhuja Hinduism Vishnu 1110 Khajuraho Chaturbhuja Temple.jpg

16 Duladeo (Duladeva) Hinduism Shiva 1125 Khajuraho Dulhadeo 2010.jpg

17 Ghantai Jainism Adinatha 960 A ruin, pillars at Khajuraho, India.jpg

18 Vishnu-Garuda Hinduism Vishnu 1000

19 Ganesha Hinduism Shiva 1000

20 Hanuman Hinduism Hanuman 922[55] Hanuman Inscription at Khajuraho.jpg

21 Mahishasuramardini Hinduism Mahishasuramardini 995 Khajuraho India, Lakshman Temple, Sculpture 10.JPG

22 Shantinatha temple Jainism Shantinatha 1027 Jain group of temples - Khajuraho 09.jpg

Arts and sculpture

Khajuraho temples are famous for their erotic arts. These constitute about 10% of total art displayed at the monuments.

Erotic sculptures

 

The Khajuraho temples feature a variety of art work, of which 10% is sexual or erotic art outside and inside the temples. Some of the temples that have two layers of walls have small erotic carvings on the outside of the inner wall. Some scholars suggest these to be tantric sexual practices.[56] Other scholars state that the erotic arts are part of Hindu tradition of treating kama as an essential and proper part of human life, and its symbolic or explicit display is common in Hindu temples.[6][57] James McConnachie, in his history of the Kamasutra, describes the sexual-themed Khajuraho sculptures as "the apogee of erotic art":

 

"Twisting, broad-hipped and high breasted nymphs display their generously contoured and bejewelled bodies on exquisitely worked exterior wall panels. These fleshy apsaras run riot across the surface of the stone, putting on make-up, washing their hair, playing games, dancing, and endlessly knotting and unknotting their girdles....Beside the heavenly nymphs are serried ranks of griffins, guardian deities and, most notoriously, extravagantly interlocked maithunas, or lovemaking couples."

 

Over 90% of the art work at the temple is about daily life and symbolic values in ancient Indian culture.

 

The temples have several thousand statues and art works, with Kandarya Mahadeva Temple alone decorated with over 870. Some 10% of these iconographic carvings contain sexual themes and various sexual poses. A common misconception is that, since the old structures with carvings in Khajuraho are temples, the carvings depict sex between deities;[58] however the kama arts represent diverse sexual expressions of different human beings.[59] The vast majority of arts depict various aspects the everyday life, mythical stories as well as symbolic display of various secular and spiritual values important in Hindu tradition.[3][6] For example, depictions show women putting on makeup, musicians making music, potters, farmers, and other folks in their daily life during the medieval era.[60] These scenes are in the outer padas as is typical in Hindu temples.

 

There is iconographic symbolism embedded in the arts displayed in Khajuraho temples.[6] Core Hindu values are expressed in multitude of ways. Even the Kama scenes, when seen in combination of sculptures that precede and follow, depict the spiritual themes such as moksha. In the words of Stella Kramrisch,

 

This state which is “like a man and woman in close embrace” is a symbol of moksa, final release or reunion of two principles, the essence (Purusha) and the nature (Prakriti).

— Stella Kramrisch, 1976[29]

 

The Khajuraho temples represent one expression of many forms of arts that flourished in Rajput kingdoms of India from 8th through 10th century CE. For example, contemporary with Khajuraho were the publications of poems and drama such as Prabodhacandrodaya, Karpuramanjari, Viddhasalabhanjika and Kavyamimansa.[61] Some of the themes expressed in these literary works are carved as sculpture in Khajuraho temples.[26][62] Some sculptures at the Khajuraho monuments dedicated to Vishnu include the Vyalas, which are hybrid imaginary animals with lions body, and are found in other Indian temples.[63] Some of these hybrid mythical art work include Vrik Vyala (hybrid of wolf and lion) and Gaja Vyala (hybrid of elephant and lion). These Vyalas may represent syncretic, creative combination of powers innate in the two.[64]

Tourism and cultural events

Temples layout map – Khajuraho Group of Monuments.

 

The temples in Khajuraho are broadly divided into three parts : the Eastern group, the Southern Group and the Western group of temples of which the Western group alone has the facility of an Audio guided tour wherein the tourists are guided through the seven eight temples. There is also an audio guided tour developed by the Archaeological Survey of India which includes a narration of the temple history and architecture.[65]

 

The Khajuraho Dance Festival is held every year in February.[66] It features various classical Indian dances set against the backdrop of the Chitragupta or Vishwanath Temples.

 

The Khajuraho temple complex offers a light and sound show every evening. The first show is in English language and the second one in Hindi. It is held in the open lawns in the temple complex, and has received mixed reviews.

 

The Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development has set up kiosks at the Khajuraho railway station, with tourist officers to provide information for Khajuraho visitors.

See also

 

List of megalithic sites

Jain temples of Khajuraho

Ajanta Caves

Badami Chalukya architecture

Western Chalukya architecture

Hindu temple

Madan Kamdev

Hemvati

Kama Sutra

Kamashastra

 

References

 

whc.unesco.org/en/list/240.

"World Heritage Day: Five must-visit sites in India".

Khajuraho Group of Monuments UNESCO World Heritage Site

Philip Wilkinson (2008), India: People, Place, Culture and History, ISBN 978-1405329040, pp 352-353

Gopal, Madan (1990). K.S. Gautam, ed. India through the ages. Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 179.

Devangana Desai (2005), Khajuraho, Oxford University Press, Sixth Print, ISBN 978-0-19-565643-5

James Fergusson, Norther or Indo-Aryan Style - Khajuraho History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, Updated by James Burgess and R. Phene Spiers (1910), Volume II, John Murray, London

"Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.

Khajuraho airport AAI, Govt of India

G.S. Ghurye, Rajput Architecture, ISBN 978-8171544462, Reprint Year: 2005, pp 19-24

Sen, Sailendra (2013). A Textbook of Medieval Indian History. Primus Books. ISBN 9789380607344.

Devangana Desai 2005, p. 10.

also called Erakana

Mitra (1977), The early rulers of Khajuraho, ISBN 978-8120819979

J. Banerjea (1960), Khajuraho, Journal of the Asiatic Society, Vol. 2-3, pp 43-47

phonetically translated from Arabic sometimes as "Kajwara"

Director General of Archaeology in India (1959), Archaeological Survey of India, Ancient India, Issues 15-19, pp 45-46 (Archived: University of Michigan)

Arthur Cotterell (2011), Asia: A Concise History, Wiley, ISBN 978-0470825044, pp 184-185

Michael D. Willis, An Introduction to the Historical Geography of Gopakṣetra, Daśārṇa, and Jejākadeśa, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Vol. 51, No. 2 (1988), pp. 271-278; See also K.R. Qanungo (1965), Sher Shah and his times, Orient Longmans, OCLC 175212, pp 423-427

Trudy King et al., Asia and Oceania: International Dictionary of Historic Places, ISBN 978-1884964046, Routledge, pp 468-470

Alain Daniélou (2011), A Brief History of India, ISBN 978-1594770296, pp 221-227

Louise Nicholson (2007), India, National Geographic Society, ISBN 978-1426201448, see Chapter on Khajuraho

Krishna Deva (1990), Temples of Khajuraho, 2 Volumes, Archaelogical Survey of India, New Delhi

kharjUra Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany

vAhaka Sanskrit English Dictionary, Koeln University, Germany

Devangana Desai (1996), Chapter 7 - Puns and Enigmatic Language in Sculpture in The Religious Imagery of Khajuraho, Project for Indian Cultural Studies, Columbia University Archives

Rana Singh (2007), Landscape of sacred territory of Khajuraho, in City Society and Planning (Editors: Thakur, Pomeroy, et al), Volume 2, ISBN 978-8180694585, Chapter 18

Shobita Punja (1992), Divine Ecstasy - The Story of Khajuraho, Viking, New Delhi, ISBN 978-0670840274

Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Vol 1, Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 978-81-208-0222-3

Ibn Battuta in his 1335 CE memoirs on Delhi Sultanate mentioned the temples to be near a mile long lake, modern water bodies are much smaller and separate lagoons; Director General of Archaeology in India (1959), Archaeological Survey of India, Ancient India, Issues 15-19, pp 45-46 (Archived: University of Michigan)

The number 64 is considered sacred in Hindu temple design and very common design basis; it is symbolic as it is both a square of 8 and a cube of 4.

Brahma temple is 19 feet square; Kandariya Mahadev has a four fused square grid; Matangeshvara temple is a 64 grid square; etc. See G.S. Ghurye, Rajput Architecture, ISBN 978-8171544462, Reprint Year: 2005, pp 19-25; and V.A. Smith (1879), "Observations on some Chandel Antiquities", Asiatic Society of Bengal, Vol. 48, Part 1, pp 291-297

D Desai (1996), The religious imagery of Khajuraho, Project for Indian Cultural Studies, ISBN 978-8190018418

Desai states that Khajuraho and Orissa Hindu temples are distinctive in giving erotic kama images the same weight as others and by assigning important architectural position; in contrast, surviving sculpture from temples of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Mysore show that there kama and sexual images were assigned to insignificant parts of the temple; Meister suggests that this aspect of eroticism in temple design and equal weight reflects evolution of design ideas among Hindu artisans, with temples built in later medieval centuries placing equal weight and balance to kama; see Meister, Michael (1979). "Juncture and Conjunction: Punning and Temple Architecture". Artibus Asiae. 41 (2–3): 226–234. JSTOR 3249517. doi:10.2307/3249517.

Edmund Leach, The Harvey Lecture Series. The Gatekeepers of Heaven: Anthropological Aspects of Grandiose Architecture, Journal of Anthropological Research, Vol. 39, No. 3 (Autumn, 1983), pp 243-264

Bettina Bäumer, A review, Artibus Asiae, Vol. 59, No. 1/2 (1999), pp. 138-140

Cunningham, Alexander (1880). Report of Tours in Bundelkhand and Malwa in 1874-75 and 1876-77. 8 Hastings Street, Calcutta: Office of the Superintendent of Government Printing. p. 22. Retrieved 8 May 2017.

James Fergusson, Jaina Architecture - Khajuraho History of Indian and Eastern Architecture, Updated by James Burgess and R. Phene Spiers (1910), Volume II, John Murray, London

Meister, Michael W. (April–June 1979). "Maṇḍala and Practice in Nāgara Architecture in North India". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 99 (2): 204–219. JSTOR 602657. doi:10.2307/602657.

Meister, Michael (1983). "Geometry and Measure in Indian Temple Plans: Rectangular Temples". Artibus Asiae. 44 (4): 266–296. JSTOR 3249613. doi:10.2307/3249613.

Susan Lewandowski, The Hindu Temple in South India, in Buildings and Society: Essays on the Social Development of the Built Environment, Anthony D. King (Editor), ISBN 978-0710202345, Routledge, pp 68-69

Stella Kramrisch (1976), The Hindu Temple Volume 1, ISBN 81-208-0223-3

Meister, Michael W. (March 2006). "Mountain Temples and Temple-Mountains: Masrur". Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians. 65 (1): 26–49. JSTOR 25068237. doi:10.2307/25068237.

Meister, Michael W. (Autumn 1986). "On the Development of a Morphology for a Symbolic Architecture: India". RES: Anthropology and Aesthetics. Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (12): 33–50. JSTOR 20166752.

Devangana Desai, Khajuraho, Oxford University Press Paperback (Sixth impression 2005) ISBN 978-0-19-565643-5

Rian et al (2007), Fractal geometry as the synthesis of Hindu cosmology in Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Khajuraho, Building and Environment, Vol 42, Issue 12, pp 4093-4107, doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2007.01.028

Trivedi, K. (1989). Hindu temples: models of a fractal universe. The Visual Computer, 5(4), 243-258

Susan Lewandowski, The Hindu Temple in South India, in Buildings and Society: Essays on the Social Development of the Built Environment, Anthony D. King (Editor), ISBN 978-0710202345, Routledge, Chapter 4

V.A. Smith, "Observations on some Chandel Antiquities", Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, Volume 48, pp 290-291

"Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra" History channel

"Lost Worlds of the Kama Sutra," History Channel

Lehner, Mark (1997) The Complete Pyramids, London: Thames and Hudson. ISBN 0-500-05084-8. pp. 202–225

Will Durant (1976), Our Oriental Heritage - The Story of Civilization, ISBN 978-0671548001, Simon & Schuster

From inscription or estimated from other evidence

Cunningham in Archaeological Survey Reports noted that one of two Hanuman statues bears an inscription of 868 CE

Rabe (2000), Secret Yantras and Erotic Display for Hindu Temples, Tantra in Practice (Editor: David White), ISBN 978-8120817784, Chapter 25, pp 434-446

See:

 

Heather Elgood (2000), Hinduism and the Religious Arts, ISBN 978-0304707393, Bloomsbury;

Stella Kramrisch, The Hindu Temple, Volume 1, ISBN 81-208-0223-3, pp 92-96;

Alain Danielou (2001), The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism, ISBN 978-0892818549, pp 101-119

 

"Khajuraho". Liveindia.com. Retrieved on 2014-07-14.

Alain Danielou (2001), The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism, ISBN 978-0892818549

George Michell, The Hindu Temple: An Introduction to Its Meaning and Forms, University of Chicago Press, ISBN 978-0226532301, pp 117-123 and pp 56-58

L. H. Gray, Journal of American Society, Vol. 27

H.M. Woodward (1989), The Lakṣmaṇa Temple, Khajuraho, and Its Meanings, Ars Orientalis, Vol. 19, pp. 27-48

Smith, David (1 January 2013). "Monstrous Animals on Hindu Temples, with Special Reference to Khajuraho": 27–43. doi:10.1558/rosa.v7i1-3.27. Retrieved 9 February 2015.

The Lakṣmaṇa Temple, Khajuraho, and Its Meanings, Hiram W. Woodward, Jr., Ars Orientalis, Vol. 19, (1989), pp. 27-48

Tourists to Khajuraho will now have an audio compass The Times of India (25 August 2011)

Khajuraho Festival of Dances

Bust of Dante - unknown from the 19th century - Capodimonte Museum, Naples

Afrikaanse Taalmonument, Paarl, Western Cape.

Photo taken in Azraq Wetland Reserve, Jordan

تم التقاط هذه الصورة في محمية الأزرق المائية، الأردن

 

Visit Reserve Website : Azraq Wetland Reserve

I think I like you, but...

Earth in other languages street brick

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Urban Chronicles ~ Paris ~ MjYj

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Io, una domenica a Madrid...la fortuna di stare in un albergo in centro, affacciarsi al balcone e vedere la città che inizia lentamente a risvegliarsi dopo la movida notturna finita da poche ora . Una domenica diversa...persone diverse...luoghi diversi...il piacere di fare la turista da sola, godersi la città in tutto e per tutto come ami tu, sedersi in una piazzetta in centro e vedere quanto è variegata la popolazione di Madrid....e capire quanto riesce a essere provinciale l'Italia, godersi il sole sdraiata su una panchina accanto a giovani alternativi, famiglie con bambini chiassosi e tranquille coppie innamorate di ogni genere e provenienza.

Good morning Sunshine. Good morning Soul. Good Morning Earth. Good Morning Mist.

A peaceful morning, woken up by the sounds of the birds chirping and the cold breeze passing above the sleeping bag; the warm body within shudders awakened with a cold kiss of morning due. Taking in the first mountain breath; breathing in fresh air witnessing the rest of the world awakened from a distance.

- Honest Mini Rambling

An old lady sat right in front of me, by a window side of a train compartment. She wore aristocracy like no other; around 75-80 years old, travelling alone from Kolkata. Her son would receive her from the station. She was communicating with her son over the cell phone. She was on the edge of her mood, at times relaxed and sometimes fidgety, as the train was running late. She was an expressive woman, as her gestures reflected her mood. She was ignorant about everything happening in the compartment, as she was eager to reach the station on time. I took a few shots of her gestures with my cell phone camera, secretly. They turned out to be pretty productive, as natural documentation of one’s body languages.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Spain

 

Toledo is a city and municipality located in central Spain; it is the capital of the province of Toledo and the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.

 

Toledo is known as the "Imperial City" for having been the main venue of the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and as the "City of the Three Cultures" for the cultural influences of Christians, Muslims and Jews reflected in its history. It was also the capital from 542 to 725 AD of the ancient Visigothic kingdom, which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, and the location of historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. Toledo has a long history in the production of bladed weapons, which are now common souvenirs from the city.

 

People who were born or have lived in Toledo include Brunhilda of Austrasia, Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X, Israeli ben Joseph, Halevi, and El Greco. As of 2015, the city had a population of 83,226 and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).

 

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_de_Cervantes

 

Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was a Spanish writer who is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's preeminent novelists. His novel Don Quixote has been translated into over 140 languages and dialects; it is, after the Bible, the most-translated book in the world.

 

Don Quixote, a classic of Western literature, is sometimes considered both the first modern novel and the best work of fiction ever written. Cervantes' influence on the Spanish language has been so great that the language is often called la lengua de Cervantes ("the language of Cervantes"). He has also been dubbed El príncipe de los ingenios ("The Prince of Wits").

 

In 1569, in forced exile from Castile, Cervantes moved to Rome, where he worked as chamber assistant of a cardinal. Then he enlisted as a soldier in a Spanish Navy infantry regiment and continued his military life until 1575, when he was captured by Barbary pirates. After five years of captivity, he was released on payment of a ransom by his parents and the Trinitarians, a Catholic religious order, and he returned to his family in Madrid.

 

In 1585, Cervantes published La Galatea, a pastoral novel. He worked as a purchasing agent for the Spanish Armada and later as a tax collector for the government. In 1597, discrepancies in his accounts for three years previous landed him in the Crown Jail of Seville.

 

In 1605, Cervantes was in Valladolid when the immediate success of the first part of his Don Quixote, published in Madrid, signalled his return to the literary world. In 1607, he settled in Madrid, where he lived and worked until his death. During the last nine years of his life, Cervantes solidified his reputation as a writer, publishing Novelas ejemplares (Exemplary Novels) in 1613, Viaje del Parnaso (Journey to Parnassus) in 1614, and Ocho comedias y ocho entremeses and the second part of Don Quixote in 1615. His last work, Los trabajos de Persiles y Sigismunda (The Travails of Persiles and Sigismunda), was published posthumously in 1617.

This is from my garden. Not many left.

  

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swat_District

  

Swat (pronounced [ˈsʋaːt̪], Pashto: سوات) is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora.[1] It was a princely state (see Swat (princely state)) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969. The valley is almost entirely populated by ethnic Gujjar and Pashtuns (Afghans). The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto and Gojri. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists as "the Switzerland of the region".

  

History

  

Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to odegram and Barikot and stormed their battlements. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. There are many remains that testify to their skills as sculptors and architects. In the beginning of the 8th century AD, Gabari Royal Tajik tribe advanced through Laghman, ningarhar, Dir and invaded Swat, defeating the Buddhists and the Hindus. This war was headed by Sultan Pakhal Gabari and later on by Sultan Behram Gabari Rulers of Kuner Pich and cousin of Rulers of Balkh and Kashmir. Later some Dilazak encrouched tha area and settled among Gabaris, who in turn were ousted by the Yusufzais which was backed by Mughal Badshah Zahiruddin Muhammad Baber, considered the super power in 1519 and 1520. The historical paradox was that the Yusufzais were ousted from Kabul by Mirza Ullegh beg, the uncle of Baber, and killed 600 malak of Yusufzai; the Gabaris helped Yousofzais refugees with a warm welcome and settled them in Bajour Dir and Swat regions. The Yousofzais forgot the generosity of Gabaris and encrouched upon the Gabari state with the plotted help of Zahiruddin Muhammad babar. They Demolished the Gabar-Kot (fortress) in bajour in 1519 and further advanced to the swat and compelled the last Gabari King Sultan Awais Gabari to flee to Upper Dir where he established his rule in,Chitral wakhan,Badakhshan and other upper Oxus. The originator of the present family of Swat was the Muslim saint Abdul Ghafoor, the Akhund of Swat, a Safi Momand of Hazara district, from where he went to Buner territory. He was a pious man and the people respected him so greatly that they called him Akhund Sahib.[2]

 

During the mid-19th century, Muslim tribes were fighting against each other for the possession of Swat Valley. On the intervention of the honourable Akhund Sahib, the killing was stopped, and such was his influence that the chiefs of all tribes unanimously made him the ruler of the valley. Akhund Sahib administrated the valley according to Muslim laws. Peace and tranquility prevailed, and agriculture and trade flourished in the territory. Akhund Sahib had two sons by his wife, who belonged to Nikpi Khel(نیک پی خیل).

 

After the death of Akhund Sahib, the tribal chiefs again started fighting and killing, which continued for years. Eventually the tribal chiefs agreed to give the control of the valley into the hands of the honourable Gul Shahzada Abdul Wadood, the son of Mian Gul Abdul Khaliq, son of Akhund Sahib. The wife of Mian Abdul Wadood was the daughter of Honorable Mirza Afzal-ul-Mulk, the ruler of Chitral. The British by trick put Chitral under the suzerainty of Kashmir. The Chitral ruler gave two horses every year to the Rajia of Kashmir, and the Raja provided Chitral with grain and sugar, etc. Swat thus went under protection of the British.

 

During the rule of Mian Gul Muhammad, Abdul Haq Jehanzeb, the son of Mian Abdul Wadood Khatana, the state acceded to Pakistan in 1947. The present prince, Muhammad Aurzngzeb Khan, son of Jahanzeb, married the daughter of Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1955. Thus by intermarriages with the other castes, the family became a branch of the imperial Gujjars i.e., the Royal family of Swat valley which belongs to the Gujjar family which laid down the foundation of Swat kingdom. Jahanzeb started a Degree College at Saidu Sahrif, the capital of the State, and four High Schools at Mingora, Chakesar, Matta and Dagar. Fourteen middle schools, twenty-eight lower middle schools, and fifty-six primary schools were established. A girls high school and high class religious schools were established at Saidu Sharif. At all the schools, the poor students were granted scholarships. The state was an exemplary state during British rule. They also have a firm stand in politics of Pakistan. The current Prince Aurangzeb Khan was also Governor of Baluchistan.

  

Buddhist heritage of Swat

  

Although it is generally accepted that Tantric Buddhism first developed in Swat under King Indrabhuti, there is an old and well-known scholarly dispute as to whether Uddiyana was in the Swat valley, Orissa or some other place. Padmasambhava (flourished eighth century AD), also called Guru Rimpoche, Tibetan Slob-dpon (teacher), or Padma ‘byung-gnas (lotus born) legendary Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet and is credited with establishing the first buddhist monastery there.According to tradition, Padmasambhava was native to Udyana (now Swat in Pakistan).[3] Padmasambhava was the son of Indrabhuti, king of Swat in the early eighth century AD. One of the original Siddhas, Indrabhuti flourished in the early eighth century AD and was the king of Uddiyana in the Kabul valley. His son Padmasambhava is revered as the second Buddha in Tibet. Indrabhuti's sister, Lakshminkaradevi, was also an accomplished siddha of the 9th century AD.[4] Ancient Gandhara, the valley of Pekhawar, with the adjacent hilly regions of Swat and Buner, Dir and Bajaur was one of the earliest centers of Buddhist religion and culture following the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the third century BC. The name Gandhara first occurs in the Rigveda which is usually identified with the region[5]

  

Buddha heritage in the Swat Valley

  

The Swat museum has acquired footprints of the Buddha, which were originally placed for devotion in the sacred Swat valley. When the Buddha ascended, relics (personal items, body parts, ashes etc.) were distributed to seven kings, who built stupas over them for veneration.

  

The Harmarajika stupa (Taxila) and Butkarha (Swat) stupa at Jamal Garha were among the earliest Gandhara stupas. These were erected on the orders of King Ashoka and contained the genuine relics of the historic Buddha.[citation needed]

 

The Gandhara school is credited with the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather symbolically as the wheel of the law, the tree, etc.[citation needed]

 

As Buddhist art developed and spread outside Gandhara, Gandharan styles were imitated. In China the Gandhara style was imitated in bronze images, with gradual changes in the features of these images over the passage of time. Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the Buddhist world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. Swat was a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Buddhist tradition holds that Buddha himself came to Swat during his incarnation as Gautama Buddha and preached to the people here.

 

It is said[by whom?] that the Swat valley was filled with fourteen hundred imposing and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education. Archaeologists now know of more than 400 Buddhist sites covering an area of 160 km2 in Swat valley alone. Among the important excavations of Buddhist sites in Swat an important one is Butkarha-I, containing original relics of the Buddha. A stone statue of Buddha, is still there in the village Ghalegay.[citation needed] There is also a big stupa in Mohallah Singardar Ghalegay

  

Hindu Shahi Rulers and Sanskrit

  

Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty who have built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings now in ruins. Sanskrit may have been the lingua franca of the Swatis.[

  

Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area. Their ruins can be seen in the hills of Swat: at Malakand pass at Swat’s southern entrance

  

Advent of Islam by Mahmud of Ghazni

  

At the end of the Mauryan period (324-185 BC) Buddhism spread in the whole Swat valley, which became a very famous center of Buddhist religion.[8]

 

After a Buddhist phase the Hindu religion reasserted itself, so that at the time of the Muslim conquest (1000 AD) the population was solidly Hindu.[8]

  

In 1023 Mahmood of Ghazni attacked Swat and crushed the last Buddhist King, Raja Gira in battle. The invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni is of special importance because of the introduction of Islam as well as changing the Chronology.

  

Arrival Of Yousafzais

  

The first Muslim arrivals in Swat were Pakhtun Dilazak tribes from south-east Afghanistan. These were later ousted by Swati Pakhtuns, who were succeeded in the sixteenth century by Yusufzai Pakhtuns. Both groups of Pakhtuns came from the Kandahar and Kabul valley

  

Geography

  

The valley of Swat is situated in the north of N.W.F.P, 35° North Latitude and 72° and 30° East Longitude, and is enclosed by the sky-high mountains.

 

Chitral and Gilgit are situated in the north, Dir in the west, and Mardan in the south, while Indus separates it from Hazara in the east. Physical Features: Swat can be divided into two physical regions:

 

Mountainous Ranges.

Plains.

  

Mountainous Ranges

  

As mentioned above, Swat is lying in the lap of Mountainous Ranges, which are the offshoots of Hindukush, so the larger part of Swat is covered with high mountains and hills, the crests of which is hidden by everlasting snow. Though these gigantic Ranges run irregularly: some to the west while the others to the east, but the general direction is North-South. These ranges enclose small but very enchanting valleys.

 

Eastern Ranges: In Kohistan-e-Swat the chief knot of eastern ranges is Mankial. Its northern branches separate Kohistan-e-Swat from Abasin Kohistan. These ranges form a barrier between Gilgit and Swat, and between Chitral and Swat. The southern extension of Mankial ranges reaches proper Swat. There they join Shangla ranges. Shangla ranges separate proper Swat from Shangla Par area (Shangla Par district). In Shangla district, there are Karora Ranges, which separate Puran from Kanra and Ghurband. The continuation of Shangla ranges joins Dwasaray. On the one hand Dwasaray separates lower Swat from Puran, on the other, it set aside the Buner from Puran. Now the general Direction of the ranges turns westward. Here it is called Elum. Elum Ranges is a big wall between the proper Swat and Buner. The Elum ranges at last join mountains of Malakand.

  

The Western Ranges: Western ranges start from the mountain and hills of Gabral, Kohistan-e-Swat. It joins the hills of Kundal (Utror). There these ranges meet Daral Ranges. These ranges form a border with Dir district. They run west ward and are named according to the locality. For example Lalko ranges Manrai and Chaprai etc. at last they join the hills of Adenzee and Shamozee. Manrai ranges send off some off shoots southward. They the hills separate Arnoyay valley from the widest valley of Nekpikheil valley.

  

Plains

  

Actually the valley of Swat starts from the foothill of Malakand but we are concerned with portion from Landakay to Gabral (Gulabad), the area within the administrative boundaries of Swat. The length of the valley from Landakay to Gabral is 91 miles. Two narrow strips of plains run along the banks of Swat River from Landakay to Madyan. Beyond Madyan in Kohistan-e-Swat, the plan is too little to be mentioned. So for as the width concerns, it is not similar, it varies from place to place. We can say that the average width is 5 miles. The widest portion of the valley is between Barikot and khwaza khela. The widest view point and the charming sight where a major portion of the valley is seen is at Gulibagh on main road, which leads to Madyan. There are some subsidiary valleys, which help to increase the width of the main valley. These subsidiary valleys are called "Daras". A Dara a narrow passage between mountains, and sometimes, the upper course of a river is also called Dara. If we imagine the main valley as a stem of a tree the subsidiary valleys form its branches. Swat River and its tributaries drain Swat. There fore, the whole valley is the outcome of running water. This flowing water cuts the upper courses deeply, and flows the load of washed away materials. As the gradient is greater in the upper course so the erosion is on large scale, particularly in the summer rains, when all the rivers are in flood. The big boulders and stones are rolled, which causes more destruction in the upper courses. When the loaded water reaches to the areas of low gradient, the heavier materials are deposited. The deposition takes place according to the slope, generally, we observe, that the upper course is made up of big boulders, the middle course is of relatively small stones, pebbles, and debris, while the lower course is made of fine clay. Anyhow, the whole plain of Swat valley is strewn by the running water, and is made up of fine alluvial soil.

  

Demographics

  

The population at the 1981 Census was 715,938, which had risen to 1,257,602 at the next Census in 1998. The main language of the area is Pakhto. The people of Swat are mainly Pakhtuns,(Afghans) Yusufzais, Akhund Khel Miangan (Syed), Chitralis, Kohistan is, Gurjar (Gujar or Gurjar is the major tribe of the district; its people are divided in different clans like Khatana, Bajarh, Chichi, Ahir, Chuhan, Pamra, Gangal etc. are the main subtribe of the Gurjar family of Swat), Akhund khel Yousafzai, Nooristani, and Awans. Most probably they are originated from the same tribe that roamed around the great trans-Himalayan mountain ranges thousands of years before, and now remained in some isolated pockets of the Himalayan mountain ranges.[citation needed]

 

The Dardic people of the Kalam region in northern Swat are known as Kohistan is and speak the Torwali and Kalami languages. There are also some Khowar speakers in the Kalam region. This is because before Kalam came under the rule of Swat, it was a regional tributary to Chitral. The Kalamis paid a tribute of mountain ponies to the Mehtar of Chitral every year.

  

Tourist attractions

  

Marghazar

  

Marghazar 16 km away from Saidu Sharif is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Ruler) of Swat.

  

Malam Jabba

  

Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.Malam Jabba is home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan. The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.

  

Swat Museum

  

Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery. For the last three years the museum is occupied by Pakistan army and it is not known when they would be leaving it.

  

Miandam

  

Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.

  

Madyan

  

By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 60 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan.At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level,but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.[10]

  

Behrain

  

A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Behrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Behrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis. Behrain is ten kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.

  

Kalam

  

2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another unnamed peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.

  

Usho

  

Usho 3 km from Kalam Valley and 117 km from Saidu Sharif

  

Utror

  

Utror 16 km from Kalam Valley and 120 km from Saidu Sharif. Utror valley is situated between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes. The population of Utror is 6888 and the area of the valley is about 47400 hectares. Utror valley is surrounded by Gabral and Bhan valleys on the east, upper Dir district on the west, Kalam valley on the south and Gabral valley on the north. It is 15 km from Kalam, the centre of Swat Kohistan. The altitude of the valley at Utror proper is 2300 meters and reaches to 2900 meters at Kandol Lake.

  

Ghabral

  

Gabral valley lies between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes over an area of about 38733 hectares. The population of Gabral is 3238. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. It is 5 km distant from Utror proper and 20 km from Kalam. The altitude of the valley ranges from 2580 metres at Baila to 5160 metres at Karkaray Lake top.In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August. Only 14 of them are traded to National and International markets while the rest are used locally. A survey by Pakistan Forest Institute concludes that 75 crude herbal drugs are extensively exported and more than 200 are locally traded in Pakistan. Indigenous people, who have no training in sustainable harvesting, post-harvesting care and storing of medicinal plants, collect 85 percent of these crude herbs from the wild.

  

Kundol Lake, Swat valley

  

Mahudan

  

Mahodand valley, which lies in the North of Kalam, is famous not only among nature lovers, and escapists but also the exotic trout fish hunters. The valley can be accessed through an un-metalled road from Kalam in a four by four (4x4) vehicle. The road is bumpy and tricky but the surrounding landscapes engrosses you so severely that you wish for more and expect to discover new panoramas. The small hamlets that are scattered in the mountains and the bellowing smoke that spirals into the sky from the houses are some, which lives in the memory forever. Swat River, which is born here, is shackled by the tall mountains, which has turned its water into a roaring monster trying to release itself from its fetters, but there are some places where the river is calm and silent without showing any sign of rebellion.

  

Pari (Khapiro) lake

  

Pari Lake is one of the lakes in Swat region which is located at a very high altitude in the foot of the tallest peak in the range with a considerable depth. The name Pari or Khapiro is given to the lake due to the widespread belief that the lake is the abode of fairies where they live and bathe in the cool, pure and clear water of the lake. It is located to North-east of Utror valley and can be accessed only by trekking. Trekking to the lake needs endurance and love for nature as the trail is exasperating as well as dangerous therefore, utmost care should be taken while trekking on the narrow bends and turns leading to the lake. The lake is accessible from both Izmis and Kundal lakes. Two ascending tracks lead to this lake from Kundal and Izmis lakes taking almost five hours to reach this roof top of Swat. The trail is very steep from both sides but the surrounding beauty and eye-cooling green pastures and exotic flowers not only boost the trekker’s stamina but compel him to explore further.

  

Kundol Lake

  

The pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake. You can either hike to Ladu from Utror or take a four-wheeler to ease and minimize your journey. It consumes almost two hours to reach the beautiful valley of Ladu. For the adventurous kind, a walk in the romantic valley will unravel several new mysteries. The people who take temporary residency over here during summer plow the open land and harvest potatoes and turnips, which are famous all over the country for its exotic taste. There is also a small hut in Ladu where you can take tea and get something for eating. From Ladu it takes almost four hours to reach the lake. Some locals can guide you and even take your luggage if properly paid. The mountains around this small valley are covered with tall cedar and pine trees and meandered by different streams and torrents. The people are friendly and provide you guidance if required.

  

Bashigram Lake

  

Bashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. The road to this valley is partly metaled and can be plied by a four by four or any ordinary vehicle. It takes almost forty to fifty minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, depending on professionalism and enthusiasm of the trekkers lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.

  

Spin Khwar (White Stream) Lake

  

Spin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley. The track from Ladu is comparatively easy to walk and less tiring while the track from Kundal is not only difficult but alarmingly dangerous although it is short and links Kundal and Spin Khwar. Its steepness and dangerous bends needs an experienced trekker and unending physical strength. The grazers in the area have built small huts and a mosque where one can stay but a personal tent is more recommendable as these huts are in a poor condition due to lack of maintenance.

  

Daral Lake

  

Daral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers. A close look towards the south will reveal the long and winding sellouts of river Swat in the horizon.After walking and trekking for about two and a half hours on bare and naked mountains, the trail start descending towards the East where Daral Lake is located.

  

Administration

  

The region has gone through considerable changes over the last few years since the dissolution of the princely state in 1969. Members of the former Royal family have since on occasion been elected to represent the area in the Provincial Assembly and National Assembly.

  

Provincial & national politics

  

The region elects two male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs)[11] and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats amidst a wave of anti-Americanism that spread after the United States' invasion of Afghanistan.

  

Wild Life: In early days when the shrubs and bushes covered slopes and foothill areas,hares, porcupine, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, and hyenas were in large number. Now the need for fuels decreased the scrubs and trees, so these animals have decreased considerably. In the forests,monkeys are often found. Among the birds: hawks, eagles, falcons are found in the high mountains, while pheasants, partridges, hoopoes, larks, sparrows, quails, doves, swallows, starlings, nightingales, crows, kites, vultures, owls, bates are the common birds.

  

Bees: The bees were kept in Swat commonly, and the pure honey of was famous all over the country. But now the moveable beehives have affected the Swat locally reared bees greatly. Now, the local good honey is found in remote areas only, while the honey of moveable hives is available everywhere in low prices.

  

Fisheries: There is a large fishery in Madyan. In this fishery the trout fish are being reared. In Kohistan-e-Swat there are some private fisheries too. In Buner the fish were being reared in Barandu, Dagar. Moreover the Swat River serves as a permanent fishery throughout the year while the tributaries of it are used for fishing only in spring season.

  

Mineral Resources: Mines' production plays an important role in the economy of a country, particularly in the regions where they exist, because, the local people get the opportunities to labor in, and earn their livelihood. But the Swati mines have no importance for the local people in this respect. It is necessary, however, to mention what they are, and where do they exist. Swat is rich in mineral wealth, but the discovered commodities are a few. Among them, the china clay stands first; others are marble stone, and emerald.

  

China Clay: The china clay exists at “Kathyar” in Nekpikheil (on the road that leads to Shahderai at a distance of 15 miles from Mingora). This is the largest mine, having the finest quality, of China clay in Pakistan. The clay is mined here, and is transported to Shaidu in Nawshehra (which is at a distance of around 100 miles from Swat). It is not so advantageous for the local people, because they have no opportunity to work in the complex.

  

Soap Clay: The mine of soap clay has been discovered recently between Alpurai and Kanra on the side of Gilgit Road (Shahrah-e-Resham). It is spread in a vast area.

  

Marbles: The marbles are dug near Charbagh, Murghuzar, and Barikot in the proper valley of Swat, and in Buner, it is mined in Thor Warsak, Bampokha, and Sawawai. Moreover, there is a great expectation of iron ores, which will be discovered in near future.

  

Emerald: The finest quality of emerald is produced in Swat. Its Color and transparency is unique. It is the best in world. It is exported to the international markets: There is an export potential of 500 million dollars in this sector, provided it is excavated and cut as per international standards. Before the absorption of Swat in Pakistan, the emeralds of Swat were better in quality, and greater in quantity. But since then it is said that the quantity of production is little, and the quality devalued.

  

Industries:

  

Handicrafts: The handicrafts of Swat are very famous. When a tourist visits Swat, he accumulates bundles of these articles as gifts for his friends. All of the crafts prepared here are interesting, especially, the following are very charming.

  

Woolen Blankets: These blankets are known as "Sharai". They are prepared of wool obtained from the local sheep. The weight of a medium size blanket is four kilos. This is the best source of defense from the severity of winter. It is woven in Dewlai, Kala Kalay, Salampur, Puran, and Ghurband. These villages prepare the items on commercial scale.

  

Shawl: Shawl is a younger brother of Sharai, as it is also a woolen sheet, but light in weight. Sometimes, cotton is also mixed in its texture. It is beautifully fringed, and is commonly used by ladies. The tourists like it too much. Shawls are prepared in Salampur and Dewlai "Jolabad" on commercial bases.

  

Rugs: The next important thing, made of local fleece with laborious work, is rug. This is prepared in the villages by pressing wool with the help of water spray. After preparation, it is beautified with the usage of various colors. Rugs are the traditional carpets of shepherds, but now are used everywhere.

  

Embroidery: The embroidery of Swat is very famous, and is liked everywhere in Pakistan, as well as by the out-comers. This art is an indoor hobby of the ladies in Swat. Particularly in Nekpikheil, this is so common that very younger girls might also be seen having needlework in their hands. There are three types of embroidery:

  

Panrae or Panhey: Panrey or Panrhey is the old fashion of shoes, still used by the old persons in Swat. They are made in Swat with the simply tanned leather. The cobblers have great skill in the formation of ladies shoes with golden lace work. Similarly, the sandals with golden lace work are also made. The cobblers of Shahderai had great skill in this field. It is now archaic.

  

Shkor: A Shkor is a pot in which chapatis (plate bread used in India and Pakistan) are kept. The ordinary Shkors are prepared everywhere in Swat, but a special design is made in Puran and Chagharzee (These Shkors are high-based pots made of wheat stalks with laborious art, not easily available in bazaar).

  

Furniture: Furniture of various styles is made in the district. The cots, tables, chairs, dressing tables, cradles of more advanced types, etc. are furnished in Mingora, and in nearly all large villages.

 

The language of flowers

Boston :De Vries, Ibarra,1865.

biodiversitylibrary.org/page/58374580

Urban Chronicles ~ Notre Dame de Paris ~ MjYj

 

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Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other

media without my explicit permission.

MjYj© All rights reserved

À deux pas du Paradis...

Quelle Journée admirable...

 

Che Giornata meravigliosa a due passi dal Paradiso...

Parco Nazionale Gran Paradiso

  

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Getty Images Contributor

  

www.facebook.com/WashiInPuntadiPiedi

  

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Visita il nostro Blog "In punta di piedi..."

  

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National Geographic

  

In punta di piedi...di Troise Carmine Washi

www.flickr.com/photos/troise/

Vivre en Montagne, au quotidien, pour satisfaire la Curiosité de la Photographie de la Nature...

 

Valle d'Aosta - Vallée d'Aoste

(Une Montagne d'émotions...)

Architect: Holst, Bud Clark Commons, Portland Oregon

© andré bernardo

  

American Black Bear

 

The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as the Black Bear or sometimes in European languages Baribal, is a species of medium-sized bear endemic to North America. It is the continent's smallest and most widely distributed bear species. The American Black Bear is an omnivore, with its diet varying greatly depending on season and location. It typically lives in largely forested areas, but will leave forests in search of food, and is sometimes attracted to human communities due to the immediate availability of food.

 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American Black Bear as a least-concern species, due to its widespread distribution and a large population estimated to be twice that of all other bear species combined. Along with the Brown Bear (Ursus arctos), it is one of only two modern bear species not considered by the IUCN to be globally threatened with extinction.

 

For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear

Sinalco bottle with foreign-language label. Google lens says that this is a garbled rendering of the name "Cincinnati", which is patent nonsense. I found the same bottle on Google images, but the caption there says it is "Indian", which is not very helpful as many different languages are spoken in India and I don't think this is Hindi.

A little excerpt from my favourite piece of music. Bach's Chaconne for Classical Guitar. And yes, it is as difficult as it looks.

 

InstantFAVE contest winner for November www.flickr.com/groups/28965835@N00/

 

Helluva Shot contest winner 20th November

www.flickr.com/groups/helluva_shot/discuss/72157594383695...

 

Picture taken at San Juan de Los Terreros, Almería, Andalucía, Spain.

 

Fideua (dialectal pronunciation of the Valencian/Catalan language word "fideuada: large amount of noodles") is a seafood dish originally from the coast of Valencia which is similar to paella, and even more to arròs a banda, but with noodles instead of rice.

 

Its main ingredients are: pasta noodles, seafood (shrimps, squids, even lobsters), and perhaps some vegetables. In "my" version I have included pure virgin olive oil, garlic, peppers, onions...

 

And some species like ("parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme?) I should ask Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel ;-)

 

The invention of fideua is attributed to a picturesque story. Gabriel Rodriguez Pastor, (Gabrielo, from a kiosk in the port district of Grau in Gandía), worked as a cook in a boat and Juan Bautista Pascual (Zábalo), was the youngest man in the boat and his assistant.

 

According to Gabriel's family, the boat captain loved rice and the rest of sailors almost never received their full portion of "arròs a banda", the dish that the cook usually prepared. Trying to find a solution for the problem, the cook had the idea of using noodles instead of rice to see if the result was a little less appetizing for the captain.

 

The invention was liked, and fame of the dish spread though harbor restaurants such as the "Pastora House," where they cooked the first "fideuades." The dish became distinctive and essential in the area.

 

Just like paella, it is cooked in a special wide and flat frying pan, also that pan is called "paella", although there are other traditional variants made in a casserole.

 

Gandia (Valencia, Spain) is the birthplace of fideua, and in this city of La Safor region there is an annual competition-contest where the best cooks try to prepare the best fideua. (Data Source: Wikipedia)

 

UN PLATO DE FIDEUA DE PESCADO Y MARISCO, 2025

 

Foto hecha en San Juan de Los Terreros, Almería, Andalucía, España.

 

La fideua (pronunciación dialectal de la palabra en valenciano/catalán "fideuada: gran cantidad de fideos") es un plato de marisco originario de la costa de Valencia que es similar a la paella, y más aún al arròs a banda, pero con fideos en lugar de arroz. .

 

Sus ingredientes principales son: fideos de pasta, mariscos (camarones, calamares, incluso langostas) y quizás algunas verduras. En "mi" versión he incluido aceite de oliva virgen puro, ajo, pimiento, cebolla...

 

Y algunas especias como ("¿perejil, salvia, romero y tomillo?) debería preguntárselo a Paul Simon y Art Garfunkel ;-)

 

La invención de la fideuá se atribuye a una historia pintoresca. Gabriel Rodríguez Pastor, (Gabrielo, de un quiosco del barrio portuario de Grau en Gandía), trabajaba de cocinero en un barco y Juan Bautista Pascual (Zábalo), era el hombre más joven del barco y su ayudante.

 

Según la familia de Gabriel, al capitán del barco le encantaba el arroz y el resto de marineros casi nunca recibían su ración completa de "arròs a banda", el plato que solía preparar el cocinero. Tratando de encontrar una solución al problema, el cocinero tuvo la idea de usar fideos en lugar de arroz para ver si el resultado era un poco menos

Cerro Punta Negra, Cajón del Maipo, Chile

DOGGIE LANGUAGE, THE BOOK!

Preorder my new book on dog body language! Published by Summersdale in October 2020. - www.doggielanguagebook.com

 

LARGE POST 22 x 34" AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE AT: www.zazzle.com/doggie_language_large_poster_new-228889277...

 

Inspiration & reference: Turid Rugaas "Calming Signals"book & DVD, Brenda Aloffs "Canine Body Language", and of course, Boogie.

 

Click on Actions --> View All Sizes for FREE download options.

 

Donations are welcome and appreciated! My paypal - lili dot chin at gmail dot com

 

Check out www.doggiedrawings.net/dogtraining for more doggie behavior illustrations

  

Bastille Day village celebrations. Bradiancourt, Normandy. Illford 400

city, landscape, no people, unagi restaurant sign, street, blue sky, japan , ESR_0396

  

abundance, agriculture, backgrounds, bunch, choice, color image, english language, freshness, full frame, green color, greengrocer's shop, groceries, healthy eating, ingredient, Japan, japanese language, kanji, leaf long, market - retail space, no people, organic, photography, plant, plant stem, raw food, retail place, selling space, supply and demand, vegetable, vegetarian food, japan

  

雪ノ下

鶴岡八幡宮　TSURUGAOKA HACHIMANGU

 

小町

宝戒寺（はぎ寺）HOKAIJI TEMPLE

妙隆寺（みょうりゅうじ）MYORYUJI TEMPLE

本覚寺（ほんがくじ） HONGAKUJI TEMPLE

 

山ノ内

建長寺（けんちょうじ）KENCHOJI TEMPLE

円覚寺（えんがくじ） ENGAKUJI TEMPLE

浄智寺（じょうちじ）JOCHIJI TEMPLE

明月院 (めいげついん）MEIGETSUIN TEMPLE

円応寺（えんのうじ）ENNOJI TEMPLE

 

扇ケ谷

寿福寺（じゅふくじ）JUFUKUJI TEMPLE

英勝寺（えいしょうじ）EISHOJI TEMPLE

浄光明寺（じょうこうみょうじ）JOKOMYOJI TEMPLE

海蔵寺（かいぞうじ）KAIZOJI TEMPLE

 

梶原

葛原岡神社（くずはらおかじんじゃ）KUZUHARAOKA SHRINE

 

佐助

銭洗弁財天宇賀福神社ZENIARAIBENTEN UGAFUKU SHRINE

佐助稲荷神社（さすけいなりじんじゃ）SASUKEINARI SHRINE

 

西御門 NISHIMIKADO

来迎寺（らいこうじ）RAIKOJI TEMPLE

 

二階堂 NIKAIDO

荏柄天神社 EGARATENJINSHA SHRINE

鎌倉宮 KAMAKURAGU SHRINE

覚園寺（かくおんじ）KAKUONJI

杉本寺（すぎもとでら）SUGIMOTODERA TEMPLE

瑞泉寺（ずいせんじ）ZUISENJI TEMPLE

 

浄明寺

浄妙寺 (じょうみょうじ) JOMYOJI TEMPLE

報国寺（ほうこくじ）HOKOKUJI TEMPLE

 

十二所 JUNISO

五大堂 明王院（ごだいどう みょうおういん）GODAIDO MYO-OIN

 

大町

妙本寺（みょうほんじ）

八雲神社

安養院（あんよういん）

妙法寺（苔寺）

安国論寺（あんこくろんじ）

 

材木座

光明寺（こうみょうじ）

 

長谷

長谷寺（はせでら）

高徳院（鎌倉大仏）

光則寺 (こうそくじ)

甘縄神明神社（あまなわしんめいじんじゃ）

 

坂ノ下

御霊神社

 

極楽寺

極楽寺（ごくらくじ）

成就院（じょうじゅいん）

 

腰越

満福寺（まんぷくじ）

小動神社（こゆるぎじんじゃ）

 

大船

大船観音寺（おおふなかんのんじ）

 

江の島

江ノ島神社

 

片瀬

龍口寺（りゅうこうじ）

常立寺　

 

藤沢

清浄光寺（遊行寺）

 

大宝寺（だいほうじ）材木座に行った帰りにでも

 

虚空蔵堂（こくうぞうどう）星の井寺の　旗がいっぱいの　

 

青蓮寺（しょうれんじ）腰越から山側の道を行くと左側の手広エリアの

 

光触寺（こうそくじ）明石橋交差点からすぐ右側　朝比奈インター方面への

 

薬王寺（やくおうじ）

 

成福寺（じょうふくじ）

 

宝善院（ほうぜんいん）

 

蓮乗院（れんじょういん）

 

千手院（せんじゅいん）

九品寺（くほんじ）材木座に行くなら

 

五所神社（ごしょじんじゃ）

 

　　上行寺（じょうぎょうじ）

延命寺（えんめいじ）

実相寺（じつそうじ）

補陀洛寺（ふだらくじ）

称名寺（しょうみょうじ）

常栄寺（じょうえいじ）

常楽寺（じょうらくじ）

大巧寺（だいぎょうじ）

長勝寺（ちょうしょうじ）

白山神社 （はくさんじんじゃ）

龍宝寺（りゅうほうじ）

  

鎌倉二十四ヶ所地蔵めぐり

鎌倉十三仏霊場めぐり

  

鎌倉、湘南エリア　店舗。

２０２０年から在住中に行った店。

七福神

 

オステリアコマチーナ

ヴイ　浮　長谷

ロンディーノ

 

扉（鳩サブレーがやってる大人のカフェ）オムライスが鎌倉No.１

 

ヨリドコロ（稲村ガ崎、レンバイ）

キャラウェイ（カレー）

江ノ島亭（江ノ島丼）

カフェ・マディ 江の島店

 

カザリス食器店 鎌倉本店 ( 雪ノ下）

 

あしなや（小町）

コバカバ（レンバイ横）

KAN （平塚）

LAINE レネ (御成町）

cafe RONDINO （御成）裏駅　 タバコ可

ベルグフェルド（長谷店）

鎌倉 鉢の木（新館）(北鎌倉）

かまくら 長谷食堂 ( 江ノ電 長谷駅前）

レスポアール（小町）タバコ可

游古洞　ゆうこどう（御成町）

古書 アトリエ くんぷう堂 （佐助） (この時は欲しいものがなくて立ち読み）

松原庵　（由比ヶ浜）（両方とも）

古我邸　（扇ガ谷）

カフェ・ヴィヴモン・ディモンシュ（小町）　カフェヴィヴモンディモンシュ

 

一平（写真はおイヤだそうです）

 

アマルフィイ・デラセーラ ( アマルフィ）

 

アマルフィイ・デラセーラ

 

岩本楼 (江ノ島島内）２０１９年に

GARDEN HOUSE （鎌倉市役所前）

石窯ガーデンテラス（鎌倉五山第五位の 浄妙寺の奥）

SURFERS ( 逗子のサーファーズ ）

以志橋 （長谷）

しまむらストアー すみれ平店（平塚）たまたまデスソースの購入

トラットリア エ ピッツェリア ヤンモ （平塚）

店内にイタリアの喜劇役者トトの珍しいイラストや写真が・・

 

BRANDIN ブランディン ( 茅ヶ崎）

サザンオールスターズの名付け親のカフェ。

１万枚のレコードとともに。

洋書も素晴らしい。

サザン、山下達郎 関連のお店　

 

えぼし本店（茅ヶ崎）

BRANCH茅ヶ崎店（缶コーヒー）

湘南クッキーアウトレット（平塚本店）複数回

湘南クッキー辻堂（辻堂駅側）

湘南クッキー

 

cafe murasaki（カフェ・ムラサキ・茅ヶ崎）

MOKICHI モキチフーズガーデン（茅ヶ崎市 元町）

MOKICHI 熊澤酒造株式会社 モキチ本店 ( 茅ヶ崎市 香川）

妻ビール の酒造元と書けばお分かり？

 

茅ヶ崎珈琲倶楽部　（茅ヶ崎）

湘南珈琲 茅ヶ崎北口店 （茅ヶ崎）

コナズ珈琲（茅ヶ崎店）

カロ（長谷）極楽寺坂下、成就院の坂下

竹扇 ( 鎌倉市役所前）

リゾートショップ ねぎし（小坪）オリジナルTシャツ、缶コーヒー、ガム

ENGAWA CAFE （葉山）

レストラン ラ・マーレ・日影茶屋

冨士見亭（江ノ島）

あぶらや（江ノ島）ポストカード

ロンカフェ（江ノ島）

イワタ珈琲（小町）

ミルクホール（小町）

つるや ( 由比ヶ浜）

浅羽屋 (長谷）

天ぷら ひろみ（小町）

KANNON COFFEE KAMAKURA（長谷）

VUORI ブオリ（長谷）山テーマの喫茶店。書籍も秀逸。

 

納言志るこ店（小町）

AWkitchen GARDEN 鎌倉（御成通り突き当たり）

ダンデライオン・チョコレート（鎌倉駅西口・閉店以前）

WANDER KITCHEN（御成）

なみまちベーグル（長谷）

café recette 鎌倉（ ルセット )（長谷）

小満ち（小町）

KINOKUNIYA 鎌倉店 (コーヒー）

鎌倉市農協連即売所（市場、レンバイ）主に３、４班の時

無心庵

江ノ島電鉄株式会社（乗車と鎌倉駅構内の売店）

ル・ミリュウ鎌倉山（鎌倉山）

らいてい（鎌倉山）

CAFE LUONTO ルオント（長谷）

カフェレストランGEN（報国寺入り口）

藤沢 峰本そば店 (鎌倉峰本 暖簾分け店）

くら寿司（回転寿司）辻堂店・辻堂団地 前店

力餅家　(長谷）

島森書店（バーズアイで俯瞰した鎌倉地図、鎌倉春秋のバックナンバー）

たらば書店　（裏駅、黄色目印）

松林堂書店　（閉店以前、立ち読み）写真なし

現在は　”ブック居酒屋” に

 

大里書店　（小町）（鎌倉春秋の購入）

メッゲンドルファー

YAMAKA 鎌倉店（コーヒー）やまか

もとまちユニオン鎌倉店 ( パスタソース）

DS NEW KAMAMAN 鎌万水産 （せんべい）

鎌倉駅構内　加藤売店　（ガム）

鎌倉市役所（1階,4階の自販機と分庁舎のトイレ）

駄菓子屋 長谷店　大仏飴

   

© 2013 Thousand Word Images by Dustin Abbott

 

And here is one of the main reasons why people get this Rokinon lens - nightscapes. It has very little coma (particularly compared to many wide angle lenses), which means that all of those star points stay nice and round. It can also capture so much of the sky in one frame. I fought with some clouds that loved to gobble up the light on this particular night, but the end effect is kind of cool.

 

Check out the now live review of the Canon EOS M system. Lots of information and photos!

 

Technical information Canon EOS 6D, Rokinon 14mm f/2.8 Aspherical, Processed in Adobe Lightroom 5 and Exposure 5

 

Personal Website | Facebook Fan Page | 500px Gallery | Order Fine Art prints | iStock | Getty Collection

Some day I will be available to read and write this beautiful language.

Shooting from the hip. Stazione di Montesanto, Napoli.

19850106-2583

 

Een gedeelte van het reisgezelschap. Hier rijden we in Noord-Frankrijk bij 10 graden vorst weer terug naar huis. In de bus was het ook niet warm te krijgen vandaar dat sommigen in hun slaapzak of dikke deken zitten.

 

Op 15 december 1984 vertrokken we met 18 personen in een busje van reisbureau Ashraf, vanuit Breda naar Marokko. (en weer terug.)

In Marokko volgden we de volgende route: Algeciras - Asilah - Romanni - Cacades d'Ouzoud - Marrakech - Ouarzazate - Gorges de Todra - Merzouga - Meski - Fes - Algeciras.

 

Daarna via Spanje, (Madrid), Frankrijk en België weer terug naar Breda.

 

All images are copyrighted by Pieter Musterd. If you want to use or buy any of my photographs, contact me. It is not allowed to download them or use them on any website, blog etc. without my explicit permission.

If you want a translation of the text in your own language, please try "Google Translate".

   

Peony symbolizes many thing In the language of flowers,

a happy marriage and virility in Japan,

prosperity in China,

to the French hardiness or heaviness

for the British bashful shame

and in an American language of the flowers: anger or a frown

also his meaning has found like an aphrodisiac

Paeonia officinalis or European peony,is accepted in my country as a symbol of happy marriage and prosperity, and it's called a Božur.

 

~•~•~ ~•~•~ ~•~•~ ~•~•~

10th century.The Chinese name for the peony is "sho yu'"; meaning, most beautiful.

and represents prosperity. A legend says it was created by the moon goddess to reflect the moon’s beams during the night.

A similar belief about the peony lighting up the night comes from a Greek writer Aelianus (3rd century) who writes of one kind of peony that grows by the sea, opens at Summer solstice and shines like fire, while another kind, hidden away among the herbs during the day, at night shines like a star.

During the Middle Ages, "lunatics" were covered with peony leaves and petals, to cure them.

It was also believed that keeping peony seeds under your pillow, could prevent nightmares.

 

_______

Texture by les brumes

Model: Tatjana

The Watergate Hotel, Washington, D.C. Color adjusted from a black and white exposure.

 

This photograph has been spotted as high as #321 on the Flickr daily Interestingness charts. It was the Photo of the Day for November 1, 2006 on the DCist blog.