Baul singers and pilgrims singing and dancing at Gangasagar fair, India

Gangasagar pilgrimage and fair is the second largest congregation of mankind after the holy Kumbha Mela. Gangasagar fair and pilgrimage is held annually on the Sagar Island's southern tip in the Ganges delta atop the Bay of Bengal and this makes Gangasagar all the more distinctive. Instead Kumbh Mela is observed once in four years at alternate locations in north, central and central-west parts of the country. Gangasagar Mela is one of the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal form a links of connection. Hence the name generated is Gangasagar Mela. The Ganga Sagar mela (fair) is the largest annual assemblage of devotees in India. The greatness of the mela can be accessed from the fact that over a million pilgrims come from far-flung corners of India and beyond, speaking different languages and belonging to diverse castes and creeds, for a sacred dip at this holy confluence. For this, no invitation is given. No propaganda is carried out and overall no authority exists for carrying out the mela.

The river Ganga which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains at Haridwar, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites such as Benares and Prayag, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal, where the Ganga breaks up into hundreds of streams and drains into the sea is honored as a pilgrimage site.

A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day, celebrated on 14 January every year. It is celebrated at different locations depending on the position of the planet of Brihaspati (Jupiter) and the sun. When the sun makes a transition to the planet Capricorn from the planet Sagittarius this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses from all over the state. There is a common belief among the locals that the girls who take the holy dip get handsome grooms and the boys get beautiful brides. When they are done with the ritual obligations, they head towards the Kapilmuni Temple situated nearby, to worship the deity as a mark of respect.

Source :http://www.barnalatravels.com/

With a huge group of spectators using their various recording and photography devices, 3642 departs Maitland on a shuttle trip to Branxton.

Maitland, NSW.

Saturday 18 April 2015.

I am certainly not objective enough to determine if this one is different enough from the others to merit posting? But I am sure you will tell me!

In any case have a great and flowing Monday evening!

Last week was teacher appreciation week. Owen has been blessed with another really great teacher this year! She walks the fine line between keeping the classroom structured and focused and still being kind and caring. She encourages the kids to do their best and to strive for more.

Recently his teacher missed a few days of school to run the Boston Marathon. (Yes it's true, she teaches 1st graders all day and still has the energy to run marathons!) When she returned, upon entering the room, you could FEEL her joy at being back with her students. And then you could read about it in the morning message she types out each school day.

Owen's future teachers will certainly have a tough act to follow.

Anyway, if you didn't thank a teacher last week you can always do it now! There are so many great ones out there!

Let me start with a well-known notion again

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." ~ Thomas Edison

There are more losers than winners in the game of life because losers many times are people who tried something with all their effort and failed. Because they failed rather than succeeded, they became reluctant to try again. Off-course this rider not one of those people.

One of the first lessons in competition is that when you give your full effort and are knocked down, you must get up and try again, and again, and again until you succeed. Once you are successful one time, you can hone your talents and use your skills to succeed again and again.

Searching for success in life is like mining for treasure, you're goin to scoop up a heck of a lot more sand and gravel in your pan than diamonds but keep on scooping anyway because one tiny diamond will make it all worth it.

So today, choose to turn each mistake and failure into experiences and skills. Refuse to look at your life-glass half-empty, instead, see it as half-full your goals as half-reached already and with an attitude like this and some good perseverance and patience, you will soon be rejoicing at the finish-line of your dream.

Taken: One action-filled afternoon at Spring Festival, Mandi Bhawaldin, Punjab, Pakistan

View On Black

Amy K, Emily and Austin are letting go. As they walk into the setting sun, towards the Lincoln Memorial with the Washington Monument basking in the sunlight behind them. It's all about flow, we see Emily doing what appears to be the electric slide with Austin and Amy on her wings. Let it flow. Washington DC, 15 September 2017.

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Poster:

Locandina:

movieplayer.net-cdn.it/t/images/2010/11/04/la-locandina-d...

filmitalia.org/Files/2010/10/14/1287087882765.jpg?1287087...

mr.comingsoon.it/rsz/foto/11612.jpg?preset=wide760

upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/it/a/a1/Io_sono_con_te_%28...

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clicca sulla piccola icona per attivare lo slideshow: sulla facciata principale del photostream, in alto a destra c'è un piccolo rettangolo (rappresenta il monitor) con dentro un piccolo triangolo nero;

oppure…. premi il tasto “L” per ingrandire l'immagine;

Qi Bo's photos on Fluidr

Qi Bo's photos on Flickriver

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This photographic story of mine, with descriptive text, was created in Novara di Sicilia (ME) on August 15th of this year, on the occasion of a suggestive traditional religious and popular celebration, that of the Apotheosis of the Assumption (in Heaven), which takes place every 5 years, however due to the bans issued during the Covid, it was not celebrated in 2020, so this celebration had not been held for 10 years. I would like to tell the origins of this ancient tradition, which began with the arrival of the Normans in Sicily around the year 1000. At that time, Southern Italy was a coexistence of peoples, religions, and languages, the most diverse. The majority were the Lombards. There were also the Greeks, with the Greek population of Calabria and Salento (i.e., the Byzantines), with the Greek Church based in Constantinople. It was not a foreign Byzantine domination, but rather the people of those lands for centuries. Then there were the Arabs who had conquered Sicily, and even under the Arabs in Sicily, Greeks, Latins, and Jews coexisted; the populations coexisted with each other, and the leaders waged war against each other. Then, in southern Italy, the Normans arrived, seeking adventure and fortune. They were French from Northern France, and the descendants of the Vikings from Scandinavia. the Norman Roger 1st of Sicily (known as the Great Count Roger) together with his brother, conquered Puglia, Calabria, subsequently they allied themselves with an Arab emir reigning in Sicily, who asked them for help because he was fighting against another Arab emir present in Sicily, Roger landed in Messina in February 1061 managing to occupy the eastern part of Sicily, thirty years after his landing in Sicily, in 1091 Roger could say he was master of all of Sicily; Ancient literature credits Great Count Roger with initiating the celebrations of the Assumption, whose banner featured the image of the Our Lady Ascending to Heaven. Under his patronage, the process of "re-Christianization" of the island began. Devotion to the Virgin was strengthened in the territory of Novara di Sicilia in the 12th century with the arrival of the French abbot Hugh (also proclaimed a saint), sent to Sicily by Bernard of Clairvaux, of the Cistercian Order, which has the figure of the Assumption as a cornerstone of its religious institution. This celebration-feast has seen mixed fortunes. Before the Second World War, the float with the Assumption was carried in procession along with approximately 15 floats of various saints. After that conflict, the bishop banned carrying statues of saints alongside the Assumption. With the Great Jubilee of 2000, the ancient tradition was revived with the Saints preceding the Assumption's exit. They arrive in the town's main square, forming a semicircle, awaiting the arrival of the Assumption, which in the meantime has been carried in procession through the town's streets. Upon her return to the square around midnight, the Assumption of Mary is reunited with all the Saints, giving life to the supreme expression of the Apotheosis of Mary Assumed into Heaven, amidst songs, litanies, and prayers. This, in short, is a great, heartfelt procession that begins in the afternoon and continues late into the night, with the many floats of saints preceding that of the Assumption of Mary, characterized by having their arms raised high, and the presence of more than 150 candles being lit. The official logo of the Solemn Apotheosis of the Assumption encloses the presence of the 15 saints as if they were 15 roses, arranged in a crown around the monogram "M - A" (Our Lady Ascending to Heaven): for Dante Alighieri in the Divine Comedy the "Mystical Rose" is "the Love of God", a symbol of divine perfection, peace, and the beauty of Paradise, linked to the figure of Mary, the Mystical Rose par excellence. Thus the Apotheosis is nothing other than the Embrace that God, through Mary and the Saints, addresses to all men.

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Questo mio racconto fotografico, con testo descrittivo, è stato realizzato a Novara di Sicilia (ME) il 15 di agosto di quest’anno, in occasione di una suggestiva celebrazione tradizionale religiosa e popolare, quella della Apoteosi dell’Assunta (in Cielo), che prende vita ogni 5 anni, purtuttavia causa i divieti emanati durante il covid, nel 2020 non venne celebrata, sicchè questa celebrazione era da 10 anni che non veniva svolta. Desidero raccontare le origini di questa antica tradizione, essa nasce con l’arrivo dei Normanni in Sicilia attorno all’Anno Mille, in quel periodo nell’Italia Meridionale c’era una convivenza di popoli, religioni, lingue, le più diverse, la maggioranza era data dai Longobardi, c’erano i Greci, con la popolazione greca della Calabria, del Salento (ovvero i Bizantini) con la Chiesa Greca che faceva capo a Costantinopoli, non era una dominazione bizantina straniera, ma erano i popoli di quelle terre da secoli, poi c'erano gli Arabi che avevano conquistato la Sicilia, ed anche sotto gli arabi in Sicilia, convivenao Greci, Latini, Ebrei, le popolazioni convivevano tra loro, erano i capi che si facevano la guerra tra di loro; poi nel meridione d’Italia arrivarono i Normanni, in cerca di avventura e di fortuna, essi erano francesi della Francia del Nord, essi erano i discendenti dei Vichinghi provenienti dalla Scandinavia; il Normanno Ruggero 1° di Sicilia (detto il Gran Conte Ruggero) insieme al fratello, conquista la Puglia, la Calabria, successivamente si allearono con un emiro arabo regnante in Sicilia, che chiedeva loro aiuto perché in lotta contro un altro emiro arabo presente in Sicilia, Ruggero sbarcò a Messina nel febbraio del 1061 riuscendo ad occupare la parte orientale della Sicilia, dopo trent'anni dal suo sbarco in Sicilia, nel 1091 Ruggero poté dirsi padrone di tutta la Sicilia; l’antica letteratura indica il Gran Conte Ruggero promotore dei festeggiamenti dell’Assunta, sul cui stendardo campeggiava l’immagine dell’Assunta, sotto la cui protezione ebbe inizio il processo di “ricristianizzazione” dell’isola, devozione verso la Vergine che si rafforza nel territorio di Novara di Sicilia nel XII secolo con l’arrivo dell’abate francese Ugo (anch’egli proclamato Santo), inviato in Sicilia da Bernardo di Chiaravalle, dell’Ordine Cistercense, che ha come pilastro portante la figura dell’Assunta nella sua istituzione religiosa. Questa celebrazione-festa ha visto alterne fortune, prima del secondo conflitto mondiale la vara con l’Assunta veniva portata in processione assieme a circa 15 vare di diversi santi, dopo tale conflitto ci fu il divieto vescovile di portare le statue dei santi insieme all’Assunta; col Grande Giubileo del 2000 l’antica tradizione riprese vita coi Santi che precedono l’uscita dell’Assunta, giungendo nella piazza principale del paese, disponendosi a semicerchio, aspettando l’arrivo dell’Assunta che nel frattempo è stata condotta in processione nelle vie del paese, al suo rientro in piazza verso mezzanotte Maria Assunta si ricongiunge con tutti i Santi, dando vita alla massima espressione dell’Apoteosi di Maria Assunta in Cielo, tra canti, litanie e preghiere. Questa, in sintesi, è una grande, sentita, processione che inizia nel pomeriggio, per proseguire a notte fonda, con le tante vare di santi che precedono quella di Maria Assunta, caratterizzata dall'avere le braccia rivolte in alto, e la presenza di più di 150 candele che vengono accese. Il logo ufficiale della Solenne Apoteosi dell’Assunta racchiude la presenza dei 15 santi come fossero 15 rose, disposte a corona attorno al monogramma “M – A” (Madonna Assunta): per Dante Alighieri nella Divina Commedia la “Rosa Mistica” è “l’Amore di Dio”, simbolo della perfezione divina, pace, bellezza del Paradiso, collegata alla figura di Maria, Rosa Mistica per eccellenza, ecco che l’Apoteosi altro non è che l’Abbraccio che Dio, tramite Maria ed i Santi, rivolge a tutti gli uomini.

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Fine Art, DU

If I could, I’d remain in a place like Neverland, where you are eternally a child. When you are little, you think about how wonderful being an adult will be: nobody obliges you to tidy your room or to do your homework. Basically, you can do what you want.

But we all know that it’s not completely true. Yes, you have more freedom, but you also have more responsibilities. Choices always come with consequences. It’s the most difficult part about being an adult: bearing the consequences of your own choices.

I chose and I didn’t choose well. Or maybe I did but not in the right moment.

In any case, it’s definitive: I’m dropping out of International Business Economics.

I like economics. I didn’t like so much the business part, but it was OK. But I realized I liked as a way to understand the world, not as my future profession (studying is not the same as working). Maybe I did in June, when I enrolled myself, but not now. Which made me feel terrible. I began to blame myself for changing of opinion so easily. After all, how much can someone change in one summer?

Well, it turned out that a lot.

I didn’t want to disappoint anybody either. Everybody was telling me that I have a bright future ahead. I already began to see it blurry in summer, but university made it worse. Now I didn’t see a future at all. The stress of knowing that you’re about to lose your home, the guiltiness and the inner isolation led me to cyclical depressive episodes. Studying in that condition required more strength than I had. I was (I am) emotionally and psychologically exhausted.

So here I am. I’m home this week because I don’t have to babysit until next Tuesday. I’ll come back to Barcelona and will try to find a job meanwhile. I want to seriously start to study Russian and English to get the corresponding level certificates. And think about what I want to do with my life.

I’d like to never have to grow up, but unfortunately I can’t: childhood doesn’t last forever. We all have to let it go sooner or later. I suppose I began to let go mine too soon, so I made the break even more difficult. It’s difficult when you’re in pain and you’re in pain alone because it keeps you trapped somewhere in between.

I hope that now I’ll finally let it go.

PS: There will be a stop motion/behind the scenes of this, so stay tuned.

PPS: The hosting where I had my portfolio crashed. Aghhh! So it will be offline for until I find another. I am also changing of domain: klykovaphotography.com

PPPS: I won another prize for my high school thesis on Russia :D The first place in the arts, humanities and social sciences category. I even went to the local radio because of that!

View on Black and larger (++++)

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SOOC

No alterations to the color.

I got home from work yesterday and there was a beautiful sky! I decided to take the garbage out and try and snap some shots before the sun went down. Summer is slowly coming back to me. :)

Having arrived and run round the set of HAA hoppers, Class 37/7 37701 waits for the loading to commence at Penallta Colliery. This Saturday MGR would be the 7C87, 14:17 departure to Aberthaw Power Station.

I took a look on Google Maps to trace where this image was taken and I think I was stood somewhere in what is now Griffin Drive. How times have changed!

All images on this site are exclusive property and may not be copied, downloaded, reproduced, transmitted, manipulated or used in any way without expressed written permission of the photographer. All rights reserved – Copyright Don Gatehouse

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Agfa Super Isolette • Agfa Solinar 1:3.5/75

Ilford XP2 Super 400 @100 ISO developed in Caffenol CLCS 75min stand @ 15-20°C

Scanned with Epson Perfection V500 at 2400dpi and Betterscanning MF Film Holder

Walferdange • Luxembourg

Caffenol CLCS

500 ml Filtered Water

8gr Anhydrous Washing Soda

5gr Vitamin C

0.5gr KBr

20gr Instant coffee ("Cora")

60 sec. slow agitations then let stand for 74 minutes

i haven't taken pictures in a few days so i'm going through a few old ones (:

Oh the weather outside is frightful,

But the fire is so delightful,

And since we've no place to go,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

It doesn't show signs of Pauseping,

And I've bought some corn for popping,

The lights are turned way down low,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

When we finally kiss goodnight,

How I'll hate going out in the storm!

But if you'll really hold me tight,

All the way home I'll be warm.

The fire is slowly dying,

And, my dear, we're still good-bying,

But as long as you love me so,

Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

The new statue of Nello and Patrashe In front of the cathedral is loved by many tourists. So I say... let them pose and shoot!

"A rainy day is the perfect time for a walk in the woods."

~Rachel Carson

(. . . Just don't slip in the mud, and for God's sake, don't get your camera wet. :))

Goodbye, my almost lover

Goodbye, my hopeless dream

I'm trying not to think about you

Can't you just let me be?

{236/365}

Today was a crappy day. I hate tuesdays.

2007 Star Stratoliner

1854cc (113 cubic inch) V-Twin

She is a joy to ride but the time has come to part with her. I am putting her up for sale tomorrow so I thought I would give her the royal treatment she deserves and send her away with an LP portrait. I will definitely hate to see her go, but after only riding a little over 4000 miles in 5 years and really needing the room in my garage to finish setting up my shop, I have decided that it is time.

I created a video to help show her off a bit and help with the sale as well. If you are interested in seeing more of the bike or the video, it WILL be posted to the following link when I get it completed: HERE.

Thanks for looking! :-)

Light Painting - Single Exposure

Jace Lewis, MD - CHO

The Killers - Mr.Brightside

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It's mid December and still snow hasn't been visiting.

We walked on the main shopping street and it was deadly freezing.

Just when the winter wind was threading all the way through my jacket to touch my growling belly :P

I suddenly thought of how querulous and ungrateful I've been sometimes.

It's here, it's true: a place to called home, every family meals, the warmth, the laughters, a job, been studying the thing I love

sometimes wanderers do get confused and tired, don't they?

express yourself! if not now then when?

Growing by the hour, love just like a flower

But when the flower dies, you've got to say goodbye

And let her go

I don't like being sat in an office all week. Let me out! Let me free!

This gorilla is big. The most surprising thing about him is that he is made out of spoons. Spoons? Yes, you heard me right.

Quite why he is made out of spoons is beyond me, but I suppose that is art. He resides at the British Ironworks a strange museum type place with all sorts of metally iron things. It really is quite unusual in the best quirky British way. But it is free to visit, somewhere the whole family can enjoy being together and even your dog can go with you.

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I'm at a friend's house tonight, so we played a quick game of BF4 and I slapped this together within an hour. I don't usually do this kind of stuff, so don't be too harsh on the editing :P

Also, Frozen is the best movie ever made ~ No copyright intended, all content goes to their respective owners.

-Andrew

This is Lan Kwai Fong, Hong Kong on a Friday night. Not this Friday but many fridays ago.

The bokeh Chinese guy was doing all sort of dancing moves on the street totally enjoying himself under the limelight. Many passers by stopped and watched his moves, and this man sitting at a bar table by the street looked like he was enjoying the dance too!

Have a nice weekend my friend!

View On Black

Well you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you’re missin' home

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

Staring at the bottom of your glass

Hoping one day you'll make a dream last

But dreams come slow and they go so fast

You see her when you close your eyes

Maybe one day you'll understand why

Everything you touch surely dies

But you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missin' home

Only know you love her when you let her go

Staring at the ceiling in the dark

Same old empty feeling in your heart

'Cause love comes slow and it goes so fast

Well you see her when you fall asleep

But never to touch and never to keep

'Cause you loved her too much

And you dived too deep

Well you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missin' home

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)

And you let her go (oh, oh, ooh, oh no)

Will you let her go?

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missin' home

Only know you love her when you let her go

'Cause you only need the light when it's burning low

Only miss the sun when it starts to snow

Only know you love her when you let her go

Only know you've been high when you're feeling low

Only hate the road when you're missin' home

Only know you love her when you let her go

And you let her go

Passenger - Let Her Go