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Sheffield Academy, Sheffield
03/02/09
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Procession for the Lying-in-State of Her Majesty The Queen
Extract from Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport website
On Wednesday 14 September a ceremonial procession will transport the coffin of Her Majesty The Queen from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall in the Houses of Parliament, where the Lying-in-State will begin.
The procession will start at Buckingham Palace at 2:22pm.
It will proceed along The Mall, Horse Guards Road, across Horse Guards Parade and onto Whitehall to Parliament Square and into the Palace of Westminster.
Her Majesty The Queen will Lie-in-State at the Palace of Westminster until Monday 19 September. Members of the public may visit to pay their respects.
From the Court Circular
14 September 2022
Buckingham Palace
The Coffin bearing The late Queen was borne in State from Buckingham Palace this afternoon on a Gun Carriage of The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, flanked by the Escort Party found by 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, to travel to the Palace of Westminster to Lie-in-State in Westminster Hall.
The Coffin was followed by The King, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Sussex, The Duke of York, The Earl of Wessex, The Princess Royal, Mr Peter Phillips, The Duke of Gloucester, The Earl of Snowdon and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence.
Other Members of the Royal Family travelled separately.
The King and The Queen Consort, The Prince and Princess of Wales, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Duke of York with Princess Beatrice, Mrs. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Mr. Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and Princess Eugenie, Mrs. Jack Brooksbank and Mr. Jack Brooksbank, The Earl and Countess of Wessex with The Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and Viscount Severn, The Princess Royal and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, Mr. Peter Phillips, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Tindall, The Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, The Duke of Kent, Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, Princess Alexandra, the Hon. Lady Ogilvy and other Members of the Royal Family were received at the North Door of Westminster Hall by the Lord Great Chamberlain, the Lord Speaker and the Speaker.
The King and The Queen Consort and other Members of the Royal Family attended a Service for the Reception of the Coffin conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Westminster (the Very Reverend Dr. David Hoyle).
A Guard of Honour, found by The King's Guard with the State Colour, was formed up in front of Buckingham Palace.
A Guard of Honour found by the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force, with the Band of the Royal Marines was formed up in Parliament Square.
His Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms and The King's Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard were on duty in the Palace of Westminster.
From Household Division website
At the stroke of 2:22pm this afternoon, Her Majesty The Queen’s coffin was carried in procession on a gun carriage of The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall, where she will lie in state for four days ahead of her State Funeral on Monday 19 September 2022.
Before the procession set off, dismounted detachments of The Life Guards and The Blues and Royals of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment formed up on the forecourt of Buckingham Palace, as a Guard of Honour formed from troops of 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards, with its State Colour draped, waited outside in the Queen’s Gardens.
The carriage, known as the George Gun Carriage and which carried King George VI’s coffin, was positioned in the Buckingham Palace Quadrangle with an escort party and a bearer party formed by The Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
As the Commanding Officer of the Household Division, Major General Chris Ghika and his staff took up their positions in front of the gun carriage, the bearer party carried Her Majesty’s coffin from within Buckingham Palace to be placed on the gun carriage.
Leaving Buckingham Palace for the last time
At 2:22pm on the dot, guns were fired from Hyde Park by The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery - one round every minute for the duration of the procession, meaning 38 rounds were fired. Simultaneously, Garrison Sergeant Major, Headquarters London District, WO1 Andrew Stokes, stepped off the procession.
Leading the procession out of Buckingham Palace and along The Mall was the dismounted detachment of The Life Guards of the Household Cavalry of more than 50 soldiers.
Following them were four key personnel: Silver Stick in Waiting Colonel Mark Berry (former Life Guards); Field Officer in Brigade Waiting, Lieutenant Colonel Gareth Light, Irish Guards; Brigade Major Household Division, Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, Grenadier Guards and Aide-de-Camp to Major General Commanding the Household Division, Captain Jamie Roy.
Flanking the gun carriage were pall bearers, who had all been service equerries to The Queen, and the escort party and the bearer party drawn from The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards.
Bringing up the rear of the procession, following His Majesty The King and members of the Royal Family, was a Blues and Royals marching detachment from The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
The procession marched at a pace of 75 steps per minute, which is specifically reserved for funerals and ensures it keeps time with the slow pace of the gun carriage. Ordinarily troops would either do a slow march of 60 beats per minute, or a quick march of 110 beats per minute.
Arrival at Westminster Hall in the grounds of the Palace of Westminster
As Her Majesty arrived in Westminster, the coffin was carried in procession by a bearer party of The Queen’s Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards from the gun carriage and placed on a raised platform, known as a catafalque, in Westminster Hall.
After a short service, the captain of The Queen’s Company 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, assisted by a senior sergeant, laid The Queen’s Company Colour, the royal standard of the regiment, on the steps of the catafalque at the south end.
Lying In State and the Vigil
A continuous vigil will be kept by His Majesty’s Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, assisted at times by The King’s Body Guard for Scotland (The Royal Company of Archers), The King’s Body Guard of the Yeomen of the Guard, assisted by The Body of Yeomen Warders of HM Tower of London, and by units of the Household Division.
Those units will include: The Household Cavalry, the Grenadier Guards, the Coldstream Guards, the Scots Guards, the Irish Guards and the Welsh Guards. Each period of 24 hours will be divided into four watches. Except for the first and last, each of the 20 watches will last for 6 hours. Within each watch, a Vigil will last for 20 minutes.
More than 320 military personnel from all three services took part in this ceremonial activity, including 170 military personnel from The Household Division in the procession.
The Gun Carriage
The gun carriage is known as the George Gun Carriage and carried King George VI’s coffin from Sandringham Church to Wolferton Station in February 1952. It was also used in the funeral of The Queen Mother in 2002.
Royal Salutes
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery has six 13-pounder quick-fire guns, built between 1913 and 1918, all of which have seen active service in the First and Second World Wars. They are used regularly for royal salutes in Hyde Park, Green Park or Windsor Great Park for State Occasions and to mark royal anniversaries and royal birthdays. Each gun and limber weighs 1.5 tons and, with the team, is approximately 54 feet long.
Participating units, regiments and stations
Royal Marines
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery
The Household Cavalry
Grenadier Guards
Coldstream Guards
Scots Guards
Welsh Guards
Few will be unaware of Broadway, since it's Edwardian rediscovery this picturesque Cotswold town has attracted visitors from all over the world. Broadway has fallen from the high wolds lying at the foot of the escarpment, the main street once climbed the lower slopes of Fish Hill slipping away as the ascent defied further building, Now a bypass takes the heavy traffic past Broadway, returning the upper part of the village to it's Victorian calm.
In common with several other Cotswold settlements Broadway began as a planned medieval town created by Pershore Abbey in the late 12th or early 13th centuries as a source of revenue. This may explain the position of the Norman church dedicated to St Eadburgha, which is a mile or so along the Snowshill road close to an older route over Fish Hill. The town prospered in the 17th and 18th centuries deriving a large portion of it's income from the wool and cloth trades and served as an important stopping place when coach travel blossomed, stimulated by the creation of turnpike roads. A medieval building the Abbot's Grange survives at the eastern end of the town.
As the old church was an inconvenient distance from the 17th century town, a chapel of ease was built near the marketplace in 1608, St Michael, this church was rebuilt in 1839. However, the wonderfully evocative Norman church St Eadburgha's is still used in the summer months. Eadburgha was a Saxon princess who as a child chose a bible over a bag of jewels, she was the daughter of Edward the Elder. A Saxon dedication suggests the presence of an earlier church on the site. St Eadburgha stands on the edge of Broadway perched above a wooded valley surrounded by fields. The elegant exterior gives the impression of a wealthy Perpendicular wool church but a soon as you step into the lofty nave a Norman structure is revealed. A three-bay pointed arcade with round piers betrays the buildings Norman origins, outside two west buttresses and the remains of an east buttress show the whole building to be c1200. The towers seems to have been built into the original nave preserving the piers of a fourth bay while the east responds were topped with battlements.The west and east tower arches are 14th century but the chancel arch retains imposts c1200. A vaulted roof spans the tower-crossing while the upper stages are Perpendicular as are the chancel windows although there is evidence of 13th century lancets. A Jacobean altar rail guards the communion table at the eat end of the chancel. The chancel has a trefoil headed piscina with continuous roll-moulding. A 13th century south transept has a south window of three stepped pointed-trefoiled lights, a piscina suggests the transept was used as an additional chapel. The nave roof sits on a wall plate with fleurons and one carved head. Above the chancel arch is a Royal Coat of Arms of Charles I dated to 1641.A Norman tub font has medieval encaustic tiles around it but inside the north door is the base of a 13th century hexagonal font with slender shafts. The church guide suggests the pulpit, that has Perpendicular panels, was once a travelling pulpit that would have been tied to the back of a horse. There are screens and benches in the choir which were constructed from medieval fragments. On the east wall is a brass to Anton Daston died 1571, this is a palimpsest, engraved on a Flemish brass plate, part of which is now in Westerham, Kent. There are fragments of medieval glass in many of the windows. A recent edition are beautiful oak pews made by Christopher Holmes of Rookery Farm, Broadway. The church has a peal of six bells including a Bagley bell of 1778.
Unfortunately the church has been a victim of several thefts, particularly a carved Flemish panel and the parish chest, these are illustrated on my Flckr site: www.flickr.com/photos/bwthornton/sets/72157633151004936, it would be wonderful if these pieces could be found and restored to their proper place.
Lie on lie on lie are the solid bricks of your house.
You lie within your fortress surrounded by the truth of your lies.
Your thoughts enfleshed in lies are ablaze in the fire of the father of lies.
His tones are soft and desirable, and his voice is sweet in encouragement.
For him you glorify the lie and give life to the dead.
You consort with lies, research in lies and philosophise on lies;
You feast on lies, bed with lies and impregnate lies with lies.
The giver of lies glorifies your lie, and gives your lie the status of truth.
Your lie has become truth, so the Truth has become a lie.
You lie in embrace with a lie, burning for everything that is a lie.
In the external and the temporary lies the truth of your lies.
You delight in that which decays, and worship the beauty that fades.
You are blinded to the Beauty from which all beauty proceeds,
You see not His truth, and love not His face.
You spurn his correction, and despise all that is correct.
You see not the glamour of your lie in the dullness of His Truth.
- Samuel Godfrey George
Kartikeya, also known as Skanda, Murugan and Subramaniyan, is the Hindu god of war. He is the commander-in-chief of the army of the devas (gods) and the son of Shiva and Parvati.
Murugan is often referred to as "Tamil Kadavul" (meaning "God of Tamils") and is worshiped primarily in areas with Tamil influences, especially South India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore and Reunion Island. His six most important shrines in India are the Arupadaiveedu temples, located in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, Hindus as well as Buddhists revere the sacred historical Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna and Katirkāmam Temple situated deep south.[1] Hindus in Malaysia also pray to Lord Murugan at the Batu Caves and various temples where Thaipusam is celebrated with grandeur.
In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, Kartikeya is known as Subrahmanya with a temple at Kukke Subramanya known for Sarpa shanti rites dedicated to Him and another famous temple at Ghati Subramanya also in Karnataka. In Bengal and Odisha, he is popularly known as Kartikeya (meaning 'son of Krittika').[2]
Other names[edit]
Like most Hindu deities, Subrahmanya is known by many other names, including Senthil, Vēlaṇ, Kumāran (meaning 'prince or child or young one'), Swaminatha (meaning 'smart' or 'clever'), Saravaṇa, Arumugam or Shanmuga (meaning 'one with six faces'), Dhandapani (meaning God with a Club), Guhan or Guruguha (meaning 'cave-dweller'), Subrahmanya, Kartikeya and Skanda (meaning 'that which is spilled or oozed).[3][4] He was also known as Mahasena and the Kadamba Dynasty kings worshiped him by this name.[5]
Vedas[edit]
The Atharva Veda describes Kumaran as 'Agnibhuh' because he is form of 'Agni' (Fire God) & Agni hold in his hand when kumaran born. The Satapatha Brahmana refers to him as the son of Rudra and the six faces of Rudra. The Taittiriya Aranyaka contains the Gayatri mantra for Shanmukha. The Chandogya Upanishad refers to Skanda as the "way that leads to wisdom". The Baudhayana Dharmasutra mentions Skanda as 'Mahasena' and 'Subrahmanya.' The Aranya Parva canto of the Mahabharata relates the legend of Kartikeya Skanda in considerable detail. The Skanda Purana is devoted to the narrative of Kartikeya.[6] The Upanishads also constantly make a reference to a Supreme Being called Guha, the indweller.
The first elaborate account of Kartikeya's origin occurs in the Mahabharata. In a complicated story, he is said to have been born from Agni and Svaha, after the latter impersonated the six of the seven wives of the Saptarishi (Seven Sages). The actual wives then become the Pleiades. Kartikeya is said to have been born to destroy the Asura Mahisha.[7] (In later mythology, Mahisha became the adversary of Durga.) Indra attacks Kartikeya as he sees the latter as a threat, until Shiva intervenes and makes Kartikeya the commander-in-chief of the army of the Devas. He is also married to Devasena, Indra's daughter. The origin of this marriage lies probably in the punning of 'Deva-sena-pati'. It can mean either lord of Devasena or Lord of the army (sena) of Devas. But according to Shrii Shrii Anandamurti, in his master work on Shiva[8] and other works, Kartikeya was married to Devasenā and that is on the ground of his name as Devasena's husband, Devasenāpati, misinterpreted as Deva-senāpati (Deva's general) that he was granted the title general and made the Deva's army general.[9]
The Ramayana version is closer to the stories told in the Puranas discussed below.
Tolkappiyam, possibly the most ancient of the extant Sangam works, dated between the 3rd century BCE and 5th century CE glorified Murugan, "the red god seated on the blue peacock, who is ever young and resplendent," as "the favoured god of the Tamils."[10] The Sangam poetry divided space and Tamil land into five allegorical areas (tinai) and according to the Tirumurugarruppatai ( c. 400–450 AD) attributed to the great Sangam poet Nakkiirar, Murugan was the presiding deity the Kurinci region (hilly area). (Tirumurugaruppatai is a deeply devotional poem included in the ten idylls (Pattupattu) of the age of the third Sangam). The other Sangam era works in Tamil that refer to Murugan in detail include the Paripaatal, the Akananuru and the Purananuru. One poem in the Paripaatal describes the veneration of Murugan thus:
"We implore thee not for boons of enjoyment or wealth,
But for thy grace beatific, love and virtuous deeds."
According to the Tamil devotional work, Thiruppugazh, "Murugan never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon in piety or distress". In another work, Thirumurukkarrupatai, he is described as a god of eternal youth;
His face shines a myriad rays light and removes the darkness from this world.[11]
The references to Murugan can be traced back to the first millennium BCE. There are references to Murugan in Kautilya's Arthashastra, in the works of Patanjali, in Kalidasa's epic poem the Kumarasambhavam. The Kushanas, who governed from what is today Peshawar, and the Yaudheyas, a republican clan in the Punjab, struck coins bearing the image of Skanda. The deity was venerated also by the Ikshvakus, an Andhra dynasty, and the Guptas.[6] The worship of Kumāra was one of the six principal sects of Hinduism at the time of Adi Shankara. The Shanmata system propagated by him included this sect. In many Shiva and Devi temples of Tamil Nadu, Murugan is installed on the left of the main deity. The story of His birth goes as follows:
Sati immolated herself in a pyre as her father King Daksha had insulted Shiva, her Lord. She was reborn as Parvathi or Uma, daughter of the King of Himalayas, Himavan. She then married her Lord Shiva. The Devas were under onslaught from the Asuras whose leader was Soorapadman. He had been granted boons that only Lord Shiva or his seed could kill him. Fearless he vanquished the Devas and made them his slaves. The Devas ran to Vishnu for help who told them that it was merely their fault for attending Daksha's yagna, without the presence of Lord Shiva. After this, they ran to Shiva for help. Shiva decided to take action against Soorapadman's increasing conceit. He frowned and his third eye- the eye of knowledge- started releasing sparks. These were six sparks in total. Agni had the responsibility to take them to Saravana Lake. As he was carrying them, the sparks were growing hotter and hotter that even the Lord of Fire could not withstand the heat. Soon after Murugan was born on a lotus in the Saravana Lake with six faces, giving him the name Arumukhan. Lord Shiva and Parvati visited and tears of joy started flowing as they witnessed the most handsome child. Shiva and Parvathi gave the responsibility of taking care of Muruga to the six Krittika sisters. Muruga grew up to be a handsome, intelligent, powerful, clever youth. All the Devas applauded at their saviour, who had finally come to release them from their woes. Murugan became the supreme general of the demi-gods, then escorted the devas and led the army of the devas to victory against the asuras.
Legends[edit]
Given that legends related to Murugan are recounted separately in several Hindu epics, some differences between the various versions are observed. Some Sanskrit epics and puranas indicate that he was the elder son of Shiva. This is suggested by the legend connected to his birth; the wedding of Shiva and Parvati being necessary for the birth of a child who would vanquish the asura named Taraka. Also, Kartikeya is seen helping Shiva fight the newborn Ganesha, Shiva's other son, in the Shiva Purana. In the Ganapati Khandam of the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, he is seen as the elder son of Shiva and Ganesha as the younger. In South India, it is believed that he is the younger of the two. A Puranic story has Ganesha obtain a divine fruit of knowledge from Narada winning a contest with Murugan. While Murugan speeds around the world thrice to win the contest for the fruit, Ganesha circumambulates Shiva and Parvati thrice as an equivalent and is given the fruit. After winning it, he offers to give the fruit to his upset brother. After this event, Ganesha was considered the elder brother owing as a tribute to his wisdom. Many of the major events in Murugan's life take place during his youth, and legends surrounding his birth are popular. This has encouraged the worship of Murugan as a child-God, very similar to the worship of the child Krishna in north India. He is married to two wives, Valli and Devasena. This lead to a very interesting name : Devasenapati viz. Pati (husband) of Devsena and/or Senapati (commander in chief) of Dev (gods)
Kartikeya symbols are based on the weapons – Vel, the Divine Spear or Lance that he carries and his mount the peacock. He is sometimes depicted with many weapons including: a sword, a javelin, a mace, a discus and a bow although more usually he is depicted wielding a sakti or spear. This symbolizes his purification of human ills. His javelin is used to symbolize his far reaching protection, his discus symbolizes his knowledge of the truth, his mace represents his strength and his bow shows his ability to defeat all ills. His peacock mount symbolizes his destruction of the ego.
His six heads represent the six siddhis bestowed upon yogis over the course of their spiritual development. This corresponds to his role as the bestower of siddhis.
In Tamil Nadu, Murugan has continued to be popular with all classes of society right since the Sangam age. This has led to more elaborate accounts of his mythology in the Tamil language, culminating in the Tamil version of Skanda Purana, called Kandha Purānam, written by Kacchiappa Sivachariyar (1350–1420 AD.) of Kumara Kottam in the city of Kanchipuram. (He was a scholar in Tamil literature, and a votary of the Shaiva Siddhanta philosophy.)
He is married to two deities, Valli, a daughter of a tribal chief and Deivayanai (also called Devasena), the daughter of Indhra. During His bachelorhood, Lord Murugan is also regarded as Kumaraswami (or Bachelor God), Kumara meaning a bachelor and Swami meaning God. Muruga rides a peacock and wields a bow in battle. The lance called Vel in Tamil is a weapon closely associated with him. The Vel was given to him by his mother, Parvati, and embodies her energy and power. His army's standard depicts a rooster. In the war, Surapadman was split into two, and each half was granted a boon by Murugan. The halves, thus turned into the peacock (his mount) and the rooster his flag, which also "refers to the sun".[12]
As Muruga is worshipped predominantly in Tamil Nadu, many of his names are of Tamil origin. These include Senthil, the red or formidable one; Arumugam, the six-faced one; Guhan and Maal-Marugan, the son-in-law of Vishnu. Murugan is venerated throughout the Tamil year. There is a six-day period of fast and prayer in the Tamil month of Aippasi known as the Skanda Shasti. He is worshipped at Thaipusam, celebrated by Tamil communities worldwide near the full moon of the Tamil month Thai. This commemorates the day he was given a Vel or lance by his mother in order to vanquish the asuras. Thirukarthigai or the full moon of the Tamil month of Karthigai signifies his birth. Each Tuesday of the Tamil month of Adi is also dedicated to the worship of Murugan. Tuesday in the Hindu tradition connotes Mangala, the god of planet Mars and war.
Other parts of India[edit]
Historically, God Kartikeya was immensely popular in the Indian subcontinent. One of the major Puranas, the Skanda Purana is dedicated to him. In the Bhagavad-Gita (Ch.10, Verse 24), Krishna, while explaining his omnipresence, names the most perfect being, mortal or divine, in each of several categories. While doing so, he says: "Among generals, I am Skanda, the lord of war."
Kartikeya's presence in the religious and cultural sphere can be seen at least from the Gupta age. Two of the Gupta kings, Kumaragupta and Skandagupta, were named after him. He is seen in the Gupta sculptures and in the temples of Ellora and Elephanta. As the commander of the divine armies, he became the patron of the ruling classes. His youth, beauty and bravery was much celebrated in Sanskrit works like the Kathasaritsagara. Kalidasa made the birth of Kumara the subject of a lyrical epic, the Kumaarasambhavam. In ancient India, Kartikeya was also regarded as the patron deity of thieves, as may be inferred from the Mrichchakatikam, a Sanskrit play by Shudraka, and in the Vetala-panchvimshati, a medieval collection of tales. This association is linked to the fact that Kartikeya had dug through the Krauncha mountain to kill Taraka and his brothers (in the Mrichchakatikam, Sarivilaka prays to him before tunnelling into the hero's house).
However, Kartikeya's popularity in North India receded from the Middle Ages onwards, and his worship is today virtually unknown except in parts of Haryana. There is a very famous temple dedicated to Him in the town of Pehowa in Haryana and this temple is very well known in the adjoining areas, especially because women are not allowed anywhere close to it. Women stay away from this temple in Pehowa town of Haryana because this shrine celebrates the Brahmachari form of Kartikeya. Reminders of former devotions to him include a temple at Achaleshwar, near Batala in Punjab, and another temple of Skanda atop the Parvati hill in Pune, Maharashtra. Another vestige of his former popularity can be seen in Bengal and Odisha, where he is worshipped during the Durga Puja festivities alongside Durga. Lord Subramanya is the major deity among the Hindus of northern Kerala. Lord Subramanya is worshipped with utmost devotion in districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in the state of Karnataka. Rituals like nagaradhane are unique to this region.
Kartikeya also known as Kartik or Kartika is also worshipped in West Bengal, and Bangladesh on the last day of the Hindu month of 'Kartik'. However, the popularity of Kartik Puja (worshipping Kartik) is decreasing now, and Lord Kartik is primarily worshipped among those who intend to have a son. In Bengal, traditionally, many people drop images of Kartik inside the boundaries of different households, who all are either newly married, or else, intend to get a son to carry on with their ancestry. Lord Kartik is also associated to the Babu Culture prevailed in historic Kolkata, and hence, many traditional old Bengali paintings still show Kartik dressed in traditional Bengali style. Also, in some parts of West Bengal, Kartik is traditionally worshipped by the ancestors of the past royal families too, as in the district of Malda. Kartik Puja is also popular among the prostitutes. This can probably be linked to the fact that, the prostitutes mostly got clients from the upper class babu-s in old Kolkata, who all, in turn, had been associated to the image of Kartik (as discussed above). In Bansberia (Hooghly district) Kartik Puja festival is celebrated like Durga puja of Kolkata, Jagadhatri puja in Chandannagar for consecutive four days. The festival starts on 17 November every year and on 16 November in case of Leap year.[13] Some of the must see Puja committees are Bansberia Kundugoli Nataraj, Khamarapara Milan Samity RadhaKrishna, Kishor Bahini, Mitali Sangha, Yuva Sangha, Bansberia Pratap Sangha and many more.
In Durga Puja in Bengal, Kartikeya is considered to be a son of Parvati or Durga and Shiva along with his brother Ganesha and sisters Lakshmi and Saraswati.[14]
Kartikeya is worshiped during Durga Puja in Odisha as well as in various Shiva temples throughout the year. Kartik puja is celebrated in Cuttack along with various other parts of the state during the last phases of Hindu month of Kartik. Kartik purnima is celebrated with much joy and in a grand fashion in Cuttack and other parts in the state.
Murugan is adored by both Tamil Hindus and Sinhalese Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Numerous temples exist throughout the island. He is a favorite deity of the common folk everywhere and it is said he never hesitates to come to the aid of a devotee when called upon. In the deeply Sinhalese south of Sri Lanka, Murugan is worshipped at the temple in Katirkāmam, where he is known as Kathiravel or Katragama Deviyo (Lord of Katragama) . This temple is next to an old Buddhist place of worship. Local legend holds that Lord Murugan alighted in Kataragama and was smitten by Valli, one of the local aboriginal lasses. After a courtship, they were married. This event is taken to signify that Lord Murugan is accessible to all who worship and love him, regardless of their birth or heritage. The Nallur Kandaswamy temple, the Maviddapuram Kandaswamy Temple and the Sella Channithy Temple near Valvettiturai are the three foremost Murugan temples in Jaffna. The Chitravelayutha temple in Verukal on the border between Trincomalee and Batticaloa is also noteworthy as is the Mandur Kandaswamy temple in Batticaloa. The late medieval-era temple of the tooth in Kandy, dedicated to the tooth relic of the Buddha, has a Kataragama deiyo shrine adjacent to it dedicated to the veneration of Skanda in the Sinhalese tradition. Almost all buddhist temples house a shrine room for Kataragama deviyo(Murugan)reflecting the significance of Murugan in Sinhala Buddhism,
Based on archeological evidence found, it is believed that the Kiri Vehera was either renovated to build during the 1st century BCE. There are number of others inscriptions and ruins.[15]
By the 16th century the Kathiravel shrine at Katirkāmam had become synonymous with Skanda-Kumara who was a guardian deity of Sinhala Buddhism.[16] The town was popular as a place of pilgrimage for Hindus from India and Sri Lanka by the 15 the century. The popularity of the deity at the Kataragama temple was also recorded by the Pali chronicles of Thailand such as Jinkalmali in the 16th century. There are number of legends both Buddhist and Hindu that attribute supernatural events to the very locality.[16] Scholars such as Paul Younger and Heinz Bechert speculate that rituals practiced by the native priests of Kataragama temple betray Vedda ideals of propitiation. Hence they believe the area was of Vedda veneration that was taken over by the Buddhist and Hindus in the medieval period.[17]
Lord Murugan is one of the most important deities worshipped by Tamil people in Malaysia and other South-East Asian countries such as Singapore and Indonesia. Thai Poosam is one of the important festivals celebrated. Sri Subramanyar Temple at Batu Caves temple complex in Malaysia is dedicated to Lord Murugan.
The main temples of Murugan are located in Tamil Nadu and other parts of south India. They include the Aru Padaiveedu (six abodes) — Thiruchendur, Swamimalai, Pazhamudircholai, Thirupparangunram, Palani (Pazhani), Thiruthani and other important shrines like Mayilam, Sikkal, Marudamalai, Kundrathur, Vadapalani, Kandakottam, Thiruporur, Vallakottai, Vayalur, Thirumalaikoil, Pachaimalai and Pavalamalai near Gobichettipalayam. Malai Mandir, a prominent and popular temple complex in Delhi, is one of the few dedicated to Murugan in all of North India apart from the Pehowa temple in Haryana.
There are many temples dedicated to Lord Subramanya in Kerala. Amongst them are Atiyambur Sri Subramanya Temple in Kanhangad Kasaragod, Payyannur Subramanya Swamy temple in Payyanur, Panmana Subramanya Swamy temple in Panmana and the Subramanya temple in Haripad. There is a temple in Skandagiri, Secunderabad and one in Bikkavolu, East Godavari district in the state of Andhra Pradesh. In Karnataka there is the Kukke Subramanya Temple where Lord Murugan is worshiped as the Lord of the serpents. Aaslesha Bali, Sarpa Samskara with nagapathista samarpa are major prayers here. There is a temple called Malai Mandir in South Delhi. Malai means hill in Tamil. Mandir means temple in Hindi.
The key temples in Sri Lanka include the sylvan shrine in Kataragama / (Kadirgamam) or Kathirkamam in the deep south, the temple in Tirukovil in the east, the shrine in Embekke in the Kandyan region and the famed Nallur Kandaswamy temple in Jaffna. There are several temples dedicated to Lord Murugan in Malaysia, the most famous being the Batu Caves near Kuala Lumpur. There is a 42.7-m-high statue of Lord Murugan at the entrance to the Batu Caves, which is the largest Lord Murugan statue in the world. Sri Thandayuthapani Temple in Tank Road, Singapore is a major Hindu temple where each year the Thaipusam festival takes place with devotees of Lord Muruga carrying Kavadis seeking penance and blessings of the Lord.
In the United Kingdom, Highgate Hill Murugan temple is one of the oldest and most famous. In London, Sri Murugan Temple in Manor park is a well-known temple. In Midlands, Leicester Shri Siva Murugan Temple is gaining popularity recently. Skanda Vale in West Wales was founded by Guruji, a Tamil devotee of Subramaniam, and its primary deity is Lord Murugan. In Australia, Sydney Murugan temple in Parramatta (Mays Hill), Perth Bala Muruguan temple in Mandogalup and Kundrathu Kumaran temple in Rockbank, Melbourne are major Hindu temples for all Australian Hindus and Murugan devotees. In New Zealand, there is a Thirumurugan Temple in Auckland and a Kurinji Kumaran Temple in Wellington, both dedicated to Lord Murugan. In the USA, Shiva Murugan Temple in Concord, Northern California and Murugan Temple of North America[18] in Maryland, Washington DC region are popular. In Toronto, Canada, Canada Kanthasamy Temple is known amongst many Hindus in Canada. In Dollard-des-Ormeaux, a suburb of the city of Montreal in Canada, there is a monumental temple of Murugan. The Sri Sivasubramaniar Temple, located in the Sihl Valley in Adliswil, is the most famous and largest Hindu temple in Switzerland.[19]
Inside the Lied Lodge lobby, the floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace displays a banner that sums up the Arbor Day Foundation's singular focus: "Plant Trees." The simple phrase is written in 17 different languages as a salute to tree planters around the globe.
Dedicated followers of my photos might remember that I've posted photos before mentioning that there's a veal farm down the street from where I live. In previous years the young cows have been kept in the building at the back of this photo on the left. As I understand it, the requirements for raising veal include that the young cows do not eat grass (i.e. they are fed on milk only), thus they are kept indoors and not allowed out to graze. A month or so ago the veal cows were moved out to this patch of muddy ground. They have these kennels to sit down in but are otherwise free to roam this small fenced-in enclosure (not that there is much room to roam). Now the farmer has posted the signs in the foreground, complaining that these "bad raising conditions" are due to the local authorities not allowing him to build a new building on his property. On the right, he posted the campaign literature for the team currently in power in town, highlighted where they say that they are committed to supporting local agriculture, and wrote underneath, "Lies".
There is a lot of conflict in town about continued suburbanization versus preservation of the farming community. I'm not well enough informed about the details to have an opinion in this case. But it is of course a classic dilemma of affordable housing versus preservation of open spaces.
[in other news, my phone upgraded itself to KitKat and various things seem wonky, including this photo lacking GPS data. Bah! {further update: I just had to reset the "save location" setting}]
of White Lies, live @ Alcatraz (Milan, Italy) on Dec. 4th 2011.
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This image is copyright © Francesco Castaldo. All right reserved. This photo must not be used under ANY circumstances without written consent.
Questa immagine è protetta da copyright © Francesco Castaldo. Tutti i diritti sono riservati. L'immagine non deve essere utilizzata in nessun caso senza autorizzazione scritta dell'autore.
Harbor Seal Family. Point Lobos State Reserve, California. April 26, 2009. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
(larger)
A family trio of harbor seals rests on an offshore rock at Point Lobos State Reserve, California.
(More of my Point Lobos photographs)
I photographed this family group (at least they sure acted like a family!) on an offshore rock just above the surf line on the late April weekend when I almost had the whole of Point Lobos State Reserve to myself. (I wrote about this earlier - a marathon had closed the coast highway and almost no one else was in the park.) I think the seals were a bit less wary than they might be because of the very small number of people in the park - actually, I was the only person near them for a good long time. I had a great chance to observe them uninterrupted, and from two slightly different locations - after shooting from this spot I moved far to the right where I could shoot back at the far side of the rock.
I found it interesting that they were very aware of my presence and seemed to pay more obvious attention to me than I have seen in the past. The lighter color seal on the right stared right at me for long periods of time on several occasions, even though I was quite a distance away and standing nearly motionless. Once or twice all three gazed my direction. I wasn't sure who was observing who! The darker seal on the left seemed to be the least active, only occasionally rolling around and scratching the back (yes, they do this!) of the others, especially the smaller one in the far middle in this shot.
I'm still working out the best ways to photograph creatures like these. Learning their habits a bit helps, as does arriving at the right time - in terms of season, time of day, weather, and the good fortune of being their on an uncrowded day at Point Lobos. I'd like to get shots from a lower angle, but this can be difficult. I think the seals are much less likely to be close to the shore in such places.
I have a very large number of photographs of this group, and I may post more eventually.
This photograph is not in the public domain. It may not be used on websites, blogs, or in any other media without explicit advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
sign at Barshaw Park, Paisley. I know there is probably a sensible meaning but it's funny all the same :)
portrait of a happy boy writing letter to santa - Portrait of a happy boy writing letter to santa while lying besides christmas tree, Model: Josh Chapman. To Download this image without watermarks for Free, visit: www.sourcepics.com/free-stock-photography/24728708-portra...
You're moving too fast for me
And I can't keep up with you
Maybe if you slowed down for me
…
~Glen Hansard
Truth, Lies & Advertising Technology Panel with VML Chicago, 72andSunny, Shocase, MRM//McCann Detroit, SMG Multicultural and Pandora
UNESCO Tentative List;
whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5406/
Aphrodisias lies in southwestern Turkey, in the fertile valley of the Dandalas River, a tributary of the Meander, about 150 kilometres east (inland) of the Aegean Sea. It is situated at the base of the Babadag mountain range, at 500 m above sea level. The city was the capital of the ancient Roman province of Caria.
The ancient city of Aphrodisias is one of the most important archaeological sites of the Greek and Roman periods in Turkey. Famous in antiquity for its sanctuary of Aphrodite, the city's patron goddess, Aphrodisias enjoyed a long and prosperous existence from the second century B.C. through the sixth century A.D. Today, many of the city's ancient monuments remain standing, and excavations have unearthed numerous fine marble statues and other artifacts. The great beauty and extraordinary preservation of this site combine to bring the civic culture of the Greco-Roman world vividly to life.
Aphrodisias was founded on the site of an ancient local sanctuary in the second century B.C., according to the date of the earliest coins and inscriptions found in the site. In the late first century B.C., the city came under the personal protection of the Roman emperor Augustus, and a long period of growth and good fortune ensued. The first several centuries A.D. were especially prosperous, and most of the surviving buildings of the city date to this period. In the fourth century, Aphrodisias became the capital of the Roman province of Caria. The cosmopolitan character of the age is demonstrated by the presence in this city of an active Jewish community, attested in a famous inscription listing benefactors of the local Synagogue.
The first systematic excavations at the site were begun in 1961 under the aegis of New York University, and yielded many remains of the city's central monuments. In addition to the Temple of Aphrodite, major areas of investigation included the Bouleuterion or Council House, and the Sebasteion. The Sebasteion, a religious sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite and the Roman emperors, is one of the most remarkable discoveries of Roman archaeology. It is one of the best-preserved examples of a Roman imperial cult complex, and is decorated with an extraordinary series of life-size marble reliefs (originally almost 200), which depict Roman emperors and imperial family members from ca. A.D. 20 to 60, as well as, personifications of the subject peoples of the Roman empire, and mythological heroes and gods. The reliefs provide an unparalleled insight into how Roman imperial power was understood from a local perspective. Other important public buildings are the Theatre, the Hadrianic Baths, and the Stadium; the latter seated 30,000 people, and is the best-preserved of all ancient stadiums. The buildings of the site are remarkable not only for the preservation of their architecture, but also for the many inscriptions, statues, reliefs, and other objects associated with them.
Aphrodisias is well-known for its fine sculpture. Good marble quarries are located only a few kilometres away from the city, and by the Late Hellenistic period, a strong local tradition of marble sculpture had already taken root. In later generations, Aphrodisian sculptors are known to have worked abroad on prestigious commissions, for example, at Hadrian's villa at Tivoli. The sculpture from the site is characterized by virtuosity and variety. Excavation has uncovered statues of, for example, gods, heroes, emperors, orators, philosophers, and boxers, as well as a great range of ornamental and figured relief. The finds range from grave reliefs of the second century B.C. to statues of the last Roman governors of the sixth century A.D. Many sculptures from the site already occupy key positions in the history of ancient art.
The studies for a site management plan were started according to a protocol between the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Geyre Foundation dated to 08.11.2007.
Monday 9th December and still wonderful weather... ideal moment to visit the small Flemish town of Lier with Staf, Viviane and Darvin.
Lie Detectors taldearen kontzertu argazkiak, Gazteszenako Ttan-ttakun festan...
Fotos de concierto del grupo Lie Detectors, en la fiesta Ttan-ttakun de Gazteszena...
Shepherds' Field, Bethlehem
Approximately 2 km to the east of Bethlehem lies the village of Beit Sahour, where one of the most sacred places to Christians; the Shepherds' Field; is found, identified as the scene where the Angel of the Lord visited the shepherds and informed them of Jesus' birth (pbuh); "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And the Angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people" (Luke 2:8-10).
Up to 1972, only the underground church was visible and in regular use, but almost none of the mosaics were visible. In that year the spiritual father of the Monastery of Saint Savva, Archimadrite Seraphim, had taken control of this holy shrine, in order to build a new full-size church above the basement church. Excavating the foundations for the new church, there were remains of three different churches of the 5th, 6th and 7th centuries found respectively.
Now the holy site consists of five churches:
The Natural Cave Church which dates to the 2nd half of the 4th century
The Cave Church, dating to the 5th century
The Roof Chapel, which also dated to the 5th century
The Basilica, which dates to the 6th century
The Monastery Church, which dates to the 7th century
The nearby field of Ruth is traditionally associated with the events of the Old Testament (recounted in the Book of Ruth 1:16).