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Varanasi, also known as Benares, or Kashi is an Indian city on the banks of the Ganga in Uttar Pradesh, 320 kilometres south-east of the state capital, Lucknow. It is the holiest of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) in Hinduism, and Jainism, and played an important role in the development of Buddhism. Some Hindus believe that death at Varanasi brings salvation. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. Varanasi is also known as the favourite city of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva as it has been mentioned in the Rigveda that this city in older times was known as Kashi or "Shiv ki Nagri".
The Kashi Naresh (Maharaja of Kashi) is the chief cultural patron of Varanasi, and an essential part of all religious celebrations. The culture of Varanasi is closely associated with the Ganges. The city has been a cultural centre of North India for several thousand years, and has a history that is older than most of the major world religions. The Benares Gharana form of Hindustani classical music was developed in Varanasi, and many prominent Indian philosophers, poets, writers, and musicians live or have lived in Varanasi. Gautama Buddha gave his first sermon at Sarnath, located near Varanasi.
Varanasi is the spiritual capital of India. It is often referred to as "the holy city of India", "the religious capital of India", "the city of Shiva", and "the city of learning". Scholarly books have been written in the city, including the Ramcharitmanas of Tulsidas. Today, there is a temple of his namesake in the city, the Tulsi Manas Mandir. The current temples and religious institutions in the city are dated to the 18th century. One of the largest residential universities of Asia, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU), is located here.
ETYMOLOGY
The name Varanasi possibly originates from the names of the two rivers: Varuna, still flowing in Varanasi, and Asi, a small stream near Assi Ghat. The old city does lie on the north shores of Ganges River bounded by its two tributaries Varuna and Asi. Another speculation is that the city derives its name from the river Varuna, which was called Varanasi in olden times.[11] This is generally disregarded by historians. Through the ages, Varanasi has been known by many names including Kāśī or Kashi (used by pilgrims dating from Buddha's days), Kāśikā (the shining one), Avimukta ("never forsaken" by Shiva), Ānandavana (the forest of bliss), and Rudravāsa (the place where Rudra/Śiva resides).
In the Rigveda, the city is referred to as Kāśī or Kashi, the luminous city as an eminent seat of learning. The name Kāśī is also mentioned in the Skanda Purana. In one verse, Shiva says, "The three worlds form one city of mine, and Kāśī is my royal palace therein." The name Kashi may be translated as "City of Light".
HISTORY
According to legend, Varanasi was founded by the God Shiva. The Pandavas, the heroes of the Hindu epic Mahabharata are also stated to have visited the city in search of Shiva to atone for their sins of fratricide and Brāhmanahatya that they had committed during the climactic Kurukshetra war. It is regarded as one of seven holy cities which can provide Moksha:
The earliest known archaeological evidence suggests that settlement around Varanasi in the Ganga valley (the seat of Vedic religion and philosophy) began in the 11th or 12th century BC, placing it among the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. These archaeological remains suggest that the Varanasi area was populated by Vedic people. However, the Atharvaveda (the oldest known text referencing the city), which dates to approximately the same period, suggests that the area was populated by indigenous tribes. It is possible that archaeological evidence of these previous inhabitants has yet to be discovered. Recent excavations at Aktha and Ramnagar, two sites very near to Varanasi, show them to be from 1800 BC, suggesting Varanasi started to be inhabited by that time too. Varanasi was also home to Parshva, the 23rd Jain Tirthankara and the earliest Tirthankara accepted as a historical figure in the 8th century BC.
Varanasi grew as an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture. During the time of Gautama Buddha (born circa 567 BC), Varanasi was the capital of the Kingdom of Kashi. Buddha is believed to have founded Buddhism here around 528 BC when he gave his first sermon, "Turning the Wheel of Law", at nearby Sarnath. The celebrated Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who visited the city around 635 AD, attested that the city was a centre of religious and artistic activities, and that it extended for about 5 kilometres along the western bank of the Ganges. When Xuanzang, also known as Hiuen Tsiang, visited Varanasi in the 7th century, he named it "Polonisse" and wrote that the city had some 30 temples with about 30 monks. The city's religious importance continued to grow in the 8th century, when Adi Shankara established the worship of Shiva as an official sect of Varanasi.
In ancient times, Varanasi was connected by a road starting from Taxila and ending at Pataliputra during the Mauryan Empire. In 1194, the city succumbed to Turkish Muslim rule under Qutb-ud-din Aibak, who ordered the destruction of some one thousand temples in the city. The city went into decline over some three centuries of Muslim occupation, although new temples were erected in the 13th century after the Afghan invasion. Feroz Shah ordered further destruction of Hindu temples in the Varanasi area in 1376. The Afghan ruler Sikander Lodi continued the suppression of Hinduism in the city and destroyed most of the remaining older temples in 1496. Despite the Muslim rule, Varanasi remained the centre of activity for intellectuals and theologians during the Middle Ages, which further contributed to its reputation as a cultural centre of religion and education. Several major figures of the Bhakti movement were born in Varanasi, including Kabir who was born here in 1389 and hailed as "the most outstanding of the saint-poets of Bhakti cult (devotion) and mysticism of 15th-Century India"; and Ravidas, a 15th-century socio-religious reformer, mystic, poet, traveller, and spiritual figure, who was born and lived in the city and employed in the tannery industry. Similarly, numerous eminent scholars and preachers visited the city from across India and south Asia. Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507, a trip that played a large role in the founding of Sikhism.
In the 16th century, Varanasi experienced a cultural revival under the Muslim Mughal emperor Akbar who invested in the city, and built two large temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu. The Raja of Poona established the Annapurnamandir and the 200 metres Akbari Bridge was also completed during this period. The earliest tourists began arriving in the city during the 16th century. In 1665, the French traveller Jean Baptiste Tavernier described the architectural beauty of the Vindu Madhava temple on the side of the Ganges. The road infrastructure was also improved during this period and extended from Kolkata to Peshawar by Emperor Sher Shah Suri; later during the British Raj it came to be known as the famous Grand Trunk Road. In 1656, emperor Aurangzeb ordered the destruction of many temples and the building of mosques, causing the city to experience a temporary setback. However, after Aurangazeb's death, most of India was ruled by a confederacy of pro-Hindu kings. Much of modern Varanasi was built during this time by the Rajput and Maratha kings, especially during the 18th century, and most of the important buildings in the city today date to this period. The kings continued to be important through much of the British rule (1775–1947 AD), including the Maharaja of Benares, or Kashi Naresh. The kingdom of Benares was given official status by the Mughals in 1737, and continued as a dynasty-governed area until Indian independence in 1947, during the reign of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh. In the 18th century, Muhammad Shah ordered the construction of an observatory on the Ganges, attached to Man Mandir Ghat, designed to discover imperfections in the calendar in order to revise existing astronomical tables. Tourism in the city began to flourish in the 18th century. In 1791, under the rule of the British Governor-General Warren Hastings, Jonathan Duncan founded a Sanskrit College in Varanasi. In 1867, the establishment of the Varanasi Municipal Board led to significant improvements in the city.
In 1897, Mark Twain, the renowned Indophile, said of Varanasi, "Benares is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together." In 1910, the British made Varanasi a new Indian state, with Ramanagar as its headquarters but with no jurisdiction over the city of Varanasi itself. Kashi Naresh still resides in the Ramnagar Fort which is situated to the east of Varanasi, across the Ganges. Ramnagar Fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Varanasi. Since the 18th century, the fort has been the home of Kashi Naresh, deeply revered by the local people. He is the religious head and some devout inhabitants consider him to be the incarnation of Shiva. He is also the chief cultural patron and an essential part of all religious celebrations.
A massacre by British troops, of the Indian troops stationed here and of the population of the city, took place during the early stages of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Annie Besant worked in Varanasi to promote theosophy and founded the Central Hindu College which later became a foundation for the creation of Banaras Hindu University as a secular university in 1916. Her purpose in founding the Central Hindu College in Varanasi was that she "wanted to bring men of all religions together under the ideal of brotherhood in order to promote Indian cultural values and to remove ill-will among different sections of the Indian population."
Varanasi was ceded to the Union of India on 15 October 1948. After the death of Dr. Vibhuti Narayan Singh in 2000, his son Anant Narayan Singh became the figurehead king, responsible for upholding the traditional duties of a Kashi Naresh.
MAIN SIGHTS
Varanasi's "Old City", the quarter near the banks of the Ganga river, has crowded narrow winding lanes flanked by road-side shops and scores of Hindu temples. As atmospheric as it is confusing, Varanasi's labyrinthine Old City has a rich culture, attracting many travellers and tourists. The main residential areas of Varanasi (especially for the middle and upper classes) are situated in regions far from the ghats; they are more spacious and less polluted.
Museums in and around Varanasi include Jantar Mantar, Sarnath Museum, Bharat Kala Bhawan and Ramnagar Fort.
JANTAR MANTAR
The Jantar Mantar observatory (1737) is located above the ghats on the Ganges, much above the high water level in the Ganges next to the Manmandir Ghat, near to Dasaswamedh Ghat and adjoining the palace of Raja Jai Singh of Jaipur. Compared to the observatories at Jaipur and Delhi, it is less well equipped but has a unique equatorial sundial which is functional and allows measurements to be monitored and recorded by one person.
RAMNAGAR FORT
The Ramnagar Fort located near the Ganges River on its eastern bank, opposite to the Tulsi Ghat, was built in the 18th century by Kashi Naresh Raja Balwant Singh with creamy chunar sandstone. It is in a typically Mughal style of architecture with carved balconies, open courtyards, and scenic pavilions. At present the fort is not in good repair. The fort and its museum are the repository of the history of the kings of Benares. It has been the home of the Kashi Naresh since the 18th century. The current king and the resident of the fort is Anant Narayan Singh who is also known as the Maharaja of Varanasi even though this royal title has been abolished since 1971. Labeled "an eccentric museum", it has a rare collection of American vintage cars, sedan chairs (bejeweled), an impressive weaponry hall and a rare astrological clock. In addition, manuscripts, especially religious writings, are housed in the Saraswati Bhawan. Also included is a precious handwritten manuscript by Goswami Tulsidas. Many books illustrated in the Mughal miniature style, with beautifully designed covers are also part of the collections. Because of its scenic location on the banks of the Ganges, it is frequently used as an outdoor shooting location for films. The film titled Banaras is one of the popular movies shot here. However, only a part of the fort is open for public viewing as the rest of the area is the residence of the Kashi Naresh and his family. It is 14 kilometres from Varanasi.
GHATS
Ghats are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Ghats in Varanasi are an integral complement to the concept of divinity represented in physical, metaphysical and supernatural elements. All the ghats are locations on "the divine cosmic road", indicative of "its manifest transcendental dimension" Varanasi has at least 84 ghats. Steps in the ghats lead to the banks of River Ganges, including the Dashashwamedh Ghat, the Manikarnika Ghat, the Panchganga Ghat and the Harishchandra Ghat (where Hindus cremate their dead). Many ghats are associated with legends and several are now privately owned.
Many of the ghats were built when the city was under Maratha control. Marathas, Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Bhonsles, and Peshwas stand out as patrons of present-day Varanasi. Most of the ghats are bathing ghats, while others are used as cremation sites. A morning boat ride on the Ganges across the ghats is a popular visitor attraction. The extensive stretches of ghats enhance the river front with a multitude of shrines, temples and palaces built "tier on tier above the water’s edge".
The Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main and probably the oldest ghat of Varansi located on the Ganges, close to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. It is believed that Brahma created it to welcome Shiva and sacrificed ten horses during the Dasa -Ashwamedha yajna performed here. Above the ghat and close to it, there are also temples dedicated to Sulatankesvara, Brahmesvara, Varahesvara, Abhaya Vinayaka, Ganga (the Ganges), and Bandi Devi which are part of important pilgrimage journeys. A group of priests perform "Agni Pooja" (Worship to Fire) daily in the evening at this ghat as a dedication to Shiva, Ganga, Surya (Sun), Agni (Fire), and the whole universe. Special aartis are held on Tuesdays and on religious festivals.
The Manikarnika Ghat is the Mahasmasana (meaning: "great cremation ground") and is the primary site for Hindu cremation in the city. Adjoining the ghat, there are raised platforms that are used for death anniversary rituals. It is said that an ear-ring (Manikarnika) of Shiva or his wife Sati fell here. According to a myth related to the Tarakesvara Temple, a Shiva temple at the ghat, Shiva whispers the Taraka mantra ("Prayer of the crossing") in the ear of the dead. Fourth-century Gupta period inscriptions mention this ghat. However, the current ghat as a permanent riverside embankment was built in 1302 and has been renovated at least three times.
TEMPLES
Among the estimated 23000 temples in Varanasi, the most worshiped are: the Kashi Vishwanath Temple of Shiva; the Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple; and the Durga Temple known for the band of monkeys that reside in the large trees nearby.
Located on the outskirts of the Ganges, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple – dedicated to Varanasi's presiding deity Shiva (Vishwanath – "Lord of the world") – is an important Hindu temple and one of the 12 Jyotirlinga Shiva temples. It is believed that a single view of Vishwanath Jyotirlinga is worth more than that of other jyotirlingas. The temple has been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The Gyanvapi Mosque, which is adjacent to the temple, is the original site of the temple. The temple, as it exists now, also called Golden Temple, was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. The two pinnacles of the temple are covered in gold, donated in 1839 by Ranjit Singh, the ruler of the Punjab and the remaining dome is also planned to be gold plated by the Ministry of Culture & Religious Affairs of Uttar Pradesh. On 28 January 1983, the temple was taken over by the government of Uttar Pradesh and its management was transferred to a trust with then Kashi Naresh, Vibhuti Narayan Singh, as president and an executive committee with a Divisional Commissioner as chairman. Numerous rituals, prayers and aratis are held daily, starting from 2:30 am till 11:00 pm.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is one of the sacred temples of the Hindu god Hanuman situated by the Assi River, on the way to the Durga and New Vishwanath temples within the Banaras Hindu University campus. The present temple structure was built in early 1900s by the educationist and freedom fighter, Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya, the founder of Banaras Hindu University. It is believed the temple was built on the very spot where the medieval Hindu saint Tulsidas had a vision of Hanuman. Thousands flock to the temple on Tuesdays and Saturdays, weekdays associated with Hanuman. On 7 March 2006, in a terrorist attack one of the three explosions hit the temple while the Aarti was in progress when numerous devotees and people attending a wedding were present and many were injured. However, normal worship was resumed the next day with devotees visiting the temple and reciting hymns of Hanuman Chalisa (authored by Tulidas) and Sundarkand (a booklet of these hymns is provided free of charge in the temple). After the terrorist incident, a permanent police post was set up inside the temple.
There are two temples named "Durga" in Varanasi, Durga Mandir (built about 500 years ago), and Durga Kund (built in the 18th century). Thousands of Hindu devotees visit Durga Kund during Navratri to worship the goddess Durga. The temple, built in Nagara architectural style, has multi-tiered spires[96] and is stained red with ochre, representing the red colour of Durga. The building has a rectangular tank of water called the Durga Kund ("Kund" meaning a pond or pool). Every year on the occasion of Nag Panchami, the act of depicting the god Vishnu reclining on the serpent Shesha is recreated in the Kund.
While the Annapurna Temple, located close to the Kashi Vishwanath temple, is dedicated to Annapurna, the goddess of food, the Sankatha Temple close to the Sindhia Ghat is dedicated to Sankatha, the goddess of remedy. The Sankatha temple has a large sculpture of a lion and a nine temple cluster dedicated to the nine planets.
Kalabhairav Temple, an ancient temple located near the Head Post Office at Visheshar Ganj, is dedicated to Kala-Bhairava, the guardian (Kotwal) of Varanasi. The Mrithyunjay Mahadev Temple, dedicated to Shiva, is situated on the way to Daranagar to Kalbhairav temple. A well near the temple has some religious significance as its water source is believed to be fed from several underground streams, having curative powers.
The New Vishwanath Temple located in the campus of Banaras Hindu University is a modern temple which was planned by Pandit Malviya and built by the Birlas. The Tulsi Manas Temple, nearby the Durga Temple, is a modern temple dedicated to the god Rama. It is built at the place where Tulsidas authored the Ramcharitmanas, which narrates the life of Rama. Many verses from this epic are inscribed on the temple walls.
The Bharat Mata Temple, dedicated to the national personification of India, was inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. It has relief maps of India carved in marble. Babu Shiv Prasad Gupta and Durga Prasad Khatri, leading numismatists, antiquarians and nationalist leaders, donated funds for its construction.
RELIGION
HINDUISM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
ISLAM
Varanasi is one of the holiest cities and centres of pilgrimage for Hindus of all denominations. It is one of the seven Hindu holiest cities (Sapta Puri), considered the giver of salvation (moksha). Over 50,000 Brahmins live in Varanasi, providing religious services to the masses. Hindus believe that bathing in the Ganges remits sins and that dying in Kashi ensures release of a person's soul from the cycle of its transmigrations. Thus, many Hindus arrive here for dying.
As the home to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Jyotirlinga, it is very sacred for Shaivism. Varanasi is also a Shakti Peetha, where the temple to goddess Vishalakshi stands, believed to be the spot where the goddess Sati's earrings fell. Hindus of the Shakti sect make a pilgrimage to the city because they regard the River Ganges itself to be the Goddess Shakti. Adi Shankara wrote his commentaries on Hinduism here, leading to the great Hindu revival.
In 2001, Hindus made up approximately 84% of the population of Varanasi District.
OTHERS
At the 2001 census, persons of other religions or no religion made up 0.4% of the population of Varanasi District.
Varanasi is a pilgrimage site for Jains along with Hindus and Buddhists. It is believed to be the birthplace of Suparshvanath, Shreyansanath, and Parshva, who are respectively the seventh, eleventh, and twenty-third Jain Tirthankars and as such Varanasi is a holy city for Jains. Shree Parshvanath Digambar Jain Tirth Kshetra (Digambar Jain Temple) is situated in Bhelupur, Varanasi. This temple is of great religious importance to the Jain Religion.
Sarnath, a suburb of Varanasi, is a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. It is the site of the deer park where Siddhartha Gautama of Nepal is said to have given his first sermon about the basic principles of Buddhism. The Dhamek Stupa is one of the few pre-Ashokan stupas still in existence, though only its foundation remains. Also remaining is the Chaukhandi Stupa commemorating the spot where Buddha met his first disciples in the 5th century. An octagonal tower was built later there.
Guru Nanak Dev visited Varanasi for Shivratri in 1507 and had an encounter which with other events forms the basis for the story of the founding of Sikhism. Varanasi also hosts the Roman Catholic Diocese of Varanasi, and has an insignificant Jewish expatriate community. Varanasi is home to numerous tribal faiths which are not easily classified.
Dalits are 13% of population Of Varanasi city. Most dalits are followers of Guru Ravidass. So Shri Guru Ravidass Janam Asthan is important place of pilgrimage for Ravidasis from all around India.
RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS
On Mahashivaratri (February) – which is dedicated to Shiva – a procession of Shiva proceeds from the Mahamrityunjaya Temple to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Dhrupad Mela is a five-day musical festival devoted to dhrupad style held at Tulsi Ghat in February–March.
The Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple celebrates Hanuman Jayanti (March–April), the birthday of Hanuman with great fervour. A special puja, aarti, and a public procession is organized. Starting in 1923, the temple organizes a five-day classical music and dance concert festival titled Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh in this period, when iconic artists from all parts of India are invited to perform.
The Ramlila of Ramnagar is a dramatic enactment of Rama's legend, as told in Ramacharitamanasa. The plays, sponsored by Kashi Naresh, are performed in Ramnagar every evening for 31 days. On the last day, the festivities reach a crescendo as Rama vanquishes the demon king Ravana. Kashi Naresh Udit Narayan Singh started this tradition around 1830.
Bharat Milap celebrates the meeting of Rama and his younger brother Bharata after the return of the former after 14 years of exile. It is celebrated during October–November, a day after the festival of Vijayadashami. Kashi Naresh attends this festival in his regal attire resplendent in regal finery. The festival attracts a large number of devotees.
Nag Nathaiya, celebrated on the fourth lunar day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu month of Kartik (October–November), that commemorates the victory of the god Krishna over the serpent Kaliya. On this occasion, a large Kadamba tree (Neolamarckia cadamba) branch is planted on the banks of the Ganges so that a boy acting the role of Krishna can jump into the river on to the effigy representing Kaliya. He stands over the effigy in a dancing pose playing the flute; the effigy and the boy standing on it is given a swirl in front of the audience. People watch the display standing on the banks of the river or from boats.
Ganga Mahotsav is a five-day music festival organized by the Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, held in November–December culminating a day before Kartik Poornima (Dev Deepawali). On Kartik Poornima also called the Ganges festival, the Ganges is venerated by arti offered by thousands of pilgrims who release lighted lamps to float in the river from the ghats.
Annually Jashne-Eid Miladunnabi is celebrated on the day of Barawafat in huge numbers by Muslims in a huge rally coming from all the parts of the city and meeting up at Beniya Bagh.
"Hannah Courtoy (1784 - 26 January 1849), born Hannah Peters, was a London society woman who inherited a fortune from the merchant John Courtoy in 1815. Her distinctive Egyptian-style mausoleum in London's Brompton Cemetery has been the subject of considerable curiosity and speculation ever since a report by Reuters in 1998 repeated claims that it contained a working time machine.
"Hannah Courtoy was born Hannah Peters in 1784. She never married but had three daughters, Mary Ann (1801), Elizabeth (1804-1876), and Susannah (1807-1895). In 1830, Susannah married Septimus Holmes Godson, a barrister of Gray's Inn.
"In 1815, Courtoy inherited a fortune from the elderly merchant John Courtoy (born Nicholas Jacquinet in France, 1709) through a Will that was disputed in court.
"Courtoy's distinctive Egyptian-style mausoleum of 1854[9] in Brompton Cemetery, where her unmarried daughters Elizabeth and Mary Ann are also interred, has been the subject of considerable curiosity ever since a report by Reuters in 1998[10] reported on rumours that it might be or contain a working time machine, a speculation that has been fuelled by various articles written by the musician Stephen Coates of the band The Real Tuesday Weld."
Source: Wikipedia
More on the story of Hannah Courtoy's mausoleum
Independent article on the time machine theory
"Brompton Cemetery is a London cemetery in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is managed by The Royal Parks, and is one of the Magnificent Seven cemeteries. Established by Act of Parliament and erected in 1839, it opened in 1840 and was originally known as the West of London and Westminster Cemetery.
"Consecrated by Charles James Blomfield, the Bishop of London in June 1840, it is one of Britain's oldest and most distinguished garden cemeteries. Some 35,000 monuments, from simple headstones to substantial mausolea, mark the resting place of more than 205,000 burials. The site includes large plots for family mausolea, and common graves where coffins are piled deep into the earth, as well as a small columbarium. There is also a secluded Garden of Remembrance at the northern end, for cremated remains. It is also an urban haven for nature.
"By the early years of the 19th century, inner city burial grounds, mostly churchyards, had long been unable to cope with the number of burials and were seen as a hazard to health and an undignified way to treat the dead. In 1837 a decision was made to lay out a new burial ground in Brompton, London. The moving spirit behind the project was the engineer, Stephen Geary, and it was necessary to form a company in order to get parliamentary permission to raise capital for the purpose. Securing the land – some 40 acres – from local landowner, Lord Kensington and the Equitable Gas Light Company, as well as raising the money proved an extended challenge. The cemetery became one of seven large, new cemeteries founded by private companies in the mid-19th century (sometimes called the 'Magnificent Seven') forming a ring around the edge of London."
Source: Wikipedia
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist, and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stenciling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls, and bridges throughout the world. His work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the musical group Massive Attack.
Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces. He no longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti, but his public "installations" are regularly resold, often even by removing the wall on which they were painted. Much of his work can be classified as temporary art. A small number of his works are officially, non-publicly, sold through an agency he created called Pest Control. Banksy's documentary film Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010) made its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. In January 2011, he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for the film. In 2014, he was awarded Person of the Year at the 2014 Webby Awards.
Banksy's name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. In a 2003 interview with Simon Hattenstone of The Guardian, Banksy is described as "white, 28, scruffy casual—jeans, T-shirt, a silver tooth, silver chain and silver earring. He looks like a cross between Jimmy Nail and Mike Skinner of The Streets." An ITV News segment of 2003 featured a short interview with someone identified in the reporting as Banksy. Banksy began as an artist at the age of 14, was expelled from school, and served time in prison for petty crime. According to Hattenstone, "anonymity is vital to him because graffiti is illegal". Banksy reportedly lived in Easton, Bristol, during the late 1990s, before moving to London around 2000.
In an interview with the BBC in 2003, which was rediscovered in November 2023, reporter Nigel Wrench asked if Banksy is called Robert Banks; Banksy responded that his forename is Robbie. The Mail on Sunday claimed in 2008 that Banksy is Robin Gunningham, born on 28 July 1974 in Yate, 12 miles (19 km) from Bristol. Several of Gunningham's associates and former schoolmates at Bristol Cathedral School have corroborated this, and, in 2016, a study by researchers at the Queen Mary University of London using geographic profiling found that the incidence of Banksy's works correlated with the known movements of Gunningham. According to The Sunday Times, Gunningham began employing the name Robin Banks, which eventually became Banksy. Two cassette sleeves featuring his art work from 1993, for the Bristol band Mother Samosa, exist with his signature. In June 2017, DJ Goldie referred to Banksy as "Rob" in an interview for a podcast.
Other speculations on Banksy's identity include the following:
Robert Del Naja (also known as 3D), a member of the trip hop band Massive Attack, had been a graffiti artist during the 1980s prior to forming the band, and was previously identified as a personal friend of Banksy.
In 2020, users on Twitter began to speculate that former Art Attack presenter Neil Buchanan was Banksy. This was denied by Buchanan's publicist.
In 2022, Billy Gannon, a local councillor in Pembroke Dock was rumoured to be Banksy. He subsequently resigned because the speculation was affecting his ability to carry out the duties of a councillor. "I'm being asked to prove who I am not, and the person that I am not may not exist," he said. "I mean, how am I supposed to prove that I'm not somebody who doesn't exist? Just how do you do that?"
In October 2014, an internet hoax circulated that Banksy had been arrested and his identity revealed.
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WHAT IS BNBDIAMONDS?
BNBDIAMONDS is a type of Smart contract that invites you to make the most of an inventive chance in the blockchain space while offering independence from the rat race to its financial backers. It is a Dapp composed of Binance Smart Chain that utilizes blockchain innovation to offer monetary types of assistance dependent on a smart contract.
With progressive speculation of 2000 BNB within 7 days of its dispatch, BNBdiamondsSmart Contract is making its quality felt in the crypto space. The clients are producing a daily return of investment from 112% to 150% determined by the package chosen.
BNBdiamonds is created to guarantee high usefulness and simplicity of use to the financial backers.
Safety and Security: Guarantee that the code is broken down for malignancy and security by a reliable review organization. BNBDiamonds professes to be shielded from dangers subsequent to being examined by HazeCrypto. No weaknesses, indirect accesses, or trick scripts were found in the Smart contracts.
24×7 Client assistance: Focused on making their clients' excursions consistent, safe, and simple, Group BNBDiamonds guarantees non-stop accessibility on Telegram.
Day-by-day stable return for capital invested: With a base venture of 0.01 BNB, the financial backers can get reward rates somewhere in the range of 112% to 150%. BNBdiamonds is accomplishing soaring ubiquity among crypto-financial backers and lovers with such consistent returns.
The most effective method to create gains with BNBDiamonds :
Head to BNBDiamonds.com, check the interface and read through the FAQs.
Choose a suitable package for your investment. Enter the amount of BNB you would prefer to deposit. Lastly, click on Deposit.
When you complete the investment, you’ll be offered a referral link. You can share it with your friends and have them join the Dapp. Every time a deposit is made by your friend, you shall receive a percentage.
Rewards:
BNBDiamonds is assisting the clients with creating an everyday return on initial capital investment from 112% to 150% depending on the package chosen for your investment. The Dapp has been catching a ton of consideration over its capacity to intensify returns. It is offering a chance to contribute as low as 0.01 BNB to the users and can go up to 100 BNB.
Referral Program:
BNBDiamonds provides a juicy rewarding referral program for all its investors and also for people that would love to earn additional income for themselves.
Traders can get a 5% referral bonus on bringing traders under the program. Once you stake your BNB in the pool, you will be receiving your referral link that can be further used to refer others.
BNBDiamonds has been surprising the crypto world for every one of the right reasons. Crypto financial backers and aficionados can turn into a piece of this notable Dapp with speculation as low as 0.01 BNB. With such extraordinary prizes, one can anticipate that BNBDiamonds should keep increasing higher at a confounding rate.
Therefore, stake your BNB and earn exciting rewards within a short span of time. Greeting you with warm wishes.
Seed Diamonds is referred to Gains generated over your referral dividends. seed diamonds will be updated on referral withdrawals. If You refer user A and user A invested 1000 BNB in 16% plan . You will get daily 1% Gains on his 16% Gains that is 1.6 BNB If user A invested 1000 BNB in 5% plan. You will get daily 1% Gains on his 5% Gains that is 5 BNB
🌐Official Website:
BNB Smart Contract:
bscscan.com/address/0xcc7d35b87171854b2b4a213a02d92389062...
▶️telegram:
Photography: Craige Barker
A speculation on the real life disappearance of the enigmatic Connie Converse - Why did the aspiring singer-songwriter who vanish into thin air?
Witness the gripping the haunting true(-ish!) story that remains a mystery to this day.
Diving deep into the sensitive themes of mental health and queerness in mid-century America, be transported into Connie's world and see how these struggles might have affected her life and ultimately led to her vanishing without a trace.
manchester.ssboxoffice.com/events/what-happened-to-connie...
Bruce Jenner is not entertaining the speculations and wants the chance to be able to tell his own story on his own terms. The impending revelations are in no way a mode of making money as there is no basis to this.
Shots taken on the one day each year that the Garden of Cosmic Speculation is open to the public (funds going to charity). The garden is in Holywood, Dumfries and Galloway.
When science fiction films envisage credible futures, is there a bigger role that design studios can play in converting creative speculation to technological innovation? This talk looks at the challenges and real…
fitc.ca/presentation/fantasy-fact-journey-speculation-inn...
While global food prices are rising, pushing the world's poorest people into hunger, bankers are betting on food prices and once again look set to push them even higher.
We're campaigning hard for new laws to regulate food speculation - and the next few weeks will be crucial.
Euro MPs and finance ministers are both about to decide their position on the new rules. The UK government, represented by Chancellor George Osborne, is opposed to strong rules to tackle food speculation.
So we are going to present him with a photo petition to show him just how many people are concerned about the issue.
I'm not sure if the bookseller is making assumptions here but it's a pretty cool thought that this book was presented to Timothy Leary by Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
** "Zoo in China denies speculation that its bears are actually humans in disguise"
After receiving my degree in animal psychology,
And wondering what path to pursue,
Through reliable sources, I became aware of an opening
As a bear at a Chinese zoo.
What better way to exploit my knowledge
Of the workings of an animal's brain,
Than to spend my days in a bear costume...
Do I really need to explain?
I could wave at the visitors and beg for snacks,
Pose for selfies and growl fairly loud.
There's a sense of fulfillment that a normal job lacks,
As I savor the bemusement of the crowd.
And my uniform, of course: 100% natural fiber,
Made from real bearskin, I suppose.
But the thrill I'd receive
When the crowds finally leave,
Would be more valued than just fancy clothes.
After a long day at work, doing dances, telling jokes--
Of course all in my bear dialect,
I'd go back to my room and
Try once again to act human...
Not as easy as one might expect.
B. Kite -- 8/1/2023
Jessa Duggar
Jessa duggar sparks pregnancy speculation in new photo by alyssa norwin, march 23, 2015. with jill duggar’s baby due any day now, is another duggar.This is a photo of michelle and jim bob duggar kissing -- and it's a recreation of their daughter's jessa seewald's k...
War speculations… Since the first formation of the Ukrainian conflict and the transition to the stage of hot conflict, it was predicted that Russia would end the war in a short time with a quick operation. Since the situation on the field did not turn out to be very favorable, Russia was not in a position to declare victory. That makes it unlikely that on May 9 (the Victory Day Russia celebrates as a national holiday), Putin will announce that the war is over. Putin would probably make such a statement by declaring that they have won the war, but there is no victory.
Russian possibilities… May 9, 1945, the date when the German army accepted the surrender agreement that ended the Second World War. In other words, the day when Stalin's Russia was victorious. Due to the symbolic significance of the day, it was thought that Putin would make a similar crowning in the early stages of the war. Conversely, there are speculations that, given the military failure in Ukraine, Putin could take things a step further on May 9 and beyond.
One of these; just like in Crimea, Russia's declaration of annexation of Donetsk and Luhansk or holding a pro-independence referendum there. Due to the developments in Crimea in 2014, it is highly probable. The independence referendum, and then the decision of de-facto independent regions to join Russia is a way that has been adapted to the book in terms of international law, exactly the same way was followed in Crimea.
Following international banking over speculation Irish & worldwide property values collapse.
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Charcoal, Metallic paint, Spray Paint, Gloss house paint, Glitter powders & Inks
Large Cave Wall Sized - H:148cm by W:228cm
(Not yet Exhibited - Unsold)
Metallic Inks,Glitter & Gloss paint used in this art make photographing it accurately difficult. When it is exhibited spotlighting or strong side on sunlight could be used to take full advantage of the quality of the picture's surface effects. All these large pictures as with any large pictures are created firstly to be seen large as they are & in the flesh!
***********************
This is from a series I call Documentary Expressionism - Where using source photos collected from real events in the world I make an expression of art with hopefully a respect to that event. During this expression the relative size of characters can grow bigger or smaller & their species may transform & even mix together!
Board 1-
This board is an accumulation of the 2nd and 3rd boards, combining found site attributes that trigger an emotional response (a memory) and further speculations about the site, as to future uses and how these attributes can contribute or influence a future design.
Paul Boshears, Jamie Allen, Paul Ennis, Robert Jackson, Thomas Gokey, Michael Austin.
Six white males (25-35) behind continent. and Speculations
discussing the why and how at Aesthetics in the 21st Century.
Jessa Duggar
Jessa duggar sparks pregnancy speculation in new photo by alyssa norwin, march 23, 2015. with jill duggar’s baby due any day now, is another duggar.This is a photo of michelle and jim bob duggar kissing -- and it's a recreation of their daughter's jessa seewald's k...
'Landscapes of speculation' explores the role of unbuilt sites as ephemeral landscapes conceived by real estate market. Santiago de Chile, as many latin-american countries, is a fast-paced growing city under a free market economy. The transformation of land into a commodity has imposed the logic of speculation onto traditional city developing processes, leaving purposedly undeveloped lots in between highly demanded areas.
These somewhat invisible spaces are closed to the eyes of the passerby; they are not meant to be experienced in their actual conditions, and as such they exist in a liminal situation between nature and currency, space and metaphor. Under this threshold state, space is subject to - or defended from - social practices that are themselves outcasted from contemporary cities. This has led me to wonder about the value this landscapes have to contemporary culture, as they range from 'archeological registries' of economic pressures over land to highly representational and personal spaces.
'Landscapes of speculation' explores the role of unbuilt sites as ephemeral landscapes conceived by real estate market. Santiago de Chile, as many latin-american countries, is a fast-paced growing city under a free market economy. The transformation of land into a commodity has imposed the logic of speculation onto traditional city developing processes, leaving purposedly undeveloped lots in between highly demanded areas.
These somewhat invisible spaces are closed to the eyes of the passerby; they are not meant to be experienced in their actual conditions, and as such they exist in a liminal situation between nature and currency, space and metaphor. Under this threshold state, space is subject to - or defended from - social practices that are themselves outcasted from contemporary cities. This has led me to wonder about the value this landscapes have to contemporary culture, as they range from 'archeological registries' of economic pressures over land to highly representational and personal spaces.
Following international banking over speculation Irish & worldwide property values collapse.
****************
Charcoal, Metallic paint, Spray Paint, Gloss house paint, Glitter powders & Inks
Large Cave Wall Sized - H:148cm by W:228cm
(Not yet Exhibited - Unsold)
Metallic Inks,Glitter & Gloss paint used in this art make photographing it accurately difficult. When it is exhibited spotlighting or strong side on sunlight could be used to take full advantage of the quality of the picture's surface effects. All these large pictures as with any large pictures are created firstly to be seen large as they are & in the flesh!
***********************
This is from a series I call Documentary Expressionism - Where using source photos collected from real events in the world I make an expression of art with hopefully a respect to that event. During this expression the relative size of characters can grow bigger or smaller & their species may transform & even mix together!
FCB NEWS :
The transfer window may have shut but that doesn’t mean that speculation has ceased. Far from it. Mateu Alemany and Ramon Planes will take a small break after the end of the summer window, but will be right back at it within a few days. One of their key targets, according to Mundo Deportivo, is Dani Olmo, who they tried to sign in the final days of the window only to fail.Barcelona will go for him again in January and try to prise him from Leipzig, but German clubs are notorious for being difficult to do business with in the winter market. The summer of 2022, therefore, might be more advantageous for the Catalan club. Olmo, 23, will have two more years left on his contract by then, so Leipzig could be convinced should the right offer arrive.Alemany has tracked Olmo since he was at Valencia, and tried to make the deal happen this summer once it became clear that Joao Felix wouldn’t be leaving Atletico Madrid for Camp Nou. Leipzig wanted a fixed fee of €75m for their prize Spaniard, something Barcelona struggled to meet. They proposed a deal similar to the one they agreed with Atletico for the sale of Antoine Griezmann, but Leipzig didn’t consider it.
Latest news FC Barcelona
Source
fistade.com/fcb-news-barcelona-preparing-to-try-to-prise-...
Conspiracy Theory Poster Billboard stating that on 9/11 the World Trade Center was destroyed by explosive demolition - Crazy People looking into paranoid speculation 8th Ave and 40th Street NYC 2015 Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Nutjobs Nutjob Wacko theories Free Speech Crazy Talk etc
A lot of speculations have been around the last days and weeks. Here it is now. The real cloverfield. At the Picnic '07 in Amsterdam. www.patmo.de/2007/07/16/1-18-08-cloverfield-was-kommt-da-...
Portrack Garden, Scotland.
The Garden of Cosmic Speculation is a 30 acre (12 hectare) sculpture garden created by landscape architect and theorist Charles Jencks at his home, Portrack House, near Dumfries in South West Scotland.
The garden is inspired by science and mathematics, with sculptures and landscaping on these themes, such as Black Holes and Fractals. The garden is not abundant with plants, but sets mathematical formulae and scientific phenomenae in a setting which elegantly combines natural features and artificial symmetry and curves. It is probably unique among gardens, drawing comparisons with a similarly abstract garden in Scotland, Little Sparta.
The garden is private but usually opens on one day each year through Scotland's Gardens Scheme and raises money for Maggie's Centres, a cancer care charity named for Maggie Keswick Jencks, the late wife of Charles Jencks.
The garden is the subject of an orchestral composition by American composer, Michael Gandolfi, which he composed for a joint commission from the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Tanglewood Music Center. The piece was subsequently recorded by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano, and nominated for "Best Contemporary Classical Composition" at the 2009 Grammy Awards (Wikipedia).
JENCKS, Charles A. (2003). The Garden of Cosmic Speculation. Frances Lincoln Ltd., London. ISBN 0 7112 2216 9
Conspiracy Theory Poster Billboard stating that on 9/11 the World Trade Center was destroyed by explosive demolition - Crazy People looking into paranoid speculation 8th Ave and 40th Street NYC 2015 Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth Nutjobs Nutjob Wacko theories Free Speech Crazy Talk etc
Speculation says this may or may not be coming back this year. Heres to hoping it does, because one thing i've always wanted to do since i was a little boy is to drive a Routemaster. One ultimate goal in life. Again, ive driven it in the garage. But not on the road!
HN 54 K36 2009
This enthralling historical narrative of the birth of speculative capitalism in America opens in the 1790s when financial pioneer-turned-confidence-man Andrew Dexter, Jr. created a pyramid scheme founded on real estate speculation and the greed of banks, who freely printed the paper money he needed to finance the then tallest building in the United States—the Exchange Coffee House, a 153-room, seven-story colossus in downtown Boston. The story of Dexter’s rise and eventual collapse offered an object lesson to the rising young nation, and presents striking parallels to the subprime mortgage meltdown and looming economic collapse of today.