View allAll Photos Tagged testicles
Best to be viewed in large size format.
The orchid is a peculiar plant and shows the most developed and the widest variety of types. Unlike the roses, which are always symmetric and of the same type. The very word orchid has a aphrodisiac connotation, because it comes from the Greek word orchis (testicle) and for the first Greeks botanics the shape of the species in the region resembled the male reproductive organ.
Maybe a warning, or maybe something to do with his enormous testicles. The size of his 'fruits' isn't normal, apparently, poor lad.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the world's oldest shopping malls. Housed within a four-story double arcade in central Milan, the Galleria is named after Victor Emmanuel II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It was designed in 1861 and built by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1877.
The structure consists of two glass-vaulted arcades intersecting in an octagon covering the street connecting Piazza del Duomo to Piazza della Scala. The street is covered by an arching glass and cast iron roof, a popular design for 19th-century arcades, such as the Burlington Arcade in London, which was the prototype for larger glazed shopping arcades, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery in Brussels (opened in 1847), the Passazh in St Petersburg (opened in 1848), the Galleria Umberto I in Naples (opened in 1890) and the Budapest Galleria.
The central octagonal space is topped with a glass dome. The Milanese Galleria was larger in scale than its predecessors and was an important step in the evolution of the modern glazed and enclosed shopping mall, of which it was the direct progenitor. It has inspired the use of the term galleria for many other shopping arcades and malls.[citation needed]
On the ground of the central octagonal, there are four mosaics portraying the coat of arms of the three capitals of the Kingdom of Italy (Turin, Florence and Rome) plus Milan's. Tradition says that if a person spins around three times with a heel on the testicles of the bull from Turin coat of arms this will bring good luck. This practice causes damage to the mosaic: a hole developed on the place of the bull's genitals.[citation needed]
The Galleria connects two of Milan's most famous landmarks: The Duomo and the Teatro Alla Scala, but the Galleria is a landmark in its own right.
You may view more of my Orchids, by clicking here !
Orchidaceae is a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and often fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species, found in 880 genera. Selecting which of the two families is larger is still under debate, as concrete numbers on such enormous families are constantly in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species equals more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. The family also encompasses about 6â11% of all seed plants.The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus), and many commonly cultivated plants such as Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. The name comes from the Ancient Greek á½ÏÏÎ¹Ï (órkhis), literally meaning "testicle", because of the shape of the root. Carl Linnaeus classified the family as Orchidaceae. Orchid was introduced in 1845 by John Lindley in School Botany, due to an incorrect attempt to extract the Latin stem (orchis) from Orchidaceae. The Greek myth of Orchis explains the origin of the plants. Orchis, the son of a nymph and a satyr, came upon a festival of Dionysus (Bacchus) in the forest. He drank too much, and attempted to rape a priestess of Dionysus. For his insult, he was torn apart by the Bacchanalians. His father prayed for him to be restored, but the gods instead changed him into a flower.
These flowers were previously called Orchis, Satyrion (Satyrion feminina), or "ballockwort".
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I took this photo of a confused and irate Sunny in the back seat of the car, a few days after his castration. The car was parked with the engine running for the air conditioning. Can't have Sunny suffer in the 33 degree heat outdoors!
I don't think he looks pleased at all at having his testicles surgically removed, but I have grown fond of him and felt bad seeing his fresh wounds from fighting with a neighborhood cat.
I wished I had him fixed a year ago, but then we weren't sure if he belonged to anyone living in the area.
Did he meow while he was in the back seat? He did at first, but quietened down when he felt the movement of the car. I think it was also his second trip in a vehicle and also his first visit to the vet's.
Dudette and I have a history dating back to 2011 when a park ranger asked me if I'd seen an antlered doe. Didn't take me long to find her, and we named her Dudette. Photos later revealed Dudette is actually a buck with no testicles. Behaves as a doe and is the matriarch of a doe herd. Our beautiful world, pass it on.
A local buck I've photo'd since 2009. I was told this is an antlered doe, but a photo proves this is a buck with no testicles. Behaves like a doe and acts as the matriarch of a doe herd. Our beautiful world, pass it on.
City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which comprises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. It was designed by Norman Foster and opened in July 2002, two years after the Greater London Authority was created.
Background
For the first two years of its existence, the Greater London Authority was based at Romney House, Marsham Street in Westminster. Meetings of the London Assembly took place at Emmanuel Centre, also on Marsham Street.
City Hall was constructed at a cost of £43 million on a site formerly occupied by wharves serving the Pool of London. The building does not belong to the GLA but is leased under a 25-year rent. Despite its name, City Hall is neither located in nor does it serve a city (as recognised by English constitutional law), often adding to the confusion of Greater London with the City of London, which has its headquarters at Guildhall. In June 2011 Mayor Boris Johnson announced that for the duration of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the building would be called London House.
The predecessors of the Greater London Authority, namely the Greater London Council and the London County Council, had their headquarters at County Hall, upstream on the South Bank. Although County Hall's old council chamber is still intact, the building is unavailable for use by the GLA due to its conversion into, among other things, a luxury hotel, amusement arcade and aquarium.
Design
The building has an unusual, bulbous shape, purportedly intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency, although the excess energy consumption caused by the exclusive use of glass (in a double facade) overwhelms the benefit of shape. Despite claiming the building "demonstrates the potential for a sustainable, virtually non-polluting public building", energy use measurements have shown this building to be fairly inefficient in terms of energy use (375 kWh/m2/yr), with a 2012 Display Energy Performance Certificate rating of "D".
It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg, a woodlouse and a motorcycle helmet. Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle", while the present mayor, Boris Johnson, has referred to it as "The Glass Gonad" and more politely as "The Onion".
Its designers reportedly saw the building as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. It has no front or back in conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere.
A 500-metre (1,640 ft) helical walkway, reminiscent of that in New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, ascends the full height of the building. At the top of the ten-storey building is an exhibition and meeting space called "London's Living Room", with an open viewing deck which is occasionally open to the public. The walkway provides views of the interior of the building, and is intended to symbolise transparency; a similar device was used by Foster in his design for the rebuilt Reichstag (parliament) in Germany. In 2006 it was announced that solar photovoltaic cells would be fitted to the building by the London Climate Change Agency.
Location
The building is located on the River Thames in the London Borough of Southwark. It forms part of a larger development called More London, including offices and shops. Next to City Hall is a sunken amphitheatre called The Scoop, which is used in the summer months for open-air performances; it is not, however, part of the GLA's jurisdiction. The Scoop and surrounding landscape were designed by Townshend Landscape Architects. The nearest London Underground and National Rail station is London Bridge.
Best to be viewed in large size format.
The orchid is a peculiar plant and shows the most developed and the widest variety of types. Unlike the roses, which are always symmetric and of the same type. The very word orchid has a aphrodisiac connotation, because it comes from the Greek word orchis (testicle) and for the first Greeks botanics the shape of the species in the region resembled the male reproductive organ.
Sonnenberg Gardens, also known as Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park, Canandaigua, New York, USA, at the North end of Canandaigua Lake, in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York. The house and gardens are open to the public every day, May through October.
Quick change! He smiled and went all Spock on me.
A recent finding by statisticians shows that the average human has one testicle and one breast.
Le photographe a laissé sortir son Spock intérieur, pour sourire et dire "fascinant!"
Une découverte récente de statisticiens montre que l'être humain moyen a un testicule et un sein.
Please, read my profile, or visit my website!
SVP, lire mon profil, ou visiter mon page sur Web!
I have long thought this statue was one of my favorite downtown art pieces. I love how the road bends around the statue. There is something about the blatant disregard for normality that I find sensational. This statue in a park would just be a statue in a park. In the middle of the road, however, its majesty. The statue is simply called The Elk, also known as the David P. Thompson Fountain. You can see his name right there under the Elk. The sculpture was donated to the city of Portland, Oregon, United States in 1900. It is located in the Plaza Blocks in downtown Portland.
In the image I wanted to convey the location, so a night shoot with lights twisting around the statue was a must. I also wanted to shoot it at Christmas to get the wreath. Yes, the water is off at this time of year, perhaps I will shoot it again in the summer.
I also think its interesting how people make the statue their own. The wreath adds a warm human touch, it shows pride, thoughtfulness, and exudes a sense of ownership and pride.
Now, his testicles say something a little different. Did you just say his 'testicles"? I am not speaking of now the sculptor shaped the poor Elks nuts, no. Normally I would not have thought about this Elks nuts, or even looked at them. However, if you look closely, his testicles have been painted red. Probably not an homage to Christmas, probably not a move by the City. I cold have easily edited out the red, but I thought it showed something else worth keeping. The red, while simply graffiti, shows that someone in the City took a sense of ownership in a different way. Simply vandalism? Perhaps. However, I like to think that someone was a bit more thoughtful about the red color. Perhaps it was a statement about the Government? Perhaps it was a testament to the fortitude of the mighty elk. Or perhaps it was something greater- a joke. Simply an act to make others laugh. I know, its bad to use this fantastic Elk for a chuckle, and I in no way mean to say its ok to defame art in public places. However, like the humor I find in the location of the statue, in the middle of the road; I think the red nut-sack adds the same element of whimsy to the otherwise stately Elk. It also seemed to speak a certain truth about Portland which has always held a certain cheeky honesty. Keep Portland weird, right? So because it adds so many layers of interest, cultural patterns, sense of ownership, and most importantly, humor, I felt the color should stay in the image.
Merry Christmas Mr. Thompson and Mr. Elk. Merry Christmas Portland. Keep it real, keep it red. :)
BTW- A big thank you to my Brother, Mark, for helping compose, shoot, and dream up the image.
This is a hand-held HDR taken through the glass window of a tour bus. In addition to having their pictures taken at the front end of the bull, some tourists like to hold the horn, many pose at the back of the bull, near the large testicles for snapshots under an unmistakable symbol of its virility."
Charging Bull, which is sometimes referred to as the Wall Street Bull or the Bowling Green Bull, is a bronze sculpture that stands in Bowling Green Park in the Financial District in Manhattan, New York City. Originally guerilla art, by Arturo Di Modica, its popularity led to it being a permanent feature.
The 3,200-kilogram (7,100 lb) sculpture stands 11 feet (3.4 m) tall and measures 16 feet (4.9 m) long. The bull's testicles are 10 inches in diameter, weighing 107 pounds each. The oversize sculpture depicts a bull, the symbol of aggressive financial optimism and prosperity, leaning back on its haunches and with its head lowered as if ready to charge. The sculpture is both a popular tourist destination which draws thousands of people a day, as well as "one of the most iconic images of New York" and a "Wall Street icon" symbolizing Wall Street and the Financial District.
That bull is one of an edition of five, and was cast by the Bedi Makky Art Foundry in Greenpoint Brooklyn. Di Modica spent some $360,000 to create, cast, and install the sculpture following the 1987 stock market crash as a symbol of the "strength and power of the American people." The sculpture was the artist's idea, not the city's. In an act of "guerrilla art", Bedi Makky Art Foundry, along with Di Modica, trucked it to Lower Manhattan and on December 15, 1989, installed it beneath a 60-foot Christmas tree in the middle of Broad Street in front of the New York Stock Exchange as a Christmas gift to the people of New York. That day, crowds came to look at the bull, with hundreds stopping to admire and analyze the gift as Di Modica handed out copies of a flier about his artwork.
(Sourced from the Internet)
Típica aldaba testicular o de representación sexuada masculina. Muy abundante en la zona de Aragón y zonas limítrofes, posiblemente de origen cultural árabe, como puede constatarse en distintas poblaciones del norte de África.
All Rights Reserved. All images on this site are © copyright Juan Pedro Gómez-51.
Please, don’t use this images in websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission. Use without consent on my part of it, will report the formal complaint to the registration of intellectual property. Thanks.
A touch dark maybe but I rather like the atmosphere in this #Photo24 shot of City Hall in London. It was taken at 11.15pm but there's plenty of people still milling around as an event had just finished.
Click here for more shots taken during this, and previous years, Photo24 events : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157667520181380
From Wikipedia : "City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), which comprises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. It was designed by Norman Foster and opened in July 2002, two years after the Greater London Authority was created.........
The building has an unusual, bulbous shape, purportedly intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency, although the excess energy consumption caused by the exclusive use of glass (in a double facade) overwhelms the benefit of shape. Despite claiming the building "demonstrates the potential for a sustainable, virtually non-polluting public building", energy use measurements have shown this building to be fairly inefficient in terms of energy use (375 kWh/m2/yr), with a 2012 Display Energy Performance Certificate rating of "E". It has been compared variously to a helmet (either Darth Vader's or simply a motorcyclist's), a misshapen egg, and a woodlouse. Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle", while his successor, Boris Johnson, made the same comparison using a different word, "The Glass Gonad" and more politely as "The Onion". Its designers reportedly saw it as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. It has no front or back in conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere.
My Website : Twitter : Facebook : Instagram : Photocrowd
© D.Godliman
----------------------------------------
----------------------------------------
Day 60! When I started I honestly didn't think I'd make it this far! Here's to 305 more!
So, today's portrait is a photo of my Mom, the last portrait before I had taken everyone in my immediate family. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I've had a series in my mind for a little while now that I'm probably going to start once the weather gets back to being a little more summery and less "I've lost my testicles". I'm excited since I think it'll be a little bit of a challenge for me and it'll be doing more of what I want to be doing. The whole idea if kind of a, showing people that I know, doing an interesting hobby that they have, like my mom for example, who does some jewelry making, which I think would be fun to try and capture on Pixel. Film isn't' right, maybe this could be a new term? haha.
Edit: I just noticed that Flickr sharpens your photos when you put them up, unless it was the resizing method I used in Photoshop... So, that might be why it looks overly sharp.
Strobist:
Sigma 530 Super: Camera left behind subject fired bare @ 17mm @ 1/64th power.
YN 560: Camera right through a softbox @ ~1/16th power.
We went to the beach looking for Gulls and were approached by this Eunuch for money. They don't have many options to look after themselves as people do not give them jobs so easily so they resort to begging or prostitution.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hijra_(South_Asia)
Hijra (for translations, see [n 1]) is a term used in South Asia – particularly in India and Pakistan – to refer to trans women (male-to-female transgender individuals).[1][2] In different areas of Pakistan and India, transgender people are also known as Aravani, Aruvani or Jagappa.[3]
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the hijras are officially recognized as third gender by the government,[4][5] being neither completely male nor female. In India also, transgender people have been given the status of third gender and are protected as per the law despite the social ostracism. The term more commonly advocated by social workers and transgender community members themselves is khwaja sira (Urdu: خواجہ سرا) and can identify the individual as a transsexual person, transgender person (khusras), cross-dresser (zenanas) or eunuch (narnbans).[6][7]
Hijras have a recorded history in the Indian subcontinent from antiquity onwards as suggested by the Kama Sutra period. This history features a number of well-known roles within subcontinental cultures, part gender-liminal, part spiritual and part survival.
In South Asia, many hijras live in well-defined and organised all-hijra communities, led by a guru.[8][9] These communities have sustained themselves over generations by "adopting" boys who are in abject poverty, rejected by, or flee, their family of origin.[10] Many work as sex workers for survival.[11]
The word "hijra" is an Urdu word derived from the Semitic Arabic root hjr in its sense of "leaving one's tribe,"[12] and has been borrowed into Hindi. The Indian usage has traditionally been translated into English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite," where "the irregularity of the male genitalia is central to the definition."[13] However, in general hijras are born with typically male physiology, only a few having been born with intersex variations.[14] Some Hijras undergo an initiation rite into the hijra community called nirwaan, which refers to the removal of the penis, scrotum and testicles.[11]
Since the late 20th century, some hijra activists and Western non-government organizations (NGOs) have lobbied for official recognition of the hijra as a kind of "third sex" or "third gender," as neither man nor woman.[15] Hijras have successfully gained this recognition in Bangladesh and are eligible for priority in education.[16] In India, the Supreme Court in April 2014 recognised hijra and transgender people as a 'third gender' in law.[17][18][19]
Nepal, Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh have all legally recognized the existence of a third gender, including on passports and other official documents.
Terminology
The Urdu and Hindi word hijra may alternately be romanized as hijira, hijda, hijada, hijara, hijrah and is pronounced [ˈɦɪdʒɽaː]. This term is generally considered derogatory in Urdu and the word Khwaja Sara is used instead. Another such term is khasuaa (खसुआ) or khusaraa (खुसरा). In Bengali hijra is called হিজড়া, hijra, hijla, hijre, hizra, or hizre.
A number of terms across the culturally and linguistically diverse Indian subcontinent represent similar sex or gender categories. While these are rough synonyms, they may be better understood as separate identities due to regional cultural differences. In Odia, a hijra is referred to as hinjida, hinjda or napunsaka, in Telugu, as napunsakudu (నపుంసకుడు), kojja (కొజ్జ) or maada (మాడ), in Tamil Nadu, Thiru nangai (mister woman), Ali, aravanni, aravani, or aruvani, in Punjabi, khusra and jankha, in Sindhi khadra, in Gujarati, pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા).
In North India, the goddess Bahuchara Mata is worshipped by Pavaiyaa (પાવૈયા). In South India, the goddess Renuka is believed to have the power to change one's sex. Male devotees in female clothing are known as Jogappa. They perform similar roles to hijra, such as dancing and singing at birth ceremonies and weddings.[21]
The word kothi (or koti) is common across India, similar to the Kathoey of Thailand, although kothis are often distinguished from hijras. Kothis are regarded as feminine men or boys who take a feminine role in sex with men, but do not live in the kind of intentional communities that hijras usually live in. Additionally, not all kothis have undergone initiation rites or the body modification steps to become a hijra.[22] Local equivalents include durani (Kolkata), menaka (Cochin),[23] meti (Nepal), and zenana (Pakistan).
Hijra used to be translated in English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite,"[13] although LGBT historians or human rights activists have sought to include them as being transgender.[24] In a series of meetings convened between October 2013 and Jan 2014 by the transgender experts committee of India's Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, hijra and other trans activists asked that the term "eunuch" be discontinued from usage in government documents, as it is not a term with which the communities identify.
Gender and sexuality
These identities have no exact match in the modern Western taxonomy of gender and sexual orientation,[24] and challenge Western ideas of sex and gender.[11]
In India, some Hijras do not define themselves by specific sexual orientation, but rather by renouncing sexuality altogether. Sexual energy is transformed into sacred powers. However, these notions can come in conflict with the practical, which is that hijras are often employed as prostitutes.[25] Furthermore, in India a feminine male who takes a "receptive" role in sex with a man will often identify as a kothi (or the local equivalent term). While kothis are usually distinguished from hijras as a separate gender identity, they often dress as women and act in a feminine manner in public spaces, even using feminine language to refer to themselves and each other. The usual partners of hijras and kothis are men who consider themselves heterosexual as they are the ones who penetrate.[26] These male partners are often married, and any relationships or sex with "kothis" or hijras are usually kept secret from the community at large. Some hijras may form relationships with men and even marry,[27] although their marriage is not usually recognized by law or religion. Hijras and kothis often have a name for these masculine sexual or romantic partners; for example, panthi in Bangladesh, giriya in Delhi or sridhar in Cochin.[23]
Social status and economic circumstances
Most hijras live at the margins of society with very low status; the very word "hijra" is sometimes used in a derogatory manner. The Indian lawyer and author Rajesh Talwar has written a book highlighting the human rights abuses suffered by the community titled 'The Third Sex and Human Rights.'[28] Few employment opportunities are available to hijras. Many get their income from extortion (forced payment by disrupting work/life using demonstrations and interference), performing at ceremonies (toli), begging (dheengna), or sex work ('raarha')—an occupation of eunuchs also recorded in premodern times. Violence against hijras, especially hijra sex workers, is often brutal, and occurs in public spaces, police stations, prisons, and their homes.[29] As with transgender people in most of the world, they face extreme discrimination in health, housing, education, employment, immigration, law, and any bureaucracy that is unable to place them into male or female gender categories.[30]
In 2008, HIV prevalence was 27.6% amongst hijra sex workers in Larkana.[6] The general prevalence of HIV among the adult Pakistani population is estimated at 0.1%.[31]
In October 2013, Pakistani Christians and Muslims (Shia and Sunni) put pressure on the landlords of Imamia Colony to evict any transgender residents. "Generally in Pakistan, Khwaja Sira are not under threat. But they are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province because of a 'new Islam' under way", I.A. Rehman, the director of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.[32]
In a study of Bangladeshi hijras, participants reported not being allowed to seek healthcare at the private chambers of doctors, and experiencing abuse if they go to government hospitals.[33]
Beginning in 2006, hijras were engaged to accompany Patna city revenue officials to collect unpaid taxes, receiving a 4-percent commission.[34]
Since India's Supreme Court re-criminalized homosexual sex on 13 December 2013, there has been a sharp increase in the physical, psychological and sexual violence against the transgender community by the Indian Police Service, nor are they investigating even when sexual assault against them is reported.[35]
On 15 April 2014, in National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India, the Supreme Court of India ruled that transgender people should be treated as a third category of gender or as a socially and economically "backward" class entitled to proportional access and representation in education and jobs.[36]
Language
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
The hijra community due to its peculiar place in sub-continental society which entailed marginalisation yet royal privileges developed a secret language known as Hijra Farsi. The language has a sentence structure loosely based on Urdu and a unique vocabulary of at least a thousand words. Beyond the Urdu-Hindi speaking areas of subcontinent the vocabulary is still used by the hijra community within their own native languages.
In South Asian politics
In 2013, transgender people in Pakistan were given their first opportunity to stand for election.[37] Sanam Fakir, a 32-year-old hijra, ran as an independent candidate for Sukkur, Pakistan's general election in May.[38]
The governments of both India (1994)[39] and Pakistan (2009)[40] have recognized hijras as a "third sex", thus granting them the basic civil rights of every citizen. In India, hijras now have the option to identify as a eunuch ("E") on passports and on certain government documents. They are not, however, fully accommodated; in order to vote, for example, citizens must identify as either male or female. There is also further discrimination from the government. In the 2009 general election, India's election committee denied three hijras candidature unless they identified themselves as either male or female.
In April 2014, Justice KS Radhakrishnan declared transgender to be the third gender in Indian law, in a case brought by the National Legal Services Authority (Nalsa) against Union of India and others.[17][18][19] The ruling said:[41]
Seldom, our society realises or cares to realise the trauma, agony and pain which the members of Transgender community undergo, nor appreciates the innate feelings of the members of the Transgender community, especially of those whose mind and body disown their biological sex. Our society often ridicules and abuses the Transgender community and in public places like railway stations, bus stands, schools, workplaces, malls, theatres, hospitals, they are sidelined and treated as untouchables, forgetting the fact that the moral failure lies in the society's unwillingness to contain or embrace different gender identities and expressions, a mindset which we have to change.
Justice Radhakrishnan said that transgender people should be treated consistently with other minorities under the law, enabling them to access jobs, healthcare and education.[42] He framed the issue as one of human rights, saying that, "These TGs, even though insignificant in numbers, are still human beings and therefore they have every right to enjoy their human rights", concluding by declaring that:[41]
Hijras, Eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as "third gender" for the purpose of safeguarding their rights under Part III of our Constitution and the laws made by the Parliament and the State Legislature.
Transgender persons' right to decide their self-identified gender is also upheld and the Centre and State Governments are directed to grant legal recognition of their gender identity such as male, female or as third gender.
A bill supported by all political parties was tabled in Indian parliament to ensure transgender people get benefits akin reserved communities like SC/STs and is taking steps to see that they get enrollment in schools and jobs in government besides protection from sexual harassment.[43]
History
The ancient Kama Sutra mentions the performance of fellatio by feminine people of a third sex (tritiya prakriti).[44] This passage has been variously interpreted as referring to men who desired other men, so-called eunuchs ("those disguised as males, and those that are disguised as females"[45]), male and female trans people ("the male takes on the appearance of a female and the female takes on the appearance of the male"),[46] or two kinds of biological males, one dressed as a woman, the other as a man.[47]
During the era of the British Raj, authorities attempted to eradicate hijras, whom they saw as "a breach of public decency."[48] Anti-hijra laws were repealed; but a law outlawing castration, a central part of the hijra community, was left intact, though rarely enforced. Also during British rule in India they were placed under the Criminal Tribes Act 1871 and labelled a "criminal tribe," hence subjected to compulsory registration, strict monitoring and stigmatized for a long time; after independence however they were denotified in 1952, though the centuries-old stigma continues.[49]
In religion
The Indian transgender hijras or Aravanis ritually marry the Hindu god Aravan and then mourn his ritual death (seen) in an 18-day festival in Koovagam, India.
Many practice a form of syncretism that draws on multiple religions; seeing themselves to be neither men nor women, hijras practice rituals for both men and women.
Hijras belong to a special caste. They are usually devotees of the mother goddess Bahuchara Mata, Lord Shiva, or both.
Hijras and Bahuchara Mata
Bahuchara Mata is a Hindu goddess with two unrelated stories both associated with transgender behavior. One story is that she appeared in the avatar of a princess who castrated her husband because he would run in the woods and act like a woman rather than have sex with her. Another story is that a man tried to rape her, so she cursed him with impotence. When the man begged her forgiveness to have the curse removed, she relented only after he agreed to run in the woods and act like a woman. The primary temple to this goddess is located in Gujarat[50] and it is a place of pilgrimage for hijras, who see Bahucahara Mata as a patroness.
Hijras and Lord Shiva
One of the forms of Lord Shiva is a merging with Parvati where together they are Ardhanari, a god that is half Shiva and Half Parvati. Ardhanari has special significance as a patron of hijras, who identify with the gender ambiguity.[50]
Hijras in the Ramayana
In some versions of the Ramayana,[51] when Rama leaves Ayodhya for his 14-year exile, a crowd of his subjects follow him into the forest because of their devotion to him. Soon Rama notices this, and gathers them to tell them not to mourn, and that all the "men and women" of his kingdom should return to their places in Ayodhya. Rama then leaves and has adventures for 14 years. When he returns to Ayodhya, he finds that the hijras, being neither men nor women, have not moved from the place where he gave his speech. Impressed with their devotion, Rama grants hijras the boon to confer blessings on people during auspicious inaugural occasions like childbirth and weddings. This boon is the origin of badhai in which hijras sing, dance, and give blessings.[
Hijras in the Mahabharata
Mahabharata includes an episode in which Arjun, a hero of the epic, is sent into an exile. There he assumes an identity of a eunuch-transvestite and performs rituals during weddings and childbirths that are now performed by hijras.[53]
In the Mahabharata, before the Kurukshetra War, Iravan offers his lifeblood to goddess Kali to ensure the victory of the Pandavas, and Kali agrees to grant him power. On the night before the battle, Iravan expresses a desire to get married before he dies. No woman was willing to marry a man doomed to die in a few hours, so Arjuna as Brihinala marries him. In South India, hijras claim Iravan as their progenitor and call themselves "aravanis."[52]
"Sangam literature use ' word 'Pedi' to refer to people born with Intersex condition, it also refers to antharlinga hijras and various Hijra, The Aravan cult in Koovagam village of Tamil Nadu is a folk tradition of the transwomen, where the members enact the legend during an annual three-day festival. "This is completely different from the sakibeki cult of West Bengal, where transwomen don't have to undergo sex change surgery or shave off their facial hair. They dress as women still retaining their masculine features and sing in praise of Lord Krishna,". "Whereas, since the Tamil society is more conservative and hetero-normative, transwomen completely change themselves as women. In the ancient times, even religion has its own way of accepting these fringe communities." The Bachura Devi worship in Gujarat and Jogappa cult of Karanataka are the other examples.the kinds of dialects and languages spoken by these community in different parts of the country and the socio-cultural impact on the lingo. 'Hijra Farsi' is the transgender dialect, a mix of Urdu, Hindi and Persian spoken in the northern belt of India, Pakistan and Afghanistan and 'Kothi Baashai' is spoken by the transgender community in Karnataka, Andhra, Orissa and parts of Tamil Nadu. "They even have sign languages and typical mannerisms to communicate. The peculiar clap is one such"
—Gopi Shankar Madurai, National Queer Conference 2013[54][55]
Each year in Tamil Nadu, during April and May, hijras celebrate an eighteen-day religious festival. The aravani temple is located in the village Koovagam in the Ulundurpet taluk in Villupuram district, and is devoted to the deity Koothandavar, who is identified with Aravan. During the festival, the aravanis reenact a story of the wedding of Lord Krishna and Lord Aravan, followed by Aravan's subsequent sacrifice. They then mourn Aravan's death through ritualistic dances and by breaking their bangles. An annual beauty pageant is also held, as well as various health and HIV or AIDS seminars. Hijras from all over the country travel to this festival. A personal experience of the hijras in this festival is shown in the BBC Three documentary India's Ladyboys and also in the National Geographic Channel television series Taboo.
Hijras in Islam
There is evidence that Indian hijras identifying as Muslim also incorporate aspects of Hinduism. Still, despite this syncretism, Reddy (2005) notes that a hijra does not practice Islam differently from other Muslims and argues that their syncretism does not make them any less Muslim. Reddy (2003) also documents an example of how this syncretism manifests: in Hyderabad, India a group of Muslim converts were circumcised, something seen as the quintessential marker of male Muslim identity.[clarification needed]
In films and literature
Bangladesh
The film Common Gender (2012) relates the story of the Bangladesh hijra and their struggle for survival.
India
Hijras have been portrayed on screen in Indian cinema since its inception, historically as comic relief. A notable turning point occurred in 1974 when real hijras appeared during a song-and-dance sequence in Kunwaara Baap ("The Unmarried Father"). There are also hijras in the Hindi movie Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) who accompany one of the heroes, Akbar (Rishi Kapoor), in a song entitled "Tayyab Ali Pyar Ka Dushman" ("Tayyab Ali, the Enemy of Love"). One of the first sympathetic hijra portrayals was in Mani Ratnam's Bombay (1995). 1997's Tamanna[56] starred male actor Paresh Rawal in a central role as "Tiku", a hijra who raises a young orphan. Pooja Bhatt produced and also starred in the movie, with her father Mahesh Bhatt co-writing and directing. Deepa Mehta's Water features the hijra character "Gulabi" (played by Raghubir Yadav), who has taken to introducing the downtrodden, outcast widows of Varanasi to prostitution. Not surprisingly, perhaps, the film generated much controversy. There is a brief appearance of hijras in the 2004 Gurinder Chadha film Bride & Prejudice, singing to a bride-to-be in the marketplace. There's also a loose reference, in the guise of "Rocky" ("Rokini") in Deepha Mehta's Bollywood/Hollywood.
The 1997 Hindi film Darmiyaan: In Between directed & co-written by Kalpana Lajmi is based on the subject of Hijra, wherein a fictitious story of an actress bearing a son that turns out to be neuter.
In the 2000 Tamil film Appu directed by Vasanth, a remake of the Hindi film Sadak, the antagonist is a brothel-owning hijra played by Prakash Raj. (In Sadak, the brothel-owning character was played by Sadashiv Amrapurkar under the name "Maharani".)
In 2005, a fiction feature film titled Shabnam Mausi was made on the life of a eunuch politician Shabnam Mausi. It was directed by Yogesh Bharadwaj and the title role played by Ashutosh Rana.
Jogwa, a 2009 Marathi film, depicts the story of a man forced to be hijra under certain circumstances. The movie has received several accolades.[57]
In Soorma Bhopali, Jagdeep encounters a troupe of hijra on his arrival in Bombay. The leader of this pack is also played by Jagdeep himself.
In Anil Kapoor's Nayak, Johnny Lever, who plays the role of the hero's assistant, gets beaten up by hijras, when he is caught calling them "hijra" (he is in habit of calling almost everyone who bothers him by this pejorative and no one cares much, except this once ironically, as the addressees are literally what he is calling them.)
One of the main characters in Khushwant Singh's novel Delhi, Bhagmati is a hijra. She makes a living as a semi-prostitute and is wanted in the diplomatic circles of the city.
Vijay TV's Ippadikku Rose, a Tamil show conducted by postgraduate educated transgender woman Rose is a very successfully running program that discusses various issues faced by youth in Tamil Nadu, where she also gives her own experiences.
In addition to numerous other themes, the 2008 movie Welcome to Sajjanpur by Shyam Benegal explores the role of hijras in Indian society.
In the Malayalam movie Ardhanaari, released on 23 November 2012, director Santhosh Sowparnika tries to depict the life of a transgender person. Manoj K Jayan, Thilakan, Sukumari and Maniyanpilla Raju perform leading roles.
In August, 2015, a music video featuring 7 hijras dressed in outfits or uniforms of various professions and singing the National Anthem of India created by a YouTube channel Yathartha Pictures went viral for being the first National Anthem video sung by hijras in India.[58][59] The hijras featured in the video were brought together by the Humsafar Trust, a Mumbai-based NGO which promotes LGBT rights.[60][61]
Tamil
Vaadamalli by novelist Su.Samuthiram is the first Tamil novel about Aravaani community in Tamil Nadu, published in 1994. Later transgender activist A. Revathi became first Hijra to write about transgender issues and gender politics in Tamil, her works have been translated in more than 8 languages and acting as a primary resources on Gender Studies in Asia. Her book is part of research project for more than 100 universities. She is the author of Unarvum Uruvamum (Feelings of the Entire Body); is the first of its kind in English from a member of the hijra community.[62][63][64] She also acted,directed several stage plays on Gender and Sexuality issues in Tamil and Kannada."The Truth about Me: A Hijra Life Story" by Transgender A.Revathi[65] is part of the syllabus for Final Year students of The American College in Madurai. Later Naan Saravanan Alla" (2007) and Vidya's "I am Vidya" (2008) became first transwoman autobiography.[66][67]
Pakistan
The 1992 film Immaculate Conception[68] by Jamil Dehlavi is based upon the culture-clash between a western Jewish couple seeking fertility at a Karachi shrine known to be blessed by a Sufi fakir called 'Gulab Shah' and the group of Pakistani eunuchs who guard it.
Murad (which means desire; the English title was Eunuch's Motherhood), was an award winning biographical Telefilm drama made by Evergreen Media Europe for Pakistan's television channel Indus TV that aired in 2003. The cast had the country's top male television actors playing "hijras": Sohail Asghar, Nabeel, Qazi Wajid, Kamran Jilani. It was directed by Kamran Qureshi, written by Zafar Mairaj and produced by Iram Qureshi. It won both Best TeleFilm and Best Director awards at 2003 Indus Telefilm Festival.[69][70] The story revolves around "Saima", a trans woman, who adopts a helpless child "Murad" and her relationship with him against the backdrop of her struggling throughout her life and her "desire" for her son. She has sent him away to live at a hostel so she can earn a living as a dancer, after her son gets cross with her, due to teasing (verbal and sexual) they face while dancing. This was the first time that influential male actors came out to support "hijra" rights during interviews; noting that in Pakistani English at that time eunuch was the term to describe a transgender person, and "khwaja sara" (also khwaja sira) had not yet replaced what is now considered a derogatory term due to decades of heckling and name calling, "hijra".[71][72]
In 2004, Kamran Qureshi directed a trans drama, Moorat ("effigy," however, the English title was Eunuch's Wedding. It was produced by famous actor and producer Humayun Saeed and Abdullah Kadwani with more than a dozen star-studded cast members for a 33-episode series.[73][74] It was nominated for Best Drama Serial, Abid Ali for Best Actor, and Maria Wasti for Best Actress at the Lux Style Awards 2005.[69][75] The show was credited for making people understand the pain and abuse that khwaja sara (hijra) constantly endure when people make fun of the way they look or dress without knowing them or how they were naturally born this way. The story involves a young lady who is arranged to marry. It turns out her husband is transgender. The story unfolds trans community and their deprived and isolated world. It portrays eloquently how they, too, are not far away from the human emotions and feelings and their world not much different from the heterosexual community. Even though they are in plain sight, they are tthey are taboo subjects and are not taken seriously. This makes them suffer endlessly in silence wrapped in slurs. The 33-episode series therefore touches on transgender abuse, women abuse, poverty, immorality of arranged marriages, and child abuse.[76]
Bol (Urdu: بول meaning Speak), is a 2011 Urdu-language social drama Pakistani film. It concerns a patriarch, Hakim, who is a misogynist, a domestic abuser, a bigot, and a zealot who forces religion on his family. They face financial difficulties due to Hakim wanting a son. He rejects his transgender daughter, Saifi, as he wanted an heir and she identifies as a girl. Saifi is deeply loved by the rest of her family. As she grows up, men want to take advantage of her and she does not understand at first. However, her oldest sister intervenes and teaches Saifi about what kind of touching is inappropriate. As Saifi grows older, she is not allowed to leave the house. She finds her sister's dresses compelling and tries them on, revealing her gender identity. A neighbour played by famous South Asian singer Atif Aslam, who is in love with one of the sisters, gets Saifi a job at a place where they paint trucks, with the blessing of Saifi's sisters and mother. Saifi dresses like a boy; however, other boys sense her lack of self-esteem and eventually gang-rape her. She is saved when another transgender person, played by Almas Bobby (a transgender actor), finds her and takes her home. Hakim overhears Saifi telling her mother and Zainab what happened. When everybody is asleep, Hakim locks the room and suffocates his child for luring the men for the "shame" he would have to bear if the story got out.[77] It received several positive reviews from critics and went on to win the Best Hindi film award in IRDS Film awards 2011 by Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS).[78]
Outside South Asia
The novel Bombay Ice by Leslie Forbes features an important subplot involving the main character's investigation of the deaths of several hijra sex-workers.
The novel City of Djinns by William Dalrymple also features a chapter on hijras.
The novel A Son of the Circus by John Irving features a plot-line involving hijras.
In the graphic novel Habibi by Craig Thompson, the protagonist, Zam, is adopted by a group of hijras.
In the 2009 Brazilian soap opera Caminho das Índias (Portuguese: "The way to India"), hijras are shown in some occasions, especially at weddings and other ceremonies where they are paid for their blessing.
In the TV comedy Outsourced (2011), a hijra is hired by Charlie as a stripper for Rajiv's "bachelor party", much to Rajiv's utter horror.
A short film, under the direction of Jim Roberts, is being made by Rock Star Productions in which the protagonist is portrayed as a hijra. This film is set to be released on 1 May.[year needed][citation needed]
Kamran Ahmed Mirza is a popular gender performance artist in Oregon, United States.
Documentaries
Jareena, Portrait of a Hijda (1990)
Ladyboys (1992)
Bombay Eunuch (2001)
The Hijras: India's Third Gender (2001)
India's Ladyboys (2003)
Between the Lines: India's Third Gender (2005)
Middle Sexes (HBO documentary includes segment on modern Hijda) (2005)
Shabnam Mausi (2005)
The Hijras of India (BBC radio documentary)
Kiss the Moon (2009)
Call me Salma (2009)
Mohammed to Maya also titled Rites of Passage (2012)
Movember is the month-long fund-raiser for men's health issues - testicular and prostate cancer, mental health, suicide prevention.
Originally, it was all about "the mo" - growing a moustache for sponsorship. Now though, there's also "MOVE" where you can be sponsored for having a more active lifestyle. I chose to try and walk 10km+ a day, and set myself a challenge of 400km for the month. If you'd like to support the cause, check out my progress at: mobro.co/cobbydale?mc=1
The Grevy’s zebra is the largest living wild equid. It can be distinguished from other species of zebra by its larger ears and narrower stripes. Vertical stripes cover most of the head and body, with the exception of the belly, which is white.
As a response to the sparse plant life in their habitat, Grevy's zebras usually do not form stable herds and only congregate during periods when they must migrate to find grazing or water. Grevy’s zebras have a much more open society than those of other equid species and associations between individuals, other than between a mother and her foal, rarely last for more than a few months.
Male territories are patrolled and marked with dung and are the largest of any living herbivore - up to ten square kilometres. Territorial males also vocalize loudly to assert their dominance within the territory. To adapt to a semi-arid environment, Grevy's zebra foals take longer intervals between suckling bouts and do not drink water until they are three months old. Stallions have large testicles and can ejaculate a large amount of semen to replace the sperm of other males. This is a useful adaptation for a species whose females mate polyandrously. Grevy’s zebras are in grave danger. A mere few decades ago, in the 1970s, more than 15,000 Grevy’s zebras inhabited Africa. Today, fewer than 2,500 remain.
The greatest threats facing the species today are habitat fragmentation and loss, as more land is converted to agricultural use. Overgrazing by livestock is leading to significant environmental degradation—Grevy’s zebras compete with the ever-increasing livestock population and agricultural crops for water.
Some interesting information about honey bees...
1. On the maiden flight of the Queen bee, she mates with about 20 drones.
2. The testicles of the male honey bee explodes during orgasm and then he dies.
3. The queen been stores the sperm for up to 10 years… she never mates again.
*** Protecting and preserving honey bees is imperative to the well-being of mankind!
Since the mid 2000, honey bees have been disappearing all throughout the world. Because bees assist with the pollination process of plants, their decline could have an enormous impact on all of us.
About to leap out into the world - "spectacles, testicles, wallet & watch" - or the girlier version: "nails, heels, hair, and bling!"
Please, read my profile, or visit my website!
SVP, lire mon profil, ou visiter mon page sur Web!
Sorry I know this isn't a great shot but I couldn't resist posting this just for the fun :-). This was nothing but an opportunistic snapshot which I couldn't resist as our guide had just told us that "pound for pound" these Tammar Wallabies have the heaviest testicles in the animal kingdom. I'm not sure if its true or not, and I'm not going to google it as I don't think I could cope with all the resulting spam :-), but it certainly made us laugh. Apologies if it offends anyone.
My Website - Aaron Yeoman Photography
Also Follow Me at 500px * Getty Images * Twitter * Facebook * Google+
City Hall (London), Queen's Walk, London, England
UPDATE OCTOBER 2012 - #1 on Explore for 01.10.2012 - thank you very much everybody! My first ever #1 explore!!:-)
Really enjoyed visiting and editing this place. Again I went last year in Open House but came bit disappointed as my lenses were not wide enough to get the images I wanted.
Friend and photographer Mark Hepples went to City Hall late on in the day, around 1700, I thought it was going to be fairly quiet as most people would have been in the morning but actually it was quite the opposite. We couldn't even get on the balcony at one point to look at the views due to the amount of people. Also looking at this image you get the sense of how many people were in the building at this time. For those who went in the morning was it quiet?
Now this image, I put my Samyang 8mm fisheye on. This lens really compliments the building well due to the massive sweeping curves and bends in the spiral staircase, 0.5km of it. I did used my Sigma 10-20 but it just didn't create the effect that I wanted. Big thanks to Mark Hepples for the name of this image, the fisheye makes it resemble a Helter Skelter, massively over emphasising the curves which is what I wanted. Be sure to check out Marks photostream, he has some awesome images on Flickr and he is also uploading his Open House images too.
I am really enjoying all of your Open House images and your photographic interpretations of the buildings you visited. Keep them coming!!
Photo Details
Sony Alpha DSLR-A700
Samyang 8mm F3.5 MC Fisheye
RAW
f/11
8mm
ISO100
0.5s exposure
Software Used
Lightroom 4.1
Silver Efex Pro 2
Information
City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) which comprises the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. It was designed by Norman Foster and opened in July 2002, two years after the Greater London Authority was created.
The building has an unusual, bulbous shape, purportedly intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency, although energy use measurements have shown this building to be fairly inefficient in terms of energy use. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet, a misshapen egg, a woodlouse and a motorcycle helmet. Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle" while the present mayor, Boris Johnson, has referred to it as "The Glass Gonad" and more politely as "The Onion". Its designers reportedly saw the building as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. It has no front or back in conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere.
A 500-metre (1,640 ft) helical walkway, reminiscent of that in New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, ascends the full height of the building. At the top of the ten-story building is an exhibition and meeting space called "London's Living Room", with an open viewing deck which is occasionally open to the public. The walkway provides views of the interior of the building, and is intended to symbolise transparency; a similar device was used by Foster in his design for the rebuilt Reichstag (parliament) in Germany. In 2006 it was announced that solar photovoltaic cells would be fitted to the building by the London Climate Change Agency.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall_(London)#cite_note-6
And now Bruno is neutered. But don't worry he is not sad. He never even knew what his testicles were for in the first place.
What do you get for someone who has just been neutered? It turns out that Hallmark does not make a card specific for that situation, and I was afraid what a google search would produce.
I went with a standard favourite amongst golden retrievers, and bought him a dozen tennis balls. Being in a cone didn't stop him from playing, and he thought this whole photo shoot was a great time. Especially since it was a family affair with everyone taking turns petting him, calling his name, putting tennis balls in his mouth, and keeping the tennis balls away from Eva for the photo. And yes, all twelve balls are in that cone.
On a serious note, Bruno is doing great. He was slightly slowed and confused by the medications on day one. He is now back to being happy, silly, active and his usual goofy self. Just bigger while wearing a cone and often plowing his people and his Brittany Spaniel over like a snow plow.
---------
I've also included this in my natural light set. Early evening, overcast with minimal directionality to the light from behind Bruno.
Another shot of the male leopard having a nice time on the bed made of dead leaves. I like how his paw is on the branch
TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM |
London | Architecture | Night Photography
=========================================================================
City Hall is the headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA) which comprises the Mayor of London and London Assembly. It is located in Southwark, stands on the south bank of the River Thames near Tower Bridge. Designed by Norman Foster, it opened in July 2002.
The building has an unusual bulbous shape, intended to reduce its surface area and thus improve energy efficiency. It has been compared variously to Darth Vader's helmet,[citation needed] a misshapen egg, a woodlouse[citation needed] and a motorcycle helmet.[citation needed] Former mayor Ken Livingstone referred to it as a "glass testicle",[1][2] while the present mayor, Boris Johnson, has referred to it as "The Glass Gonad"[3] and more politely as "The Onion".[citation needed] Its designers reportedly saw the building as a giant sphere hanging over the Thames, but opted for a more conventionally rooted building instead. It has no front or back in conventional terms but derives its shape from a modified sphere.
City Hall was constructed on a site formerly occupied by wharves serving the Pool of London . The building does not belong to the GLA but is leased under a 25-year rent. It forms part of a larger development called More London, including offices and shops. Next to City Hall is a sunken amphitheatre called The Scoop, which is used in the summer months for open-air performances; it is not, however, part of the GLA's jurisdiction. The Scoop and surrounding landscape were designed by Townshend Landscape Architects.
On the top floor is a viewing platform that almost completely surrounds the building, and is open to the public on particular open house days.A 500-metre (1,640 ft) helical walkway, reminiscent of that in New York's Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, ascends the full height of the building. At the top of the ten-story building is an exhibition and meeting space called "London's Living Room", with an open viewing deck which is occasionally open to the public. The walkway provides views of the interior of the building, and is intended to symbolise transparency; a similar device was used by Foster in his design for the rebuilt Reichstag (parliament) in Germany. In 2006 it was announced that solar photovoltaic cells would be fitted to the building by the London Climate Change Agency.[4]
Despite the name, City Hall is neither located in nor does it serve a city (as recognised by English constitutional law), often adding to the confusion of Greater London with the City of London, whose headquarters is in the Guildhall, north of the Thames. The predecessors of the Greater London Authority, namely the Greater London Council and the London County Council, had their headquarters at County Hall, upstream on the South Bank. Although County Hall's old council chamber is still intact, the building is unavailable for use by the GLA due to the building's conversion into, among other things, a luxury hotel, amusement arcade and aquarium.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Hall_(London)
London City Hall Architecture - Circles of Light
© Saúl Tuñón Loureda
El Royal Albert Hall es una sala de conciertos en Londres. Inaugurado el 29 de marzo de 1871, es uno de los teatros más emblemáticos del mundo y una de las construcciones más distintivas del Reino Unido. Está ubicado en Albertopolis, en el extremo norte del área de South Kensington, en la ciudad de Westminster.
El Royal Albert Hall fue construido para cumplir la visión del príncipe Alberto, consorte de la reina Victoria, de un "Salón Central" que fuera utilizado para promover las artes y las ciencias en South Kensington, rodeado de museos y centros de aprendizaje.1
Iba a llamarse The Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, pero se lo renombró Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences por decisión de Victoria, en memoria de su esposo.
En 1851, con motivo de la Gran Exposición en Hyde Park (Londres), se construyó el The Crystal Palace. La exposición tuvo un gran éxito y esto hizo que el príncipe Alberto propusiera la construcción de una serie de instalaciones permanentes para la cultura y educación de la gente.
La propuesta fue aprobada y el sitio fue comprado con una parte de los beneficios recaudados en la exposición. En abril de 1867 la reina Victoria firmó la «Royal Charter of the Corporation of the Hall of Arts and Sciences» para poder iniciar la construcción y operación del teatro y el 20 de mayo se colocó la primera piedra. Sin embargo, el progreso del proyecto fue muy lento y, en 1861, Alberto murió sin poder ver realizadas sus ideas. No obstante, se propuso la construcción de un monumento en su memoria, el Albert Memorial, orientado hacia el Royal Albert Hall.
La ceremonia oficial de inauguración fue el 29 de marzo de 1871. El discurso de bienvenida estuvo a cargo de Eduardo, Príncipe de Gales. Aunque Victoria no dio un discurso, sí comentó que el edificio le recordaba a la Constitución Británica.
El Royal Albert Hall, monumento clasificado de Grado 1, fue diseñado por los ingenieros civiles Francis Fowke y Henry Young Darracott Scott, de la Royal Engineers, y construido por los hermanos contratistas Thomas y Charles Lucas.3 Los diseñadores estuvieron fuertemente influenciados por la forma de los antiguos anfiteatros, así como también por las ideas de Gottfried Semper, mientras él trabajaba en el South Kensington Museum.
Para su construcción se emplearon ladrillos rojos de Fareham, con bloques de decoración hechos de terracota, fabricados por Gibbs and Canning Limited. Tiene un tamaño de 83 metros (eje mayor) por 72 metros (eje menor) y una forma elíptica. El domo, diseñado por el ingeniero Rowland Mason Ordish, está hecho de cristal y acero forjado, se encuentra a 41 metros de altura en el techo. Originalmente, el teatro fue diseñado para poder albergar 8000 personas, capacidad que ha sido aumentada hasta 9000, aunque las medidas de seguridad actuales han restringido la capacidad máxima permitida, lo que permite un cupo de 5544, incluyendo gente de pie en la Galería.
Desde su inauguración, han pasado por su escenario artistas reconocidos internacionalmente, de música clásica hasta bandas de rock. Ha sido sede de galas benéficas, entregas de premios, banquetes, conferencias, eventos públicos y torneos de tenis. Se llevaron a cabo las graduaciones del Imperial College, acogió el Festival de Eurovisión 1968, el primero transmitido en color, y albergó a celebridades como Creedence Clearwater Revival, John Fogerty, Lady Gaga, Cream, Tony Bennett, Glen Hansard, Laura Pausini, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Slash, B.B. King, David Bisbal, Yanni, bond, Eric Clapton, Mark Knopfler, George Harrison, David Gilmour, Deep Purple, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, Camel, Sting, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam, Umberto Tozzi, Jack Bruce, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, Sarah Brightman, Julio Iglesias, Mick Jagger, Muse, Frank Sinatra, Phil Collins, Pete Townshend, The Corrs, Robbie Williams, The Last Shadow Puppets, Arctic Monkeys, Enrique Iglesias, Noel Gallagher, Depeche Mode, Snow Patrol, The Stranglers, The Killers, Jake Bugg, Porcupine Tree, Coldplay y, recientemente Steven Wilson, Opeth, Emeli Sandé, Adele, Florence and the Machine, Mystery Jets, Foals, Bring Me The Horizon , McFly y Juan Luis Guerra.
El Royal Albert Hall es la sede de The BBC Proms, el mayor festival mundial de música clásica que se realiza anualmente durante el verano, con una duración de ocho semanas y con un maratón de solistas, coros y orquestas transmitido a todo el mundo por la BBC.6 Por los Proms han pasado importantes figuras de la música clásica como Adrian Boult, Malcom Sargent, Colin Davis, Georg Solti, Evgeny Kissin, Joshua Bell, John Williams (guitarrista), Luciano Pavarotti, Jessye Norman, Plácido Domingo, Sarah Brightman, Renée Fleming, Bryn Terfel y Simon Rattle, entre otros.
La tradicional última noche de los Proms es uno de los hitos del verano londinense. Es un show que reúne multitudes dentro del hall y en Hyde Park y otros parques en otros lugares del Reino Unido. El último concierto del festival (a menudo la Novena Sinfonía de Beethoven) finaliza con bises de clásicos la cultura victoriana como Pompa y circunstancia de Sir Edward Elgar, Land of Hope and Glory, Rule Britannia, Jerusalem y God Save the Queen.
El Cirque du Soleil ha realizado numerosas presentaciones en este teatro desde 1996, con el espectáculo Saltimbanco, que se presentó hasta 1997. En 1998 y 1999, presentaron Alegría. En 2003 se presentan nuevamente con Saltimbanco. En 2004 y 2005 montaron el espectáculo Dralion. En 2006 y 2007 se dio el regreso de Alegría, mientras que en el 2008, realizaron la premiere de Varekai, espectáculo con el que regresaron en 2010, con motivo de la celebración de los 25 años de la compañía. En 2011 y 2012 se presentaron con Totem. En 2013 estarán presentando Kooza.
Desde 1998, el English National Ballet se ha presentado en numerosas temporadas en sociedad con el teatro y Raymond Gubbay con, entre otros, La bella durmiente (2000), Romeo y Julieta (2001 y 2005), El lago de los cisnes (2002, 2004, 2007 y 2010) y Strictly Gershwin (2008 y 2011).
The Festival of Remembrance de la Royal British Legion se celebra anualmente, un día antes del Rembrance Sunday, fecha en la que se recuerda a todos aquellos que han perdido la vida en conflictos bélicos.
Teenage Cancer Trust
Desde el año 2000, el Teenage Cancer Trust ha celebrado anualmente conciertos de caridad. Iniciaron como un evento sencillo, pero a través de los años se han ido expandiendo hasta presentar una semana o más de presentaciones.
Roger Daltrey, vocalista de The Who, ha estado profundamente envuelto en la realización de los conciertos para este evento.
Ceremonias de graduación
El teatro es usado anualmente por el Royal College of Art y el Imperial College London para sus ceremonias de graduación.
La Kingston University celebró también sus ceremonias de graduación hasta 2008, año en que cambió de sede al nuevo Rose Theatre, Kingston.
es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Albert_Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, which holds the Proms concerts annually each summer since 1941. It has a capacity of up to 5,272 seats. The Hall is a registered charity held in trust for the nation and receives no public or government funding.[1]
Since its opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genres have appeared on its stage and it has become one of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings. The location of some of the most notable events in British culture, each year it hosts more than 390 shows in the main auditorium, including classical, rock and pop concerts, ballet, opera, film screenings with live orchestra, sports, award ceremonies, school and community events, charity performances and banquets. A further 400 events are held each year in the non-auditorium spaces.
The Hall was originally supposed to have been called the Central Hall of Arts and Sciences, but the name was changed to the Royal Albert Hall of Arts and Sciences by Queen Victoria upon laying the Hall's foundation stone in 1867, in memory of her husband consort, Prince Albert who had died six years earlier. It forms the practical part of a memorial to the Prince Consort – the decorative part is the Albert Memorial directly to the north in Kensington Gardens, now separated from the Hall by Kensington Gore.
he Hall, a Grade I listed building,[22] is an ellipse in plan, with major and minor axes of 83 m (272 ft) and 72 m (236 ft). The great glass and wrought-iron dome roofing the Hall is 41 m (135 ft) high. It was originally designed with a capacity for 8,000 people and has accommodated as many as 9,000 (although modern safety restrictions mean that the maximum permitted capacity is now 5,544 including standing in the Gallery).
Around the outside of the building is a great mosaic frieze, depicting "The Triumph of Arts and Sciences", in reference to the Hall's dedication. Proceeding anti-clockwise from the north side the sixteen subjects of the frieze are: (1) Various Countries of the World bringing in their Offerings to the Exhibition of 1851; (2) Music; (3) Sculpture; (4) Painting; (5) Princes, Art Patrons and Artists; (6) Workers in Stone; (7) Workers in Wood and Brick; (8) Architecture; (9) The Infancy of the Arts and Sciences; (10) Agriculture; (11) Horticulture and Land Surveying; (12) Astronomy and Navigation; (13) A Group of Philosophers, Sages and Students; (14) Engineering; (15) The Mechanical Powers; and (16) Pottery and Glassmaking.
Above the frieze is an inscription in 12-inch-high (300 mm) terracotta letters that combines historical fact and Biblical quotations: "This hall was erected for the advancement of the arts and sciences and works of industry of all nations in fulfilment of the intention of Albert Prince Consort. The site was purchased with the proceeds of the Great Exhibition of the year MDCCCLI. The first stone of the Hall was laid by Her Majesty Queen Victoria on the twentieth day of May MDCCCLXVII and it was opened by Her Majesty the Twenty Ninth of March in the year MDCCCLXXI. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty. For all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. The wise and their works are in the hand of God. Glory be to God on high and on earth peace."
Below the Arena floor there are two 4000 gallon water tanks, which are used for shows that flood the arena like Madam Butterfly.
The Hall has been affectionately titled "The Nation's Village Hall".[24] The first concert was Arthur Sullivan's cantata On Shore and Sea, performed on 1 May 1871.[25][26]
Many events are promoted by the Hall, whilst since the early 1970s promoter Raymond Gubbay has brought a range of events to the Hall including opera, ballet and classical music. Some events include classical and rock concerts, conferences, banquets, ballroom dancing, poetry recitals, educational talks, motor shows, ballet, opera, film screenings and circus shows. It has hosted many sporting events, including boxing, squash, table tennis, basketball, wrestling including the first Sumo wrestling tournament to be held in London as well as UFC 38 (the first UFC event to be held in the UK), tennis and even a marathon.[27][28]
On 6 April 1968, the Hall was the host venue for the Eurovision Song Contest which was broadcast in colour for the first time.[29] One notable event was a Pink Floyd concert held 26 June 1969, the night they were banned from ever playing at the Hall again after shooting cannons, nailing things to the stage, and having a man in a gorilla suit roam the audience. At one point Rick Wright went to the pipe organ and began to play "The End Of The Beginning", the final part of "Saucerful Of Secrets", joined by the brass section of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (led by the conductor, Norman Smith) and the ladies of the Ealing Central Amateur Choir.[30] A portion of the pipe organ recording is included on Pink Floyd's album The Endless River.[31]
On 30 June 2 and 3 July 2011, Janet Jackson brought her Number Ones, Up Close and Personal Tour here, These were her first headlining UK shows in 13 years.
Kylie Minogue performed a show here on 11 December 2015, to promote Kylie Christmas, her first Christmas album and thirteenth studio album. She will return with two more shows on 9 & 10 December 2016.
Benefit concerts in include the 1997 Music for Montserrat concert, arranged and produced by George Martin, an event which featured artists such as Phil Collins, Mark Knopfler, Sting, Elton John, Eric Clapton and Paul McCartney,[32] and 2012 Sunflower Jam charity concert with Queen guitarist Brian May performing alongside bassist John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, drummer Ian Paice of Deep Purple, and vocalists Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden and Alice Cooper.[33]
On 2 October 2011, the Hall staged the 25th anniversary performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera, which was broadcast live to cinemas across the world and filmed for DVD.[34] Lloyd Webber, the original London cast including Sarah Brightman and Michael Crawford, and four previous actors of the titular character, among others, were in attendance – Brightman and the previous Phantoms (aside from Crawford) performed an encore.
On 24 September 2012, Classic FM celebrated the 20th anniversary of their launch with a concert at the Hall. The programme featured live performances of works by Handel, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Parry, Vaughan Williams, Tchaikovsky and Karl Jenkins who conducted his piece The Benedictus from The Armed Man in person.[35]
On 19 November 2012, the Hall hosted the 100th anniversary performance of the Royal Variety Performance, attended by the Queen and Prince Philip, with boyband One Direction among the performers.[36]
Between 1996 and 2008, the Hall hosted the annual National Television Awards all of which were hosted by Sir Trevor McDonald.
Regular events
Royal Choral Society
The Royal Choral Society is the longest running regular performance at the Hall, having given its first performance as the Royal Albert Hall Choral Society on 8 May 1872. From 1878 it established the annual Good Friday performance of Handel's Messiah.
The BBC Promenade Concerts, known as "The Proms", is a popular annual eight-week summer season of daily classical music concerts and other events at the Hall. In 1942, following the destruction of the Queen's Hall in an air raid, the Hall was chosen as the new venue for the proms.[37] In 1944 with increased danger to the Hall, part of the proms were held in the Bedford Corn Exchange. Following the end of World War II the proms continued in the Hall and have done so annually every summer since. The event was founded in 1895, and now each season consists of over 70 concerts, in addition to a series of events at other venues across the United Kingdom on the last night. In 2009, the total number of concerts reached 100 for the first time. Jiří Bělohlávek described The Proms as "the world's largest and most democratic musical festival" of all such events in the world of classical music festivals.[38]
Proms (short for promenade concerts) is a term which arose from the original practice of the audience promenading, or strolling, in some areas during the concert. Proms concert-goers, particularly those who stand, are sometimes described as "Promenaders", but are most commonly referred to as "Prommers".[39]
Tennis
Tennis was first played at the Hall in March 1970 and the ATP Champions Tour Masters has been played annually every December since 1997.
Classical Spectacular
Classical Spectacular, a Raymond Gubbay production, has been coming to the Hall since 1988. It combines classical music, lights and special effects.
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil has performed several of its shows at the Hall beginning in 1996 with Saltimbanco, a show which returned in 1997. In 1998 they had their UK première of Alegría and returned in 1999. After a few years away they returned in 2003 with Saltimbanco. Their European première of Dralion was held at the Hall in 2004 and returned in 2005. 2006 and 2007 saw the return of Alegría whilst 2008 saw the UK première of Varekai, which returned in 2010 marking 25 years of Cirque du Soleil. Quidam returned to London (but a first for this show at the Hall) in 2009 and again in January 2014. In January and February 2011 and again in 2012 they presented Totem. From January–February 2013 and again from January–February 2015, the hall held performances of Koozå.
Classic Brit Awards
Since 2000, the Classic Brit Awards has been hosted annually in May at the Hall. It is organised by the British Phonographic Industry.
Festival of Remembrance
The Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance is held annually the day before Remembrance Sunday.[40]
Institute of Directors
For 60 years the Institute of Directors' Annual Convention has been synonymous with the Hall, although in 2011 and 2012 it was held at indigO2.
English National Ballet
Since 1998 the English National Ballet has had several specially staged arena summer seasons in partnership with the Hall and Raymond Gubbay. These include Strictly Gershwin, June 2008 and 2011, Swan Lake, June 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2013, Romeo & Juliet (Deane), June 2001 and 2005 and The Sleeping Beauty, April – June 2000.[41]
Teenage Cancer Trust
Starting in the year 2000 the Teenage Cancer Trust has held annual charity concerts (with the exception of 2001). They started as a one off event but have expanded over the years to a week or more of evenings events. Roger Daltrey of the Who has been intimately involved with the planning of the events.[42]
Graduation Ceremonies
The Hall is used annually by the neighbouring Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art for graduation ceremonies. Kingston University also held its graduation ceremonies at the Hall until 2008.
Films, premières and live orchestra screenings
The venue has screened several films since the early silent days. It was the only London venue to show William Fox's The Queen of Sheba in the 1920s.
The Hall has hosted many premières, including the UK première of Fritz Lang's Die Nibelungen, 101 Dalmatians on 4 December 1996, the European première of Spandau Ballet's Soul Boys of the Western World[43] and three James Bond royal world premières; Die Another Day on 18 November 2002 (attended by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip), Skyfall on 23 October 2012 (attended by Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall)[44] and SPECTRE on 26 October 2015 (attended by Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge).[45]
The Hall held its first 3D world première of Titanic 3D, on 27 March 2012, with James Cameron and Kate Winslet in attendance.[46]
The Hall has curated regular seasons of film-and-live-orchestra screenings since 2009, including the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Gladiator, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Interstellar, The Matrix, West Side Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Back to the Future and the world première of Titanic Live in Concert.
Beyond the main stage
The Hall hosts hundreds of events and activities beyond its main auditorium. There are regular free art exhibitions in the ground floor amphi corridor, which can be viewed when attending events or on dedicated viewing dates. You can take a guided tour of the Hall on most days. The most common is the one-hour Grand Tour which includes most front-of-house areas, the auditorium, the gallery and the Royal Retiring Room. Other tours include Story of the Proms, Behind the Scenes, Inside Out and School tours. Children's events include Storytelling and Music Sessions for 0 - 4 year olds which take place in the Door 9 Porch and Albert's Band sessions in the Elgar Room during school holidays. "Live Music in Verdi" takes place in the Italian restaurant on a Friday night featuring different artists each week. "Late Night Jazz" events in the Elgar Room, generally on a Thursday night, feature cabaret style seating and a relaxed atmosphere with drinks available. "Classical Coffee Mornings" are held on Sundays in the Elgar Room with musicians from the Royal College of Music accompanied with drinks and pastries. Sunday brunch events take place in Verdi Italian restaurant and features different genres of music.[47]
Regular performers
Eric Clapton is a regular performer at the Hall, it having played host to his concerts almost annually for over 20 years. In December 1964, Clapton made his first appearance at the Hall with the Yardbirds. It was also the venue for his band Cream's farewell concerts in 1968 and reunion shows in 2005. He also instigated the Concert for George, which was held at the Hall on 29 November 2002 to pay tribute to Clapton's lifelong friend, former Beatle George Harrison. Since 1964, Clapton has performed at the Hall almost 200 times, and has stated that performing at the venue is like "playing in my front room".[48][49]
David Gilmour played at the Hall in support of two solo albums, while also releasing a live concert on September 2006 entitled Remember That Night which was recorded during his three nights playing at the Hall for his 2006 On an Island tour. Notable guests were Robert Wyatt and David Bowie (who sang lead for "Arnold Layne" and "Comfortably Numb"). The live concert was televised by BBC One on 9 September 2007 and again on 25 May. Gilmour is set to return to the Hall; having previously played five nights in September 2015, to end his 34-day Rattle That Lock Tour on September 2016 by playing another four nights at the Hall. He will also make an appearance on 24 April 2016 as part of the Teenage Cancer Trust event.
Shirley Bassey has appeared many times at the Hall, usually as a special guest. In 2001, she sang "Happy Birthday" for the Duke of Edinburgh's 80th birthday concert. In 2007, she sang at Fashion Rocks in aid of the Prince's Trust. On 30 March 2011, she sang at a gala celebrating the 80th birthday of Mikhail Gorbachev.[50] In May 2011, she performed at the Classic Brit Awards, singing "Goldfinger" in tribute to the recently deceased composer John Barry.[51] On 20 June 2011, she returned and sang "Diamonds Are Forever" and "Goldfinger", accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, as the climax to the memorial concert for Barry.
James Last appeared 90 times at the Hall between 1973 and 2015, making him the most frequent non–British performer to have played the venue.[52]
Education & Outreach
The Hall's Education & Outreach programme engages 100,000 people a year. It includes workshops for local teenagers led by musicians such as Foals, Jake Bugg, Emeli Sandé, Nicola Benedetti, Alison Balsom and First Aid Kit, innovative science and maths lessons in partnership with Samsung, visits to local residential homes from the venue's in-house group, Albert's Band, under the 'Songbook' banner, and the Friendship Matinee: an orchestral concert for community groups, with £5 admission.
Management
The Hall is managed day to day by the chief executive Chris Cotton and five senior executives: the chief operating & financial officer, director of operations, director of business development, director of events and director of external affairs. They are accountable to the Council of the Corporation, which is the Trustee body of the charity. The Council is composed of the annually elected president, currently Mr Jon Moynihan OBE, 18 elected Members (either corporate or individual seat owners) and five Appointed Members, one each from Imperial College London, Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, British Museum of Natural History and the Royal College of Music.
Pop culture references
A large mural by Sir Peter Blake is displayed in the amphi corridor of Door 12 at the Hall. Unveiled in April 2014, it shows more than 400 famous figures who have appeared on the stage.
In 1955, English film director Alfred Hitchcock filmed the climax of The Man Who Knew Too Much at the Hall.[63] The 15-minute sequence featured James Stewart, Doris Day and composer Bernard Herrmann, and was filmed partly in the Queen's Box. Hitchcock was a long-time patron of the Hall and has already set the finale of his 1927 film, The Ring at the venue, as well as his initial version of The Man Who Knew Too Much, starring Leslie Banks, Edna Best and Peter Lorre.[64]
Other notable films shot at the Hall include Major Barbara, Love Story, The Seventh Veil, The Ipcress File, A Touch of Class, Shine and Spice World.
In the song "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles, the Albert Hall is mentioned. The verse goes as follows:
I read the news today, oh boy
four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
and though the holes were rather small
they had to count them all
now they know how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall
I'd love to turn you on.
The song "Session Man" by the Kinks references the Hall:
He never will forget at all
The day he played at Albert Hall.
In the song "Shame" by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow, Gary mentions the Hall in his verse:
I read your mind and tried to call, my tears could fill the Albert Hall.
In some variants of "Hitler Has Only Got One Ball", Hitler's second testicle is mentioned to be in the Hall.
You may view more of my Orchids, by clicking here !
Orchidaceae is a diverse and widespread family of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and often fragrant, commonly known as the orchid family. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species, found in 880 genera. Selecting which of the two families is larger is still under debate, as concrete numbers on such enormous families are constantly in flux. Regardless, the number of orchid species equals more than twice the number of bird species, and about four times the number of mammal species. The family also encompasses about 6â11% of all seed plants.The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus), and many commonly cultivated plants such as Phalaenopsis and Cattleya. Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have produced more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. The name comes from the Ancient Greek á½ÏÏÎ¹Ï (órkhis), literally meaning "testicle", because of the shape of the root. Carl Linnaeus classified the family as Orchidaceae. Orchid was introduced in 1845 by John Lindley in School Botany, due to an incorrect attempt to extract the Latin stem (orchis) from Orchidaceae. The Greek myth of Orchis explains the origin of the plants. Orchis, the son of a nymph and a satyr, came upon a festival of Dionysus (Bacchus) in the forest. He drank too much, and attempted to rape a priestess of Dionysus. For his insult, he was torn apart by the Bacchanalians. His father prayed for him to be restored, but the gods instead changed him into a flower.
These flowers were previously called Orchis, Satyrion (Satyrion feminina), or "ballockwort".
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
If it weren't for scratching his testicles, you could say that he almost looks like a human.
Não fosse estar a coçar os testículos, poderia dizer-se que quase parece um humano.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpOJ0q7Nosk
Up hill battle with this one. The wall ate the shit out of the paint, I nearly chucked in the towel about 100 times but I persevered and polished the turd. This is for the homie Slae in MIA. No homo? Haha Ass Cobra
PHEW.......Without bloodshed........Hokey Cokey Day.In out shake it all about.....................It was always about Money..now all we need are friends........A marriage not made in heaven . Now watch the messy divorce.
Best to be viewed in large size format.
The orchid is a peculiar plant and shows the most developed and the widest variety of types. Unlike the roses, which are always symmetric and of the same type. The very word orchid has a aphrodisiac connotation, because it comes from the Greek word orchis (testicle) and for the first Greeks botanics the shape of the species in the region resembled the male reproductive organ.
Wild South Africa
Kruger National Park
It turns out that female hyenas have extremely enlarged half-foot-long clitorises that look almost perfectly like penises, complete with what appear to be testicles, which actually are their labia that have folded up and fused. They even get erections. Oh, also, they give birth to a two-pound cub out of the enormous clitoris.
Internet