ZL3579

ZL3579, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Comforter

Comforter, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Einspritzung verboten!

Einspritzung verboten!, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

The Stories of Lonsdale and Little Bourke

The Stories of Lonsdale and Little Bourke, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Little Bourke Street, Melbourne runs from one end of the Hoddle Grid to the other. For about two blocks, it's Melbourne's Chinatown - the oldest continually occupied Chinatown outside Asia.

Another historic and very significant cultural hub in Melbourne is the Lonsdale Street Greek Precinct - much smaller than Chinatown, but a historic centre of the Greek community in Melbourne, which is the largest Greek diasporic population on Earth. Melbourne is well known as the third largest Greek city in the world, after Athens and Thessaloniki (there's something that will never happen for the Chinese or Indian populations here!). Much of the Greek diaspora in Melbourne immigrated after World War II, on ships, to start new lives in a new and young nation.

Greek migrants originally arrived with other communities in the Gold Rush era of the 1800s. Some Greek societies were set up towards the turn of the century. It was in the 1930s that the Greek Precinct took off.

Today, parts of this precinct and Chinatown have been meeting, in a nexus of cultures. Chinatown has grown and spread down to the Greek Precinct. Perhaps the Greek Precinct is slowly contracting?

Perhaps this represents either the ageing and slow shrinkage of the Greek diaspora in Melbourne, perhaps this is masked by intermarriage between communities, and resultant reduced identification in censuses as Greek; perhaps it reflects the reduced cultural core role of this precinct to the community today, as it continues to strongly integrate in the nation (that word, integrate is somewhat of a double edged sword in this nation, I think - with positive and negative connotations on both ends of the spectrum).

Anyway... that's my observations about the Stories of Lonsdale and Little Bourke.

a r b e i t

a r b e i t, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Chinatown Bokeh

Chinatown Bokeh, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Established in the Gold Rush period, in 1854, this is the oldest Chinatown in Australia. This was the period when Melbourne was the biggest and richest city in Australia, and developing into one of the most well established and endowed cities of the world, with the establishment of the University of Melbourne and other socioeconomic and political trends, which culminated in Melbourne being the nation's capital for the first 26 years of the nation's life.

Melbourne's Chinatown is the oldest continously running Chinatown outside Asia and runs on the eastern end of Little Bourke, between Exhibition and Swanston Streets.

There is another large Chinatown in Box Hill (suburban Melbourne) and also several (3) Little Vietnams (in the inner west in Footscray, inner east in Richmond, and south east in Springvale) in the city, as well as Italian and Greek precincts.

Technical: 30mm, f/1.4, shutter 1/25, desaturated from RAW.

mingers

a rather attractive site i stumbled upon

erm..

well...

Lanterns, Victoria St - Richmond

Lanterns, Victoria St - Richmond, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Lanterns seen at Ha Lom restaurant, as part of the Melbourne at Night flickr meet.

Unprocessed from RAW.

ngv :: carpark . two

ngv :: carpark . two, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

National Gallery of Victoria (www.ngv.vic.gov.au), carpark.

Black and white with green tint. Uncropped.

Sona :: Golden & Beautiful*

Sona :: Golden & Beautiful*, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Sikhism is a religion of great beauty and simplicity. Launched originally as a revision to Hindu principals and beliefs that were not felt to be humanistic and against one-ness (eg. casteism), its followers later became the defendants of the Hindu faith under attack from the Mughals of Agra and Delhi. It was the sixth of ten Sikh Gurus, Guru Hargobind who militarised the Sikhs after his own father's (Guru Arjun Dev) was martyred defending the faith.

Under Guru Gobind Singh, Sikhism was declared a distinct religion from Hinduism - the Khalsa was born. Amrit, or the Sikh baptism was created (occurring in 1699), and the five Ks of Sikhism the signs of a Amritdari (or baptised) Sikh. Thus was born the newest formal religion in the world.

One of the most beautiful elements in Sikhism has a lot of similarity with Hinduism, Ik Onkar - One God - a core belief of Sikhism. It is derived from the Sanskrit ekomkara which is a sound combining ek (one) and omkar (the name of the Aum syllable). Aum is often known as Om in the West. Together this refers to 'the One Aum"; that is, the single cosmic consciousness.

Though in 1984 there was much pain between Hinduism and Sikhism, sporn out of political insensitivity and persecution of Sikhs post assassination of Indian PM Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards, there was a longstanding tradition of bilateral closeness between these religions in the Punjab. During the period where the Sikh Army defended Punjab and North India, the eldest son in each Punjabi Hindu family was made a Sikh, and fought in the Guru's army to defend the land, and the faiths. Many Hindu families in the Punjab visit and have visited Sikh places of worship, and either regard the Ten Gurus reverently or have some respect for the religion.

This is dedicated to my Sikh friends, predominantly in WA; for bringing me into their lives and keenly teaching me about their religion, culture and traditions; it was through them that I was inspired to learn more about my Punjabi heritage, and taught myself the language.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.

*This and all shots at Harmandir Sahib were taken without flash, and with full respect, to show the beauty of the Punjab, the peoples of the Punjab and the beauty of the Sikh religion.

Sona means 'Golden', or in colloquial use, 'beautiful' in the Punjabi language.

The Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh

The Government Museum & Art Gallery, Chandigarh , originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

This is the main historic repository of Chandigarh. Many of the pieces reflect the ancient history of the area, and include works from the Indus Valley Civilisation, Gandhara Period and Harappan Civilisation. These were formerly housed in the Central Museum, Lahore - which was the former capital of undivided Punjab.

After partition, 60% of the pieces remained in Lahore, and 40% were moved to India, where they moved several times until this centre, and Chandigarh were built.

The museum was opened in 1968 and is notable as it was personally designed by Le Corbusier, who also designed the main plans for Chandigarh.

About Chandigarh:
The first planned city in India, it was named for the Chandi Temple, some 15km away from the modern city.

Chandigarh is the dual capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. It lies in the middle and is a Union Territory of India (like the Australian Capital Territory). It was made necessary during the Partition of India (and in this context, of Punjab), when the former capital of Punjab was lost to the Punjab state of Pakistan - this was Lahore.

Today Lahore is only 25 km from the Border with India at Wagah/Attari in Pakistan/India respectively. Amritsar is a similar distance across into India.

More about the CIty of Chandigarh, and its status and history can be found at the official website: chandigarh.nic.in/

Open Hand, Chandigarh*

Open Hand, Chandigarh*, originally uploaded by theurbannexus.

Le Corbusier, the designer of the modern planned city of Chandigarh created this motif - the open hand, to symbolise that humanity had choices, and did not have to accept the falsities of the world around oneself.

He proposed this symbol to represent non-alignment to the two power blocs at the time, in the context of the Cold War.

"This sign of the Open Hand is a sign of peace and of reconciliation," Le Corbusier said. "The Open Hand is meant to receive the created riches, and to distribute them to the peoples of the world. That should be the symbol of our epoch."

Chandigarh is the dual capital of the States of Punjab and Haryana. The first planned city in India, it was named for the Chandi Temple, some 15km away from the modern city.

It lies in the middle and is a Union Territory of India (like the Australian Capital Territory). It was made necessary during the Partition of India (and in this context, of Punjab), when the former capital of Punjab was lost to the Punjab state of Pakistan - this was Lahore.

Today Lahore is only 25 km from the Border with India at Wagah/Attari in Pakistan/India respectively. Amritsar is a similar distance across into India.

More about the CIty of Chandigarh, and its status and history can be found at the official website: chandigarh.nic.in/

*PP on my macbook with glossy screen; I am unsure of colour fidelity on this machine...; still off me legs - found my entire India trip RAW collection on my iPod :)

Respect & Love :: Golden Temple, Amritsar

Respect & Love :: Golden Temple, Amritsar, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Crowds pour in and out of the inner part of the Golden Temple, or Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab.

Dedicated to Raminder Pal Singh, whose inspiring work of the Golden Temple (along with Captain Suresh Sharma's work) inspired me to see one of the lands my ancestors came from - The Punjab.

Linkage:
Captain Suresh:
Raminder pal Singh

More Information...
The Harmandar Sahib (originally called the Hari Mandir, or 'temple of God') is also known as the Golden Temple. It is the holiest of Sikh Gurudwaras (or places of worship) and many thousands of Sikh and non Sikh devotees and tourists visit every year to witness this fantastic sight and spiritual haven.

Located in the older part of Amritsar city, this temple was originally the site of a small lake in a forest. In 1574, the Mughal Emporor, Akbar visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das in a nearby village. He was so impressed by what he saw there, that he gifted a sum of money to the Guru's daughter (who later married a man who became the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das). This money was used to enlarge the lake and build a small township.

Under the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, that the temple was built. A great Sufi (Muslim mystic, popular in this time in South Asia) friend of the guru from Lahore (former capital of undivided Punjab, now the capital of Pakistan's Punjab state) visited and laid the foundation stone in 1588. It was completed in 1601. Later it would be attacked by the Afghans, requiring rebuilding in the 1760s.

The temple has four enterances, which signifies the importance of acceptance and openness. All may enter the Harimandir Sahib, regardless of who they are - though they must abstain from meat, drinking alcohol, entering intoxicated, smoking or use drugs while inside (as with all Sikh temples).

The temple was also the site of Operation Blue Star, in 1984, which resulted in a very sorrowful time in the history of the people of Punjab and Delhi, regardless of race or religion, though it was the Sikhs who suffered more.

It was at this time that Sikhs in Delhi were at high risk. My maternal Grandfather took a neighbouring Sikh family into his house to help ensure their safety, and they remain friends since.

Links:
www.harmandirsahib.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blue_Star

Bhangra- Folk Dance of Punjab State of India

Bhangra- Folk Dance of Punjab State of India, originally uploaded by Captain Suresh.

Bhangra is a lively form of Punjabi folk music and dance that originates from Punjab. People traditionally performed Bhangra when celebrating the harvest. During Bhangra, people sing Punjabi Boliyaan lyrics, at least one person plays the the dhol drum, and other people may play the flute, dholak drum, or other musical instruments. While Bhangra began as a part of harvest festival celebrations, it eventually became a part of such diverse occasions as weddings and New Year celebrations.

Primarily men performed Bhangra, while the ladies performed their own fierce, yet elegant, dance called Giddha. The men wore the turban, lungi (long cloth wrapped around the waist), and kurta (traditional Indian shirt.

Nowadays, because of Punjabi influence worldwide, people perform Bhangra in all parts of the world at occasions such as weddings, receptions, and parties. Bhangra has evolved from a dance and music only performed in the Punjab region, to a popular style of music and dance that people perform throughout South Asia and many parts of the world.

Jagmandir Island Palace, Lake Pichola

Jagmandir Island Palace, Lake Pichola, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Now a hotel operated by the Maharana of Mewar's property trust, this palace is one of two (the other is operated by India's Taj Hotel group, which also owns Blue Sydney) in Lake Pichola.

These palaces formerly served as summer retreats for the King and his court from the heat of the land. The much larger City Palace can be seen from Jagmandir.

The palace lies in the south of Lake Pichola, and was completed in stages by Maharana Jagat Singh I (constructed the mandir , or temple) and Maharana Karan Singh who built the palace in the period from 1620-8.

This palace is historically important - it was here that Prince Khurram (who later became Mughal Emporor Shah Jahan, the man who built the Taj Mahal for his wife Mumtaz) took refuge from his father, Jehangir - Maharana Karan Singh provided this initially at City Palace, but then the Prince was moved to the island palace on the Lake after his nobles failed to respect local customs.

In a historical ironic turn, he later lead the Mughal army (1614) to defeat Maharana Amar Singh (the father of Maharana Karan Singh). The Mewari rulers were asked to act as members of the Mughal court and a friendly relationship between the Mewar rulers (the Sisodias) and the mighty Mughals was seeded.

, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Chandigarh City Museum, Chandigarh, India

Greens Always Shine Through

Greens Always Shine Through, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Coloured glass decorations in stone, City Palace - Udaipur, Rajasthan. The old seat of the Royal House of Mewar.

I debated cutting off the top background decoration, but retained it as I feels it gives some sort of orientating context to the main image.

Circa

Circa, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Angel of Sydney

Angel of Sydney, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Ferry Away :: Milson's Point, Sydney

Ferry Away :: Milson's Point, Sydney, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

The Sydney Ferry from Darling Harbour-Milson's Point-Circular Quay departs the point. Luna Park greets us with its garish grin. The ferry parts, blowing smokey air at our bewildered selves.

Wake Up Surry Hills!

Wake Up Surry Hills!, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

A poster I saw taped up on a wall, Surry Hills - Sydney.

A few days later, I saw a disheveled middle aged man, walking barefoot, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with this (perhaps he just stuck a sign to his shirt, but it looked too good for that).

Bottlan :: Bottles

Bottlan :: Bottles, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

'Bottlan' is the plural form of the Hindi/Punjabi versions of the word bottle. I don't know if there is an indigenous word, or if it was just transliterated across.

Campa Cola thrived when Coca Cola was thrown out of India in 1983. However, it began to die off in the mid 90s as Pepsi, then Coke entered India during economic liberalisation. Today these bottles serve only as a reminder of this non-existant brand.

This is a fruit juice and beverage stall and these bottles store frozen water. Sitting above them are limes, which are favoured over lemons in India. I wonder if this is because Ayurveda (India's system of medicine that included 8 medical specialities including medicine, surgery and psychiatry, around 6000 years old) seems to favour them.

Shot at Lajpat Nagar Market, a 'bazaar' (another Hindi word) in the suburbs of South Delhi.

Getting Kitted For Religion, Amritsar

Getting Kitted For Religion, Amritsar, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Our very friendly rickshaw-wallah in Amritsar carefully places a head covering on my friend John. It is a necessary sign of respect to cover one's head in the presence of God in a Sikh Temple.

And this, Harmandir Sahib, is the holiest of Sikh Temples.

Amritsar, Punjab takes its name from the holy waters of the tank in which the Harmandir Sahib sits. The tank is called the Amrit Sarovar - a beautiful name meaning literally, 'Nectar Pool'.

It was a cold and rainy day, but beautiful from the feeling of devotion that Harmandir Sahib inspired within me.

In the background are Sikh men ("Singh" as their designated title, meaning "Lion") and women ("Kaur", or princess being their designated title). These titles were originally used as last names to indicate the lack of caste or class distinction in Sikhism, something today that has changed. However, most Sikhs (abroad anyway) retain these titles as middle names.

The men wear western clothes and traditional Sikh turbans (Punjabi Hindus and Muslims had their own styles of turban - no longer worn). Long hair is believed to give strength to men, according to Yogic beliefs, and in Sikhism. The traditional dress of the male is called the Kurta Pyjama (literally meaning "shirt pant")

The women wear colourful Punjabi suits - the Salwaar Kameez.

Chillin, Lake Pichola | Udaipur

Chillin, Lake Pichola | Udaipur, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Lake Pichola in Udaipur fills up with water every few years. The Lonely Planet guide I had was written when it was dry (like Jaipur's Jal Lake is at the moment). The lake looks serene in the morning when the warm winter sun embellishes its surface, and that of the beautiful buildings by its shore. This was viewed from the bay window of the apartment in the Kankarwa Haveli (these Havelis were the mansions of well to do courtisans of the Maharana of Mewar, who ruled Jaipur and before that, Chitoor).

Morning Duties

Morning Duties, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Om Shiv Platform, Birla Temple Jaipur

Om Shiv Platform, Birla Temple Jaipur, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Indian Industrialist Aditya Birla once had his future told by an old man - he was told that as long as his artisans were busy building Hindu temples, his business would flourish. To this day, Aditya Birla companies build on strengths from foundation by Baldeo Das Birla. They operate many diversified businesses, and many charitable organisations as well.

The temple is made of white marble and is dedicated to Vishnu's manifestation, Narayan and his consort Laxmi.

Above the temple lies the Moti Doongri Fort, which is home to Gayatri Devi, the mother of the current Maharaja - Brigadier His Highness Saramad-i-Rajaha-i-Hindustan Raj Rajendra Shri Maharajadhiraja Maharaja Sawai Shri Bhawani Singh Bahadur, Maharaja of Jaipur (or just Bhawani Singh).

Yarra Sunset

Yarra Sunset, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Melbourne city, Swanston St Bridge and Yarra River at Sunset.

Taken from Southbank.

Socket Wall

Socket Wall, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Nek Chand built this monument in Chandigarh, over 40 years ago. It is said he was clearing a small patch of jungle to make a garden, and began to set stones around a clearing. Soon he found that he had sculpted some figures from recycled junk materials. This grew and developed into the large Rock Garden it is now. This took some time, and Nek was worried about it being discovered by authorities. Eventually it was - and it was illegal, and some called for its demolition because of this.

However Chandigarh is not a place where precedent sets rules. Nek Chand was paid for his work, and encouraged by the government, who provided workers for him. Today the garden is over 25 acres with sculptures made of rocks, electrical sockets, glass bottles and other discarded items. 5000 people visit each day.

More information is on www.nekchand.com/

Chandigarh is a modern city in India. Not only modern in that it was founded in the 1950s, after partition, but in design for that period. When the Punjab was partitioned between India and newly formed Pakistan, Punjab in India had no capital as the former seat of parliament now sat in Lahore, Pakistan. It's function is also somewhat unique in that it serves as a union territory (like the ACT in Australia), but also in that it is the capital of two states - Punjab, and Haryana. Haryana is a predominantly Hindu former part of Punjab, and the local language (Haryanvi) is a mix of Punjabi and Hindi. It does still have a considerable Sikh population and culturally is Punjabi.

Many options were considered, and it was decided to start afresh and build Chandigarh. Much of the design work was done by Le Corbusier and was in stark contrast to a land where civilisation is thousands of years old. Wide streets, right angles, neat buildings.

Durga Mandir, Amritsar

Durga Mandir, Amritsar, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Built in the style of the Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib), this temple is a much smaller Hindu version, lying close to the main city.

John is entering my frame of view here :)

future sound interfaces

Quite possibly the coolest looking instrument I've ever seen..

Golden Temple, Amritsar: Night Splendor

Golden Temple, Amritsar: Night Splendor, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

The Harmandar Sahib (originally called the Hari Mandar, or 'temple of God') is also known as the Golden Temple. It is the holiest of Sikh Gurudwaras (or places of worship) and many thousands of Sikh and non Sikh devotees and tourists visit every year to witness this fantastic sight and spiritual haven.

Located in the older part of Amritsar city, this temple was originally the site of a small lake in a forest. In 1574, the Mughal Emporor, Akbar visited the third Sikh Guru, Guru Amar Das in a nearby village. He was so impressed by what he saw there, that he gifted a sum of money to the Guru's daughter (who later married a man who became the fourth Guru, Guru Ram Das). This money was used to enlarge the lake and build a small township.

Under the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev, that the temple was built. A great Sufi (Muslim mystic, popular in this time in South Asia) friend of the guru from Lahore (former capital of undivided Punjab, now the capital of Pakistan's Punjab state) visited and laid the foundation stone in 1588. It was completed in 1601. Later it would be attacked by the Afghans, requiring rebuilding in the 1760s.

The temple has four enterances, which signifies the importance of acceptance and openness. All may enter the Harimandir Sahib, regardless of who they are - though they must abstain from meat, drinking alcohol, entering intoxicated, smoking or use drugs while inside (as with all Sikh temples).

The temple was also the site of Operation Blue Star, in 1984, which resulted in a very sorrowful time in the history of the people of Punjab and Delhi, regardless of race or religion, though it was the Sikhs who suffered more.

It was at this time that Sikhs in Delhi were at high risk. My maternal Grandfather took a neighbouring Sikh family into his house to help ensure their safety, and they remain friends since.

Links:
www.harmandirsahib.com/
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blue_Star

microsoft, when they were even more disturbing than now

fast forward to the windows song a couple of minutes into it

what happens when you mix imichael jackson and some crazy indians

Neko Case @ The Spanish Club

Neko Case at the Spanish Club on Johnston St, 1st Feb 2007.

phones at work making you go crazy?

Foto fun.

As seen on our way to see Neko Case (playing at the Spanish Club on Johnston St, just off Brunswick St) on Thursday 1st Feb.
 

Navdeep Kaur

Navdeep Kaur, originally uploaded by Urban|nexus.

Also known as Mona, my dear friend is heading back to Perth after two eventful years in Melbourne.

All the best yaar. In all you undertake. May you be happy and blessed.

Beyond the Aravalli Hills

Beyond the Aravalli Hills, originally uploaded by 1ash.

Through a beautiful sculpted Hindu archway*, I gaze over the Aravalli Hills that litter the Rajasthani landscape.

The hills stretch approximately 560 km from northeast to southwest Rajasthan, and then continue as isolated hills and ridges into the state of Haryana (formerly part of the state of Punjab) and near Delhi.

The highest point is on Mt Abu, and is known as Guru Shikar. It rises 5653 feet (1.72 km) . The hill range is further divided into the Sambhar-Sirohi and the Sambhar-Khetri ranges.

The peaks of the Aravalli Hills are famous for their white peaks, formed not by snow, but by large masses of rose coloured quartz.

____________
*: at Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Ek Soni Chhatri - One Beautiful Umbrella

Ek Soni Chhatri - One Beautiful Umbrella, originally uploaded by 1ash.

A beautiful chhatri structure at the Jaigarh fort, situated at the end of a pretty, colourful and lush courtyard. Although this fort was a strictly military structure when designed, it would not have been possible for the creators to not incorporate some aesthetically pleasing components into the overall complex.

This is especially appreciated when one looks out of the chhatri (a feature of Rajput Hindu architecture) and witnesses the view over Amber Fort, Amber, and Jaipur.

We were lucky to have a relatively bright and clear sky early this morning.

Fort Wall, Jaigarh Fort

Fort Wall, Jaigarh Fort, originally uploaded by ashish100.

View across the fort wall at Jaigarh. To the left is the main fort internal residence and buildings, and to the right are the Aravelli Hills and Jaipur City. Obscured in the view is the old city of Amber and the Amber Fort complex which adjoins Jaigarh.

The Jaigarh Fort was built prior to the development of Jaipur and the Aravelli Hills. When Jaipur was created, it assumed great importance, and was restored and equipped to aid the defence of the new city.

In the background are the Aravelli Hills, and just anterior to this lies the old city of Amber, where the Amber Fort is sited, as well as the prefort residences of the ruling family of Jaipur.

Jaigarh Fort adjoins the Amber Fort.

The Dinner

The Dinner, originally uploaded by ashish100.

An intimate and warm dinner to bid seeyas to an old mate.

Sun Wheel

Sun Wheel, originally uploaded by ashish100.

Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, designer of Jaipur city, this was one of five astronomical observatories built between 1727-1734 in west central India. Multiple colourful stone and metal structures scatter the park, some functioning as simple sundails, others using the shadow and angle calculations to discern the year, date, month and time. Positions of various stars were also tracked and mapped. This was of great significance in India, where astronomy was well developed relative to the time, and worked hand in hand with astrology, still highly respected and practiced by Hindu pundits (priests) and used to determine auspicious dates for weddings and major events, both at a societal and personal level.

Jai Singh built the first Jantar Mantar in Delhi for the Mughal emporor (as he was aligned to them, and thus indebted to them - serving as chief of the Mughal Army, and ensuring peace and protection from war with their fierce forces). The Jaipur JM is the largest of the five built.

The name is said to originally have been 'Yantra Mantra', 'yantra' meaning instrument, and 'mantra' meaning chanting. Mantra can also refer to a formula.

There are 14 instruments in the observatory, which measure time, predict eclipses, track stars in orbit, ascertain declinations of planets and celestial altitudes and more. There is a Chhatri (Hindu small domed cupola) used as a platform to announce important events like the arrival of monsoonal rains and eclipses.

Mostly built of marble inside, and with bronze metal components. Wikipedia notes "An excursion through Jai Singh's Jantar is the singular one of walking through solid geometry and encountering a collective weapons system designed to probe the heavens.
samrat yantra

The instruments are in most cases huge structures. They are built on a large scale so that accuracy of readings can be obtained. The samrat yantra, for instance, which is a sundial, can be used to tell the time to an accuracy of about two seconds in Jaipur local time. Today the main purpose of the observatory is to function as a tourist attraction."

It was declared a National Monument in 1948.

Ganesh Pol, City Palace

Ganesh Pol, City Palace, originally uploaded by ashish100.

The Ganesh Pol, or Ganesh Gate is one of the four gates in the City Palace of Jaipur. Ganesh is the Hindu God of intellect and wisdom. He is the first son of the deity Shiva, and his wife Parvati, and is depicted as large bellied, 4 armed and with the head of a one-tusked elephant. He is attended to by a mouse, often aslo depicted.

In Sanskrit, 'Ga' represents Buddhi (or intellect), and 'Na' represents Vidnyana (wisdom).

A crop of a crop. Crooked, but happy with what was salvaged.

In the City palace, the Ganesh Pol is in the middle of the west wall of the courtyard of the Diwan-i-Am (court, or literally 'lounge' of the ordinary person, as opposed to the Diwan-i-Khas) and leads into the Pritam Niwas Chowk through the famous Peacock Gate.

Peacock Pol (Gate), City Palace

Peacock Pol (Gate), City Palace, originally uploaded by ashish100.

This is the most famous of the 4 gates in the City Palace. It separates the Pritam Niwas Chowk (or Street) from the Sarbato Bhadra Chowk, where the Diwan-i-Khas is located.

City Palace was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, founder of Jaipur, the capital replacing Amber. The architectural style employed is a mix of Rajasthani Hindu and Mughal influences.

The main structure in the palace is called the Chand Mahal ("Moon Palace").

It's amazing what RAW and a little post processing can do. This shot was horribly whited out, but actually easy to correct in Aperture. Something that seemed really hard to do with jpg.

Diwan-i-Khas, City Palace

Diwan-i-Khas, City Palace, originally uploaded by ashish100.

This was the formal hall to greet VIP ("khas") guests visiting Jaipur and receiving the audience of the Maharaja of Jaipur.

Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, founder of Jaipur, the capital replacing Amber. The architectural style employed is a mix of Rajasthani Hindu and Mughal influences.

Lights & Cheer

Lights & Cheer, originally uploaded by ashish100.

A cropped shot of Christmas lights at Melbourne Central, a shopping centre in Melbourne's CBD.

Very minimal processing, I kinda liked it RAW. I think it's probably more interesting large

things are slowly changing

finally changing to the new blogger thing here.. some stuff will be missing or look different

hello ashish :)

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal, originally uploaded by ashish100.

Inside the Hawa Mahal, looking towards the main structure, which contains the 853 windows which the Queens (Maharanis) of Jaipur used to view the city and enjoy the royal procession when the Maharaja would enter the city, victorious from battle as commander of the Mughal army (an interesting situation engineered by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh wedding his daughter to the Mughal emperor's son to bring peace to Jaipur).

Maharani Ki Chhatri, Jaipur

Maharani Ki Chhatri, Jaipur, originally uploaded by ashish100.

An almost complete Chhatri. Those Maharanis who died after their husbands had chhatris ('umbrellas') that were deliberately incomplete to communicate this status. I am unsure whether the presence of domes signalled a more complete chhatri than one such as this. I am also unclear if there was a gradation of completion, correlated to time between death of the Raja and Rani.

As with the Maharajas, the queens of Jaipur were cremated and then monumental cenotaphs erected in their honour. There is an interesting story of one Maharani who was very close to her elephant. When she passed away, her elephant stood beside her cenotaph for three days, before passing away in grief (and starvation). Today this elephant has its own cenotaph in the gardens.

Two interesting points - if the queen died before her Maharaja died, her cenotaph would be finished off with a roof structure. If she died after her king, it would remain unfinished.

The signature architectural feature here is the Hindu Chhatri ('umbrella') which is significant in its use in Rajput and other Hindu architecture, borrowed from the Mughals.

Maharani Ki Chhatri (Cenotaphs of the Maharanis); Jaipur

Maharani Ki Chhatri (Cenotaphs of the Maharanis); Jaipur, originally uploaded by ashish100.

As with the Maharajas, the queens of Jaipur were cremated and then monumental cenotaphs erected in their honour. There is an interesting story of one Maharani who was very close to her elephant. When she passed away, her elephant stood beside her cenotaph for three days, before passing away in grief (and starvation). Today this elephant has its own cenotaph in the gardens.

Two interesting points - if the queen died before her Maharaja died, her cenotaph would be finished off with a roof structure. If she died after her king, it would remain unfinished.

The signature architectural feature here is the Hindu Chhatri ('umbrella') which is significant in its use in Rajput and other Hindu architecture, borrowed from the Mughals.

Petals

Petals, originally uploaded by ashish100.

A stonework flower carving in a cenotaph of a Jaipur Maharaja.

Rajasthan state, India.

Cenotaphs of the Maharajas

Cenotaphs of the Maharajas, originally uploaded by ashish100.

In Jaipur, two distinct sites are set down for the erection of cenotaphs to commemorate the lives and achievements of the royal family. One is for the Maharajas, and the second site is for their Maharanis. As the Maharajas ruled, and there were often multiple (10 usually) Maharanis to each Maharaja, the cenotaphs of the Maharajas were more elaborate.

This looks through the cenotaph of Maharaja Jai Singh, towards those of two other Maharajas.