Aileen Chang – Page 5 – The Talkative Man

Magnificent Architectural Features of Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka

Muhammad Adil Shah's architectural treasures in the city of Bijapur in northern Karnataka

Celebrated for its Muhammad Adil Shah’s architectural treasures, the city of Bijapur, in northern Karnataka has in recent years gained celebrity, both in the popular domain as a destination for travel and tourism, and in the intellectual domain as an object of academic study.

Even though art-historical studies of Bijapur have tended to focus attention upon the monuments and urban layout developed during the Muhammad Adil Shah’s period, the city was already evidenced by a cosmopolitan population and architectural activity before Muhammad Adil Shah transformed it during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries to function as their capital. Gol Gumbaz and Ibrahim Roza in Bijapur continue to draw hundreds of visitors every day.

There have been no reductions in the number of Indian tourists visiting the two sites, there has been a decrease of between 50 and 100 in the number of arrivals from abroad compared to last year. In order to attract more tourists, the Archaeological Survey of India has taken steps to upgrade Bara Kaman, Gagan Mahal, Chota Gumbaz and the Citadel Wall.

Magnificent Architecture of Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka

Gol Gumbaz, literally meaning round dome is a tomb of Muhammad Adil Shah (1627-57 CE) planned by himself even before his death. Thus, this monument is one of the largest and most outstanding single buildings in the entire country. This mausoleum is one of the finest structural triumphs of the Indian builders because of its astonishing size. It is a square building with each side measuring 205 ft and its height is 200 feet. The building consists of four thick walls topped by a dome, the outside diameter of which is 144 ft. The interior of the hall measures 135 ft across and it is 178 ft high. Thus, it has over eighteen thousand square feet. It is said that this is bigger than the Parthenon of Greece, which is one of the enormous and magnificent structures. Thus by the sheer size of various parts, Gol Gumbaz reigns supreme in the world of architecture.

Architecture is the construct of life and tradition and has to be understood as such. All plastic art forms are symbiotic on each other for their fullest expression, with the performing and literary arts playing supplementary and complementary roles in the overall composition. India, home of an ancient culture, has long been noted for its civilizational forays, which encompassed varied scientific ideas and technical skills. Its geographical position in the ancient world enabled it to become an internationally important center for integrating and transmitting new scientific ideas and techniques.

engineering wonder and Geometric precision of Gol Gumbaz in Bijapur, Karnataka

However, this is not all. Gol Gumbaz is considered an engineering wonder by the skillful composition of its various parts, the harmonious combination of arches, cornices, foliated parapet and ultimately in the interior to support the vast dome. It is so ingeniously planned to convert the square hall into a circular one by making it into eight angles over which the entire load of the dome rests. This dome is the biggest in Asia and the second biggest in the world. The dome itself is a plain plastered vault with six small openings and is 10 ft in thickness. The interior surface of the dome is placed twelve feet from the inner edge of the circle to distribute and transmit its huge weight downwards on to the four walls. The conversion of a square hall while going up into an octagon and then into a circle finally is a great engineering accomplishment. One can climb to the top through the six-sided enclosed staircases with small domes on all the four sides, which add a grace to the structure. Geometric precision was achieved for the various elements of the dome, including the cast joints, the curved tubular sections and the fixings, through meticulous workmanship.

The domed, centrally-planned design adopted to mark the site of Jesus’ death and resurrection was adopted as well for Christian martyria and baptisteries. However, both the architectural form and the symbolical associations of these Christian buildings were themselves obligated to earlier, non-Christian traditions. With regard to construction, both Christians and Muslims shared a common legacy of building materials, techniques, and tools passed on from the Greco-Roman, Persian, and even the earlier Etruscan worlds. The geometric references of both Christian and Islamic sacred buildings were not merely rooted in mystical thought with no scientific basis. Rather, such mystical thought was familiarly bound with pre-modern cosmology.

Corbelled dome is the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur and Whispering Gallery

The most awe-inspiring example of a corbelled dome is the Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur. It is generally overlooked that the third largest dome in the world is built upon the megalithic principle. The distinct bricks set in the horizontal courses are embedded in so much of mortar that the dome becomes a mass of mortar to which the bricks have been added. It is believed in some quarters, for structural reasons, that the masonry of the Gol Gumbaz does serve only to transmit vertical stresses to the masonry. However, in all probability for the architect here, the traditional experience of mortar in dome was to safeguard stability for such a massive and unique structural heroic of this kind. If the cast dome of the Gol Gumbaz deserves to be called a corbelled because of its horizontally set bricks, most of the vaulting at Bijapur is pure cast forms that are not liable to collapse even when most of the underpinning has been destroyed. Many unique shapes of ceilings were possible because of the pioneering use of mortar, which is very stable.

Another greatness about this tomb is that it is a whispering gallery where even the mild sound is multiplied hundred fold and reverberates. That is the reason why this is famous all over the world as a whispering gallery. Within the center of the building and below the ground level is the real tomb of its creator Muhammad Adil Shah and his relatives. Nevertheless, what are seen on the ground now are the imitation tombs. Thus, Muhammad Adil Shah gave to the world a great and marvelous structure exhibiting the engineering skill of medieval India, which has won admiration even from modem engineers.

The rich culture, heritage, and architecture of the north Karnataka region are something to be cherished. The region is not only known for its rich cultural heritage but also for great talents in arts and literature.

Kadamba Temple, Gudnapura in Karnataka

Gudnapura in North Kanara district is just five kms from the famous ancient city of Banavasi which was the capital of the early Kadambas. Gudnapura suddenly became famous because of the discovery of an inscription of Kadamba Ravivarman. The inscription has been inscribed in box-headed characters of Brahmi of the sixth century AD. This inscription furnishes some very important evidences regarding Gudnapura which perhaps was the area where a large number of royal buildings existed. The inscription states that king Ravivarma built a temple for Manmatha and set up this pillar with this inscription. While mentioning the boundaries of the temple it states that to the right of the temple was a palace of the king while to the left there were two dancing halls (nrityashala) and in front was harem (antahpura). Taking the clue from these details, the Archaeological Survey of India conducted excavations at the site and this resulted in bringing to light two brick structures, with various antiquities.

Kadamba Temple of Gudnapura in Uttara Kannada District, Karnataka

One of the brick structures has been identified as a temple. It consisted of a garbhagriha and a longish mandapa and both are enclosed within a prakara. This provides inner circumbulatory passage. The mandapa had wooden pillars. The mandapa had two entrances. A large number of flat but apsidal small tiles have been discovered in the excavation and perhaps they were used for the ground and roof. Some of these tiles have small holes. Large number of iron nails have been found in the excavation and hence it is suggested that these roof tiles which had holes were fixed to wooden beam with the help of these nails. The bricks used here are of high quality and some of them measure 38 by 19 by 17 cms.

In front of the temple is another structure made of laterite bricks and it may belong to a slightly later period. Unfortunately there is no clue to know the god which had been consecrated in the garbhagriha of this temple.

It is of interest to note that the Gudnapur inscription mentions a temple for Manmatha and some scholars equate Manmatha with Bahubali. Perhaps this temple can be identified as the one mentioned in the Gudnapur record. A copper casket with a lid in the form of a tortoise was found in the excavation. Thus the excavation has yielded very interesting data regarding the temple architecture of the early period at Gudnapura, close to ancient Banavasi of the early Kadamba period.

Megalithic Monuments of Hirebenakal near Raichur in Karnataka

Megalithic Monuments of Hirebenakal, Prehistoric Site, Raichur in Karnataka

The term megalithic culture is used to denote the culture of a group of people who built their large tombs with the help of mega (huge) liths (stone) or huge stones. Literally there are thousands of such tombs all over South India including Karnataka. In general terms they were the successors to the new stone-age people. After the megalithic period we enter into the early historic period.

Chronologically, the megalithic period lasted from about 10th century B.C. to 3rd Century AD., with lot of various dates in between. There is a great variety in their tombs and culturally they are the introducers of iron into South India. Though their habitation sites are rare, their burials have been found in groups in hundreds. They had learnt the technique of quarrying and dressing stones for the purpose of the building their tombs of different varieties. These tombs contain bones and other related grave goods including iron objects. After the systematic excavations of Brahmagiri megaliths (near Chitradurga) many other sites have been excavated which give us a glimpse into the life of the megalithic people.

Benakal Prehistoric Site, Karnataka

Megaliths at Hirebenakal in Raichur, Aihole in Bijapur, and Kumati have been studied in, great detail. Kumati is unique because it has stone anthropomorphic figures of huge size, not generally found elsewhere. Megaliths are locally known as Moriyaramane, Moriyara Angadi or Moriyara Gudda. They may be divided into many varieties on the basis of their external appearance as dolmenoid cists with port-holes, rock-shelter chambers, polygonal cists, dolmens with closed port~hole, stone circles etc.

The underground chambers generally contained various types of pottery with food and water along with iron implements used by the person, beads, other ornaments and skeletal remains. This shows that they had a strong belief in life after death. With the help of these objects, life of the megalithic people has been reconstructed. They belonged to an agricultural community and manufactured iron tools such as knives, axes, hooks, chisels etc. Perhaps they had a class system the details of which are not known. They practiced agriculture and lived in huts. Thus the megalithic people laid a firm foundation for the beginning of historical culture.

Buddhist Stupa in Kanganahalli, Karnataka

Maha-Chaitya Buddhist Stupa in Sannati Kanaganahalli

Kanganahalli in Gulbarga district is situated on the left bank of the river Bhima and the archaeological site is located about 3 km from the famous Chandralamba temple at Sannati where Ashokan inscriptions have been discovered. Though there were enough indications for the existence of Buddhism and Buddhist art during the early centuries of the Christian era in Karnataka, they had not been discovered yet. Hence archaeologists taking the clue from surface finds began conducting excavations at Sannati and Kanganahalli and the excavations have yielded ample material throwing new light on the Mauryan period and a flourishing Buddhist art in the early period. The excavations are still in progress and once the excavations are completed a new brilliant chapter on Buddhism and Buddhist art in Karnataka becomes clear.

The most important result of the excavation was a mahastupa the diameter of which was around 75 ft. It should have had an impressive height in keeping with the diameter. It also exposed the medhi along with hundreds of sculptured slabs with lotus designs and other decorations. Standing or seated Buddha images of Amaravati style have added a new dimension to the early art of Karnataka. One of the most important and rare sculptural slabs had a portrait of Mauryan king Ashoka. The majestic king is accompanied by his queen and they are attended by two chauri beares. To confirm that it was the portrait of Ashoka, the sculptor has carved a single line label inscription, reading “Rayo Asoko” in Brahmi script of the Satavahana period. Perhaps this is the first inscribed image of Ashoka discovered in India.

Portrait of Mauryan king Ashoka accompanied by his queen at Buddhist Stupa in Kanganahalli

The excavation has yielded literally hundreds of limestone bass-relief sculptures as well as full round sculptures relating to railing and paved circumbulation, and slabs with carvings of Jataka stories. Thus it is a veritable storehouse of Buddhist sculptures of the early period. The excavation also yielded more than one hundred inscriptions of Brahmi script and Prakrit language datable to first century B.C., to second century A.D. Some of these inscriptions refer to Satavahana kings like Sri Satakami, Pulumavi, Yajnasri Satakami etc. The excavation has also yielded a large number of coins of the Satavahana kings. Thus the Kanganahalli excavations have great significance for the early history of Karnataka. All those who are interested in the early history of Karnataka have been waiting for the completion of the excavations at Kanganahalli so that a new chapter on Buddhist art can be added.

The Best Jokes from Jerry Seinfeld

“I was the best man at the wedding. If I’m the best man, why is she marrying him?”
“The idea behind the tuxedo is the woman’s point of view that men are all the same; so we might as well dress them that way. That’s why a wedding is like the joining together of a beautiful, glowing bride and some guy. The tuxedo is a wedding safety device, created by women because they know that men are undependable. So in case the groom chickens out, everybody just takes one step over, and she marries the next guy.”
“It’s amazing that the amount of news that happens in the world every day always just exactly fits the newspaper.”
“Dogs are the leaders of the planet. If you see two life forms, one of them’s making a poop, the other one’s carrying it for him, who would you assume is in charge.”
“There’s very little advice in men’s magazines, because men don’t think there’s a lot they don’t know. Women do. Women want to learn. Men think, “I know what I’m doing, just show me somebody naked.””
“Sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason”
“According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.”
“What is a date really, but a job interview that lasts all night? The only difference is that in not many job interviews is there a chance you’ll wind up naked.”
“To me, a lawyer is basically the person that knows the rules of the country. We’re all throwing the dice, playing the game, moving our pieces around the board, but if there is a problem the lawyer is the only person who has read the inside of the top of the box.
“Men want the same thing from their underwear that they want from women: a little bit of support, and a little bit of freedom.”
“Men don’t care what’s on TV. They only care what else is on TV.”
“I once had a leather jacket that got ruined in the rain. Why does moisture ruin leather? Aren’t cows outside a lot of the time? When it’s raining, do cows go up to the farmhouse, “Let us in! We’re all wearing leather! Open the door! We’re going to ruin the whole outfit here!””

The Rise of the Fast Casual Restaurants

Fast Casual Restaurants - Mexican concepts

Fast Casual is the fastest growing segment of the restaurant industry. They bridge a gap in the market between fast-food restaurants and casual dining restaurants. The National Restaurant Association recently endorsed a group of 15 fast casual restaurant brand executives to its newly formed Fast Casual Industry Council and recognizes it as one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry today.

With a hybrid approach, fast casual restaurant chains such as Shake Shack, Nando’s chicken restaurants, Panera Bread, Noodles & Company, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Baja Fresh, and Chipotle Mexican Grill have been winning customers by offering the following enhancements.

Food Quality: They promise “fresh” food, meaning at the very least not frozen or without as much processed ingredients. Chipotle also says it uses, where possible, meat from animals raised without hormones or antibiotics, and organic and locally grown vegetables. Chipotle is at the forefront of a consumer shift toward naturally-raised proteins and organic produce. Though more costly to source, these fresh ingredients are a key source of differentiation and pricing power.
Service Type: They offer diners a high level of customization, such as choosing each ingredient in a sandwich, burrito or burger. This appeals to fussy eaters and those with allergies. The service is not always as quick as at a burger joint but, it seems, quick enough. Some fast-casual chains let diners order at their tables.
Menu Prices: They have clever pricing that lets can allow optimization of profits. They offer some dishes at around the same price as those at burger joints, but they seem to be better than McDonald’s at nudging diners towards pricier dishes and extras. Fast-casual chains typically manage to squeeze 40% more out of each diner’s wallet than fast-food joints do. For example, at Chipotle, the average customer spend per visit per restaurant in 2013 stood at $11.56, one of the highest in the fast casual segment, with a growth rate of 1% over the prior year.
Atmosphere and Decor: They give each outlet or store a touch of distinctiveness. This distances them in the eyes of consumers from the “corporate” feel of burger chains. For instance, Nando’s is known to decorate its restaurants with South African art. Even if not technically in the fast casual category, a reinvigorated food and beverage menu and store redesigns have improved the Starbucks customer experience, penetrated new day parts, and improved unit-level productivity metrics.

Both fast casual and quick-service both provide food order and pick-up services from a counter, which vastly improves speed of service.

We forecast that the fast-casual restaurant category to outpace the broader restaurant industry over the next several years.

Fast-casual restaurant competition is intensifying, and switching costs are nonexistent. We estimate that Mexican concepts make up nearly one fourth of the $38 billion fast-casual industry in the U.S.

The Splendid Largest Jaina Temple of Chamundaraya Basadi, Shravanabelagola

Jain Temple of Chamundaraya Basadi, Shravanabelagola

Chamundaraya Basadi in Shravanabelagola is one of the largest Jaina temples on the hill both in style and in decorative features. The temple is 68 feet long and 36 feet wide. The temple consists of a garbhagriha, a sukhanasi, a navaranga and a mukhamandapa. It has an upper story above the garbhagriha and a Dravadian sikhara. The outer walls have decorations of pilaster over which are three friezes containing ornamental niches, yalis, and seated Jaina figures. The outer wall of the upper garbhagriha also has similar three friezes over which l is a simple Dravidian sikhara. These moldings attract the visitors even from a distance.

The mukhamandapa rests on four pillars with sloping eave on all the three sides. Thus the whole temple is very elegant. The lower part of the temple is interesting. It has undecorated flat base with neatly cut roundish and projected molding above. There is a similar but smaller molding above. Between the two moldings is a hollow flat surface with minor decorations. Then rises the wall with pilasters, and the highly decorated eave is prominent at the roof level. This is the most decorated part of the structure and adds a special grace.

At present there is a sculpture of Neminatha in the lower garbhagriha, five feet in height, flanked by male chauri bearers on either side. The garbhagriha doorway is decorated and has Sarvahna yaksha and Kushmandini yakshi. It is believed that this Neminatha image originally belonged to another temple but now kept here. The upper garbhagriha has an image of Parsvanatha of three feet in height. Its pedestal has an inscription which states that Jinadeva, son of the minister Chamundaraya built this Jina temple. Perhaps this refers to the consecration of the image in the upper garbhagriha.

The inscription on the pedestal of Neminatha states that it was consecrated by Echana, son of minister Gangaraja of the Hoysala period in 1128 A.D. From all these evidences it becomes clear that Chamundaraya built this temple in about 982 A.D., and the upper story was added by Chamundaraya’s son Jinadeva in 995 A.D., and the present image was brought from some other temple and consecrated in 1128 A.D. The very fact that it is named after Chamundaraya be taken as an evidence to say that it was built by him, who also set up the great colossus of Gommateshwara here.

The Magnificent Bhoganandishwara Temple Complex in Nandi (near Bangalore)

Sculptures at Bhoganandishwara Temple Complex

Bhoganandishwara temple in Kolar district is one of the finest Dravidian temples in Karnataka.

Actually it is not a single temple but a complex built over a period of more than six centuries beginning from eighth century A.D. According to inscriptions this temple was built by Ratnavali, the queen of Bana king Vidyadhara. As Bana Vidyadhara ruled during the last quarter of the eighth century A.D., the earliest part of this temple should have been built by that time. There are many Chola inscriptions of eleventh century A.D. in this temple.

The temple consists of a huge prakara of 320 feet long and 250 feet broad. The original temple consisted of two garbhagrihas, two sukhanasis, navaranga and two nandimandapas. The northern garbhagriha had an image of Bhoganandishwara while the southern garbhagriha was dedicated to god Arunachaleshwara. Sukhanasi and navaranga have finely carved jalandhras with sculptural embellishments. The nandi mandapa has Chola inscriptions and perhaps this was built during the Chola period.

Bhoganandishwara Temple Complex in Nandi

The four pillars in the navaranga are carved with minute sculptures on all the sides. The ceiling over these pillars is huge and has Siva and Parvati along with eight dikpalas. In front of the navaranga entrance is the nandi mandapa with doorways on east, north and south. In front is a kalyanamandapa built of black stone. There are ceilings of ashtadikpalas. The beams have fine sculptures of Siva, Vishnu, Lakshmi, etc. The pillars are also carved with gods and goddesses like Hanuman, Vishnu, Lingodbhava, Krishna, Surya, Tandavesvara, Brahma, Gopalakrishna etc. The patalankana in front of the mukhamandapa is surrounded by an open verandah which stands on an ornamental plinth.

The outer walls of the early shrines have decorative plinths with pilasters, turrets and jalandhras with some sculptures here and there. In the prakara are found two shrines of a later period which have Prasanna Parvati and Apitakuchamba aspects of Devi as consorts of Bhoganandishwara and Arunachalesvara. To the north outside the encloser is a hall known as Vasantha mandapa which has sixteen fine pillars. Opposite to it is another mandapa with four pillars known as Tulabhara mandapa. To the north of this is a tank called Sringitirtha. Thus the entire temple complex is vast and attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over Karnataka.

Tour the Captivating Mount Fuji and Hakone National Park

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Hakone National Park is one of five parks that make up Japan’s Fuji-Hakone-lzu National Park, centered around Lake Ashinoko, or Ashi as it is tenderly known, a adored site in Japan with unparalleled views of the imposing Mount Fuji. It is a popular day-trip destination among tourists keen to go out of Tokyo. Fuji-Hakone-Izu is the most visited national park in Japan.

Located within a volcanic territory, Hakone is famous for its hot springs, health resorts, spas, and therapy centers. The area has long been thought to have magical healing qualities, and people in quest of renewal flock here in the thousands. Never fear if you have not booked into one of the treatment hotels; it is still doable to enjoy a sake bath with green tea: Hakone Kowakien Yunessun is a hot springs spa resort and water amusement park open to the public all year round, a ideal pit stop after trekking the peaks of mounts Komagatake and Kanmurigatake. Those seeking a longer life head to Owakudani, in the Great Boiling Valley, an area with active sulfur vents and hot springs. Here they boil eggs, which turn black and slightly sulfuric, and if you can stand the smell. Fable has it that eating one egg adds seven years to your life.

Lake Ashi, Hakone National Park Hakone also boasts the generally celebrated Hakone Botanical Garden of Wetlands and an open-air museum, with masterpieces on display by celebrated modern artists, including Picasso, Rodin, and Miro. However, Lake Ashi steals the show. It is set in a surreal landscape with snow-covered Fuji as a stage set and the bright red torii gates of Hakone Jinja shrine to the fore, a Shinto shrine forever marking the entrance to a sacred space, another world. At 72,400 feet high, Mount Fuji dominates the skyline across the waters of Lake Ashi. Spring is cherry blossom season in Japan and the most exceptional time to visit the park. Travelers can take in the imposing cone of Mount Fuji through pale-lavender and rose-colored branches in the park during the Sakura season.

Cave Architecture of Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, Bangalore

Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple, Bangalore

The cave temple dedicated to Gangadhareshwara in Gavipuram of Basavanagudi in the heart of the city of Bangalore is a unique structure of great antiquity. The original shrine carved within a cave of rock has a door thirty feet wide and about seven feet in height. In front of this were built a mandapa and a sikhara during the period of Kempegowda of Bangalore. More important are the monolithic sculptures of trisula (trident), damaru (drum) and chatri (umbrella). They are of huge dimensions and hence prominently visible.

The cave has two garbhagrihas, one dedicated to Siva and the other one is for Durga, at the right side. Both are apsidal in nature. Gangadhareshwara shrine has a sukhanasi and before it is a nandi. Both the linga and the nandi are carved out of the rock. The shrine of Durga has no sukhanasi and before the shrine are two pillars on both sides. Both shrines have separate pradakshinapatha. At the right side of the Durga temple is a square shrine which has no image now. On the right are two more small caves. The walls are built of bricks of the later period. However, in the interior are carved pillars to support the roof.

Nandi Bull at Gavi Gangadhareshwara Temple From the outside, the Gangadhareshwara shrine has a fine circular sikhara which has carvings as well as niches with pilaster like decorations over which is a circular pot-like kalasha. The Surya shrine has a vimana of eight sides. Both these are stucco creations of the period of Kempegowda, the founder of Bangalore.

This temple has some fine sculptures too. Durga shrine has a four feet high Lakshmi sculpture with four hands. The sculptures of Bhairava, Dakshinamurti, Saptamatrikas have been kept inside the temple. Some of them may date back to eleventh century A.D., of the Chola period.

There is no evidence like inscription to date the Gangadhareshwara temple. However, on the basis of stylistic evidence, the earliest part of the temple may be dated to the Chola or Ganga period during the eleventh century A.D. The subsequent additions of the mandapa, sikharas and monolithic sculptures were made during the period of Kempegowda in the seventeenth century A.D.

Because of the cave architecture, this temple is unique in the history of art at Bangalore.

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