Morning Shades

Interesting Morning Light with ,
    Array of clouds,
       Makes and interesting exibit...

...and the ELEPHANT is Wounded

Elephant in scriptures, mythology, epics and Reality :

Elephants are the biggest Land Mammal and  VEGETARIAN too.

Lord Ganesha – Greatly revered Indian deities and the Lord of Wisdom - bears an elephant head. The elephant head symbolizes great intellect and wisdom.

King of Gods Indra is believed to have a white elephant named Airavat as his vehicle. Elephants used to be symbol of royalty – Emperors and Kings used to ride during processions and in war on elephants.

White elephant  is a religious symbol in Buddhism . Buddha’s mother dreamt of a white elephant. And then the preacher of peace Gautam Buddha was born.

In epic MAHABHARATA, an elephant named Ashwatthama (incidently the same name as the name of Son of Dronacharya- revered teacher of Kaurvas and Pandavays) is at the centre of a turning point. Kaurvas and Pandavas  fighting in battle of Kurukshetra, an innocuous lie in the middle of battle announcing Ashwatthama was dead, actually meant to dishearten Kaurvas army commander Dronacharya, by creating impression that his son was dead, where in fact , it was the elephant that had got killed. However this Startegic announcement had the desired effect of lowering Kaurava’s army commander morale, and hence weakening their army battle position.  

In Islamic tradition, the year 570, when the Prophet Mohammad was born, is known as the Year of Elephant. In that year, as recounted in the Muslim sources, Abraha, ruler of Yemen (most likely a viceroy for the Axumite of Ethiopia), sought to conquer Mecca and demolish the Kaaba, reportedly in retaliation for the previous Meccan defilement of a cathedral, Abraha had constructed in Sana’s. He launched an expedition of forty thousand men, led by a white elephant named Mahmoud (and possibly with other elephants - some accounts state there were several elephants, or even as many as eight). However, his design was foiled when Abraha's elephant reportedly refused to cross the boundary of Mecca and sat down. It could not be persuaded otherwise, either by reason or violence. The accounts state that if the elephant was turned towards Syria or Yemen it would walk without hesitation, but when it was turned towards the Kaaba it would kneel on its knees as if it would adore the city that its master was intent on destroying. "Al-Fil" ("The Elephant") - 105^th Sura (chapter) of the Koran - commemorates this event with the verse: "Hast thou not observed how thy Lord dealt with the owners of the Elephant? Did He not bring their stratagem to nought?"

……..and the REALITY is…

BUT the worldly lure has its negative impact, elephants are being killed for the commercial advantage of their Dead Body, Ivory, Tusks, and other body parts used for commercial gains.
A regional  political party in India – the Bahujan Samaj Party - has an elephant as its election symbol. During their rule, lot of Public money poured into constructions of Massive stone parks, with long  arrays   of elephant statues. The constructions Look grand… and can be said to  add  another Tourist attractions in Lucknow…..  but

Recent developments and reports revealing the corruption aspect of the whole constructions, bringing  forth the Bad intentions involved in the whole process. People involved in this, are just not only tarnishing the Humanity,  but in the process  THE DOCILE & HUMBLE ELEPHANT  IS WOUNDED .

Photos by - Kuldeep Singh
Source of Facts - Internet

SOLITARY SONG....

Posting after a long Gap,

A representation of a state of mind,

Is it the FLOATING CLOUDS ...or
Is it a SOLITARY BOAT ...
........  or....

Behold her, single in the field,
Yon solitary Highland Lass!
Reaping and singing by herself;
Stop here, or gently pass!
Alone she cuts and binds the grain,
And sings a melancholy strain;
O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound.

No Nightingale did ever chaunt
More welcome notes to weary bands
Of travellers in some shady haunt,
Among Arabian sands:
A voice so thrilling ne’er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides.

Will no one tell me what she sings?--
Perhaps the plaintive numbers flow
For old, unhappy, far-off things,
And battles long ago:
Or is it some more humble lay,
Familiar matter of to-day?
Some natural sorrow, loss, or pain,
That has been, and may be again?

Whate’er the theme, the Maiden sang
As if her song could have no ending;
I saw her singing at her work,
And o’er the sickle bending;--
I listened, motionless and still;
And, as I mounted up the hill
The music in my heart I bore,
Long after it was heard no more.

William Wordsworth

A BIRD WITH WINGS WHO DARES ....

TIME IS SWIFT, 

           IT RACES BY, 

OPPORTUNITIES ARE BORN

           AND DIE....

STILL YOU WAIT 

       AND WILL NOT TRY ---

 A BIRD WITH WINGS 

WHO DARES NOT RISE & FLY.

        ---  AA Milne. 

 

Another Nice Chinese proverb

YOU CAN NOT PREVENT THE BIRDS OF SORROW FROM FLYING OVER YOUR HEAD, 

BUT YOU CAN PREVENT THEM FROM BUILDING NESTS IN YOUR HAIR.

Perseverance ....

“THE  DROPS  OF  RAIN 

                   MAKE  A  HOLE  IN  THE  STONE, 

NOT  BY  VIOLENCE, 

                    BUT  BY  OFTEN  FALLING”

An OLD saying from Indian Saint

There is nothing more to add..........

Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal , Lucknow

 With the incoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, a notification by Election Commission to Cover up the statues representing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Leader Ms Mayawati and its Election symbol –Elephant, created as lot of interest and discussion in the media, which ultimately resulted in the implementation of Election commission order and all the Statues coming under the purview of election commission order were covered up till the election process is finished.

With the incoming assembly election in Uttar Pradesh, a notification by Election Commission to Cover up the statues representing the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) Leader Ms Mayawati and its Election symbol –Elephant, created as lot of interest and discussion in the media, which ultimately resulted in the implementation of Election commission order and all the Statues coming under the purview of election commission order were covered up till the election process is finished.
I was in Lucknow during December first week, I got the opportunity to visit one of the massive Memorial, which is considered to be a very pet  project of  BSP chief.
Symbol of Dalit empowerment, Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Park in Lucknow, India, now rechristened Baba Saheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Sthal, was conceived for the first time, in 1995, with an initial investment of Rs 9 crore. The park was designed and landscaped by eminent artist Satish Gujral. Initially, it was constructed on 28 acres of land in posh Gomtinagar, and it now has grown to 100 acres.

The project, which began afresh in August 2007, at an estimated cost of Rs 385 crore. About 350 artisans from Rajasthan and 3,000 labourers  worked day and night to complete the project. almost all existing structures in the rechristened Sthal were pulled down, redesigned or remodelled.

“The total cost of the project is estimated to cross over Rs 1,200 crore (USD 240 million) . The Sthal  has  two fountains, each costing Rs 3 crore (USD 0.6 million) and an ‘Elephant court’, which  houses 60 red sandstone elephants, each costing approximately Rs 65 lakh. Additionally, 10 marble elephants are being carved at the main dome and gates, with Rs 34 crore allocated for them. The cost of the sandstone boundary wall is estimated at a staggering Rs 1.10 lakh per running metre (appx USD 2.2 million per KM). The boundary wall of the Sthal alone is now 30 kilometres long.

I would like to present the Memorial in  four parts;

a) ARCHITECTURE- Most of the Structures are designed and constructed using the SANDSTONE, whereas the central area is covered with GRANITE FLOORING.

b) CENTRAL DOME :- The central Dome entrance and exit has huge WOODEN GATES, with a pair of Marble Elephants at the entrance and same setting of  pair of elephants at the exit side as well. In the dome, Life and history of  Dr. Ambedkar  is depicted in Statues. Statue of  Ms Mayawati, along side the Full Map of the Parivartan sthal memorial can be seen here.

   

 

c) GREENARY : The entire Park area of around 100 acres is covered with Sand stones and Granite, with a very Little area left for greenery, and whatever greenery which can be found represents a kind of Arid / Desert area.

 
  d) EMPLOYMENT: With such a massive construction, it requires a lot of Funds and man power for Maintenace. In fact in the present circumstances, till the BSP government is in Power, The areas related to  Security and cleaning has given employment opportunities to some.

 

For a  MONUMENT WITH SUCH MASSIVE INVESTMENT, I TRIED TO SHOWCASE THE MONUMENT IN LIGHT OF ARCHITECTURE ,  ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT  AND SOCIAL IMPACT.

I LEAVE IT TO MY BLOG VISITORS TO DECIDE ABOUT THE BENEFITS AND UTILITY OF SUCH MONUMENT, FOR A REGION,  WHERE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE VERY SCARCE, WHERE  A LOT OF NEED TO BE DONE TO IMPROVE THE SITUATION OF THE MASSES IN TERMS OF BETTER HEALTH, EDUCATIOB, BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND MORE INVESTMENT IN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT TO GENERATE  JOB OPPORTUNITIES.

Full Set of photographs can be visited HERE.

Remarks- Above Facts and details are taken from the news paper reports and may be indicative. Hope above photo essay will give opportunity to my blog visitors to get aquainted with a project - Which to me is a show case -  A BIG THOUGHT OF A POWERFUL POLITICIAN CAN MAKE A BIG  DIFFERENCE...all depends on how it is conceived !!!  

Visitors comments welcomed..