Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is a Hindu, then subsequently Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, SONY VAIO VGN-AR770 laptop keyboard
present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. ACER Aspire 5005WLMi Laptop Keyboard
As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation – first Hindu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia,[1] appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. SAMSUNG NP-Q320-AS01UK Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian Architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: HP G62-455TX Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands aquincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; HP 532617-001 Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls. DELL Latitude D830 Laptop Keyboard
The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara(नगर).[2] Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds", DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
derived from the Pali word "vatta" (वत्त).[3] Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok (Vara Vishnuloka in Sanskrit), after the posthumous title of its founder.[4] ACER Travelmate 4670 Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites. TOSHIBA Satellite L550-ST5701 Laptop Keyboard
The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. DELL NSK-DB301 Laptop Keyboard
As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" (literally "Holy Vishnu Location", Old Khmer Cl. Sanskrit") after the presiding deity. HP Pavilion DV7-3186cl Laptop Keyboard
Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.[5] In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north.
In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. HP Pavilion dv6-2020ca Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.[6] Compaq 6720s Laptop Keyboard
One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."[7] In the mid-19th century the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote: ACER Aspire 7740 Laptop Keyboard
"One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece orRome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."[8] HP Pavilion G7-1150US Laptop Keyboard
Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.[9] HP G62-361TX Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation.[10] Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rougecontrol of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, SONY VAIO VGN-CR140F Laptop Keyboard
but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.[11]
The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, HP Mini 110-3004tu laptop keyboard
the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flagssince the introduction of the first version circa 1863.[12] From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
the temple of Angkor Wat did not became a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937.[13] SONY VGN-FE48M laptop keyboard
Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from c.1880 to the mid-1920s.[14] TOSHIBA Satellite L550-ST2743 laptop keyboard
The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. DELL NSK-DB301 laptop keyboard
This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD.[15] Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time. ASUS F3U laptop keyboard
Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Kalinga architecture ofOdisha and Cholas of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, HP Pavilion dv5-1220ez laptop keyboard
the home of the gods: the centralquincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.[16] Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.[17] ACER Extensa 5635Z laptop keyboard
Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.[18] Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction—prasavya in Hindu terminology--HP Pavilion DV7-3173nr laptop keyboard
as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services.[10]The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower.[19] It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse.[20] HP Mini 110-3107sa laptop keyboard
Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.[16] Compaq Presario CQ56-110SM laptop keyboard
A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: TOSHIBA Satellite 1800-s208 laptop keyboard
"as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above."[21][22] HP Pavilion dv6-2165tx Laptop Keyboard
Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles.[19] She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.[23] SONY VAIO VGN-NW20SF Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, HP G62-107SA Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested.[24] HP G42-164LA Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design, which has been compared to the architecture ofancient Greece and Rome. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style."[25] TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard
Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), SONY VAIO VGN-CR363 Laptop Keyboard
bas-reliefs, and on pedimentsextensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work.[26]Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.[27] Lenovo 3000 G530 4151 Laptop Keyboard
The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, SONY VGN-FE41M Laptop Keyboard
the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge.[28] There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper.[29] Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard
Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.[28] Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. SAMSUNG Q320 Laptop Keyboard
These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. HP 636376-001 Laptop Keyboard
The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres (203 acres), which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets.[30] SONY 148084122 Laptop Keyboard
Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, DELL Vostro 3550 Laptop Keyboard
in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.[30] ACER Aspire 5810T-8929 Laptop Keyboard
The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king,Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.[5] Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, Compaq Presario CQ42-228LA Laptop Keyboard
and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides. HP Pavilion DV7-3065dx Laptop Keyboard
The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. DELL E141395 Laptop Keyboard
Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. ACER Aspire 7745G Laptop Keyboard
This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.[31] North and south of the cloister are libraries. Compaq Presario CQ42-228LA Laptop Keyboard
Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. HP G72-c55DX Laptop Keyboard
The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean aroundMount Meru.[32] Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. HP Pavilion dv6-3034tx Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods.[33] This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, FUJITSU Amilo Mini Ui 3520 laptop keyboard
and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. HP Pavilion dv6-2125el laptop keyboard
The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four.[34] The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted toTheravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. HP Mini 210-2070ee laptop keyboard
In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.[35] SONY VAIO VGN-NW320F/T laptop keyboard
Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form ofbas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and theMahabharata. SONY VGN-FE11H laptop keyboard
Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".[36] From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and theBattle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, SONY VAIO VGN-AR320E laptop keyboard
showing the mutual annihilation of theKaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology. SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92[37] asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, HP G42-461LA laptop keyboard
and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice).[38] It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). HP pavilion DV7-1029eg laptop keyboard
The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"[39]) and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. SONY VAIO VGN-AW25GJ laptop keyboard
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The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that were sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard
The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. HP 448159-001 Laptop Keyboard
Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place.
The monument was made out of enormous amounts of sandstone, as much as Khafre's pyramid in Egypt (over 5 million tons). DELL Latitude E6500 Laptop Keyboard
This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast. The stone was presumably transported by raft along the Siem Reap river. DELL Studio 1737 Laptop Keyboard
This would have to have been done with care to avoid overturning the rafts with such a large amount of weight. One modern engineer estimated it would take 300 years to complete Angkor Wat today.[40] Yet the monument was begun soon after Suryavarman came to the throne and was finished shortly after his death, no more than 40 years. DELL Inspiron 1521 Laptop Keyboard
Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. DELL Alienware M17xR2 Laptop Keyboard
The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1,000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. ACER Travelmate 4152nlci Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet (1.2 m), this took about 60 days to carve.[41] Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.[42] The labour force to quarry, HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.[20][40] HP Mini 110-1120LA Laptop Keyboard
The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992.[43] Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, ACER Aspire 5742 Laptop Keyboard
which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site.[44] The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, ACER TravelMate 4100 Laptop Keyboard
mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts.[45] Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: HP Envy 15 Laptop Keyboard
the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002,[46] while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005.[47] World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. DELL Precision M4500 Laptop Keyboard
The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. DELL PK130801B00 Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561,000 and 677,000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years.[48] The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEXgroup since 1990, HP Pavilion DV6-1030us Laptop Keyboard
which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than somegraffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, HP Probook 4520S Laptop Keyboard
respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance—as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples—although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities.[49] SONY 147977821 Laptop Keyboard
Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism".[50] SONY 147963021 Laptop Keyboard
Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture.[50]In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "SONY VAIO VGN-CS16M/P laptop keyboard
Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists.[50] Lenovo 3000 Y510a 15303 laptop keyboard
The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2030ev laptop keyboard
Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems.[50] It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, DELL Inspiron N4050 laptop keyboard
has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat.[50] Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2060ea laptop keyboard
Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2155ee laptop keyboard
At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.[51] DELL Latitude E5410 laptop keyboard
The period of Angkor is the period from approximately the latter half of the 8th century AD to the first half of the 15th century. If precise dates are required, the beginning may be set in 802 AD, when the founder of the Khmer Empire, Jayavarman II pronounced himself universal monarch (chakravartin) and declared independence from Java, and the end may be set in 1431 AD, ACER TravelMate 3020 laptop keyboard
when Thai invaders from the kingdom of Ayutthaya sacked Angkor and caused the Khmerelite to migrate to Phnom Penh.
In any study of Angkorian architecture, ACER TravelMate 2403 Series laptop keyboard
the emphasis is necessarily on religious architecture, since all the remaining Angkorian buildings are religious in nature. During the period of Angkor, only temples and other religious buildings were constructed of stone. Non-religious buildings such as dwellings were constructed of perishable materials such as wood, and so have not survived. DELL PK130801B00 laptop keyboard
The religious architecture of Angkor has characteristic structures, elements, and motifs, which are identified in the glossary below. Since a number of different architectural styles succeeded one another during the Angkorean period, not all of these features were equally in evidence throughout the period. TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5163 laptop keyboard
Indeed, scholars have referred to the presence or absence of such features as one source of evidence for dating the remains. COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard
The earliest Angkorian temples were made mainly of brick. Good examples are the temple towers of Preah Ko, Lolei and Bakong at Hariharalaya. Decorations were usually carved into a stucco applied to the brick, rather than into the brick itself.[2] HP Pavilion dv5t-1200se CTO laptop keyboard
Angkor's neighbor state of Champa was also the home to numerous brick temples that are similar in style to those of Angkor. The most extensive ruins are at Mỹ Sơn in Vietnam. A Cham story tells of the time that the two countries settled an armed conflict by means of a tower-building contest proposed by the Cham King Po Klaung Garai. HP G72-b60US Laptop Keyboard
While the Khmer built a standard brick tower, Po Klaung Garai directed his people to build an impressive replica of paper and wood. In the end, the Cham replica was more impressive than the real brick tower of the Khmer, and the Cham won the contest.[3] HP 519265-001 Laptop Keyboard
The central sanctuary of an Angkorian temple was home to the temple's primary deity, the one to whom the site was dedicated: typically Shiva or Vishnu in the case of a Hindu temple, Buddha or a bodhisattva in the case of a Buddhist temple. COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard
The deity was represented by a statue (or in the case of Shiva, most commonly by a linga). Since the temple was not considered a place of worship for use by the population at large, but rather a home for the deity, Lenovo Thinkpad T420 Laptop Keyboard
the sanctuary needed only to be large enough to hold the statue or linga; it was never more than a few metres across.[6] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard
Its importance was instead conveyed by the height of the tower (prasat) rising above it, by its location at the centre of the temple, and by the greater decoration on its walls. Symbolically, the sanctuary represented Mount Meru, the legendary home of the Hindu gods.[7] TOSHIBA Satellite A305 Laptop Keyboard
A Hall of Dancers is a structure of a type found in certain late 12th-century temples constructed under King Jayavarman VII: Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdeiand Banteay Chhmar. It is a rectangular building elongated along the temple's east axis and divided into four courtyards by galleries. Lenovo 39T7417 Laptop Keyboard
Formerly it had a roof made of perishable materials; now only the stone walls remain. The pillars of the galleries are decorated with carved designs of dancing apsaras; hence scholars have suggested that the hall itself may have been used for dancing. DELL Vostro 3450 Laptop Keyboard
A gopura is an entrance building. At Angkor, passage through the enclosure walls surrounding a temple compound is frequently accomplished by means of an impressive gopura, rather than just an aperture in the wall or a doorway. HP Mini 210-1014TU Laptop Keyboard
Enclosures surrounding a temple are often constructed with a gopura at each of the four cardinal points. In plan, gopuras are usually cross-shaped and elongated along the axis of the enclosure wall; if the wall is constructed with an accompanying gallery, the gallery is sometimes connected to the arms of the gopura. HP Pavilion DV6-1002tx Laptop Keyboard
The lintels and pediments are often decorated, and guardian figures (dvarapalas) are often placed or carved on either side of the doorways.
the significance of these reservoirs was religious, agricultural, or a combination of the two.
The two largest reservoirs at Angkor were the West Baray and the East Baray, located on either side of Angkor Thom. The East Baray is now dry. HP 519265-001 Laptop Keyboard
The West Mebon is an 11th-century temple standing at the center of the West Baray; the East Mebon a 10th-century temple standing at the center of the East Baray.[12] The baray associated with Preah Khan is the Jayataka, HP G42-475TU laptop keyboard
in the middle of which stands the 12th-century temple of Neak Pean. Scholars have speculated that the Jayataka represents the Himalayan lake of Anavatapta, known for its miraculous healing powers.[13] HP G62-a25SI laptop keyboard
Bas-reliefs are individual figures, groups of figures, or entire scenes cut into stone walls, not as drawings but as sculpted images projecting from a background. Sculpture in bas-relief is distinguished from sculpture in haut-relief, in that the latter projects farther from the background, in some cases almost detaching itself from it. IBM Thinkpad R40 laptop keyboard
The Angkorian Khmer preferred to work in bas-relief, while their neighbors the Cham were partial to haut-relief.
Narrative bas-reliefs are bas-reliefs depicting stories from mythology or history. Until about the 11th century AD, the Angkorian Khmer confined their narrative bas-reliefs to the space on the tympana above doorways. HP Pavilion DV7-3186cl laptop keyboard
The most famous early narrative bas-reliefs are those on the tympana at the 10th-century temple of Banteay Srei, depicting scenes from Hindu mythology as well as scenes from the great works of Indian literature, the Ramayana and theMahabharata. SONY VAIO VGN-N320E/W laptop keyboard
By the 12th century, however, the Angkorian artists were covering entire walls with narrative scenes in bas-relief. At Angkor Wat, the external gallery wall is covered with some 12,000 or 13,000 square meters of such scenes, some of them historical, some mythological. Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 laptop keyboard
Similarly, the outer gallery at the Bayon contains extensive bas-reliefs documenting the everyday life of the medieval Khmer as well as historical events from the reign of King Jayavarman VII.[16]
corbel arch is constructed by adding layers of stones to the walls on either side of an opening, HP Pavilion dv6-2170eo laptop keyboard
with each successive layer projecting further towards the centre than the one supporting it from below, until the two sides meet in the middle. The corbel arch is structurally weaker than the true arch, of which the Angkorian engineers appear to have been ignorant. TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5153 laptop keyboard
The use of corbelling prevented the Angkorian engineers from constructing large openings or spaces in buildings roofed with stone, and made such buildings particularly prone to collapse once they were no longer maintained. HP Pavilion DV7-3067cl laptop keyboard
These difficulties did not, of course, exist for buildings constructed with stone walls surmounted by a light wooden roof. The problem of preventing the collapse of corbelled structures at Angkor remains a serious one for modern conservation.[19] HP Pavilion DV7-3180us laptop keyboard
Lintel, pediment, and tympanum[edit]
A lintel is a horizontal beam connecting two vertical columns between which runs a door or passageway. Because the Angkorean Khmer lacked the ability to construct a true arch, they constructed their passageways using lintels or corbelling. A pediment is a roughly triangular structure above a lintel. A tympanum is the decorated surface of a pediment. SONY VAIO VGN-FW11S laptop keyboard
Apsaras, divine nymphs or celestial dancing girls, are characters from Indian mythology. Their origin is explained in the story of the churning of the Ocean of Milk, or samudra manthan, found in the Vishnu Purana. HP Pavilion dv6-2170ee laptop keyboard
Other stories in the Mahabharata detail the exploits of individual apsaras, who were often used by the gods as agents to persuade or seduce mythological demons, heroes and ascetics. The widespread use of apsaras as a motif for decorating the walls and pillars of temples and other religious buildings, however, HP Pavilion DV6-1122us laptop keyboard
was a Khmer innovation. In modern descriptions of Angkorian temples, the term "apsara" is sometimes used to refer not only to dancers but also to other minor female deities, though minor female deities who are depicted standing about rather than dancing are more commonly called "devatas".[24] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315M laptop keyboard
Apsaras and devatas are ubiquitous at Angkor, but are most common in the foundations of the 12th century. Depictions of true (dancing) apsaras are found, for example, in the Hall of Dancers at Preah Khan, in the pillars that line the passageways through the outer gallery of the Bayon, DELL INSPIRON 1464 Laptop Keyboard
and in the famous bas-relief ofAngkor Wat depicting the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The largest population of devatas (around 2,000) is at Angkor Wat, where they appear individually and in groups.[25] DELL XPS 15 L502X Laptop Keyboard
The styles employed by Angkorean artists in the decoration of lintels evolved over time, as a result, the study of lintels has proven a useful guide to the dating of temples. Some scholars have endeavored to develop a periodization of lintel styles.[20] The most beautiful Angkorean lintels are thought to be those of the Preah Ko style from the late 9th century.[21] DELL Vostro 1015 Laptop Keyboard
The kala is a ferocious monster symbolic of time in its all-devouring aspect and associated with the destructive side of the god Siva.[29] In Khmer temple architecture, the kala serves as a common decorative element on lintels, tympana and walls, where it is depicted as a monstrous head with a large upper jaw lined by large carnivorous teeth, but with no lower jaw. HP 643263-001 Laptop Keyboard
Some kalas are shown disgorging vine-like plants, and some serve as the base for other figures.
Scholars have speculated that the origin of the kala as a decorative element in Khmer temple architecture may be found in an earlier period when the skulls of human victims were incorporated into buildings as a kind of protective magic orapotropaism. SAMSUNG N140 Laptop Keyboard
Such skulls tended to lose their lower jaws when the ligaments holding them together dried out. Thus, the kalas of Angkor may represent the Khmer civilization's adoption into its decorative iconography of elements derived from long forgotten primitive antecedents.[30] TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard
A makara is a mythical sea monster with the body of a serpent, the trunk of an elephant, and a head that can have features reminiscent of a lion, a crocodile, or a dragon. In Khmer temple architecture, IBM 42T4026 laptop keyboard
the motif of the makara is generally part of a decorative carving on a lintel, tympanum, or wall. Often the makara is depicted with some other creature, such as a lion or serpent, emerging from its gaping maw. The makara is a central motif in the design of the famously beautiful lintels of the Roluos group of temples: Preah Ko, Lenovo 3000 G530 4151 laptop keyboard
Bakong, and Lolei. At Banteay Srei, carvings of makaras disgorging other monsters may be observed on many of the corners of the buildings. Mythical serpents, or nāgas, represent an important motif in Khmer architecture as well as in free-standing sculpture. They are frequently depicted as having multiple heads, always uneven in number, arranged in a fan. Each head has a flared hood, in the manner of a cobra. Packard Bell Easynote TM98 laptop keyboard
Nāgas are frequently depicted in Angkorian lintels. The composition of such lintels characteristically consists in a dominant image at the center of a rectangle, from which issue swirling elements that reach to the far ends of the rectangle. SONY VAIO VGN-N21E/W laptop keyboard
These swirling elements may take shape as either vinelike vegetation or as the bodies of nāgas. Some such nāgas are depicted wearing crowns, and others are depicted serving as mounts for human riders. HP Pavilion DV7T-4100 laptop keyboard
To the Angkorian Khmer, nāgas were symbols of water and figured in the myths of origin for the Khmer people, who were said to be descended from the union of an Indian Brahman and a serpent princess from Cambodia.[38] SONY VAIO VGN-FS215E laptop keyboard
Nāgas were also characters in other well-known legends and stories depicted in Khmer art, such as the churning of the Ocean of Milk, the legend of the Leper King as depicted in the bas-reliefs of the Bayon, and the story of Mucalinda, the serpent king who protected the Buddha from the elements.[39] SONY Vaio PCG-K23 laptop keyboard
The nuclear family, in rural Cambodia, typically lives in a rectangular house that may vary in size from four by six meters to six by ten meters. It is constructed of a wooden frame with gabled thatch roof and walls of woven bamboo. Khmer houses typically are raised on stilts as much as three meters for protection from annual floods. DELL NSK-DB301 laptop keyboard
Two ladders or wooden staircases provide access to the house. The steep thatch roof overhanging the house walls protects the interior from rain. Typically a house contains three rooms separated by partitions of woven bamboo. TOSHIBA P205-S7469 laptop keyboard
The front room serves as a living room used to receive visitors, the next room is the parents' bedroom, and the third is for unmarried daughters. Sons sleep anywhere they can find space. Family members and neighbors work together to build the house, and a house-raising ceremony is held upon its completion. HP 6730S laptop keyboard
The houses of poorer persons may contain only a single large room. Food is prepared in a separate kitchen located near the house but usually behind it. Toilet facilities consist of simple pits in the ground, located away from the house, that are covered up when filled. Any livestock is kept below the house.[40] SONY VAIO VGN-NW110D laptop keyboard
Chinese and Vietnamese houses in Cambodian town and villages typically are built directly on the ground and have earthen, cement, or tile floors, depending upon the economic status of the owner. Urban housing and commercial buildings may be of brick, masonry, or wood.[40] SONY VAIO VGN-N250E/B laptop keyboard
The Buddh International Circuit hosted India’s inaugural F1 Grand Prix race on 30 October 2011.[175] The 5.14 km long circuit was designed by German architect and racetrack designer Herman Tilke to compete with other world-class race circuits.[176] COMPAQ Presario CQ50-210US laptop keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has a long tradition of education, although historically it was primarily confined to the elite class and religious schools.[177] Sanskrit-based learning formed the major part of education from the Vedic to the Gupta periods. As cultures traveled through the region they brought their bodies of knowledge with them, adding Pali, DELL V119525BS1 laptop keyboard
Persian, andArabic scholarship to the community. These formed the core of Hindu-Buddhist-Muslim education until the rise of British colonialism.[178] The present schools-to-university system of education owes its inception and development in the state (as in the rest of the country) TOSHIBA 9J.N9282.W01 laptop keyboard
to foreign Christian missionaries and the British colonial administration.[179] Schools in the state are either managed by the government or by private trusts. Hindi is used as a medium of instruction in most of the schools except those affiliated to the CBSE or the Council for ICSE boards.[180] Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, SONY KFRMBA151B laptop keyboard
students typically enroll for 2 years in a junior college, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education or a central board. Students choose from one of three streams, namely liberal arts, commerce, or science. TOSHIBA Satellite l25-s1196 laptop keyboard
Upon completing the required coursework, students may enroll in general or professional degree programs.
Uttar Pradesh has more than 30 universities,[181] including 4 central universities, 20 state universities, 8 deemed universities, HP Pavilion DV6-1205ee laptop keyboard
2 IITs, 1 IIM in Lucknow, 1 NIT in Allahabad and several polytechnics, engineering colleges and industrial training institutes.[182]Prestigious institutes like the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,[183] Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, and the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute are known worldwide for their quality education and research in their respective fields.[184] TOSHIBA Satellite M645-S4070 Laptop Keyboard
The presence of such institutions provides the students of the state with ample opportunities for higher education.[185][186] Other universities in the state include Gautam Buddha University, Banaras Hindu University, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Aligarh Muslim University, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, University of Allahabad, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Bareilly, IMT Ghaziabad, HP Probook 4515S Laptop Keyboard
Gautam Buddha Technical University, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, and King George's Medical University.[187] SONY VAIO VGN-AR630E Laptop Keyboard
The Integral University, a state level institution, was established by the Uttar Pradesh Government to provide education in different technical, applied science, and other disciplines.[188] The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies was founded as an autonomous organisation by the national ministry of culture. SONY VAIO PCG-FR315M Laptop Keyboard
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University is the only university established exclusively for the disabled in the world.[189] A large number of Indian scholars are educated at different universities in Uttar Pradesh. The state has produced likes of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Motilal Nehru, Harish Chandra and Indira Gandhi. DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh ranks first in domestic tourist arrivals with more than 71 million,[190][191] owing to its rich and varied topography, vibrant culture, festivals, monuments, ancient places of worship, and viharas. DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
Thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the Magh Mela festival on the banks of the Ganges.[192] This festival is organised on a larger scale every 12th year and is called the Kumbha Mela, where over 10 million Hindu pilgrims congregate in one of the largest gatherings of people in the world.[193] SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
The historically important towns of Sarnath and Kushinagar are located not far from Varanasi.[194] Gautama Buddhagave his first sermon after his enlightenment at Sarnath and died at Kushinagar; both are important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Pillars of Ashoka and the Lion Capital of Ashoka, HP Pavilion G6-1B59WM Laptop Keyboard
both important archaeological artifacts with national significance. At a distance of 80 km from Varanasi, Ghazipur is famous not only for its Ganges Ghats but also for the tomb of the British potentate Lord Cornwallis, maintained by theArcheological Survey of India.[195] HP G62-367DX Laptop Keyboard
Lucknow, the capital of the state, has several beautiful historical monuments such as Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara.[196][197] It has also preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored. DELL V119525BS1 Laptop Keyboard
Varanasi is an ancient city famous for its ghats.[198] To promote tourism, the Directorate of Tourism was established in the 1972 with a Director General who is an I.A.S.officer. In 1974 the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation was established to look after the commercial tourist activities.[199] DEI Deemed University SONY Vaio PCG-K33 Laptop Keyboard
Several texts and hymns of the Vedic literature were composed in Uttar Pradesh. The festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to Sage Vyasa, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day which is believed to be his birthday and also the day he divided the Vedas.[200] There is a long literary and folk Hindi language tradition in the state. TOSHIBA Tecra M9-S5514 Laptop Keyboard
In the 19th and 20th century, Hindi literature was modernised by authors such as Jaishankar Prasad, Maithili Sharan Gupt, Munshi Premchand, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Babu Gulabrai, Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Agyeya', GATEWAY NV-54 Laptop Keyboard
Rahul Sankrityayan,Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dharamvir Bharati, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati,Dushyant Kumar, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Acharya Kuber Nath Rai, Bharatendu Harishchandra, Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena,Shivmangal Singh Suman, Mahadevi Varma, and Vibhuti Narain Rai.[201] FUJITSU Lifebook P1510 Laptop Keyboard
The state is sometimes called the 'Hindi heartland of India'.[202] Hindi became the language of state administration with the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act of 1951. A 1989 amendment to the act added Urdu as another native language of the state.[203] Linguistically, FUJITSU Lifebook P1610 Laptop Keyboard
the state spreads across the Central, East-Central, and Eastern zones of the Indo-Aryan languages, the major native languages of the state being Awadhi, Bundeli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji and the vernacular form of Khariboli.[204] DELL Precision M4500 Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has produced musicians, including Anup Jalota, Baba Sehgal, Girija Devi, Gopal Shankar Misra, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Kishan Maharaj, Naushad Ali, Ravi Shankar, Shubha Mudgal, Siddheshwari Devi, Talat Mehmood, and Ustad Bismillah Khan. SONY VAIO VGN-N325QE/W Laptop Keyboard
The Ghazal singer Begum Akhtar was a native of Uttar Pradesh. The region's folk heritage includes songs called rasiya (especially popular in Braj), which celebrate the divine love of Radha and Shri Krishna. Other forms of music are kajari, sohar, TOSHIBA Satellite A205-S4618 Laptop Keyboard
qawwali, rasiya, thumri, birha, chaiti, and sawani. Traditional dance and musical styles are taught at theBhatkhande Music Institute University in Lucknow, named after the musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.[205] HP G61-424CA laptop keyboard
Kathak, a classical dance form, owes its origin to the state of Uttar Pradesh.[206] The dance form is connected to classical Hindustani music where the rhythmic nimbleness of the feet is accompanied by the Tabla or Pakhawaj.[207] Two schools of this dance form, Lucknow gharana and Benares gharana, are situated in Uttar Pradesh.[208][209] Packard Bell Easynote TM81 laptop keyboard
Diwali (celebrated between mid-October and mid-December) and Rama Navami are popular festivals in Uttar Pradesh. Kumbh Mela, organised in the month of Maagha(Feb-March), is a major festival held every three years in rotation at Allahabad,Haridwar, Ujjain, HP G61-424CA laptop keyboard
and Nasik on the river Ganges.[210] Lath mar Holi is a local celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi. It takes place well before the actual Holi in the town of Barsana near Mathura. Taj Mahotsav, held annually at Agra, is a colorful display of the culture of the Braj area. Compaq Presario CQ56-102SE laptop keyboard
Other festivals areVijayadashami, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Ayudha Puja, Ganga Mahotsava,Janmashtami, Sardhana Christian Fair, Maha Shivaratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Moharram,Bārah Wafāṭ, Eid, Bakreed, Chhath puja, Lucknow Mahotsav, Kabob and Hanuman Jayanti.[212] HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
A typical day-to-day traditional vegetarian meal of Uttar Pradesh, like any other North Indian thali, consists of roti(flatbread), chawal, dal, sabji, raita and papad. Many people still drink the traditional drink chaach with meals. On festive occasions, usually 'tava' (flat pan for roti) is considered inauspicious, and instead fried foods are consumed. TOSHIBA Satellite A305-S6841 laptop keyboard
A typical festive thali consists of Puri, Kachauri, sabji, pulav, papad, raita, salad and desserts (such as sewai or kheer).
Many communities have their own particular style of cuisines, such as the Jains, Kayasths and Muslims. There are also certain sub-regional delicacies. Awadhi cuisine is world famous for dishes such as kebab, biryani, keema and nihari. HP Mini 210-1081NR laptop keyboard
Sweets occupy an important place in the Hindu diet and are eaten at social ceremonies. People make distinctive sweetmeatsfrom milk products, including khurchan, peda, gulabjamun, petha, makkhan malai, and chamcham. The chaat in Lucknow and Banarasi Paan is known across India for its flavour and ingredients.[213] HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
A number of newspapers and periodicals are published in Hindi, English, and Urdu. The Pioneer was founded in Allahabad in 1865 by George Allen.[215] Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar, and Dainik Jagran, have a wide circulation, TOSHIBA Satellite A305-S6829 laptop keyboard
with local editions published from several important cities. Major English language newspapers which are published and sold in large numbers are The Telegraph, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Statesman, TOSHIBA PK13AT10600 laptop keyboard
The Indian Express, and Asian Age. Some prominent financial dailies like The Economic Times, Financial Express, Business Line, and Business Standard are widely circulated. Vernacular newspapers such as those in Hindi, Nepali, Gujarati, Oriya, Urdu, and Punjabi are also read by a select readership. SONY VGN-FE21B laptop keyboard
Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Hindi, English, Bengali, Nepali and international channels via cable. Hindi 24-hour television news channels are NDTV India, DD News, SONY VAIO VGN-NW25GF laptop keyboard
Zee News Uttar Pradesh, Jan TV, IBN-7, and ABP News. All India Radio is a public radio station. There are 32 private FM stations available in major cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, and Noida.[216][217] Compaq Presario CQ71-317EA laptop keyboard
Cell phone providers include Vodafone, Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Uninor, Aircel, MTS India, Tata Indicom, Idea Cellular, and Tata DoCoMo. Broadband internet is available in select towns and cities and is provided by the state-run BSNL and by private companies.[218] Dial-up access is provided throughout the state by BSNL and other providers.[219] HP Pavilion dv6-2129ev laptop keyboard
The people of Uttar Pradesh dress in a variety of traditional and Western styles.[214] Traditional styles of dress include colourful draped garments – such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men – and tailored clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama for men.[214] FUJITSU Lifebook P1610 laptop keyboard
Men often sport head-gear like topi or pagri.[214] Sherwani is a more formal male dress and is frequently worn along with chooridar on festive occasions. European-style trousers and shirts are also common among the men.[214] Packard Bell NEW90 laptop keyboard
A large number of other dialects exist. Five distinct dialect regions have been identified. The western part of the state, Rohilkhand and the upper Doab, is home to the speakers of Khari Boli. The lower Doab, which is referred as Braj Bhumi, SONY VAIO VGN-FS640/W laptop keyboard
or the land of Braj, is home to the speakers of Braj Bhasha. Further south, the Bundelkhand region people speaks Bundelkhandi. In central Uttar Pradesh, people speak the Awadhi dialect and Bhojpuri is spoken in the east. HP 405963-001 laptop keyboard
Indian states are defined on the languages they spoke, and eastern Uttar Pradesh primarily speaks Bhojpuri and their culture is identical to Bihar. This creates no central identity of Uttar Pradesh.[98][99] HP Pavilion G6-1223TX Laptop Keyboard
Since Uttar Pradesh sends the largest number of legislators to the national Parliament, it is often considered to be one of the most important states with respect to Indian politics.[104] The state contributes 80 seats to the Lok Sabhaand 35 seats to the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament.[105][106] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315M Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has been called India's under-achiever, because it has provided India with eight prime ministers while remaining a poor state.[107]
The state's legislative body is divided into two significant parts: Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad[108] and Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.[109] TOSHIBA Satellite C650-182 Laptop Keyboard
The state is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. The Governor is the head of state and is appointed by the President of India. ASUS F3M Laptop Keyboard
The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. In the 2012 election, the largest number of seats went to the Samajwadi Party with 224 seats.[110] At the local level, Lenovo 63Y0047 Laptop Keyboard
the state has a large number of village councils (panchayats), which are similar to those found in other Indian states. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to state services.[111] HP Pavilion dv6-3107ax Laptop Keyboard
Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain constitutional independence from the government.[40] This theoretically allows the judiciary to interpret the law based solely on the legislation enacted by Parliament without other influences on their decisions. SONY VAIO VGN-C2S Series Laptop Keyboard
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district.[40] HP 488590-001 Laptop Keyboard
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, also serves the government.[40] Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as the Department of Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc.[111] TOSHIBA P000482730 Laptop Keyboard
The judiciary in the state consists of the Allahabad High Court in Allahabad, district courts namely the District court of Etawah, the district court of Kanpur Dehat and district courts in each districts as Uttar Pradesh Judiciary, session courts in each district or Sessions Division, lower courts and judges at the taluka level.[112] SONY 147977821 Laptop Keyboard
The President of India appoints the chief justice of the High Court of the Uttar Pradesh judiciary on the advice of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India as well as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.[40] Other judges are appointed by the chief justice of the high court of the judiciary of Uttar Pradesh on the advice of the Chief Justice.[112][113] SONY VAIO VGN-C2S Series Laptop Keyboard
Subordinate Judicial Service is another vital part of the judiciary of Uttar Pradesh. The subordinate judiciary or the district courts are categorized into two divisions viz. Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services and Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service.[40] HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
While the Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services comprises the Civil Judges (Junior Division)/Judicial Magistraes and civil judges (Senior Division)/Chief Judicial Magistrate, the Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service comprises civil and sessions judges. HP G42-364LA Laptop Keyboard
The Subordinate judicial service of the judiciary at Uttar Pradesh is controlled by the District Judge.[40] The district court of Etawah and district court of Kanpur Dehat of Uttar Pradesh serves as the subordinate judicial service of the state.[114] TOSHIBA 9J.N7482.901 Laptop Keyboard
Since 2006, there have been a number of terrorist attacks, including explosions in a landmark holy place, a court and a temple. The 2006 Varanasi bombings were a series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi on 7 March 2006. At least 28 people were killed and as many as 101 others were injured.[120] TOSHIBA Satellite U305-S2804 Laptop Keyboard
The blasts occurred simultaneously shortly after 18:00 IST. The first blast took place at 18:20 in the crowded Sankat Mochan Hanuman Templenear the Banaras Hindu University.[121][121] HP 597635-001 Laptop Keyboard
Other blasts followed at the Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station near the waiting area next to the travel office. Initially, another blast was reported inside the stationary Shivganga Express bound for Delhi.[122] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard
In the afternoon of 23 November 2007, within a span of 25 minutes, six consecutive serial blasts occurred in the Lucknow, Varanasi, and Faizabad courts, in which 28 people were killed and several others injured.[123] DELL Vostro 1014 Laptop Keyboard
The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police and central security agencies busted Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who had planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi. The Indian Mujahidin has claimed responsibility of these blasts in an email sent to TV stations five minutes before the blast.[124][125] Lenovo 3000 N200 Laptop Keyboard
The first blast occurred in the premises of the Varanasi civil court and collectorate between 13:05 and 13:07. Two successive blasts occurred in the Faizabad district court around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32. Bombs were explicitly targeted at the lawyers who were working in the courts.[126] HP Pavilion zv6223ea Laptop Keyboard
On 7 December 2010, another blast occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, in which more than 38 people were killed and several others injured.[127] ACER Aspire 4736Z laptop keyboard
The blast came a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots that killed over 2,000 people.[128] Lenovo Thinkpad T520 Laptop Keyboard
Economy
In terms of net state domestic product (NSDP), Uttar Pradesh holds the third largest economy (2011–2012) in India, with an NSDP of 708000 crore(US$110 billion).[130][131]
Agriculture is the leading occupation in Uttar Pradesh.[132] Wheat is the state's principal food crop and sugarcane is the main commercial crop.[133] HP Pavilion DV7t-3100 laptop keyboard
About 70% of India's sugar comes from Uttar Pradesh. State industries are localised in the Kanpur region, the fertile purvanchal lands and the Noida region. TheMughalsarai is home to a number of major locomotive plants. HP Pavilion dv6-2150es laptop keyboard
Major manufacturing products include engineering products, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, and wagons. More small-scale industrial units are situated in Uttar Pradesh than in any other state, with 12 SONY VAIO VGN-FS415E laptop keyboard
percent of over 2.3 million units.[132]With 359 manufacturing clusters cement is top sector of SMEs in UP.[134] HP Pavilion dv6-3107ax laptop keyboard
The Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) was established in the year 1954 under the SFCs Act of 1951 mainly to develop small and medium scale industries in the state.[135] UPFC provides financial assistance to new and existing units undergoing diversification,modernization, HP Pavilion DV7-3165dx laptop keyboard
expansion, or acquisition of fixed assets such as land, buildings, and machinery.[136] The UPFC also provides working capital to existing units with a sound track record and to new units under a single window scheme.[137] HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 laptop keyboard
As of July 2012, due to financial constraints and directions from the state government, lending activities have been suspended except for State Government Schemes. HP Pavilion dv6-3142se laptop keyboard
The state also has "marked income inequality".[133]
In 2009–10, the tertiary sector of the economy (service industries) was the largest contributor to the gross domestic product of the state, contributing 44.8% of the state domestic product compared to 44% from the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and tourism) TOSHIBA Satellite P300-ST3712 laptop keyboard
and 11.2% from the secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing).[139][140] During the 11th five-year plan (2007–2012), the average gross state domestic product (GSDP) growth rate was 7.28%, lower than 15.5%, the average for all states of the country.[141][142] The state’s per capita GSDP was 29417 (US$450), HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
lower than the national per capita GSDP of 60972 (US$930).[143] The state's total financial debt stood at 200009 crore (US$31 billion) as of 2011.[144] Labour efficiency is higher at an index of 26 than the national average of 25. The economy also benefits from the state's tourism industry.[145] SONY VAIO VGN-FS620 laptop keyboard
The state is attracting foreign direct investment which has mostly come in the software and electronics fields; Noida and Lucknow is becoming a major hub for the information technology (IT) industry. Sonebhadra, a district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has large-scale industries. Its southern region is known as the "Energy Capital Of India".[146] HP Pavilion dv3-2155mx laptop keyboard
Uttar Pradesh also has the largest number of mobile subscribers in the country, total of 121.60 million mobile phone connections out of 861.66 million in India, according to the telecom regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI, as of May 2013.[147][148][149][150] TOSHIBA PK130BH2A00 laptop keyboard
The state has excellent civil aviation infrastructure with two international airports at Lucknow and Varanasi and four domestic airports located at Agra, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Kanpur. Two of the airports, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, SONY VAIO VGN-CR123E laptop keyboard
provide international service.[151] The state has also proposed creating the Taj international airport in the Delhi‐NCR region.[152] A stretch of the Ganges – from Allahabad to Haldia has been declared as a National Waterway (NW)-I; Lenovo ThinkPad T510-4339 laptop keyboard
600 km of which flows through Uttar Pradesh.[153] Captain Lakshmi Sehgal International Airport is proposed international airport nearKanpur Dehat at Jainpur which is about 50 km from Kanpur and comes in Kanpur Metropolitan Area. HP Pavilion dv6-2130ca laptop keyboard
When completed it will be the second largest airport in Northern India with flights all over the world.This is because industrial areas ofKanpur, Agra and Kannauj lie here.It will be bigger than Lucknow Airport with more flights as compared to Lucknow Airport. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 laptop keyboard
An international Airport is proposed at Kushinagar. Gorakhpur has a regional airport Gorakhpur Airport and has flights to various indian cities,other than this it is Indian airforce base.
The state has the largest railway network in the country and the sixth highest railway density. As 0f 2011, there were 8,546 km (5,310 mi) DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard
of rail in the state.[154] Allahabad is the headquarters of the North Central Railway[155] andGorakhpur is the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway.[156][157] Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express, the second fastest shatabdi train, HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 Laptop Keyboard
connects the Indian capital of New Delhi to Lucknow. This was the first train in India to get new German coaches.[158] The railway stations of Kanpur Central, Lucknow NR, Varanasi Junction, Agra Cantt, HP G42-364LA Laptop Keyboard
Gorakhpurand Mathura Junction were included in the Indian Railways list of 50 world-class railway stations.[159] Kanpur Central is second largest railway station after in Northern India after New Delhi Railway Station and largest within the state followed by Lucknow NR. DELL Vostro PP37L Laptop Keyboard
The state has a large, multimodal transportation system with the largest road network in the country.[160] The state is well connected to its nine neighboring states and almost all other parts of India through the national highways (NH). It boasts 42 national highways, with a total length of 4,942 km (9.6% of the total NH length in India). DELL Vostro 3450 Laptop Keyboard
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation was established in 1972 to provide economical, reliable, and comfortable transportation in the state with connecting services to adjoining states.[161] DELL Vostro 3550 Laptop Keyboard
All cities are connected to state highways, which carry traffic between major centres within the state. Other district roads and village roads provide villages accessibility to meet their social needs as also the means to transport agriculture produce from village to nearby markets. HP Pavilion dv6-2125ef laptop keyboard
Major district roads provide a secondary function of linking between main roads and rural roads.[162] Uttar Pradesh has the seventh-highest road density in India, (1,027 km per 1000 km2 as of 2002) and the largest surfaced urban-road network in the country (50,721 km as of 2002).[161] HP Pavilion dv6-2110ev laptop keyboard
The National Golden Quadrilateral of India passes through Jhansi, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, and Varanasi.[163] There is an existing expressway between Lucknow and Kanpur; and new expressways are being built between Agra and Noida and between Noida and Ballia, SONY VAIO VGN-N31Z/W laptop keyboard
known as the Yamuna Expressway and the Ganga Expressway, respectively.[164] The state has established the to develop seven new expressways.[165] These projects includes Upper Ganga Canal Expressway, ACER TravelMate 6252 laptop keyboard
Bijnore–Moradabad–Fatehgarh Expressway, Jhansi–Kanpur–Lucknow–Gorakhpur–Kushinagar Expressway, Lucknow–Barabanki–Nanpara link Expressway,Agra–Kanpur Expressway, Kanpur 1st Outer Ring Road, From Narora up to 10 km before the boundary of Uttarakhand state.[166][167] SONY VGN-FE11M laptop keyboard
The eight lane Kanpur Metropolitan Bypass is proposed by NHAI which connects Ajgain in Unnao District with Akbarpur, Kanpur Dehat via Maharajpur, Bidhnu and Jainpur.The bypass will be of around 110 km. TOSHIBA Satellite L750-ST4NX1 laptop keyboard
Popular sports in Uttar Pradesh can be divided into two groups: traditional sports and modern sports of mainly European origin. Athletes from the state have included the field hockey player Dhyan Chand, Olympic shooter Nawab Mian, volleyball player Sanjiv Balian, and the wrestler Anuj.[168] ASUS X53S laptop keyboard
Traditional sports, now played mostly as a pastime, include wrestling, swimming, kabaddi, and track- or water-sports played according to local traditional rules and without modern equipment. Some sports are designed to display martial skills such as using a sword or ‘Pata’ (stick).[169] Acer eMachines E640 laptop keyboard
Due to lack of organised patronage and requisite facilities, these sports survive mostly as individuals' hobbies or local competitive events. Among modern sports, field hockey is popular and Uttar Pradesh has produced some of the finest players in India, including Dhyan Chand and, more recently, Nitin Kumar[170] and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.[171] TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5107 laptop keyboard
Recently, cricket has become more popular than field hockey. Uttar Pradesh won its first Ranji Trophy tournament in February 2006, beating Bengal in the final.[172] It can also boast of routinely having 3 or 4 players on the national side. Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the only internationally recognised HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 laptop keyboard
cricket stadium in the state, has witnessed some of India's most famous victories. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has headquarter in Kanpur. Faizabad Sports Complex is another sports venue in Uttar Pradesh which includes Faizabad International Sports Stadium.[173] Greater Noida Cricket Stadium is another newly built international cricket stadium.[174] SONY VAIO VGN-N250E/B laptop keyboard
HP Pavilion DV7-3067nr laptop keyboard
Angkor Wat (Khmer: អង្គរវត្ត) is a Hindu, then subsequently Buddhist temple complex in Cambodia and the largest religious monument in the world. The temple was built by the Khmer King Suryavarman II in the early 12th century in Yasodharapura (Khmer: យសោធរបុរៈ, SONY VAIO VGN-AR770 laptop keyboard
present-day Angkor), the capital of the Khmer Empire, as his state temple and eventual mausoleum. Breaking from the Shaivism tradition of previous kings, Angkor Wat was instead dedicated to Vishnu. ACER Aspire 5005WLMi Laptop Keyboard
As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious center since its foundation – first Hindu, then Buddhist. The temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. It has become a symbol of Cambodia,[1] appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. SAMSUNG NP-Q320-AS01UK Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat combines two basic plans of Khmer temple architecture: the temple mountain and the later galleried temple, based on early Dravidian Architecture, with key features such as the Jagati. It is designed to represent Mount Meru, home of the devas in Hindu mythology: HP G62-455TX Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
within a moat and an outer wall 3.6 kilometres (2.2 mi) long are three rectangular galleries, each raised above the next. At the centre of the temple stands aquincunx of towers. Unlike most Angkorian temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west; HP 532617-001 Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
scholars are divided as to the significance of this. The temple is admired for the grandeur and harmony of the architecture, its extensive bas-reliefs, and for the numerous devatas adorning its walls. DELL Latitude D830 Laptop Keyboard
The modern name, Angkor Wat, means "Temple City" or "City of Temples" in Khmer; Angkor, meaning "city" or "capital city", is a vernacular form of the word nokor (នគរ), which comes from the Sanskrit word nagara(नगर).[2] Wat is the Khmer word for "temple grounds", DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
derived from the Pali word "vatta" (वत्त).[3] Prior to this time the temple was known as Preah Pisnulok (Vara Vishnuloka in Sanskrit), after the posthumous title of its founder.[4] ACER Travelmate 4670 Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat lies 5.5 kilometres (3.4 mi) north of the modern town of Siem Reap, and a short distance south and slightly east of the previous capital, which was centred at Baphuon. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites. TOSHIBA Satellite L550-ST5701 Laptop Keyboard
The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Vishnu, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. DELL NSK-DB301 Laptop Keyboard
As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as "Varah Vishnu-lok" (literally "Holy Vishnu Location", Old Khmer Cl. Sanskrit") after the presiding deity. HP Pavilion DV7-3186cl Laptop Keyboard
Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished.[5] In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
who established a new capital and state temple (Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north.
In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. HP Pavilion dv6-2020ca Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.[6] Compaq 6720s Laptop Keyboard
One of the first Western visitors to the temple was António da Madalena, a Portuguese monk who visited in 1586 and said that it "is of such extraordinary construction that it is not possible to describe it with a pen, SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
particularly since it is like no other building in the world. It has towers and decoration and all the refinements which the human genius can conceive of."[7] In the mid-19th century the temple was visited by the French naturalist and explorer, Henri Mouhot, who popularised the site in the West through the publication of travel notes, in which he wrote: ACER Aspire 7740 Laptop Keyboard
"One of these temples—a rival to that of Solomon, and erected by some ancient Michelangelo—might take an honorable place beside our most beautiful buildings. It is grander than anything left to us by Greece orRome, and presents a sad contrast to the state of barbarism in which the nation is now plunged."[8] HP Pavilion G7-1150US Laptop Keyboard
Mouhot, like other early Western visitors, found it difficult to believe that the Khmers could have built the temple, and mistakenly dated it to around the same era as Rome. The true history of Angkor Wat was pieced together only from stylistic and epigraphic evidence accumulated during the subsequent clearing and restoration work carried out across the whole Angkor site. SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
There were no ordinary dwellings or houses or other signs of settlement including cooking utensils, weapons, or items of clothing usually found at ancient sites. Instead there is the evidence of the monuments themselves.[9] HP G62-361TX Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat required considerable restoration in the 20th century, mainly the removal of accumulated earth and vegetation.[10] Work was interrupted by the civil war and Khmer Rougecontrol of the country during the 1970s and 1980s, SONY VAIO VGN-CR140F Laptop Keyboard
but relatively little damage was done during this period other than the theft and destruction of mostly post-Angkorian statues.[11]
The temple is a powerful symbol of Cambodia, and is a source of great national pride that has factored into Cambodia's diplomatic relations with France, HP Mini 110-3004tu laptop keyboard
the United States and its neighbor Thailand. A depiction of Angkor Wat has been a part of Cambodian national flagssince the introduction of the first version circa 1863.[12] From a larger historical and even transcultural perspective, however, SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
the temple of Angkor Wat did not became a symbol of national pride sui generis but had been inscribed into a larger politico-cultural process of French-colonial heritage production in which the original temple site was presented in French colonial and universal exhibitions in Paris and Marseille between 1889 and 1937.[13] SONY VGN-FE48M laptop keyboard
Angkor Wat's aesthetics were also on display in the plaster cast museum of Louis Delaporte called musée Indo-chinois which existed in the Parisian Trocadero Palace from c.1880 to the mid-1920s.[14] TOSHIBA Satellite L550-ST2743 laptop keyboard
The splendid artistic legacy of Angkor Wat and other Khmer monuments in the Angkor region led directly to France adopting Cambodia as a protectorate on 11 August 1863 and invading Siam to take control of the ruins. DELL NSK-DB301 laptop keyboard
This quickly led to Cambodia reclaiming lands in the northwestern corner of the country that had been under Siamese (Thai) control since 1351 AD (Manich Jumsai 2001), or by some accounts, 1431 AD.[15] Cambodia gained independence from France on 9 November 1953 and has controlled Angkor Wat since that time. ASUS F3U laptop keyboard
Angkor Wat, located at 13°24′45″N 103°52′0″E, is a unique combination of the temple mountain, the standard design for the empire's state temples, the later plan of concentric galleries, and influences from Kalinga architecture ofOdisha and Cholas of Tamil Nadu, India. The temple is a representation of Mount Meru, HP Pavilion dv5-1220ez laptop keyboard
the home of the gods: the centralquincunx of towers symbolises the five peaks of the mountain, and the walls and moat the surrounding mountain ranges and ocean.[16] Access to the upper areas of the temple was progressively more exclusive, with the laity being admitted only to the lowest level.[17] ACER Extensa 5635Z laptop keyboard
Unlike most Khmer temples, Angkor Wat is oriented to the west rather than the east. This has led many (including Glaize and George Coedès) to conclude that Suryavarman intended it to serve as his funerary temple.[18] Further evidence for this view is provided by the bas-reliefs, which proceed in a counter-clockwise direction—prasavya in Hindu terminology--HP Pavilion DV7-3173nr laptop keyboard
as this is the reverse of the normal order. Rituals take place in reverse order during Brahminic funeral services.[10]The archaeologist Charles Higham also describes a container which may have been a funerary jar which was recovered from the central tower.[19] It has been nominated by some as the greatest expenditure of energy on the disposal of a corpse.[20] HP Mini 110-3107sa laptop keyboard
Freeman and Jacques, however, note that several other temples of Angkor depart from the typical eastern orientation, and suggest that Angkor Wat's alignment was due to its dedication to Vishnu, who was associated with the west.[16] Compaq Presario CQ56-110SM laptop keyboard
A further interpretation of Angkor Wat has been proposed by Eleanor Mannikka. Drawing on the temple's alignment and dimensions, and on the content and arrangement of the bas-reliefs, she argues that the structure represents a claimed new era of peace under King Suryavarman II: TOSHIBA Satellite 1800-s208 laptop keyboard
"as the measurements of solar and lunar time cycles were built into the sacred space of Angkor Wat, this divine mandate to rule was anchored to consecrated chambers and corridors meant to perpetuate the king's power and to honor and placate the deities manifest in the heavens above."[21][22] HP Pavilion dv6-2165tx Laptop Keyboard
Mannikka's suggestions have been received with a mixture of interest and scepticism in academic circles.[19] She distances herself from the speculations of others, such as Graham Hancock, that Angkor Wat is part of a representation of the constellation Draco.[23] SONY VAIO VGN-NW20SF Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat is the prime example of the classical style of Khmer architecture—the Angkor Wat style—to which it has given its name. By the 12th century Khmer architects had become skilled and confident in the use of sandstone (rather than brick or laterite) as the main building material. Most of the visible areas are of sandstone blocks, HP G62-107SA Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
while laterite was used for the outer wall and for hidden structural parts. The binding agent used to join the blocks is yet to be identified, although natural resins or slaked lime have been suggested.[24] HP G42-164LA Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat has drawn praise above all for the harmony of its design, which has been compared to the architecture ofancient Greece and Rome. According to Maurice Glaize, a mid-20th-century conservator of Angkor, the temple "attains a classic perfection by the restrained monumentality of its finely balanced elements and the precise arrangement of its proportions. It is a work of power, unity and style."[25] TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard
Architecturally, the elements characteristic of the style include: the ogival, redented towers shaped like lotus buds; half-galleries to broaden passageways; axial galleries connecting enclosures; and the cruciform terraces which appear along the main axis of the temple. Typical decorative elements are devatas (or apsaras), SONY VAIO VGN-CR363 Laptop Keyboard
bas-reliefs, and on pedimentsextensive garlands and narrative scenes. The statuary of Angkor Wat is considered conservative, being more static and less graceful than earlier work.[26]Other elements of the design have been destroyed by looting and the passage of time, including gilded stucco on the towers, gilding on some figures on the bas-reliefs, and wooden ceiling panels and doors.[27] Lenovo 3000 G530 4151 Laptop Keyboard
The outer wall, 1024 by 802 m and 4.5 m high, is surrounded by a 30 m apron of open ground and a moat 190 m wide. Access to the temple is by an earth bank to the east and a sandstone causeway to the west; the latter, SONY VGN-FE41M Laptop Keyboard
the main entrance, is a later addition, possibly replacing a wooden bridge.[28] There are gopuras at each of the cardinal points; the western is by far the largest and has three ruined towers. Glaize notes that this gopura both hides and echoes the form of the temple proper.[29] Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 Laptop Keyboard
Under the southern tower is a statue of Vishnu, known as Ta Reach, which may originally have occupied the temple's central shrine.[28] Galleries run between the towers and as far as two further entrances on either side of the gopura often referred to as "elephant gates", as they are large enough to admit those animals. SAMSUNG Q320 Laptop Keyboard
These galleries have square pillars on the outer (west) side and a closed wall on the inner (east) side. The ceiling between the pillars is decorated with lotus rosettes; the west face of the wall with dancing figures; and the east face of the wall with balustered windows, dancing male figures on prancing animals, and devatas, including (south of the entrance) the only one in the temple to be showing her teeth. HP 636376-001 Laptop Keyboard
The outer wall encloses a space of 820,000 square metres (203 acres), which besides the temple proper was originally occupied by the city and, to the north of the temple, the royal palace. Like all secular buildings of Angkor, these were built of perishable materials rather than of stone, so nothing remains of them except the outlines of some of the streets.[30] SONY 148084122 Laptop Keyboard
Most of the area is now covered by forest. A 350 m causeway connects the western gopura to the temple proper, with naga balustrades and six sets of steps leading down to the city on either side. Each side also features a library with entrances at each cardinal point, DELL Vostro 3550 Laptop Keyboard
in front of the third set of stairs from the entrance, and a pond between the library and the temple itself. The ponds are later additions to the design, as is the cruciform terrace guarded by lions connecting the causeway to the central structure.[30] ACER Aspire 5810T-8929 Laptop Keyboard
The temple stands on a terrace raised higher than the city. It is made of three rectangular galleries rising to a central tower, each level higher than the last. Mannikka interprets these galleries as being dedicated to the king,Brahma, the moon, and Vishnu.[5] Each gallery has a gopura at each of the points, Compaq Presario CQ42-228LA Laptop Keyboard
and the two inner galleries each have towers at their corners, forming a quincunx with the central tower. Because the temple faces west, the features are all set back towards the east, leaving more space to be filled in each enclosure and gallery on the west side; for the same reason the west-facing steps are shallower than those on the other sides. HP Pavilion DV7-3065dx Laptop Keyboard
The outer gallery measures 187 by 215 m, with pavilions rather than towers at the corners. The gallery is open to the outside of the temple, with columned half-galleries extending and buttressing the structure. DELL E141395 Laptop Keyboard
Connecting the outer gallery to the second enclosure on the west side is a cruciform cloister called Preah Poan (the "Hall of a Thousand Gods"). Buddha images were left in the cloister by pilgrims over the centuries, although most have now been removed. ACER Aspire 7745G Laptop Keyboard
This area has many inscriptions relating the good deeds of pilgrims, most written in Khmer but others in Burmese and Japanese. The four small courtyards marked out by the cloister may originally have been filled with water.[31] North and south of the cloister are libraries. Compaq Presario CQ42-228LA Laptop Keyboard
Beyond, the second and inner galleries are connected to each other and to two flanking libraries by another cruciform terrace, again a later addition. From the second level upwards, devatas abound on the walls, singly or in groups of up to four. HP G72-c55DX Laptop Keyboard
The second-level enclosure is 100 by 115 m, and may originally have been flooded to represent the ocean aroundMount Meru.[32] Three sets of steps on each side lead up to the corner towers and gopuras of the inner gallery. HP Pavilion dv6-3034tx Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
The very steep stairways represent the difficulty of ascending to the kingdom of the gods.[33] This inner gallery, called the Bakan, is a 60 m square with axial galleries connecting each gopura with the central shrine, FUJITSU Amilo Mini Ui 3520 laptop keyboard
and subsidiary shrines located below the corner towers. The roofings of the galleries are decorated with the motif of the body of a snake ending in the heads of lions or garudas. Carved lintels and pediments decorate the entrances to the galleries and to the shrines. HP Pavilion dv6-2125el laptop keyboard
The tower above the central shrine rises 43 m to a height of 65 m above the ground; unlike those of previous temple mountains, the central tower is raised above the surrounding four.[34] The shrine itself, originally occupied by a statue of Vishnu and open on each side, was walled in when the temple was converted toTheravada Buddhism, the new walls featuring standing Buddhas. HP Mini 210-2070ee laptop keyboard
In 1934, the conservator George Trouvé excavated the pit beneath the central shrine: filled with sand and water it had already been robbed of its treasure, but he did find a sacred foundation deposit of gold leaf two metres above ground level.[35] SONY VAIO VGN-NW320F/T laptop keyboard
Integrated with the architecture of the building, and one of the causes for its fame is Angkor Wat's extensive decoration, which predominantly takes the form ofbas-relief friezes. The inner walls of the outer gallery bear a series of large-scale scenes mainly depicting episodes from the Hindu epics the Ramayana and theMahabharata. SONY VGN-FE11H laptop keyboard
Higham has called these, "the greatest known linear arrangement of stone carving".[36] From the north-west corner anti-clockwise, the western gallery shows the Battle of Lanka (from the Ramayana, in which Rama defeats Ravana) and theBattle of Kurukshetra (from the Mahabharata, SONY VAIO VGN-AR320E laptop keyboard
showing the mutual annihilation of theKaurava and Pandava clans). On the southern gallery follow the only historical scene, a procession of Suryavarman II, then the 32 hells and 37 heavens of Hindu mythology. SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
On the eastern gallery is one of the most celebrated scenes, the Churning of the Sea of Milk, showing 92[37] asuras and 88 devas using the serpent Vasuki to churn the sea under Vishnu's direction (Mannikka counts only 91 asuras, HP G42-461LA laptop keyboard
and explains the asymmetrical numbers as representing the number of days from the winter solstice to the spring equinox, and from the equinox to the summer solstice).[38] It is followed by Vishnu defeating asuras (a 16th-century addition). HP pavilion DV7-1029eg laptop keyboard
The northern gallery shows Krishna's victory over Bana (where according to Glaize, "The workmanship is at its worst"[39]) and a battle between the Hindu gods and asuras. The north-west and south-west corner pavilions both feature much smaller-scale scenes, some unidentified but most from the Ramayana or the life of Krishna. SONY VAIO VGN-AW25GJ laptop keyboard
SONY VAIO PCG-F50/BP laptop keyboard
The stones, as smooth as polished marble, were laid without mortar with very tight joints that were sometimes hard to find. The blocks were held together by mortise and tenon joints in some cases, while in others they used dovetails and gravity. DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard
The blocks were presumably put in place by a combination of elephants, coir ropes, pulleys and bamboo scaffolding. Henri Mouhot noted that most of the blocks had holes 2.5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep, with more holes on the larger blocks. HP 448159-001 Laptop Keyboard
Some scholars have suggested that these were used to join them together with iron rods, but others claim they were used to hold temporary pegs to help manoeuvre them into place.
The monument was made out of enormous amounts of sandstone, as much as Khafre's pyramid in Egypt (over 5 million tons). DELL Latitude E6500 Laptop Keyboard
This sandstone had to be transported from Mount Kulen, a quarry approximately 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast. The stone was presumably transported by raft along the Siem Reap river. DELL Studio 1737 Laptop Keyboard
This would have to have been done with care to avoid overturning the rafts with such a large amount of weight. One modern engineer estimated it would take 300 years to complete Angkor Wat today.[40] Yet the monument was begun soon after Suryavarman came to the throne and was finished shortly after his death, no more than 40 years. DELL Inspiron 1521 Laptop Keyboard
Virtually all of its surfaces, columns, lintels even roofs are carved. There are miles of reliefs illustrating scenes from Indian literature including unicorns, griffins, winged dragons pulling chariots as well as warriors following an elephant-mounted leader and celestial dancing girls with elaborate hair styles. DELL Alienware M17xR2 Laptop Keyboard
The gallery wall alone is decorated with almost 1,000 square metres of bas reliefs. Holes on some of the Angkor walls indicate that they may have been decorated with bronze sheets. These were highly prized in ancient times and were a prime target for robbers. ACER Travelmate 4152nlci Laptop CPU Cooling Fan
While excavating Khajuraho, Alex Evans, a stonemason and sculptor, recreated a stone sculpture under 4 feet (1.2 m), this took about 60 days to carve.[41] Roger Hopkins and Mark Lehner also conducted experiments to quarry limestone which took 12 quarrymen 22 days to quarry about 400 tons of stone.[42] The labour force to quarry, HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
transport, carve and install so much sandstone must have run into the thousands including many highly skilled artisans. The skills required to carve these sculptures were developed hundreds of years earlier, as demonstrated by some artifacts that have been dated to the seventh century, before the Khmer came to power.[20][40] HP Mini 110-1120LA Laptop Keyboard
The Archaeological Survey of India carried out restoration work on the temple between 1986 and 1992.[43] Since the 1990s, Angkor Wat has seen continued conservation efforts and a massive increase in tourism. The temple is part of the Angkor World Heritage Site, established in 1992, ACER Aspire 5742 Laptop Keyboard
which has provided some funding and has encouraged the Cambodian government to protect the site.[44] The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP) is working to protect the devatas and other bas-reliefs which decorate the temple from damage. The organisation's survey found that around 20% of the devatas were in very poor condition, ACER TravelMate 4100 Laptop Keyboard
mainly because of natural erosion and deterioration of the stone but in part also due to earlier restoration efforts.[45] Other work involves the repair of collapsed sections of the structure, and prevention of further collapse: HP Envy 15 Laptop Keyboard
the west facade of the upper level, for example, has been buttressed by scaffolding since 2002,[46] while a Japanese team completed restoration of the north library of the outer enclosure in 2005.[47] World Monuments Fund began conservation work on the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery in 2008 after several years of conditions studies. DELL Precision M4500 Laptop Keyboard
The project restored the traditional Khmer roofing system and removed cement used in earlier restoration attempts that had resulted in salts entering the structure behind the bas-relief, discoloring and damaging the sculpted surfaces. The main phase of work ended in 2012, and the final component will be the installation of finials on the roof of the gallery in 2013. DELL PK130801B00 Laptop Keyboard
Angkor Wat has become a major tourist destination. In 2004 and 2005, government figures suggest that, respectively, 561,000 and 677,000 foreign visitors arrived in Siem Reap province, approximately 50% of all foreign tourists in Cambodia for both years.[48] The site has been managed by the private SOKIMEXgroup since 1990, HP Pavilion DV6-1030us Laptop Keyboard
which rented it from the Cambodian government. The influx of tourists has so far caused relatively little damage, other than somegraffiti; ropes and wooden steps have been introduced to protect the bas-reliefs and floors, HP Probook 4520S Laptop Keyboard
respectively. Tourism has also provided some additional funds for maintenance—as of 2000 approximately 28% of ticket revenues across the whole Angkor site was spent on the temples—although most work is carried out by foreign government-sponsored teams rather than by the Cambodian authorities.[49] SONY 147977821 Laptop Keyboard
Since Angkor Wat has seen significant growth in tourism throughout the years UNESCO and its International Co-ordinating Committee for the Safeguarding and Development of the Historic Site of Angkor (ICC), in association with representatives from the Royal Government and APSARA, organized seminars to discuss the concept of "cultural tourism".[50] SONY 147963021 Laptop Keyboard
Wanting to avoid commercial and mass tourism, the seminars emphasized the importance of providing high quality accommodation and services in order for the Cambodian government to benefit economically, while also incorporating the richness of Cambodian culture.[50]In 2001, this incentive resulted in the concept of the "SONY VAIO VGN-CS16M/P laptop keyboard
Angkor Tourist City" which would be developed with regard to traditional Khmer architecture, contain leisure and tourist facilities, and provide luxurious hotels capable of accommodating large amounts of tourists.[50] Lenovo 3000 Y510a 15303 laptop keyboard
The prospect of developing such large tourist accommodations has encountered concerns from both APSARA and the ICC, claiming that previous tourism developments in the area have neglected construction regulations and more of these projects have the potential to damage landscape features.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2030ev laptop keyboard
Also, the large scale of these projects have begun to threaten the quality of the nearby town's water, sewage, and electricity systems.[50] It has been noted that such high frequency of tourism and growing demand for quality accommodations in the area, such as the development of a large highway, DELL Inspiron N4050 laptop keyboard
has had a direct effect on the underground water table, subsequently straining the structural stability of the temples at Angkor Wat.[50] Locals of Siem Reap have also voiced concern over the charming nature and atmosphere of their town being compromised in order to entertain tourism.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2060ea laptop keyboard
Since this charming local atmosphere is the key component to projects like Angkor Tourist City, local officials continue to discuss how to successfully incorporate future tourism without sacrificing local values and culture.[50] HP Pavilion dv6-2155ee laptop keyboard
At the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2012, both parties have agreed Borobudur and Angkor Wat to become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces. Two Indonesian airlines are considering the opportunity to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta, Indonesia to Siem Reap.[51] DELL Latitude E5410 laptop keyboard
The period of Angkor is the period from approximately the latter half of the 8th century AD to the first half of the 15th century. If precise dates are required, the beginning may be set in 802 AD, when the founder of the Khmer Empire, Jayavarman II pronounced himself universal monarch (chakravartin) and declared independence from Java, and the end may be set in 1431 AD, ACER TravelMate 3020 laptop keyboard
when Thai invaders from the kingdom of Ayutthaya sacked Angkor and caused the Khmerelite to migrate to Phnom Penh.
In any study of Angkorian architecture, ACER TravelMate 2403 Series laptop keyboard
the emphasis is necessarily on religious architecture, since all the remaining Angkorian buildings are religious in nature. During the period of Angkor, only temples and other religious buildings were constructed of stone. Non-religious buildings such as dwellings were constructed of perishable materials such as wood, and so have not survived. DELL PK130801B00 laptop keyboard
The religious architecture of Angkor has characteristic structures, elements, and motifs, which are identified in the glossary below. Since a number of different architectural styles succeeded one another during the Angkorean period, not all of these features were equally in evidence throughout the period. TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5163 laptop keyboard
Indeed, scholars have referred to the presence or absence of such features as one source of evidence for dating the remains. COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard
The earliest Angkorian temples were made mainly of brick. Good examples are the temple towers of Preah Ko, Lolei and Bakong at Hariharalaya. Decorations were usually carved into a stucco applied to the brick, rather than into the brick itself.[2] HP Pavilion dv5t-1200se CTO laptop keyboard
Angkor's neighbor state of Champa was also the home to numerous brick temples that are similar in style to those of Angkor. The most extensive ruins are at Mỹ Sơn in Vietnam. A Cham story tells of the time that the two countries settled an armed conflict by means of a tower-building contest proposed by the Cham King Po Klaung Garai. HP G72-b60US Laptop Keyboard
While the Khmer built a standard brick tower, Po Klaung Garai directed his people to build an impressive replica of paper and wood. In the end, the Cham replica was more impressive than the real brick tower of the Khmer, and the Cham won the contest.[3] HP 519265-001 Laptop Keyboard
The central sanctuary of an Angkorian temple was home to the temple's primary deity, the one to whom the site was dedicated: typically Shiva or Vishnu in the case of a Hindu temple, Buddha or a bodhisattva in the case of a Buddhist temple. COMPAQ Presario C700 Laptop Keyboard
The deity was represented by a statue (or in the case of Shiva, most commonly by a linga). Since the temple was not considered a place of worship for use by the population at large, but rather a home for the deity, Lenovo Thinkpad T420 Laptop Keyboard
the sanctuary needed only to be large enough to hold the statue or linga; it was never more than a few metres across.[6] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard
Its importance was instead conveyed by the height of the tower (prasat) rising above it, by its location at the centre of the temple, and by the greater decoration on its walls. Symbolically, the sanctuary represented Mount Meru, the legendary home of the Hindu gods.[7] TOSHIBA Satellite A305 Laptop Keyboard
A Hall of Dancers is a structure of a type found in certain late 12th-century temples constructed under King Jayavarman VII: Ta Prohm, Preah Khan, Banteay Kdeiand Banteay Chhmar. It is a rectangular building elongated along the temple's east axis and divided into four courtyards by galleries. Lenovo 39T7417 Laptop Keyboard
Formerly it had a roof made of perishable materials; now only the stone walls remain. The pillars of the galleries are decorated with carved designs of dancing apsaras; hence scholars have suggested that the hall itself may have been used for dancing. DELL Vostro 3450 Laptop Keyboard
A gopura is an entrance building. At Angkor, passage through the enclosure walls surrounding a temple compound is frequently accomplished by means of an impressive gopura, rather than just an aperture in the wall or a doorway. HP Mini 210-1014TU Laptop Keyboard
Enclosures surrounding a temple are often constructed with a gopura at each of the four cardinal points. In plan, gopuras are usually cross-shaped and elongated along the axis of the enclosure wall; if the wall is constructed with an accompanying gallery, the gallery is sometimes connected to the arms of the gopura. HP Pavilion DV6-1002tx Laptop Keyboard
The lintels and pediments are often decorated, and guardian figures (dvarapalas) are often placed or carved on either side of the doorways.
the significance of these reservoirs was religious, agricultural, or a combination of the two.
The two largest reservoirs at Angkor were the West Baray and the East Baray, located on either side of Angkor Thom. The East Baray is now dry. HP 519265-001 Laptop Keyboard
The West Mebon is an 11th-century temple standing at the center of the West Baray; the East Mebon a 10th-century temple standing at the center of the East Baray.[12] The baray associated with Preah Khan is the Jayataka, HP G42-475TU laptop keyboard
in the middle of which stands the 12th-century temple of Neak Pean. Scholars have speculated that the Jayataka represents the Himalayan lake of Anavatapta, known for its miraculous healing powers.[13] HP G62-a25SI laptop keyboard
Bas-reliefs are individual figures, groups of figures, or entire scenes cut into stone walls, not as drawings but as sculpted images projecting from a background. Sculpture in bas-relief is distinguished from sculpture in haut-relief, in that the latter projects farther from the background, in some cases almost detaching itself from it. IBM Thinkpad R40 laptop keyboard
The Angkorian Khmer preferred to work in bas-relief, while their neighbors the Cham were partial to haut-relief.
Narrative bas-reliefs are bas-reliefs depicting stories from mythology or history. Until about the 11th century AD, the Angkorian Khmer confined their narrative bas-reliefs to the space on the tympana above doorways. HP Pavilion DV7-3186cl laptop keyboard
The most famous early narrative bas-reliefs are those on the tympana at the 10th-century temple of Banteay Srei, depicting scenes from Hindu mythology as well as scenes from the great works of Indian literature, the Ramayana and theMahabharata. SONY VAIO VGN-N320E/W laptop keyboard
By the 12th century, however, the Angkorian artists were covering entire walls with narrative scenes in bas-relief. At Angkor Wat, the external gallery wall is covered with some 12,000 or 13,000 square meters of such scenes, some of them historical, some mythological. Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E520 laptop keyboard
Similarly, the outer gallery at the Bayon contains extensive bas-reliefs documenting the everyday life of the medieval Khmer as well as historical events from the reign of King Jayavarman VII.[16]
corbel arch is constructed by adding layers of stones to the walls on either side of an opening, HP Pavilion dv6-2170eo laptop keyboard
with each successive layer projecting further towards the centre than the one supporting it from below, until the two sides meet in the middle. The corbel arch is structurally weaker than the true arch, of which the Angkorian engineers appear to have been ignorant. TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5153 laptop keyboard
The use of corbelling prevented the Angkorian engineers from constructing large openings or spaces in buildings roofed with stone, and made such buildings particularly prone to collapse once they were no longer maintained. HP Pavilion DV7-3067cl laptop keyboard
These difficulties did not, of course, exist for buildings constructed with stone walls surmounted by a light wooden roof. The problem of preventing the collapse of corbelled structures at Angkor remains a serious one for modern conservation.[19] HP Pavilion DV7-3180us laptop keyboard
Lintel, pediment, and tympanum[edit]
A lintel is a horizontal beam connecting two vertical columns between which runs a door or passageway. Because the Angkorean Khmer lacked the ability to construct a true arch, they constructed their passageways using lintels or corbelling. A pediment is a roughly triangular structure above a lintel. A tympanum is the decorated surface of a pediment. SONY VAIO VGN-FW11S laptop keyboard
Apsaras, divine nymphs or celestial dancing girls, are characters from Indian mythology. Their origin is explained in the story of the churning of the Ocean of Milk, or samudra manthan, found in the Vishnu Purana. HP Pavilion dv6-2170ee laptop keyboard
Other stories in the Mahabharata detail the exploits of individual apsaras, who were often used by the gods as agents to persuade or seduce mythological demons, heroes and ascetics. The widespread use of apsaras as a motif for decorating the walls and pillars of temples and other religious buildings, however, HP Pavilion DV6-1122us laptop keyboard
was a Khmer innovation. In modern descriptions of Angkorian temples, the term "apsara" is sometimes used to refer not only to dancers but also to other minor female deities, though minor female deities who are depicted standing about rather than dancing are more commonly called "devatas".[24] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315M laptop keyboard
Apsaras and devatas are ubiquitous at Angkor, but are most common in the foundations of the 12th century. Depictions of true (dancing) apsaras are found, for example, in the Hall of Dancers at Preah Khan, in the pillars that line the passageways through the outer gallery of the Bayon, DELL INSPIRON 1464 Laptop Keyboard
and in the famous bas-relief ofAngkor Wat depicting the churning of the Ocean of Milk. The largest population of devatas (around 2,000) is at Angkor Wat, where they appear individually and in groups.[25] DELL XPS 15 L502X Laptop Keyboard
The styles employed by Angkorean artists in the decoration of lintels evolved over time, as a result, the study of lintels has proven a useful guide to the dating of temples. Some scholars have endeavored to develop a periodization of lintel styles.[20] The most beautiful Angkorean lintels are thought to be those of the Preah Ko style from the late 9th century.[21] DELL Vostro 1015 Laptop Keyboard
The kala is a ferocious monster symbolic of time in its all-devouring aspect and associated with the destructive side of the god Siva.[29] In Khmer temple architecture, the kala serves as a common decorative element on lintels, tympana and walls, where it is depicted as a monstrous head with a large upper jaw lined by large carnivorous teeth, but with no lower jaw. HP 643263-001 Laptop Keyboard
Some kalas are shown disgorging vine-like plants, and some serve as the base for other figures.
Scholars have speculated that the origin of the kala as a decorative element in Khmer temple architecture may be found in an earlier period when the skulls of human victims were incorporated into buildings as a kind of protective magic orapotropaism. SAMSUNG N140 Laptop Keyboard
Such skulls tended to lose their lower jaws when the ligaments holding them together dried out. Thus, the kalas of Angkor may represent the Khmer civilization's adoption into its decorative iconography of elements derived from long forgotten primitive antecedents.[30] TOSHIBA Mini NB 505-SP0160 Laptop Keyboard
A makara is a mythical sea monster with the body of a serpent, the trunk of an elephant, and a head that can have features reminiscent of a lion, a crocodile, or a dragon. In Khmer temple architecture, IBM 42T4026 laptop keyboard
the motif of the makara is generally part of a decorative carving on a lintel, tympanum, or wall. Often the makara is depicted with some other creature, such as a lion or serpent, emerging from its gaping maw. The makara is a central motif in the design of the famously beautiful lintels of the Roluos group of temples: Preah Ko, Lenovo 3000 G530 4151 laptop keyboard
Bakong, and Lolei. At Banteay Srei, carvings of makaras disgorging other monsters may be observed on many of the corners of the buildings. Mythical serpents, or nāgas, represent an important motif in Khmer architecture as well as in free-standing sculpture. They are frequently depicted as having multiple heads, always uneven in number, arranged in a fan. Each head has a flared hood, in the manner of a cobra. Packard Bell Easynote TM98 laptop keyboard
Nāgas are frequently depicted in Angkorian lintels. The composition of such lintels characteristically consists in a dominant image at the center of a rectangle, from which issue swirling elements that reach to the far ends of the rectangle. SONY VAIO VGN-N21E/W laptop keyboard
These swirling elements may take shape as either vinelike vegetation or as the bodies of nāgas. Some such nāgas are depicted wearing crowns, and others are depicted serving as mounts for human riders. HP Pavilion DV7T-4100 laptop keyboard
To the Angkorian Khmer, nāgas were symbols of water and figured in the myths of origin for the Khmer people, who were said to be descended from the union of an Indian Brahman and a serpent princess from Cambodia.[38] SONY VAIO VGN-FS215E laptop keyboard
Nāgas were also characters in other well-known legends and stories depicted in Khmer art, such as the churning of the Ocean of Milk, the legend of the Leper King as depicted in the bas-reliefs of the Bayon, and the story of Mucalinda, the serpent king who protected the Buddha from the elements.[39] SONY Vaio PCG-K23 laptop keyboard
The nuclear family, in rural Cambodia, typically lives in a rectangular house that may vary in size from four by six meters to six by ten meters. It is constructed of a wooden frame with gabled thatch roof and walls of woven bamboo. Khmer houses typically are raised on stilts as much as three meters for protection from annual floods. DELL NSK-DB301 laptop keyboard
Two ladders or wooden staircases provide access to the house. The steep thatch roof overhanging the house walls protects the interior from rain. Typically a house contains three rooms separated by partitions of woven bamboo. TOSHIBA P205-S7469 laptop keyboard
The front room serves as a living room used to receive visitors, the next room is the parents' bedroom, and the third is for unmarried daughters. Sons sleep anywhere they can find space. Family members and neighbors work together to build the house, and a house-raising ceremony is held upon its completion. HP 6730S laptop keyboard
The houses of poorer persons may contain only a single large room. Food is prepared in a separate kitchen located near the house but usually behind it. Toilet facilities consist of simple pits in the ground, located away from the house, that are covered up when filled. Any livestock is kept below the house.[40] SONY VAIO VGN-NW110D laptop keyboard
Chinese and Vietnamese houses in Cambodian town and villages typically are built directly on the ground and have earthen, cement, or tile floors, depending upon the economic status of the owner. Urban housing and commercial buildings may be of brick, masonry, or wood.[40] SONY VAIO VGN-N250E/B laptop keyboard
The Buddh International Circuit hosted India’s inaugural F1 Grand Prix race on 30 October 2011.[175] The 5.14 km long circuit was designed by German architect and racetrack designer Herman Tilke to compete with other world-class race circuits.[176] COMPAQ Presario CQ50-210US laptop keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has a long tradition of education, although historically it was primarily confined to the elite class and religious schools.[177] Sanskrit-based learning formed the major part of education from the Vedic to the Gupta periods. As cultures traveled through the region they brought their bodies of knowledge with them, adding Pali, DELL V119525BS1 laptop keyboard
Persian, andArabic scholarship to the community. These formed the core of Hindu-Buddhist-Muslim education until the rise of British colonialism.[178] The present schools-to-university system of education owes its inception and development in the state (as in the rest of the country) TOSHIBA 9J.N9282.W01 laptop keyboard
to foreign Christian missionaries and the British colonial administration.[179] Schools in the state are either managed by the government or by private trusts. Hindi is used as a medium of instruction in most of the schools except those affiliated to the CBSE or the Council for ICSE boards.[180] Under the 10+2+3 plan, after completing secondary school, SONY KFRMBA151B laptop keyboard
students typically enroll for 2 years in a junior college, also known as pre-university, or in schools with a higher secondary facility affiliated with the Uttar Pradesh Board of High School and Intermediate Education or a central board. Students choose from one of three streams, namely liberal arts, commerce, or science. TOSHIBA Satellite l25-s1196 laptop keyboard
Upon completing the required coursework, students may enroll in general or professional degree programs.
Uttar Pradesh has more than 30 universities,[181] including 4 central universities, 20 state universities, 8 deemed universities, HP Pavilion DV6-1205ee laptop keyboard
2 IITs, 1 IIM in Lucknow, 1 NIT in Allahabad and several polytechnics, engineering colleges and industrial training institutes.[182]Prestigious institutes like the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur,[183] Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi, SAMSUNG Q320 laptop keyboard
the Indian Institute of Management Lucknow, Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad, and the Harcourt Butler Technological Institute are known worldwide for their quality education and research in their respective fields.[184] TOSHIBA Satellite M645-S4070 Laptop Keyboard
The presence of such institutions provides the students of the state with ample opportunities for higher education.[185][186] Other universities in the state include Gautam Buddha University, Banaras Hindu University, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Aligarh Muslim University, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, University of Allahabad, Indian Veterinary Research Institute Bareilly, IMT Ghaziabad, HP Probook 4515S Laptop Keyboard
Gautam Buddha Technical University, M.J.P. Rohilkhand University, Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and Technology, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University, and King George's Medical University.[187] SONY VAIO VGN-AR630E Laptop Keyboard
The Integral University, a state level institution, was established by the Uttar Pradesh Government to provide education in different technical, applied science, and other disciplines.[188] The Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies was founded as an autonomous organisation by the national ministry of culture. SONY VAIO PCG-FR315M Laptop Keyboard
Jagadguru Rambhadracharya Handicapped University is the only university established exclusively for the disabled in the world.[189] A large number of Indian scholars are educated at different universities in Uttar Pradesh. The state has produced likes of Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Motilal Nehru, Harish Chandra and Indira Gandhi. DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh ranks first in domestic tourist arrivals with more than 71 million,[190][191] owing to its rich and varied topography, vibrant culture, festivals, monuments, ancient places of worship, and viharas. DELL Latitude D620 Laptop Keyboard
Thousands gather at Allahabad to take part in the Magh Mela festival on the banks of the Ganges.[192] This festival is organised on a larger scale every 12th year and is called the Kumbha Mela, where over 10 million Hindu pilgrims congregate in one of the largest gatherings of people in the world.[193] SAMSUNG N150 Laptop Keyboard
The historically important towns of Sarnath and Kushinagar are located not far from Varanasi.[194] Gautama Buddhagave his first sermon after his enlightenment at Sarnath and died at Kushinagar; both are important pilgrimage sites for Buddhists. Also at Sarnath are the Pillars of Ashoka and the Lion Capital of Ashoka, HP Pavilion G6-1B59WM Laptop Keyboard
both important archaeological artifacts with national significance. At a distance of 80 km from Varanasi, Ghazipur is famous not only for its Ganges Ghats but also for the tomb of the British potentate Lord Cornwallis, maintained by theArcheological Survey of India.[195] HP G62-367DX Laptop Keyboard
Lucknow, the capital of the state, has several beautiful historical monuments such as Bara Imambara and Chhota Imambara.[196][197] It has also preserved the damaged complex of the Oudh-period British Resident's quarters, which are being restored. DELL V119525BS1 Laptop Keyboard
Varanasi is an ancient city famous for its ghats.[198] To promote tourism, the Directorate of Tourism was established in the 1972 with a Director General who is an I.A.S.officer. In 1974 the Uttar Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation was established to look after the commercial tourist activities.[199] DEI Deemed University SONY Vaio PCG-K33 Laptop Keyboard
Several texts and hymns of the Vedic literature were composed in Uttar Pradesh. The festival of Guru Purnima is dedicated to Sage Vyasa, and also known as Vyasa Purnima as it is the day which is believed to be his birthday and also the day he divided the Vedas.[200] There is a long literary and folk Hindi language tradition in the state. TOSHIBA Tecra M9-S5514 Laptop Keyboard
In the 19th and 20th century, Hindi literature was modernised by authors such as Jaishankar Prasad, Maithili Sharan Gupt, Munshi Premchand, Suryakant Tripathi Nirala, Babu Gulabrai, Sachchidananda Hirananda Vatsyayan 'Agyeya', GATEWAY NV-54 Laptop Keyboard
Rahul Sankrityayan,Harivansh Rai Bachchan, Dharamvir Bharati, Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, Mahavir Prasad Dwivedi, Swami Sahajanand Saraswati,Dushyant Kumar, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, Acharya Kuber Nath Rai, Bharatendu Harishchandra, Kamleshwar Prasad Saxena,Shivmangal Singh Suman, Mahadevi Varma, and Vibhuti Narain Rai.[201] FUJITSU Lifebook P1510 Laptop Keyboard
The state is sometimes called the 'Hindi heartland of India'.[202] Hindi became the language of state administration with the Uttar Pradesh Official Language Act of 1951. A 1989 amendment to the act added Urdu as another native language of the state.[203] Linguistically, FUJITSU Lifebook P1610 Laptop Keyboard
the state spreads across the Central, East-Central, and Eastern zones of the Indo-Aryan languages, the major native languages of the state being Awadhi, Bundeli, Braj Bhasha, Kannauji and the vernacular form of Khariboli.[204] DELL Precision M4500 Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has produced musicians, including Anup Jalota, Baba Sehgal, Girija Devi, Gopal Shankar Misra, Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Kishan Maharaj, Naushad Ali, Ravi Shankar, Shubha Mudgal, Siddheshwari Devi, Talat Mehmood, and Ustad Bismillah Khan. SONY VAIO VGN-N325QE/W Laptop Keyboard
The Ghazal singer Begum Akhtar was a native of Uttar Pradesh. The region's folk heritage includes songs called rasiya (especially popular in Braj), which celebrate the divine love of Radha and Shri Krishna. Other forms of music are kajari, sohar, TOSHIBA Satellite A205-S4618 Laptop Keyboard
qawwali, rasiya, thumri, birha, chaiti, and sawani. Traditional dance and musical styles are taught at theBhatkhande Music Institute University in Lucknow, named after the musician Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande.[205] HP G61-424CA laptop keyboard
Kathak, a classical dance form, owes its origin to the state of Uttar Pradesh.[206] The dance form is connected to classical Hindustani music where the rhythmic nimbleness of the feet is accompanied by the Tabla or Pakhawaj.[207] Two schools of this dance form, Lucknow gharana and Benares gharana, are situated in Uttar Pradesh.[208][209] Packard Bell Easynote TM81 laptop keyboard
Diwali (celebrated between mid-October and mid-December) and Rama Navami are popular festivals in Uttar Pradesh. Kumbh Mela, organised in the month of Maagha(Feb-March), is a major festival held every three years in rotation at Allahabad,Haridwar, Ujjain, HP G61-424CA laptop keyboard
and Nasik on the river Ganges.[210] Lath mar Holi is a local celebration of the Hindu festival of Holi. It takes place well before the actual Holi in the town of Barsana near Mathura. Taj Mahotsav, held annually at Agra, is a colorful display of the culture of the Braj area. Compaq Presario CQ56-102SE laptop keyboard
Other festivals areVijayadashami, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Ayudha Puja, Ganga Mahotsava,Janmashtami, Sardhana Christian Fair, Maha Shivaratri, Mahavir Jayanti, Moharram,Bārah Wafāṭ, Eid, Bakreed, Chhath puja, Lucknow Mahotsav, Kabob and Hanuman Jayanti.[212] HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
A typical day-to-day traditional vegetarian meal of Uttar Pradesh, like any other North Indian thali, consists of roti(flatbread), chawal, dal, sabji, raita and papad. Many people still drink the traditional drink chaach with meals. On festive occasions, usually 'tava' (flat pan for roti) is considered inauspicious, and instead fried foods are consumed. TOSHIBA Satellite A305-S6841 laptop keyboard
A typical festive thali consists of Puri, Kachauri, sabji, pulav, papad, raita, salad and desserts (such as sewai or kheer).
Many communities have their own particular style of cuisines, such as the Jains, Kayasths and Muslims. There are also certain sub-regional delicacies. Awadhi cuisine is world famous for dishes such as kebab, biryani, keema and nihari. HP Mini 210-1081NR laptop keyboard
Sweets occupy an important place in the Hindu diet and are eaten at social ceremonies. People make distinctive sweetmeatsfrom milk products, including khurchan, peda, gulabjamun, petha, makkhan malai, and chamcham. The chaat in Lucknow and Banarasi Paan is known across India for its flavour and ingredients.[213] HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
A number of newspapers and periodicals are published in Hindi, English, and Urdu. The Pioneer was founded in Allahabad in 1865 by George Allen.[215] Amar Ujala, Dainik Bhaskar, and Dainik Jagran, have a wide circulation, TOSHIBA Satellite A305-S6829 laptop keyboard
with local editions published from several important cities. Major English language newspapers which are published and sold in large numbers are The Telegraph, The Times of India, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Statesman, TOSHIBA PK13AT10600 laptop keyboard
The Indian Express, and Asian Age. Some prominent financial dailies like The Economic Times, Financial Express, Business Line, and Business Standard are widely circulated. Vernacular newspapers such as those in Hindi, Nepali, Gujarati, Oriya, Urdu, and Punjabi are also read by a select readership. SONY VGN-FE21B laptop keyboard
Doordarshan is the state-owned television broadcaster. Multi system operators provide a mix of Hindi, English, Bengali, Nepali and international channels via cable. Hindi 24-hour television news channels are NDTV India, DD News, SONY VAIO VGN-NW25GF laptop keyboard
Zee News Uttar Pradesh, Jan TV, IBN-7, and ABP News. All India Radio is a public radio station. There are 32 private FM stations available in major cities like Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Allahabad, Agra, and Noida.[216][217] Compaq Presario CQ71-317EA laptop keyboard
Cell phone providers include Vodafone, Airtel, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Uninor, Aircel, MTS India, Tata Indicom, Idea Cellular, and Tata DoCoMo. Broadband internet is available in select towns and cities and is provided by the state-run BSNL and by private companies.[218] Dial-up access is provided throughout the state by BSNL and other providers.[219] HP Pavilion dv6-2129ev laptop keyboard
The people of Uttar Pradesh dress in a variety of traditional and Western styles.[214] Traditional styles of dress include colourful draped garments – such as sari for women and dhoti or lungi for men – and tailored clothes such as salwar kameez for women and kurta-pyjama for men.[214] FUJITSU Lifebook P1610 laptop keyboard
Men often sport head-gear like topi or pagri.[214] Sherwani is a more formal male dress and is frequently worn along with chooridar on festive occasions. European-style trousers and shirts are also common among the men.[214] Packard Bell NEW90 laptop keyboard
A large number of other dialects exist. Five distinct dialect regions have been identified. The western part of the state, Rohilkhand and the upper Doab, is home to the speakers of Khari Boli. The lower Doab, which is referred as Braj Bhumi, SONY VAIO VGN-FS640/W laptop keyboard
or the land of Braj, is home to the speakers of Braj Bhasha. Further south, the Bundelkhand region people speaks Bundelkhandi. In central Uttar Pradesh, people speak the Awadhi dialect and Bhojpuri is spoken in the east. HP 405963-001 laptop keyboard
Indian states are defined on the languages they spoke, and eastern Uttar Pradesh primarily speaks Bhojpuri and their culture is identical to Bihar. This creates no central identity of Uttar Pradesh.[98][99] HP Pavilion G6-1223TX Laptop Keyboard
Since Uttar Pradesh sends the largest number of legislators to the national Parliament, it is often considered to be one of the most important states with respect to Indian politics.[104] The state contributes 80 seats to the Lok Sabhaand 35 seats to the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament.[105][106] SONY VAIO VGN-FS315M Laptop Keyboard
Uttar Pradesh has been called India's under-achiever, because it has provided India with eight prime ministers while remaining a poor state.[107]
The state's legislative body is divided into two significant parts: Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad[108] and Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Sabha.[109] TOSHIBA Satellite C650-182 Laptop Keyboard
The state is governed through a parliamentary system of representative democracy, a feature the state shares with other Indian states. The Governor is the head of state and is appointed by the President of India. ASUS F3M Laptop Keyboard
The leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is appointed as the Chief Minister by the Governor, and the Council of Ministers are appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Chief Minister. In the 2012 election, the largest number of seats went to the Samajwadi Party with 224 seats.[110] At the local level, Lenovo 63Y0047 Laptop Keyboard
the state has a large number of village councils (panchayats), which are similar to those found in other Indian states. The administration in each district is headed by a Deputy Commissioner who belongs to the Indian Administrative Service and is assisted by a number of officers belonging to state services.[111] HP Pavilion dv6-3107ax Laptop Keyboard
Judges and judicial officers are appointed non-politically and under strict rules regarding tenure to help maintain constitutional independence from the government.[40] This theoretically allows the judiciary to interpret the law based solely on the legislation enacted by Parliament without other influences on their decisions. SONY VAIO VGN-C2S Series Laptop Keyboard
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, an officer belonging to the Indian Police Service and assisted by the officers of the Uttar Pradesh Police Service, is entrusted with the responsibility of maintaining law and order and related issues in each district.[40] HP 488590-001 Laptop Keyboard
The Deputy Conservator of Forests, an officer belonging to the Indian Forest Service, also serves the government.[40] Sectoral development in the districts is looked after by the district head of each development department such as the Department of Public Works, Health, Education, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, etc.[111] TOSHIBA P000482730 Laptop Keyboard
The judiciary in the state consists of the Allahabad High Court in Allahabad, district courts namely the District court of Etawah, the district court of Kanpur Dehat and district courts in each districts as Uttar Pradesh Judiciary, session courts in each district or Sessions Division, lower courts and judges at the taluka level.[112] SONY 147977821 Laptop Keyboard
The President of India appoints the chief justice of the High Court of the Uttar Pradesh judiciary on the advice of the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India as well as the Governor of Uttar Pradesh.[40] Other judges are appointed by the chief justice of the high court of the judiciary of Uttar Pradesh on the advice of the Chief Justice.[112][113] SONY VAIO VGN-C2S Series Laptop Keyboard
Subordinate Judicial Service is another vital part of the judiciary of Uttar Pradesh. The subordinate judiciary or the district courts are categorized into two divisions viz. Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services and Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service.[40] HP pavilion DV7-1000 Laptop Keyboard
While the Uttar Pradesh civil judicial services comprises the Civil Judges (Junior Division)/Judicial Magistraes and civil judges (Senior Division)/Chief Judicial Magistrate, the Uttar Pradesh higher judicial service comprises civil and sessions judges. HP G42-364LA Laptop Keyboard
The Subordinate judicial service of the judiciary at Uttar Pradesh is controlled by the District Judge.[40] The district court of Etawah and district court of Kanpur Dehat of Uttar Pradesh serves as the subordinate judicial service of the state.[114] TOSHIBA 9J.N7482.901 Laptop Keyboard
Since 2006, there have been a number of terrorist attacks, including explosions in a landmark holy place, a court and a temple. The 2006 Varanasi bombings were a series of bombings that occurred across the Hindu holy city of Varanasi on 7 March 2006. At least 28 people were killed and as many as 101 others were injured.[120] TOSHIBA Satellite U305-S2804 Laptop Keyboard
The blasts occurred simultaneously shortly after 18:00 IST. The first blast took place at 18:20 in the crowded Sankat Mochan Hanuman Templenear the Banaras Hindu University.[121][121] HP 597635-001 Laptop Keyboard
Other blasts followed at the Varanasi Cantonment Railway Station near the waiting area next to the travel office. Initially, another blast was reported inside the stationary Shivganga Express bound for Delhi.[122] Compaq Presario CQ57 Series Laptop Keyboard
In the afternoon of 23 November 2007, within a span of 25 minutes, six consecutive serial blasts occurred in the Lucknow, Varanasi, and Faizabad courts, in which 28 people were killed and several others injured.[123] DELL Vostro 1014 Laptop Keyboard
The blasts came a week after the Uttar Pradesh police and central security agencies busted Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists who had planned to abduct Rahul Gandhi. The Indian Mujahidin has claimed responsibility of these blasts in an email sent to TV stations five minutes before the blast.[124][125] Lenovo 3000 N200 Laptop Keyboard
The first blast occurred in the premises of the Varanasi civil court and collectorate between 13:05 and 13:07. Two successive blasts occurred in the Faizabad district court around 13:12 and 13:15, closely followed by one at Lucknow at 13:32. Bombs were explicitly targeted at the lawyers who were working in the courts.[126] HP Pavilion zv6223ea Laptop Keyboard
On 7 December 2010, another blast occurred at Sheetla Ghat, adjacent to the main Dashashwamedh Ghat, in which more than 38 people were killed and several others injured.[127] ACER Aspire 4736Z laptop keyboard
The blast came a day after the anniversary of the 1992 Babri Masjid demolition, in which a mosque was demolished at Ayodhya leading to nationwide religious riots that killed over 2,000 people.[128] Lenovo Thinkpad T520 Laptop Keyboard
Economy
In terms of net state domestic product (NSDP), Uttar Pradesh holds the third largest economy (2011–2012) in India, with an NSDP of 708000 crore(US$110 billion).[130][131]
Agriculture is the leading occupation in Uttar Pradesh.[132] Wheat is the state's principal food crop and sugarcane is the main commercial crop.[133] HP Pavilion DV7t-3100 laptop keyboard
About 70% of India's sugar comes from Uttar Pradesh. State industries are localised in the Kanpur region, the fertile purvanchal lands and the Noida region. TheMughalsarai is home to a number of major locomotive plants. HP Pavilion dv6-2150es laptop keyboard
Major manufacturing products include engineering products, electronics, electrical equipment, cables, steel, leather, textiles, jewellery, frigates, automobiles, railway coaches, and wagons. More small-scale industrial units are situated in Uttar Pradesh than in any other state, with 12 SONY VAIO VGN-FS415E laptop keyboard
percent of over 2.3 million units.[132]With 359 manufacturing clusters cement is top sector of SMEs in UP.[134] HP Pavilion dv6-3107ax laptop keyboard
The Uttar Pradesh Financial Corporation (UPFC) was established in the year 1954 under the SFCs Act of 1951 mainly to develop small and medium scale industries in the state.[135] UPFC provides financial assistance to new and existing units undergoing diversification,modernization, HP Pavilion DV7-3165dx laptop keyboard
expansion, or acquisition of fixed assets such as land, buildings, and machinery.[136] The UPFC also provides working capital to existing units with a sound track record and to new units under a single window scheme.[137] HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 laptop keyboard
As of July 2012, due to financial constraints and directions from the state government, lending activities have been suspended except for State Government Schemes. HP Pavilion dv6-3142se laptop keyboard
The state also has "marked income inequality".[133]
In 2009–10, the tertiary sector of the economy (service industries) was the largest contributor to the gross domestic product of the state, contributing 44.8% of the state domestic product compared to 44% from the primary sector (agriculture, forestry, and tourism) TOSHIBA Satellite P300-ST3712 laptop keyboard
and 11.2% from the secondary sector (industrial and manufacturing).[139][140] During the 11th five-year plan (2007–2012), the average gross state domestic product (GSDP) growth rate was 7.28%, lower than 15.5%, the average for all states of the country.[141][142] The state’s per capita GSDP was 29417 (US$450), HP G42-265LA laptop keyboard
lower than the national per capita GSDP of 60972 (US$930).[143] The state's total financial debt stood at 200009 crore (US$31 billion) as of 2011.[144] Labour efficiency is higher at an index of 26 than the national average of 25. The economy also benefits from the state's tourism industry.[145] SONY VAIO VGN-FS620 laptop keyboard
The state is attracting foreign direct investment which has mostly come in the software and electronics fields; Noida and Lucknow is becoming a major hub for the information technology (IT) industry. Sonebhadra, a district in eastern Uttar Pradesh, has large-scale industries. Its southern region is known as the "Energy Capital Of India".[146] HP Pavilion dv3-2155mx laptop keyboard
Uttar Pradesh also has the largest number of mobile subscribers in the country, total of 121.60 million mobile phone connections out of 861.66 million in India, according to the telecom regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India TRAI, as of May 2013.[147][148][149][150] TOSHIBA PK130BH2A00 laptop keyboard
The state has excellent civil aviation infrastructure with two international airports at Lucknow and Varanasi and four domestic airports located at Agra, Allahabad, Gorakhpur and Kanpur. Two of the airports, Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport in Lucknow and Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, SONY VAIO VGN-CR123E laptop keyboard
provide international service.[151] The state has also proposed creating the Taj international airport in the Delhi‐NCR region.[152] A stretch of the Ganges – from Allahabad to Haldia has been declared as a National Waterway (NW)-I; Lenovo ThinkPad T510-4339 laptop keyboard
600 km of which flows through Uttar Pradesh.[153] Captain Lakshmi Sehgal International Airport is proposed international airport nearKanpur Dehat at Jainpur which is about 50 km from Kanpur and comes in Kanpur Metropolitan Area. HP Pavilion dv6-2130ca laptop keyboard
When completed it will be the second largest airport in Northern India with flights all over the world.This is because industrial areas ofKanpur, Agra and Kannauj lie here.It will be bigger than Lucknow Airport with more flights as compared to Lucknow Airport. Packard Bell Easynote TK85 laptop keyboard
An international Airport is proposed at Kushinagar. Gorakhpur has a regional airport Gorakhpur Airport and has flights to various indian cities,other than this it is Indian airforce base.
The state has the largest railway network in the country and the sixth highest railway density. As 0f 2011, there were 8,546 km (5,310 mi) DELL Inspiron 1750 Laptop Keyboard
of rail in the state.[154] Allahabad is the headquarters of the North Central Railway[155] andGorakhpur is the headquarters of the North Eastern Railway.[156][157] Lucknow Swarna Shatabdi Express, the second fastest shatabdi train, HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 Laptop Keyboard
connects the Indian capital of New Delhi to Lucknow. This was the first train in India to get new German coaches.[158] The railway stations of Kanpur Central, Lucknow NR, Varanasi Junction, Agra Cantt, HP G42-364LA Laptop Keyboard
Gorakhpurand Mathura Junction were included in the Indian Railways list of 50 world-class railway stations.[159] Kanpur Central is second largest railway station after in Northern India after New Delhi Railway Station and largest within the state followed by Lucknow NR. DELL Vostro PP37L Laptop Keyboard
The state has a large, multimodal transportation system with the largest road network in the country.[160] The state is well connected to its nine neighboring states and almost all other parts of India through the national highways (NH). It boasts 42 national highways, with a total length of 4,942 km (9.6% of the total NH length in India). DELL Vostro 3450 Laptop Keyboard
The Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation was established in 1972 to provide economical, reliable, and comfortable transportation in the state with connecting services to adjoining states.[161] DELL Vostro 3550 Laptop Keyboard
All cities are connected to state highways, which carry traffic between major centres within the state. Other district roads and village roads provide villages accessibility to meet their social needs as also the means to transport agriculture produce from village to nearby markets. HP Pavilion dv6-2125ef laptop keyboard
Major district roads provide a secondary function of linking between main roads and rural roads.[162] Uttar Pradesh has the seventh-highest road density in India, (1,027 km per 1000 km2 as of 2002) and the largest surfaced urban-road network in the country (50,721 km as of 2002).[161] HP Pavilion dv6-2110ev laptop keyboard
The National Golden Quadrilateral of India passes through Jhansi, Agra, Kanpur, Allahabad, and Varanasi.[163] There is an existing expressway between Lucknow and Kanpur; and new expressways are being built between Agra and Noida and between Noida and Ballia, SONY VAIO VGN-N31Z/W laptop keyboard
known as the Yamuna Expressway and the Ganga Expressway, respectively.[164] The state has established the to develop seven new expressways.[165] These projects includes Upper Ganga Canal Expressway, ACER TravelMate 6252 laptop keyboard
Bijnore–Moradabad–Fatehgarh Expressway, Jhansi–Kanpur–Lucknow–Gorakhpur–Kushinagar Expressway, Lucknow–Barabanki–Nanpara link Expressway,Agra–Kanpur Expressway, Kanpur 1st Outer Ring Road, From Narora up to 10 km before the boundary of Uttarakhand state.[166][167] SONY VGN-FE11M laptop keyboard
The eight lane Kanpur Metropolitan Bypass is proposed by NHAI which connects Ajgain in Unnao District with Akbarpur, Kanpur Dehat via Maharajpur, Bidhnu and Jainpur.The bypass will be of around 110 km. TOSHIBA Satellite L750-ST4NX1 laptop keyboard
Popular sports in Uttar Pradesh can be divided into two groups: traditional sports and modern sports of mainly European origin. Athletes from the state have included the field hockey player Dhyan Chand, Olympic shooter Nawab Mian, volleyball player Sanjiv Balian, and the wrestler Anuj.[168] ASUS X53S laptop keyboard
Traditional sports, now played mostly as a pastime, include wrestling, swimming, kabaddi, and track- or water-sports played according to local traditional rules and without modern equipment. Some sports are designed to display martial skills such as using a sword or ‘Pata’ (stick).[169] Acer eMachines E640 laptop keyboard
Due to lack of organised patronage and requisite facilities, these sports survive mostly as individuals' hobbies or local competitive events. Among modern sports, field hockey is popular and Uttar Pradesh has produced some of the finest players in India, including Dhyan Chand and, more recently, Nitin Kumar[170] and Lalit Kumar Upadhyay.[171] TOSHIBA Satellite L655-S5107 laptop keyboard
Recently, cricket has become more popular than field hockey. Uttar Pradesh won its first Ranji Trophy tournament in February 2006, beating Bengal in the final.[172] It can also boast of routinely having 3 or 4 players on the national side. Green Park Stadium in Kanpur, the only internationally recognised HP Pavilion DV6z artist edition 2 laptop keyboard
cricket stadium in the state, has witnessed some of India's most famous victories. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA) has headquarter in Kanpur. Faizabad Sports Complex is another sports venue in Uttar Pradesh which includes Faizabad International Sports Stadium.[173] Greater Noida Cricket Stadium is another newly built international cricket stadium.[174] SONY VAIO VGN-N250E/B laptop keyboard
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