Eiffel Tower

It was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna - used for telegraphy at that time. Beginning in 1910 it became part of the International Time Service. French radio (since 1918), and French television (since 1957) have also made use of its stature.
During its lifetime, the Eiffel Tower has also witnessed a few strange scenes, including being scaled by a mountaineer in 1954, and parachuted off of in 1984 by two Englishmen. In 1923 a journalist rode a bicycle down from the first level. Some accounts say he rode down the stairs, other accounts suggest the exterior of one of the tower's four legs which slope outward.
However, if its birth was difficult, it is now completely accepted and must be listed as one of the symbols of Paris itself.

Pyramid a wonder

There are several structures in Greece that archaeologists have called pyramids. Dotted throughout the landscape are remains of buildings that were described by ancient travelers as pyramids, they were first excavated by Americans and Germans in the early 1930s and the 1990s.
Pausanias, a Greek traveler in the second century A.D. described several of the structures as pyramids. One of these pyramids was located in Helleniko, Ελληνικό in Greek,a village near Argos near the ancient ruins of Tiryns.[1] The story surrounding the monument was that it was built as a polyandria, a common grave, for those soldiers who had fallen in the struggle for the throne of Argos back in the 14th Century B.C. He described the structure as something that resembled a pyramid with the decorations of Argolic shields, showing the military connection to it. Another pyramid that Pausanias saw on his journeys was at Kenchreai, another polyandria dedicated to the Argives and Spartans who lost their lives at the Battle of Hysiai in 669 B.C. Unfortunately neither of these structures remain fully intact today to test how closely they resembled the pyramids of Egypt nor is there any proof that they even resembled an Egyptian pyramid at all.
There are two surviving pyramid-like structures still available to study, one at Helleniko and the other at Ligourio, a village near the ancient theatre Epidaurus. With these two pyramid’s base stones remaining, it is possible to determine that Grecian pyramids existed, but were not used as the Egyptians used them. These buildings were not constructed in the same manner as the pyramids in Egypt. The buildings at Helleniko and Ligourio were no more than 100 feet tall and were surrounded by walls, with the base of the Helleniko pyramid being nine meters by 7 meters. The stone used to build the pyramids was limestone quarried locally and was cut to fit, not into freestanding blocks like the Great Pyramid of Giza. The base of the structures also differed from the Egyptian pyramids as they were rectangular, not square. This simple construction shape made it very difficult to make the top of the building come together in a point. As such, it makes more sense that these structures could have been peaked by a roof or platform.

Taj mahal

The tomb
The focus of Taj Mahal is the white marble tomb, which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway, topped by a large dome. Like most Mughal tombs, basic elements are Persian in origin.

Simplified diagram of the Taj Mahal floor plan.

Main iwan and side pishtaqs
The base structure is a large, multi-chambered structure. The base is essentially a cube with chamfered edges and is roughly 55 metre on each side (see floor plan, right). On the long sides, a massive pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with a similar arch-shaped balcony. These main arches extend above the roof of the building by an integrated facade. On either side of main arch, additional pishtaqs are stacked above and below. This motif of stacked pishtaqs is replicated on chamfered corner areas as well. The design is completely symmetrical on all sides of the building. Four minarets, one at each corner of the plinth, facing the chamfered corners, frame the tomb. The main chamber houses the cenotaphs of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan with their graves located on lower level.

Base, dome, and minaret
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is its most spectacular feature. Its height is about the same size as the base of the building, about 35 metre and is accentuated as it sits on a cylindrical "drum" of about 7 metre high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome (also called an amrud or guava dome). The top is decorated with a lotus design, which serves to accentuate its height as well. The shape of the dome is emphasised by four smaller domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners. The chattri domes replicate the onion shape of main dome. Their columned bases open through the roof of the tomb and provide light to the interior. Tall decorative spires (guldastas) extend from edges of base walls,and provide visual emphasis to the height of the dome. The lotus motif is repeated on both the chattris and guldastas. The dome and chattris are topped by a gilded finial, which mixes traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements.

Finial
The main dome is crowned by a gilded spire or finial. The finial, made of gold until the early 1800s, is now made of bronze. The finial provides a clear example of integration of traditional Persian and Hindu decorative elements. The finial is topped by a moon, a typical Islamic motif, whose horns point heavenward. Because of its placement on the main spire, the horns of moon and finial point combine to create a trident shape, reminiscent of traditional Hindu symbols of Shiva.[9]
At the corners of plinth stand minarets, the four large towers each more than 40 metre tall. The minarets display Taj Mahal's penchant for symmetry. These towers are designed as working minarets, a traditional element of mosques as a place for a muezzin to call the Islamic faithful to prayer. Each minaret is effectively divided into three equal parts by two working balconies that ring the tower. At the top of the tower is a final balcony surmounted by a chattri that mirrors the design of those on the tomb. The minaret chattris share the same finishing touches, a lotus design topped by a gilded finial. Each of the minarets were constructed slightly outside of the plinth, so that in the event of collapse, a typical occurrence with many such tall constructions of the period, the material from the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb.

new to blogging

hi i'm natarajan doing my engg i'm new to blogging this blog is mainly to bring out the ha ppenings in and around chennai i plan to post about many social issues wich has to be solved
i don't know whether tis blog will have traffic and another reason i have plan to join ppp to
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Nathuram Godse

Nathuram Godse was born in Baramati, Pune District. His father, Vinayak Vamanrao Godse, was a post office employee and his mother was Lakshmi (Godavari before marriage). Upon birth, he was named Ramachandra by his parents.

A commonly held theory suggests that Nathuram was given his name because of an unfortunate incident. Before he was born, his parents had three sons and a daughter. All three boys died in their infancy. Fearing a curse that targeted male children, young Ramachandra was brought up as a girl for the first few years of his life, including having his nose pierced and being made to wear a nose-ring ("Nath" in Marathi). It was then that he earned the nickname "Nathuram" (literally "Ram with a nose-ring"). After his younger brother was born, they switched to treating him like a boy. However, other biographers dismiss this claim, together with claims that Godse was a homosexual, as a fabrication by the Congress Party of India, meant to exploit the prejudices against transvestites and homosexuals in conservative Indian society in order to demonize Godse.

Nathuram Godse attended the local school at Baramati up through the fifth standard. Then he was sent to live with an aunt in Pune so that he could study at an English-language school. During his school days, Gandhi was an idol to him.

In 1930, Nathuram's father was transferred to the town of Ratnagiri. While staying with his parents at Ratnagiri, the young Nathuram first met Veer Savarkar, a proponent of Hindutva.


Assassination of Mohandas K. Gandhi

Godse assassinated Gandhi on January 30, 1948, approaching him during the evening prayer, bowing, and shooting him three times at close range with a Beretta semi-automatic pistol.
Sources:wikipedia

The Moscow Kremlin (Russian: Московский Кремль) is an historic fortified complex at the very heart of Moscow, overlooking the Moskva River (to the south), Saint Basil's Cathedral (often mistaken as the Kremlin) and Red Square (to the east) and the Alexander Garden (to the west). It is the best known of kremlins (Russian citadels) and includes four palaces, four cathedrals, and the enclosing Kremlin Wall with Kremlin towers. The complex serves as the official residence of the President of Russia.

By 1475, the principalities of medieval Russia were united under Grand Prince Ivan III, who assumed the title of the Grand Prince of All Rus, envisioning Moscow as the only legitimate successor to Rome and Constantinople. In order to illustrate his imperial ambitions, Ivan organised the reconstruction of the Kremlin, inviting a number of skilled architects from Renaissance Italy, like Pietro Antonio Solari and Marco Ruffo. It was during his reign that three extant cathedrals of the Kremlin, the Deposition Church, and the Palace of Facets were constructed. The highest building of the city and Muscovite Russia was the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, built in 1505-08 and augmented to its present height in 1600.
After construction of the new Kremlin walls and churches was over in 1516, the monarch decreed that no structures should be built in the immediate vicinity of the citadel. Furthermore, the Kremlin was separated from the walled merchant town (Kitai-gorod) by a 30-metre-wide moat, over which the Intercession Cathedral on the Moat was constructed during the reign of Ivan the Terrible. The same tsar also renovated some of his grandfather's palaces, added a new palace and cathedral for his sons, and endowed the Trinity metochion inside the Kremlin. The metochion was administrated by the Trinity Monastery and boasted the graceful tower church of St. Sergius, which was described by foreigners as one of the finest in the country.
During the Time of Troubles, the Kremlin was held by the Polish-Lithuanian forces for two years, between 21 September 1610 and 26 October 1612. The Kremlin's liberation by the volunteer army of Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky paved the way for the election of Mikhail Romanov as the new tsar. During his reign and that of his son Alexis, the eleven-domed Upper Saviour Cathedral, Armorial Gate, Terem Palace, Amusement Palace and the palace of Patriarch Nikon were built. Following the death of Alexis, the Kremlin witnessed the Moscow Uprising of 1682, from which tsar Peter barely escaped alive. This emotional trauma made him dislike the Kremlin. Three decades later, Peter abandoned the residence of his forefathers for his new capital, Saint Petersburg.

EIFFEL TOWER FACTS

The tower is open 9:30 AM to Midnight daily during the summer, 10Am - 11PM Winter. Admission: Elevator to first floor, 17 fr.; ages 4-11, 8 fr. to second floor; 34 fr., 4-11, 16 fr. to third floor 51 fr, ages 4-11, 23 fr. under 4 free to all levels. I seem to recall that the fare was 60 fr. to the top a few months ago, so there may have been an adjustment over the past three years. I have not looked into group fares, but I suspect that the discount would not be substantial, if any. The Eiffel Tower is about the only tourist site in Paris that does not participate in the Museum Card, which allows admission to about 90 sites for a fixed discount price. Levels 1 and 2 include the Jules Verne restaurant as well as other shops. The 3rd level includes the best view, of course, and a display of Paris and Eiffel memorabilia.The French Franc has been worth about $.15 for the last few years.
TOWER BASICSYears Built: 1887-1889 for 1889 Universal Exhibition and Centennial
of the French Revolution
Engineers : Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier
Architect : Stephen Sauvestre
Contractor : Gustave Eiffel
Occasion for Construction: 1889 Universal Exhibition
Construction Period: 23 January 1887 to March 1889 (2years,2months,5days)
Tower inaugurated: March 31, 1889
Number of Steel Workers: 300
Number of Workers Killed during Construction: 1
Rivets: 2,500,000
Steel pieces: 18,038
Height: 300.51 meters (986 feet) (+/- 15 cm depending on temperature)
1st level - 57 meters
2nd level - 115 meters
3rd level - 276 meters
Height including television antenna: 320.755 meters (1052 feet)
Weight: 7,000 tons (1,000 tons removed during 1990's renovation)
Base: 412 feet square, although also noted as about 2.5 acres
Foundation Pressure: 58.26 to 64 psi (9000 psf)
Paint: 50 tons every 7 years
Paint Color: Dark Brown
Steps to Top: 1789 (Birnbaum), 1671 (Joseph Harriss), 1652 (others),
1665 (Official Eiffel Tower Website)
Steps walkable by visitors (Ground to 2nd floor): 704
Year lighting added contributing to Paris' reputation as "City of Lights": 1986
Lighting : 352 projectors of 1000 watts
Day German flag was hoisted on the Eiffel Tower as German army entered
and occupied Paris: June 14, 1940
Number of Visitors, 1987: 4,000,000
Number of visitors, 1996 : 5,530,279
Numbers of visitors from the beginning to 1996: 167,664,439
First Radio Transmission: 1918
First TV transmission: 1957
Maximum sway in wind: 12 cm
Tallest Structure in the World: 1889-1930 (until Chrysler Building)
2nd Tallest Structure in the World: 1930-1932 (Until Empire State Bldg)
Parachute Descent: 1984 by two Englishmen
Bicycle Descent: 1923 Journalist
Mountaneering Ascent: 1954
Visibility on a clear day: 67 kilometers (42 miles)

Images