STATUE OF LIBERTY

STATUE OF LIBERTY

The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty's symbolism has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship.

Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. However, lack of funds was a problem on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. In France, public fees, various forms of entertainment, and a lottery were among the methods used to raise funds. In the United States, benefit theatrical events, art exhibitions, auctions and prize fights assisted in providing needed funds.

Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such a colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Back in America, fund raising for the pedestal was going particularly slowly, so Joseph Pulitzer (noted for the Pulitzer Prize) opened up the editorial pages of his newspaper, "The World" to support the fund raising effort. Pulitzer used his newspaper to criticize both the rich who had failed to finance the pedestal construction and the middle class who were content to rely upon the wealthy to provide the funds. Pulitzer's campaign of harsh criticism was successful in motivating the people of America to donate.

Financing for the pedestal was completed in August 1885, and pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late.

The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change. The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of 1812.) The United States Lighthouse Board had responsibility for the operation of the Statue of Liberty until 1901. After 1901, the care and operation of the Statue was placed under the War Department. A Presidential Proclamation declared Fort Wood (and the Statue of Liberty within it) a National Monument on October 15th, 1924 and the monument's boundary was set at the outer edge of Fort Wood. In 1933, the care and administration of the National Monument was transferred to the National Park Service. On September 7, 1937, jurisdiction was enlarged to encompass all of Bedloe's Island and in 1956, the island's name was changed to Liberty Island. On May 11, 1965, Ellis Island was also transferred to the National Park Service and became part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. In May of 1982, President Ronald Reagan appointed Lee Iacocca to head up a private sector effort to restore the Statue of Liberty. Fundraising began for the $87 million restoration under a public/private partnership between the National Park Service and The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc., to date the most successful public-private partnership in American history. In 1984, at the start of the Statue's restoration, the United Nations designated the Statue of Liberty as a World Heritage Site. On July 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue re-opened to the public during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial.

EIFFEL TOWER

 EIFFEL TOWER:

The Eiffel Tower was built for the International Exhibition of Paris of 1889 commemorating the centenary of the French Revolution. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VII of England, opened the tower. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, Gustave Eiffel's was unanimously chosen. However it was not accepted by all at first, and a petition of 300 names - including those of Maupassant, Emile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra Garnier), and Dumas the Younger - protested its construction.

At 300 meters (320.75 m including antenna), and 7,000 tons, it was the world's tallest building until 1930. Other statistics include:

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      2.5 million rivets
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      300 steel workers, and 2 years (1887-1889) to construct it.
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      Sway of at most 12 cm in high winds.
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      Height varies up to 15 cm depending on temperature.
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      15,000 iron pieces (excluding rivets). 40 tons of paint. 1652 steps to the top.

In 1889, Gustave Eiffel began to fit the peak of the tower as an observation station to measure the speed of wind. He also encouraged several scientific experiments including Foucault's giant pendulum, a mercury barometer and the first experiment of radio transmission. In 1898, Eugene Ducretet at the Pantheon, received signals from the tower.
   

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After Gustave Eiffel experiments in the field of meterology, he begun to look at the effects of wind and air resistance, the science that would later be termed aerodynamics, which has become a large part of both military and commercial aviation as well as rocket technology. Gustave Eiffel imagined an automatic device sliding along a cable that was stretched between the ground and the second floor of the Eiffel Tower. (reference)

The tower was almost torn down in 1909, but was saved because of its antenna used both for military and other purposes, and the city let it stand after the permit expired. When the tower played an important role in capturing the infamous spy Mata Hari during World War I, it gained such importance to the French people that there was no more thought of demolishing it.- used for telegraphy at that time.

From 1910 and on the Eiffel Tower 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. (reference)

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Eiffel tower legend

Of the 7.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity used annually, 580 thousand are used exclusively to illuminate the tower. The tower's annual operation also requires the use of 2 tons of paper for tickets, 4 tons of rag or paper wipes, 10,000 applications of detergents, 400 liters of metal cleansers and 25,000 garbage bags. (reference)

On the four facades of the tower, the 72 surnames of leading turn-of-the-century French scientists and engineers are engraved in recognition of their contributions to science. This engraving was over painted at the beginning of the 20th century and restored in 1986-1987 by the Société Nouvelle d' Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel, a company contracted to operate business related to the Tower.

SUNDARBANS OF BANGLADESH

SUNDARBANS OF BANGLADESH

The Sundarbans (21°30'- 22°30'N, 89°12'-90°18'E) are a World Heritage Site which consists of three wildlife sanctuaries (Sundarbans West, East and South) lying on disjunct deltaic islands in the Sundarbans Forest Division of Khulna District, close to the border with India and just west of the main outflow of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. The Sundarbans belong to Bengalian Rainforest biogeographical province.

Rainfall is heavy and huhigh (80%) due to the proximity of the Bay of Bengal. About 80% of the rain fall in the monsoon, which lasts from June to October. Mean annual rainfall varies from about 1,800 milimeters (mm) at Khulna, north of the Sundarbans, to 2,790mm on the coast. There is a six-month dry season during which evapotranspiration exceeds precipitation. Conditions are most saline in February-April, the depletion of soil moisture being coupled with reduced freshwater flow from upstream. Temperatures rise from daily minima of 2-4 degrees Celsius (°C) in winter to a maximum of about 43°C in March and may exceed 32°C in the monsoon. Storms are common in May and October-November and may develop into cyclones, usually accompanied by tidal waves of up to 7.5 meters (m) high. Climatic data for Khulna are summarised by Christensen.

There is archaeological evidence of earlier human occupation on the deltaic islands. The human settlements are indicative of the former presence of abundant freshwater, both from the Ganges and from non-saline groundwater. Human occupation ceased in the 17th century, reportedly due to pirate attacks. 

 Few tourists visit the Sundarbans due to the difficulty and cost of arranging transport and to the lack of suitable accommodation and other facilities. The area has no potential for mass tourism but it does offer obvious possibilities for limited special-interest tourism from October to April or May. The use of launches equipped with catering and sleeping facilities is considered more practicable than permanent land-based facilities and would provide greater flexibility. There is, however, a large well-equipped rest house belonging to the Port Authority at Hiron Point, Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary, and a smaller one belonging to the Forest Department at Katka in Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary.

TAJ MAHAL

TAJ MAHAL

History of Taj Mahal is the history of eternal love between Shah Jahan and Arjumand Banu Begum famous as Mumtaz Mahal who fell in love at first sight when they were at 15 and married at 20. After becoming emperor in 1628, Shah Jahan entrusted Arjumand Banu with the royal seal. He called her Mumtaz Mahal, "jewel of the palace." They were together on a military expedition south of Agra when she had their 14th child, a girl. Tragically she died soon after this birth when she was only 39. It was this event which inspired him to create this wonderful monument, the Taj Mahal, as a mausoleum in her memory. The focus of Taj Mahal is the white domed marble mausoleum which stands on a square plinth consisting of a symmetrical building with an iwan, an arch-shaped doorway. The white tomb is set against the plain across the river and it is in this background that the colors change at different hours of the day and during different seasons – pinkish in the morning, milky white in the evening and golden when the moon shines. The entire Taj Mahal complex consists of a number of buildings comprising of a mosque which stands to the west of the Taj Mahal is made from red sandstone, a guesthouse and the mausoleum, a long and beautiful walkway leads to the main mausoleum, four waterways divide the gardens that stand in front of the Taj into four parts and then, meet in a pool at the center.

Taj Mahal remains as a muse for poets, nature lovers, painters, musicians and artisans who try and capture its elusive magic in word, music and colors. It remains a paradise for the lovers who want to explore and understand what is real love?
The magnificent palace is situated near the bank of Yamuna in Agra, India, considered as one of the finest example of Mughal architecture in India. Like any other stories for the creation of every magnificent shrine, it has also an unforgettable story behind its construction. The epitome of love was built by the Mughal Emperor Shahajan during the golden period of the Empire, in India, in memory of his soul mate, Mumtaj Mahal.

The Mughal Emperor Shahajan remained Emperor for India from 1628 to 1658 and was married to Anjuman Bano Begum and used to call her Mumtaj Mahal because she was very close to him. The queen used to accompany with the emperor where ever he went even in battle. But when she died during delivering her 14th child at that the emperor was controlling the rebellion at Burhanpur in Central India. Her last wish was that her beloved must build a tomb in her memory. And the awesome saga began at the tragic end of Mumtaj Mahal.

To fulfill the only wish of his beloved, the emperor created the one of the most fascinating epitome of love in the world i.e. the Taj Mahal but unfortunately deposed by his own son Araungjeb. The rest of his life he spent in Agra fort as house arrest criminal looking and remembering his golden romantic days with his soul mate. After the death of Emperor , he was buried near by the tomb of empress for unification of his soul to empress’ soul. These domes are the symbolization of spiritual love which remained unforgettable for the whole world.

The monument had taken 22 years for the compelation of the burial and more than twenty thousand workers led by Mohd. Hanif the chief mason were engaged in the construction of the palace. It was finished in 1648 and cost around 32 million Indian currencies at that time. Tourists come to Agra to feel spiritual love that is enhanced by the aesthetic beauty of mausoleum.

I n 1612, Arjumand Banu Begam, a Muslim Persian princess better known by her other name, Mumtaz Mahal was married to Shah Jahan (then Prince Khurram), the fifth Mughal emperor. Mumtaz, the emperor's second wife, was her husband's comrade and counselor. An inseparable companion on all his journeys and military expeditions, she inspired the emperor to do acts of charity and benevolence towards the weak and the needy.

Mumtaz bore 14 children, and when she died during childbirth in 1631, Shah Jahan was so heartbroken that all his hair and beard were said to have turned snow-white in a few months! Overpowered by grief, Shah Jahan decided to immortalize the memory of his beloved wife by building the finest sepulcher ever - a monument of eternal love. Herein lies the genesis of the Taj Mahal.

The construction documents show that its master architect was Ustad Ahmed Lahori, the renowned Islamic architect of his time. The much-celebrated saga of royal love was brought to life by dexterous and skilled artisans from places as far away as Delhi, Kannauj, Lahore, Multan, Baghdad, Shiraz and Bukhara.

Construction began in 1631, and over 20,000 workmen and master craftsmen worked laboriously for 22 years to give shape to the emperor's passionate dream! The material was brought in from all over India and central Asia and it took a fleet of 1,000 elephants to transport it to the site. The complex was finally completed in 1653 at a cost of 32 Million Rupees (approx USD 68000) on the banks of river Yamuna in Agra, the capital of the Mughal monarchs.

But the beauty of Taj Mahal is also tainted by the gory fact that the hands of some of the master craftsmen were amputated... to ensure that the perfection of the Taj could never be repeated ever again!

THE BUDDHIST VIHARA AT PAHARPUR

The Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur

The Buddhist Vihara at Paharpur, 200 kilometers north-west of Dhaka,was founded in the 7th century. It is the largest single Budhist monastery in the subcontinent and is also known as the Somapura Mahavira, the Great Monastery. It was a renowned intellect center from the 7th century until the 17th century. Its layout is perfectly adapted to its religious function. This monastery City represents a unique artistic achievement which has influenced Buddhist architecture as far away as Cambodia. It was declared a World Heritage Site in 1985 at the 9th session of the 21-member international committee.

HISTORICAL PLACE

THE JAMUNA MULTIPURPOSE BRIDGE

 

The jamuna Multi-purpose Bridge over the mighty river jamuna in Bangladesh is a triumph of modern engineering and technological skills 4.8 kilomitres long and 18.5 metres wide, this bridge which connects the districts of Tangail and Sirajganj is the longest evers in Bangladesh and the eleventh largest in the whole world. The main bridge was constructed by the Hyundai Construction Co. of South Korea. About 15,000 people worked for four years to build this gigantic bridge. The bridge id connected with a 15.3 km. approach road in the east and another of 14.4 km. on the west has 50 pillars and 49 spans. Each of its 121 piles has and average depth of 83 metres to guarantee the strength and durability. The total cost of this huge structure was more than seven hundred million US dollars which came jointly from the Bangladesh government, the World Bank The Asia Development Bank and Japan. Apart from railway and motorway communication, this multipurpose bridge will also facilitate gas, electricity and telecommunication lines between the two parts of the country.