Amar Nath Ghosh: March 2012

Friday 30 March 2012

The Seven Ancient Wonders of the World

Mausoleum of Halicarnassus

Bodrum, Turkey

Cause of destruction : The original structure was destroyed by flood.

Lighthouse of Alexandria

Alexandria, Egypt

Cause of destruction : Earthquake

Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Selçuk, Izmir Province, Turkey

Cause of destruction : Arson by Herostratus,Plundering

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, orKouyunjik, Nineveh Province

Cause of destruction : Earthquakes

Colossus of Rhodes

Rhodes, Greece

Cause of destruction : Earthquake

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

Olympia, Greece

Cause of destruction : Fire

Great Pyramid of Giza

Giza Necropolis, Egypt

Still in existence

The Seven Wonders of the World (or the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World) refers to remarkable constructions of classical antiquity [1] listed by various authors in guidebooks popular among the ancient Hellenic tourists, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. The most prominent of these, the versions byAntipater of Sidon and an observer identified as Philon of Byzantium, comprise seven works located around the eastern Mediterranean rim.

The original list inspired innumerable versions through the ages, often listing seven entries. Of the original Seven Wonders, only one—the Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest of the ancient wonders—remains relatively intact. ___ Source and image : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Sunday 25 March 2012

New Seven Wonders of the World

Chichen Itza

Yucatán, Mexico

Christ the Redeemer

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Colosseum

Rome, Italy

Great Wall of China

China

Machu Picchu

Cuzco Region, Peru

Petra

Ma'an Governorate, Jordan

Taj Mahal

Agra, India

New Seven Wonders of the World:

New 7 Wonders of the World (2001-2007) was an initiative started in 2001 to choose Wonders of the World from a selection of 200 existing monuments. The popularity poll was led by Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber[1] and organized by the New7Wonders Foundation based in Zurich, Switzerland, with winners announced on July 7, 2007 in Lisbon.[2] The New7Wonders Foundation is regulated by the Swiss Federal Foundation Authority as all nationwide-active foundations in Switzerland are. The New7Wonders Foundation claimed that more than 100 million votes were cast through the Internet or by telephone. Nothing prevented multiple votes, so the poll was considered "decidedly unscientific".[3] According to John Zogby, founder and current President/CEO of the Utica, New York-based polling organization Zogby International, New7Wonders Foundation drove "the largest poll on record".[2]

The program drew a wide range of official reaction. Some countries touted their finalist and tried to get more votes cast for it, while others downplayed or criticized the contest.[2][2][3] After supporting the New7Wonders Foundation at the beginning of the campaign, by providing advice on nominee selection, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) distanced itself from the undertaking in 2007.[4][5]

The New7Wonders Foundation, established in 2001, relied on private donations and the sale of broadcast rights and received no public funding or taxpayers' money.[6] After the final announcement, New7Wonders said it didn't earn anything from the exercise and barely recovered its investment.[7] ______ Image and Source : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Monday 19 March 2012

Konark Sun Temple

Konark Sun Temple is a 13th century Sun Temple (also known as the Black Pagoda), at Konark, in Orissa. It was constructed from oxidized and weathered ferruginous sandstone by King Narasimhadeva I (1238-1250 CE) of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. The temple is an example of Orissan architecture of Ganga dynasty . The temple is one of the most renowned temples in India and is a World Heritage Site. It is one of the Seven Wonders of India (as per the poll collected by NDTV). Legend has it that the temple was constructed by Samba, the son of Lord Krishna. It is said that Samba was afflicted by leprosy, brought about by his father’s curse on him. After 12 years of penance, he was cured by Surya, the Sun God, in whose honour he built the magnificent Konark Sun temple.

-------------- Source : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Image Courtesy : Ashim Das