MARVELS OF THE WORLD -- 17 : NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL, FRANCE

NOTRE DAME CATHEDRAL : HISTORICAL EXUBERANCE

(By Subbaram Danda)

Notre Dame Cathedral is a catholic shrine standing in serene environs on a small island in the river Seine at the centre of Paris, France.   Meaning “Our Lady” in French, it is an “active church” dedicated to Virgin Mary containing the “cathedra,” the official chair of the Archbishop of Paris.  Its architecture is Gothic with ribbed vaults, pointed arches and towering columns.  Its chequered origins, amazing sculptures, stained-glass windows and past events have made it not only famous but also historical.   It is astonishing that as many as 13 million people visit it every year – more than 35,000 a day!  

As visitors walk towards the west-facing main entrance, they are struck by two square towers with flat tops rising to a height of 228 feet.   At the ground level three massive ornately designed portals or doorways greet them.  The central portal, largest of the three, depicts the Last Judgment.  Its panels show the resurrection of the dead, judgment, Christ and his apostles.  The left one called the Portal of the Virgin is dedicated to the patroness of the cathedral.  The remaining one is the Portal of St. Anne, Virgin Mary’s mother.



Western facade of the cathedral

Gallery of Kings

At the centre of the façade a large circular stained glass window, measuring more than 31 feet in diameter, attracts everyone’s attention.  Called rose window in Gothic architecture in view of its similarity to rose flower, it is one of three such prominent windows.  Standing in front of it is a statue of Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus flanked by two angels.   Below this rose window and above the three portals, there is a long horizontal gallery of 28 statues of biblical kings of Judah and Israel, ancestors of Mary and Jesus.  The statues in ceremonial costumes with crown and other regalia stand close to each other separated by pillars under ornate arches.   

The Notre Dame Cathedral came up on the spot where the Romans had built a temple for Jupiter centuries ago.  This was followed by a basilica and then another church.  Foundation for the present shrine was laid in 1163 AD but its progress was stunted. It was not completed until 1345 – a delay of about 180 years.   Succession of architects and changing plans have made this edifice an amalgam of styles.   Yet the basic Gothic genre stands out.

The four elevations of the cathedral – front, rear and two sides -- look distinctively different.  The main west frontage with the two flat topped square towers is the result of intense interplay of vertical and horizontal lines. The rear is in a semi-circular format, around which there is a conspicuous string of pinnacles and flying buttresses, handle-like arched exterior structures to support walls.  Though the northern and southern façades are both horizontally-oriented with a row of flying buttresses in the front and a sloping roof at the top, they look divergent in view of the position of their respective portals and their details.  A spire soars skywards from the centre of the building. 

Mystic spell

As people step inside, the cathedral’s Gothic ambiance characterized by low-light interiors, high ceiling and large enclosures transports them back to medieval times.   The spacious church can accommodate as many as 6,000 worshippers.   Huge tall pillars, stained glass windows, large wall paintings and a variety of sculptures cast a mystic spell on them.  As they move on, one feature after another unfolds before them.  The altar presents itself in magnificent settings.   The crucifix glistens in serene glory.   The semi-circular marble steps leading to it are pleasingly set. 



A major rose window



Light strains through the three major rose windows and other stained glass panels turning their colourful depictions vivid and vibrant.  The north rose window dating back to the 13th century is widely considered to be the most stunning.  It portrays Virgin Mary and Old Testament personalities.  The south rose window highlights Christ surrounded by saints and angels.  In the treasury of the cathedral many sacred relics have been preserved.  Those attributed to Jesus include the Crown of Thorns that was forced upon Christ before crucifixion and a piece of the original crucifix.   The organ of the church, reconstructed, has five keyboards and 8,000 pipes.  It is said to be the largest in France.

Notre Dame has gone through periods of destruction and restoration.  During the French Revolution it was misused as a warehouse and plundered.   Many statues were decapitated or mutilated.  For years it remained neglected.  Celebrated French Writer Victor Hugo through his famous novel “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” whipped up the sentiments of Parisians and made them realize the need for its restoration.  The consequent major renovation, led by local architect Violett-le-Duc, brought grandeur to the cathedral.   In recent years, there was a programme that began in 1991 for cleaning and preserving the sculptures and facades.  

Napoleon’s coronation

The cathedral was the venue for several celebrity events.  It was here that Napoleon Bonaparte demonstrated that the state enjoyed supremacy over the church and crowned himself the emperor.   In dramatic sequences, he took the coronation oath, collected from the altar the crown already blessed by the Pope and personally placed it on his head.   He then laid the diadem on the head of his wife Josephine.  Subsequently, official heralds proclaimed Napoleon the Emperor of the French.  On another occasion, when Paris was liberated during World War II General de Gaulle rushed to the cathedral to offer his thanksgiving prayers.   His state funeral was also conducted there.   

Among other noteworthy features are numerous sculptures of gargoyles, ferocious animal figures acting as rain water spouts, on the roof of the twin western towers and at some other points. The top can be accessed by climbing about 400 steps.  The church’s bells are very famous in Europe.   Of the five large ones, the bell on the south tower is prominent weighing as much as 13 tonnes. 

“Good luck” charm

About 100 feet in front of the main entrance visitors can see a small octagonal brass plate set in the ground.   Engraved on a surrounding circular granite slab there is a legend: “Point Zero – Des Routes de France.”   It marks the starting point for measuring all distances in Paris.  Over the years, this “Point Zero” has become a “good luck” charm.   People place their palms on the plate or spin with one foot on it making a wish.  Some couples even stand together on it and kiss seeking eternal harmony.

Regarded as the “most popular edifice of Paris” and “an ambassador of Gothic cathedrals” Notre Dame de Paris invariably finds a place in the itineraries of all visitors.  As Victor Hugo observed, “each stone of this venerable monument is a page not only in the history of the country but also in the history of knowledge and art.”

November 26, 2011 (1,150 words)

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HUMOUR UNLEASHED -- 19

HUMOUR UNLEASHED -- 19

(Compiled by Subbaram Danda)

Keep smiling, if you want to look young!   This is the finding of

researchers at Max Planck Institute for Human Development

in Germany.  A study has revealed that nature bestows

a youthful appearance on those whose joviality

can be seen fully reflected on their faces.



Boy’s prayer

When the four-year-old son of a leading cine actress came back from the kindergarten, his happiness knew no bounds as his mother was at home unexpectedly.  She had a nasty fall while doing a complicated dance sequence for a film and sprained her legs.  The doctors had advised her complete rest for a week.

The boy threw himself on the bed next to her and fondly kissed her again and again.  The actress was also very happy that she could now spend some time with her affectionate son.  In the past, because of her busy call sheets, she could not spare much time for him.

The week passed very fast and the actress had to go for shooting again.  She was not sure when she would again have time to play with her son.  She cajoled him, hugged him and kissed him repeatedly.   Finally, leaving him to the care of an attendant, she left waving him bye.  Reluctantly, the boy too waved her back.

Suddenly, the boy asked the attendant to take him to his favourite temple nearby.  There he prayed for a while and sat down on the steps lost in deep thoughts.

The attendant:  “What is troubling you?  Why is this impulsive visit to the temple?”

The boy: “My mom told me last night that if one prays to God sincerely, whatever one desires God grants.”

The attendant: “Did you pray for anything special?”

The boy:  “Yes, I wanted God to give my mom many more opportunities to do highly complicated dances.” 

Fast writers

About 50 years ago, English newspapers of South India gave a lot of prominence to speeches of celebrities.  They used to carry full text of their talks.  It was a time when reliable hand-held electronic gadgets were not available to record the speeches and play them back.   Reporters had to totally depend on their shorthand skills. 

A person normally talks at the rate of 80 to 100 words a minute.  Excellent orators will touch even 200 words.  In those days the most difficult to take down were the speeches of Past President Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, whose philosophical deliveries used to be peppered with Sanskrit quotations.   So, newspapers loved to have on their staff high-speed shorthand writers.   These reporters were held in high esteem in journalistic circles.

One evening, newspaper reporters went to a prominent hall in Chennai to cover the speech of Sarvepalli.   The meeting was delayed by about half an hour and so they indulged in talking shop.

A veteran from a morning English newspaper wanted to rag the evening newspaper man.   He said in a provocative style: “I have to toil it out tonight.  But it is not so for my friend from the evening daily, as he can easily lift everything tomorrow from my paper.”

The evening newspaper man, a stalwart himself, replied:  “Yes, I know.  I acknowledge that you are capable of taking down in shorthand speeches of 200 words a minute.  That is why you are occupying the position of Deputy Chief Reporter.”  He added sarcastically, “But unfortunately the problem with you is that you cannot read back even a word accurately!”  A young reporter of another morning daily, who had just joined the profession, could not control his chuckles.

“Do the same thing”

Buddhu had no peace at home.  He and his wife were frequently quarreling.  He approached his friend Vivek and sought a solution.   The friend told him:  “I and my wife Tara had a similar problem.  We went to Psychologist Wiseman and he set everything right.  I suggest you go and see him.”

Buddhu and his wife met Dr. Wiseman.  After detailed discussions with each of them, the doctor decided that the problem was with the man and not with his wife.   He advised him: “The treatment to you will be identical to that of Vivek.  I had asked him to meditate for 15 minutes a day.  You do the same thing.  Come and see me after a week.”

After a week Buddhu went to the doctor and reported:  “Doctor, there is absolutely no improvement.”

Dr. Wiseman:  “In the second stage I had advised Vivek to walk to the temple on the main road every morning, pray to God and come back walking.  You do the same thing.  See me after a week.”

Buddhu saw the doctor after a week and told him:  “No change in the situation, doctor.”

The doctor:  “Don’t worry.  Your problem will be fixed.  I had suggested to Vivek that he should take Tara to a foreign country for a week on a holiday.  That helped.  You do the same thing.”

The next day Dr. Wiseman received a frantic call from the ortho department of a hospital nearby.  The caller said, “Your patient Buddhu has been admitted here and he wants to see you urgently.”  The doctor rushed to the hospital.

On seeing the psychologist, Buddhu cried:  “Doctor, I did as you suggested.  I invited Tara to join me on a tour to Malaysia.  And here I am.”

November 19, 2011 (890 words)

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MARVELS OF THE WORLD -- 16 : THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, USA

THE STATUE OF LIBERTY : LADY WITH THE TORCH

(By Subbaram Danda)

Standing majestically on a small island in the New York harbour for over a century and a quarter, the Statue of Liberty has mesmerized millions of visitors to the United States and natives alike, winning their hearts without exception.   Its origin, development and features have no parallel.  It is an “imposing work of art” and a “masterpiece of creative genius.”

It is hard to believe that the statue is not “Made in America.”  It was conceived, designed and built by the French and offered to the Americans as a symbol of enduring friendship between the two.  The amity had seen its zenith during the American Revolution, which culminated in the U.S. independence from the British in 1776. 

Again, it is not widely known that French engineer Gustave Eiffel, who shot into fame with his later creation of Eiffel Tower in Paris, was associated with the statue.  The expert, who had by then built several structures in France, joined hands with sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi in preparing the statue’s intricate interior body framework.   The idea of commemorating the friendship through gift of a statue had come from French political celebrity Edouard de Laboulaye.  Then it was the turn of Bartholdi and Eiffel to give shape to it.

Statue of Liberty



Beacon of hope

It was decided that the statue should stand for and radiate the ideals of freedom, equality and opportunity.  It should serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for the suppressed all over the world.  Bartholdi devised it as a lady figure with flowing robes taking a cue from Roman goddess of freedom Libertas.   Scouting for an appropriate location, he thought that the New York harbour would be an excellent setting for the statue because it was where “people get their first view of the New World.”  He selected the small Island in the harbour, which was then called Bedloe’s, for the purpose.

However, the journey to completion was not smooth for the statue.   Mainly, it faced funding problems.  It was subsequently agreed that the French would meet the cost of the statue and the Americans would take care of its erection on their soil.   After nine years of toil, the statue was finally built to the satisfaction of everyone.   To facilitate its shipping, 350 individual pieces of it were packed in 214 crates and despatched.  It was reassembled in New York.   An artistic pedestal that appeared to grow from an 11-pointed star-shaped granite-faced base was designed.  It was inaugurated on Oct. 28, 1886 amidst scenes of euphoria.  In mid-twentieth century the island was renamed Liberty Island.

Colossal dimensions

Today, as visitors board a ferry, climb to the top deck and leave the Battery Park pier in New York heading for the Statue of Liberty, an incredible skyline of the Big Apple unfolds.  Skyscrapers of different shapes, sizes and colours present a picturesque sight to behold.    Soon the celebrated statue appears in the firmament.   Trying to withstand the pitching and rolling, the people jostle for a vantage point to click their cameras.   The ferry gives the impression of circling the statue at a close range, offering several photo opportunities.  When it docks for disembarkation, expectations run high.  A neatly developed park and a wide promenade beckon them.  As they move forward, sea on one side and a green lawn on the other with the monument soaring high, the visitors become awe-struck.

The Lady Liberty, as the statue is affectionately called, looks green with its exterior copper cladding having reacted constantly with the water vapours of the sea.   Its colossal dimensions overwhelm everyone.   It rises to a height of 305 feet – as tall as a thirty-storey modern building!  Its weight is mind-boggling 204 tonnes -- as much as that of 40 elephants herded together!  Its head measures 17 feet in height and its nose 4’6” in length.       

Gilded torch 

The torch

In the right hand the statue holds a torch aloft, regarded as a cherished symbol of enlightenment, and carries a tablet in the left, on which the date of the American Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776, is inscribed.   Its huge crown displays seven “spikes or rays” representing seven continents.  A broken chain, marking freedom from domination and oppression, lies at her feet.   Visitors can, with prior permission, climb 354 spiral steps to the crown and gaze out of its 25 windows or take an elevator to a lower lookout point for a bewitching view of the harbour and its surroundings.  At times entry to the crown area is suspended for reasons of security and renovation. 

The sculpture has undergone restoration periodically to meet the demands of time.  Currently, its torch, made of copper but with a covering of 24-karat gold-leaf, shines brilliantly round the clock.  During the day sunlight makes it dazzle and in the night floodlights turn it extra-ordinarily radiant.  In the past, the statue had functioned as a light house powered by electricity and its light could be seen as far away as 40 kilometres.

A must-see attraction in the premises is a museum.  It traces the history of the statue through replicas, photos, videos, posters, documents and other exhibits.  It takes the visitors through the statue’s origins, fabrication, fund raising, pedestal erection and restoration.

Ageless symbol of freedom

As American poet Emma Lazarus said in a sonnet titled “The New Colossus,” the statue can be seen addressing repressive regimes and seeking possession of their suppressed.  The verse exhorted: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…    Send….the homeless, tempest-tossed to me.  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!” The immigrants looked at the statue as their saviour offering them invaluable gifts of life -- freedom and opportunity.   

The appeal of the message of “Liberty Enlightening the World,” as the statue is officially known, has been enormous.   It has inspired people across the continents.  In recognition, its models have been erected in several countries.  In particular, on July 4, 2004, its largest replica in the world nearly 40 feet high was unveiled in the country of its origin France at Colmar to commemorate the 100^th death anniversary of its sculptor Bartholdi.   Stamps, coins and medallions have been issued several times.

In 1924, the statue was designated a national monument of the United States.  In 1984, it was accorded the status of a World Heritage site by UNESCO, which described it as “a masterpiece of human spirit…, a technological wonder that brings together art and engineering in a new and powerful way.”  Popularly hailed as “an ageless symbol of American freedom,” more than four million people visit it every year.  Its 125^th anniversary of dedication on October 28, 2011 was a grand affair.

November 12, 2011 (1130 words)

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HUMOUR UNLEASHED -- 18

HUMOUR UNLEASHED -- 18

(Compiled by Subbaram Danda)

A life  without humour  is like eating 'idlis' at the

world famous Indian restaurant 'Saravana Bhavan'

without its array of 'chutneys' and spicy 'sambar!'

Best ways

After an hour-long presentation on “The Indian Financial System and Indigenous Sources of Funds”, Professor of Commerce asked his students, “What is the best way of raising money in the country?”

Student 1: “By issue of equity shares to the general public.”

Student 2: “By getting loans from financial institutions and banks.”

Student 3: “By enticing a rich girl, marrying her and tapping her father.”

Next day, the professor spoke on “Savings and Investment” and queried the students, “What is the best way of maximizing family savings?”

Student 1: “By reducing expenditure on items of luxury.”

Student 2: “By investing in high interest-bearing bank deposits.”

Student 3: “By withdrawing the add-on credit card given to the shopping-hungry wife.”

On the third day, the professor lectured on “Managing Money” and cautioned students against pitfalls involved in handling one’s funds.   At the end he asked a question, “What is the best way of burning one’s money?”

Student 1: “By blindly investing in stock markets.”

Student 2: “By taking bets in horse races.”

Student 3: “By buying lots of crackers and fireworks for Deepavali and literally setting fire to them in the name of celebrating the festival.   This is what ‘burning money’ is all about.”

Nonchalant

A man with totally grey hair and a lot of wrinkles all over his face sat on a bench in a corner of a park.  With his hands trembling he started smoking cigarette after cigarette.  This went on for long. 

Then he opened a whisky bottle and began drinking.  In between he kept on eating pieces of pizza from a packet he had brought with him.

Watching all this was a renowned visiting professor of cardiology, who had come to the park with a few local physicians for a stroll and relaxation before he could head for a conference.   He approached the man on the bench and told him politely: “Sir, I am a doctor.  Smoking, drinking and eating fat-rich junk food are all highly injurious to health.  You should gradually cut them down.”

The man replied haughtily:  “I don’t care.  I have been doing this for years.”

The doctor, after taking a close look at him, advised him once again:  “These are luxuries you can ill afford at this age of yours.”

Angrily the man retorted:  “What do you mean?  I am only 27 years old.”

Ambitious goal

A man told his son:  “Look my dear, your twelfth standard public examination is fast approaching.  Concentrate on your studies.  You should aim at getting admission in a medical college.  Imagine how it would be if you become a doctor and earn name and fame.”

Son:  “I assure you father, I too have high ambitions.”

After the examination and results, the boy approached his father holding behind his back his marks list and told him: “Father, what would be your reaction if I tell you that I got a centum in Biology and 95 in Physical Sciences?”

Knowing his son in and out, the surprised father replied:  “I would certainly have a heart-attack, my son, out of immense joy.”

Son: “Don’t worry dad.  That is why I got only a fail mark in both.  You are very precious to me.”

He added, “But, be reassured, dad.  Today I feel I am well-equipped to be a politician.  One day, I will certainly become the Health Minister – far above all doctors.   They have to salute me.  And I can make more money than a doctor!”

Father: “What do you mean?”

Son: “When a 10th standard-failed person can become the Education Minister, why not I the Health Minister?”

November 5, 2011 (635 words)

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