-- Peaceful Pondicherry :: My Beautiful home town :: 2011 -- HDR

-- Peaceful Pondicherry :: My Beautiful home town :: 2011 -- HDR , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

Pondicherry INDIA
This My Beautiful Hometown

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry (help·info)) is a Union Territory of India. It is a former French colony, consisting of four non-contiguous enclaves, or districts, and named for the largest, Pondicherry.

In September 2006, the territory changed its official name from Pondicherry to the vernacular original,[1] Puducherry, which means "New village"[2] in the Tamil language. The territory is called புதுச்சேரி (Putuccēri) or பாண்டிச்சேரி (Pāṇṭiccēri) in Tamil, or "Pondichéry" in French. It is also known as The French Riviera of the East (La Côte d'Azur de l'Est).

Geography
Puducherry consists of four small unconnected districts: Puducherry, Karaikal and Yanam on the Bay of Bengal and Mahé on the Arabian Sea. Puducherry and Karaikal are by far the larger ones and are both enclaves of Tamil Nadu. Yanam and Mahé are enclaves of Andhra Pradesh and Kerala respectively. The territory has a total area of 492 km²: Puducherry (city) 293 km², Karaikal 160 km², Mahé 9 km² and Yanam 30 km². It has 900,000 inhabitants (2001).

History
The History of Puducherry can be traced back to the 2nd century. The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, of the early 2nd century, mentions a marketplace named Poduke (ch. 60), which G.W.B. Huntingford identified as possibly being Arikamedu (now part of Ariyankuppam), about 2 miles from the modern Pondicherry. Huntingford further notes that Roman pottery was found at Arikamedu in 1937, and archeological excavations between 1944 and 1949 showed that it was "a trading station to which goods of Roman manufacture were imported during the first half of the 1st century AD".

French influence
A remarkable degree of French influence in Puducherry exists to this date. Puducherry was designed based on the French (however originally Dutch) grid pattern and features neat sectors and perpendicular streets. The entire town is divided into 2 sections, the French Quarter (Ville Blanche or 'White town') and the Indian quarter (Ville Noire or 'Black Town'). Many streets still retain their French names, and French style villas are a common sight in Puducherry. In the French quarter, the buildings are typically colonial style with long compounds and stately walls. The Indian quarter consists of houses lined with verandas and houses with large doors and grills. These French and Indian style houses are identified and their architecture preserved from destruction by an organization named INTACH. The use of French language can be still seen in Puducherry.

Pondicherry still has a large number of Indian and a small number of non-Indian descent residents with French passports. These are descendants of those who chose to remain French when the then ruling French Establishment presented the people of Puducherry with an option to either remain French or become Indians at the time of Puducherry's transfer to India in 1954. Apart from the monuments pertaining to the French period, there is the French Consulate in Puducherry and several cultural organisations. Another important one is 'Le Foyer du Soldat'. It is a legion hall for soldiers who served in the different French wars.

Of the cultural organisations the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Pondicherry Centre of the École française d'Extrême-Orient and a branch of the Alliance Française are noteworthy. A French-medium school system, the Lycée Français de Pondichéry, continues to operate under the aegis of the French Minister of National Education (France).

Official languages of government
Official languages of Puducherry are French, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam. Status of each languages varies differently with respect to each district. When communicating between districts of different languages, generally English is used for convenience

1.Tamil: Language used by the Puducherry Government, especially used when communicating within and between the Tamil majority districts of (Puducherry and Karikal) along with issuing official decrees. Also the official Language in Tamil Nadu state.

2.French: It is also the official language of Puducherry Union territory. It was the official language of French India (1673–1954) and its official language status was preserved by the Treaty of Cession signed by the Indian Union and the French Republic on 28 May 1956.

French remained as the de jure official language of Puducherry U.T by the Article XXVIII of the Treaty of Cession, which states that
The French language shall remain the official language of the Establishments so long as the elected representatives of the people shall not decide otherwise (English version)

Regional official languages
1. Tamil: An official language of Puducherry. It is the most widely spoken language in the territory. Puducherry, being a neighbour of Tamilnadu, shares much of its culture.

2. French: As Puducherry was once a colonial enclave of France, French remains an official language.

3. Telugu: Another official language of Puducherry, but used more within Yanam (Telugu district). Telugu is widely spoken in Pondicherry by Reddys, Chettys and Naidus. So, more correctly, it is considered a regional official language of Puducherry while being the official language of Yanam District. It also has an official language status in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

4. Malayalam: Another official language of Puducherry, but used only within Mahé (Malayalam district). So, more correctly, it is considered a regional official language of Puducherry while being the official language of Mahé District. It also has an official language status in Kerala State and the Lakshadweep Islands Union Territory.

Language spoken in numbers
As of 2001, number of people speaking in each official languages are,

Tamil: 820,749 (In Puducherry and Karaikal Districts)
Malayalam: 36,823 (In Mahe District only)
Telugu: 31,362 (In Puducherry and Yanam Districts)
French: Above 10,000

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-- National Day Parade 2011 :: Singapore -- HDR

-- National Day Parade 2011 :: Singapore -- HDR , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

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The Float@Marina Bay.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Singapore National Day Parade (Abbreviation: NDP, simplified Chinese: 国庆庆典; traditional Chinese: 國慶慶典; pinyin: guóqìng qìngdiǎn, Malay: Perbarisan Hari Kebangsaan, Tamil: தேசிய தின அணிவகுப்பு) is a national ceremony in Singapore that, as its name implies, includes a parade on Singapore's National Day on August 9, in commemoration of Singapore's independence that is usually held at the Padang (1966 - 1974), the National Stadium, various decentalized venues all over Singapore or The Float@Marina Bay. The upcoming parade, National Day Parade, 2011, will be held at The Float@Marina Bay.

Venues and themes
The venue of the parade is usually at the historical grounds of the Padang, where the declaration of Singapore's independence was held. Since the first parade in 1966, all the way to 1975, the venue was located in this central area to bring the parade closer to the people. In 1976, the parade was held for the first time at the newly completed National Stadium, where the much larger capacity allowed for more to view the parade live.

Although offering about 60,000 seats in the National Stadium, the demand for tickets remained high. Hence there were several attempts to decentralise the venue to bring the celebration closer to more Singaporeans. From 1975 to 1983, celebrations were alternated between a decentralised event and one centered at the Padang or stadium. From 1984, the parade was held twice at the stadium before being brought back to the Padang. This three year cycle was repeated up to 1994.

From 1995, it was decided that the Padang would be used as the venue every five years. The Padang, although historically important, posed a greater logistical challenge and also offered fewer seats for spectators. The event and rehearsals also required the closing of surrounding roads. There was a need to construct temporary spectator stands around the field. The site remained, however, the only feasible venue for the mobile column, as the heavy vehicles could not be driven onto the stadium track. The Padang was used as the main performance venue for the 2005 parade, with fringe activities decentralised to Marina South, Jurong East, Yishun and Tampines.

Arrangements needed review by the early 2000s when plans were made to rebuild the National Stadium[citation needed]. Several alternate locations were mooted, including the utilisation of the Marina Padang, which is physically bigger and less likely to disrupt daily functions in the city.

On 16 October 2005, it was announced that that 2006 NDP would be held at the old stadium for the last time before moving to The Float at Marina Bay [1]. The 130 metre by 100 metre platform would be used for the next five years until the new stadium is completed. Although offering a seating capacity of only 27,000, which is less than National Stadium, there is a vast area for 150,000 extra spectators along the Marina Bay waterfront.

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The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

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The Fullerton Hotel Singapore

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Fullerton Hotel Singapore is a five-star luxury hotel located near the mouth of the Singapore River, in the Downtown Core of Central Area, Singapore. It was originally known as The Fullerton Building, and also as the General Post Office Building.

Fullerton Building
The Fullerton Building was named after Robert Fullerton, the first Governor of the Straits Settlements (1826–1829) Commissioned in 1919 as part of the British colony's centennial celebrations, the building was designed as an office building by Major P.H. Keys of Keys & Dowdeswell, a Shanghai firm of architects, which won the project through an architectural design competition. The architectural firm also designed the Capitol Theatre and the Singapore General Hospital.

Fort Fullerton and the Singapore Stone
The northern end of the building covers the site of Fort Fullerton, a fort built in 1829 to defend the settlement against any naval attacks. In 1843, the fort was extended after a sandstone monolith, the Singapore Stone, with an inscription possibly dating back to the 13th century was demolished. A fragment of this monolith was salvaged and preserved in the collection of the National Museum at Stamford Road. The fort gave way to the first General Post Office and the Exchange Building in 1874.Plans to erect Fullerton Building were drawn up in 1920. However, due to a lack of funds, construction only began in February 1924. Built at a cost of $4.1 million and after delays of a few months, the building was completed in June 1928.
The Fullerton Building was opened on 27 June 1928 by the Governor, Sir Hugh Clifford, who suggested the building be named after Robert Fullerton. The building had five founding tenants: the General Post Office, The Exchange, Singapore Club (now Singapore Town Club), the Marine Department, and the Import and Export Department (later the Ministry of Trade and Industry). It also housed the Chamber of Commerce, and various government departments dealing with agriculture, fisheries and forestry.

General Post Office
The General Post Office (GPO) was the anchor tenant, which only moved in a fortnight after the Fullerton Building's official opening. GPO covered the two lower floors with postal halls, offices and sorting rooms. There were mail drops through which mail would fall to a band conveyor on the basement and dispatched up to the sorting room. The basement was connected to a 35-metre subway that ran underneath Fullerton Road to a pier, where overseas mail would be transferred to or picked up from ships.

Singapore Club
The exclusive Singapore Club rented premises on the upper floors of the building to provide for their members' need and comfort. There were rooms where members dined, lounged, conferred, and played billiards and cards. Bedrooms on the attic storey provide accommodaton for members. When the Economic Development Board (EDB) was formed in 1961, it evicted the Singapore Club from the Fullerton Building. Subsequently, the Singapore Club relocated to Clifford House at Collyer Quay and then to Straits Trading Building on Battery Road near Boat Quay, vacating Fullerton Building for use by EDB and more government offices.

World War II
In the last days before Britain's surrender to Japan in 1942, the building was used as a hospital, with makeshift operation rooms for wounded British soldiers. During the Japanese Occupation of Singapore, Governor Sir Shenton Thomas and Lady Thomas sought refuge in the sleeping quarters of the Singapore Club. The Fullerton Building was also where General Percival discussed with Sir Shenton the possibility of surrendering Singapore to the Japanese. Subsequently, Fullerton Building became the headquarters of the Japanese Military Administration in Singapore

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-- Random shots of kids -- 02

-- Random shots of kids -- 02 , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

Random shots of kids arund Singapore

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-- Random shots of kids -- 01

-- Random shots of kids -- 01 , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

Random shots of kids arund Singapore

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-- Blue Morning :: Lower Seletar Reservoir -- HDR

-- Blue Morning :: Lower Seletar Reservoir -- HDR , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

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Lower Seletar Reservoir Singapore.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lower Seletar Reservoir (Chinese: 实里达蓄水池下段 ; Malay: Takungan Air Seletar Bawah) is a reservoir located in the northeastern part of Singapore, to the east of Yishun New Town. The reservoir has a surface area of 3.6 km, and a capacity of 9.5 million. The mean depth of the reservoir is 2 m, with a maximum depth of 5.5 m. The shoreline length is 14.3 km.

History
Lower Seletar Reservoir was constructed under the Sungei Seletar/Bedok Water Scheme, completed in 1986. The scheme involved the damming of Sungei Seletar to form Lower Seletar Reservoir, the creation of Bedok Reservoir from a former sand quarry and the construction of Bedok Waterworks. Its unique feature was the construction of nine stormwater collection stations to tap the storm runoffs of the surrounding urbanised catchments. Eight of these collection stations are ponds at Yishun, Tampines, Bedok and Yan Kit new towns.

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3 exposure shot bracketing [-3, 0, +3], AF28-75mm F/2.8 Tamron lens

Process
HDR Tone mapped detail enhancer (Photomatix)
1 mask layer Hue/ Saturation Master
Adjust selective colors Red,Cyan, Blue
2 mask layer Curves for contrast
2 mask Levels layer for brightness
Added black strips

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-- Esplanade Bridge :: Singapore -- HDR

-- Esplanade Bridge :: Singapore -- HDR , originally uploaded by Pappu | Photography Love  :: NIKON.

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View from Merlion Park, Singapore.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Esplanade Bridge is a 260 metre-long (850 ft.) road bridge that spans across the mouth of the Singapore River in Singapore with the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay on its northern abutment and the Merlion on the southern. The 70 metre-wide (230 ft.) low-level concrete arched bridge has seven spans and supports two four-lane carriageways and walkways along both sides.

The bridge was built to provide faster vehicular access between Marina Centre and the financial district of Shenton Way. Construction of the bridge began in early 1994 and was completed in March 1997. The main contractor was Obayashi Corporation. The bridge then blocked views of the Merlion statue from the Marina Bay waterfront, raising a need for the original Merlion statue to be relocated from the back to the front of the bridge.

Shot
3 exposure shot bracketing [-3, 0, +3], AF28-75mm F/2.8 Tamron lens

Process
HDR Tone mapped detail enhancer (Photomatix)
1 mask layer Hue/ Saturation Master
1 mask layer Hue/ Saturation yellows
1 mask layer Hue/ Saturation / Blues
2 mask layer Curves for contrast
2 mask Levels layer for brightness
Added black strips

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