document_title: Sydney Harbour Bridge

question_text: where did the steel for sydney harbour bridge come from

question_tokens: where did the steel for sydney harbour bridge come from

text: Sydney Harbour Bridge

text: Structure[edit]

text: The southern (CBD) end of the bridge is located at Dawes Point in The Rocks area, and the northern end at Milsons Point in the lower North Shore area. There are six original lanes of road traffic through the main roadway, plus an additional two lanes of road traffic on its eastern side, using lanes that were formerly tram tracks. Adjacent to the road traffic, a path for pedestrian use runs along the eastern side of the bridge, whilst a dedicated path for bicycle use only runs along the western side; between the main roadway and the western bicycle path are two lanes used for railway tracks, servicing the T1 North Shore Line for Sydney Trains.

text: The main roadway across the bridge is known as the Bradfield Highway and is about 2.4 km (1.5 mi) long, making it one of the shortest highways in Australia.[citation needed]

text: Arch[edit]

text: The arch is composed of two 28-panel arch trusses; their heights vary from 18 m (59 ft) at the centre of the arch to 57 m (187 ft) at the ends next to the pylons.[10]

text: The arch has a span of 504 m (1,654 ft) and its summit is 134 m (440 ft) above mean sea level; expansion of the steel structure on hot days can increase the height of the arch by 18 cm (7.1 in).[11]

text: The total weight of the steelwork of the bridge, including the arch and approach spans, is 52,800 tonnes (52,000 long tons; 58,200 short tons), with the arch itself weighing 39,000 tonnes (38,000 long tons; 43,000 short tons).[12] About 79% of the steel was imported from England, with the rest being sourced from Newcastle.[13] On site, the contractors (Dorman Long and Co.) set up two workshops at Milsons Point, at the site of the present day Luna Park, and fabricated the steel into the girders and other required parts.[13]

text: The bridge is held together by six million Australian-made hand-driven rivets supplied by the McPherson company of Melbourne,[14][15] the last being driven through the deck on 21 January 1932.[13][16] The rivets were heated red-hot and inserted into the plates; the headless end was immediately rounded over with a large pneumatic rivet gun.[17] The largest of the rivets used weighed 3.5 kg (8 lb) and was 39.5 cm (15.6 in) long.[12][18] The practice of riveting large steel structures, rather than welding, was, at the time, a proven and understood construction technique, whilst structural welding had not at that stage been adequately developed for use on the bridge.[17]

text: Pylons[edit]

text: At each end of the arch stands a pair of 89 m (292 ft) high concrete pylons, faced with granite.[19] The pylons were designed by the Scottish architect Thomas S. Tait,[20] a partner in the architectural firm John Burnet & Partners.[21]

text: Some 250 Australian, Scottish, and Italian stonemasons and their families relocated to a temporary settlement at Moruya, NSW, 300 km (186 mi) south of Sydney, where they quarried around 18,000 m3 (635,664 cu ft) of granite for the bridge pylons.[13] The stonemasons cut, dressed, and numbered the blocks, which were then transported to Sydney on three ships built specifically for this purpose. The Moruya quarry was managed by John Gilmore, a Scottish stonemason who emigrated, with his young family to Australia in 1924, at the request of the project managers.[13][22][23] The concrete used was also Australian-made and supplied from Devonport, Tasmania and shipped to Sydney on a ship named Goliath. Source: http://www.theadvocate.com.au/story/4438229/first-port-of-call-exhibition-gallery/#slide=5

text: Abutments at the base of the pylons are essential to support the loads from the arch and hold its span firmly in place, but the pylons themselves have no structural purpose. They were included to provide a frame for the arch panels and to give better visual balance to the bridge. The pylons were not part of the original design, and were only added to allay public concern about the structural integrity of the bridge.[24]

text: Although originally added to the bridge solely for their aesthetic value, all four pylons have now been put to use. The south-eastern pylon contains a museum and tourist centre, with a 360° lookout at the top providing views across the harbour and city. The south-western pylon is used by the New South Wales Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA) to support its CCTV cameras overlooking the bridge and the roads around that area. The two pylons on the north shore include venting chimneys for fumes from the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, with the base of the southern pylon containing the RMS maintenance shed for the bridge, and the base of the northern pylon containing the traffic management shed for tow trucks and safety vehicles used on the bridge.[citation needed]

text: In 1942 the pylons were modified to include parapets and anti-aircraft guns designed to assist in both Australia's defence and general war effort.[citation needed]The top level of stonework was never removed.[citation needed][25]

text: History[edit]

text: Early proposals[edit]

text: There had been plans to build a bridge as early as 1815, when convict and noted architect Francis Greenway reputedly proposed to Governor Lachlan Macquarie that a bridge be built from the northern to the southern shore of the harbour.[7][26] In 1825, Greenway wrote a letter to the then "The Australian" newspaper stating that such a bridge would "give an idea of strength and magnificence that would reflect credit and glory on the colony and the Mother Country".[26]

text: Nothing came of Greenway's suggestions, but the idea remained alive, and many further suggestions were made during the nineteenth century. In 1840, naval architect Robert Brindley proposed that a floating bridge be built. Engineer Peter Henderson produced one of the earliest known drawings of a bridge across the harbour around 1857. A suggestion for a truss bridge was made in 1879, and in 1880 a high-level bridge estimated at $850,000 was proposed.[26]

text: In 1900, the Lyne government committed to building a new Central railway station and organised a worldwide competition for the design and construction of a harbour bridge. Local engineer Norman Selfe submitted a design for a suspension bridge and won the second prize of £500. In 1902, when the outcome of the first competition became mired in controversy, Selfe won a second competition outright, with a design for a steel cantilever bridge. The selection board were unanimous, commenting that, "The structural lines are correct and in true proportion, and... the outline is graceful".[27] However due to an economic downturn and a change of government at the 1904 NSW State election construction never began.[citation needed]

text: A unique three-span bridge was proposed in 1922 by Ernest Stowe with connections at Balls Head, Millers Point, and Balmain with a memorial tower and hub on Goat Island.[28][29]

text: Planning[edit]

text: In 1914 John Bradfield was appointed "Chief Engineer of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Metropolitan Railway Construction", and his work on the project over many years earned him the legacy as the "father" of the bridge.[4] Bradfield's preference at the time was for a cantilever bridge without piers, and in 1916 the NSW Legislative Assembly passed a bill for such a construction, however it did not proceed as the Legislative Council rejected the legislation on the basis that the money would be better spent on the war effort.[26]

text: Following World War I, plans to build the bridge again built momentum.[7] Bradfield persevered with the project, fleshing out the details of the specifications and financing for his cantilever bridge proposal, and in 1921 he travelled overseas to investigate tenders. On return from his travels Bradfield decided that an arch design would also be suitable[26] and he and officers of the NSW Department of Public Works prepared a general design[4][7] for a single-arch bridge based upon New York City's Hell Gate Bridge.[6][30] In 1922 the government passed the Sydney Harbour Bridge Act No. 28, specifying the construction of a high-level cantilever or arch bridge across the harbour between Dawes Point and Milsons Point, along with construction of necessary approaches and electric railway lines,[26] and worldwide tenders were invited for the project.[4]

text: As a result of the tendering process, the government received twenty proposals from six companies; on 24 March 1924 the contract was awarded to British firm Dorman Long and Co Ltd, of Middlesbrough well known as the contractors who built the similar Tyne Bridge of Newcastle Upon Tyne, for an arch bridge at a quoted price of AU£4,217,721 11s 10d.[4][26] The arch design was cheaper than alternative cantilever and suspension bridge proposals, and also provided greater rigidity making it better suited for the heavy loads expected.[26]

text: Bradfield and his staff were ultimately to oversee the entire bridge design and building process, while Dorman Long and Co's Consulting Engineer, Sir Ralph Freeman of Sir Douglas Fox and Partners, and his associate Mr. G.C. Imbault, carried out the detailed design and erection process of the bridge.[4] Architects for the contractors were from the British firm John Burnet & Partners of Glasgow, Scotland.[21]

text: The building of the bridge coincided with the construction of a system of underground railways in Sydney's CBD, known today as the City Circle, and the bridge was designed with this in mind. The bridge was designed to carry six lanes of road traffic, flanked on each side by two railway tracks and a footpath. Both sets of rail tracks were linked into the underground Wynyard railway station on the south (city) side of the bridge by symmetrical ramps and tunnels. The eastern-side railway tracks were intended for use by a planned rail link to the Northern Beaches;[citation needed] in the interim they were used to carry trams from the North Shore into a terminal within Wynyard station, and when tram services were discontinued in 1958, they were converted into extra traffic lanes. The Bradfield Highway, which is the main roadway section of the bridge and its approaches, is named in honour of Bradfield's contribution to the bridge.

text: Construction[edit]

text: The building of the bridge was under the management of Bradfield. Three other people heavily involved in the bridge's design and construction were Lawrence Ennis, Edward Judge, and Sir Ralph Freeman. Ennis was the engineer-in-charge at Dorman Long and Co and the main on-site supervisor (Bradfield visited occasionally throughout the project and, in particular, at many key stages of the project, to inspect progress and make managerial decisions), Judge was chief technical engineer of Dorman Long, and Freeman was hired by the company to design the accepted model in further detail. Later a bitter disagreement broke out between Bradfield and Freeman as to who actually designed the bridge.

text: The official ceremony to mark the "turning of the first sod" occurred on 28 July 1923, on the spot at Milsons Point on the north shore where two workshops to assist in building the bridge were to be constructed.[31]

text: An estimated 469 buildings on the north shore, both private homes and commercial operations, were demolished to allow construction to proceed, with little or no compensation being paid. Work on the bridge itself commenced with the construction of approaches and approach spans, and by September 1926 concrete piers to support the approach spans were in place on each side of the harbour.[31]

text: As construction of the approaches took place, work was also started on preparing the foundations required to support the enormous weight of the arch and loadings. Concrete and granite faced abutment towers were constructed, with the angled foundations built into their sides.[31]

text: Once work had progressed sufficiently on the support structures, a giant "creeper crane" was erected on each side of the harbour.[32] These cranes were fitted with a cradle, and then used to hoist men and materials into position to allow for erection of the steelwork. To stabilise works while building the arches, tunnels were excavated on each shore with steel cables passed through them and then fixed to the upper sections of each half-arch to stop them collapsing as they extended outwards.[31]

text: Arch construction itself began on 26 October 1928. The southern end of the bridge was worked on ahead of the northern end, to detect any errors and to help with alignment. The cranes would "creep" along the arches as they were constructed, eventually meeting up in the middle. In less than two years, on Tuesday, 19 August 1930, the two halves of the arch touched for the first time. Workers riveted both top and bottom sections of the arch together, and the arch became self-supporting, allowing the support cables to be removed. On 20 August 1930 the joining of the arches was celebrated by flying the flags of Australia and the United Kingdom from the jibs of the creeper cranes.[31]

text: Once the arch was completed, the creeper cranes were then worked back down the arches, allowing the roadway and other parts of the bridge to be constructed from the centre out. The vertical hangers were attached to the arch, and these were then joined with horizontal crossbeams. The deck for the roadway and railway were built on top of the crossbeams, with the deck itself being completed by June 1931, and the creeper cranes were dismantled. Rails for trains and trams were laid, and road was surfaced using concrete topped with asphalt.[31] Power and telephone lines, and water, gas, and drainage pipes were also all added to the bridge in 1931.[citation needed]

text: The pylons were built atop the abutment towers, with construction advancing rapidly from July 1931. Carpenters built wooden scaffolding, with concreters and masons then setting the masonry and pouring the concrete behind it. Gangers built the steelwork in the towers, while day labourers manually cleaned the granite with wire brushes. The last stone of the north-west pylon was set in place on 15 January 1932, and the timber towers used to support the cranes were removed.[19][31]

text: On 19 January 1932, the first test train, a steam locomotive, safely crossed the bridge.[33] Load testing of the bridge took place in February 1932, with the four rail tracks being loaded with as many as 96 steam locomotives positioned end-to-end. The bridge underwent testing for three weeks, after which it was declared safe and ready to be opened.[31] The construction worksheds were demolished after the bridge was completed, and the land that they were on is now occupied by Luna Park.[34]

text: The standards of industrial safety during construction were poor by today's standards. Sixteen workers died during construction,[35] but surprisingly only two from falling off the bridge. Several more were injured from unsafe working practices undertaken whilst heating and inserting its rivets, and the deafness experienced by many of the workers in later years was blamed on the project. Henri Mallard between 1930 and 1932 produced hundreds of stills[36] and film footage[37] which reveal at close quarters the bravery of the workers in tough Depression-era conditions.[citation needed]

text: The total financial cost of the bridge was AU£6.25 million, which was not paid off in full until 1988.[38]

text: Opening[edit]

text: The bridge was formally opened on Saturday, 19 March 1932.[39] Amongst those who attended and gave speeches were the Governor of New South Wales, Sir Philip Game, and the Minister for Public Works, Lawrence Ennis. The Premier of New South Wales, Jack Lang, was to open the bridge by cutting a ribbon at its southern end.[citation needed]

text: However, just as Lang was about to cut the ribbon, a man in military uniform rode up on a horse, slashing the ribbon with his sword and opening the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the name of the people of New South Wales before the official ceremony began. He was promptly arrested.[40] The ribbon was hurriedly retied and Lang performed the official opening ceremony and Game thereafter inaugurated the name of the bridge as 'Sydney Harbour Bridge' and the associated roadway as the 'Bradfield Highway'. After they did so, there was a 21-gun salute and an RAAF flypast. The intruder was identified as Francis de Groot. He was convicted of offensive behaviour and fined £5 after a psychiatric test proved he was sane, but this verdict was reversed on appeal. De Groot then successfully sued the Commissioner of Police for wrongful arrest, and was awarded an undisclosed out of court settlement. De Groot was a member of a right-wing paramilitary group called the New Guard, opposed to Lang's leftist policies and resentful of the fact that a member of the Royal Family had not been asked to open the bridge.[40] De Groot was not a member of the regular army but his uniform allowed him to blend in with the real cavalry. This incident was one of several involving Lang and the New Guard during that year.[citation needed]

text: A similar ribbon-cutting ceremony on the bridge's northern side by North Sydney's mayor, Alderman Primrose, was carried out without incident. It was later discovered that Primrose was also a New Guard member but his role in and knowledge of the de Groot incident, if any, are unclear.[citation needed] The pair of golden scissors used in the ribbon cutting ceremonies on both sides of the bridge was also used to cut the ribbon at the dedication of the Bayonne Bridge, which had opened in Bayonne, New Jersey, close to New York City, the year before.[41][42]

text: Despite the bridge opening in the midst of the Great Depression, opening celebrations were organised by the Citizens of Sydney Organising Committee, an influential body of prominent men and politicians that formed in 1931 under the chairmanship of the Lord Mayor to oversee the festivities. The celebrations included an array of decorated floats, a procession of passenger ships sailing below the bridge, and a Venetian Carnival.[43] A message from a primary school in Tottenham, 515 km (320 mi) away in rural New South Wales, arrived at the bridge on the day and was presented at the opening ceremony. It had been carried all the way from Tottenham to the bridge by relays of school children, with the final relay being run by two children from the nearby Fort Street Boys' and Girls' schools. After the official ceremonies, the public was allowed to walk across the bridge on the deck, something that would not be repeated until the 50th anniversary celebrations.[26] Estimates suggest that between 300,000 and one million people took part in the opening festivities,[26] a phenomenal number given that the entire population of Sydney at the time was estimated to be 1,256,000.[44]

text: There had also been numerous preparatory arrangements. On 14 March 1932, three postage stamps were issued to commemorate the imminent opening of the bridge. Several songs were composed for the occasion.[45]

text: The bridge itself was regarded as a triumph over Depression times, earning the nickname "the Iron Lung", as it kept many Depression-era workers employed.[46]

text: Operations[edit]

text: In 2010, the average daily traffic included 204 trains, 160,435 vehicles and 1650 bicycles.[47]

text: Road[edit]

text: From the Sydney CBD side, motor vehicle access to the bridge is normally via Grosvenor Street, Clarence Street, Kent Street, the Cahill Expressway, or the Western Distributor. Drivers on the northern side will find themselves on the Warringah Freeway, though it is easy to turn off the freeway to drive westwards into North Sydney or eastwards to Neutral Bay and beyond upon arrival on the northern side.[citation needed]

text: The bridge originally only had four wider traffic lanes occupying the central space which now has six, as photos taken soon after the opening clearly show. In 1958 tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. Lanes 7 and 8 now connect the bridge to the elevated Cahill Expressway that carries traffic to the Eastern Distributor.

text: In 1988, work began to build a tunnel to complement the bridge. It was determined that the bridge could no longer support the increased traffic flow of the 1980s. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was completed in August 1992 and carries only motor vehicles.

text: The Bradfield Highway is designated as a Travelling Stock Route[48] which means that it is permissible to herd livestock across the bridge, but only between midnight and dawn, and after giving notice of intention to do so. In practice, owing to the high-density urban nature of modern Sydney, and the relocation of abattoirs and markets, this has not taken place for approximately half a century.[citation needed]

text: Tidal flow[edit]

text: The bridge is equipped for tidal flow operation, permitting the direction of traffic flow on the bridge to be altered to better suit the morning and evening rush hours' traffic patterns.[49]

text: The bridge has eight lanes in total, numbered one to eight from west to east. Lanes three, four and five are reversible. One and two always flow north. Six, seven, and eight always flow south. The default is four each way. For the morning rush hour, the lane changes on the bridge also require changes to the Warringah Freeway, with its inner western reversible carriageway directing traffic to the bridge lane numbers three and four southbound.[citation needed]

text: The bridge has a series of overhead gantries which indicate the direction of flow for each traffic lane. A green arrow pointing down to a traffic lane means the lane is open. A flashing red "X" indicates the lane is closing, but is not yet in use for traffic travelling in the other direction. A static red "X" means the lane is in use for oncoming traffic. This arrangement was introduced in the 1990s, replacing a slow operation where lane markers were manually moved to mark the centre median.[citation needed]

text: It is possible to see odd arrangements of flow during night periods when maintenance occurs, which may involve completely closing some lanes. Normally this is done between midnight and dawn, because of the enormous traffic demands placed on the bridge outside these hours.[citation needed]

text: Tolls[edit]

text: The vehicular traffic lanes on the bridge are operated as a toll road. As of 27 January 2009 there is a variable tolling system for all vehicles headed into the CBD (southbound). The toll paid is dependent on the time of day in which the vehicle passes through the toll plaza. The toll varies from a minimum value of $2.50 to a maximum value of $4.[50] There is no toll for northbound traffic (though taxis travelling north may charge passengers the toll in anticipation of the toll the taxi must pay on the return journey). There are toll plazas at the northern and southern ends. The two eastern lanes (which continue over the Cahill Expressway at the southern end of the bridge) have their tollbooths at the northern end, while the other southbound lanes (for CBD traffic) are serviced by tollbooths at the southern end of the bridge. There is a bridge-long median strip between lanes 6 and 7 to separate traffic which has already paid the toll (at the northern end) from other southbound traffic (which must pay the toll at the southern end).[citation needed]

text: The toll was originally placed on travel across the bridge, in both directions, to recoup the cost of its construction. This cost was recovered in the 1980s, but the toll has been kept (indeed increased) by the state government's Roads and Traffic Authority to recoup the costs of the Sydney Harbour Tunnel.[citation needed]

text: After the decision to build the Sydney Harbour Tunnel was made in the early 1980s, the toll was increased (from 20 cents to $1, then to $1.50, and finally to $2 by the time the tunnel opened) to pay for its construction. The tunnel also had an initial toll of $2 southbound. After the increase to $1, the concrete barrier on the bridge separating the Bradfield Highway from the Cahill Expressway was increased in height, because of the large numbers of drivers crossing it illegally from lane 6 to 7, to avoid the toll. The toll for all southbound vehicles was increased to $3 in March 2004.[citation needed]

text: Originally it cost a car or motorcycle six pence to cross, a horse and rider being three pence. Use of the bridge by bicycle riders (provided that they use the cycleway) and by pedestrians is free. Later governments capped the fee for motorcycles at one-quarter of the passenger-vehicle cost, but now it is again the same as the cost for a passenger vehicle, although quarterly flat-fee passes are available which are much cheaper for frequent users.[51]

text: In July 2008 a new electronic tolling system called e-TAG was introduced. The Sydney Harbour Tunnel was converted to this new tolling system while the Sydney Harbour Bridge itself had several cash lanes. The electronic system as of 12 January 2009 has now replaced all booths with E-tag lanes.[52] In January 2017 work commenced to remove the southern toll booths.[53]

text: Pedestrians[edit]

text: The pedestrian-only footway is located on the east side of the bridge. Access from the northern side involves climbing an easily spotted flight of stairs, located on the east side of the bridge at Broughton St, Kirribilli. Pedestrian access on the southern side is more complicated, but signposts in the Rocks area now direct pedestrians to the long and sheltered flight of stairs that leads to the bridge's southern end. These stairs are located near Gloucester Street and Cumberland Street.[citation needed]

text: The bridge can also be approached from the south by accessing Cahill Walk, which runs along the Cahill Expressway. Pedestrians can access this walkway from the east end of Circular Quay by a flight of stairs or a lift. Alternatively it can be accessed from the Botanic Gardens.[citation needed]

text: Cyclists[edit]

text: The bike-only cycleway is located on the western side of the bridge. Access from the northern side involves carrying or pushing a bicycle up a staircase, consisting of 55 steps, located on the western side of the bridge at Burton St, Milsons Point. A wide smooth concrete strip in the centre of the stairs permits cycles to be wheeled up and down from the bridge deck whilst the rider is dismounted. A campaign to eliminate the steps on this popular cycling route to the CBD has been running since at least 2008.[54][55] On 7 December 2016 the NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay confirmed that the northern stairway would be replaced with a A$20 million ramp alleviating the needs for cyclists to dismount. At the same time the NSW Government announced plans to upgrade the southern ramp at a projected cost of A$20 million. Both projects are expected to completed by late 2020.[56][57][58] Access to the cycleway on the southern side is via the northern end of the Kent Street cycleway and/or Upper Fort Street in The Rocks.[59]

text: Rail[edit]

text: The bridge lies between Milsons Point and Wynyard railway stations, located on the north and south shores respectively, with two tracks running along the western side of the bridge. These tracks are part of the North Shore railway line.

text: In 1958 tram services across the bridge were withdrawn and the tracks they had used were removed and replaced by two extra road lanes; these lanes are now the leftmost southbound lanes on the bridge and are still clearly distinguishable from the other six road lanes. The original ramp that took the trams into their terminus at the underground Wynyard railway station is still visible at the southern end of the main walkway under lanes 7 and 8, although the tunnels have been converted into a car park and firing range.[60][citation needed]

text: Maintenance[edit]

text: The Sydney Harbour Bridge requires constant inspections and other maintenance work to keep it safe for the public, and to protect from corrosion. Among the trades employed on the bridge are painters, ironworkers, boilermakers, fitters, electricians, plasterers, carpenters, plumbers, and riggers.[30]

text: The most noticeable maintenance work on the bridge involves painting. The steelwork of the bridge that needs to be painted is a combined 485,000 m2 (120 acres), the equivalent of sixty football fields. Each coat on the bridge requires some 30,000 L (6,600 imp gal) of paint.[30] A special fast-drying paint is used, so that any paint drops have dried before reaching the vehicles or bridge surface.[18] One notable identity from previous bridge-painting crews is Australian comedian and actor Paul Hogan, who worked as a bridge painter before rising to media fame in the 1970s.[7]

text: In 2003 the Roads & Traffic Authority began completely repainting the southern approach spans of the bridge. This involved removing the old lead-based paint, and repainting the 90,000 m2 (22 acres) of steel below the deck. Workers operated from self-contained platforms below the deck, with each platform having an air extraction system to filter airborne particles. An abrasive blasting was used, with the lead waste collected and safely removed from the site for disposal.[30]

text: Between December 2006 and March 2010 the bridge was subject to works designed to ensure its longevity. The work included some strengthening.[61]

text: Since 2013, two grit-blasting robots specially developed with the University of Technology, Sydney have been employed to help with the paint stripping operation on the bridge.[62] The robots, nicknamed Rosie and Sandy,[63] are intended to reduce workers' potential exposure to dangerous lead paint and asbestos and the blasting equipment which has enough force to cut through clothes and skin.[64]

text: Tourism[edit]

text: South-east pylon[edit]

text: Even during its construction, the bridge was such a prominent feature of Sydney that it would attract tourist interest. One of the ongoing tourist attractions of the bridge has been the south-east pylon, which is accessed via the pedestrian walkway across the bridge, and then a climb to the top of the pylon of about 200 steps.[16]

text: Not long after the bridge's opening, commencing in 1934, Archer Whitford first converted this pylon into a tourist destination.[65] He installed a number of attractions, including a café, a camera obscura, an Aboriginal museum, a "Mother's Nook" where visitors could write letters, and a "pashometer". The main attraction was the viewing platform, where "charming attendants" assisted visitors to use the telescopes available,[65] and a copper cladding (still present) over the granite guard rails identified the suburbs and landmarks of Sydney at the time.[66]

text: The outbreak of World War II in 1939 saw tourist activities on the bridge cease, as the military took over the four pylons and modified them to include parapets and anti-aircraft guns.[67]

text: In 1948 Yvonne Rentoul opened the "All Australian Exhibition" in the pylon. This contained dioramas, and displays about Australian perspectives on subjects such as farming, sport, transport, mining, and the armed forces. An orientation table was installed at the viewing platform, along with a wall guide and binoculars. The owner kept several white cats in a rooftop cattery, which also served as an attraction, and there was a souvenir shop and postal outlet.[68] Rentoul's lease expired in 1971, and the pylon and its lookout remained closed to the public for over a decade.[69]

text: The pylon was reopened in 1982, with a new exhibition celebrating the bridge's 50th anniversary.[70] In 1987 a "Bicentennial Exhibition" was opened to mark the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia in 1988.[71]

text: The pylon was closed from April to November 2000 for the Roads & Traffic Authority and BridgeClimb to create a new exhibition called "Proud Arch". The exhibition focussed on Bradfield, and included a glass direction finder on the observation level, and various important heritage items.[72]

text: The pylon again closed for four weeks in 2003 for the installation of an exhibit called "Dangerous Works", highlighting the dangerous conditions experienced by the original construction workers on the bridge, and two stained glass feature windows in memory of the workers.[73]

text: BridgeClimb[edit]

text: In 1950s and 1960s there were occasional newspaper reports of climbers who had made illegal arch traversals of the bridge, invariably by night. In 1973 Philippe Petit walked across a wire between the two pylons at the southern end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Since 1998, BridgeClimb[74] has made it possible for tourists to legally climb the southern half of the bridge. Tours run throughout the day, from dawn to night, and are only cancelled for electrical storms or high wind.[75]

text: Groups of climbers are provided with protective clothing appropriate to the prevailing weather conditions, and are given an orientation briefing before climbing. During the climb, attendees are secured to the bridge by a wire lifeline. Each climb begins on the eastern side of the bridge and ascends to the top. At the summit, the group crosses to the western side of the arch for the descent. Each climb takes three-and-a-half-hours, including the preparations.[75]

text: In December 2006, BridgeClimb[74] launched an alternative to climbing the upper arches of the bridge. The Discovery Climb allows climbers to ascend the lower chord of the bridge and view its internal structure. From the apex of the lower chord, climbers ascend a staircase to a platform at the summit.[citation needed]

text: Celebrations[edit]

text: Since the opening, the bridge has been the focal point of much tourism and national pride.[citation needed]

text: 50th Anniversary celebrations (1982)[edit]

text: In 1982 the bridge celebrated the 50th anniversary of its opening. For the first time since its opening in 1932, the bridge was closed to most vehicles with the exception of vintage vehicles , and pedestrians were allowed full access for the day.[13] The celebrations were attended by Edward Judge, who represented Dorman Long.[citation needed] [76]

text: Bicentennial Australia Day celebrations (1988)[edit]

text: Australia's bicentennial celebrations on 26 January 1988 attracted large crowds in the bridge's vicinity as merrymakers flocked to the foreshores to view the events on the harbour. The highlight was the biggest parade of sail ever held in Sydney, square-riggers from all over the world, surrounded by hundreds of smaller craft of every description, passing majestically under the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The day's festivities culminated in a fireworks display in which the bridge was the focal point of the finale, with fireworks streaming from the arch and roadway. This was to become the pattern for later firework displays.[citation needed]

text: Sydney New Year's Eve (1993–present)[edit]

text: The Harbour Bridge is an integral part of the Sydney New Year's Eve celebrations, generally being used in spectacular ways during the fireworks displays at 21:00 and midnight. In recent times, the bridge has included a ropelight display on a framework in the centre of the eastern arch, which is used to complement the fireworks. As the scaffolding and framework are clearly visible for some weeks before the event, revealing the outline of the design, there is much speculation as to how the effect is to be realised.

text: During the millennium celebrations in 2000, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was lit up with the word "Eternity", as a tribute to the legacy of Arthur Stace a Sydney artist who for many years inscribed that word on pavements in chalk in beautiful copperplate writing despite the fact that he was illiterate.[citation needed]

text: The effects have been as follows:[citation needed]

text:
NYE1997: Smiley face
NYE1999: The word "Eternity" in copperplate writing[77]
NYE2000: Rainbow Serpent and Federation Star
NYE2001: Uluru, the Southern Cross and the Dove of Peace
NYE2002: Dove of Peace and the word "PEACE"
NYE2003: Light show
NYE2004: "Fanfare"
NYE2005: Three concentric hearts
NYE2006: Coathanger and a diamond
NYE2007: Mandala
NYE2008: The Sun
NYE2009: Taijitu Symbol, a Blue moon and a ring of fire
NYE2010: Handprint, "X" Mark and a Spot
NYE2011: Thought Bubble, Sun and Endless Rainbow
NYE2012: Butterfly and a Lip
NYE2013: Eye
NYE2014: Light bulb
NYE2015: Sydney Harbour Bridge
NYE2016: Light show

text: The numbers for the New Year's Eve countdown also appear on the eastern side of the Bridge pylons.[78]

text: Walk for Reconciliation (2000)[edit]

text: In May 2000 the bridge was closed to vehicular access for a day to allow a special reconciliation march—the "Walk for Reconciliation"—to take place. This was part of a response to an Aboriginal Stolen Generations inquiry, which found widespread suffering had taken place amongst Australian Aboriginal children forcibly placed into the care of white parents in a little-publicised state government scheme. Between 200,000 and 300,000 people were estimated to have walked the bridge in a symbolic gesture of crossing a divide.[79]

text: Sydney 2000 Olympics[edit]

text: During the Sydney 2000 Olympics in September and October 2000, the bridge was adorned with the Olympic Rings. It was included in the Olympic torch's route to the Olympic stadium. The men's and women's Olympic marathon events likewise included the bridge as part of their route to the Olympic stadium. A fireworks display at the end of the closing ceremony ended at the bridge. The east-facing side of the bridge has been used several times since as a framework from which to hang static fireworks, especially during the elaborate New Year's Eve displays.[citation needed]

text: Formula One promotion (2005)[edit]

text: In 2005 Mark Webber drove a Williams-BMW Formula One car across the bridge.[80]

text: 75th anniversary (2007)[edit]

text: In 2007, the 75th anniversary of its opening was commemorated with an exhibition at the Museum of Sydney, called "Bridging Sydney".[81] An initiative of the Historic Houses Trust, the exhibition featured dramatic photographs and paintings with rare and previously unseen alternative bridge and tunnel proposals, plans and sketches.[citation needed]

text: On 18 March 2007, the Sydney Harbour Bridge celebrated its 75th anniversary. The occasion was marked with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by the governor, Marie Bashir and the premier of New South Wales, Morris Iemma. The bridge was subsequently open to the public to walk southward from Milsons Point or North Sydney. Several major roads, mainly in the CBD, were closed for the day. An Aboriginal smoking ceremony was held at 19:00.[citation needed]

text: Approximately 250,000 people (50,000 more than were registered) took part in the event. Bright yellow souvenir caps were distributed to walkers. A series of speakers placed at intervals along the bridge formed a sound installation. Each group of speakers broadcast sound and music from a particular era (e.g. King Edward VIII's abdication speech; Gough Whitlam's speech at Parliament House in 1975), the overall effect being that the soundscape would "flow" through history as walkers proceeded along the bridge. A light-show began after sunset and continued late into the night, the bridge being bathed in constantly changing, multi-coloured lighting, designed to highlight structural features of the bridge. In the evening the bright yellow caps were replaced by orange caps with a small, bright LED attached. The bridge was closed to walkers at about 20:30.[citation needed]

text: Breakfast on the Bridge (2009–10)[edit]

text: On 25 October 2009 turf was laid across the eight lanes of bitumen, and 6,000 people celebrated a picnic on the bridge accompanied by live music.[82] The event was repeated in 2010.[83] Although originally scheduled again in 2011, this event was moved to Bondi Beach due to traffic concerns about the prolonged closing of the bridge.[84][85]

text: 80th anniversary[edit]

text: On 19 March 2012 the 80th anniversary of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was celebrated with a picnic dedicated to the stories of people with personal connections to the bridge.[86] In addition, Google dedicated its Google Doodle on the 19th to the event.[87] The proposal to upgrade the bridge tolling equipment was announced by the NSW Roads Minister Duncan Gay.[88]

text: Quotations[edit]

text:
There the proud arch Colossus like bestride
Yon glittering streams and bound the strafing tide.

text: I open this bridge in the name of His Majesty the King and all the decent citizens of NSW.

text: To get on in Australia, you must make two observations. Say, "You have the most beautiful bridge in the world" and "They tell me you trounced England again in the cricket." The first statement will be a lie. Sydney Bridge  [sic] is big, utilitarian and the symbol of Australia, like the Statue of Liberty or the Eiffel Tower. But it is very ugly. No Australian will admit this.

text: ...in a gesture of anomalous exhilaration, at the worst time of the depression Sydney opened its Harbour Bridge, one of the talismanic structures of the earth, and by far the most striking thing ever built in Australia. At that moment, I think, contemporary Sydney began , perhaps definitive Sydney.

text: ...you can see it from every corner of the city, creeping into frame from the oddest angles, like an uncle who wants to get into every snapshot. From a distance it has a kind of gallant restraint, majestic but not assertive, but up close it is all might. It soars above you, so high that you could pass a ten-storey building beneath it, and looks like the heaviest thing on earth. Everything that is in it – the stone blocks in its four towers, the latticework of girders, the metal plates, the six-million rivets (with heads like halved apples) – is the biggest of its type you have ever seen... This is a great bridge.


document_title: Kanyakumari

question_text: where is cape comorin located in india map

root

text: Kanyakumari

text: History[edit]

text: Ptolemy's geography describes commercial relations between western India and Alexandria, the chief eastern emporium of the Roman Empire.  He identified Kanyakumari along with the Gulf of Mannar as a center for pearl fishery. He also identifies Korkai (assumed to be the present day's Tuticorin), a place to the east of Kanyakumari, as an emporium of pearl trade.

tag: p

text: Another ancient Greek book, the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, contains sailing directions for merchants from the Red Sea to the Indus and Malabar, and even indicates that the coast from Barygaza (Baroch) had a general southward direction down to and far beyond Kanyakumari.

text: Kanyakumari District consists of those parts known locally as Nanjil Nadu and Idai Nadu. The names of the villages of the district such as Azhagiapaandipuram, Bhoothapandy, Cholapuram and Kulasekaram reveal that these places were governed by several rulers at different periods of time. Nanjilnadu was under the rule of Pandiyas until the early 10th century and then under Cheras.

text: The Kalkulam and Vilavancode taluks were under the rule of the Chera Dynasty. When the power of Chola declined due to the rise of Hoysalas and western Chalukyas, the Venad (Travancore) Chieftains (descendants of the central Chera family) took advantage of the situation and gradually established their hold on considerable areas in Nanjilnadu.  Veera Kerala Varma, one such chieftain, styled himself as "Nanjil Kuravan". The annexation commenced by Veera Kerala Varma was to a large extent continued by his successors and completed by AD 1115.

text: For about four centuries, the Venad was ruled by powerful kings who were consistently making incursions into the Pandian territories. As a result, Vijayanagar kings proceeded against Venad. In 1609 Kanyakumari fell into the hands of Viswanatha Nayak of Madurai. Consequent to this, there was no serious threat to Nanjilnadu until 1634. During the regime of Ravi Varma and Marthanda Varma, Venad was disturbed by the internal strife.

text: Sanda Sahib of Arcot took advantage of this situation and attacked Nanjilnadu. Although Marthanda Varma was victorious in the battle of Colachel and defeated the Dutch armouries who helped the local feudatories, he could not cope with the threat from Sanda Sahib, which forced him to withdraw from the battlefield. After Marthanda Varma, Venad had weak rulers and as a result there was frequent interference by the British (who knew it as Kanyakumari) whose control was completely established over Venad and continued until 1947. From 1947 to 1956, it was under the personal rule of Maharaja of Travancore. Later it was reoccupied and merged with Tamilnadu.

text: Modern history[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (January 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: Kanyakumari has been a great centre for art and religion for centuries. It was also an area of great trade and commerce. It was ruled by the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Nayaks. The architectural beauty of the temples in the area are the works of these rulers. Later Kanyakumari became part of the Venad kingdom with its capital at Quilon. The king of Venad, Anizham Thirunal Marthanda Varma, established Travancore by extending his domain further north up to Azhva, during his reign from 1729 to 1758. By this, the present Kanyakumari District came to be known as Southern Travancore. In 1741, Maharaja Marthanda Varma defeated the Dutch East India Company at the famous Battle of Colachel.

text: Kanyakumari was under the rule of the Pandyan Kings till the downfall of Pandyas, and later by kings of Travancore under the overall suzerainty of the British (as "Cape Comorin") until 1947, when India became independent. Travancore joined the independent Indian Union in 1947. The reign of the Travancore royals came to an end.

text: In 1949, Kanyakumari became part of the reconstituted Travancore-Cochin State. Around this time, a popular agitation by the Tamil-speaking people of the district for the amalgamation of Kanyakumari District with Tamil Nadu intensified under the leadership of Marshal Nesamony who is called as 'Kumari Thanthai' (Father of Kanyakumari district).  Marshal Nesamony was instrumental in the merger of Kanyakumari district with Tamil Nadu (then known as Madras State) in 1956 during the linguistic reorganisation of states.

text: Demographics[edit]

text:
As of the census of India 2001, Kanniyakumari had a population of 19,739 comprising 9,884 males and 9,855 females, making the sex ratio (number of females per thousand males) of the town to 997. A total of 2,403 people were under six years of age and the child sex ratio (number of females per thousand males under six years of age) stood at 1,024. The town had an average literacy of 88.62%, higher than the national average of 59.5%.There were total of 4,236 households in the town.and sunrise is the famous part of kanyakumari
As of 2001, Kanyakumari had a total of 5,929 main workers: 11 cultivators, 78 agricultural labourers, 66 in house hold industries and 5,774 other workers.  There were a total of 119 marginal workers: 4 marginal cultivators, 3 marginal agricultural labourers, 11 marginal workers in household industries and 101 other marginal workers.[5]

text: Geography[edit]

text: Kanyakumari is located at 8°05′N 77°34′E / 8.08°N 77.57°E / 8.08; 77.57.[6] It has an average elevation of 300 metre. Kanyakumari does lie at the meeting point of three bodies of water, but it mainly borders only one: the Laccadive Sea to the south. It is the confluence of the Western Coastal Plains and Eastern Coastal Plains.

text: It is located at the southern tip and southernmost point of the Indian Subcontinent. However, the southernmost point of the Republic of India is at Indira Point on Great Nicobar Island, at 6°45’10″N and 93°49’36″E.

text: Kanyakumari is used geographically to define southern end of the Coromandel Coast region.

text:
hideClimate data for Kanyakumari

Month

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Year

Average high °C (°F)

28.9 (84)

30.6 (87.1)

32.2 (90)

32.7 (90.9)

32.4 (90.3)

30.7 (87.3)

31.8 (89.2)

31.9 (89.4)

30.6 (87.1)

30.4 (86.7)

30.1 (86.2)

29.3 (84.7)

31 (87.7)

Average low °C (°F)

23.4 (74.1)

23.8 (74.8)

25.1 (77.2)

26.1 (79)

26.1 (79)

24.6 (76.3)

24 (75)

24 (75)

24.3 (75.7)

24.3 (75.7)

24 (75)

23.8 (74.8)

24.5 (76)

Average rainfall mm (inches)

10 (0.39)

23 (0.91)

36 (1.42)

81 (3.19)

56 (2.2)

86 (3.39)

44 (1.73)

42 (1.65)

37 (1.46)

166 (6.54)

203 (7.99)

75 (2.95)

859 (33.82)

Average precipitation days

1.4

1.7

2.6

4.1

4.2

11.3

9

6.5

5.5

10.1

11.2

5.3

72.9

Source: World Weather Information Service,[7]

text: Tourism[edit]

text: Since the early 1970s, tourism has been an industry in the town. Because of this it is one of the few small towns in South India where one can hear many of the different languages of India spoken in the street.It is one of the major tourist attractions in India.

text: Of late,[when?] the promotion of tourism has increased, with increasing emphasis on attractions outside the town, such as the surrounding landscapes, as well as the historical and religious sites found around the district. Ultimately a total of 1.9 million tourists (domestic and foreign) visited Kanyakumari in 2007.[9]

text: Though there are several places of tourist-interest in the town and district, Kanyakumari is especially popular in India for its spectacular and unique sunrise and sunset, thanks to its being nearly surrounded by waters.  On full-moon evenings (locally called Chitra Pournami), one can also see the moon-rise and sunset at the same time.

text: Pilgrimage[edit]

text: Kanya Kumari is notable for pilgrimage and tourism. The place takes its name from the goddess Devi Kanya Kumari, considered to be a sister of Krishna.  Women pray to her for marriage.  The goddess is believed to be the one who removes the rigidity of our mind. The temple here is a Shakti Peetha, one of the holiest shrines of the Mother goddess.  Also nearby are eleven sacred theertham.[10]

text: The place was called Kanyashram of the Baalaambika, the deity of the temple. The sea ablution for Pitr Tarpan is done here. This is one of the rare temples in India where Devi (Mother Goddess) is worshipped as a child. The rites and rituals are done in the Kerala Namboothiri method, so there are slight differences in the way of worship compared to the temples of the nearby region.  The deity is the goddess of Sanasa,[10] so people from all over India who desire to devote their life as Sanyasin come here and take the deeksha. Swami Vivekananda came to this temple as directed by his Guru Shri Ramakrishna Prarama Hamsa, being a Sanyasin. The temple is very old and is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit literature.

text: The beach sands are multi-coloured and likened to a mythological story.

text: There is a shrine for Kalabhairava in the temple.  It is said that the backbone area of Sati Devi’s corpse fell here.

text: The place is famous for Agastyar mala where Sage Agastya lived. He is the founder of Siddha vydya, so there is innumerable medicinal plants available here. He is also considered as the founder of Varma Kalai, a form of martial arts.

text: Another pilgrimage is Nagaraja Temple, Nagercoil nearby.

text: At the Thanumalayan Temple in Suchindram, the three main gods of Hindu mythology – Śiva, Brahmā and Vishnu – are in one form called thanumalayan.

text: Transportation[edit]

text: Road[edit]

text: Bus: Kanyakumari, Nagercoil, Kulasekharam, Midalakadu, Marthandam, Eraviputhenthurai

tag: ul

text: Rail[edit]

text: Important Railway stations : Kanniyakumari, Nagercoil, Eraniel & Kuzhithurai.

text: Notable landmarks[edit]

text: There are many places to visit in Kanyakumari, following list does not comprise all but are some of the notable places.[11]

text: Thiruvalluvar Statue[edit]

text: The Thiruvalluvar Statue has a height of 95 feet (29 m) and stands upon a 38 foot (11.5 m) rock that represents the 38 chapters of "virtue" in the Thirukkural. The statue standing on the rock represents "wealth" and "pleasures", signifying that wealth and love be earned and enjoyed on the foundation of solid virtue.[12] The combined height of the statue and pedestal is 133 feet (40.5 m), denoting the 133 chapters in the Thirukkural. It has a total weight of 7000 tons.The statue, with its slight bend around the waist is reminiscent of a dancing pose of the ancient Indian deities like Nataraja. It was sculpted by the Indian sculptor Dr. V. Ganapati Sthapati, who also created the Iraivan Temple. Its opening ceremony was on 1 January 2000. The monument was hit by the Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 December 2004.[13]  but stood unaffected. The statue is designed to survive earthquakes of unexpected magnitude, such as magnitude 6 on the Richter Scale occurring within 100 kilometers. This is far beyond that of any event   recorded in the regional history. During maintenance work, as well as during rough sea, entry is restricted for tourists[14].

text: Vivekananda Rock Memorial[edit]

text: The Vivekananda Rock Memorial is a popular tourist monument in Vavathurai, Kanyakumari, India. The memorial stands on one of two rocks located about 500 metres east of the mainland of Vavathurai. It was built in 1970 in honour of Swami Vivekananda who is said to have attained enlightenment on the rock.[1] According to local legends, it was on this rock that Goddess Kumari performed austerity. A meditation hall (Dhyana Mandapam) is also attached to the memorial for visitors to meditate. The design of the mandapa incorporates different styles of temple architecture from all over India. It houses a statue of Vivekananda.[4] The rocks are surrounded by the Laccadive Sea. The memorial consists of two main structures, the Vivekananda Mandapam and the Shripada Mandapam.

text: Gandhi Memorial Mandapam[edit]

text: The Gandhi Memorial Mandapam has been built on the spot where the urn containing the Mahatma's ashes was kept for public viewing before immersion. Resembling central Indian Hindu temples in form, the memorial was designed in such a way that on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, 2 October, the first rays of the sun fall on the exact place where his ashes were kept.[4]

text: Tsunami Memorial Park[edit]

text: Near Kanyakumari's southern shore stands a monument to the memory of those who died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, an underwater megathrust earthquake that claimed around 280 000 lives in many countries, including India, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia. People from places near and far visit this monument to pay homage to all those who lost their lives.

text: Bhagavathy Amman Temple[edit]

text: Bhagavathy Amman Temple is a 3000-year-old temple dedicated to Goddess Kumari Amman located at Kanyakumari. Kumari Amman is one of the form of Devi, popularly known as “Kumari Bhagavathy Amman”. Kumari Bhagavathy Amman temple is the first Durga temple created by Lord Parasurama and one of the 108 Shakthi Peethas. This temple is situated at the shore of the Laccadive Sea. Kumari temple has been mentioned in Ramayana, Mahabharata and Purananooru.[15]This temple dedicated to Goddess Parvati (also known as Bhagavathy) is situated at the Triveni Sangam (point of confluence of the three seas) of Kanyakumari. Opening Closing Time

text: 4:30 am to 12 pm

text: 4.15 pm to 8:15 pm

text: Kamarajar Mani Mantapa Monument[edit]

text: Kamarajar Mani Mantapa Monument was raised and dedicated to a freedom fighter and Former Chief minister of Tamil Nadu, President of Indian National Congress, Mr Kamarajar. He's also popularly known as Black Gandhi among the masses. Like the Gandhi Mantapa, this place is where Kamarajar's ashes were kept for the public to pay homage before immersion into the sea.[16]

text: Tourist information[edit]

text: The state-owned Poompuhar Shipping Corporation runs ferry services between the town and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial and Thiruvalluvar statue, situated on rocky islets off the coast. The operation of the ferry service began in 1984. Two ferries were used to ferry the tourists until June 2013, after which a new ferry was added to the service on the occasion of 150th birth anniversary of Swamy Vivekananda.[17] Kanyakumari is directly connected by rail with almost all metropolitan cities in India.[18] The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, 90 km (56 mi) from Kanyakumari Town and 70 km (43 mi) from Nagercoil.[19] Kanyakumari is 744 km (462 mi) from Chennai.[20]

text: The Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation runs a circular bus to visit tourist spots. Circular bus route - Kanyakumari to Kanyakumari via Vattakottai, Padmanabhapuram palace, Thottipalam, Pechipparai dam, Thirparappu Falls, Muttom beach and Suchindrum Sthanumalayan temple. The bus will start at 7 a.m. just after sunrise and return to Kanyakumari by 6 p.m. so that tourists can also view sunset on sea. The fare per trip is Rs. 200/- for adults and Rs. 100/- for children.[21]

text: Panoramic View[edit]

text: Panoramic full view of the Thiruvalluvar Statue and the Vivekananda Rock Memorial, outlooking the Laccadive Sea.

text: Religious significance[edit]

text:
According to Hindu legend, Kanya Devi, an avatar of Parvati, was to marry Siva, but as he failed to show up on his wedding day, the rice and other grains meant for the wedding feast remained uncooked and remain unused thereafter.[22] As the legend goes, the uncooked grains turned into stones as time went by. Some believe that the small stones on the shore today, which look like rice, are indeed grains from the wedding that was never solemnised. Kanya Devi is now considered a virgin goddess who blesses pilgrims and tourists who flock the town.
According to another Hindu legend, Lord Hanuman dropped a piece of earth as he was carrying a mountain with his life-saving herb, Mrita Sanjivani, from the Himalayas to Lanka (Sri Lanka) during the Rama-Ravana war. This chunk of earth is called Marunthuvazh Malai, literally "hills where medicine lives".  This is said to be the reason for the abundance of unique native medicinal plants in the area. Marunthuvazh Malai is located near Kottaram about 7 km (4 mi) from Kanyakumari town on the Kanyakumari-Nagercoil highway. The sage Agasthya, who was himself an expert in medicinal herbs, is believed to have lived around this site in ancient days. Some believe this is why so many medicinal herbs are to be found on these hills near Kanyakumari. A nearby village is named Agastheeswaram after the sage. Today, there is a small ashram on the middle of the Maruthuvazh Malai hill, which tourists visit (after a short trek from the base of the hill), both to visit the Ashram and also to take a glimpse of the sea near Kanyakumari a few kilometres away, and the greenery below.[22]


document_title: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'

question_text: who sang the song gimme gimme good lovin

question_tokens: who sang the song gim me gim me good lovin

text: Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'

text:
"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"Single by Crazy Elephantfrom the album Crazy ElephantB-side
"Dark Part of My Mind"Released
January 1969 (Original US release)March 1969 (Second US release)April 1969 (UK)Genre
Bubblegum popLength
2:00Label
BellSongwriter(s)
Joey Levine, Ritchie CordellProducer(s)
Joey Levine, Artie ResnickCrazy Elephant singles chronology

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" (1969)

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" (1969)

"Sunshine, Red Wine" (1969)

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"(1969)

"Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'"(1969)

"Sunshine, Red Wine"(1969)

text: "Gimme Gimme Good Lovin'" is a song written by Joey Levine and Ritchie Cordell and performed by Crazy Elephant. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and on the UK Singles Chart in 1969.[1]  The song was featured on their 1969 album, Crazy Elephant.[2]

text: The single was first released in January 1969 with "Hips and Lips" as the B-side, but it did not become a hit until re-released in March 1969.[3]

text: The song was produced by Joey Levine and Artie Resnick and arranged by Levine.[4]

text: The single ranked #89 on the Billboard Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1969.[5]

text: Other versions[edit]

text:
In 1969 (the same year as Crazy Elephant's release) Don Fardon released a version as a single in Australia.[6]
Also in 1969 Dusty Springfield performed a version live on her BBC TV show "Decidedly Dusty."[7]
Also in 1969 Sonny Stitt released a version as a single that was featured on his album Come Hither.[8]
In 1970 Giorgio Moroder released a version on his album That's Bubblegum - That's Giorgio also known as Giorgio.[9]
In 1975 Brian Cadd released a version in the United Kingdom.[10]
In 1976 Danish band Morning After Rich released a version in their country.[11]
In 1979 Adrenalin released a version on Musical Signature Records[12]
In 1980 Leif Garrett released a version on his album Can't Explain.[13]
In 1984 Helix released a version as a single in Canada[14] off their album Walkin' the Razor's Edge.
In 1987 I Nuovi Angeli released an Italian version on their album Color Cioccolata, titled "Balla, Balla Con Noi".[15]
In 2000 Sonny Geraci released a live version off his album "On The Verge."[16]


document_title: James Van Der Beek

question_text: who did james van der beek play in one tree hill

text: James Van Der Beek

text: Early life and stage career[edit]

text: Van Der Beek was born in Cheshire, Connecticut, the son of Melinda (née Weber), a former dancer and gymnastics teacher, and James William Van Der Beek, a cellular phone company executive and former professional baseball pitcher of Dutch ethnicity.[3][4]

text: At the age of 15, he asked his mother to take him into New York City to get an agent and try his hand in professional acting. He made his professional debut off-Broadway at age 16 in 1993 in the New York premiere of Edward Albee's play Finding the Sun with the Signature Theatre Company. He played the role of "Fergus". Both he and the production, which was also directed by Albee, received positive reviews.[5][6] A decade later, in 2003, he appeared again off-Broadway, briefly, in the play Rain Dance.

text: Aged 17, while still in high school, he performed in the musical Shenandoah at the Goodspeed Opera House, and made his feature film debut in a bit role as a bully in Angus (1995) and shot a small role in the independent film I Love You, I Love You Not (1996).

text: He attended Drew University, on an academic scholarship, where he participated in an all-male a cappella group,[7] but dropped out to pursue acting.[8] He performed at the Vineyard Theater in New York in Nicky Silver's play, My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine, and he played a supporting role in the independent film Cash Crop, which was originally shot in spring of 1997 and originally titled Harvest until released in 2001.[citation needed]

text: Television and film career[edit]

text: In early 1997, Van Der Beek auditioned for three television pilots. One of them was for the fledgling WB Network show Dawson's Creek. Van Der Beek won the title role of Dawson Leery, and the show's 1998 debut was a success that helped to establish the network and its cast. The series ran for six seasons and was syndicated worldwide. In 1999, he starred in the teen football drama Varsity Blues, which held the number 1 spot at the U.S. box office for its first two weeks.[9] He won an MTV Movie Award for his role.

text: Around this time he was selected one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World", and he appeared in several other films, including Texas Rangers, Scary Movie, and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, playing himself playing Jay in the movie within the movie opposite Jason Biggs as Silent Bob.[citation needed]

text: In 2002, he played Sean Bateman (younger brother of American Psycho protagonist Patrick Bateman) in the film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis' The Rules of Attraction, written and directed by Roger Avary. The film was an initial box office failure, but found a cult following on DVD.[10]

text: In 2006, he appeared on the Direct-to-DVD thriller The Plague, which was produced by Clive Barker and was panned by critics. After Dawson's Creek ended in 2003, he returned to off-Broadway, in Lanford Wilson's Rain Dance. He completed an unproduced screenplay titled Winning. Since then, he made a few appearances on television, including a role on Ugly Betty. In 2007, he guest-starred in a two-part episode of the series Criminal Minds, playing a serial killer with dissociative identity disorder called Tobias Hankel who kidnaps and drugs one of the main characters Spencer Reid. In 2008, he made a guest appearance on How I Met Your Mother, in which he played Simon, one of Robin Scherbatsky's early boyfriends, multiple times.[citation needed]

text: In 2008, he began a recurring role on One Tree Hill as a film maker who was largely the satirical opposite of Dawson Leery. He appeared in an episode of the fifth season of Medium. In 2009, he portrayed real life kidnapper Anthony Steven "Tony Zappa" Wright in the Lifetime network television movie Taken In Broad Daylight.[citation needed]

text: In 2009, he won Best Actor at the 8th Annual San Diego Film Festival for his portrayal of FBI agent Jake Kelly working in Taiwan in the political thriller Formosa Betrayed, which also won Best Picture. The film was distributed theatrically in the United States starting February 26, 2010.[11]

text: On January 5, 2010, TVGuide.com confirmed that Van Der Beek had been cast in a major recurring role on the television series Mercy. He played Dr. Joe Briggs, the new womanizing ICU chief who harbors a dark secret.[12] He starred alongside Rhona Mitra, Josh Lucas, and Jon Hamm in the Anders Anderson thriller film Stolen.[13]

text: In 2011, he portrayed Kesha's nemesis in her music video for "Blow".[14]

text: He portrayed a fictionalized version of himself on the television series, Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23. The show debuted to critical praise, with Van Der Beek earning particularly good notices for his comic timing and brave sendup of his own image.[15] The show was cancelled after two seasons but remains popular on Netflix and on Logo TV which picked it up in syndication. He played the character Simon in Season 9's "Bedtime Stories" episode of How I Met Your Mother which aired in November 2013. On January 31, 2014, he appeared on The Talk. March 4, 2015, he began his role as Senior Field Agent Elijah Mundo in the newest installment on CSI: Cyber. Van Der Beek is due to appear in British comedy Carters Get Rich on Sky One, beginning in March 2017.[16] Van Der Beek is also the co-creator and star of What Would Diplo Do?, in which he portrays producer and DJ Diplo.

text: Personal life[edit]

text: On July 5, 2003, Van Der Beek married actress Heather McComb. They separated in April 2009,[17] and on November 20, 2009, Van Der Beek filed for divorce.[18] The divorce was finalized on March 31, 2010 and enforced on June 3, 2010.[19]

text: Van Der Beek and business consultant Kimberly Brook married on August 1, 2010, in a small ceremony at the Kabbalah Center near Dizengoff Plaza in Tel Aviv, Israel. The couple have four children together.[20][21][22][23]

text: Filmography[edit]

text: Film[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

1995
Angus
Rick Sandford

1996
I Love You, I Love You Not
Tony

1998
Harvest
James Peterson

1999
Varsity Blues
Jonathon "Mox" Moxon

2000
Scary Movie
Dawson Leery
Uncredited

2001
Texas Rangers
Lincoln Rogers Dunnison

2001
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
Himself

2002
Rules of Attraction, TheThe Rules of Attraction
Sean Bateman

2003
Castle in the Sky
Pazu
Voice (English dub, 1998)

2005
Standing Still
Simon

2006
Plague, TheThe Plague
Tom Russell
Direct-to-video

2007
Eye of the Beast
Dan Leland
Television film

2007
Final Draft
Paul Twist

2009
Taken in Broad Daylight
Anthony Steven "Tony Zappa" Wright
Television film

2009
Formosa Betrayed
Jake Kelly

2009
Stolen
Diploma/Roggiani

2009
Mrs. Miracle
Seth Webster
Television film

2010
Big Bang, TheThe Big Bang
Adam Nova

2011
Salem Falls
Jack St. Bride
Television film

2012
Backwards
Geoff

2013
Magic Bracelet, TheThe Magic Bracelet
Joe
Short film

2013
Labor Day
Officer Treadwell

2015
Power/Rangers
Rocky DeSantos/Red Ranger
Short film, screenwriter

2017
Downsizing
Anesthesiologist

text: Television[edit]

text:
Year
Title
Role
Notes

1993
Clarissa Explains It All
Paulie
Episode: "Alter Ego"

1995
As the World Turns
Stephen Anderson
3 episodes

1996
Aliens in the Family
Ethan
Episode: "You Don't Have a Pet to Be Popular"

1998–2003
Dawson's Creek
Dawson Leery
Main cast; 128 episodes

2006
Robot Chicken
Various voices
2 episodes

2007
Criminal Minds
Tobias Hankel/Raphael
2 episodes

2007
Ugly Betty
Luke Carnes
Episode: "Grin and Bear It"

2008, 2013
How I Met Your Mother
Simon
3 episodes

2008–2009
One Tree Hill
Adam Reese
4 episodes

2009
Medium
Dylan Hoyt
Episode: "All in the Family"

2009
Storm, TheThe Storm
Dr. Jonathan Kirk
Miniseries; 2 episodes

2009
Forgotten, TheThe Forgotten
Judd Shaw
Episode: "Lucky John"

2010
Mercy
Dr. Joe Briggs
10 episodes

2011
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Rex Tamlyn
Episode: "To the Boy in the Blue Knit Cap"

2011
Franklin & Bash
Nathan
Episode: "Bachelor Party"

2012–2013
Don't Trust the B---- in Apartment 23
James Van Der Beek
Main cast; 26 episodes

2012
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Sean Albert
Episode: "Father Dearest"

2013
The Eric André Show
James Van Der Beek
Team Go! Member #2
Episode: "James Van Der Beek / Steve-O"
Episode: "Lauren Conrad; Reese Witherspoon"

2014
Friends with Better Lives
Will Stokes
Main cast; 13 episodes

2015–2016
CSI: Cyber
Elijah Mundo
Main cast

2017
Carters Get Rich
Trent Zebrisky
Main cast

2017
What Would Diplo Do?
Diplo
Co-creator, writer

2017
Room 104
Scott
Episode: "Pizza Boy"

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result

1999
Varsity Blues
Best Breakthrough Male Performance
Won

2001
Scary Movie
Best Cameo in a Movie
Won

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result

1999
Dawson's Creek
Choice TV Actor
Nominated

Varsity Blues
Choice Movie Breakout Star
Won

2012
Don't Trust the B in Apt 23
Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer
Nominated

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result

2000
Varsity Blues
Favorite Actor – Newcomer (Internet Only)
Nominated

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result

2009
Formosa Betrayed
Best Actor
Won

text:
Year
Nominee/work
Award
Result

2011
JamesVanDerMemes.com[24]
OMG Internet Award
Won