1150-1157 - a miscellany

1150 – A sculpture from the Great Tower at Gangaikonda Cholapuram from Amit in India.

Gangaikonda Cholapuram was erected as the capital of the Cholas by Rajendra Chola I, the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola, the great Chola who conquered a large area in South India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Sumatra, Kadaram (Kedah in Malaysia) at the beginning of the 11th century A.D. It occupies an important place in the history of India. As the capital of the Cholas from about 1025 A.D. for about 250 years, the city controlled the affairs of the entire south of India, from Tungabhadra in the north to Ceylon in the south, and other south east Asian countries. 

The great temple of Siva at this place is next only to the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur in its monumental nature and surpasses it in sculptural quality.  It is one of the three Great Living Chola Temples which make up an Indian UNESCO WHS.

1151 – A delightfully cute Christmas card from my friend Susanne in Germany. 

Another good stamp

And a sticker.

1152 – Historic post uniforms from around 1850 on this maxi-card from Lars in Germany (DE-270646)

1153 – Miriam sent this typical Dutch card (NL-220140).    It’s just SO Dutch…

1154 – Ute in Germany sent this card (DE-2702719) – a reminder of Ivy!

1155 – Rita, such a kind friend in Denmark, sent me this picture of a Danish postman.

And on the back was one of the Europa postal vehicle stamps.

1156 – From Monica in Sweden, a rabbit.  You can almost see its nose twitch.

1157 – Also from Monica, another Lennart Helje card.

Lennart Helje, born in 1940 in Lima , is a Swedish artist , best known for his Christmas cards with little gnomes or brownies on them. 

Quite often Helje’s brownie is accompanied by animals such as a fox or a moose.  As Monica wrote, the fact that there is no actual Christmas greeting on the cards means she can send more than one.  Both of the ones she has sent this month will be displayed with our Christmas cards which straddle the living room.