title: Gipsy Kings

text: Gipsy Kings are a group of flamenco, salsa, and pop musicians from Arles and Montpellier in southern France, who perform mostly in Catalan but also mix in Spanish with southern French dialects. Although the group members were born in France, their parents were mostly "gitanos", Spanish Romani who fled Spain during the 1930s Spanish Civil War. They are known for bringing rumba flamenca, a pop-oriented music distantly derived from traditional flamenco music, to worldwide audiences. The group originally called itself Los Reyes.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Gipsy Kings, born in France but brought up within Spanish culture, are largely responsible for bringing the sounds of progressive pop-oriented flamenco to a worldwide audience. The band started out in Arles, a town in southern France, during the 1970s, when brothers Nicolas and André Reyes, the sons of flamenco artist Jose Reyes, teamed up with their cousins Jacques, Maurice, and Tonino Baliardo. At the time, Jose Reyes and Manitas de Plata were a duo who triggered the wider popularity of rumba flamenca (also known as Spanish or gypsy rumba). When Reyes split from Manitas de Plata, he started a group made up of his sons, which he called Los Reyes (as well as being their family name, "reyes" means "kings" in Spanish).


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Los Reyes started out as a gypsy band. They traveled around France, playing at weddings, festivals, and in the streets. Because they lived so much like gypsies, the band adopted the name Gipsy Kings. Later, they were hired to add color to upper-class parties in such places as St. Tropez, but their first two albums attracted little notice. At this point, the "Gipsies" played traditional flamenco invigorated by Tonino Baliardo's guitar playing and Nicolas Reyes' voice.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: The Gipsy King lineup featured a combination of left and right-handed guitarists; three of the Reyes brothers (Nicolas, André, and Patchai) play guitar left-handed, and play left-hand (and sometimes right-hand) guitars that are strung for right-handers (i.e., with the low "E" string on the bottom), while Diego Baliardo plays a left-handed guitar that is strung for left hand (i.e., with the low "E" string on the top). Together with right-handers Canut and Paul Reyes, and Paco Baliardo, these guitarists focus on delivering the strong underpinning rhythms while the more complex leads are performed by the right-handed and conventionally styled Tonino Baliardo.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Gipsy Kings became popular with their self-titled third album, which included the songs "Djobi Djoba", "Bamboléo", and the ballad "Un Amor".


title: Gipsy Kings

text: "Gipsy Kings" was released in the United States in 1989 and spent 40 weeks on the charts, one of few Spanish-language albums to do so. The band covered "I've Got No Strings" for the 1991 Disney video and compilation album "Simply Mad About the Mouse". Their cover version of "Hotel California" was an example of fast flamenco guitar leads and rhythmic strumming; it was featured in the 1998 Coen Brothers' movie "The Big Lebowski". The 2010 film "Toy Story 3" featured their rendition of "You've Got a Friend in Me", a Spanish-language version titled "Hay un Amigo en Mi", and performed in a recognisably flamenco style. "Bamboleo" was featured in a grocery store scene in the 2016 film "Sing".


title: Gipsy Kings

text: The band have been criticised by flamenco purists, but Nicolas Reyes has said in an interview that the flamenco world is not in great shape itself and that the band are proud of their success. Their 1997 album "Compas" contains more traditional flamenco music.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Some of the individual members of the band have put out their own albums. In 1988, Canut Reyes released his solo project, "Boléro". He has since released a second solo album, titled "Gitano". André Reyes recorded a solo album in 1992, but never released it officially. Unlicensed copies were acquired by fans and released online. Tonino Baliardo released his own instrumental album, "Essences", in 2001, re-released in 2003.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: In 2022, Nicolas Reyes and Moroccan musician Saad Lamjarred collaborated to pay tribute to King Mohammed VI for the occasion of July 30th's Throne Day, releasing a song called "Viva El Rey Habibna".


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Gipsy Kings have collaborated with many renowned artists. These efforts include "Speaking of Dreams" with Joan Baez in 1990, "My Way" with Francis Cabrel in 1993, a version of Bob Marley's "One Love" sung with his son Ziggy Marley, and Georges Reyes' song "Donde esta el amor" with Nicolas Reyes in 2006. They also performed "Get Up!" with Captain Jack and covered a version of the Doobie Brothers' "Long Train Running" with Bananarama on their "Pop Life" album, under the pseudonym Alma de Noche.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Gipsy Kings originally consisted of two parent families: Reyes and Baliardo. The Reyes brothers, sons of Jose Reyes, are nephews of Manitas de Plata. The Baliardo brothers are his sons.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: Chico Bouchikhi, co-founder of the group, a son-in-law of Jose Reyes, was also a member but left after the 1989 album "Mosaïque" to create his own band, Chico & The Gypsies.


title: Gipsy Kings

text: As of 2015, only founding members Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo remain in the Gipsy Kings lineup; tour promotional notices bill them as "The Gipsy Kings (featuring Nicolas Reyes and Tonino Baliardo)".


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 for a week. Gaudio was a bandmate of Valli's in the Four Seasons. It was Valli's biggest solo hit until he hit No. 1 in 1975 with "My Eyes Adored You".


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: Gaudio, an original member of the Four Seasons, refers to "Eyes" as "the one that almost got away" until Windsor, Ontario, radio station CKLW (a station also serving the Detroit metro on the American side of the border) intervened. In 1967, the record's producers urged Paul Drew, program director at the legendary station, to consider the tune for rotation. For much of the 1960s and 1970s, CKLW was credited with launching hit records via its powerful signal, blanketing the Great Lakes region. Drew didn't warm to the song at first, but accepted an invitation to hear it live at the Roostertail, where Valli was performing a weeklong stint with the Four Seasons. Drew liked what he heard and added the song to his station's playlist. "The switchboards lit up, and the rest, as they say, is history," Gaudio recalls.


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" has been recorded in many other arrangements, many of which have charted in different countries. The song is a staple of television and film soundtracks, even being featured as part of the plot of some films. Valli's version was also used by NASA as a wake-up song on the STS-126 Space Shuttle mission, to celebrate the wedding anniversary of astronaut Christopher Ferguson, one of the mission's crew members.


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: The song was written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. Melodic elements bear a similarity to passages from the "Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia" section of the 1956 ballet "Spartacus" (Suite No. 2) by Aram Khachaturian.


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: The original recording, from an arrangement by Gaudio and Artie Schroeck, was made at A & R Studio 2 (formerly Columbia Studio A), at 799 7th Avenue in New York City, with Crewe producing and Phil Ramone engineering.


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: "Billboard" described the single as "strong rhythm ballad material from the pen of Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio with an exceptional Valli vocal combined with an exciting Artie Schroeck arrangement." "Cash Box" called the single a "smooth, gentle, softly spoken romancer."


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: In 1982, San Francisco-based post-disco band Boys Town Gang performed a dance version of the song which reached the top spot in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain and number four in the United Kingdom. This version was also successful in Japan, receiving a gold digital certification by the RIAJ in 2011, and is also on games such as "Just Dance 4".


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: Lauryn Hill’s version of the song was recorded In 1997, while Hill was eight months pregnant with her first child. It was first featured in the movie "Conspiracy Theory" (1997). While the song wasn’t featured on the soundtrack, a radio jockey at KMEL in San Francisco put the song on a CD and began playing the song; more radio stations followed suit, causing a domino effect around the U.S., ultimately leading the song to peak at number two on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, despite Hill's label's not releasing the song as a single. Due to the popularity of the song it was added as a hidden track on "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill".


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: This version was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1999, becoming the first hidden track to ever receive a Grammy nomination. "Consequence of Sound" named it the best hidden track of all time. In 2014, VH1 also named it the best hidden track of all time. Academy Award–winning actor Forest Whitaker was inspired to name his daughter True, after hearing Hill's version of the song.


title: Can't Take My Eyes Off You

text: Despite the existence of a YouTube video with over 144 million views that claims the song was sung by Frank Sinatra, no such recording exists, and the song that plays on that YouTube clip is merely Valli's version.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut is the common name for three flatfish in the genera "Hippoglossus" and "Reinhardtius" from the family of right-eye flounders and, in some regions, and less commonly, other species of large flatfish.


title: Halibut

text: The word is derived from "haly" (holy) and "butte" (flat fish), for its popularity on Catholic holy days. Halibut are demersal fish and are highly regarded as a food fish as well as a sport fish.


title: Halibut

text: A 2018 cladistic analysis based on genetics and morphology showed that the greenland halibut diverged from a lineage that gave rise to the Atlantic and Pacific halibuts. The common ancestor of all three diverged from a lineage that gave rise to the genus "Verasper", comprising the spotted halibut and barfin flounder.


title: Halibut

text: The Atlantic halibut is the world's largest flatfish. The IGFA record was apparently broken off the waters of Norway in July 2013 by a , fish. This was awaiting certification as of 2013. In July 2014, a Pacific halibut was caught in Glacier Bay, Alaska; this is, however, discounted from records because the halibut was shot and harpooned before being hauled aboard.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut are dark brown on the top side with a white to off-white underbelly and have very small scales invisible to the naked eye embedded in their skin. Halibut are symmetrical at birth with one eye on each side of the head. Then, about six months later, during larval metamorphosis one eye migrates to the other side of the head. The eyes are permanently set once the skull is fully ossified. At the same time, the stationary-eyed side darkens to match the top side, while the other side remains white. This color scheme disguises halibut from above (blending with the ocean floor) and from below (blending into the light from the sky) and is known as countershading.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut feed on almost any fish or animal they can fit into their mouths. Juvenile halibut feed on small crustaceans and other bottom-dwelling organisms. Animals found in their stomachs include sand lance, octopus, crab, salmon, hermit crabs, lamprey, sculpin, cod, pollock, herring, and flounder, as well as other halibut. Halibut live at depths ranging from a few meters to hundreds of meters, and although they spend most of their time near the bottom, halibut may move up in the water column to feed. In most ecosystems, the halibut is near the top of the marine food chain. In the North Pacific, common predators are sea lions, killer whales, salmon sharks and humans.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut species vary in sex determination systems. The Atlantic Halibut went down a purely XX/XY route, with the male being heterogametic, around 0.9 to 3.8 million years ago. The sex determining gene for the Atlantic Halibut is likely to be gsdf on chromosome 13. The Pacific Halibut went down a ZZ/ZW route, with the female being heterogametic, around 4.5 million years ago. The master sex determining gene of the Pacific Halibut is located on chromosome 9 and it is likely to be "bmpr1ba." The gene "sox2" is likely to play the same role in the Greenland Halibut.


title: Halibut

text: The North Pacific commercial halibut fishery dates to the late 19th century and today is one of the region's largest and most lucrative. In Canadian and US waters, long-line fishing predominates, using chunks of octopus ("devilfish") or other bait on circle hooks attached at regular intervals to a weighted line that can extend for several miles across the bottom. The fishing vessel retrieves the line after several hours to a day. The effects of long-line gear on habitats are poorly understood, but could include disturbance of sediments, benthic structures, and other structures.


title: Halibut

text: International management is thought to be necessary, because the species occupies waters of the United States, Canada, Russia, and possibly Japan (where the species is known to the Japanese as "ohyo"), and matures slowly. Halibut do not reproduce until age eight, when about long, so commercial capture below this length prevents breeding and is against US and Canadian regulations supporting sustainability. Pacific halibut fishing is managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission.


title: Halibut

text: For most of the modern era, halibut fishery operated as a derby. Regulators declared time slots when fishing was open (typically 24–48 hours at a time) and fisherman raced to catch as many pounds as they could within that interval. This approach accommodated unlimited participation in the fishery while allowing regulators to control the quantity of fish caught annually by controlling the number and timing of openings. The approach led to unsafe fishing, as openings were necessarily set before the weather was known, forcing fisherman to leave port regardless of the weather. The approach limited fresh halibut to the markets to several weeks per year, when the gluts would push down the price received by fishermen.


title: Halibut

text: In 1995, US regulators allocated individual fishing quotas (IFQs) to existing fishery participants based on each vessel's documented historical catch. IFQs grant to holders a specific proportion of each year's total allowable catch (TAC). The fishing season is about eight months. The IFQ system improved both safety and product quality by providing a stable flow of fresh halibut to the marketplace. Critics of the program suggest, since holders can sell their quota and the fish are a public resource, the IFQ system gave a public resource to the private sector. The fisheries were managed through a treaty between the United States and Canada per recommendations of the International Pacific Halibut Commission, formed in 1923.


title: Halibut

text: A significant sport fishery in Alaska and British Columbia has emerged, where halibut are prized game and food fish. Sport fisherman use large rods and reels with line, and often bait with herring, large jigs, or whole salmon heads. Halibut are strong and fight strenuously when exposed to air. Smaller fish will usually be pulled on board with a gaff and may be clubbed or even punched in the head to prevent them from thrashing around on the deck. In both commercial and sport fisheries, standard procedure is to shoot or otherwise subdue very large halibut over before landing them.


title: Halibut

text: The Atlantic Halibut has been a major target of fishing since the 1840's with overfishing causing the depletion of the species in the Georges Bank in 1850, then all the way up to the Canadian Arctic in 1866. In the 1940's the American fishing industry collapsed but the Canadian fishing industry remained, until there was a decline in Canadian Halibut fishery in the 1970's and 1980's. This allowed the Halibut population to briefly rebound before collapsing in the 1990's. Since a low point in the early 2000's the population has rebounded once again and may be stabilizing, but the species is not nearly as abundant in most locations as it was in the early 1800's.


title: Halibut

text: Currently Atlantic Halibut is managed as two stocks in Canadian waters, which are the Atlantic Continental Shelf stock and the Gulf of St. Lawrence stock.  The Atlantic Halibut has two other stocks in the Northwest Atlantic, those being the Gulf of Maine-Georges Bank stock controlled by the United States and one controlled by France near the Saint-Pierre and Miquelon Archipelago. The Georges Bank stock is still considered to be depleted and it is listed as a species of concern in the United States. In the two main populations of Atlantic Halibut there are many subpopulations, but many have been lost due to patches of extreme overfishing and the populations remain depleted as a whole from what they were in the 1800s.


title: Halibut

text: The Pacific Halibut and Greenland Halibut have not had this level of fragmentation, and their population is far larger in the United States' waters, with North Pacific Halibut and groundfish fisheries extracting the largest volume of catch out of all United States fishery areas. Sometimes the California Halibut is mistaken for a subspecies, but they are not, and are not even a true Halibut species. In the North Atlantic, observation of migration indicates that there are only two major populations of Greenland Halibut that both stretch vast distances. Those populations being the Northeast one stretching from the Kara Sea to Greenland, and the Northwest one stretching from Newfoundland to Baffin Bay. These stocks had been previously thought to be four different populations, but migration has indicated that they are only two different populations, and that fishing has not fragmented them. New research also indicates that the Greenland halibut originally came from the Pacific Ocean and spread into the Arctic Basin when the Bering Strait opened for a second time around 3 million years ago, and thus the Pacific halibut is its closest living relative.


title: Halibut

text: In the Atlantic Halibut studies have shown that the Atlantic Continental Shelf stock and the Gulf of St. Lawrence stock have begun to differentiate genetically from each other due to low connectivity between populations, low rates of exchange, and subsequent adaptation to local environments. Some adaptations can show up as changes of life-history trait parameters, which can change on a faster time scale than evolution and cause behavioral segregation. This can occur even in areas with enough genetic mixing to prevent genetic divergence. One small but significant observed adaptation difference in the Atlantic Halibut has been that the fish in the warmer Scotian Shelf have a faster growth rate than the Halibut in the colder southern Grand Banks. The Pacific Halibut population remains largely genetically homologous throughout their range, but there is some variation of life-history traits on a geographic gradient. Despite its large range, the populations of Greenland Halibut remain largely homogenous due to a lack of barriers for gene flow between its four major populations. There are small differences between subpopulations due to differing environmental factors, such as salinity and temperature gradients, but not to the degree seen in Atlantic Halibut, as gene flow and migration continues throughout many different stocks.


title: Halibut

text: Raw Pacific or Atlantic halibut meat is 80% water and 19% protein, with negligible fat and no carbohydrates (table). In a reference amount, raw halibut contains rich content (20% of more of the Daily Value, DV) of protein, selenium (65% DV), phosphorus (34% DV), vitamin D (32% DV), and several B vitamins: niacin, vitamin B6, and vitamin B12 (42–46% DV).


title: Halibut

text: Cooked halibut meat – presumably through the resulting dehydration – has relatively increased protein content and reduced B vitamin content (per 100 grams), while magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium are rich in content.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut yield large fillets from both sides of the fish, with the small round cheeks providing an additional source of meat. Halibut are often boiled, deep-fried or grilled while fresh. Smoking is more difficult with halibut meat than it is with salmon, due to its ultra-low fat content. Eaten fresh, the meat has a clean taste and requires little seasoning. Halibut is noted for its dense and firm texture.


title: Halibut

text: Halibut have historically been an important food source to Alaska Natives and Canadian First Nations, and continue to be a key element to many coastal subsistence economies. Accommodating the competing interests of commercial, sport, and subsistence users is a challenge.


title: Halibut

text: As of 2008, the Atlantic population was so depleted through overfishing that it might be declared an endangered species. According to Seafood Watch, consumers should avoid Atlantic halibut. Most halibut eaten on the East Coast of the United States is from the Pacific.


title: Halibut

text: In 2012, sportfishermen in Cook Inlet reported increased instances of a condition known as "mushy halibut syndrome". The meat of affected fish has a "jelly-like" consistency. When cooked it does not flake in the normal manner of halibut but rather falls apart. The meat is still perfectly safe to eat but the appearance and consistency are considered unappetizing. The exact cause of the condition is unknown but may be related to a change in diet.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Bharat () is a 2019 Indian Hindi-language drama film written and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar. It is jointly produced by Atul Agnihotri, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Nikhil Namit and Salman Khan under the banners Reel Life Productions, Salman Khan Films and T-Series. The film stars Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover, and Jackie Shroff. Disha Patani makes a special appearance. Tabu makes a friendly appearance. A remake of the South Korean film "Ode to My Father" (2014), it traces India's post-independence history from the perspective of a common man, and follows his life from the age of 8 to 70.


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat" was theatrically released in India on 5 June 2019, on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr. It received generally positive reviews from critics, who appreciated the performances of the cast, story and screenplay, criticizing the second half.


title: Bharat (film)

text: It was one of the highest grossing films of 2019. It grossed 325.58 crore in its lifetime theatrical run, becoming a commercial success and the 37th highest grossing Indian film of all time.


title: Bharat (film)

text: In 2010, Bharat Kumar, a shopkeeper in Delhi refuses to part with his store despite lucrative offers. On his 70th birthday, he tells his past to his grandniece, and the film goes into flashback.


title: Bharat (film)

text: When Bharat was just 7, his parents and siblings board a train to India with many refugees for safety from Pakistan's terrible riots. Bharat loses his baby sister "Gudia" in the chaos. Their father, Gautam, stays there to search for Gudia, after Bharat promises to care for the family. He moves to the imported goods store of Gautam's sister Jamuna and her husband Keemat Rai Kapoor, and meets a roadside circus worker, Radha. They two fall in love, and join The Great Russian Circus.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Bharat has attained a lot of fame in the years he spent at circus. His brother Chote suffers an accident while trying to emulate him. Bharat bids a tearful goodbye to Radha. He and his friend, Vilayti, look for jobs when the country is shocked due to Nehru's death.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Bharat joins Indian migrants prompted by oil discovery in Saudi Arabia to earn money for his sister Mehek's marriage. There he falls in love with his chief engineer Kumud, who asks him for marriage. Bharat refuses, thinking it would come in his way of fulfilling Gautam's promise. Back in India, Kumud announces her love for him. They begin a live-in relationship.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Jamuna dies; Bharat starts working as a stationmaster. During 1983 Cricket World Cup, Keemat plans to sell the store in need of money, but later offers Bharat to buy it, as the latter refuses to sell it to anyone and still hopes Gautam will come back. With Vilayti, Bharat leaves India as a sailor for 8 months and earns money to buy the store.


title: Bharat (film)

text: After economic liberalization in India and globalization, Kumud becomes the creative director of newly formed Zee TV and runs a program to unite the relatives separated during the partition. Due to this Bharat converses with Meher, a London citizen adopted by a British family during the partition, and realizes she is Gudia, who returns to India. An emotional reunion ensues. Janki dies; Bharat hopes to find Gautam also.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Bharat decides to sell the store, which he stubbornly refused to do despite losses. Before reaching the train, Gautam promised he will unite with him at store, explaining why Bharat held on to the store for so long. He realizes Gautam is probably too old to survive still. He sees a vision of him, assuring Bharat kept his promise and asking him to move on. Tearful, he finally marries Kumud and moving on.


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat" is a remake of the South Korean film "Ode to My Father" (2014), which traces the history of South Korea parallel to a man's life, spanning from the 1950s to the 2010s.


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat" began principal photography in mid-April 2018, and was shot in Abu Dhabi, Spain, Malta, Punjab, Delhi and elsewhere. Priyanka Chopra, who was cast as one of the leading ladies, opted out of the film days before filming her scenes. Nikhil Namit, CEO of Reel Life Productions, said that Priyanka quit due to her engagement to Nick Jonas. She was replaced by Katrina Kaif. Kaif shared the news on her Instagram account that filming was wrapped up on 5 March 2019. The climax was shot in Film City.


title: Bharat (film)

text: The songs featured in the film were composed by Vishal–Shekhar, lyrics written by Irshad Kamil, with music arranger & producer Meghdeep Bose. Zafar wrote and composed the song "Zinda" with Julius Packiam. It is released under the banner T-Series. Devarsi Ghosh of "Scroll.in" positively summarised the soundtrack review as 'near-perfect.' Firstpost praised the song "Chashni" as "soul-stirringly beautiful." "Chashni" song was originally sung by Atif Aslam but was replaced.


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat" was released on 5 June 2019 on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, worldwide on 6000 screens including 4700 screens in India. The film was made available for video on demand on Amazon Prime Video in August 2019.


title: Bharat (film)

text: , the film holds approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews with an average rating of . "Bharat" received positive reviews from critics on release.


title: Bharat (film)

text: Renuka Vyavahare of "The Times of India" gave the film three and a half stars out of five, calling it "an exhausting, scattered watch despite the entertainment, humour and nobility it propagates". She concluded, ""Bharat" is well-intentioned, entertaining and doesn’t succumb to the trappings of commercial potboilers". Priyanka Sinha Jha of News18, praising Khan for his performance rates the film with three stars out of five, and feels that the script is a bit lengthy and required 'sharper' editing. In the end, She says, "For all its virtues, Bharat falls short of becoming a tour de force, but it could turn into a crowd-puller."


title: Bharat (film)

text: Trade analyst and critic Taran Adarsh concurs with Jha on script trimming and gives four stars out of five. Declaring it "smash-hit", he praises Ali for direction, Kaif, and Khan for performance. He feels that the film is an emotional journey that wins the viewers over. Manjusha Radhakrishnan of the "Gulf News", also says that it would have benefited from trimming so finds the film 'dull', that is likely to test the patience of the audience. And, she gives it two stars out of five. Ananya Bhattacharya writing for "India Today" praised acting of Kaif and Khan but feels that the main attraction is Sunil Grover. She also rates it with three stars out of five and concludes that Salman has given his fans 'an out-and-out entertainer'. Rajeev Masand writing for News18, finds the film "unmistakably boring" and "excruciatingly long". He rates the film with two stars out of five. Anna M. M. Vetticad of "Firstpost" finds the film laden with weak 'humor' and 'lackluster' songs. Rating it with two stars out of five, Vetticad concludes, "Far from being a Forrest Gump with Salman Khan, Bharat is mostly a plodding trek through post-1947 to contemporary India." Jyoti Sharma Bawa of the "Hindustan Times" finds it 'an emotional Eid winner' and rates it with three stars out of five. Shubhra Gupta of "The Indian Express" gave two and a half stars out of five and opines, "The good thing about the film, despite its eye-roll moments, is its attempt to create an ‘ordinary’ man without any particular skills.". Anupama Chopra of Film Companion, "Madam Sir, a woman with courage and conviction, is the most memorable character in Bharat. I’d love to see contemporary history told from her perspective. This version has sweep and swagger but not enough soul."


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat"s opening day domestic collection was 42.30 crore. This is the highest opening day collection for Salman Khan. On the second day it's screenings dipped in multiplexes, yet remained strong in single-screen theatres and earned 31 crore – raising the total to Rs 78.87 crore. , with a gross of 251.27 crore in India and 74.31 crore overseas, the film has a worldwide gross collection of 325.58 crore.


title: Bharat (film)

text: "Bharat" is the fifth highest grossing Bollywood film of 2019. Based on domestic net collection the film is among top twenty in the list of Hindi films with highest domestic net collection.


title: Toni Storm

text: Toni Rossall (born 19 October 1995), better known by the ring name Toni Storm, is a New Zealand-Australian professional wrestler. She is currently signed to AEW, where she is a former AEW Women's World Champion. She previously worked for WWE, where she was a former NXT UK Women's Champion.


title: Toni Storm

text: Storm first gained attention in WWE from her 2017 and 2018 performances in the Mae Young Classic tournament. She progressed to the tournament's semi-finals in 2017, and won it in 2018 at Evolution, WWE's first all-female PPV. She then performed on the NXT UK, NXT, and SmackDown brands before her release in 2021. Beyond WWE, she has performed in Japanese promotion Stardom, where she became the first non-Japanese wrestler to hold the World of Stardom Championship. She also held Stardom's SWA World Championship for a record-setting reign of 612 days. In the British promotion Progress Wrestling, she held the Progress Women's Championship. In the German promotion wXw, she held the wXw Women's Championship twice.


title: Toni Storm

text: Toni Rossall was born in Auckland on 19 October 1995, and moved to Australia's Gold Coast with her mother at the age of four when her parents separated. At the age of 10, while living on the Gold Coast, she discovered WWE on television and developed an interest in professional wrestling.


title: Toni Storm

text: Rossall began training at the Australian affiliate of New Zealand promotion Impact Pro Wrestling (not to be confused with the American promotion Impact Wrestling) and debuted for the company under the ring name Storm (which she later changed to Toni Storm) on 9 October 2009, when she was 13 years old. At the age of 18, after five years of honing her skills with Impact, she decided she wanted to receive further training to become a better wrestler; she convinced her mother to let her move to England and live with her grandmother, who was based in Liverpool. While in England, she trained under Dean Allmark. She started working internationally in countries such as Finland, France, Germany, and Spain. Storm took part in a WWE tryout camp in Melbourne during WWE's 2014 Australian tour, and attended another tryout camp in Manchester during WWE's 2015 UK tour.


title: Toni Storm

text: Storm made her debut for Progress Wrestling on 14 April 2015, being defeated by Elizabeth. In May 2017, she became the first-ever Progress Women's Champion after defeating Jinny and Laura Di Matteo in a three-way match. This match marked the first time that female wrestlers competed in the main event of a Progress event. Throughout the year, Storm went on to successfully defend the championship numerous times against challengers like Kay Lee Ray, Laura Di Matteo and Candice LeRae. She lost the title to Jinny at Chapter 69: Be Here Now.


title: Toni Storm

text: In 2016, Storm began working for the Japanese promotion Stardom, where she won the SWA World Championship on 24 July. On 2 October 2016, Stardom officially announced that Storm had signed with the promotion. After winning the 2017 Cinderella Tournament on 30 April, Storm also won the 2017 5★Star GP on 18 September, becoming the first wrestler to win the two tournaments in the same year. On 24 September, Storm became the new World of Stardom Champion in an unplanned finish, when Mayu Iwatani was legitimately injured during a title defense against her, prompting the referee to stop the match and award Storm the title. On 9 June 2018, Kagetsu defeated Storm in a title match, ending her reign at 258 days.


title: Toni Storm

text: On 16 June 2017, WWE announced Storm as one of the first four participants of the Mae Young Classic. Storm entered the tournament on 13 July, defeating Ayesha Raymond in the first round. The following day, Storm defeated Lacey Evans in the second round and Piper Niven in the quarterfinals, before being eliminated from the tournament in the semi-finals by Kairi Sane. On 9 May 2018, Storm was advertised for the upcoming United Kingdom Championship Tournament. On 24 May, Storm signed a WWE contract. On 18 June at the United Kingdom Championship Tournament, Storm defeated Killer Kelly and Isla Dawn in a triple threat match to become the #1 contender for the NXT Women's Championship. The following day at the NXT U.K. Championship, Storm was defeated by the defending NXT Women's Champion Shayna Baszler. Months later, she participated in the second Mae Young Classic, a tournament she won when she defeated Io Shirai at WWE Evolution.


title: Toni Storm

text: She also participated in a tournament to crown the inaugural NXT UK Women's Champion, but she lost against Rhea Ripley. In a rematch on 12 January 2019 at , Storm defeated Ripley to win the title. She reigned as champion until 31 August 2019 at , where Storm lost her title to Kay Lee Ray, ending her reign at 230 days.


title: Toni Storm

text: On 24 November 2019 on the post-show Q&A session with Triple H, Storm was announced to be a part of the NXT Women's Survivor Series team by team captain Rhea Ripley. At Survivor Series, Storm was eliminated via submission by Natalya and Sasha Banks. At , Storm competed unsuccessfully in a triple threat match for the NXT UK Women's Championship against Kay Lee Ray and Piper Niven. Storm participated in the women's Royal Rumble match at the namesake pay-per-view and entered at #20 but was eliminated by Shayna Baszler. Storm wrestled her last match in the brand on 27 February 2020 episode of "NXT UK", losing to Kay Lee Ray in an "I quit" match.


title: Toni Storm

text: After a 8-month hiatus, on 4 October 2020 at TakeOver 31, Storm returned to NXT following the NXT Women's Championship match between Io Shirai and Candice LeRae. She then joined Candice LeRae's team with Dakota Kai, and Raquel González for . At Royal Rumble, she entered as #7 and was eliminated by Rhea Ripley. She then competed in a triple threat match for the NXT Women's Championship involving Mercedes Martinez and reigning champion Io Shirai at in a losing effort. On 10 March 2021 episode of "NXT", Storm challenged Shirai for the title, where she was again unsuccessful.


title: Toni Storm

text: Storm debuted on "SmackDown" on 23 July episode, defeating Zelina Vega. She was then defeated by Vega during the Queen's Crown tournament in the first round. She participated in the 5 on 5 Survivor Series elimination match at Survivor Series; eliminating both Carmella and Vega but was then eliminated by Liv Morgan. Storm then began a program with SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair with Storm winning their first bout via disqualification. She then received her title opportunity on the Christmas Eve edition of "SmackDown" in a losing effort. This was her last televised appearance in WWE; the following week, on 29 December 2021, Storm requested a release from her WWE contract and it was immediately granted. In an interview with Renee Paquette six months later, she explained the reasons that led to her departure from the company and said, "I didn't feel that appreciated. And I just felt like [WWE], at times, didn't have very much respect for me. I feel like, over time, they just crushed my love for wrestling. It just wasn't even wrestling anymore. You're not even allowed to say 'wrestling'."


title: Toni Storm

text: Storm made her AEW debut on 30 March 2022 episode of "Dynamite" as a participant in the qualifier match for the Owen Hart Foundation Women's Tournament, defeating The Bunny. AEW then announced Storm signed with the company. Storm defeated Jamie Hayter in the quarterfinals of the tournament, and she was defeated by Britt Baker in the semi-finals. On Road Rager special episode of "Dynamite", Storm defeated Baker in a rematch to challenge AEW Women's Champion Thunder Rosa for the title at in a losing effort. At All Out, Storm defeated Baker, Hayter, and Hikaru Shida in a four-way match to become AEW Interim Women's World Champion. She then defended her title against Athena, Baker, and Serena Deeb at Grand Slam. She lost her championship in a title match against Hayter at Full Gear.


title: Toni Storm

text: In June 2020, it was revealed that Rossall was dating American wrestler Juice Robinson. They were married in 2022.


title: Toni Storm

text: On 22 June 2021, Rossall came out as bisexual during her takeover of the WWE NXT Instagram account for Pride Month.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya (; ) is a city situated on the banks of holy river Saryu in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Faizabad district as well as the Faizabad division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya city is administered by the Ayodhya Municipal Corporation, the governing civic body of the city.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya was historically known as Saketa. The early Buddhist and Jain canonical texts mention that the religious leaders Gautama Buddha and Mahavira visited and lived in the city. The Jain texts also describe it as the birthplace of five tirthankaras namely, Rishabhanatha, Ajitanatha, Abhinandananatha, Sumatinath and Anantnath, and associate it with the legendary Bharata Chakravarti. From the Gupta period onwards, several sources mention Ayodhya and Saketa as the name of the same city.


title: Ayodhya

text: The legendary city of Ayodhya, popularly identified as the present-day Ayodhya, is the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama of Kosala Kingdom and setting of the great epic Ramayana. Owing to the belief as the birthplace of Rama, Ayodhya (Awadhpuri) has been regarded as first one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites (Mokshdayini Sapt Puris) for Hindus. Owing to the belief as the birthplace of Ram, Ayodhya has been regarded as one of the seven most important pilgrimage sites for Hindus. It is believed that a temple stood at the supposed birth spot of Rama, which was demolished by the orders of the Mughal emperor Babur and a mosque erected in its place. In 1992, the dispute over the spot led to the demolition of the mosque by Hindu mobs, who aimed to rebuild a grand temple of Rama at the site. A five-judge full bench of the Supreme Court heard the title cases from August to October 2019 and ruled that the land belonged to the government per tax records, and ordered it to be handed over to a trust to build a Hindu temple. It also ordered the government to give an alternative of land to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board to build a mosque in lieu of the demolished Babri mosque. The construction of Ram Mandir commenced in August 2020.


title: Ayodhya

text: The word "Ayodhya" is a regularly formed derivation of the Sanskrit verb "yudh", "to fight, to wage war". "Yodhya" is the future passive participle, meaning "to be fought"; the initial "a" is the negative prefix; the whole, therefore, means "not to be fought" or, more idiomatically in English, "invincible". This meaning is attested by the "Atharvaveda", which uses it to refer to the unconquerable city of gods. The ninth century Jain poem "Adi Purana" also states that Ayodhya "does not exist by name alone but by the merit" of being unconquerable by enemies. "Satyopakhyana" interprets the word slightly differently, stating that it means "that which cannot be conquered by sins" (instead of enemies).


title: Ayodhya

text: "Saketa" is the older name for the city, attested in Sanskrit, Jain, Buddhist, Greek and Chinese sources. According to Vaman Shivram Apte, the word "Saketa" is derived from the Sanskrit words "Saha" (with) and "Aketen" (houses or buildings). The "Adi Purana" states that Ayodhya is called Saketa "because of its magnificent buildings which had significant banners as their arms". According to Hans T. Bakker, the word may be derived from the roots "sa" and "ketu" ("with banner"); the variant name "saketu" is attested in the "Vishnu Purana".


title: Ayodhya

text: The older name in English was "Oudh" or "Oude", and the princely state it was the capital of until 1856 is still known as Oudh State.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya was stated to be the capital of the ancient Kosala kingdom in the "Ramayana". Hence it was also referred to as "Kosala". The "Adi Purana" states that Ayodhya is famous as "su-kośala" "because of its prosperity and good skill".


title: Ayodhya

text: Ancient Hindu Sanskrit-language epics, such as the "Ramayana" and the "Mahabharata" mention a legendary city called Ayodhya, which was the capital of the legendary Ikshvaku kings of Kosala, including Rama. Neither these texts, nor the earlier Sanskrit texts such as the Vedas, mention a city called Saketa. Non-religious, non-legendary ancient Sanskrit texts, such as Panini's "Ashtadhyayi" and Patanjali's commentary on it, do mention Saketa. The later Buddhist text "Mahavastu" describes Saketa as the seat of the Ikshvaku king Sujata, whose descendants established the Shakya capital Kapilavastu.


title: Ayodhya

text: The earliest of the Buddhist Pali-language texts and the Jain Prakrit-language texts mention a city called Saketa (Sageya or Saeya in Prakrit) as an important city of the Kosala mahajanapada. Topographical indications in both Buddhist and Jain texts suggest that Saketa is the same as the present-day Ayodhya. For example, according to the "Samyutta Nikaya" and the "Vinaya Pitaka", Saketa was located at a distance of six "yojana"s from Shravasti. The "Vinaya Pitaka" mentions that a big river was located between the two cities, and the "Sutta Nipata" mentions Saketa as the first halting place on the southward road from Shravasti to Pratishthana.


title: Ayodhya

text: Fourth century onwards, multiple texts, including Kalidasa's "Raghuvamsha", mention Ayodhya as another name for Saketa. The later Jain canonical text "Jambudvipa-Pannati" describes a city called Viniya (or Vinita) as the birthplace of Lord Rishabhanatha, and associates this city with Bharata Chakravartin; the "Kalpa-Sutra" describes Ikkhagabhumi as the birthplace of Rishabhadev. The index on the Jain text "Paumachariya" clarifies that Aojjha (Aodhya), Kosala-puri ("Kosala city"), Viniya, and Saeya (Saketa) are synonyms. The post-Canonical Jain texts also mention "Aojjha"; for example, the "Avassagacurni" describes it as the principal city of Kosala, while the "Avassaganijjutti" names it as the capital of Sagara Chakravartin. The "Avassaganijjutti" implies that Viniya ("Vinia"), Kosalapuri ("Kosalapura"), and Ikkhagabhumi were distinct cities, naming them as the capitals of Abhinamdana, Sumai, and Usabha respectively. Abhayadeva's commentary on the "Thana Sutta", another post-canonical text, identifies Saketa, Ayodhya, and Vinita as one city.


title: Ayodhya

text: According to one theory, the legendary Ayodhya city is the same as the historical city of Saketa and the present-day Ayodhya. According to another theory, the legendary Ayodhya is a mythical city, and the name "Ayodhya" came to be used for the Saketa (present-day Ayodhya) only around the fourth century, when a Gupta emperor (probably Skandagupta) moved his capital to Saketa, and renamed it to Ayodhya after the legendary city. Alternative, but less likely, theories state that Saketa and Ayodhya were two adjoining cities, or that Ayodhya was a locality within the Saketa city.


title: Ayodhya

text: Archaeological and literary evidence suggests that the site of present-day Ayodhya had developed into an urban settlement by the fifth or sixth-century BC. The site is identified as the location of the ancient Saketa city, which probably emerged as a marketplace located at the junction of the two important roads, the Shravasti-Pratishthana north–south road, and the Rajagriha-Varanasi-Shravasti-Taxila east–west road. Ancient Buddhist texts, such as "Samyutta Nikaya", state that Saketa was located in the Kosala kingdom ruled by Prasenajit (or Pasenadi; c. sixth–5th century BC), whose capital was located at Shravasti. The later Buddhist commentary "Dhammapada-atthakatha" states that the Saketa town was established by merchant Dhananjaya (the father of Visakha), on the suggestion of king Prasenajit. The "Digha Nikaya" describes it as one of the six large cities of India. The early Buddhist canonical texts mention Shravasti as the capital of Kosala, but the later texts, such as the Jain texts "Nayadhammakahao" and "Pannavana Suttam", and the Buddhist Jatakas, mention Saketa as the capital of Kosala.


title: Ayodhya

text: As a busy town frequented by travellers, it appears to have become important for preachers such as Gautama Buddha and Mahavira. The "Samyutta Nikaya" and "Anguttara Nikaya" mention that Buddha resided at Saketa at times. The early Jain canonical texts (such as "Antagada-dasao", "Anuttarovavaiya-dasao", and "Vivagasuya") state that Mahavira visited Saketa; "Nayadhammakahao" states that Parshvanatha also visited Saketa. The Jain texts, both canonical and post-canonical, describe Ayodhya as the location of various shrines, such as those of snake, yaksha Pasamiya, Muni Suvratasvamin, and Surappia.


title: Ayodhya

text: It is not clear what happened to Saketa after Kosala was conquered by the Magadha emperor Ajatashatru around fifth century BC. There is lack of historical sources about the city's situation for the next few centuries: it is possible that the city remained a commercial centre of secondary importance, but did not grow into a political centre of Magadha, whose capital was located at Pataliputra. Several Buddhist buildings may have been constructed in the town during the rule of the Maurya emperor Ashoka in the third century BC: these buildings were probably located on the present-day man-made mounds in Ayodhya. Excavations at Ayodhya have resulted in the discovery of a large brick wall, identified as a fortification wall by archaeologist B. B. Lal. This wall probably erected in the last quarter of the third-century BC.


title: Ayodhya

text: After the decline of the Maurya empire, Saketa appears to have come under the rule of Pushyamitra Shunga. The first century BC inscription of Dhanadeva suggests that he appointed a governor there. The "Yuga Purana" mentions Saketa as the residence of a governor, and describes it as being attacked by a combined force of Greeks, Mathuras, and Panchalas. Patanjali's commentary on Panini also refers to the Greek siege of Saketa.


title: Ayodhya

text: Later, Saketa appears to have become part of a small, independent kingdom. The "Yuga Purana" states that Saketa was ruled by seven powerful kings after the retreat of the Greeks. The "Vayu Purana" and the "Brahmanda Purana" also state that seven powerful kings ruled in the capital of Kosala. The historicity of these kings is attested by the discovery of the coins of the Deva dynasty kings, including Dhanadeva, whose inscription describes him as the king of Kosala ("Kosaladhipati"). As the capital of Kosala, Saketa probably eclipsed Shravasti in importance during this period. The east–west route connecting Pataliputra to Taxila, which earlier passed through Saketa and Shravasti, appears to have shifted southwards during this period, now passing through Saketa, Ahichhatra and Kanyakubja.


title: Ayodhya

text: After the Deva kings, Saketa appears to have been ruled by the Datta, Kushan, and Mitra kings, although the chronological order of their rule is uncertain. Bakker theorises that the Dattas succeeded the Deva kings in the mid-1st century AD, and their kingdom was annexed to the Kushan Empire by Kanishka. The Tibetan text "Annals of Li Country" (c. 11th century) mentions that an alliance of king Vijayakirti of Khotan, king Kanika, the king of Gu-zan, and the king of Li, marched to India and captured the So-ked city. During this invasion, Vijayakirti took several Buddhist relics from Saketa, and placed them in the stupa of Phru-no. If Kanika is identified as Kanishka, and So-ked as Saketa, it appears that the invasion of Kushans and their allies led to the destruction of the Buddhist sites at Saketa.


title: Ayodhya

text: Nevertheless, Saketa appears to have remained a prosperous town during the Kushan rule. The second century geographer Ptolemy mentions a metropolis "Sageda" or "Sagoda", which has been identified with Saketa. The earliest inscription that mentions Saketa as a place name is dated to the late Kushan period: it was found on the pedestal of a Buddha image in Shravasti, and records the gift of the image by Sihadeva of Saketa. Before or after the Kushans, Saketa appears to have been ruled by a dynasty of kings whose names end in "-mitra", and whose coins have been found at Ayodhya. They may have been members of a local dynasty that was distinct from the Mitra dynasty of Mathura. These kings are attested only by their coinage: Sangha-mitra, Vijaya-mitra, Satya-mitra, Deva-mitra, and Arya-mitra; coins of Kumuda-sena and Aja-varman have also been discovered.


title: Ayodhya

text: Around the fourth century, the region came under the control of the Guptas, who revived Brahmanism. The "Vayu Purana" and the "Brahmanda Purana" attest that the early Gupta kings ruled Saketa. No Gupta-era archaeological layers have been discovered in present-day Ayodhya, although a large number of Gupta coins have been discovered here. It is possible that during the Gupta period, the habitations in the city were located in the areas that have not yet been excavated. The Buddhist sites that had suffered destruction during the Khotanese-Kushan invasion appear to have remained deserted. The fifth-century Chinese traveller Faxian states that the ruins of Buddhist buildings existed at "Sha-chi" during his time. One theory identifies Sha-chi with Saketa, although this identification is not undisputed. If Sha-chi is indeed Saketa, it appears that by the fifth century, the town no longer had a flourshing Buddhist community or any important Buddhist building that was still in use.


title: Ayodhya

text: An important development during the Gupta time was the recognition of Saketa as the legendary city of Ayodhya, the capital of the Ikshvaku dynasty. The 436 AD Karamdanda (Karmdand) inscription, issued during the reign of Kumaragupta I, names Ayodhya as the capital of the Kosala province, and records commander Prithvisena's offerings to Brahmins from Ayodhya. Later, the capital of the Gupta Empire was moved from Pataliputra to Ayodhya. Paramartha states that king Vikramaditya moved the royal court to Ayodhya; Xuanzang also corroborates this, stating that this king moved the court to the "country of Shravasti", that is, Kosala. A local oral tradition of Ayodhya, first recorded in writing by Robert Montgomery Martin in 1838, mentions that the city was deserted after the death of Rama's descendant Brihadbala. The city remain deserted until King Vikrama of Ujjain came searching for it, and re-established it. He cut down the forests that had covered the ancient ruins, erected the Ramgar fort, and built 360 temples.


title: Ayodhya

text: Vikramditya was a title of multiple Gupta kings, and the king who moved the capital to Ayodhya is identified as Skandagupta. Bakker theorises that the move to Ayodhya may have been prompted by a flooding of the river Ganges at Pataliputra, the need to check the Huna advance from the west, and Skandagupta's desire to compare himself with Rama (whose Ikshvaku dynasty is associated with the legendary Ayodhya). According to Paramaratha's "Life of Vasubandhu", Vikramaditya was a patron of scholars, and awarded 300,000 pieces of gold to Vasubandhu. The text states that Vasubandhu was a native of Saketa ("Sha-ki-ta"), and describes Vikramaditya as the king of Ayodhya ("A-yu-ja"). This wealth was used to build three monasteries in the country of A-yu-ja (Ayodhya). Paramartha further states that the later king Baladitya (identified with Narasimhagupta) and his mother also awarded large sums of gold to Vasubandhu, and these funds were used to build another Buddhist temple at Ayodhya. These structures may have been seen by the seventh century Chinese traveller Xuanzang, who describes a stupa and a monastery at Ayodhya ("O-yu-t-o").


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya probably suffered when the Hunas led by Mihirakula invaded the Gupta empire in the sixth century. After the fall of the Guptas, it may have been ruled by the Maukhari dynasty, whose coins have been found in the nearby areas. It was not devastated, as Xuanzang describes it as a flourishing town and a Buddhist centre. However, it had lost its position as an important political centre to Kanyakubja (Kannauj). At the time of Xuanzang's visit, it was a part of Harsha's empire, and was probably the seat of a vassal or an administrative officer. Xuanzang states that the city measured about 0.6 km (20 li) in circumference. Another seventh-century source, "Kāśikāvṛttī", mentions that the town was surrounded by a moat similar to that around Pataliputra.


title: Ayodhya

text: After the fall of Harsha's empire, Ayodhya appears to have been variously controlled by local kings and the rulers of Kannauj, including Yashovarman and the Gurjara-Pratiharas. The town is not mentioned in any surviving texts or inscriptions composed during 650–1050 AD, although it may be identified with the "city of Harishchandra" mentioned in the eighth-century poem "Gaudavaho". Archaeological evidence (including images to Vishnu, Jain tirthankaras, Ganesha, the seven Matrikas, and a Buddhist stupa) suggests that the religious activity in the area continued during this period.


title: Ayodhya

text: According to Indologist Hans T. Bakker, the only religious significance of Ayodhya in the first millennium AD was related to the "Gopratara" tirtha (now called Guptar Ghat), where Rama and his followers are said to have ascended to heaven by entering the waters of Sarayu.


title: Ayodhya

text: In the 11th century, the Gahadavala dynasty came to power in the region, and promoted Vaishnavism. They built several Vishnu temples in Ayodhya, five of which survived till the end of Aurangzeb's reign. Hans Bakker concludes that there might have been a temple at the supposed birth spot of Rama built by the Gahadavalas (see Vishnu Hari inscription). In subsequent years, the cult of Rama developed within Vaishnavism, with Rama being regarded as the foremost avatar of Vishnu. Consequently, Ayodhya's importance as a pilgrimage centre grew.


title: Ayodhya

text: In 1226 AD, Ayodhya became the capital of the province of Awadh (or "Oudh") within the Delhi sultanate. Muslim historians state that the area was little more than wilderness prior to this. Pilgrimage was tolerated, but the tax on pilgrims ensured that the temples did not receive much income.


title: Ayodhya

text: Under Mughal rule, the Babri mosque was constructed in Ayodhya. The city was the capital of the province of Awadh (mispronounced as "Oudh" by the British), which is also believed to be a variant of the name "Ayodhya".


title: Ayodhya

text: After the death of Aurangzeb in 1707 AD, the central Muslim rule weakened, and Awadh became virtually independent, with Ayodhya as its capital. However, the rulers became increasingly dependent on the local Hindu nobles, and control over the temples and pilgrimage centres was relaxed.


title: Ayodhya

text: In the 1850s, a group of Hindus attacked the Babri mosque, on the grounds that it was built over the birthplace of the Hindu deity Rama. To prevent further disputes, the British administrators divided the mosque premises between Hindus and Muslims.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya was annexed in 1856 by the British rulers. The rulers of Awadh were Shia, and the Sunni groups had already protested against the permissive attitude of the former government. The British intervened and crushed the Sunni resistance. In 1857, the British annexed Oudh (Awadh) and subsequently reorganised it into the United Provinces of Agra and Oudh.


title: Ayodhya

text: A movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishva Hindu Parishad party to reclaim the Babri mosque site for a Rama temple. In 1992, a right wing Hindu nationalist rally turned into a riot, leading to the demolition of the Babri mosque. A makeshift temple at Ram Janmabhoomi for "Ram Lalla", infant Rama was constructed. Under the Indian government orders, no one was permitted near the site within 200 yards, and the gate was locked to the outside. Hindu pilgrims, however, began entering through a side door to offer worship.


title: Ayodhya

text: In 2003, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out an excavation at the mosque site to determine if it was built over the ruins of a temple. The excavation uncovered pillar bases indicating a temple had been in existence under the mosque. Besides Hindus, the Buddhist and Jain representatives claimed that their temples existed at the excavated site.


title: Ayodhya

text: On 5 July 2005, five terrorists attacked the site of the makeshift Ramlalla temple in Ayodhya. All five were killed in the ensuing gunfight with security forces, and one civilian died in the bomb blast triggered as they attempted to breach the cordon wall.


title: Ayodhya

text: On 30 September 2010, the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court ruled that one-third of the disputed land should be given to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board, one-third to the Nirmohi Akhara and one-third to the Hindu party for the shrine of "Ram Lalla" (infant Rama). The court further ruled that the area where the idols of Ram are present be given to Hindus in the final decree, while the rest of the land shall be divided equally by metes and bounds among the three parties. The judgment, along with evidences provided by the Archaeological Survey of India, upheld that the Babri Masjid was built after demolishing the Hindu temple, which is the birthplace of Rama, and that the mosque was not constructed according to the principles of Islam. The final verdict by the Supreme Court on the case ruled the disputed land in the favour of Hindus for the construction of Ram Mandir and ordered an alternative piece of land be given to the Muslim community for the construction of a mosque.


title: Ayodhya

text: In a judgement pronounced by a 5 judge bench of the Supreme Court of India on 9 November 2019, the land was handed over to the government to form a trust for the construction of a temple. The court instructed the government to also allot a plot of in Ayodhya to the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board to construct a mosque/Masjid.


title: Ayodhya

text: Some South Koreans have identified the "Ayuta" mentioned in their ancient Samgungnyusa legend with Ayodhya. According to this legend, the ancient Korean princess Heo Hwang-ok came from Ayuta. In the 2000s, the local government of Ayodhya and South Korea acknowledged the connection and held a ceremony to raise a statue of the princess.


title: Ayodhya

text: On 5 August 2020, the prime minister of India, Narendra Modi, laid the ceremonial foundation stone for a new temple at what is believed to be the birthplace of the god, Ram. It is planned to build a new township, Navya Ayodhya, on a site next to the Faizabad-Gorakhpur highway, which will have luxury hotels and apartment complexes.


title: Ayodhya

text: As of the 2011 Census of India, Ayodhya had a population of 55,890. Males constituted 56.7% of the population and females 43.3%. Ayodhya had an average literacy rate of 78.1%. As per the religion data of 2011 Census, the majority population is of Hindu religion with 93.23%, and Muslims comes the second with 6.19%.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya has a humid subtropical climate, typical of central India. Summers are long, dry and hot, lasting from late March to mid-June, with average daily temperatures near . They are followed by the monsoon season which lasts till October, with annual precipitation of approximately and average temperatures around . Winter starts in early November and lasts till the end of January, followed by a short spring in February and early March. Average temperatures are mild, near , but nights can be colder.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya is an important place of pilgrimage for the Hindus. A verse in the "Brahmanda Purana" names Ayodhya among "the most sacred and foremost cities", the others being Mathura, Haridvara, Kashi, Kanchi and Avantika. This verse is also found in the other Puranas with slight variations. In Garuda Purana, Ayodhya is said to be one of seven holiest places for Hindus in India, with Varanasi being the most sacrosanct.


title: Ayodhya

text: Hanuman Garhi, a massive four-sided fort with circular bastions at each corner and a temple of Hanuman inside, is the most popular shrine in Ayodhya. Situated in the center of town, it is approachable by a flight of 76 steps. Its legend is that Hanuman lived here in a cave and guarded the Janambhoomi, or Ramkot. The main temple contains the statue of Maa Anjani with Bal Hanuman seated on her lap. The faithful believe wishes are granted with a visit to the shrine. Kanak Bhawan is a temple said to have been given to Sita and Rama by Rama's stepmother Kaikeyi as a wedding gift, and only contains statues of Sita with her husband.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ramkot is the main place of worship in Ayodhya, and the site of the ancient citadel of its namesake, standing on elevated ground in the western city. Although visited by pilgrims throughout the year, it attracts devotees from all over the world on "Ram Navami", the day of the birth of Rama. Ram Navami is celebrated with great pomp in the Hindu month of Chaitra, which falls between March and April. Swarg Dwar is believed to be the site of cremation of Rama. Mani Parbat and Sugriv Parbat are ancient earth mounds, the first identified by a stupa built by the emperor Ashoka, and the second is an ancient monastery. Treta ke Thakur is a temple standing at the site of the Ashvamedha Yajnya of Rama. Three centuries prior, the Raja of Kulu built a new temple here, which was improved by Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore in 1784, the same time the adjacent Ghats were built. The initial idols in black sandstone were recovered from Sarayu and placed in the new temple, which was known as Kaleram-ka-Mandir. Chhoti Devkali Mandir is the temple of goddess Ishani, or Durga, Kuldevi of Sita.


title: Ayodhya

text: The temple of Nageshwarnath was established by Kush, son of Rama. Legend has it that Kush lost his armlet while bathing in the Sarayu, and it was retrieved by a Nag-Kanya who fell in love with him. As she was a devotee of Shiva, Kush built her this temple. It was the only temple to survive when Ayodhya was abandoned until the time of Vikramaditya. While the rest of city was in ruin and covered by dense forest, this temple allowed Vikramaditya to recognise the city. The festival of Shivratri is celebrated here with great splendor.


title: Ayodhya

text: The legendary princess Heo Hwang-ok, who married king Suro of Geumgwan Gaya of Korea, is believed by some to be a native of Ayodhya. In 2001, a Memorial of Heo Hwang-ok was inaugurated by a Korean delegation, which included over a hundred historians and government representatives. In 2016, a Korean delegation proposed to develop the memorial. The proposal was accepted by the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav.


title: Ayodhya

text: Ayodhya is connected by road to several major cities and towns, including Lucknow (), Gorakhpur (), Allahabad (), Varanasi () and Delhi ().


title: Ayodhya

text: A direct bus service has been started between Ayodhya and Janakpur (birthplace of Sita), in Nepal as a part of Ramayana circuit.


title: Ayodhya

text: The city is on the broad gauge Northern Railway line on Mughal Sarai on the Lucknow main route with Ayodhya and Faizabad railway stations.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Coenzyme Q, also known as ubiquinone and marketed as CoQ10, is a coenzyme family that is ubiquitous in animals and most bacteria (hence the name ubiquinone). In humans, the most common form is coenzyme Q or ubiquinone-10.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: It is a 1,4-benzoquinone, where Q refers to the quinone chemical group and 10 refers to the number of isoprenyl chemical subunits in its tail. In natural ubiquinones, the number can be anywhere from 6 to 10. This family of fat-soluble substances, which resemble vitamins, is present in all respiring eukaryotic cells, primarily in the mitochondria. It is a component of the electron transport chain and participates in aerobic cellular respiration, which generates energy in the form of ATP. Ninety-five percent of the human body's energy is generated this way. Organs with the highest energy requirements—such as the heart, liver, and kidney—have the highest CoQ concentrations.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: There are three redox states of CoQ: fully oxidized (ubiquinone), semiquinone (ubisemiquinone), and fully reduced (ubiquinol). The capacity of this molecule to act as a two-electron carrier (moving between the quinone and quinol form) and a one-electron carrier (moving between the semiquinone and one of these other forms) is central to its role in the electron transport chain due to the iron–sulfur clusters that can only accept one electron at a time, and as a free-radical–scavenging antioxidant.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: There are two major pathways of deficiency of CoQ in humans: reduced biosynthesis, and increased use by the body. Biosynthesis is the major source of CoQ. Biosynthesis requires at least 12 genes, and mutations in many of them cause CoQ deficiency. CoQ levels also may be affected by other genetic defects (such as mutations of mitochondrial DNA, "ETFDH", "APTX", "FXN", and "BRAF", genes that are not directly related to the CoQ biosynthetic process). Some of these, such as mutations in "COQ6", can lead to serious diseases such as steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome with sensorineural deafness.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Some adverse effects, largely gastrointestinal, are reported with very high intakes. The observed safe level (OSL) risk assessment method indicated that the evidence of safety is strong at intakes up to 1200 mg/day, and this level is identified as the OSL.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Although CoQ may be measured in blood plasma, these measurements reflect dietary intake rather than tissue status. Currently, most clinical centers measure CoQ levels in cultured skin fibroblasts, muscle biopsies, and blood mononuclear cells. Culture fibroblasts can be used also to evaluate the rate of endogenous CoQ biosynthesis, by measuring the uptake of C-labelled "p"-hydroxybenzoate.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: It has been suggested that the myo-toxicity of statins is due to impairment of CoQ biosynthesis, but the evidence supporting this was deemed controversial in 2011.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: While statins may reduce coenzyme Q in the blood it is unclear if they reduce coenzyme Q in muscle. Evidence does not support that supplementation improves side effects from statins. However, a more recent metanalysis conducted in China, one of the world's largest producers of this supplement, concluded that, "CoQ10 supplementation ameliorated SAMSs, implying that CoQ10 supplementation might be a complementary approach to ameliorate statin‐induced myopathy."


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: CoQ is not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of any medical condition;. However, it is sold as a dietary supplement in the name of UbiQ 300 & UbiQ 100, not subject to the same regulations as medicinal drugs, and is an ingredient in some cosmetics. The manufacture of CoQ is not regulated, and different batches and brands may vary significantly: a 2004 laboratory analysis by ConsumerLab.com of CoQ supplements on sale in the US found that some did not contain the quantity identified on the product label. Amounts ranged from "no detectable CoQ", through 75% of stated dose, up to a 75% excess.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Generally, CoQ is well tolerated. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, appetite suppression, and abdominal pain), rashes, and headaches.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: While there is no established ideal dosage of CoQ, a typical daily dose is 100–200 milligrams. Different formulations have varying declared amounts of CoQ and other ingredients.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: A 2014 Cochrane review found "no convincing evidence to support or refute" the use of CoQ for the treatment of heart failure. Another 2014 Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to make a conclusion about its use for the prevention of heart disease. A 2016 Cochrane review concluded that CoQ had no effect on blood pressure.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In a 2017 meta-analysis of people with heart failure 30–100 mg/d of CoQ resulted in 31% lower mortality. Exercise capacity was also increased. No significant difference was found in the endpoints of left heart ejection fraction and New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: The Canadian Headache Society guideline for migraine prophylaxis recommends, based on low-quality evidence, that 300 mg of CoQ be offered as a choice for prophylaxis.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: CoQ has been routinely used to treat muscle breakdown associated as a side effect of use of statin medications. A 2015 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that CoQ had no effect on statin myopathy. A 2018 meta-analysis concluded that there was preliminary evidence for oral CoQ reducing statin-associated muscle symptoms, including muscle pain, muscle weakness, muscle cramps and muscle tiredness.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: no large clinical trials of CoQ in cancer treatment had been conducted. The US' National Cancer Institute identified issues with the few, small studies that had been carried out, stating, "the way the studies were done and the amount of information reported made it unclear if benefits were caused by the CoQ or by something else". The American Cancer Society concluded, "CoQ may reduce the effectiveness of chemo and radiation therapy, so most oncologists would recommend avoiding it during cancer treatment."


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: A 1995 review study found that there is no clinical benefit to the use of CoQ in the treatment of periodontal disease. Most of the studies suggesting otherwise were outdated, focused on in vitro tests, had too few test subjects and/or erroneous statistical methodology and trial setup, or were sponsored by a manufacturer of the product.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Coenzyme Q10 has also been used to treat Alzheimer's disease, high cholesterol, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease). However, research has shown that it may not be effective in treating these conditions.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Coenzyme Q10 has also been utilized as an active ingredient in cosmeceuticals and as an inactive ingredient in sunscreen formulations. When applied topically in skincare products it demonstrates some ability to reduce oxidative stress in the skin, delay signs of intrinsic skin aging, reverse signs of extrinsic skin aging, assist in fading dyspigmentation, increase stability of certain sunscreen actives, increase the SPF of sunscreens, and afford some infrared protection to sunscreens. Much of the research on the skin benefits of ubiquinone show that it works synergistically with other topical antioxidants to improve the skin and cosmetic formulations.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Coenzyme Q has potential to inhibit the effects of theophylline as well as the anticoagulant warfarin; coenzyme Q may interfere with warfarin's actions by interacting with cytochrome p450 enzymes thereby reducing the INR, a measure of blood clotting. The structure of coenzyme Q is very similar to that of vitamin K, which competes with and counteracts warfarin's anticoagulation effects. Coenzyme Q should be avoided in patients currently taking warfarin due to the increased risk of clotting.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: The oxidized structure of CoQ is shown above. The various kinds of Coenzyme Q may be distinguished by the number of isoprenoid subunits in their side-chains. The most common coenzyme Q in human mitochondria is CoQ. Q refers to the quinone head and 10 refers to the number of isoprene repeats in the tail. The molecule below has three isoprenoid units and would be called Q.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: The initial two reactions occur in mitochondria, the endoplasmic reticulum, and peroxisomes, indicating multiple sites of synthesis in animal cells.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: An important enzyme in this pathway is HMG-CoA reductase, usually a target for intervention in cardiovascular complications. The "statin" family of cholesterol-reducing medications inhibits HMG-CoA reductase. One possible side effect of statins is decreased production of CoQ, which may be connected to the development of myopathy and rhabdomyolysis. However, the role statin plays in CoQ deficiency is controversial. Although these drug reduce blood levels of CoQ, studies on the effects of muscle levels of CoQ are yet to come. CoQ supplementation also does not reduce side effects of statin medications.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Organisms other than human use somewhat different source chemicals to produce the benzoquinone structure and the isoprene structure. For example, the bacteria "E. coli" produces the former from chorismate and the latter from a non-mevalonate source. The common yeast "S. cerevisiae", however, derives the former from either chorismate or tyrosine and the latter from mevalonate. Most organisms share the common 4-hydroxybenzoate intermediate, yet again uses different steps to arrive at the "Q" structure.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: CoQ is a crystalline powder insoluble in water. Absorption follows the same process as that of lipids; the uptake mechanism appears to be similar to that of vitamin E, another lipid-soluble nutrient. This process in the human body involves secretion into the small intestine of pancreatic enzymes and bile, which facilitates emulsification and micelle formation required for absorption of lipophilic substances. Food intake (and the presence of lipids) stimulates bodily biliary excretion of bile acids and greatly enhances absorption of CoQ. Exogenous CoQ is absorbed from the small intestine and is best absorbed if taken with a meal. Serum concentration of CoQ in fed condition is higher than in fasting conditions.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Data on the metabolism of CoQ in animals and humans are limited. A study with C-labeled CoQ in rats showed most of the radioactivity in the liver two hours after oral administration when the peak plasma radioactivity was observed, but CoQ (with only 9 isoprenyl units) is the predominant form of coenzyme Q in rats. It appears that CoQ is metabolised in all tissues, while a major route for its elimination is biliary and fecal excretion. After the withdrawal of CoQ supplementation, the levels return to normal within a few days, irrespective of the type of formulation used.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Some reports have been published on the pharmacokinetics of CoQ. The plasma peak can be observed 2–6 hours after oral administration, depending mainly on the design of the study. In some studies, a second plasma peak also was observed at approximately 24 hours after administration, probably due to both enterohepatic recycling and redistribution from the liver to circulation. Tomono "et al". used deuterium-labeled crystalline CoQ10 to investigate pharmacokinetics in humans and determined an elimination half-time of 33 hours.""


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: The importance of how drugs are formulated for bioavailability is well known. In order to find a principle to boost the bioavailability of CoQ after oral administration, several new approaches have been taken; different formulations and forms have been developed and tested on animals and humans.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Nanoparticles have been explored as a delivery system for various drugs, such as improving the oral bioavailability of drugs with poor absorption characteristics. However, this has not proved successful with CoQ, although reports have differed widely. The use of aqueous suspension of finely powdered CoQ in pure water also reveals only a minor effect.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: A successful approach is to use the emulsion system to facilitate absorption from the gastrointestinal tract and to improve bioavailability. Emulsions of soybean oil (lipid microspheres) could be stabilised very effectively by lecithin and were used in the preparation of softgel capsules. In one of the first such attempts, Ozawa "et al." performed a pharmacokinetic study on beagles in which the emulsion of CoQ in soybean oil was investigated; about twice the plasma CoQ level than that of the control tablet preparation was determined during administration of a lipid microsphere. Although an almost negligible improvement of bioavailability was observed by Kommuru "et al." with oil-based softgel ucapsules in a later study on dogs, the significantly increased bioavailability of CoQ was confirmed for several oil-based formulations in most other studies.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Facilitating drug absorption by increasing its solubility in water is a common pharmaceutical strategy and also has been shown to be successful for CoQ. Various approaches have been developed to achieve this goal, with many of them producing significantly better results over oil-based softgel capsules in spite of the many attempts to optimize their composition. Examples of such approaches are use of the aqueous dispersion of solid CoQ with the polymer tyloxapol, formulations based on various solubilising agents, such as hydrogenated lecithin, and complexation with cyclodextrins; among the latter, the complex with β-cyclodextrin has been found to have highly increased bioavailability and also is used in pharmaceutical and food industries for CoQ-fortification.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In 1950, G. N. Festenstein was the first to isolate a small amount of CoQ from the lining of a horse's gut at Liverpool, England. In subsequent studies the compound was briefly called "substance SA", it was deemed to be quinone and it was noted that it could be found from many tissues of a number of animals.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In 1957, Frederick L. Crane and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Enzyme Institute isolated the same compound from mitochondrial membranes of beef heart and noted that it transported electrons within mitochondria. They called it "Q-275" for short as it was a quinone. Soon they noted that Q-275 and substance SA studied in England may be the same compound. This was confirmed later that year and Q-275/substance SA was renamed "ubiquinone" as it was a ubiquitous quinone that could be found from all animal tissues.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In 1958, its full chemical structure was reported by D. E. Wolf and colleagues working under Karl Folkers at Merck in Rahway. Later that year D. E. Green and colleagues belonging to the Wisconsin research group suggested that ubiquinone should be called either "mitoquinone" or "coenzyme Q" due to its participation to the mitochondrial electron transport chain.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In 1966, A. Mellors and A. L. Tappel at the University of California were the first to show that reduced CoQ was an effective antioxidant in cells.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In 1960s Peter D. Mitchell enlarged upon the understanding of mitochondrial function via his theory of electrochemical gradient, which involves CoQ, and in late 1970s studies of Lars Ernster enlargened upon the importance of CoQ as an antioxidant. The 1980s witnessed a steep rise in the number of clinical trials involving CoQ.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Detailed reviews on occurrence of CoQ and dietary intake were published in 2010. Besides the endogenous synthesis within organisms, CoQ also is supplied to the organism by various foods. Despite the scientific community's great interest in this compound, however, a very limited number of studies have been performed to determine the contents of CoQ in dietary components. The first reports on this aspect were published in 1959, but the sensitivity and selectivity of the analytical methods at that time did not allow reliable analyses, especially for products with low concentrations. Since then, developments in analytical chemistry have enabled a more reliable determination of CoQ concentrations in various foods:


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: Vegetable oils are the richest sources of dietary CoQ; Meat and fish also are quite rich in CoQ levels over 50 mg/kg may be found in beef, pork, and chicken heart and liver. Dairy products are much poorer sources of CoQ than animal tissues. Within vegetables, parsley and perilla are the richest CoQ sources, but significant differences in their CoQ levels may be found in the literature. Broccoli, grapes, and cauliflower are modest sources of CoQ. Most fruit and berries represent a poor to very poor source of CoQ, with the exception of avocados, which have a relatively high CoQ content.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: In the developed world, the estimated daily intake of CoQ has been determined at 3–6 mg per day, derived primarily from meat.


title: Coenzyme Q10

text: South Koreans have an estimated average daily CoQ (Q + Q) intake of 11.6 mg/d, derived primarily from kimchi.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief minister of Henry VIII. In 1529, as Wolsey fell from favour, the cardinal gave the palace to the king to check his disgrace. The palace went on to become one of Henry's most favoured residences; soon after acquiring the property, he arranged for it to be enlarged so that it might more easily accommodate his sizeable retinue of courtiers. Along with St James' Palace, it is one of only two surviving palaces out of the many the king owned. The palace is currently in the possession of King Charles III and the Crown.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: In the following century, King William III's massive rebuilding and expansion work, which was intended to rival the Palace of Versailles, destroyed much of the Tudor palace. His work ceased in 1694, leaving the palace in two distinct contrasting architectural styles, domestic Tudor and Baroque. While the palace's styles are an accident of fate, a unity exists due to the use of pink bricks and a symmetrical, if vague, balancing of successive low wings. King George II was the last monarch to reside in the palace.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Today, the palace is open to the public and a major tourist attraction, easily reached by train from Waterloo station in central London and served by Hampton Court railway station in East Molesey, in Transport for London's Zone 6. In addition, London Buses routes 111, 216, 411 and R68 stop outside the palace gates. The structure and grounds are cared for by an independent charity, Historic Royal Palaces, which receives no funding from the Government or the Crown. In addition, the palace displays many works of art from the Royal Collection.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Apart from the palace itself and its gardens, other points of interest for visitors include the celebrated maze, the historic royal tennis court (see below), and the huge grape vine, the largest in the world . The palace's Home Park is the site of the annual Hampton Court Palace Festival and Hampton Court Garden Festival.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, chief minister to and a favourite of Henry VIII, took over the site of Hampton Court Palace in 1514. It had previously been a property of the Order of St John of Jerusalem. Over the following seven years, Wolsey spent lavishly (200,000 Crowns) to build the finest palace in England at Hampton Court. Today, little of Wolsey's building work remains unchanged. The first courtyard, the Base Court, ("B on plan"), was his creation, as was the second, inner gatehouse ("C") which leads to the Clock Court ("D") (Wolsey's seal remains visible over the entrance arch of the clock tower) which contained his private rooms ("O on plan"). The Base Court contained forty-four lodgings reserved for guests, while the second court (today, Clock Court) contained the very best rooms the state apartments reserved for the King and his family. Henry VIII stayed in the state apartments as Wolsey's guest immediately after their completion in 1525.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: In building his palace, Wolsey was attempting to create a Renaissance cardinal's palace of a rectilinear symmetrical plan with grand apartments on a raised piano nobile, all rendered with classical detailing. The historian Jonathan Foyle has suggested that it is likely that Wolsey had been inspired by Paolo Cortese's "De Cardinalatu", a manual for cardinals that included advice on palatial architecture, published in 1510. The architectural historian Sir John Summerson asserts that the palace shows "the essence of Wolsey—the plain English churchman who nevertheless made his sovereign the arbiter of Europe and who built and furnished Hampton Court to show foreign embassies that Henry VIII's chief minister knew how to live as graciously as any cardinal in Rome." Whatever the concepts were, the architecture is an excellent and rare example of a thirty-year era when English architecture was in a harmonious transition from domestic Tudor, strongly influenced by perpendicular Gothic, to the Italian Renaissance classical style. Perpendicular Gothic owed nothing historically to the Renaissance style, yet harmonised well with it. This blending of styles was realised by a small group of Italian craftsmen working at the English court in the second and third decades of the sixteenth century. They specialised in the adding of Renaissance ornament to otherwise straightforward Tudor buildings. It was one of these, Giovanni da Maiano, who was responsible for the set of eight relief busts of Roman emperors which were set in the Tudor brickwork.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Wolsey was only to enjoy his palace for a few years. In 1528, knowing that his enemies and the King were engineering his downfall, he passed the palace to the King as a gift. Wolsey died two years later in 1530.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Within six months of coming into ownership, the King began his own rebuilding and expansion. Henry VIII's court consisted of over one thousand people, while the King owned over sixty houses and palaces. Few of these were large enough to hold the assembled court, and thus one of the first of the King's building works (in order to transform Hampton Court to a principal residence) was to build the vast kitchens. These were quadrupled in size in 1529, enabling the King to provide bouche of court for his entire court. The architecture of King Henry's new palace followed the design precedent set by Wolsey: perpendicular Gothic-inspired Tudor with restrained Renaissance ornament. This hybrid architecture was to remain almost unchanged for nearly a century, until Inigo Jones introduced strong classical influences from Italy to the London palaces of the first Stuart kings.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Between 1532 and 1535 Henry added the Great Hall (the last medieval great hall built for the English monarchy) and the Royal Tennis Court. The Great Hall has a carved hammerbeam roof. During Tudor times, this was the most important room of the palace; here, the King would dine in state seated at a table upon a raised dais. The hall took five years to complete; so impatient was the King for completion that the masons were compelled to work throughout the night by candlelight.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: The gatehouse to the second, inner court was adorned in 1540 with the Hampton Court astronomical clock, an early example of a pre-Copernican astronomical clock. Still functioning, the clock shows the time of day, the phases of the moon, the month, the quarter of the year, the date, the sun and star sign, and high water at London Bridge. The latter information was of great importance to those visiting this Thames-side palace from London, as the preferred method of transport at the time was by barge, and at low water London Bridge created dangerous rapids. This gatehouse is also known today as Anne Boleyn's gate, after Henry's second wife. Work was still underway on Anne Boleyn's apartments above the gate when Boleyn was beheaded.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: During the Tudor period, the palace was the scene of many historic events. In 1537, the King's much desired male heir, the future Edward VI, was born at the palace and the child's mother, Jane Seymour, died there two weeks later. Four years afterwards, whilst attending Mass in the palace's chapel, the King was informed of the adultery of his fifth wife, Catherine Howard. She was then confined to her room for a few days before being sent to Syon House and then on to the Tower of London. Legend claims she briefly escaped her guards and ran through The Haunted Gallery to beg Henry for her life but she was recaptured.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: King Henry died in January 1547 and was succeeded by his son Edward VI, and then by both his daughters in turn. It was to Hampton Court that Queen Mary I (Henry's elder daughter) retreated with King Philip to spend her honeymoon, after their wedding at Winchester. Mary chose Hampton Court as the place for the birth of her first child, which turned out to be the first of two phantom pregnancies. Mary had initially wanted to give birth at Windsor Castle as it was a more secure location, and she was still fearful of rebellion. But Hampton Court was considerably larger and could accommodate the entire court and more besides. Mary stayed at the palace awaiting the birth of the "child" for over five months and only left because of the uninhabitable state of the palace with the court being kept in the one location for so long. Her court departed for the much smaller palace of Oatlands. Mary was succeeded by her half-sister, Elizabeth I, and it was Elizabeth who had the eastern kitchen built; today, this is the palace's public tea room.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: On the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, the Tudor period came to an end. The Queen was succeeded by her first cousin-twice-removed, James I of the House of Stuart.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Two entertainments for the Stuart court were staged in the Great Hall in January 1604, "The Masque of Indian and China Knights" and "The Vision of the Twelve Goddesses". On 6 January, Scottish courtiers performed a sword dance for Anne of Denmark. Their dance was compared to a Spanish "matachin". Later in 1604, the palace was the site of King James' meeting with representatives of the English Puritans, known as the Hampton Court Conference; while an agreement with the Puritans was not reached, the meeting led to James's commissioning of the King James Version of the Bible.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: King James was succeeded in 1625 by his son, the ill-fated Charles I. Hampton Court was to become both his palace and his prison. It was also the setting for his honeymoon with his fifteen-year-old bride, Henrietta Maria in 1625. Following King Charles' execution in 1649, the palace became the property of the Commonwealth presided over by Oliver Cromwell. Unlike some other former royal properties, the palace escaped relatively unscathed. While the government auctioned much of the contents, the building was ignored.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: After the Restoration, King Charles II and his successor James II visited Hampton Court but largely preferred to reside elsewhere. By current French court standards, Hampton Court now appeared old-fashioned. It was in 1689, shortly after Louis XIV's court had moved permanently to Versailles, that the palace's antiquated state was addressed. England had joint monarchs, William III and Mary II. Within months of their accession, they embarked on a massive rebuilding project at Hampton Court. The intention was to demolish the Tudor palace a section at a time while replacing it with a huge modern palace in the Baroque style retaining only Henry VIII's Great Hall.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: The country's most eminent architect, Sir Christopher Wren, was called upon to draw the plans, while the master of works was to be William Talman. The plan was for a vast palace constructed around two courtyards at right angles to each other. Wren's design for a domed palace bore resemblances to the work of Jules Hardouin Mansart and Louis Le Vau, both architects employed by Louis XIV at Versailles. It has been suggested, though, that the plans were abandoned because the resemblance to Versailles was too subtle and not strong enough; at this time, it was impossible for any sovereign to visualise a palace that did not emulate Versailles' repetitive Baroque form. However, the resemblances are there: while the façades are not so long as those of Versailles, they have similar, seemingly unstoppable repetitive rhythms beneath a long flat skyline. The monotony is even repeated as the façade turns the corner from the east to the south fronts. However, Hampton Court, unlike Versailles, is given an extra dimension by the contrast between the pink brick and the pale Portland stone quoins, frames and banding. Further diversion is added by the circular and decorated windows of the second-floor mezzanine. This theme is repeated in the inner Fountain Court, but the rhythm is faster and the windows, unpedimented on the outer façades, are given pointed pediments in the courtyard; this has led the courtyard to be described as "Startling, as of simultaneous exposure to a great many eyes with raised eyebrows."


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: During this work, half the Tudor palace was replaced and Henry VIII's staterooms and private apartments were both lost; the new wings around the Fountain Court contained new state apartments and private rooms, one set for the King and one for the Queen. Each suite of state rooms was accessed by a state staircase. The royal suites were of completely equal value in order to reflect William and Mary's unique status as joint sovereigns. The King's Apartments face south over the Privy Garden, the Queen's east over the Fountain Garden. The suites are linked by a gallery running the length of the east façade, another reference to Versailles, where the King and Queen's apartments are linked by the Galerie des Glaces. However, at Hampton Court, the linking gallery is of more modest proportions and decoration. The King's staircase was decorated with frescos by Antonio Verrio and delicate ironwork by Jean Tijou. Other artists commissioned to decorate the rooms included Grinling Gibbons, Sir James Thornhill and Jacques Rousseau; furnishings were designed by Daniel Marot.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: After the death of Queen Mary, King William lost interest in the renovations, and work ceased. However, it was in Hampton Court Park in 1702 that he fell from his horse, later dying from his injuries at Kensington Palace. He was succeeded by his sister-in-law Queen Anne who continued the decoration and completion of the state apartments. On Queen Anne's death in 1714 the Stuart dynasty came to an end.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Queen Anne's successor was George I; he and his son George II were the last monarchs to reside at Hampton Court. Under George I six rooms were completed in 1717 to the design of John Vanbrugh. Under George II and his wife, Caroline of Ansbach, further refurbishment took place, with the architect William Kent employed to design new furnishings and decor including the Queen's Staircase, (1733) and the Cumberland Suite (1737) for the Duke of Cumberland. Today, the Queen's Private Apartments are open to the public.


title: Hampton Court Palace

text: Since the reign of King George II, no monarch has resided at Hampton Court. In fact, George III, from the moment of his accession, never set foot in the palace: he associated the state apartments with a humiliating scene when his grandfather had once struck him following an innocent remark. He did however have the Great Vine planted here in 1763 and had the top two storeys of the Great Gatehouse removed in 1773.