James' World 2

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Aarau is a town, a municipality, and the capital of the northern Swiss canton of Aargau. The town is also the capital of the district of Aarau. It is German-speaking and predominantly Protestant. Aarau is situated on the Swiss plateau, in the valley of the Aare, on the river’s right bank, and at the southern foot of the Jura Mountains, and is west of Zürich, 58 kilometers (36 mi) south of Basel and 65 kilometers (40 mi) northeast of Bern. The municipality borders directly on the canton of Solothurn to the west. It is the largest town in Aargau. At the beginning of 2010 Rohr became a district of Aarau.

The official language of Aarau is (the Swiss variety of Standard) German, but the main spoken language is the local variant of the Alemannic Swiss German dialect.

The old city of Aarau is situated on a rocky outcrop at a narrowing of the Aare river valley, at the southern foot of the Jura mountains. Newer districts of the city lie to the south and east of the outcrop, as well as higher up the mountain, and in the valley on both sides of the Aare. The neighboring municipalities are Küttigen to the north and Buchs to the east, Suhr to the south-east, Unterentfelden to the south, and Eppenberg-Wöschnau and Erlinsbach to the west. Aarau and the nearby neighboring municipalities have grown together and now form an interconnected agglomeration. The only exception is Unterentfelden whose settlements are divided from Aarau by the extensive forests of Gönhard and Zelgli. Approximately nine-tenths of the city is south of the Aare, and one-tenth is to the north. It has an area, as of 2006, of 8.9 km² (3.4 sq mi). Of this area, 6.3% is used for agricultural purposes, while 34% is forested. Of the rest of the land, 55.2% is settled (buildings or roads) and the remainder (4.5%) is non-productive (rivers or lakes). The lowest elevation, 365 meters (1,198 ft), is found at the banks of the Aar, and the highest elevation, at 471 meters (1,545 ft), is the Hungerberg on the border with Küttigen. Wikipedia

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An image from Aarau, Switzerland

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Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, or Pura Bratan, is a major Hindu Shaivite temple in Bali, Indonesia. The temple complex is on the shores of Lake Bratan in the mountains near Bedugul. The water from the lake serves the entire region in the outflow area; downstream there are many smaller water temples that are specific to each irrigation association (subak).

In Bali, Hindu temples are known as “pura”, being designed as open-air places of worship in walled compounds. The compound walls have a series of intricately decorated gates without doors for the devotee to enter. The design and plan of the holy pura follows a square layout. A typical temple is laid out according to ancient Lontar texts with three courtyards separated by low walls pierced by ornate gateways. The outer courtyard is for secular pursuits, with pavilions used for meetings, resting performers, and musicians at festivals. Food stalls are set up here during festivals. The middle courtyard is a transition zone between the human and divine sections; here offerings are prepared and temple paraphernalia are stored. The inner courtyard is the site of the shrines and religious ceremonies. The shrines are known as merus and are square structures with brick bases and multiple pagoda-style thatched roofs; the number of roofs reflects the status of the deity and is always an odd number. Pura Ulun Danu Beratan is one of the nine ‘Kahyangan Jagat’ temples on Bali. The temple complex consists of five various shrines dedicated to other Hindu gods as well.

Built in 1633, the temple is used for offerings and ceremonies dedicated to the Balinese water, lake, and river goddess Dewi Danu, due to the importance of Lake Bratan as a main source of irrigation in central Bali. The 11-story pelinggih meru in the complex is dedicated to Shiva and his consort Parvathi. Buddha’s statue is also enshrined in this temple. This temple is also called the “Bali temple on the Lake” because it looks as if it is floating when the Bratan River rises. Wikipedia

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An image of Pura Ulun Danu Bratan Temple Bali

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Aalen is a former Free Imperial City located in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, about 70 kilometers (43 mi) east of Stuttgart and 48 kilometers (30 mi) north of Ulm. It is the seat of the Ostalbkreis district and is its largest town. It is also the largest town in the Ostwürttemberg region. Since 1956, Aalen has had the status of Große Kreisstadt (major district town). It is noted for its many half-timbered houses constructed from the 16th century through the 18th century.

With an area of 146.63 km², Aalen is ranked 7th in Baden-Württemberg and 2nd within the Government Region of Stuttgart, after Stuttgart. With a population of about 66,000, Aalen is the 15th most-populated settlement in Baden-Württemberg.

Aalen is situated on the upper reaches of the river Kocher, at the foot of the Swabian Jura which lies to the south and south-east, and close to the hilly landscapes of the Ellwangen Hills to the north and the Welland to the north-west.

The west of Aalen’s territory is on the foreland of the eastern Swabian Jura, and the north and north-west is on the Swabian-Franconian Forest, both being part of the Swabian Keuper-Lias Plains. The south-west is part of the Albuch, the east is part of the Härtsfeld, these two both being parts of the Swabian Jura.

The Kocher enters the town’s territory from Oberkochen to the south, crosses the district of Unterkochen, then enters the town center, where the Aal flows into it. The Aal is a small river located only within the town’s territory. Next, the Kocher crosses the district of Wasseralfingen, then leaves the town for Hüttlingen. Rivers originating near Aalen are the Rems (near Essingen, west of Aalen) and the Jagst (near Unterschneidheim, east of Aalen), both being tributaries of the Neckar, just like the Kocher.

The elevation in the center of the market square is 430 m (1,410 ft) relative to Normalhöhennull. The territory’s lowest point is at the Lein river near Rodamsdörfle, the highest point is the Grünberg’s peak near Unterkochen at 733 m (2,405 ft). Wikipedia

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An image from Aalen, Germany

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