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The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India, established by Ashoka the great (4th–1st century BC).

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A stupa (from Sanskrit: m., स्तूप, stūpa, Sinhalese: ස්ථූපය, Pāli: थुप "thūpa", literally meaning "heap") is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship. After "stupa", "chorten" is the most commonly encountered English term. The term "reliquary" is sometimes used, after a Christian functional equivalent. Stupas are an ancient form of mandala.^[1]

Description and history[link]

Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath, northeastern India is the oldest Stupa in existence. Stupa surrounded by four lion-crowned pillars. Gandhara, 2nd century AD.

The stupa is the oldest Buddhist religious monument and was originally only a simple mound of mud or clay to cover relics of the Buddha (cetiya). After the parinirvana of the Buddha, his remains were cremated and the ashes divided and buried under eight stupas with two further stupas encasing the urn and the embers. Little is known about these early stupas, particularly since it has not been possible to identify the original ten monuments. However, some later stupas, such as at Sarnath and Sanchi, seem to be embellishments of earlier mounds.

In the third century BC, after his conversion to Buddhism, the emperor Asoka had the original stupas opened and the remains distributed among the several thousand stupas he had built. Nevertheless, the stupas at the eight places associated with the life of the Buddha continued to be of particular importance. Accordingly, the importance of a stupa changed from being a funerary monument to being an object of veneration. As a consequence their appearance changed also. Stupas were built in Sri Lanka soon after King Devanampiyatissa converted to Buddhism, the first stupa to be built was the Thuparamaya. Later on Sri Lanka went on to build many stupas over the years, some like the Jetavanarama in Anuradhapura being one of the tallest ancient structures in the world.^[2] Sri Lanka also boasts construction of stupas, which have used most advanced engineering techniques and knowledge, for example the use of 'lightning conductors' and 'special shelters (vatadage)', which is the reason they have been standing undamaged for thousands of years.^{[citation needed]}
Ghalegay hosts one of the biggest stupas at Mohallah Singardar in district Swat, Pakistan.^{[citation needed]}

They evolved into large hemispherical mounds with features such as the torana (gateway), the vedica (fence-like enclosure evolved from the vedic villages), the harmika (a square platform with railings on top of the stupa), chattrayashti (the parasol or canopy) and a circumambulatory around the stupa. From the third century BC onwards, stupas were incorporated into the hall of the chaitya-griha.

One such stupa was discovered at Sopara, an ancient port near Mumbai, and is believed to be one of the most ancient stupas in the world. The oldest known stupa is the Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath, India, while the tallest is the Phra Pathom Chedi in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand, at a height of 127 metres. The most elaborate stupa is the 8th century Borobudur monument in Java, Indonesia. The upper rounded terrace with rows of bell shaped stupas contained buddha images symbolizing Arupadhatu, the sphere of formlessness. The main stupa itself is empty, symbolizing complete perfection of enlightenment. The main stupa is only the crown part of the monument, while the base is pyramidal structure elaborate with galleries adorned with bas relief of scenes derived from Buddhist text depicted the life of Siddharta Gautama. Borobudur unique and significant architecture has been acknowledge by UNESCO as the largest buddhist monument in the world. According to Brahmi, kharoshti, Pali and Sanskrit edicts Ashoka the great founded 84,000 stupas all over the south Asia.

The stupa evolved into the pagoda as Buddhism spread to other Asian countries. The pagoda has varied forms that also include bellshaped and pyramidal ones. Today, in the Western context, there is no clear distinction between the stupa and the pagoda. But in general stupa is used for a Buddhist structure of India or south-east Asia, while pagoda refers to a building in east Asia which can be entered and which may be secular in purpose.

Types of stupas[link]

Built for a variety of reasons, Buddhist stupas are classified based on form and function into five types:^[3]

• Relic stupa - in which the relics or remains of the Buddha, his disciples and lay saints are interred.
• Object stupa - in which the items interred are objects belonged to the Buddha or his disciples such as a begging bowl or robe, or important Buddhist scriptures.
• Commemorative stupas - built to commemorate events in the lives of Buddha or his disciples.
• Symbolic stupa- to symbolise aspects of Buddhist theology, for example, Borobuddur is considered to be the symbol of "the Three Worlds (dhatu) and the spiritual stges (bhumi) in a Mahayana bodhisattva's character."^[3]
• Votive stupas - constructed to commemorate visits or to gain spiritual benefits, usually at the site of prominent stupas which are regularly visited.

Features of a stupa[link]

• Harmika-It is built on the top of the oval shaped stupa.
• Medhi-It is an elevated circular path around the stupa used for Pradhikshina
• Toran-It is the Gateway to the stupa.
• Vedica-It is a railing meant for the protection of the holy place.

Symbolism[link]

The sharing of the relics of the Buddha, Zenyōmitsu-Temple Museum, Tokyo Buddha relics from Kanishka's stupa in Peshawar, Pakistan. These surviving relics are now housed in Mandalay, Burma.

"The shape of the stupa represents the Buddha, crowned and sitting in meditation posture on a lion throne. His crown is the top of the spire; his head is the square at the spire's base; his body is the vase shape; his legs are the four steps of the lower terrace; and the base is his throne."^[4]

Five purified elements[link]

Although not described in any Tibetan text on stupa symbolism, the stupa may represent the five purified elements:^[5]

• The square base represents earth
• The hemispherical dome/vase represents water
• The conical spire represents fire
• The upper lotus parasol and the crescent moon represents air
• The sun and the dissolving point represents the element of space

Construction[link]

To build a stupa, transmissions and ceremonies from a Buddhist teacher is necessary.^[6] Which kind of Stupa to be constructed in a certain area is decided together with the teacher assisting in the construction. Sometimes the type of stupa chosen is directly connected with events that have taken place in the area.^[6]

Treasury[link]

All stupas contain a treasury filled with various objects. Small offerings called Tsa-Tsas fill a major part of the treasury. Creation of various types of Tsa-Tsas is a ceremony itself. Mantras written on paper are rolled into thin rolls, and put into these small clay stupas.^[6] Filling the treasury, one layer of Tsa-Tsas are placed, and the empty space between is filled with dry sand. On the new surface appearing, another layer is made, until the entire space of a treasury is full.^[6]

The number of Tsa-Tsas are dependent on the size of both the treasury and Tsa-Tsa, since it should be completely filled. For example, the Kalachakra stupa in southern Spain has approximately 14 000 Tsa-Tsas within.^[6]

Jewellery and other "precious" objects are also placed in the treasury. It is not necessary that the jewellery be expensive, since it is the symbolic value that is important, not the market price.^[6] It is believed that the more objects placed into the stupa, the stronger the energy of the Stupa will be.^[6]

Tree of Life[link]

A very important element in every Stupa is the Tree of Life. It is a wooden pole covered with gems and thousands of mantras, and placed in the central channel of the stupa.^[6] It is placed here during a ceremony or initiation, where the participants hold colorful ribbons connected to the Tree of Life. Together the participants make their most positive and powerful wishes, which are stored in the Tree of Life. In this way the stupa is charged up, and will start to function.^[6]

Benefits[link]

Building a stupa is considered extremely beneficial, leaving very positive karmic imprints in the mind. Future benefits from this action will result in fortunate rebirths. Fortunate worldly benefits will be the result, such as being born into a rich family, having a beautiful body, a nice voice, and being attractive and bringing joy to others and having a long and happy life, in which one's wishes are fulfilled quickly.^[7] On the absolute level, one will also be able to reach enlightenment, the goal of Buddhism, quickly.^[7]

Destroying a stupa on the other hand, is considered an extremely negative deed, similar to killing.^[8] Such an action is explained to create massive negative karmic imprints, leading to massive future problems. It is said this action will leave the mind in a state of paranoia after death has occurred, leading to totally unfortunate rebirths.^[8]

Eight great stupas[link]

The Eight Great Stupas

There are eight different kinds of stupas in Tibetan Buddhism, each referring to major events in the Buddha's life.^{[citation needed]}

Lotus Blossom Stupa[link]

Also known as Stupa of Heaped Lotuses or Birth of the Sugata Stupa, this stupa refers to the birth of the Buddha. "At birth Buddha took seven steps in each of the four directions"^[5] (East, South, West and North). In each direction lotuses sprang, symbolizing the Four Immeasurables: love, compassion, joy and equanimity. The four steps of the basis of this stupa is circular, and it is decorated with lotus-petal designs. Occasionally, seven heaped lotus steps are constructed. These refer to the seven first steps of the Buddha.^[5]

Enlightenment Stupa[link]

Also known as the Stupa of the Conquest of Mara. This stupa symbolizes the 35-year-old Buddha's attainment of enlightenment under the bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya, where he conquered worldly temptations and attacks manifesting in the form of Mara.^[5]

Stupa of Many Doors[link]

Also known as the Stupa of Many Gates. After reaching enlightenment, the Buddha taught his first students in a deer-park near Sarnath. The series of doors on each side of the steps represent the first teachings: the Four Noble Truths, the Six Perfections, the Noble Eightfold Path and the Twelve Links in the Chain of Dependent Origination.^[5]

Stupa of Descent from the God Realm[link]

At 42 years old, Buddha spent a summer retreat in Tushita Heaven, where his mother had taken rebirth. In order to repay her kindness he taught the dharma to her reincarnation. Local inhabitants built a stupa like this in Sankasya in order to commemorate this event. This stupa is characterized by having a central projection at each side containing a triple ladder or steps.^[5]

Stupa of Great Miracles[link]

Also known as Stupa of Conquest of the Tirthikas. This stupa refers to various miracles performed by the Buddha when he was 50 years old. Legend claims that he overpowered maras and heretics by engaging them in intellectual arguments and also by performing miracles. This stupa was raised by the Lichavi kingdom to commemorate the event.^[5]

Stupa of Reconciliation[link]

This stupa commemorates the Buddha's resolution of a dispute among the sangha. A stupa in this design was built in the kingdom of Magadha, where the reconciliation occurred. It has four octagonal steps with equal sides.^[5]

Stupa of Complete Victory[link]

This stupa commemorates Buddha's successful prolonging of his life by three months. It has only three steps, which are circular and unadorned.^[5]

Stupa of Nirvana[link]

This stupa refers to the death of the Buddha, when he was 80 years old. It symbolizes the Buddha's complete absorption into the highest state of mind. It is bell-shaped and usually not ornamented.^[5]

Kalachakra stupa[link]

A 9th kind of stupa exists; the Kalachakra stupa. Its symbolism is not connected to events in the Buddha's life, but instead to the symbolism of the Kalachakra Tantra, created to protect against negative energies.^[9]

Regional names[link]

Regional names for stupa include:

• Chaitya (Nepal)^[3]
• dāgaba (usually spelled "Dagoba") (Sinhalese: දාගැබ, from Sanskrit dhātu-garbha. (दातु-गर्भ) "relic-chamber" )^[3]
• Candi (Indonesia and Malaysia).^[3]
• Chedi (Thailand [เจดีย์])^[3]
• Chorten [Tibet, Ladakh (India) and Bhutan] མཆོད་རྟེན༏ (Wylie: mchod rten), "basis of offering")^[3]
• Dagoba / Chaitiya / chaitya / thupa / vehera / dagaba (Sri Lanka) ^[3][10]
• Chedey (Cambodia)^[3]
• Phrathāt (Lanna)
• Havitta (Dhivehi: ހަވިއްތަ) or ustubu (Maldives)
• Suburgan/Suvarga (Mongolia)
• Субурган (Russia)
• Tap (Korea [塔/탑], from Chinese)
• Tháp (Vietnam [塔, from Chinese])
• Thart (Laos)
• Ta (Chinese: 塔; Mandarin Pinyin: tă; Jyutping: taap³), ancient transliteration of Sanskrit stupa.
• Sotoba (Japan [卒塔婆/そとば], Tō (Japan [塔/とう], from Chinese)
• Zedi (Myanmar [Zedi စေတီ) /Pahto (ပုထိုး])
• Setaow (စေတဳ, /cetɔe/)
• Tseti (ၸေႇတီႇ) or Puhto (ပူႉထူဝ်း)
• Chedi (Thai: เจดีย์, from the Pāli cetiya (चेतिय)
• Chedi (Tamil or Thoopam
• Chedi Sinhalese: චෛත්‍යයය)
• pagoda SouthEast Asia^[3]
• tope (Hindi: स्तूप, from the Sanskrit)
• garbha (Sanskrit: गर्भ, meaning a storehouse or repository)
• sotoba or sotōba (Japanese: 卒塔婆, a transliteration of stupa, usually shortened as tō 塔)

Gallery[link]

• 

  The Great Stupa at Sanchi, India,established by Ashoka the great (4th–1st century BC).

• 

  Dhamek Stupa in Sarnath, northeastern India is the oldest Stupa in existence.

• Swayambhunath Cloud.jpg

  Swayambhunath, also known as Monkey Temple, is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

• Bodnath Sky.jpg

  Boudhanath is one of the holiest Buddhist sites in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.

• 

  Ruwanwelisaya Chedi in the sacred city of Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka.

• JetawanaStupa1.JPG

  Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka is the largest brick structure in the world^[2]

• 

  The main Stupa crowning Borobudur, the largest Buddhist structure in the world, Java, Indonesia.

• 

  The Great Stupa at Shambhala Mountain Center, Colorado, USA

• 

  Khmer style stupa within the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

• 

  Different architectural features that comprise Shwedagon Pagoda and similar Mon-style stupas, in Yangon, Myanmar.

• 

  Phra Sri Ratana Chedi within Wat Phra Kaeo, in Bangkok, Thailand.

• 

  White Dagoba Temple (Baita Si), also called Miaoying Si, in Beijing, China.

• 

  Stupa in Gotemba, Shizuoka City, Japan.

• 

  Stupa at near Potala Palace, Lhasa, Tibet.

• 

  Stupa in Quaid-i-Azam University Campus in Islamabad, Pakistan.

• 

  Evolution of the Butkara stupa in Pakistan, through the Mauryan, Indo-Greek, Indo-Scythian and Kushan periods.

• 

  A pagoda at Dambulla golden temple, Sri Lanka

See also[link]

References[link]

Footnotes[link]

Notations[link]

• Mitra, D. (1971). Buddhist Monuments. Sahitya Samsad: Calcutta. ISBN 0-89684-490-0.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Stupas

External links[link]

• The Stupa Information Page
• Boudhanath Stupa at Kathmandu Nepal
• The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, under construction in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia

Oliver Shanti (Born Ulrich Schulz 16 November 1948 in Hamburg), also known as Oliver Serano-Alve, is a New Age musician. Founder of the band Inkarnation which was originally based on meditative music, and later transformed into "Oliver Shanti & Friends". Because of Oliver's unavailability, the rest of the group is continuing with multi-instrumentalist Margot Reisinger (formerly known as Margot Vogl and Margot Shanti), a member of the original staff, as "Existence".

Allegations of child sexual abuse[link]

In 2002, a warrant for his arrest was issued in Germany, with a €3000 reward offered, on suspicion of his having committed child sexual abuse.^[1] Shanti went missing at that time, and was reported^[2] to be living secretly in Germany or its adjacent countries. He was arrested in Lisbon, Portugal, on 29 June 2008,^[3] and charged with 314 cases of child abuse on 20 April 2009.^[4][5] After having attempted suicide during his pre-trial custody,^[6] "Oliver Shanti" was sentenced to six years and 10 months in prison on Friday, December 4, 2009 - after a Munich court convicted him of 76 counts of child sexual abuse.^[7]

Discography[link]

Main:

• 1987 - Licht-Prakash-Light (as Inkarnation)
• 1987 - Frieden-Shanti-Peace (as Inkarnation)
• 1987 - Listening to the Heart
• 1988 - Rainbow Way
• 1988 - Vila Nova Mellow Days (as Oliver Serano-Alve)
• 1989 - Walking on the Sun
• 1990 - Minho Valley Fantasies (as Oliver Serano-Alve)
• 1992 - Vida Para Vida (as Oliver Serano-Alve)
• 1993 - Tai Chi
• 1995 - Well Balanced
• 1996 - Tai Chi Too
• 1997 - Circles of Life: The Best of Oliver Shanti (compilation album including 3 new tracks)
• 1998 - Seven Times Seven
• 2000 - Medicine Power
• 2002 - Alhambra
• 2006 - Man Heaven Earth (compilation album featuring 2 tracks by "Existence" and Dahmani)

Projects:

• 1996 - Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 1
• 1997 - Shaman
• 1997 - Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 2
• 2000 - Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 3
• 2000 - Shaman 2
• 2002 - Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 4
• 2005 - Buddha and Bonsai Vol. 5: The Power of Silence

Thematical compilations:

• Indiens: Sacred Spirits
• Shaman: Red Indian Chill
• before 1997 - Meditative Music of Budo-Gala: The Magic of Martial Arts
• 1997 - Spirit of Budo: The Power of Balance
• 1997 - 10 Years of Sattva Music
• 1999 - Tibetiya (including 3 new tracks by Oliver Shanti)
• 2001 - 15 Years of Sattva Music
• 2001 - Reiki: Brightness Healing

Other:

• 2008 single - Oliver Shanti feat. N.i.M.i - Roo Be Asemoon (Olugu Zamba Remix)
• 2010 single - Oliver Shanti feat. DJ Sunf - The Tree (rmx)

References[link]

1. ^ "Munich - Search for Ulrich Schulz - Arrest warrant for serious child sexual abuse" (PDF). http://www.polizei.bayern.de/content/7/0/1/3/schulz_eng.pdf. Retrieved 2008-02-05. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "Münchner Polizei jagt spirituellen Serien-Kinderschänder". http://www.merkur-online.de/nachrichten/politik/muenchner-polizei-jagt-spirituellen-serienkinderschaender-138178.html. Retrieved 2011-08-24. 
3. ^ "Alemão detido por pedofilia em Lisboa foi agraciado com Medalha de Mérito da Câmara de Cerveira (in Portuguese)". http://sol.sapo.pt/PaginaInicial/Sociedade/Interior.aspx?content_id=99868. Retrieved 2008-06-29. 
4. ^ "Anklage gegen Musiker Oliver Shanti erhoben". http://www.n24.de/news/newsitem_4990035.html. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
5. ^ "Klage gegen Oliver Shanti - Sektenguru unter schwerem Verdacht". http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/7/465595/text/. Retrieved 2009-04-21. 
6. ^ "Angeklagter Sekten-Guru Oliver Shanti überlebt Selbstmordversuch". http://www.welt.de/news/article5094870/Angeklagter-Sekten-Guru-Oliver-Shanti-ueberlebt-Selbstmordversuch.html. Retrieved 2009-12-13. 
7. ^ "Nearly seven years prison for child abuser guru Oliver Shanti". http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091205-23735.html. Retrieved 2009-12-05. 

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Sedona, Arizona
—  City  —
Cathedral Rock from Red Rock Crossing
Location in Yavapai County and the state of Arizona
Coordinates: 34°51′36″N 111°47′21″W / 34.86°N 111.78917°W / 34.86; -111.78917Coordinates: 34°51′36″N 111°47′21″W / 34.86°N 111.78917°W / 34.86; -111.78917
Country	United States
State	Arizona
Counties	Yavapai, Coconino
Founded	1902
Incorporated	1988
Government
• Type	Council-Manager
• Mayor	Rob Adams
Area
• Total	18.0 sq mi (46.0 km2)
• Land	17.9 sq mi (45.6 km2)
• Water	0.1 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation	4,326 ft (1,319 m)
Population (2010)[1]
• Total	10,031
• Density	560/sq mi (220/km2)
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
ZIP code	86336
Area code(s)	928
FIPS code	04-65350
Website	www.sedonaaz.gov

Sedona ( /sɨˈdoʊnə/) is a city that straddles the county line between Coconino and Yavapai counties in the northern Verde Valley region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census the population was 10,031.^[1]

Sedona's main attraction is its stunning array of red sandstone formations, the Red Rocks of Sedona. The formations appear to glow in brilliant orange and red when illuminated by the rising or setting sun. The Red Rocks form a breathtaking backdrop for everything from spiritual pursuits to the hundreds of hiking and mountain biking trails.

Sedona is named after Sedona Arabelle Miller Schnebly (1877–1950), the wife of Theodore Carlton Schnebly, the city's first postmaster, who was celebrated for her hospitality and industriousness.^[2]

History[link]

The Chapel of the Holy Cross, 2010

Native American[link]

The Yavapai and Apache tribes were forcibly removed from the Verde Valley in 1876, to the San Carlos Indian Reservation, 180 miles southeast. 1500 people were marched, in midwinter, to San Carlos. Several hundred lost their lives. The survivors were interned for 25 years. About 200 Yavapai and Apache people returned to the Verde Valley in 1900 and have since intermingled as a single political entity although culturally distinct.^[3]

Anglo-American settlement[link]

The first Anglo settler, John J. Thompson, moved into Oak Creek Canyon in 1876. The early settlers were farmers and ranchers. Oak Creek Canyon was well known for its peach and apple orchards. In 1902, when the Sedona post office was established, there were 55 residents. In the mid-1950s, the first telephone directory listed 155 names. Parts of the Sedona area weren't electrified until the 1960s.

Sedona began to develop as a tourist destination, vacation-home and retirement center in the 1950s. Most of the development seen today was constructed in the 1980s and 1990s. As of 2007, there are no large tracts of undeveloped land remaining.^[4]

Chapel of the Holy Cross[link]

In 1956, work on a new chapel, the Chapel of the Holy Cross, was completed. Inspired by the architecture of the Empire State Building, this chapel appears to rise 250 feet out of a thousand foot red rock formation characteristic of Sedona. The sunset strikes the chapel from the front, naturally lighting the chapel in the evening.^[5]

Political structure[link]

Politically, Uptown Sedona, the Gallery District and the Chapel area (all in Coconino County) and West Sedona (in Yavapai County) form the City of Sedona. Originally founded in 1902, the town was incorporated into a city in January 1988. The unincorporated Village of Oak Creek, seven miles (11 km) to the south and well outside the Sedona city limits, is a significant part of the Sedona community.

Cinematic legacy[link]

Sedona played host to more than sixty Hollywood productions from the first years of movies into the 1970s. The small town, which served as a kind of microcosm of Hollywood history, sits about 120 miles north of Phoenix, nestled between thousand-foot-high walls of stone in lushly forested Oak Creek Canyon and the wide open space of the Verde Valley, and it was the diversity of this unspoiled landscape that made it such an ideal location to shoot outdoor scenes. Stretching as far back as 1923, Sedona’s signature red rocks were a fixture in major Hollywood productions—including enduring favorites such as Johnny Guitar, Angel and the Badman, Desert Fury, Blood on the Moon, and 3:10 to Yuma—but typically were identified to audiences as the terrain of Texas, California, Nevada, and even Canadian border territory. For fifty years, this picturesque desert outpost quietly played host to Hollywood legends in the making, yet the town is rarely found in standard histories of the movies.

Sedona’s Hollywood legacy offers nothing less than a timeline of history—of moviemaking in America and the popular culture of the years that shaped it. The story begins in the silent era, when Zane Grey’s The Call of the Canyon and Kit Carson, with Joseph P. Kennedy’s doomed movie superstar Fred Thomson, were filmed in the Oak Creek Canyon area just outside Sedona proper. The 1930s saw the arrival of a dozen B westerns, including four visits from silent film idol turned talkie cowboy star George O’Brien and the only Hopalong Cassidy film ever shot outside California. The decade also saw Sedona cast in her most historically significant movie role, as the promised land of milk and honey in Der Kaiser von Kalifornien, a Nazi western designed to validate Adolf Hitler’s schemes of territorial expansion to the people of Germany.

When John Ford’s production of Stagecoach pulled into town in 1938 (a Sedona connection that has eluded historians since the film was made), it set off three solid decades of A-picture activity—forty-four features through 1973, helped along by the construction of Sedona Lodge, the only permanent boarding and production facility ever built specifically for movie crews on remote location in the United States. During those years, many of Hollywood’s biggest names were photographed in front of Sedona’s signature landscape, from Errol Flynn to Gene Tierney, John Wayne to Joan Crawford, James Stewart to Lizabeth Scott, Robert Mitchum to Elvis Presley.

Sedona – which promoted itself as "Arizona's Little Hollywood" – wasn’t only a cinematic romping ground for cowboys. In the years that followed World War II, shadows darkened the scenery to add psychological complexity to a number of early film noir dramas, like Leave Her to Heaven, while at the same time a secret battle involving blacklisted Broken Arrow screenwriter Albert Maltz, a prominent member of the “Hollywood Ten," was being fought on the same dusty ground.^[6]

Fire[link]

The Brins fire of 2006

On June 18, 2006, a wildfire, reportedly started by campers, began about one mile (1.6 km) north of Sedona.^[7] The so-called "Brins Fire" covered 4,317 acres (17 km²) on Brins Mesa, Wilson Mountain and in Oak Creek Canyon before the USDA Forest Service declared it 100% contained on June 28. Containment cost was estimated at $6,400,000.^[8]

Geography and geology[link]

Sedona is located at 34°51′36″N 111°47′21″W / 34.859897°N 111.789199°W / 34.859897; -111.789199,^[9] which is in the Upper Sonoran Desert of northern Arizona. At an elevation of 4,500 feet (1,372 m), Sedona has mild winters and summers.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 18.0 square miles (47 km²), nearly all of it land.

The famous red rocks of Sedona are formed by a layer of rock known as the Schnebly Hill Formation. The Schnebly Hill Formation is a thick layer of red to orange-colored sandstone found only in the Sedona vicinity. The sandstone, a member of the Supai Group, was deposited during the Permian Period.

Climate[link]

Sedona has a temperate high desert climate. In January, the average high temperature is 57°F (14°C) with a low of 31°F (-1°C). In July, the average high temperature is 97°F (34°C) with a low of 64°F (17°C). Annual precipitation is just over 19 inches.^[10]

Panoramic view of Sedona from the "vortex" point near the Sedona airport. The famous bell rock, located on the south side of the "vortex" point, can be seen on the right side of the photo. Major parts of the town are in the middle of the photo. This picture was taken in October, 2009.

Panoramic view of the immediate Sedona area, covering an angle of view of approximately 90 degrees. The line of bare (deciduous) trees at center left marks the course of Oak Creek.

Demographics[link]

Sedona Airport viewed from the south, showing its location atop Airport Mesa

As of the census^[13] of 2000, there were 10,192 people, 4,928 households, and 2,863 families residing in the city. The population density was 548.0 people per square mile (211.6/km²). There were 5,684 housing units at an average density of 305.6 per square mile (118.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 92.17% White, 0.49% Black or African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.94% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 4.29% from other races, and 1.57% from two or more races. 8.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

At the 2000 census there were 7,229 people living in the Yavapai County (western) portion of the city (70.9% of its population) and 2,963 living in the Coconino County (eastern) portion (29.1%). By land area Yavapai had 66.2% of its area, versus 33.8% for Coconino.^[14]

There were 4,928 households out of which 15.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.9% were non-families. 32.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.52.

In the city the population was spread out with 13.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 21.2% from 25 to 44, 35.0% from 45 to 64, and 25.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 50 years. For every 100 females there were 88.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,042, and the median income for a family was $52,659. Males had a median income of $32,067 versus $24,453 for females. The per capita income for the city was $31,350. About 4.7% of families and 9.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.1% of those under age 18 and 5.0% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and special events[link]

Numerous events are hosted annually in the Sedona area, including:

• Sedona Bluegrass Festival [1]
• Sedona International Film Festival
• Sedona Jazz on the Rocks Festival [2]
• Sedona Marathon [3]
• The Sedona Miracle Annual Charity Fundraiser [4]

Sedona is home to several notable arts organizations in Northern Arizona.

• Chamber Music Sedona sponsors a chamber music program annually from October to May. They also sponsor the MET:Live in HD opera broadcasts in Sedona. The 2012-2013 season will mark the 30th anniversary for the organization.
• The Sedona Arts Center, founded in 1958, is the oldest arts center in northern Arizona.
• The Sedona Jazz on the Rocks festival, founded in 1982, takes place annually at Poco Diablo Resort and other locations over four days in late September. According to its Web site, the festival was canceled in 2009 due to the nationwide economic slump but returned in 2011.
• Sedona International Film Festival & Workshop was established in 1995. The week-long annual festival takes place in late February and early March at Harkins Theatres while supplemental events take place at area resorts and restaurants. The festival also hosts monthly events.
• GumptionFest, established in 2006, is one of the largest free music and arts festivals in Northern Arizona, according to the Sedona Red Rock News.[5]
• NORAZ Poets, extant from 2003 to 2007, was a nonprofit poetry network based in Sedona.

Education[link]

Sedona is served by the Sedona-Oak Creek Unified School District.

West Sedona Elementary School, K-8 Located at 570 Posse Ground Rd

[[Red Rock Early Learning Center]], a year-round Preschool program that is designed for children ages 3/4/5 years old. The normal school year runs from August to May each year with a Summer session offered during June and July. Licensed by ADHS. Located in West Sedona Elementary School building 300.

Verde Valley School, a boarding International Baccalaureate high school with many international students, is located between the Village of Oak Creek and Red Rock Crossing. It hosts numerous 'traditions' and performances open to the community. The mascot is the coyote. Total attendance measures about 120 students per year, grades 9-12, Monday through Friday.

Sedona Red Rock High School (SRRHS), built in 1994, is located on the western edge of town in West Sedona. The school's mascot is the Scorpion. The high school's new campus, a series of single story buildings, is located opposite the Sedona campus of Yavapai College.

Sedona Charter School (SCS) is located behind the Sedona Public Library, serving as a Montessori-based school for grades K-8.

Yavapai College's Sedona Center for Arts & Technology includes the Zaki Gordon Institute for Independent Filmmaking, the Business Partnership Program, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and the University of Arizona Mini Med School.

University of Sedona, a non-traditional institute providing ministerial training and education in metaphysics.

Vortices[link]

There is a specialized New Age tourist industry in Sedona, where the "Harmonic Convergence" was organized by Jose Arguelles in 1987. Some purport that "spiritual vortices" (local vernacular is "vortexes") are concentrated in the Sedona area at Bell Rock, Airport Mesa, Cathedral Rock, and Boynton Canyon.^[15][16]

Gallery[link]

See also[link]

Arizona portal

• Chapel of the Holy Cross
• Village of Oak Creek
• Oak Creek Canyon
• Mogollon Rim
• Sedona Airport

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sedona, Arizona

• City website
• Sedona Chamber of Commerce
• Sedona Public Library
• Sedona travel guide from Wikitravel
• Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest
• Oak Creek Canyon information

v t e Municipalities and communities of Coconino County, Arizona, United States County seat: Flagstaff Cities Flagstaff Page Sedona‡ Williams Towns Fredonia Tusayan CDPs Bitter Springs Cameron Doney Park Grand Canyon Village Kachina Village Kaibab‡ Kaibito Lechee Leupp Moenkopi Mountainaire Munds Park Parks Supai Tonalea Tuba City Winslow West‡ Unincorporated communities Bellemont Forest Lakes Gray Mountain Happy Jack Hualapai Hilltop Jacob Lake Marble Canyon North Rim Ryan Valle Winona Indian reservations Hopi Hualapai Havasupai Kaibab Navajo Ghost town Canyon Diablo Footnotes ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties