Mehrangarh Fort of Jodhpur, India

Mehrangarh Fort, located in Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan, is a massive fort located on a hill 400 feet above the city. Its walls are up to 36 meters high and 21 meters wide. Inside these imposing thick walls, there are gardens, courthouses, several palaces known for their intricate carvings and expansive courtyards, elaborate balconies, arched galleries, and heavily ornamented private residences. Looking straight down a perpendicular cliff, the famously impregnable fort is an imposing landmark, especially at night, when it's bathed in yellow light.

The approach to the fort is guarded by no fewer than seven huge gates. The first gate, the Victory Gate, was built by Maharaja Man Singh to commemorate his victories over Jaipur and Bikaner armies. Fattehpol (also meaning 'victory') gate was built by Maharaja Ajit Singh to mark the defeat of the Mughals. The palm imprints upon these made by 15 royal satis (Jodhpur queens who burnt themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands), still attract much attention even today.



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Past the gates, the fort-palace takes one's breath away. Across from huge courtyards are the set wings of palatial apartments that have been built over five centuries of bristling history. Today, managed as a museum by the royal trust, only some of the more spectacular palaces of Meharangarh are open to the visitors. These consists of Moti Mahal (Palace of Pearls) with its pierced screen windows overlooking the coronation seat where the Rathore ruler have been ritually anointed to rule; Jhanki Mahal (Palace of Glimpses), from where the royal ladies watched the official proceedings in the courtyard; the royal Darbar Takhat or throne room with its octagonal throne; and the Rang Mahal (Palace of Colors) where the maharaja would play Holi with his wives. Also noteworthy are Sheesh Mahal, Phool Mahal, Umaid Vilas and Maan Vilas.

The various buildings inside the fort now serve as museums which hosts a well preserved collection of musical instruments, palanquins, furniture and cannons on the fort's ramparts.

Mehrangarh Fort was built in the 15th century by Rao Jodha when he shifted his capital from nearby Mandore to Jodhpur. The foundation of this fort was laid on 12th May, 1459 by Jodha himself on a rocky hill six miles south of Mandore. This hill was known as Bhaurcheeria, the mountain of birds. According to legend to build the fort he had to displace the hill's sole human occupant, a hermit called Cheeria Nathji, the lord of birds. Upset at being forced to move Cheeria Nathji cursed Rao Jodha with "Jodha! May your citadel ever suffer a scarcity of water!". Rao Jodha managed to appease the hermit by building a house and a temple in the fort very near the cave the hermit had used for meditation. Jodha then took an extreme measure to ensure that the new site proved propitious; he buried a man alive in the foundations. The man was Rajiya Bambi (Meghwal) and he was promised that in return his family would forever more be looked after by the Rathores. It was a promise that has been honored and Rajiya's descendants continue to live in Raj Bagh, Rajiya's Garden, the estate bequeathed by Jodha.



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Source: Rajasthan Tourism India, Wikipedia




By Kaushik

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Dog sold for $ 1.5 million – Red Tibetan Mastiff

This Red Tibetan Mastiff breed named Big Splash is now considered to be the most expensive pet dog in the world. The 11-month-old dog was purchased by a coal baron from the north of China for a whopping $1.5 million. Big Splash or Hong Dong in Chinese is a perfect specimen according to it’s breeder, Lu Liang. Along with expensive jewelry and cars, the Red Tibetan mastiff has become a status symbol in China as a way for the rich to show off their wealth. This dog breed is an ancient descendant of animals kept by nomadic Chinese tribes. They can weigh up to 182 pounds. The heaviest was 286 pounds.

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The “Floating” Lake Palace of Udaipur

Like a shimmering mirage in the middle of Lake Pichola, Lake Palace is easily one of India’s most famous hotels. The palace was built between 1743 and 1746 under the direction of the Maharana Jagat Singh II, the 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar of Udaipur, Rajasthan as a royal summer palace and was initially called Jan Niwas after its founder. The palace is built on a natural foundation of 4 acres rock on the Jag Niwas island. When the water level is high, it hides all traces of the island and the palace appears to be almost floating in the water.

After serving as a summer resort to by the descendants of Jagat Singh for many generations, it was converted in a luxury hotel in the 1960s. In 1971, Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces took over management of the hotel and expanded it with another 75 rooms. Today, the opulent interiors and the Royal Butler service give guests a glimpse into a bygone era, while the shuttling by boat to and from shore is an altogether wonderfully wistful experience. Its 83 rooms and suites are fitted with beautifully carved wooden furniture, colourful murals and rich silk upholstery underneath the jharokhas.

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Lake Palace on the dried out lake. Photo credit

By Kaushik

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The Shadow of Mount Rainier

All objects, big or small, cast shadows and so do mountains. However, one particular peak displays a peculiar behavior – it cast shadows not on the ground, but up in the clouds. How does that happen?

Mount Rainier is a massive volcanic peak located 87 km southeast of Seattle in the state of Washington, United States, that climbs to a height of 4,392 meters. There are no other mountains anywhere near that height in the surroundings, so it is topographically the most prominent mountain in the entire United States. On clear days the peak dominates the southeastern horizon and can be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon and Victoria, British Columbia. But on a cloudy morning, when the cloud heights are just right, the rising sun can catch the peak from below and cast a long shadow on the underside of the cloud.

This only happens during the fall and winter when the sun rises farther to the south, and is in the exact position where Mount Rainier blocks the first rays of morning light. This particular image was shot on the morning of October 26th, 2011. Photo byNick Lippert

Photo taken on December 31, 2012 by Michael T

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By Kaushik

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Street Art by Natalia Rak

Natalia Rak is one of the most exciting painters and street artists to emerge in Poland’s contemporary art scene. Born in 1986, Natalia received a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Lodz, Poland, specializing in graphic arts. A couple of years ago Rak started getting into street art murals, doing larger than life portraits with many taking up the entire sides of buildings. Her work has been exhibited throughout Europe, and she has made waves at some of the continent’s most prestigious street art events, most recently at the 2012 Walk and Talk Festival on Madeira Island in the Portuguese Azores.

via Designcollector

By Kaushik

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Preparing for the Apocalypse: Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Endangered species such humpback whales and rhinoceros often grab the headlines, but plant life is under threat too. Fruits and vegetables that humans have been growing for millennia are dying out as we speak. One study found that out of more than 8,000 crop varieties grown in the US in 1903, only 600 remained by 1983. What will happen in the event of a global nuclear war, an asteroid strike or even catastrophic climate change? Will there by enough species left to restart a civilization? The solution – a Noah's ark for seeds.

Located approximately 1,300 kilometers south of the North Pole, on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, in an underground cavern, lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – a large fortress that can hold up to 4.5 million seed varieties. Often called the “Doomsday” Seed Vault, the Svalbard Seed Vault is the world’s insurance policy against botanical disasters, so that food production can be restarted anywhere on the planet following a regional or global catastrophe.

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Although the popular press depicts the vault as a way of providing refugee for seeds in the case of major global catastrophe, it’s more frequently utilized when genebanks lose samples due to mismanagement, accident, equipment failures, funding cuts and natural disasters, which seems to occur with some regularity. There are some 1,400 seed banks around the world, but many are in politically unstable or environmentally threatened nations. In recent years, some national genebanks have also been destroyed by war and civil strife.

The vault was started by Cary Fowler in association with the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), and is construction was funded (US$9 million) entirely by the government of Norway. Storage of seeds in the seed vault is free-of-charge, and operational costs are paid by Norway and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Primary funding for the Trust comes from organizations, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and from various governments worldwide

The vault was opened in 2008, and within the first year, around 400,000 seed samples were in storage. Samples came in from Ireland, the U.S., Canada, Switzerland, Colombia, Mexico and Syria. As of March 2013, the number of distinct samples rose to 770,000.

The vault is constructed 120 meters inside a sandstone mountain at Svalbard on Spitsbergen Island. The location was considered ideal due to its lack of tectonic activity and its permafrost, which will aid preservation. Being located 130 meters above sea level will ensure that the site remains dry even if the icecaps melt.

Seeds are packaged in special four-ply packets and heat sealed to exclude moisture. Locally mined coal provides power for refrigeration units that store the seeds at −18 °C (0 °F). Even if the equipment fails, at least several weeks will elapse before the temperature rises to the −3 °C (27 °F) of the surrounding sandstone bedrock. To maintain security, motion sensors and a webcam monitor the door. The control tower at the local airport has a direct view of the site, which is kept well lit during the dark winter months.

Running the length of the building's flat roof and down the front face to the doors of the building's concrete entry is a work of art that marks the location of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault from a great distance. The the Norwegian artist Dyveke Sanne was commissioned to make the light installation. The roof and vault entrance are filled with highly reflective stainless steel, mirrors, and prisms. The installation acts as a beacon, reflecting polar light in the summer months, while in the winter, a network of 200 fibre-optic cables gives the piece a muted greenish-turquoise and white light.

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Source: Wikipedia, BBC, Wired

By Kaushik

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