Cultures, Customs, Traditions and Rituals - Culture Ledger - Part 2

The Holy Month of Ramadan (Ramzan)

Posted on August 12, 2010 by admin

It’s the holy month of Ramadan now. May Allah’s blessing be on all of you and your family. Ameen. Sum ameen. Blessed are we that we got a chance to fast this year as well. Today I felt like writing something about this blessing of Allah.

Ramadan (Also Ramazan, Ramzan, Ramadhan, Ramdan, Ramadaan) is the ninth month of the Islamic Calender. It comes after Shaban and before Shawal. It is a beautiful month of blessings and forgiveness. It is a month of patience, peace, sharing, good will, understanding, spirituality and unity. It is the Islamic month to keep fast in which Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and all ill doings from dawn till sunset. Fasting is intended to teach Muslims about patience, humility and spirituality. It makes us appreciate the blessings showered upon us by Allah and we realize the pain of the deprived ones. An environment of sharing and spirituality is developed. Muslims believe in submission and supplication in-front of Allah throughout their life in this world and hereafter. In the month of Ramadan we offer more prayer than usual. During Ramadan, Muslims ask forgiveness for past sins, pray for guidance and help in refraining from everyday evils, and try to purify themselves through self-restraint and good deeds. Muslims read, understand and try to follow Quran, they pray and ask for Allah’s blessings.

The Islamic Calender is lunar calender. On the eve of the 29th of Shaban, moon sighting is practiced in Muslim countries. Ramadan begins on that night if moon is sighted else it begins the day after. Peace, happiness and sharing of love and wishes is seen as soon as Ramadan begins. Muslims fast for 29 or 30 days and spend most of their time in praying. During Ramadan the daily activities like eating sehr (the meal Muslims eat before dawn) and aftar (the meal eaten after sunset), sleeping, cooking, working in offices, travelling and all other activities are a source of reward. In Ramadan the reward of each good doing is increased many times and doors of blessing and forgiveness are opened for the believers.

Ramadan is divided in three parts called “Ashras”. The first 10 days make the 1st ashra which is the ashra of blessings. The first Ashra signifies the bestowments of Allah Almighty’s Mercy and Prizes he has in store for the believers and the Pious. The next 10 days are ashra of forgiveness. The Second Ashra signifies the plead of “Astaghfaar”, translated as “Atonement” from Allah Almighty, for all the wrongdoings committed knowingly or unknowingly. The Third Ashra (Third 10 day period of Ramadan) signifies to implore the blessing of Allah Almighty for the safety from the eternally burning fires of “Jahannum”. In the last ashra there is a night known as “Laila tul Qadar” better than 1000 nights in terms of reward and blessings.

Muslims pay Zakat (an Islamic Tax) in the month of Ramadan. Zakat is deducted from the money, property and other savings of the rich and given to the poor. Zakat creates cicrculation of money in the society. This develops love and care and tenders the heart. Zakat purifies the money. Allah gives more to those who give to Allah’s creation. Allah loves those who love mankind. Islam is a religion of peace and love. It is religion of harmony and brotherhood.

At aftar time Muslims enjoy the feast of a variety of tasty food and thank Allah for blessing them with food to eat. On the eve of 29th of Ramadan moon sighting is done again. If moon is sighted then Muslims celebrate Eid ul Fitr (Feast for fast breaking) the next day else Eid ul Fitr is celebrated the day after. Eid ul Fitr is a gift from Allah to the believers. They dress in beautiful and colorful clothes, meet relatives and friends, eat good food and celebrate. It’s the most awaited festival by Muslims. The air during Ramadan and on Eid day is festive and joyous.

Many people think that Muslims are stopped to eat and drink and so Ramadan is a painful activity. It is not so. Ramadan is a gift from our Lord to us. It is a month of blessings and forgiveness. It is a month to purify the hearts, soul and body, to develop love in the society and to circulate money in the society. Muslims enjoy Ramadan more than anything else and blessed are those who get a chance to fast.

Our religion Islam teaches us to refrain from ill doings, spread peace, remain patient and humble and to love mankind. Pakistan is in a state of turmoil. It is facing the biggest flood of history, much bigger than Tsunami and has limited recources. It’s our duty to help our Muslim brothers and sisters and to share their pain. Everything we do matters, no matter how little it may seem to us, it is not little. May all of us have a wonderful Ramadan and may we get the most out of this month. Ameen sum ameen.

Posted in Festivals, Religion | Tagged Fast, Islam, Ramadan, Ramzan | Leave a comment

Marriage (A must read article)

Posted on August 10, 2010 by admin

There are things which I feel like posting. This article is one such article. Am not sure about it’s author neither do I have any idea about it’s original web source. I came across this article on Facebook when a friend of mine shared it over there. It’s a depressing article but a must read. I would like to say that all relationships are made of understanding, friendship, care and love. Relationships are a blessing and we should treat them as one. Give to your relationships what you desire for yourself. The article goes as follows:

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I’ve got something to tell you… She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce… I raised the topic calmly.

She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chop sticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn’t talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn’t love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company…

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn’t have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn’t want anything from me, but needed a month’s notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month’s time and she didn’t want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month’s duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door every morning. I thought she was going crazy… Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife’s divorce conditions… She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully…

My wife and I hadn’t had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don’t tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn’t looked at this woman carefully for a long time… I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn’t tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, “all my dresses have grown bigger…” I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me… she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it’s time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn’t noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office…. jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind…. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won’t divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn’t value the details of our lives, not because we didn’t love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death does apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The sales girl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I’ll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I ran up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed – dead……. I cried and cried uncontrollably and carried her for the last time from the room to the hall with tears streaming down my face and gazing at my only son, his tears rolling from his eyes, they made me cry even more. I had lost my love, my wife and a loving and caring mother and nothing I could do now to put the clock backward… I had all the time now to look at her motionless body in detail but I knew it was going to be only for a short while until she made her last journey to the Lord….. I held my son and wept again and again thinking of all the things I did not do for her when she was still alive……. & placed gently the flowers in her hands with my tears trickling on them……. she was gone forever, all my tears would not bring her back .

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse’s friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don’t share this, nothing will happen to you. If you do, you might just save a marriage.

To those who are married… Not married… and soon to be married

THE TIME IS ALWAYS RIGHT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT

Moral of the story is to value all the things we possess, once they are gone we have nothing but regrets!

Posted in Thoughts | 1 Comment

Merlion – Lion’s Head, Mermaid’s Body (Singapore’s Mascot)

Posted on August 9, 2010 by admin

“Merlion” (Singa-Laut in Malay), a beautiful mascot of Singapore, is an imaginary and fanciful creature, standing as a marvelous symbol of art and imagination at 5 places in Singapore. This marvelous creature has a head of a lion and the body of a mermaid combining courage and beauty. The mascot designed by Fraser Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee and curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, is not based on random ideas but is symbolic. The fish body represents the fishing culture of Singapore and the lion head comes from Singapore’s name “Singapura”, meaning lion city. Via Link

History narrates a story about the birth of Merlion. The discovery and founding of Singapore is linked to this mascot and according to history, Singapore’s founder might have helped imagining Merlion. A Malay prince Sang Nila Utama discovered Singapore while in a look out to find a land of his desire to build a new city. He started searching islands. While on his hunt he went to an island. He was hunting deers when he saw a beautiful island with beaches like white sheet of cloth glistening charmingly under the sunlight. He was awe-stricken by the charm of the land. On inquiring, he came to know that the land was called Temasek.

He had decided to live in this beautiful island, so he planned a visit to the island. On their way to the island, they were stuck in a storm and were forced to throw their belongings in the sea to save the ship from sinking. After reaching the island, he went out in the forests for some hunting and saw an unusual creature with a red body, black head and white breast. He assumed it to be a lion. Later it was proven that Singapore never had inhabited lion. Some say that he declared that it vanished in water. It might have been a tiger or his imagination. He named the city Singapura i.e Lion City. Via Link

The Merlion (Malay: Singa-Laut) is an imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot of Singapore. Its name combines “mer” meaning the sea and “lion“. The fish body comes from Singapore’s ancient name back when it was a fishing village — Temasek — meaning “sea town” in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore’s original name — Singapura — meaning “lion city” or “kota singa”.

The symbol was designed by Fraser Brunner, a member of the Souvenir Committee and curator of the Van Kleef Aquarium, for the logo of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) in use from 26 March 1964 to 1997.^[1] The Merlion continues to be its trademark symbol since 20 July 1966. Although the STB changed their logo in 1997, the STB Act continues to protect the Merlion symbol.^[2] Approval must be received from STB before it can be used. The Merlion appears frequently on STB-approved souvenirs.

Posted in Interesting | 2 Comments

Our Nation – Beautiful Pakistan Video+pictures

Posted on August 5, 2010 by admin

Courtesy: www.koolmuzone.com

Deosai plains and Sheosar Lake

Faisal Mosque

Lake Saif ul Malook

Lake Saif ul Malook

This is found in Buzi Pass, in Hingol National Park, on the Makran Coastal Highway.

Sadpara Lake, Skardu

Abbottabad

Kalabagh

Karambar Lake, Chitral

Upper Khuchur Lake

Naltar

Naltar

Shangrila

Shangrila

Gilgit

Gilgit

Fields in Bhawalpur

Bagh, Kashmir

Dudipatsar Lake

Banjosa, Kashmir

Clifton Beach, Karachi

Posted in Amazing Places, Interesting, Nature's Wonders | Tagged Pakistan | Leave a comment

Crawling Snakes Massaging Your Body – Stress Inducer or Stress Reducer? (Israel)

Posted on July 30, 2010 by admin

Who had ever thought that the notorious, shuddering and spine chilling snakes would be used for warming up the spine and other body parts. The slithery and slippery snake crawls on the body and people let it crawl for $80. This reptile therapy initially available in Israel, is now relished in many places worldwide.

Strangely enough, there are people who like the feel of non-poisonous reptiles sliding down their body. The kneading affect produced by the crawl is thought to bring pleasure and is considered excellent in relaxing the muscles. Heavy snakes are used to put weight on the body and give a better massage by crawling. Face is handled by small snakes. For those who can’t handle the thought of crawling snakes on their body, rats and rodents are available to do the job. Are they any better? Obviously those who want to reduce stress and seek a treatment for the purpose, will find the treatment stress reducing. The treatment might work but again is this the only option available? I find the idea quite creepy and I am left thinking if this treatment is a stress reducer or a stress inducer. What do you think?

Posted in Weird Customs | Tagged Beauty, Israel, Massage, Snake | 1 Comment

Eating of Poisonous Fugu or Pufferfish or Blow Fish (Japan)

Posted on July 29, 2010 by admin

Food and variety of food are a blessing of God for us. Land and sea are full of flavors and food is available in various forms. Over the years, mankind learned to cook and assemble each food in the best way possible. Strangely and weirdly enough, it is a custom in Japan to eat a poisonous fish. The Japanese people choose the poisonous “Fugu or Pufferfish” among so many available delicacies as one of the most desired and craved main course meal.

Fugu, the Japanese word for Pufferfish is a Japanese dish prepared from the meat of pufferfish. Expert preparation and cooking is required because of the fatally and lethally poisonous nature of the fish. This poison is available in Japanese restaurants for $50 and people eat it even after knowing that it is the second most poisonous animal in the world after the “Golden Poison Dart Frog”.

Tetrodotoxin is a lethal poison found in huge amounts in the liver, ovaries, skin and other organs of the fish. Pufferfish eats things which produce this deadly posion. The poison shuts down the electrical signaling in the nerves and paralyzes the body muscles while the victim stays fully conscious, and eventually dies from asphyxiation. Till date, there is no known antidote. The symptoms of Fugu poisoning include severe nausea, loss of balance and dizziness, exhaustion, headache and difficulty to breath. For 50% to 80% of the victims, death follows within four to 24 hours.

From 1603–1868 it’s consumption was prohibited in many areas of Japan. Fugu is also the only delicacy officially forbidden to the Emperor of Japan, for his own safety. After the Japanese defeat in World War II, many people died after eating the discarded poisonous organs from the trashcans. The restaurants today are supposed to dispose them off in secure, locked barrels. The organs are burned after wards. Via Link

I don’t know what is the captivation and fascination in this fish which attracts Japanese taste buds despite being harmful in nature. I see this as a severe risk to life which is a gift of God.

Posted in Weird Customs | Tagged Food, Japan, Korea | 2 Comments

Breathtakingly Beautiful Yet Mysterious Carlsbad Caverns -With Pics (New Mexico)

Posted on July 28, 2010 by admin

People interested in culture are also generally interested in exploring places and tourism. I came across these caves and I was stunned by the beauty of the cave. I started exploring it and the more I explored, the more mysterious it seemed to me. It has an altering nature; at places you will find it breathtakingly beautiful, at times it will have a mysterious streak to it and at some places it’s even scary.

Caves are an underground natural wonder and they do leave us in awe and wonder. We start thinking about the families who must have lived in these caves. Such wonders always leave behind some thoughts and their discovery starts a new research.

Carlsbad Caverns has a beautiful yet simple entrance, an amazing structure and mystical caves within. It’s made of limestone and geologists say that it must have been 250 million years old.

The caves were explored by Jim White with his homemade wire ladder in 1898. When he grew older, most people did not even believe such caves existed. He gave many of the rooms their names, including the Big Room, New Mexico Room, King’s Palace, Queen’s Chamber, Papoose Room, and Green Lake Room. He also named many of the cave’s more prominent formations, such as the Totem Pole, Witch’s Finger, Giant Dome, Bottomless Pit, Fairyland, Iceberg Rock, Temple of the Sun, and Rock of Ages Via Link

The story of the creation goes as follows. The caves were built with the creation of a 400 mile (600 km) long reef in an inland sea that covered this region. This horseshoe shaped reef got it’s structure and ornamentation from the remains of sponges, algae, seashells and from calcite that precipitated directly from the water. The reef developed cracks as it moved seaward. The carrot-like formation clinging tight to the ceiling are stalactites.

It took a few million years for the reef to uncover. Rainwater seeped down into the reef through the cracks, slowly dissolving the limestone. Within few years the chambers or halls were formed within the reef. The most unusual formations in Carlsbad Cavern are helictities. The pressure and force of water gave them their twisting shapes. Via Link

The best time to visit the caves is in August and September and it’s about 2.5 hours long. If you want to capture the site in your camera, take a camera with a good night vision and flashlight. For those interested in visiting the place, you can get the information via the link. Following are few snapshots of the mysterious and beautiful cave.

Posted in Amazing Places, Interesting, Nature's Wonders | Tagged New Mexico, United States | 2 Comments

True Love in All it’s Manifestations

Posted on July 24, 2010 by admin

Epic and legendary love stories are told and retold from one generation to another, prettified and dramatized by poets, sung and celebrated by common folks and reenacted and filmed by filming industry.

I have read and heard a number of such stories. To my sadness and grief the love life of a couple with a tragic or sad end got most of the attention. I feel sad after hearing such ill-fated stories. No doubt these stories touch the soul and melt the hearts but true love does not have to separate always. Separation, tragedy and disaster are not the actual and only measure of true love, nor do the people in love have to be ill-fated and star-crossed always. Once I read somewhere that separation is a wound that no one can heal but remembrance is a gift that no one can steal. I truly agree with this.

Family is the most beautiful thing in this world and I believe that it is the biggest gift from our God to us. Love is the purest feeling that grows between the hearts of a family and keeps them together, caring, loving and supportive. Love is the strongest, purest and most beautiful feeling and has different forms. It is love with our Creator, love between parents and children, love between husband and wife and love among siblings. It makes the heart tender. Love means that those who are in love, live happily together in health and sickness, in happiness and distress, in wealth and poverty and in success and failure. Love simply means sharing.

I have many examples of true love personally seen and witnessed. Today I would like to narrate one such story. It is the story of a couple with a very tender heart, a Muslim Philanthropist couple from Pakistan, Mr Abdul Sattar Edhi and Mrs Bilquis Bano Edhi.

Edhi is a name very famous in Pakistan. They are not politicians neither are they from a very rich family or from an impressive background in terms of wealth and social status. Yet their love for humanity and their noble services for mankind make them great and respectable personalities.

Abdul Sattar Edhi is the founder of the Edhi International Foundation, a private 24 hours, non profit social welfare organization that funds relief efforts. He runs the foundation together with his wife Bilquis Edhi. The foundation was founded by him in 1951 with a mere Rs. 5000 {Approx. $55.56}. The foundation started from a single room in Karachi. It is now the largest welfare organization in Pakistan. The foundation has over 300 centers across the country, in big cities, small towns and remote rural areas, providing services like medical care, emergency services, air and ground ambulances, burial services, mental habitats, old homes, child welfare services, abused women safe houses, training facilities for the disadvantaged, baby cradles, missing persons services, blood and drug banks, family planning, Edhi shelter homes for animals, prisoners aid, refugee assistance, international community centers and emergency assistance. The foundation runs hospitals, diabetic centers, surgical units, a cancer center and mobile dispensaries.

Born in 1928, in Gujrat, Abdul Sattar Edhi started the services in 1951. He bought his first ambulance, an old van which he called the “poor man’s van” and went around the city providing medical help and burying unclaimed bodies. His van became his advertisement. People started knowing him as a down to earth and humble humanitarian with a heart full of love. As time passed by, donations started pouring in and his operations expanded. He started employing additional nurses and staff.

It was here he met his love, his wife Bilquis who was a trainee nurse at the dispensary. Bilquis was just like him, loving, caring and hard working. After many months, Edhi proposed Bilquis to marry him. They were married in 1966. Bilquis became the ideal wife for Edhi. They love each other and spread this love in the society. They have always been supportive of each other. He had little money and a lot of work and she was with him in all his endeavours. They love each other with all their heart. They have struggled together through out their life. It’s almost been 50 years since they got married and the love between their hearts is growing with every passing day. He established Bilquis Edhi Foundation on her name. She heads this foundation and takes care of the destitute women, child care and maternity.

As the saying goes: “There is a woman behind every man”. Bilquis Edhi is a woman of substance, for sure; and she has come a long way with Edhi for a cause that is simply great. They have always been together, whatever the circumstances might be. Abdul Sattar Edhi’s possessions at the time of his marriage were a broken old car and a small dispensary. Apart from the one room, which they use for their living quarters, the rest of the building serves as their workplace in Mithadar, a locality of old Karachi that is full of narrow streets. They have a kitchen and a living room to their possession. She cooks food for him and they do the cleaning themselves. The Edhi family has given many sacrifices through out their life yet the family has a strong bonding. They live with each other and for each other. No doubt they have missed many beautiful memories of their children but they have made many beautiful ones with them too. The love between their hearts is boundless and forever. Their biggest loss was their grandson who died after being burnt by a mentally disabled woman at one of their centers. Via link and link

Now I feel like saying that marriages are made in heaven and are meant to make heaven on earth. Love is beautiful and it makes one beautiful. Whatever it’s form may be, love gives strength, pleasure and peace. Love warms the heart and home. Love is a source of satisfaction and bliss. It completes one’s life. It is a pure emotion which must be respected to sustain it’s purity. Love is giving and not demanding and true love never dies, it only grows. My voice might be small but my message is not. It is my message to all, to love purely and completely and love will brighten your life and the life of your loved ones.

Posted in Thoughts | Tagged Abdul Sattar Edhi, Bilquis Edhi, Edhi International Foundation, Love | 1 Comment

Amazing Yosemite Firefall or Horsetail Falls (California – America)

Posted on July 22, 2010 by admin

Yosemite Firefall or horsetail firefall in Yosemite village, Mariposa County, is a divine, miraculous and heaven-sent vision, a sight which must be relished once in a lifetime. What if i say that the following photo of the 1500ft. long fall, with crimson molten matter has not been photoshoped or edited?

You would think that it’s a fall of lava, hot molten lava erupting from the cliff top and coming crimsonly and violently down the cliff. I also thought the same. But to my surprise, it is not lava or fire but water marvelously flowing down the cliff which under perfect conditions does look like a firefall. This firefall finds it’s explanation in science which supports it’s formation. This waterfall in Yosemite looks like a firefall if it meets two conditions. Firstly, it should be the end of winters and the ice should be melting. The weather should be all misty and cloudy. Secondly, the sun must set at a perfect angle. Once the conditions are met, the waterfall glows like fire. It seems that the water suddenly transformed into fire or the cliff is on fire. All these conditions are met in the last two weeks of February when the snow melts and sun sets at the desired angle. Curious nature loving tourists and photographers come from all over the world to have a look at this remarkable sight. It is best viewed from a picnic area along Northside Drive. If you want to capture the sight, you’ll need at least a 200 zoom lens to get a nice photo. Via Link

History says that the Yosemite Firefall was a summer time practice. This ritual lasted till 1968. Burning hot tree branches were thrown down the hill in a uniform fashion, every night at 9 pm. This gave the look of a firefall. The ritual ended on the orders of the national park services as was not safe and environment friendly. I believe that the glowing firefall seen in February was rebuilt daily by the locals to attract the tourists. Via Link

Enjoy the following You tube videos but I must say that it is a sight which must be witnessed by personally visiting the place.

Posted in Amazing Places, Interesting, Nature's Wonders | Tagged Horsetail Falls, Yosemite Firefall | 3 Comments

Delightful and Lawful Conicidence Captured by Dawn News (Pakistan)

Posted on July 20, 2010 by admin

I saw this picture in the daily paper ” Dawn News” and enjoyed this crow’s lawfulness. It seems that law is being practiced more scrupulously by animals than by humans.

Posted in My Interesting Collection | Tagged Dawn News | Leave a comment