Wednesday, March 25, 2009
DEAD SEA is really dead!
Yes Dead Sea is really Dead.
The Dead Sea is 67 kilometres (42 mi) long and 18 kilometres (11 mi) wide at its widest point.Unlike it's name, its a salt lake stretching between Israel and West Bank in the west and Jordan in the east.It's 422m below the sea level which is the lowest point on the dry land.'s the saltiest water body of the world with 33.7% salinity.In other words it's water is 8.6 times more saltier then ocean water!
Due to its salinity no life is possible in the water and hence its called 'DEAD SEA'.
Its a major tourist destination with spas,beautiful beaches and pilgrimage spots around it.Millions of people visit this amazing place every year.
A city has come up at its shore called 'living dead sea'!!
Don't know swimming? Don't worry just jump in the water...u will float!!!!
Still looking for a destination for coming vacations? better stop thinking and get ur tickets!
For more information check http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_Sea
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kansai Airport-Sinking Airport!
Kansai Airport is an extra-ordinary feast of an engineering marvel.This man made island is situated 50 km from the center of Osaka city,Japan.This man-made island is 4 km long and 2.5 km wide.This airport is sinking at the rate of 9cm per annum.It's construction is equally amazing!
For full details plz visit the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kansai_International_Airport
Temple of the Rats- Karni Mata
Located in north-western India, the small city of Deshnoke,has a place of worship unlike any other, Rajastan’s famous Karni Mata Temple. The temple is home to over 20,000 worshipped rats, referred to as Kabbas. Many people travel great distances to pay their respects.
For many Westerners this would seem bizarre and strange to have a place of worship over run by an animal that is commonly associated with pestilence and disease. Since the temple was constructed there has never been an outbreak of disease associated with the vermin.
‘This ornate, isolated Hindu temple was constructed by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 1900s as a tribute to the rat goddess, Karni Mata. Intricate marble panels line the entrance and the floors, and silver and gold decorations are found throughout.
“The legend goes that Karni Mata, a mystic matriarch from the 14th century, was an incarnation of Durga, the goddess of power and victory. At some point during her life, the child of one of her clansmen died. She attempted to bring the child back to life, only to be told by Yama, the god of death, that he had already been reincarnated.
Karni Mata cut a deal with Yama: From that point forward, all of her tribespeople would be reborn as rats until they could be born back into the clan.
In Hinduism, death marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one on the path to a soul’s eventual oneness with the universe. This cycle of transmigration is known as samsara and is precisely why Karni Mata’s rats are treated like royalty.”
“Unlike the rest of the world, where rats are commonly killed for inhabiting the same space as humans, in this temple the rat residents are treated with sincere devotion. The veneration is so complete that if someone accidentally steps on a rat and kills it, they are expected to buy a gold or silver rat and place it in the temple as atonement.”
Underground World!
The Kish Qanat in Kariz, Iran is more than 2,500 years old and currently has been converted into an underground town at a depth of 16 meters below the surface, with an area of more than 10,000 sq m. The Qanat is an ancient system found in arid regions that brings groundwater from the mountains, following a water-bearing formation (aquifer), and emerge at an oasis, through a series of tunnels. The tunnels perhaps several kilometers long, are roughly horizontal, with a slope. This allows water to drain out to the surface by gravity to lower and flatter agricultural land. Considered to be the oldest feat of human engineering, this system can be found still working in Iran.
The ancient water provision technology can be described as the greatest contribution made by Iranians to hydraulics. This system must have been started at least 5000 years ago in Iran. The water from the qanat flowed in a natural underground stream between a layer of corals on the surface of the island. The drinking water flowed from northeast of the Island to the sea and after 10 centuries it continues to flow.
There is an entrance fee of Dh. 5 per head. A guide takes you around and explains the salient features of the qanat. The History of Kariz can be found in depth through the Kish Trade Promotion website. Situated in Horasan, Iran, its geographical coordinates are 31° 9′ 5″ North, 60° 23′ 30″ East.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Massive Man Made Holes
One of the world’s biggest holes is located in Russia.
The gaint hole is actually a diamond mine in Eastern Siberia near the town Mirna/?????? . It is 525 meters deep and 1.25 km in the diameter. Mirna’s open pit diamond mine closed operations in 2004 after nearly 50 years. According to bizarre reports air traffic has been suspended due to the “suction above the hole” reporting of extreme downdrafts over the pit.
Which some have claimed have resulted in several helicopter crashes.
Kennecott Mine. is actually the world’s largest man-made excavation. “Kennecott mine looks more like a huge canyon than it does a hole, as compared to the nearly-symmetrical pit in Siberia….Started over a hundred years ago, it pioneered open-pit mining operations. It is located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. It’s 2.5 miles across and 3 quarters of a mile deep. The mine is so big that it can be easily seen from space shuttles in outer space with the naked eye. By comparison, the Mirna diamond mine is only about one-third of a mile deep and less than a mile across.” source
Kennecott Copper Mine, the world’s largest man-made excavation and first open-pit, is located 28 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. 2 ½-miles across, and ¾-mile deep, the mine is so big, it can be seen from space shuttles in outer space!!