Lebanon – Baalbek & blue river

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So there was Baal Temple, there was Jupiter, Fire, Moon, Mars and other temples which were there before Romans and before pheonician re-built them ! I was thinking was it some distorted form of Shakta tradition of Sanatan Dharam, which was followed here, because in Shakta tradition, Fire and other planets were worshipped and sacrifices of animals or even humans were present then.

Our guide was a Syrian and he explained so beautifully in perfect English, all the aspects of Baalbeck, quite patiently and in details.

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Bijli Mahadev

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So following our original plan to cover Bijli Mahadev, Rewalsar Lake, Shikari Devi, Kamru Nag Lake, Karsog, Tattapani, we reached Kullu on the morning of 30 July’11. Since there were regular buses plying on this route, it allowed us some time to freshen up and to have a quick breakfast. Later we took a mini bus till a village nearby the shrine from where it is just 2.8 km soft trek passing through some of the villages

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рдбрд╛рдБрдЧрдорд╛рд▓ рдХреЗ рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдЬрдВрдЧрд▓реЛрдВ рдХреЗ рд╡рд┐рдЪрд░рдг рдореЗрдВ рдмреАрддреА рд╡реЛ рд╕реБрдмрд╣…..

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рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдХреЗ рдЬрдВрдЧрд▓ рджрд▓рджрд▓реА рдФрд░ рдирдордХреАрди рдкрд╛рдиреА рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рджреБрд╖реНрдХрд░ рдЗрд▓рд╛рдХреЗ рдореЗрдВ рдЕрдкрдиреЗ рдЖрдкрдХреЛ рдХрд┐рд╕ рддрд░рд╣ рдкреЛрд╖рд┐рдд рдкрд▓реНрд▓рд╡рд┐рдд рдХрд░рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдпреЗ рддрдереНрдп рднреА рдмреЗрд╣рдж рджрд┐рд▓рдЪрд╕реНрдк рд╣реИред рдЕрдкрдирд╛ рднреЛрдЬрди рдмрдирд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдХреЛ рднреА рдлреНрд░реА рдЖрдХреНрд╕реАрдЬрди рдПрд╡рдореН рдЦрдирд┐рдЬ рд▓рд╡рдгреЛрдВ рдХреА рдЖрд╡рд╢реНрдпрдХрддрд╛ рд╣реЛрддреА рд╣реИред рдЪреВрдВрдХрд┐ рдпреЗ рдкрд╛рдиреА рдореЗрдВ рд╣рдореЗрд╢рд╛ рдбреВрдмреА рджрд▓рджрд▓реА рдЬрдореАрди рдореЗрдВ рдкрд▓рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЗрд╕рд▓рд┐рдП рдЗрдиреНрд╣реЗрдВ рднреВрдорд┐ рд╕реЗ рдирд╛ рддреЛ рдЖрдХреНрд╕реАрдЬрди рдорд┐рд▓ рдкрд╛рддреА рд╣реИ рдФрд░ рдирд╛ рд╣реА рдЦрдирд┐рдЬ рд▓рд╡рдгред рдкрд░ рдкреНрд░рдХреГрддрд┐ рдХреА рд▓реАрд▓рд╛ рджреЗрдЦрд┐рдП рдЬреЛ рдЬрдбрд╝реЗ рдЕрдиреНрдп рдкреМрдзреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рдЬрдореАрди рдХреА рдЧрд╣рд░рд╛рдЗрдпреЛрдВ рдореЗрдВ рднреЛрдЬрди рдмрдирд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдП рдлреИрд▓ рдЬрд╛рддреА рд╣реИрдВ рд╡рд╣реА рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдореЗрдВ рдКрдкрд░ рдХреА рдУрд░ рдмрд░рдЫреА рдХреЗ рдЖрдХрд╛рд░ рдореЗрдВ рдмрдврд╝рддреА рд╣реИрдВред рдЗрдирдХреА рдКрдВрдЪрд╛рдИ 30 рд╕реЗрдореА рд╕реЗ рд▓реЗрдХрд░ 3 рдореАрдЯрд░ рддрдХ рд╣реЛ рд╕рдХрддреА рд╣реИред рдЬрдбрд╝ рдХреА рдмрд╛рд╣рд░реА рд╕рддрд╣ рдореЗрдВ рдЕрдиреЗрдХ рдЫрд┐рджреНрд░ рдмрдиреЗ рд╣реЛрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдЬреЛ рд╣рд╡рд╛ рд╕реЗ рдЖрдХреНрд╕реАрдЬрди рд▓реЗрддреЗ рд╣реИрдВ рдФрд░ рдирдордХреАрди рдЬрд▓ рдореЗрдВ рдШреБрд▓реЗ рд╕реЛрдбрд┐рдпрдо рд▓рд╡рдгреЛрдВ рд╕реЗ рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдХреЛ рдЫреБрдЯрдХрд╛рд░рд╛ рджрд┐рд▓рд╛рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред рдореИрдирдЧреНрд░реЛрд╡ рдХреА рдкрддреНрддрд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреА рд╕рдВрд░рдЪрдирд╛ рднреА рдНрд╕реА рд╣реЛрддреА рд╣реИ рдЬреЛ рд╕реЛрдбрд┐рдпрдо рд▓рд╡рдг рд░рд╣рд┐рдд рдЬрд▓ рдХреЛ рдЬрд▓реНрдж рд╣реА рд╡рд╛рд╖реНрдкреАрдХреГрдд рдирд╣реАрдВ рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рджреЗрддреАред

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рдпрдореБрдиреЛрддреНрд░реА рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛- рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рд╕реЗ рд╣рдиреБрдорд╛рдирдЪрдЯреНрдЯреА

рдпрдореБрдиреЛрддреНрд░реА рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛- рджрд┐рд▓реНрд▓реА рд╕реЗ рд╣рдиреБрдорд╛рдирдЪрдЯреНрдЯреА

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рдЕрдм рдореБрдЭреЗ рдХрдо рд╕реЗ рдХрдо рдиреМ рдШрдгреНрдЯреЗ рддрдХ рджреЗрд╣рд░рд╛рджреВрди рдореЗрдВ рд╣реА рд░рд╣рдирд╛ рдерд╛ред рд╕рдордп рдмрд┐рддрд╛рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рд▓рд┐рдпреЗ рдореИрдВ рд╕рд╣рд╕реНрддреНрд░рдзрд╛рд░рд╛ рдЪрд▓рд╛ рдЧрдпрд╛ред рдЪреВрдВрдХрд┐ рд░рд╛рдд рдХрд╛ рд╕рдлрд░ рдерд╛, рдпрд╣ рд╕реЛрдЪрдХрд░ рдореИрдВ рд╕рд╣рд╕реНрддреНрд░рдзрд╛рд░рд╛ рд╕реЗ рд╡рд╛рдкрд╕ рдЖрдХрд░ рджреЗрд╣рд░рд╛рджреВрди рд░реЗрд▓рд╡реЗ рд╕реНрдЯреЗрд╢рди рдкрд░ рдЦрд╛рд▓реА рдкрдбреА рдмреЗрдВрдЪ рдкрд░ рд╣реА рд╕реЛ рдЧрдпрд╛ред рд╢рд╛рдо рдХреЛ рд╕рд╛рдд рдмрдЬреЗ рд╕реЛрдпрд╛ рдерд╛, рдЖрдВрдЦ рдЦреБрд▓реА рд╕рд╛рдвреЗ рджрд╕ рдмрдЬреЗред рд╡реЛ рднреА рдкрддрд╛ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдХреИрд╕реЗ рдЦреБрд▓ рдЧрдпреАред рдордиреНрдж рдордиреНрдж рд╣рд╡рд╛ рдЪрд▓ рд░рд╣реА рдереА, рдореБрдЭреЗ рдХреБрдЫ рдердХрд╛рди рднреА рдереА рдФрд░ рд╕рдмрд╕реЗ рдмрдбреА рдмрд╛рдд рдХрд┐ рдордЪреНрдЫрд░ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдереЗред

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Lebanon – Paradise lost !!

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Once upon a time… there was Lebanon which was called “Paris of Middle East”…and then something happened and the Paris and Pearl of the Middle East.. changed from heaven to hell…. Let us have a look and see what Lebanon has to offer now for Ghumakkars !

It was 2004 and I boarded Air India flight from New Delhi to Dubai for my journey to Lebanon.

The coastal plain of Lebanon is the historic home of a string of coastal trading cities of Semitic culture, which the Greeks termed Phoenicia, whose maritime culture flourished there for more than 5000 years. Ancient ruins in Byblos, Berytus (Beirut), Sidon, Sarepta(Sarafand), and Tyre show a civilized nation, with urban centres and sophisticated arts. Present-day Lebanon was a cosmopolitan centre for many nations and cultures. Its people roamed the Mediterranean seas, skilled in trade and in art, and founded trading colonies. They were also the creators of the oldest known 24-letter alphabet, a shortening of earlier 30-letter alphabets such as Proto-Sinaitic and Ugaritic.

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A Visit to the Mahazat As-Said Wildlife Reserve

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тАитАитАитАитАиTime to tell you about the mammals that we saw┬аThey include the famous┬аArabian Oryx, the Reem Gazelle and the Idni Gazelle.┬аThe Oryx is a long-horned animal that is feared for its ability to kill with its horns. However, within the reserve, it is remarkably docile as it has been trained to expect food and water at appointed times. At the time of writing this, there are more than 650 of these animals in the As-said reserve. According to Mr. Moayyed, the reserve is already full to above its capacity to hold these animals, and it only┬аbecause of the controlled conditions that the animals are able to survive, thrive and┬аbreed over here.

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Glimpses of Santiniketan

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Santiniketan is a name which evokes memories of Rabindranath Tagore and the Nobel Price. Of the Viswa Bharathi University, of art and culture, peace and tranquility. A visit to Kolkatta is incomplete without a visit to Santiniketan. I had an opportunity to visit the place last December and have tried to give some glimpses of the cultural ethos of the place

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Ghumakkar Insights – Maya, Chitrachor, and Plagiarism

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Permit me to narrate an anecdote about a fictitious schoolgirl called Maya. Her class is given an assignment to write an essay titled тАЬMy most memorable tripтАЭ. She had just returned from a visit to the famous Vaishno Devi shrine and decided to write about it. However, when she started writing, she did not know what to write about other than it was an enjoyable visit and the atmosphere in the temple was very spiritual. Maya decided to use the internet to get more facts about the place. She used bits and pieces from everywhere, stitches together an essay and proudly submits her essay to her teacher.

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Portsmouth & Spinnaker Tower – Day 15

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Today was our 15th and second-last day in England. Our plan for the day was to be at the beach in the morning, then go to see the Spinnaker Tower in Gunwharf Quay in the afternoon, and finally take our Coach back to London (weтАЩre in Portsmouth, remember?)

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