World Television Day - November 21

World Television Day - November 21

Television, or TV for short, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with or without accompanying sound.
Do you ever stop to think about your television? Well, there is a special day to do this. World Television Day started on November 21, 1998.  The United Nations General  Assembly  decided  there should  be  a day to commemorate one of the most revolutionary inventions ever. This date is when the first World Television Forum was held, in 1996. The purpose of this day is to encourage countries to exchange
TV programmes  that  focus on peace and culture. The UN hopes to encourage greater international understanding. The UN also believes that making high quality television shows leads to a well-informed and better-educated public. It also hopes to promote freedom, equal rights and democracy. Television can focus everybody’s attention on the most important issues, including economic and social developments.

Television is one of today’s most powerful communications media which can enhance information exchange as well as mutual understanding between different cultures. Television  is one of the most influential forms of media  in history. We grow up with  it.  Babies learn language from it.  It shapes our ideas and is a
window on the whole world. Television sets first started appearing  in people’s homes in the 1930s. There was only one channel back then and it was in black and white.  Today, we have multi-channel TVs that broadcast programmes live all over the world. We watch wars, floods, presidential inaugurations and sports finals as they happen.  Not everything about TV is good.  Many people blame it for obesity in children,  a  breakdown in family communication and an obsession with celebrity. No one knows what the future of television will be. Maybe computers will replace them.

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Son Doong - the world’s largest cave

Son Doong - the world’s largest cave

The world’s largest cave , called Son Doong, is in a remote jungle area of  Vietnam. Son Doong means “mountain river cave”. 

The huge cave is in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park, which includes one of the largest karst regions in the world. Karst regions are mostly made up of limestone, a type of rock that can dissolve in water. Caves in limestone are formed over millions of years by underground rivers, streams and dripping water.

There are many caves and grottoes in the national park. Grottoes are smaller caves or chambers leading from larger caves and passageways. So far, 20 cave systems have been fully explored in the park, a total length of 70 kilometers. One, called Phong Nha, has unusual rock formations that have been given names such as the “Buddha” or the “Lion”.

A local man discovered the entrance to the Son Doong cave in 1991. However, no one dared go inside because of the strong wind and loud noise coming out of it.

A team of explorers from Britain traveled to Vietnam to investigate the cave in 2009. They found out that a large underground river, which flows through part of the cave, was the cause of both the wind and noise.   

Using special laser measuring devices, they found that in some places the Son Doong cave is around 150 meters wide and 200 meters high. A 40-story building could fit inside it.

Son Doong is nearly nine kilometers long. In one part there is a lake over 200 meters deep. In several places the roof has collapsed, letting sunlight in. 

Before the discovery of Son Doong, the Deer Cave in Malaysia was thought to be the largest in the world. It’s two kilometers long, 100 meters high and 90 meters wide. 

Do make a visit.
Image source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Son_Doong_cave

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Lost World- Mount Roraima

Lost World- Mount Roraima

The Roraima Mount is a huge and high plateau (over 2,700 meters), located on the border of Brazil, Venezuela and the French Guiana hidden between the Amazon Forest and the Venezuelan Grand Savanna. This journey invites adventures to explore this region that is one of the most exotic and mysterious places on entire world.

On the summit of Mount Roraima, you will visit the “Valley of the Crystals”, the labyrinths of towering stone pinnacles, Lake Gladys, the prow, “triple point” (the three way border of Venezuela, Guyana and Brazil) and the Oil Bird ravine (home to the rare echo-location Oil Birds).

About 9 miles (14 km) long and 9,094 feet (2,772 metres) high, it is the source of many rivers of Guyana, and of the Amazon and Orinoco.There is only one ‘easy’ way up, on a natural staircase-like ramp on the Venezuelan side -to get up any other way takes and experienced rock climber.On the top of the mountain it rains almost every day, washing away most of the nutrients for plants to grow and creating a unique landscape on the bare sandstone surface.

This also creates some of the highest waterfalls in the world over the sides (Angel falls is located on a similar tabletop mountain some 130 miles away)It is thought that the reports from early Victorian expeditions to the mountain inspired Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to write his classic adventure yarn, The Lost World, in 1912 now made into countless films.

Mount Roraima rises like an immense fortress above the clouds, towering over the rainforest below. The first explorers who reached the summit of the plateau discovered a plethora of new plant and animal species, including spectacular carnivorous plants, rare animals and birdlife, as well as the most spectacular scenic views in South

America. Revered by indigenous people as the “mother of waters”, this mountain was the destination of numerous exploratory expeditions, especially in the late 19th  and early 20th centuries.

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Tallest monolithic sculpture of the world-Gomateshwara Statue

Tallest monolithic sculpture of the world-Gomateshwara Statue

Shravanabelagola is a city located in the Hassan district, 158 km from Banguluru. The statue of Gommateshvara Bahubali at Sravanabelagola is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in Jainism, one that reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity under the patronage of Western Ganga Dynasty of Talakad. Chandragupta is said to have died here in 298 BC after he became a Jain monk and assumed an ascetic life style. The tallest monolithic stone statue (18m high) of  Gomateshwara, at Shravanabelagola which is a prominent Jain pilgrimage centre.  The statue was errected between AD 980 and AD 983 you have to climb 700 hot granite steps to reach it.

Gommateshwara Monolith stands tall at a height of 58 feet. It is constructed entirely out of granite and depicts Jain saint Gommateshwara, also known as Bahubali, without any clothes. The colossal statue is believed to have been carved out of a single rock and can be seen from as far as 25 km. Since it is situated on a hill, one has to climb around 614 steps to reach the statue. The Monolith of Gomateshwara has been built as per the typical Jain architecture and beautifully represents the exquisite craftsmanship of the Indian artisans.

The body of the saint has been sculpted in perfect proportions and one can feel calmness in his face. There is a very interesting story behind the construction of the Gommateshwara statue. Bahubali was one of the two sons of Adinath, the first of the 24 Jain saints (Tirthankars). He was never interested in the material possessions of his life and gave away the entire kingdom of his father to his brother. Renouncing the world, he underwent rigorous penance and was recognized as Gommateshwara.It is said that Chavundaraya's mother saw a huge statue of Gommateshwara in her dreams. After waking up, she vowed that she would not eat until her dream was converted into reality. Thereafter, Chavundaraya and his mother went on a pilgrimage, in which they came across the two hills at Sravanabelgola already sanctified by the Jains. Chavundaraya decide to build the statue of Gommateshwara on the larger hill and ordered the carving of the monolith out of a boulder that stood on top of the hill.

The image was consecrated in 980 AD. The statue of the Saint Gommateshvara Bahubali in the city is one of the most significant pilgrimage places for Jains and attracts pilgrims from all over the world. There are many antique monuments in and around Shravanabelagola and are of a typical brilliance and expertise executed by the Gangas and Hoysalas. The two renowned monuments situated in the city are Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri. The city has also been named as the "White Pond of the Shravana" as Belagola in Kannad signifies "white pond". It is said that the two persons, named Acharya Bhadrabahu and his disciple Chandragupta Maurya have meditated here. An attraction, Chandragupta Basadi, devoted to Chandragupta Maurya was made by Ashoka in the third century BC adds an extra feather in the cap of Shravanabelagola.

At about 470 feet above the ground, Vindhyagiri is a very famous hill. The 17.38 m high single stone idol of the Lord Gommateshwara also designated as Bahubali is situated above the hill Vindhyagiri or Doddabetta or Indragiri hill. This statue was established by Chavundaraya and is believed to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue.

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The Largest Library In The World-The Library of Congress

The Largest Library In The World-The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress is the world’s largest repository of knowledge and creativity, with a growing collection of more than 150 million items, including books, print materials, sound recordings, photographs, maps, sheet music, motion pictures, and manuscripts. Although books are the heart of the Library, from the volumes of American statesman Thomas Jefferson to the most current material that reflects contemporary culture, there is much more.  The Library supports research in its Main Reading Room and in twenty-one specialty reading rooms; archives millions of priceless objects, including the papers of key figures from around the world; gives a stage to performances of all kinds; creates exhibitions that explore historic and cultural themes; produces a wide range of books and teaching materials; and is a global leader in the science of preservation and information management.

The Library of Congress was established in 1800, when President John Adams signed a bill transferring the seat of the U.S. government to Washington. The legislation described a library of “such books as may be necessary for the use of Congress.”  The initial collection of 740 books and 3 maps was housed in the new Capitol Building until August 1814, when invading British troops burned the building, destroying the small library.

President Thomas Jefferson, then retired and living at Monticello, offered his personal library as a replacement.  In January 1815, Congress appropriated $23,950 to purchase Jefferson’s collection of 6,487 books, and thereby laid the foundation for a great national library. The Jeffersonian belief that all subjects are important to the American legislature is the philosophy that inspires the comprehensive collecting policies of today’s Library of Congress.  The Thomas Jefferson Library exhibition is on view on the second floor.

Facing a shortage of space in the Capitol and concerned about the safety of the collection after two disastrous fires, Congress approved the construction of a separate building for its Library. Opened on November 1, 1897, the new “Congressional Library” was hailed as a glorious national monument.  In 1980, the building was named for Thomas Jefferson in honor of his role in the Library’s history.  Between 1984 and 1997, the building was restored to its original nineteenth-century splendor.

Located in the heart of the nation’s capital, The Library of Congress stands out in many regards, but none as noticeable as its immense size. It is the single largest library in the world, “with more than 130 million items on approximately 530 miles of bookshelves. The collections include more than 29 million books and other printed materials, 2.7 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps, and 58 million manuscripts.”

“It was hailed as a glorious national monument and ‘the largest, the costliest, and the safest’ library building in the world.”

The Library of Congress functions as a branch of the United States government. It is the principal library for the legislative body, though it does duty as a public library as well. Though books may only be used on site, unless by a member of the United States Congress, it is open to anyone above high school age without payment or special permission and it bills itself as “the world's largest library and a great resource to scholars and researchers.” The library is comprised of several divisions including, the Office of the Librarian, Congressional Research Service, U. S.Copyright Office, Law Library of Congress, Office of Strategic Initiatives and Library Services.

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Top Of The World, Baatara Gorge Waterfall

Top Of The World, Baatara Gorge Waterfall

Discovered in 1952 by French bio-speleologist Henri Coiffait, the waterfall and accompanying sinkhole were fully mapped in the 1980s by the Spéléo club du Liban. The cave is also known as the "Cave of the Three Bridges." Traveling from Laklouk to Tannourine one passes the village of Balaa, and the "Three Bridges Chasm" (in French "Gouffre des Trois Ponts") is a five-minute journey into the valley below where one sees three natural bridges, rising one above the other and overhanging a chasm descending into Mount Lebanon. During the spring melt, a 90–100-metre (300–330 ft) cascade falls behind the three bridges and then down into the 250-metre (820 ft) chasm. A 1988 fluorescent dye test demonstrated that the water emerged at the spring of Dalleh in Mgharet al-Ghaouaghir.

Source:   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baatara_gorge_waterfall

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