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What is the TAJ MAHAL?
The Taj Mahal is a love story, a sad and beautiful one. If it didn't exist, we could easily imagine that the story of its construction was simply a fairy tale.
In the year 1630, this beloved wife of the emperor died. He was so brokenhearted that he thought of giving up his throne, He decided,out of love for his wife, to build her the most beautiful tomb that had ever been seen.
He summoned the best artists and architects from India, Turkey, Persia, and Arabia, and finally, the design was completed. It took more than twenty thousand men working over a period of 18 years to build the Taj Mahal, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.
The MOAI in Easter island
When we think of Eastern Island we think of of huge stone carved figures - monoliths- that dot the coastline. They are called Moai - (pronounced moe-eye). Moai are statues carved of compressed volcanic ash on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). The statues are all monolithic, that is, carved in one piece. However, less than about one-fifth of the statues that were moved to ceremonial sites and then erected once had red stone cylinders pukau placed on their heads. These "topknots," as they are often called, were carved in a single quarry known as Puna Pau. About 95% of the 887 moai known to date were carved out of compressed volcanic ash at Rano Raraku, where 394 moai still remain visible today. Recent GPS mapping in the interior will certainly add additional moai to that count. The quarries in Rano Raraku appear to have been abandoned abruptly, with many incomplete statues still in situ.
Africa
Africa is often called the cradle of humanity. It was in Africa that humans first arose long, long ago. From Africa, these people migrated into Asia, Europe, Australia, and the Americas.
Today, Africa is home to a remarkable variety of people and cultures. It is a land of striking contrasts and wild beauty. It is also a place facing many problems, including war, starvation, poverty, and disease.
A VAST CONTINENT
Africa is the second largest of Earth’s seven continents, after Asia. It accounts for nearly one-quarter of the world’s land.
Karni Mata Temple & The Rat
Karni Mata Temple, 30 miles south of Bikaner in Deshnoke, is one of the strangest holy spots in India. We left Bikaner and were on route to Jodhpur when Bela asked us if we wanted to stop at the "Rat Temple" which was on our way. We had read about the temple in our guide books and the thought of rats running around made us a little squeamish. However, we agreed to stop and found the rats quite small and harmless.
The Karni Mata Temple was built by Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 20th century in the late Mughal style. The entrance, pictured here, is lavishly decorated with beautifully sculptured marble panelling full of intricate patterns, and delicately worked doorways, colonnades, pavilions and balconies.
Asia
Imagine mountains that seem to touch the sky and long rivers that wind through rich farmland. Imagine lush tropical rain forests full of unusual animals and huge cities teeming with millions of people. Imagine all of this and you’ll have an idea of what Asia is like.
LAND OF EXTREMES
Asia is a land of extremes. It’s the biggest of the seven continents. In fact, it covers about 30 percent of all the world’s land. Asia is so big it touches Europe in the west and nearly reaches North America in the east!