Monks wearing masks perform a ritual dance on the second and last day of a festival in Hemis Gompa, 45 km (28 miles) southeast of Leh July 11, 2011. The Hemis Gompa is the oldest and biggest monastery in adakh. The annual festival celebrates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Lamaism (an off-shoot of Buddhism) in the eighth century. The festival is marked by ritual dancing in which dancers wear masks representing deities...
Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World. Show all posts
Photos From Space by Astronaut Douglas Wheelock
Written By kalpa on Friday, July 8, 2011 | 6:11 AM
Wheelock has been posting impressive photos of the Earth and some of his thoughts ever since he moved into the space station in June, five months after it got Internet access. Needless to say, the pictures are stunning.
Here is a small collection of some of his best pictures.
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Here is a small collection of some of his best pictures.
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Greek islands on a clear night during our flight over Europe.
Athens shine brightly along the Mediterranean Sea.
Unreal feeling arises when one sees the beauty of the ancient earth from space.

'Mystery Island' ...located in the Indian Ocean close to Madagascar.
Interesting features on the island and the unusual shape should be enough
to help you discover this beautiful place.
Athens shine brightly along the Mediterranean Sea.
Unreal feeling arises when one sees the beauty of the ancient earth from space.
'Mystery Island' ...located in the Indian Ocean close to Madagascar.
Interesting features on the island and the unusual shape should be enough
to help you discover this beautiful place.
Northern lights in the distance in one of the finest nights over Europe.
The photo clearly shows the Strait of Dover. Paris is dazzling with the city lights.
A little fog over the western part of England, particularly over London.
The moon is breathtaking
Of all the places of our beautiful planet few can rival
the beauty and richness of colors in the Bahamas.
In this photo, our ship is seen against the backdrop of the Bahamas.
At a speed of 28,163 kilometers per hour (8 kilometers per second), we rotate the Earth's orbit,
making one revolution every 90 minutes, and watch sunsets and sunrises every 45 minutes.
So half of our journey is in darkness.
For the work we use lights on our helmets.
Every time I look out the window and see our beautiful planet, my soul sings!
I see blue skies, white clouds and bright blessed day.
Another spectacular sunset.
We see 16 such sunsets each day, and each of them is really valuable.
Beautiful atoll in the Pacific Ocean, photographed using 400mm lens.
Approximately 1930 km south of Honolulu.
Perfect reflection of sunlight in the eastern Mediterranean.
Above the center of the Atlantic Ocean, before another stunning sunset.
Downstairs in the setting sun visible spiral Hurricane Earl.
A little farther east, we saw a sacred monolith Uluru, better known as Ayers Rock Rock.
I have never had the opportunity to visit Australia,
but someday I hope that I will stand by this miracle of nature.
Morning over the Andes in South America. I do not know for sure the title of this peak,
but was simply amazed by her magic, stretching to the sun and wind tops.
Over the Sahara desert, approaching the ancient lands and thousand-year history.
River Nile flows through Egypt by the Pyramids of Giza in Cairo.
Further, the Red Sea, Sinai Peninsula, Dead Sea, Jordan River,
as well as the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea and Greece on the horizon.
Night view of the River Nile, stretching like a snake through Egypt to the
Mediterranean, and Cairo, located in the Delta.
Far away in this picture, one can see the Mediterranean Sea.
Our unmanned 'Progress 39P' approaches to the ISS for refueling.
It is full of food, fuel, spare parts and all necessities for our station.
Inside was a real gift - fresh fruit and vegetables.
What a miracle after three months of food from a tube!
I wanted to share with you this view from the Dome.
We said goodbye to the members of our group Sasha, Misha and Tracy this weekend,
and they returned safely back to Earth.
In this photo, Tracy quietly dreams of returning home.
Module Union 23C Olympus docked with the ISS .
When our work ends here, we go back home to Earth.
We fly over the snow-capped peaks of the Caucasus.
The rising sun is reflected from the Caspian Sea.
The flash of color, movement and life on the canvas of our amazing world.
This is part of the Great Barrier Reef off the east coast of Australia,
photographed through the lens of 1200 mm.
All the beauty of Italy, a clear summer night.
You can see many beautiful islands that adorn the coast -
Capri, Sicily and Malta. Naples and Mount Vesuvius are allocated along the coast.
At the southern end of South America lies the pearl of Patagonia.
The amazing beauty of rugged mountains, massive glaciers, fjords
and seas combined in perfect harmony.
"Dome" on the side of nadir station gives a panoramic view of our beautiful planet.
Fedor made the picture from the window of the Russian docking compartment.
In this photo I'm sitting in the dome, preparing the camera
for our evening flight over Hurricane Earl.
Florida and southeastern U.S. in the evening.
A clear autumn evening, the moonlight over the water and sky,
dotted with millions of stars.
Clear starry night over the eastern Mediterranean.
The ancient land with a thousand years of history stretching from Athens to Cairo.
Historical land of fabulous and alluring island ...
Athens - Crete - Rhodes - Izmir - Ankara - Cyprus - Damascus -
Beirut - Haifa - Amman - Tel Aviv - Jerusalem - Cairo -
all of them turned into tiny lights in this cool November night.
In this time of year you can enjoy the beauty of the polar mesospheric clouds.
With our high-angle illumination, we were able to capture
a thin layer of noctilucent clouds at sunset.
Vesak Day Celebrations Around The World
Written By kalpa on Friday, June 3, 2011 | 5:38 AM
Vesak Day May 18, 2011
Commonly called "Budda's birthday," Vesak Day is a time for Buddhists worldwide to come together and celebrate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. The commemorations range from meditations and quiet prayers to alms giving events to long colorful processions. In Indonesia, such events take place at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument, making it the most visited tourist attraction in the country. Vesak is observed every year during the full moon occurring in May or June. -- Lloyd Young
Buddhists carry candles while encircling a large Buddha statue during Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, at a temple in Nakhon Pathom province on the outskirts of Bangkok May 17. This year marks 2600th anniversary of Buddha's enlightenment. The image was taken using a long exposure. (Chaiwat Subprasom/Reuters)
Buddhists monks attend a ceremony during Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, at Wat Dharmmakaya in Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok May 17. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
Indonesian muslim woman with Buddhist followers release a lantern into the air at the Borobudur temple during Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17 in Magelang, Indonesia. Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument anually, which makes it the most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. It is observed during the full moon in May or June, with the ceremony centred at three Buddhist temples by walking from Mendut to Pawon and ending at Borobudur. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhist monks pray at Borobudur temple in Magelang, Indonesia. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
A giant Vesak Day display featuring a seated Buddha during the annual Buddhist festival in Colombo, Sri Lanka. (Lakruwan Wanniatachchi/AFP/Getty Images)
Buddhist followers in meditation at the Borobudur temple during Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17 in Magelang, Indonesia. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhist monks join the procession from Mendut temple to Borobudur temple on Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17 in Magelang, Indonesia. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhist followers light candles at the Borobudur temple during Vesak Day. Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument anually, which makes it the most visited tourist attraction in Indonesia. It is observed during the full moon in May or June. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhist followers release a lantern into the air at Borobudur temple during Vesak Day. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhists carry candles while encircling Wat Dharmmakaya during Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death in Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
Buddhist monks wash and sprinkle flowers on the statue of reclining Buddha at the Dhammadipa Arama temple in Malang town in Eastern Java province as they celebrate Vesak Day on May 17. (Aman Rochman/AFP/Getty Images)
A Buddhist monk uses a radio as he gives instructions to others arriving for a prayer during Vesak Day, an annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, at Wat Dharmmakaya in Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok May 17. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
A resident gives a donation to Buddhists monks ahead of a Vesak Day procession in Magelang, central Java, May 16. Buddhists in Indonesia will celebrate Vesak Day on Tuesday to honor the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha. (Dwi Oblo/Reuters)
A Sri Lankan street vendor speaks with a customer as lanterns hang for sale on the eve of Vesak Festival in Colombo on May 16, 2011 as the predominantly Buddhist country awaits the celebration of Vesak on the full moon. Vesak is a thrice-blessed day for Buddhists as it commemorates the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha. On Vesak Day, lanterns made from bamboo frames and decoratedd in coloured paper are hung inside every home and illuminated displays decorate the streets. (Lakruwan Wanniarachchi/AFP/Getty Images)
Buddhist monks attend an alms offering ceremony in Bangkok's shopping district May 8. Buddhist monks, numbering 12,600, according to organisers, attended the ceremony on Vesak Day, the annual celebration of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. The event was organised to pay homage to the Lord Buddha and to give moral support to the Buddhist monks and novices from the troubled southern provinces of Thailand. This year marks 2600th anniversary of the Buddha's enlightenment. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
Thousands of Buddhist monks walk among believers during an alms offering ceremony in Bangkok's shopping district May 8. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
A Buddhist monk prays at Borobudur temple on Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Taken with a long exposure Buddhists carry candles while encircling Wat Dharmmakaya during Vesak Day, in Pathum Thani province, on the outskirts of Bangkok May 17. (Damir Sagolj/Reuters)
A full moon is seen at Borobudur temple during Vesak Day, commonly known as 'Buddha's birthday', at the Borobudur Mahayana Buddhist monument on May 17 in Magelang, Indonesia. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Devotees scatter flower petals on a Buddha statue on the occasion of Buddha Purnima festival, also know as Vesak Day, in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad May 17. (Amit Dave/Reuters)
Buddhist monks from Bangladesh parade on a street during a ceremony to mark the religious week coinciding with Vesak, or the Buddha Full Moon Day, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Sunday, May 15. (Eranga Jayawardena/Associated Press)
Buddhist monks give holy flowers to Budhist members as they join the procession from Mendut temple to Borobudur temple on Vesak Day. (Ulet Ifansasti/Getty Images)
Buddhist devotees release flying lanterns during Vesak Day celebrations at the ancient Borobudur temple in Magelang town in Central Java province on May 17. The temple believed to be built in the 8th century becomes the center of prayer and devotion on Vesak Day, as Buddhists in the predominantly Muslim Indonesia commemorates the birth, enlightenment and the passing away of the Buddha. (Clara Prima/AFP/Getty Images)
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