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Saturday, 31 August 2013

Skagit Valley, Washington, USA

Skagit Valley, Washington, USA

The Skagit Valley lies in the northwestern corner of the state of Washington, USA. Its defining feature is the Skagit River, which snakes through local communities which include the seat of Skagit County, Mount Vernon, as well as Sedro-Woolley, Concrete, Lyman-Hamilton, and Burlington.
The local newspaper is Skagit Valley Herald, published in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Between 1967 and 1983, there was a plan by Puget Sound Power and Light Co. to build two nuclear power plants in Skagit Valley, but due to controversy, these plans were shelved.

Source:Wikipedia
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Kew Gardens, London

Kew Gardens, London

The Kew Garden in London ex-iced since 1759 when  Princess Augusta,  mother of king George III, started developing a 3.6 ha large garden at the domain of White Lodge, Richmond in west London. The whole garden encompasses an impressive 132ha (326 acres) and it has more than 50,000 different species of plants. Kew Garden also has some famous buildings such as the Pagoda, the Temperate House and the Palm House. All over the garden there are incredible sights such as the Japanese Gateway, the Waterlily Pond, the Treetop Walkway and Kew Palace.  So, you need all day walk in a this amazing garden to explore all the interesting attraction it has.

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Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia, Turkey

Cappadocia (/kæpəˈdoʊʃə/; also Capadocia; Turkish Kapadokya, from Greek: Καππαδοκία / Kappadokía, Persian: کاپادوکیه‎ Kāpādōkiyeh) is a historical region in Central Anatolia, largely in Nevşehir Province, in Turkey.
In the time of Herodotus, the Cappadocians were reported as occupying the whole region from Mount Taurus to the vicinity of the Euxine (Black Sea). Cappadocia, in this sense, was bounded in the south by the chain of the Taurus Mountains that separate it from Cilicia, to the east by the upper Euphrates and the Armenian Highland, to the north by Pontus, and to the west by Lycaonia and eastern Galatia.[1]
The name was traditionally used in Christian sources throughout history and is still widely used as an international tourism concept to define a region of exceptional natural wonders, in particular characterized by fairy chimneys and a unique historical and cultural heritage.

Source:Wikipedia
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Onondaga Cave, Missouri , USA

Onondaga Cave, Missouri , USA

The Onondaga Cave State Park is located in Leasburg, Missouri. The park was established in 1982. The park offers many activities including cave tours, camping, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and swimming.

Source:Wikipedia
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Blyde River, Canyon – South Africa

Blyde River, Canyon – South Africa

The Blyde River Canyon is a significant natural feature of South Africa, located in Mpumalanga, and forming the northern part of the Drakensberg escarpment. It is 16 miles (26 km) in length and is, on average, around 2,500 feet (762 m) deep. The Blyderivierpoort Dam, when full, is at an altitude of 665m (2182 feet). The Canyon consists mostly of red sandstone. The highest point of the canyon, Mariepskop, is 6,378 feet (1,944 m) feet above sea level, whilst its lowest point where the river leaves the canyon is slightly less than 1,840 feet (561 m) above sea level. This means that by some measure the Canyon is over 4,500 feet (1,372 m) deep.

Source:Wikipedia
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The Spider Bridge in Sun City Resort, South Africa

The Spider Bridge in Sun City Resort, South Africa

Sun City is a luxury casino and resort, situated in the North West Province of South Africa. It is located between the Elands River and the Pilanesberg, about two hours' drive from Johannesburg, near the city of Rustenburg. The complex borders the Pilanesberg Game Reserve.


Source:Wikipedia
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Bangalore, India

Bangalore, India

Bangalore (or Bengaluru ['beŋgəɭuːɾu] ( listen)) is the capital city of the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and fifth-most populous urban agglomeration. Bangalore is well known as the hub of India's information technology sector. The city is amongst the top 10 preferred entrepreneurial locations in the world.[5] As a growing metropolitan city in a developing country, Bangalore confronts substantial pollution and other logistical and socio-economic problems.[6][7]
A succession of South Indian dynasties ruled the region of Bangalore until in 1537 CE, Kempé Gowdā — a feudatory ruler under the Vijayanagara Empire — established a mud fort considered to be the foundation of modern Bangalore. Following transitory occupation by the Marāthās and Mughals, Part of the city remained under the [[Mysore kingdom]which is now a part of the Indian state of Karnataka and Bangalore cantonment was part of the Madras State]. Following the independence of India in 1947, Bangalore became the capital of Mysore state, and remained capital when the new Indian state of Karnataka was formed in 1956. With a Gross domestic product of US$83 billion, Bangalore is listed 4th among the top 15 cities contributing to India's overall GDP.

Source:Wikipedia
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Gateway of India

Gateway of India

The Gateway of India is a monument built during the British Raj in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India.[2] It is located on the waterfront in the Apollo Bunder area in South Mumbai and overlooks the Arabian Sea.[3][4] The structure is a basalt arch, 26 metres (85 feet) high. It lies at the end of Chhatrapati Shivaji Marg at the water's edge in Mumbai Harbour.[5] It was a crude jetty used by the fishing community which was later renovated and used as a landing place for British governors and other prominent people. In earlier times, it would have been the first structure that visitors arriving by boat in Mumbai would have seen.[6][7] The Gateway has also been referred to as the Taj Mahal of Mumbai,[8] and is the city's top tourist attraction.[9]
The structure was erected to commemorate the landing of their Majesties King George V and Queen Mary at Apollo Bunder, when they visited India in 1911. Built in Indo-Saracenic style, the foundation stone for the Gateway of India was laid on 31 March 1911. The final design of George Wittet was sanctioned in 1914 and the construction of the monument was completed in 1924. The Gateway was later the ceremonial entrance to India for Viceroys and the new Governors of Bombay.[10] It served to allow entry and access to India.[11]
The monument has faced three terror attacks from the beginning of the 21st century; twice in 2003 and it was also the disembarkation point in 2008 when four gunmen attacked the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower.

Source:Wikipedia
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Jagannath Temple

Jagannath Temple

The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath and located in the coastal town of Puri in the state of Odisha, India. The name Jagannath (Lord of the Universe) is a combination of the Sanskrit words Jagat (Universe) and Nath (Lord of)[2][3] and also, the word "Jagannatha" is evolved from "Jagati" (Oriya: ଜଗତି) (as an elevated platform or "Ratnabedi" on which the wooden form of Jagannatha, Balabhadra and Subhadra are worshiped on or the temple or its precincts inside the "Narendra Pokhari"[4] ) and "Natha" (Oriya: ନାଥ) (means "Lord").[5] The temple is an important pilgrimage destination for many Hindu traditions, particularly worshippers of Krishna and Vishnu, and part of the Char Dham pilgrimages that a Hindu is expected to make in one's lifetime .[6] The temple was built in the 11th century atop its ruins by the progenitor of the Eastern Ganga dynasty, King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva.[7] [8] The temple is famous for its annual Rath Yatra, or chariot festival, in which the three main temple deities are hauled on huge and elaborately decorated temple cars. Since medieval times, it is also associated with intense religious fervour.[9]
The temple is sacred to the Vaishnava traditions and saint Ramananda who was closely associated with the temple. It is also of particular significance to the followers of the Gaudiya Vaishnavism whose founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was attracted to the deity, Jagannath, and lived in Puri for many years.[10]

Source:Wikipedia
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Harmandir Sahib in India (The Golden Temple)

Harmandir Sahib in India (The Golden Temple)

The Harmandir Sahib (Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) also Darbar Sahib (Punjabi: ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ, Punjabi pronunciation: [dəɾbɑɾ sɑhɪb])[1][3] and informally referred to as the "Golden Temple" [1] is a prominent Sikh Gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. It was built by the fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan, in the 16th Century. In 1604, Guru Arjan completed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, and installed it in the Gurdwara.[4]
There are four doors to get into the Harmandir Sahib, which symbolize the openness of the Sikhs towards all people and religions.[5] The present day Gurdwara was rebuilt in 1764 by Jassa Singh Ahluwalia with the help of other Sikh Misls. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the Gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and its English name.[4]

Source:Wikipedia
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One of the most attractive places to visit in India: Taj Mahal,Agra

One of the most attractive places to visit in India: Taj Mahal,Agra


The Taj Mahal (/ˈtɑːdʒ məˈhɑːl/ often /ˈtɑːʒ/;[2] Hindi: ताज महल, from Persian/Urdu: تاج محل‎ "crown of palaces", pronounced [ˈt̪aːdʒ mɛˈɦɛl]; also "the Taj"[3]) is a white marble mausoleum located in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".[4]
Taj Mahal is regarded by many as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a style that combines elements from Persian and Indian architectural styles.[5][6]
In 1983, the Taj Mahal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the white domed marble mausoleum is the most familiar component of the Taj Mahal, it is actually an integrated complex of structures. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653, employing thousands of artisans and craftsmen.[7] The construction of the Taj Mahal was entrusted to a board of architects under imperial supervision, including Abd ul-Karim Ma'mur Khan, Makramat Khan, and Ustad Ahmad Lahauri.[8][9] Lahauri[10] is generally considered to be the principal designer.[11][12]

Source:Wikipedia
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Tomb, New Delhi, India

Tomb, New Delhi, India

Humayun's tomb (Urdu: ہمایوں کا مقبرہ‎ Humayun ka Maqbara) is the tomb of the Mughal Emperor Humayun. The tomb was commissioned by Humayun's first wife Bega Begum (Haji Begum)[1][2][3][4][5][6] in 1569-70, and designed by Mirak Mirza Ghiyas, a Persian architect chosen by Bega Begum.[7][8] It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent,[9] and is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi, India, close to the Dina-panah citadel also known as Purana Qila (Old Fort), that Humayun founded in 1533. It was also the first structure to use red sandstone at such a scale[10][11] The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993,[9] and since then has undergone extensive restoration work, which is still underway. Besides the main tomb enclosure of Humayun, several smaller monuments dot the pathway leading up to it, from the main entrance in the West, including one that even pre-dates the main tomb itself, by twenty years; it is the tomb complex of Isa Khan Niyazi, an Afghan noble in Sher Shah Suri's court of the Suri dynasty, who fought against the Mughals, constructed in 1547 CE.

Source:Wikipedia
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