Photography – Page 237 – Take off with Natarajan

” It is Time to Repent For Turning Uttarakhand into Honeymoon spot “…..

June 24, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Sheela Bhatt from New Delhi for rediff.com

In a twist to people’s understanding of Uttarakhand’s monsoon mayhem, Dwarka peeth Shankaracharya Swami Shree Swaroopananda Saraswati has blamed the sex-food-fun oriented consumerism propagated by tour operators in the land otherwise known as “dev bhoomi” for the plight of thousands of pilgrims.

In a telephonic interview from his ashram near Haridwar, the Shankaracharya told rediff.com, “Uttarakhand is the land of gods and goddesses. Here Lord Shiva holds Ganga in his jata (hair). It is the highest tapsaya (penance) possible. Shiva bore the force of the Ganga all alone so that she can flow seamlessly. How can you have honeymoon tourism in Uttarakhand instead of pilgrimage to cleanse the soul and attain nirvana?”

Asserting that these mountains were not for the newly-married to enjoy their honeymoon, the religious leader suggested that the disaster was also brought upon due to the dams that have been built on rivers of Uttarakhand.

Dwarka peeth Shankaracharya Swami Shree Swaroopananda Saraswati

He said, “I want government to find out the sphatik statue of Shankaracharya’s samadhi near Kedarnath temple. It is part of our heritage. I am deeply pained to see so many deaths. I want the government to act now and stop promoting dubious tourism. There should be complete ban on building of dams as well.”

Hailing the Kedarnath temple as a national monument, he said: “The rest of India should help Uttarakhand maintain its environment. The lack of development will create shortage of electricity, but the rest of India should supply electricity in this divinely natural region. We must protect our ancient rivers at all cost. Seventy percent of the water from Bhagirathi and Alaknanda rivers will deplete if we build dams recklessly.”

The Shankaracharya also said that the government should clean the temple complex as soon as possible.

“The government must cleanse the Kedarnath temple with panchamrut (A mixture of milk, curd, clarified butter, honey and sugar). It is time to repent for our wrong deeds.”

Some Images of Nature”s Fury …. For How long Nature will also tolerate our atrocities against Nature ? one day it will burst like this one …

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Road torn up by river during Ganga Fury exactly above the final confluence of the Ganga at Devprayag

A pilgrim is helped by a villager as she tries to cross on a pathway damaged by landslide in Rudraprayag in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand

source:::::rediff.com

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Why do Finnish Babies Sleep in Cardboard Boxes? !!!!!!!!

June 23, 2013June 23, 2013Natarajan1 Comment

Expecting parents are always excited, but can often get stressed out preparing for their upcoming new arrival. The Finnish government has an answer for its citizens, sending every new family a maternity package to help them ease into their new role.
The colorful box doubles as a crib, and contains a wide selection of baby clothes including a snowsuit, hats, socks, mittens, bodysuits, rompers, leggings and shirts.
Considering the freezing temperatures in Finland’s winters, there’s a stack of blankets thrown in there too, along with some childcare products and a bib.
The box has been a rite of passage for new parents since its inception in the 1930s, when it contained fabric for mothers to sew into clothes. Since then it has gone through a number of changes, from cloth to plastic diapers and back again, and the inclusion and subsequent exclusion of pacifiers.
Other perks in the box include a rattle and a colorful, illustrated book – a boost of encouragement for parents to teach their children to read.
The initiative aims to give all Finnish kids a fair and equal start in life, by providing them with the most essential needs: for body, mind and soul.!!!!

source:::::The Independent UK

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Wimbledon……A Flashback !!!!

June 22, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

They are the kind of outfits neither Maria Sharapova nor Serena Williams would be seen dead in.

But the 1922 Wimbledon Women’s Singles final between Suzanne Lenglen and Molla Mallory was altogether more modest affair by the looks of it.

The French player Lenglen even turned up wearing a fur coat. It must have brought her some good luck – she went on to win 6-2, 6-0.

The image is part of a collection of rare and unseen photographs from the early days of the world’s most famous tennis tournament.
Smash hit: The finalists Suzanne Lenglen of France (right) and Molla Mallory of the USA (left) line up before the big match

Smash hit: The finalists Suzanne Lenglen of France (right) and Molla Mallory of the USA (left) line up before the big match

In action: French player Suzanne Lenglen went on to win the Women's Singles final in 1922. Outfits in the ladies' game have got somewhat racier since then

In action: French player Suzanne Lenglen went on to win the Women’s Singles final in 1922. Outfits in the ladies’ game have got somewhat racier since then

Entertaining: Suzanne Lenglen shows the players were just as athletic and competitive

Fair play: Australian tennis players Gerald Patterson and James Anderson hold up their mascots before their men's singles semi-final. Patterson went on to lose in the final

Fair play: Australian tennis players Gerald Patterson and James Anderson hold up their mascots before their men’s singles semi-final. Patterson went on to win the title

Rain stops play: In the days before Centre Court's retractable roof, fans had to wait patiently for clear skies to see their heroes

Rain stops play: In the days before Centre Court’s retractable roof, fans had to wait patiently for clear skies to see their heroes

Popular: The tournament drew huge numbers of fans who can be seen in their finest attire for a day out in SW19

Landmark: 1922 was the first year Wimbledon was held at its present Church Road location

Fast forward to 2013 and the outfits may have got a little racier, and the tennis a lot faster, but the inclement British weather still has the ability to play havoc with the tournament schedule.

Thankfully the forecast for this year’s tournament, which starts on Monday, looks positive with dry and sunny weather expected for much of the week.

Britain’s Andy Murray will be hoping to go one better after losing in last year’s final to Roger Federer.

And the World Number Two will be upbeat after winning Queen’s last week and a draw which means he will avoid Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals.
source:::::mailonline.com

Dazzling….Never Before Seen Images From the Archives of National Geographic !!!

June 22, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Dreamscape: A replica of the Mayflower sails into New York Harbor with a welcoming fleet, November 1957

National Geographic has earned a reputation as the epicenter of some of the world’s finest photojournalism, but few people known that the renowned magazine also has built up a vast collection of unpublished breathtaking images over the years.

To mark the magazine’s 125th birthday this year, its editors launched a Tumblr account to highlight some of the hidden gems that for one reason or another have been lingering in its photographic vaults.

The project aptly named ‘FOUND’ is NatGeo’s photostream, culled from its sprawling treasury of unpublished vintage prints.

Otherworldly beauty: Buckets of iron ore are transported to a major steelworks in Hunedoara, Romania, November 1975

Horsing around: This 1957 print of teenagers running and playing on large white sand dunes in New Mexico ended up in National Geographic's vast collection of unpublished photos

Horsing around: This 1957 print of teenagers running and playing on large white sand dunes in New Mexico ended up in National Geographic’s vast collection of unpublished photos

Among the previously unreleased photos are some true masterpieces, like the otherworldly sight of the Mayflower replica sailing into 1950s New York under the shadow of a zeppelin overhead, or the simple beauty of buckets of iron being transported to a steelworks in Romania in 1975 set against the dreamlike background of golden clouds fit for a Canaletto painting.

Other prints in the photographic backlog include a whimsical shot of women in 1960s London using compact mirrors to catch a glimpse of Queen Elizabeth II, and a print showing a group of teens horsing around on a sand dune in New Mexico back in the 50s.

The curator of the Tumblr account, young NatGeo designer Web Barr, explained that he chose this medium to release the once-forgotten images into the world in the hopes that a broad audience of people will be able to enjoy, appreciate and share them with others.

Barr compared the FOUND Tumblr to NatGeo’s Instagram account, which photographers working for the magazine use to upload pictures from the field.

To put the project together, Barr and a team of NatGeo staffers sifted through the magazine’s 11.5 million collection of prints, searching for unique, visually striking and slightly offbeat images that are in keeping with the magazine’s overall aesthetic.

Royal treatment: Women use compact mirrors in packed crowd to catch sight of Queen Elizabeth II in London, June 1966

Rustic: A man feeds donkey sulla flowers and foliage from its own load near Gangi, Sicily, Italy, January 1955

After spending decades collecting dust in the storage, many of the forgotten prints lack even the most basic information, so the team behind FOUND are hoping to harness the power of the masses to fill those gaps.

Tumblr users are encouraged to provide information on any of the images, and the staffers behind the photostream say they have already received a lot of feedback. In the future, they plan to feature the stories behind individual prints.
source:::::mailonline.com

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Best Of National Geographic Photo Collection ….

June 22, 2013June 22, 2013Natarajan1 Comment

Lion’s leap, by guide Brendon Cremer. Photographed at Duba Plains, Okavango, Botswana.

Buffalo herd chases lion, by guide Carl Walker. Photographed at Zuka, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. A buffalo herd interrupted a mating pair of lions. The pride male took offense at this and attempted to charge the herd males. They were oblivious to his growling and paw-thumping and chased him off.

Knee-deep, by Dana Allen. If you are a Red Lechwe (Kobus leche) the flood waters of the Okavango are your friend. Not only do these antelope thrive on aquatic plant species but the knee-deep marshy water provides them with excellent protection from predators who are unable to match their speed and agility in this aquatic environment. (photosafari-africa.net)

Inquisitive chimp, by Andy Biggs. Photographed in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania. (andybiggs.com)

A new generation, by Brendon Cremer. “A new generation of African jacana feed along a water lilly bank on the Chobe River, Botswana.”

The Chase 3, by Frederick van Heerden. Photographed at Etosha National Park, Namibia. “I was confident the ewe had now lived her final day, but to my amazement she was gaining distance between herself and the lions. Through the water, she made an exit on the other side of the dam where the zebras were standing. She switched direction and ran straight towards the motionless crowd. The chasing lions were now heading straight for the herd! Like an erupting volcano they all jumped around and started galloping away from the danger. Hundreds of them…stripes everywhere…. this was excitement at its best!”

Elephant tussle, by Craig Young, photographed in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Giraffe herd, by guide Andy Biggs. Photographed in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. (andybiggs.com)

The art of camoflague, by guide James Suter. “These animals have the uncanny ability of disappearing right before your eyes.” Photographed at Singita, Kruger Park, South Africa. (singita.com/ jamessuter.com)

Wildebeest battle for dominance, by guide James Haskins. Photographed at Nxai Pan, Botswana. “Rutting males will protect territory and females from intruders. They will not typically engage in ritualized challenges when with the females, instead resorting to a run and head-butt.

Fever tree lioness, by guide James Kydd. “This lioness climbed the fallen tree to look for some of her pride that were missing. The incredible luminous fever tree forests of Lake Nakuru provide an ethereal backdrop for the wildlife in this part of Kenya.

Cheetah hunting, by Pia Derickx. Photographed in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. http://www.nature-photography.be

Ambush, by guide Lee Whittam. Photographed in the Sabi Sands, Kruger Park, South Africa. “This young male was ambushing his brother early one morning and put on a great show for us as we followed him.” (essentialafrica.co.za)

White lions of the Timbavati, by guide Chad Cocking. Photographed at Motswari, Kruger Park, South Africa. Seeing these white lions in the wild was a childhood dream come true, but sitting at a waterhole one afternoon waiting for them to come and drink, and then having them line-up so perfectly was more than I could ever have wished for! (motswari.com

Blue-eyed elephant, by guide Richard de Gouveia. Photographed at Sabi Sabi , Kruger Park, South Africa. There are few records of blue-eyed elephants. This seems to be an effect of partial albinism, where some residual pigmentation has remained. (sabisabi.com)

Leopard and winter dawn, by guide Jason Glanville. “Perched on a termite mount this young female leopard was scouting for prey at day-break.” (kirkmanskamp.com)

source::::national geographic .com

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Singapore Surrounded By Smog …Is any Relief In sight ?

June 21, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Singapore
has been hit by the worst air pollution crisis in its history, while government
agencies try to induce rain in an attempt to stop forest fires spreading a smoky
haze across three south-east Asian countries.

The average Pollution Standard Index (PSI) – the measurement for air pollution – hit 401 at midday today, beating previous records of 371 and 321 on the previous two days. A reading between 101 and 200 is considered unhealthy. Anything over 300 is “hazardous”.

It is six days since the clouds of smoke first descended on Singapore, the result of fires in neighbouring Sumatra, Indonesia. Blaze season usually runs from June to September, when land is illegally cleared in this fashion for palm plantations.

Singapore’s environment minister flew to Jakarta today to discuss measures to tackle the forest fires, and the Indonesian National Disaster Management Agency said it plans to use helicopters in a “water-bombing” operation, alongside more than 100 firefighters on the ground.

The agency added that planes would be sent over parts of Sumatra in the next few days in a “cloud-seeding” effort to try to induce rain chemically.

Reuters

Getty Images

source:::::The Independent UK

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Smoggy Singapore …For No fault of This Countrymen !!!!

June 21, 2013June 21, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

Singapore Skyline Haze

Singapore is suffering from a serious smog problem that isn’t likely to go away anytime soon.

To get an idea of how bad it is, check out the picture above. It shows a man looking — or rather, trying to look — at the skyline of the Singapore business district today.

For a city that prides itself on its livability, it’s an embarrassing problem. Worse still, it appears to have been caused by a neighboring country.

Much of the problem seems to to be smoke caused by illegal forest fires in Indonesia’s Sumatra island, the BBC reports, where blazes have been started to clear land for plantations. Singapore’s Environment Minister Vivian Balakrishnan posted a Facebook message today that said the city-state was urging “urgent and definitive action by Indonesia to tackle the problem at source. Singaporeans have lost patience, and are understandably angry, distressed and concerned.”

“We will insist on definitive action,” Balakrishnan added. “No country or corporation has the right to pollute the air at the expense of Singaporeans’ health and wellbeing.”

This satellite image, posted by Balakrishnan, reveals hot spots on Indonesia’s Sumatra island that are most likely forest fires:

Indonesia Forest Fire

The BBC reports that the Singapore’s pollution standards index reached 371 on Thursday, well into hazardous levels, before falling to around 300. To put that in context, it’s similar to some of the air pollution levels seen in Beijing’s notorious smog problem earlier this year, and significantly higher than Singapore’s previous record of 226 from 1997.

Balakrishnan warned residents today to limit “prolonged or heavy outdoor activities” and said that the haze will “persist or even worsen before improving.

source:::::businessinsider.com

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” Am I Looking Handsome !!!” ….

June 19, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

They are known for being aggressive predators, willing to attack and kill humans.

But as this picture shows, brown bears are also ever so slightly vain.

This young bear was caught out gazing at its own reflection in a Finnish lake

Curious: This brown bear appears transfixed by its own reflection in a river in Kainuu, Finland

Funny: The photographer said the bear appeared to keep looking at his reflection as he made his way around the water's edge

Youthful: It is thought the curious bear is only about two or three years old

These pictures show the brown bear repeatedly stooping to stare at himself, unaware that photographer Sylwia Domaradska is hiding just yards away.

She captured the pictures in Kainuu, eastern Finland, where there is almost 24-hour daylight during the summer months.

The 37-year-old from London said: ‘It totally felt like a dream. It was almost difficult to see where the reflections were starting.

‘The bear turned up at around midnight. He came very quietly along the water’s edge looking for food.

‘It was a fairly young bear, perhaps two or three years old. He was very cautious as at this age he’d need to be careful about females with cubs, and other males.

‘He seemed to look at his own reflection – as he stayed in the same place for a while.’

Miss Domaradska said when the bear began moving around the edge of the lake he continued looking in.

‘It really was quite amusing to see – and then he was gone,’ she said.

‘The conditions were absolutely perfect for this kind of image.

‘The reflections were perfectly still and the line between the reflections and actual trees being reflected created very little blur.

‘I had actually gone out with the intention of taking a different image. I was hoping to see bears bathing and splashing in the water but instead, this happened.

‘But it didn’t turn out too bad, did it?’

source:::Anthony Bond in mailonline.com

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Startling Similarities !!!….Is History Going To Repeat ?!!!

June 19, 2013NatarajanLeave a comment

They say India’s 1983 World Cup win was the greatest cricketing upset. Man to man, Kapil Dev’s ragtag bunch paled in comparison to Clive Lloyd’s West Indies. But that ragtag bunch had it in them to beat the Caribbean giants.

Before anybody could say ‘fluke’, India produced another momentous performance when they went to Australia in 1985 and won the Benson & Hedges World Championship of Cricket. It was the biggest ODI tournament outside the World Cup, and the first – and last – of its kind. It featured all the seven full members of the ICC at the time: Australia, England, India, Pakistan, New Zealand, West Indiesand Sri Lanka.

Thirty years later, history seems to be repeating itself. India, the 2011 World Cup winners, are performing brilliantly in the Champions Trophy, which currently is the biggest ODI tournament outside the World Cup, and this is also the last time this tournament will be played.

India, having beaten South Africa, West Indies and Pakistan, need to win two more games to take the Trophy. In 1985 too, India had remained unbeaten throughout, winning five games out of five on their way to the World Championship win.

There are other parallels to be drawn between 1985 and 2013.

The year before the B&H World Championship, the best Australian batsman of the era – Greg Chappell – retired. It happened again in the year before the 2013 Champions Trophy when Ricky Ponting retired from international cricket.

In both eras, Australia were beset by transitional difficulties. In 1984, Greg Chappell, Dennis Lilleeand Rodney Marsh – three of their all-time greats – had retired en masse, and Australia were struggling to rebuild their team with young players. Currently, under Michael Clarke, they’re again troubled by the retirements of some of their finest players and trying to recreate the strong group of cricketers they once were. They had failed to qualify for the B&H World Championship semifinals. They failed again in the 2013 Champions Trophy.

Months before the B&H World Championship, England won a Test series in India by a 2-1 margin under the leadership of David Gower. It was a landmark win for the visitors. It took them another 28 years to win another Test series in India, and it happened months before the 2013 Champions Trophy when Alastair Cook’s boys won – again, by a 2-1 margin.

Both times, England took a 2-1 lead heading into the final Tests which ended in draws.

Bizarrely, both Gower and Cook are left-handed batsmen who were 27 years old at the time of their Indian triumphs.

Spooky? Read on.

Ravi Shastri started his international career batting in the lower order. But as his career progressed, he was promoted to the opener’s slot. He was moved up and down a great deal but he landed himself the opener’s job permanently for the B&H World Championship. India in 2013 have a somewhat similar story – of Rohit Sharma, who has been tried in the middle order but clicked only when he was promoted as the opener in a surprise move. But here’s the most intriguing coincidence here – both Shastri and Sharma are Mumbai cricketers.

But that isn’t even the best part of this string of bizarre parallels. Shastri won the man of the tournament award at the B&H World Championship. He was dubbed the ‘Champion of Champions’ for his consistent brilliance with bat and ball through the tournament.

In the 2013 Champions Trophy, there is one Indian cricketer who has made a big impact on India’s fortunes. He has scored vital runs in the game against South Africa, taken a tidy bag of wickets (with a fiver against the West Indies) and has also fielded brilliantly.

It was Ravi in 1985. In 2013, it’s Ravindra. Both these gents are left-arm spinners. They’ve been riled for not being as skilled as some of their superstar colleagues. But nobody would deny that they have made the best use of their limited abilities. And what they lack in skill, they make up in enthusiasm. What’s more both of them have a large social media fan-following – if you could call it that!

So what do these coincidences mean? Are they hinting at an India win? Who knows? Just sit back and enjoy the final moments of the last ever Champions Trophy.

Are there any other parallels you can draw between the B&H World Championship and the 2013Champions Trophy? Share your views in the comments.

source::::: yahoo cricket

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Divine Image of The Day…Shirdi Sai…

June 19, 2013June 19, 2013Natarajan2 Comments

When the Lord is pleased with anybody, he gives him Viveka and Vairagya and takes him safe beyond the ocean of mundane existence.

source:::::shirdi sai speaks … H.Deepa in http://www.debu7370.blogspot.com/

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