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Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Bhutan is The land of happiness.



      This small, landlocked country is located along the southern slopes of the Himalayan range, bounded by Tibet in the North and India from the other sides. The official name of Bhutan is Druk-yul which means land of the thunder dragon. Bhutan is called the Jewel of the Eastern Himalayas. It earned


 this name because of the fierce storms that often roll in from the Himalayas. The country has an areaof 38,394 Sq Km and a population of 716,896. Since it is cut off from the rest of the world by the Great Himalayas, a unique culture and tradition based on gentle Buddhist beliefs have evolved over time.
     Bhutanese men wear Gho - a knee length robe - and women wear Kira - a sheet like cloth piece. Bhutanese houses are built from mud and stone, with wooden shingle roof. The Bhutanese never use iron nails in their buildings. Usually, the Bhutanese build each other's houses by exchanging labour within the community. Different Festival are celebrated all year round in Bhutan. Colourful masks are used in the festivals which reflect the rich Bhutanese culture. Dances are performed by the Buddhist monks to protect the valleys and ward off evil spirits. The main religious festival is called Tshechus. Tge teaching of lord Buddha are enacted through mask dances for three-five days in the courtyard of the monasteries. People attend these events in their best clothes, with picnic baskets. Another major festival is called Lasor. It is celebrated on Lunar New Year. People cook special dishes and wear new clothes. It is a time for family get-together. Men play archery or darts while women sing and dance.
Pure mountain air, crystal blue skies and pristine vegetation cover have made this small country an ideal destination for the environment lovers. The ecosystem of its small nation supports the existence of rich flora and fauna which are protected by strict laws. Even, anyone found guilty of killing a black-necked crane be sentenced to life in prison.  
      The government of Bhutan has taken a number of steps to protect its bio-diversity. 
Bhutan is the first country in the world with specific constitutional obligations on its people to protect the environment. As per the constitution, at least 60 percent of the country must remain under forest cover at all times. Efforts are also taken to protect the nation against the intrusion of foreign cultures and values. The first foreign tourists were allowed into Bhutan in 1974. Now, tourism is encouraged but is controlled and limited to about 6000 visitors a year. Bhutan is one of the last countries in the world to introduce television and the Internet to its people. The government lifted a ban on TV and the Internet only in 1999. The Bhutanese government has made it mandatory for all Bhutanese to wear only their national dress in public.

Sunday, September 3, 2017

The Statue of Liberty is the symbol of liberation of USA.


The statute of liberty was joint venture between the USA and French. The French Sculptor Frederick Auguste Bartholdi was assigned to design and complete a sculpture within 1876, so that it could be a gift for the Americans on the occasion of celebrating the hundred years of the American Declaration of Independence. The French people would build the statue and assemble it in the States, and the people of the USA were to build the pedestal for the statute.
Rising money for the pedestal was completed in August 1885. The construction of  the pedestal was finished in April 1886. In the meantime,  French completed the statute in July 1884. They sent it to New York on board the French war ship Isere in 1885. While transporting the statute, it was split up into 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. Thousands of people saw the unveiling ceremony of the Statute of Liberty on October 28th 1886. It was a centennial gift ten years late. It took four months to put the Statute together and place it on the pedestal.
The broken chain wrapped around her feet, sticking out from the bottom of her robe, symbolizes her free forward movement, enlightening the world with her torch, free from opposition and slavery.
The Freedom that the Statute stands for is not stationary.
It was replaced by a new copper torch covered in 24K gold leaf in 1984. The statutes original torch was the first part constructed in 1876. The original torch is currently located in the lobby of the monument. Accto the torch has been closed since 1916.
From October 28, 2011, on her 125th anniversary, the Statute of Liberty was named "Liberty Enlightening the World Wide Web". The credit goes to a series of new web cams placed around her torch. Several amazing views will be just a click of a mouse away. On clear days, three cameras provide unobstructed scenes and views. Two cameras provide an ultra wide-angle interactive view of the famous golden torch. The remaining camera looks downwards towards the crown of The Statute of Liberty, her face, the tablet she is holding from your computer or smart phone. So a person can have access to the web cam's live feed of The Statute of Liberty from anywhere in the world.  

Zainul Abedin is the greatest artist.

Jainul Abedin is widely acclaimed for his Bengal Feminine Sketches. He is the pioneer of modern art. Through a series of sketches,  Zainul not only documented the harsh famine of 1940 but also showed its sinister face through the skeletal figures of the people destined to die of starvation in a man made plight. He depicted these extremely shocking pictures with human compassion. He made his own ink by burning charcoal and using cheap ordinary packing paper for sketching. He produced a series of brush and ink drawings, which later became iconic image of human sufferings.
Zainul developed a knack for drawing and painting when he was a high school student. After completing high school, he got admitted to the Government School of Art, Calcutta (now Kolkata). He graduated with the first position in first class in 1938. He was appointed teacher of the Art School while he was still a student there. He also attended the Slade School of Arts, London duriw1951-52.
Zainul Abedin is considered the founding father of Bangladeshi art. He was an artist of outstanding talent and earned international reputation. For his artistic and visionary qualities, he is referred to as Shilpacharya meaning great teacher of art in Bangladesh. He is the first principal of the first art school in Dhaka in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh).