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Date: 2008-01
Mount Kailash, Tibet
By Simon Laroche
A great mass of black rock soaring to over 22,000 feet, Mount Kailash has the unique distinction of being the world's most venerated holy place at the same time that it is the least visited.
Mount Kailash (officially: Kangrinboqê; Tibetan: Gang Rinpoche, གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ།; Wylie: Gangs Rin-po-che; ZWPY: Kangrinboqê; simplified Chinese: 冈仁波齐峰; traditional Chinese: 岡仁波齊峰; pinyin: Gāngrénbōqí Fēng; Hindi कैलाश पर्वत, Kailāśā Parvata) is a peak in the Gangdisê mountains which is part of the Himalayas in Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, the source of some of the longest rivers in Asia—the Indus River, the Sutlej River, a tributary of the Indus River, and the Brahmaputra River—and is considered as a sacred place in four religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Bön faith. In Hindu religion, it is considered to be the abode of Lord Shiva. The mountain lies near Lake Manasarowar and Lake Rakshastal in Tibet.
There have been no recorded attempts to climb Mount Kailash; it is considered off limits to climbers in deference to Buddhist and Hindu beliefs. It is the most significant peak in the world that has not seen any known climbing attempts.
Kailash is seen by no more than a few thousand pilgrims each year. This curious fact is explained by the mountain's remote location in far western Tibet. No planes, trains or buses journey anywhere near the region and even with rugged over-land vehicles the journey still requires weeks of difficult, often dangerous travel. The weather, always cold, can be unexpectedly treacherous and pilgrims must carry all the supplies they will need for the entire journey.
How long have people been coming to this sacred mountain?
The cosmologies and origin myths of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism refer to Kailash as the mythical Mt. Meru, the Axis Mundi, the centre and birthplace of the entire universe. The mountain was already legendary before the great Hindu epics, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata were written. Mt. Kailash is so deeply embedded in the myths of ancient Asia that for many it is the location of the strongest cosmic power.
Geologically Mt. Kailash was formed around 50 million years ago, whereas the Himalayas are considered to have evolved 10 million years ago.
Visit Mount Kailash and Tibet now on The World In Photos
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Vilnius, Lithuania
By Simon Laroche
Vilnius (['vilɲus]; also known by alternative names) is the largest city and the capital of Lithuania, with a population of 553,904 (850,700 together with Vilnius County) as of December 2005. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County.
Vilnius has also been known by many names in different languages throughout its history. Most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: Polish: Wilno, Latin: Vilna, German: Wilna, Yiddish: ווילנע (Vilne), Belarusian: Вiльня (Vilnia), Latvian: Viļņa. An older Russian name is Вильна / Вильно (Vilna/Vilno), although Вильнюс (Vil'njus) is now used. The names Wilno and Vilna have also been used in older English and French language publications.
The Old Town, historical centre of Vilnius, is one of the largest in Eastern Europe (360 ha). The most valuable historic and cultural heritage is concentrated here. The buildings in the old town - there are about 1.5 thousand of them - were built in a number of different centuries, therefore, it is a mixture of all European architectural styles. Although Vilnius is often called a baroque city, here you will find some buildings of gothic, renaissance and other styles. The main sights of the city are the Gediminas Castle and the Cathedral Square, symbols of the capital. Their combination is also a gateway to the historic centre of the capital. Because of its uniqueness, the Old Town of Vilnius was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Vilnius is also the largest administrative centre in Lithuania with all major political, economic, social and cultural centres.
Vilnius is a hard city to pin down. It's not quite Eastern European, not quite Scandinavian, not Russian, and not German. It's not even quite Lithuanian. This ambiguity, the diversity of influences, actually gives the city its unique character and charm.
Visit Vilnius and Lithuania now on The World In Photos.
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Win a Canon Ixus 960 IS digital camera with TWIP!
By Simon Laroche
Win a digital camera with TWIP!
This is a free Contest Game organised by The World In Photos from January 7th 2008 to March 31 2008.
1- Register for free on the website,
2- Publish your most beautiful pictures of places, landscapes or monuments of the entire world,
3- A random draw will determine the winning photo!
About the photos:
The World In Photos (TWIP) is the is the first free database of Pictures of the World that everyone can access and edit.
To submit a photo, it is first and foremost imperative that you are the author of the photo and have the rights to the photo.
The photos must represent landscapes, places, monuments, etc. The photos may contain human being, animals, flowers or food, but they must not be the main element of the photo (no portraits, no close-ups).
The photos must be in JPG format – preferably 640X480 pixels (or 480x640) or superior – having a maximum size of 500 Kb.
Each candidates to the Contest Game may submit as many photos as they wish.
Only validated photos (that is to say, photos that meet the above mentioned conditions) will participate to the Contest Game. A random draw will be held on April 1st 2008 among the photos validated during the Contest Game.
Consult the complete contest rules of the Contest Game here.
Good luck!
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Bentota, Sri Lanka
By Simon Laroche
A Sri Lankan coastal city famous for golden beaches, Bentota is situated on the southern coastal tip of the Galle District of the Southern Province. The town is a popular tourist attraction. It is especially famous among the foreign tourists. The name comes from a mythical story which dates back to kings time saying a demon called Bem ruled this river (tota = river bank).
Bentota used to be a place to rest on the way to Galapatha Temple which legend claims is linked by a maze of subterranean tunnels with all other temples in the area. Today Bentota is big on sea sports and activities; so you may well need a holiday after you get back!
Bentota is a paradise of unlimited sun, sea and sand. Nestled in peaceful surroundings with lush tropical foliage bordering the coast, Bentota has become an area not only for a relaxed holiday, but for many activities such as windsurfing, water skiing and diving to explore the treasures of the underwater sea world.
Bentota is also famous for its production in Toddy. An alcoholic beverage made out of cocunut nectar. The city's population is estimated to be between 25,000-50,000. Bentota was heavily damaged by the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami which devastated the Sri Lankan coastal belt on the morning of the December 26th.
Visit Bentota and Sri Lanka now on The World In Photos!
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Happy New Year 2008!
By Simon Laroche
From St Petersburg...
... to Cape Town,
From Vancouver...
... to Melbourne,
Wherever you are, whatever you do, the TWIP team wishes you a very Happy New Year 2008!
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Home | Add a photo | Members | Advertise | Contact || Privacy Policy | Contributors
Forums | Dictionary | Blog | Wiki || World Heritage Site | Country list | Photos List | Photo album list
Copyright © 2004-2013 TWIP | twip.fr | The-World-In-Photos.com | Photo-of-the-World.com, all rights reserved.
Users of this site agree to be bound by the Terms of Use of the The World In Photos Web Site.