View allAll Photos Tagged absorption
This was such a hot day that for most of the time, this small copper was keeping its wings folded and pointing at the sun to reduce energy absorption and avoid over-heating. Eventually I managed a couple of shots with wings capturing light from the sun.
For me to observe, homeostasis in action.
With other small butterflies, on sunny days, I've been able to persuade them (esp. common blue) to open their wings by gradually shading them at a distance, then removing the shade.
Thanks to everyone who views, faves or comments on my pictures.
Narduris is a leader of Clan of Shadows, named Xymoorghor.
One of my biggest and favourite MOC, I ever build. This version was building over three weeks (with breaks). I know there is much work with it, but I decided to take photos, and show You, to know your opinion. Now, enjoy!
======================
Abilities and powers:
Heightened senses, great strength, icy gaze, the power capable of destroying everything (with a scepter), sensing the energy absorption capacity, the perfect warrior.
Character:
Hard, vindictive, violent, cunning, ruthless, brilliant strategist, an excellent commander, he will do anything for power and revenge.
Weapons:
Sceptre of Power (once), claws.
EN_ Surely the best known nebula of the sky in the world, and of course if its beauty is unmatched.
The Orion Nebula is a stellar nursery where new stars are forming at more than 1500 light years, full of emission, reflection and absorption nebulas located on the edge of a gigantic complex of molecular clouds, these colorful nebulae only represent a small difference of the richness of interstellar material of this galactic neighborhood. Inside this well-studied stellar nursery, astronomers have also identified what appear to be numerous young planetary systems, M42 is one of the brightest nebulae in the sky visible on the sword of the Orion hunter as a diffuse and dim star.
Captured on September 22, 2019 on the road to Yeso, Cajón del Maipo.
Exif:
Canon T5i, 25x10s
Iso 3200, f 6.3, 450 mm
Celestron Avx advanced and Sharpstar apo
ES_
Nebulosa de Orión
Seguramente la nebulosa mas conocida del cielo en el mundo, y como no si su belleza es inigualable.
La nebulosa de Orión es una guardería estelar donde están formando nuevas estrellas a más de 1500 años de luz, plagada de nebulosas de emisión, reflexión y absorción situadas al borde de un complejo gigantesco de nubes moleculares, estas vistosas nebulosas tan solo representa una pequeña diferencia de la riqueza de material interestelar de este barrio galáctico. En el interior de esta bien estudiada guardería estelar, los astrónomos también han identificado lo que parecen ser numerosos sistemas planetarios jóvenes, M42 es una de las nebulosas mas brillantes del cielo visible en la espada del cazador Orión como una estrella difusa y tenue.
The giant rock carving of King Decebalus is placed opposite an ancient memorial plaque, carved in the rock on the Serbian side of the river facing Romania. The plaque, known as the Tabula Traiana, records the completion of Trajan's military road along the Danube and thus commemorates the final defeat of Decebalus by Trajan in 105, and the absorption of the Dacian kingdom into the Roman Empire. But today Decebalus is resurrected and is once again confronting the Romans…
5 Oct 2015 | Lego Challenge 278/365
Some of you may have noticed that I've not been posting consistently recently. I can only blame it on the exam papers that I have to bring home to mark every night in order to meet the deadline. 180 scripts in 12 days, no pressure!
Every day I come across an answer so ridiculously brilliant, I wished I could award it marks for humour but I can't because there is a fine line between creativity and stupidity. So this whole week I'll be sharing some of these amazing responses in Lego form.
- Question 1 -
Metaphor question in comprehension passage: What does the author mean when he describes the selfie stick as a "lightning rod of narcissism"?
Student's answer: The author means that just as the "lightning rod" holds insurmountable power for the person wielding it, the selfie stick also possesses the powerful quality of self-absorption for the user.
National Museum, Beijing
July 2012
China
Urban life
Canon 550D
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
Amsterdam
Mei 2012
The Netherlands
Should i keep dreaming or should i jump in at the deep end?
(agency.magnumphotos.com/about/submission)
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
The Full Moon at the equinox, on March 20, 2019, reaching full phase only fours hours after the moment of the vernal equinox, and here captured rising very shortly before the moment of the Full Moon. I shot this while the Moon was still rising and in a deep blue sky, and tinted yellow from atmospheric absorption. Even so, this is a blend of short (for the Moon) and long (for the sky) exposures to capture the dynamic range.
All with the 105mm Traveler apo refractor and Canon 60Da camera at ISO 100.
For this Picture of the Week, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope turned its powerful eye towards an emission line galaxy called NGC 3749.
More information: www.spacetelescope.org/images/potw1946a/
Credit:
ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Rosario et al.
Taipei Main Railway Station
Taiwan
2013
Life in and around public transport
Nikon D7100 + 35mm 1.8
Latest blogpost: thecovertphotographer.wordpress.com
Poem.
The mercury greys, the tree-lined ebony silhouettes, deep indigo and silver-coated marbling, gleaming, beaming off the cloud-reflected bay-
Dazzles and spell-binds.
That precious God-given ambience of early dawn blinds us but etches blurred images of heavenly proportions to our senses.
The mesmerising light, the near-silent water’s edge only broken by the lilting call of the oyster-catcher or the muffled comments of stirring sailors aboard their dreamy yachts.
These familiar sounds, the salt-laden odours of a near-calm bay and the silent, gentle absorption of the sun’s rays rouses and energises a myriad of life-forms to a glorious new day.
To witness this scene is pure bliss.
To hear, feel and sense it, is almost indescribable.
Titan 1669 (NUW 669Y) joined the fleet with the absorption of Circle Line of Gloucester following takeover by Stagecoach. It moved to Swindon and was pictured at Wootton Bassett on the Chippenham service.
"The Mountain Subdivision is a railroad line owned and operated by CSX Transportation in the U.S. states of Maryland and West Virginia. The line runs from Cumberland, Maryland west to Grafton, West Virginia along the original Baltimore and Ohio Rail Road (B&O) main line. It was known as the West End Subdivision until the B&O's absorption into the Chessie System, and included the B&O's original crossing of the Allegheny Mountains. From Wiki
NGC2264 discovered in 1785.
"The cone's shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately seven light-years long (with an apparent length of 10 arcminutes), and is 2,700 light-years away from Earth." Wikipedia
Imaged from Deep Sky West - Rowe New Mexico, using RCOS 14.5" Ritchey–Chrétien telescope f/9. 3340 mm focal length.
Transparency and Seeing very good to excellent.
February 2017.
LRGB 5.3: 8:4.6:4.3 hours.
Total exposure 22 hours.
Processed in Pixinsight, and Lightroom.
SBIG 16803 CCD,AO-X
Фирменный поезд Двухэтажный состав 022Ч Санкт-Петербург — Мурманск
The EP20 (ЭП20) is a type of 6 axle Bo'Bo'Bo' dual-system electric passenger locomotive being built from 2011 y for Russian Railways by the Novocherkassk Electric Locomotive Plant (as a part of the Transmashholding), the main electric locomotive developer and producer in Soviet Union and Russia. EP20 was designed to replace of failed EP10 project by TRTrans, a joint venture between Transmashholding and Alstom by French, Belgian, and Russia based engineers to 2008 y. It is able to haul 24 coaches at 160 km/h or 17 coaches at 200 km/h and operate both on the DC and AC electrified tracks (3kV DC or 25 kV Hz 50 AC). Possibly for a first time for Russian locomotives, the cab design includes special progressive deformation steel cage for impact absorption. Due to extremal quantity of foreign components and thier high price a year production is not so big and now built 77 from 200 of ordered.
Some specifications:
Loco weight -135 t
Power output: continuous - 6600 kW /hourly - 7200 kW,
Tractive effort:350 kN (0-74 km/h) 115 kN at 200 km/h
Motors: Bogie suspended six pole 1.2 MW (1,600 hp) asynchronous DTA-1200A with six IGBT traction converters
Transmission: Bogie mounted traction motors, via gear to hollow shaft drive, with flexible couplings
Loco brake:Rheostatic 4500 kW (DC)/ 3200 kW (AC), regenerative 6000 kW, electropneumatic wheel disc.
(information from Wiki)
Фирменный поезд Двухэтажный состав 022Ч Санкт-Петербург — Мурманск
Scheveningen/The Hague
June 2012
The Netherlands
Yet another contre jour-shot, just because i'm very happy with the light these last few days. It seems we might see a summer here in the Netherlands after all..
Beachlife in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them...
Bows and flows of angel hair, and feathered canyons everywhere. (Neil Diamond) The Cone Nebula is located 2,700 light years away in the constellation Monoceros. The cone's shape comes from a dark absorption nebula consisting of cold molecular hydrogen and dust in front of a faint emission nebula containing hydrogen ionized by S Monocerotis, the brightest star of NGC 2264. The faint nebula is approximately seven light-years long.
The horizontal Christmas Tree cluster lies left of the cone; the bright star immediately left of the cone is the tree topper and the very bright star near the center of the image is the center of the tree trunk. The Fox Fur Nebula is at the top center.
The Christmas Tree star formation consists of young stars obscured by heavy layers of dust clouds. These dust clouds, along with hydrogen and helium are producing luminous new stars. The combination of dense clouds and an array of colors creates a color map filled with varying wavelengths. The red regions are ionized hydrogen, while the bluish clouds are ionized oxygen.
Scope: Skywatcher MN190; Camera QSI 683; Mount MYT
This is a false color HOO image (though approximately correct) composed of Ha 9 hours, Oiii 9 hours
Reprocessed December 2023
In V4 I tried to improve the stars, the overall color balance, and to bring up the brightness in the dimmer areas.
Reprocessed Feb 2025
In V5 I shrank the star size and did some better detail enhancements with the high pass filter. I also tried to confine the Oiii to specific regions so it doesn't look like fog over the whole image.
The Urgency of Change in a World of Climate Change - Integrated Diagnostics and Solutions by Daniel Arrhakis (2026)
The Urgency of Change in a World of Climate Change
Integrated Diagnostics and Solutions
The urgency of change regarding climate change is not merely a technological or economic race, but a profound civilizational crisis that demands reconciliation between science, philosophy, and spirituality. The contemporary disconnection between humankind and the biosphere reflects a fracture of values that the recovery of an animistic vision—which recognizes nature as a living and sacred subject, and not as a mere resource—attempts to heal through a new eco-spirituality.
1. The Scientific Vision: Boundaries and Rupture
Science quantifies the habitability of the Earth through rigorous biophysical models.
Planetary Boundaries: A system of nine boundaries that guarantee the planet's stability (Earth System Resilience).
Boundaries exceeded: We have breached six of the nine boundaries, including climate change and the integrity of the biosphere.
Points of No Return: Global warming threatens to activate irreversible triggers, such as the melting of permafrost.
Concrete Emergency: Extreme events (droughts, floods) are no longer future projections; they occur in the present with record frequency.
Humanitarian Impact: Global entities warn that extreme droughts and scarcity directly threaten public health and global food security.
Planetary Boundaries are nine fundamental processes that regulate the stability and resilience of the Earth. Defined by scientists at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, they represent the "safe operating space for humanity":
Climate Change: Concentration of greenhouse gases and increase in global temperature.
Biosphere Integrity: Loss of biodiversity (species extinction) and ecosystem collapse.
Land Use Change: Modification of land use, such as deforestation. Conversion of forests and natural areas to agriculture or urbanization.
Biogeochemical Cycles (Nitrogen and Phosphorus): Alterations in the flows of these elements, largely due to the use of fertilizers.
Freshwater Use: Excessive extraction and consumption of potable and groundwater.
Ocean Acidification: Absorption of carbon dioxide that alters the chemistry and harms marine life.
Introduction of New Entities: Pollution by artificial chemicals, radioactive materials, and microplastics.
Atmospheric Aerosol Load: Emission of microscopic particles that affect the climate (including monsoon formation) and health.
Ozone Layer Depletion: Degradation of stratospheric ozone that protects the Earth from harmful UV rays.
The nine planetary boundaries define the safe operating space for humanity. Exceeding these limits dramatically increases the risk of generating abrupt and irreversible environmental changes on a global scale. Scientific studies indicate that humanity has already exceeded the safe zone in about six to seven of these boundaries.
2. The Philosophical Vision: Ethics and the Anthropocene
Philosophy questions our relationship of dominance over the natural world and proposes new models of thought:
End of Anthropocentrism: Critique of the idea that nature exists only to serve human consumption.
Intergenerational Justice: Ethical debate on the moral duty to protect the planet for future generations.
The Anthropocene: New geological era where humanity has become the dominant force of planetary destruction.
Philosophy of Crisis: The climate urgency demands redefining the concept of "progress" and focusing on sustainability.
3. The Spiritual Vision: Interconnection and Deep Ecology
Spirituality addresses the crisis as a reflection of an inner and sacred disconnection with the Earth, pointing to the following necessity:
Overcoming Descartes: It is urgent to abandon the Cartesian paradigm that places man outside and above nature, treating the living world as a "machine" to be dominated.
Deep Ecology / Biocentric Ethics: Transition from economic utilitarianism to an ethic that recognizes the intrinsic value of all forms of life.
Interdependence: The view that the Earth is a living organism (Gaia Hypothesis) and that everything is interconnected.
Climate Justice: A moral philosophy that connects human suffering to ecological destruction. The most vulnerable pay the highest price for industrial greed.
Religious Climate Justice: Global faith movements advocate for the care of creation as a supreme spiritual duty.
Inner Healing: The external ecological crisis reflects a spiritual crisis of greed, apathy, indifference, and existential emptiness.
4 - The Spiritual Animistic Vision: Healing through Eco-spirituality
For Rovingian Animism, the profound desecration of the Earth and existential emptiness are among the main factors in the origin of the current crisis. Toxic anthropocentrism, the commodification of all life, dehumanization, the growing isolationist logarithmization of society, and the artificialization of nature are other factors that have accentuated the civilizational crisis of our times.
Eco-spirituality proposes a metamorphosis in the way we feel and revere existence:
The Re-enchantment of the World: Animism restores "soul" and agency to rivers, forests, and ecosystems. The Earth ceases to be an object of consumption and returns to being the Sacred Mother.
Crisis of Values: Contemporary theologians point out that compartmentalizing the sacred and the natural generates an artificial separation, ignoring that the "cry of the earth" and the "cry of the poor" are the same wound. Transmutation of the Ego into the Eco: The spirituality of the future demands a profound ecological conversion, where the sacredness of the biosphere guides daily and political decisions.
Inversion of Isolationist Logarithmization: The algorithmic dependence and hyper-digitalization of contemporary society have fragmented community ties, generating profound social and environmental alienation. An urgent return to a relational reality is necessary.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Urgência Da Mudança Num Mundo De Alterações
Climáticas - Diagnósticos e Soluções Integradas
A urgência da mudança face às alterações climáticas não é apenas uma corrida tecnológica ou económica, mas uma profunda crise civilizacional que exige a reconciliação entre a ciência, a filosofia e a espiritualidade. A desconexão contemporânea entre o ser humano e a biosfera reflete uma fratura de valores que o resgate de uma visão animista — que reconhece a natureza como um sujeito vivo e sagrado, e não como mero recurso — tenta curar através de uma nova ecoespiritualidade.
1. A Visão Científica: Fronteiras e Rutura
A ciência quantifica a habitabilidade da Terra através de modelos biofísicos rigorosos.
Limites Planetários: Sistema de nove fronteiras que garantem a estabilidade do planeta (Resiliência do Sistema Terra).
Fronteiras Ultrapassadas: Rompemos seis dos nove limites, incluindo as alterações climáticas e a integridade da biosfera.
Pontos de Não Retorno: O aquecimento global ameaça ativar gatilhos irreversíveis, como o degelo do permafrost.
Emergência Concreta: Eventos extremos (secas, cheias) já não são projeções futuras; ocorrem no presente com frequência recorde.
Impacto Humanitário: Entidades mundiais alertam que as secas extremas e a escassez ameaçam diretamente a saúde pública e a segurança alimentar global.
Os Limites Planetários são nove processos fundamentais que regulam a estabilidade e a resiliência da Terra. Definidos por cientistas do Stockholm Resilience Centre, eles representam o "espaço de operação seguro para a humanidade" :
Mudanças Climáticas: Concentração de gases de efeito estufa e aumento da temperatura global.
Integridade da Biosfera: Perda de biodiversidade (extinção de espécies) e colapso de ecossistemas.
Mudanças no Uso do Solo: Modificação do uso do solo, como a desflorestação. Conversão de florestas e áreas naturais para agricultura ou urbanização.
Ciclos Biogeoquímicos (Nitrogênio e Fósforo): Alterações nos fluxos desses elementos, muito devido ao uso de fertilizantes.
Uso de Água Doce: Captação e consumo excessivo de água potável e subterrânea.
Acidificação dos Oceanos: Absorção de dióxido de carbono que altera a química e prejudica a vida marinha.
Introdução de Novas Entidades: Poluição por substâncias químicas artificiais, materiais radioativos e microplásticos.
Carga de Aerossóis Atmosféricos: Emissão de partículas microscópicas que afetam o clima (incluindo a formação de monções) e a saúde.
Destruição da Camada de Ozônio: Degradação do ozônio estratosférico que protege a Terra de raios UV nocivos
As nove fronteiras planetárias definem o espaço operacional seguro para a humanidade. Ultrapassar estes limites aumenta drasticamente o risco de gerar mudanças ambientais abruptas e irreversíveis à escala global. Estudos científicos apontam que a humanidade já ultrapassou a zona de segurança em cerca de seis a sete desses limites.
2. A Visão Filosófica: Ética e Antropoceno
A filosofia questiona a nossa relação de domínio sobre o mundo natural e propõe novos modelos de pensamento:
Fim do Antropocentrismo: Crítica à ideia de que a natureza existe apenas para servir o consumo humano.
Justiça Intergeracional: Debate ético sobre o dever moral de proteger o planeta para as próximas gerações.
O Antropoceno: Nova época geológica onde a humanidade se tornou a força dominante de destruição planetária.
Filosofia da Crise: A urgência climática exige redefinir o conceito de "progresso" e focar na sustentabilidade.
3. A Visão Espiritual: Interconexão e Ecologia Profunda
A espiritualidade aborda a crise como um reflexo de uma desconexão interior e sagrada com a Terra, apontando como necessidade:
Superação de Descartes: É urgente abandonar o paradigma cartesiano que coloca o homem fora e acima da natureza, tratando o mundo vivo como uma "máquina" a ser dominada.
Ecologia Profunda /Ética Biocêntrica: Transição do utilitarismo económico para uma ética que reconhece o valor intrínseco de todas as formas de vida.
Interdependência: Visão de que a Terra é um organismo vivo (Hipótese Gaia) e que tudo está interligado.
Justiça Climática: Filosofia moral que conecta o sofrimento humano à destruição ecológica. Os mais vulneráveis pagam o preço mais alto pela ganância industrial.
Justiça Climática Religiosa: Movimentos de fé globais defendem o cuidado com a criação como um dever espiritual supremo.
Cura Interior: A crise ecológica exterior reflete uma crise espiritual de ganância, apatia. Indiferença e vazio existencial.
4 - A Visão Espiritual Animista: A Cura pela Ecoespiritualidade
Para o Animismo Rovingiano a profunda dessacralização da Terra e o vazio existencial são uns dos principais fatores na origem da crise atual. O Antropocentrismo tóxico, a mercantilização da toda a vida, a desumanização, a crescente logaritmização isolacionista da sociedade e a artificialização da natureza são outros dos fatores que acentuaram a crise civilizacional dos nossos tempos.
A ecoespiritualidade propõe uma metamorfose na forma como sentimos e reverenciamos a existência:
O Reencantamento do Mundo: O animismo devolve "alma" e agência aos rios, florestas e ecossistemas. A Terra deixa de ser um objeto de consumo e volta a ser a Mãe Sagrada.
Crise de Valores: Teólogos contemporâneos apontam que compartimentalizar o sagrado e o natural gera uma separação artificial, ignorando que o "clamor da terra" e o "clamor dos pobres" são a mesma ferida.
Transmutação do Ego para o Eco: A espiritualidade do futuro exige uma conversão ecológica profunda, onde a sacralidade da biosfera guia as decisões quotidianas e políticas.
Inversão da Logaritmização Isolacionista: A dependência algorítmica e a hiper-digitalização da sociedade contemporânea fragmentaram os laços comunitários, gerando uma profunda alienação social e ambiental. É necessário um retorno urgente a uma realidade relacional.
District 789, Beijing
July 2012
China
Urban life
Canon 550D
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely I will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
Please no glossy awards, scripted comments and big thumbnails back to your own work.
I will remove them..
Please indulge me here:
Many people are either in love with themselves
or they hate themselves-which is just another form of self love, but we can call that self absorption or self indulgence.
There is little middle ground here!
There is only you in the world and everyone else is either out to lower or raise your self esteem.
Other people are either our makers or breakers.
--------------------------------
As people/human organisms we mostly want obedience, loyalty, UNCONDITIONAL LOVE, UNDERSTANDING, GRATITUDE, AFFECTION, ACCEPTANCE.
We want our asses kissed, our flaws overlooked, our attitudes accepted our negativity applauded, our way of making coffee the best ,
We crave the best homes, gardens, cars, children, kitchens, bathrooms
basically .......... the best of everything!
And the MYTH that only America is great, all other countries are filled with ignorant morons who kill and hate and beg and have no money and dont strive and lack ambition and are dying to come to AMERICA but arent as good as Americans and basically AMERICA is the greatest thing since oral sex
well... is truly a MYTH!
Many of us think we are interesting.
Not true at all.
MEDIOCRE is the word for most Humans and
IGRAM and Youtube are prime examples saturated with MEDIOCRITY.
The DEMOCRATIZATION OF talentless talent!?
Many of us want an audience, fame and applause without actually making the effort.
Many of us are Narcissists, self aggrandizing and want clones of ourselves.
Materialism justifies our entire existence & it leaves us empty & poor in the soul and deceived because its illusory, ephemeral and basically just crap put together until its replaced by version 2.0
We dont want to work at relationships.
We want the relationship one way
our way
with our values
our opinions matter
our decisions are always the right ones.
What we say goes. Its our way or no way. We want it ALL our way.
THE LOYALTY OF THE DOG THAT ONLY A DOG GIVES IS WHAT We WANT .................. a DOG.
MANS BEST FRIEND.
SMACK A DOG,
CURSE IT,
THROW ROCKS AT IT,
POKE ITS EYES
KICK IT
REFUSE ITS AFFECTION
ABUSE IT
THROW IT DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS
MAKE IT AN OBJECT THAT HAS NO FEELINGS AND MAKE IT ENDURE AS MUCH VENOM YOU GOT FROM YOUR CHILDHOOD....
A DOG WILL ALWAYS BE LOVING AND OBEDIENT.
IT WILL NEVER ABANDON YOU.
IT WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU.
IT WILL WAG ITS TAIL AND JUMP ON YOU AT THE DOOR UPON ARRIVAL AND CRY WHEN YOU LEAVE IT.
EVEN AFTER A SEVERE BATTERING.
MANS BEST FRIEND ....
----------------------------------------------
We treat,
evaluate
and judge others like we were treated as a child.
some call this PROJECTION for you psychology nuts.
If uncorrected or unanalyzed ( most human beings ) we pass all this crap on to our offspring, thus
a generation of drug addiction, hopelessness, you get it...
OUR VIEWS are " DOGMA "
a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.
Our opinions are rarely unchangeable, we are rigid, we are so full of our childhood traumas we dont even know they are traumas. We find others to convince that youre reasoning is the right reasoning and they should join forces with you.
We want universal unconditional non negotiable unmitigated floridly wholeheartedly 100 percent edly acceptance. Yes basically........ we want DOGS!
ruff ruff.................
Dr Losack ......
Photography’s new conscience
Poem.
The mercury greys, the tree-lined ebony silhouettes, deep indigo and silver-coated marbling, gleaming, beaming off the cloud-reflected bay-
Dazzles and spell-binds.
That precious God-given ambience of early dawn blinds us but etches blurred images of heavenly proportions to our senses.
The mesmerising light, the near-silent water’s edge only broken by the lilting call of the oyster-catcher or the muffled comments of stirring sailors aboard their dreamy yachts.
These familiar sounds, the salt-laden odours of a near-calm bay and the silent, gentle absorption of the sun’s rays rouses and energises a myriad of life-forms to a glorious new day.
To witness this scene is pure bliss.
To hear, feel and sense it, is almost indescribable.
Featured Image from Sonata Series
Sonata concentrates on seeing rather than looking. In our waking-state, we look at things all the time but consciously unless chosen to do we make the effort to see. This on-going series concentrates on the elements of design ; color, line, shape texture form and pattern. Each image composes of a singular point of interest to achieve photographic satisfaction. Here the visible, mundane & overlooked has its moment.
Nkosi.artiste@gmail.com
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Chance Nkosi Gomez known initiated by H.H Swami Jyotirmayanda as Sri Govinda walks an integral yogic path in which photography is the primary creative field of expression. The medium was introduced during sophomore year of high school by educator Dr. Devin Marsh of Robert Morgan Educational Center. Coming into alignment with light, its nature and articulating the camera was the focus during that time. Thereafter while completing a Photographic Technology Degree, the realization of what made an image “striking” came to the foreground of the inner dialogue. These college years brought forth major absorption and reflection as an apprentice to photographer and educator Tony A. Chirinos of Miami Dade College. The process of working towards a singular idea of interest and thus building a series became the heading from here on while the camera aided in cultivating an adherence to the present moment. The viewfinder resembles a doorway to the unified field of consciousness in which line, shape, form, color, value, texture all dissolve. It is here that the yogi is reminded of sat-chit-ananda (the supreme reality as all-pervading; pure consciousness). As of May 2024 Govinda has completed his 300hr yoga teacher training program at Sattva Yoga Academy studying from Master Yogi Anand Mehrotra in Rishikesh, India, Himalayas. This has strengthened his personal Sadhana and allows one to carry and share ancient Vedic Technology leading others in ultimately directing their intellect to bloom into intuition. As awareness and self-realization grows so does the imagery that is all at once divine in the mastery of capturing and controlling light. Over the last seven years he has self-published six photographic books, Follow me i’ll be right behind you (2017), Sonata - Minimal Study (2018), Birds Singing Lies (2018), Rwanda (2019), Where does the body begin? (2019) & Swayam Jyotis (2023). Currently, Govinda is employed at the Leica Store Miami as a camera specialist and starting his journey as a practitioner of yoga ॐ
The Hague
April 2012
The Netherlands
Urban life in the Netherlands
Ricoh GRD IV
Please do not reproduce or use this picture without my explicit permission.
If you ask nicely i will probably say yes, just ask me first!
If you happen to be in one of my frames and have any objections to this.
Please contact me!
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Processed using calibrated near infrared methane absorption band (MT2, CB2) filtered images of Saturn taken by Cassini on July 24 2013.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/SSI/CICLOPS/Kevin M. Gill
UFO -sudden appearance
Shooting condition: almost no wind! The camera is wearing a hood. A few shots were taken. At intervals of a few seconds. The optics are clean!
Formations in the sky are not clouds! One hour before the flight, an aerosol is sprayed.
On the lens stand the Sigma EX polarization filter — the position is set to the maximum absorption (set according to the brightness of the water). One of the pictures (left it in sepia) shows the appearance of an object!
Shot in RAW. Developed in Sigma SPP. Saved in TIFF 16bit.
It was a very unusual day.
The day when a military parade was held after the 2020 pandemic...
“Military parades on May 9 and June 24, 2020 on Red Square are military parades on Red Square in Moscow dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory Day in the Great Patriotic War. The parade was supposed to take place on Red Square on May 9, but it had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 epidemic. As a result, the parade took place on June 24, the 75th anniversary of the 1945 Victory Parade. On May 9, only the aerial part of the parade took place with the participation of military aircraft.” (wiki)
While everyone was sitting at home, I not only walked around, but filmed unusual things in unusual places...
Lakhta is such a place and has been indicated on maps since the 15th century, when the city of St. Petersburg was not yet marked there...
The aerial portion of the parade was in full swing when I was there.
Various planes flew by...
I shot with a special filter with caps and will cover uF.
There was no one in the forest. On the water too.
At 11:47 I took a photo showing a moving object under the plane.
At 11:48 the plane disappeared from sight.
But I noticed movement towards Lakhta.
Looking there in manual focus mode with magnification, I saw a figure...
She looked like a person standing on the sup board, but...
She was thicker. It was as if someone had put on a winter suit or a spacesuit.
But who would wear something like that in the heat?
Moreover, during the current on the water, she was motionless...
For several seconds my brain tried to piece it all together...
And then there was the sound of a camera shutter being released...
IC5146 also called Cocoon Nebula is located in the constellation of Cygnus and is surrounded by a large amount of dark clouds and consists of emission, reflection and absorption nebulosities.
Distance to earth: 3’000 lightyears
Apparent size: each approx 12 arcminutes (0.4 x the moon)
Equipment:
Mount: SW AZEQ6GT
Telescope: SW Evostar 80ED
Camera: Atik 460EX Mono
Capture information:
Date: August – September 2017
Total exposure time: 12 hours
Color combination: LRGB
Image data:
18 x 1200s LUM
10 x 3 x 600s RGB bin2
11 x 3 x 60s RGB
Last night I captured a glimpse of this rare lunar activity that has been dubbed all over social media as the Blood Moon, or in much neater celestial terms "A Supermoon Lunar Eclipse".
This event is so rare that it can't even be entitled a once in a blue moon event, but rather a once in a supermoon event.
The last time this occurred it was 1982, and the next would be 2033.
A Supermoon occurs when a Full Moon occurs at the perigee (when the Moon is closest to the Earth in its orbit) and hence looks 14% larger than usual Full Moons. When this activity coincides with a Lunar Eclipse (when the Earth aligns between the Sun and the Moon), the Moon gets a reddish tinge due to the absorption of the blue wavelengths from white light by the Earth's atmosphere before it reaches the Moon.
Robber Flies normally fold their wings over their abdomens in order to look more like the bumble bees that they mimic. On a cool morning with light cloud cover, however, this one has spread its wings and legs widely in order to maximize absorption of the sun's feeble rays.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7iCRjn-6Tk
From the game, "Skyrim", edited using the action, Ancient desaturate.
© all rights reserved by B℮n
Please take your time... to View it large on black
The general term ice age or, more precisely, glacial age denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. There have been at least four major ice ages in the Earth's past. Outside these periods, the Earth seems to have been ice-free even in high latitudes. There is evidence that greenhouse gas levels fell at the start of ice ages and rose during the retreat of the ice sheets, but it is difficult to establish cause and effect. Greenhouse gas levels may also have been affected by other factors which have been proposed as causes of ice ages, such as the movement of continents and vulcanism. Although the last glacial period ended more than 8,000 years ago, its effects can still be felt today. For example, the moving ice carved out landscape in Canada, Greenland, northern Eurasia and Antarctica. The erratic boulders, till, drumlins, eskers, fjords, kettle lakes, moraines, cirques, horns, etc., are typical features left behind by the glaciers. The Dutch IJsselmeer lake is covered with icerocks hummocks, caused by the cold weather of the passed days. At some places even higher than 6 meter!
Photo of frozen common reed along the IJsselmeer lake. It was cold and snowing. Many hummocks at the IJsselmeer (Markermeer) near Uitdam. On the background you can see the smoke of the Powerplant of Diemen. A hummock is a boss or rounded knoll of ice rising above the general level of an ice-field, Hummocky ice is caused by slow and unequal pressure in the main body of the packed ice, and by unequal structure and temperature at a later period. Blue ice occurs when snow falls on the ice. The blue color is actually created for the same reason that water is blue, that is, its slight absorption of red light due to an overtone of the infrared OH stretching mode of the water molecule.
Een ijstijd of glaciatie is een geologisch tijdvak waarin ijskappen voorkomen. In het Engels wordt dit een periode van ice-house genoemd, als tegenhanger van een ijskaploze periode, de greenhouse ("broeikas"). Aangezien er gletsjers liggen op bijvoorbeeld Groenland of Antarctica, leven we tegenwoordig in een ijstijd. Men neemt aan dat dit in de gehele geologische geschiedenis van de Aarde minstens vijfmaal het geval is geweest, waarvan eenmaal zelfs zo sterk dat de ijskappen van de polen vrijwel tot aan de evenaar waren opgerukt. Ook zijn er periodes dat er aanzienlijke opwarming optrad waarbij die ijskappen grotendeels waren weggesmolten. Het klimaat op Aarde wordt beïnvloed door vele factoren, zoals de intensiteit van de zonnestraling, de ligging van de continenten, de continentverplaatsingen, vulkanisme, de zeestromen, de bedekking van het land door vegetatie, het weerkaatsingsvermogen van het aardoppervlak en vele kleine andere factoren. Met behulp van klimaatmodellen wordt door wetenschappers een reconstructie van het klimaat en de klimaatveranderingen in het verleden gemaakt. Alhoewel er een zekere consensus bestaat onder wetenschappers, zijn er nog vele onzekerheden en tegenstrijdigheden in dit onderzoek.
Hierboven een foto van kruiend ijs. Zoetwatermeren kunnen spectaculair bevriezen. Grotere meren zoals het IJsselmeer (IJmeer) hierboven hebben bijna altijd wel golven, en dit werkt directe bevriezing van het wateroppervlak tegen. Eerst vormen zich kleine ijsschotsen, die naar de kust drijven onder invloed van de wind. Deze schotsen vormen zo een ijsveld op het water dat de golven dempt, en uiteindelijk vriezen alle schotsen aan elkaar vast tot een massa. Voordat dit gebeurt schuren de schotsen voortdurend langs elkaar heen en schrapen zo stukjes ijs van elkaar af; elke schots krijgt zo een witte rand. Zulk ijs is dus totaal niet geschikt om op te schaatsen. Wanneer grotere delen van het meer bevriezen beginnen de platen, die soms een paar vierkante kilometer groot zijn, langzaam tegen elkaar te bewegen onder invloed van de wind en stroming. Dit heeft kruiend ijs tot gevolg: de ijsschotsen worden met kracht gebroken en op elkaar gestapeld langs de dijken langs het meer. Dit hoeft niet alleen bij dun ijs te gebeuren; soms kruit het ijs bij een dikte van meer dan 20 cm. De stapels ijs worden dan hoog, en het geluid is oorverdovend. Deze foto is genomen bij Uitdam. Het was behoorlijk koud en sneeuwde op het bevroren riet Op de achtergrond kan je de electriciteitscentrale Diemen zien tegen het licht van de ondergaande zon.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swat_District
Swat (pronounced [ˈsʋaːt̪], Pashto: سوات) is a valley and an administrative district in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, located close to the Afghan-Pakistan border. It is the upper valley of the Swat River, which rises in the Hindu Kush range. The capital of Swat is Saidu Sharif, but the main town in the Swat valley is Mingora.[1] It was a princely state (see Swat (princely state)) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until it was dissolved in 1969. The valley is almost entirely populated by ethnic Gujjar and Pashtuns (Afghans). The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto and Gojri. With high mountains, green meadows, and clear lakes, it is a place of great natural beauty and is popular with tourists as "the Switzerland of the region".
History
Swat has been inhabited for over two thousand years. The first inhabitants were settled in well-planned towns. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great fought his way to odegram and Barikot and stormed their battlements. In Greek accounts these towns have been identified as Ora and Bazira. Around the 2nd century BC, the area was occupied by Buddhists, who were attracted by the peace and serenity of the land. There are many remains that testify to their skills as sculptors and architects. In the beginning of the 8th century AD, Gabari Royal Tajik tribe advanced through Laghman, ningarhar, Dir and invaded Swat, defeating the Buddhists and the Hindus. This war was headed by Sultan Pakhal Gabari and later on by Sultan Behram Gabari Rulers of Kuner Pich and cousin of Rulers of Balkh and Kashmir. Later some Dilazak encrouched tha area and settled among Gabaris, who in turn were ousted by the Yusufzais which was backed by Mughal Badshah Zahiruddin Muhammad Baber, considered the super power in 1519 and 1520. The historical paradox was that the Yusufzais were ousted from Kabul by Mirza Ullegh beg, the uncle of Baber, and killed 600 malak of Yusufzai; the Gabaris helped Yousofzais refugees with a warm welcome and settled them in Bajour Dir and Swat regions. The Yousofzais forgot the generosity of Gabaris and encrouched upon the Gabari state with the plotted help of Zahiruddin Muhammad babar. They Demolished the Gabar-Kot (fortress) in bajour in 1519 and further advanced to the swat and compelled the last Gabari King Sultan Awais Gabari to flee to Upper Dir where he established his rule in,Chitral wakhan,Badakhshan and other upper Oxus. The originator of the present family of Swat was the Muslim saint Abdul Ghafoor, the Akhund of Swat, a Safi Momand of Hazara district, from where he went to Buner territory. He was a pious man and the people respected him so greatly that they called him Akhund Sahib.[2]
During the mid-19th century, Muslim tribes were fighting against each other for the possession of Swat Valley. On the intervention of the honourable Akhund Sahib, the killing was stopped, and such was his influence that the chiefs of all tribes unanimously made him the ruler of the valley. Akhund Sahib administrated the valley according to Muslim laws. Peace and tranquility prevailed, and agriculture and trade flourished in the territory. Akhund Sahib had two sons by his wife, who belonged to Nikpi Khel(نیک پی خیل).
After the death of Akhund Sahib, the tribal chiefs again started fighting and killing, which continued for years. Eventually the tribal chiefs agreed to give the control of the valley into the hands of the honourable Gul Shahzada Abdul Wadood, the son of Mian Gul Abdul Khaliq, son of Akhund Sahib. The wife of Mian Abdul Wadood was the daughter of Honorable Mirza Afzal-ul-Mulk, the ruler of Chitral. The British by trick put Chitral under the suzerainty of Kashmir. The Chitral ruler gave two horses every year to the Rajia of Kashmir, and the Raja provided Chitral with grain and sugar, etc. Swat thus went under protection of the British.
During the rule of Mian Gul Muhammad, Abdul Haq Jehanzeb, the son of Mian Abdul Wadood Khatana, the state acceded to Pakistan in 1947. The present prince, Muhammad Aurzngzeb Khan, son of Jahanzeb, married the daughter of Field Marshal Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1955. Thus by intermarriages with the other castes, the family became a branch of the imperial Gujjars i.e., the Royal family of Swat valley which belongs to the Gujjar family which laid down the foundation of Swat kingdom. Jahanzeb started a Degree College at Saidu Sahrif, the capital of the State, and four High Schools at Mingora, Chakesar, Matta and Dagar. Fourteen middle schools, twenty-eight lower middle schools, and fifty-six primary schools were established. A girls high school and high class religious schools were established at Saidu Sharif. At all the schools, the poor students were granted scholarships. The state was an exemplary state during British rule. They also have a firm stand in politics of Pakistan. The current Prince Aurangzeb Khan was also Governor of Baluchistan.
Buddhist heritage of Swat
Although it is generally accepted that Tantric Buddhism first developed in Swat under King Indrabhuti, there is an old and well-known scholarly dispute as to whether Uddiyana was in the Swat valley, Orissa or some other place. Padmasambhava (flourished eighth century AD), also called Guru Rimpoche, Tibetan Slob-dpon (teacher), or Padma ‘byung-gnas (lotus born) legendary Indian Buddhist mystic who introduced Tantric Buddhism to Tibet and is credited with establishing the first buddhist monastery there.According to tradition, Padmasambhava was native to Udyana (now Swat in Pakistan).[3] Padmasambhava was the son of Indrabhuti, king of Swat in the early eighth century AD. One of the original Siddhas, Indrabhuti flourished in the early eighth century AD and was the king of Uddiyana in the Kabul valley. His son Padmasambhava is revered as the second Buddha in Tibet. Indrabhuti's sister, Lakshminkaradevi, was also an accomplished siddha of the 9th century AD.[4] Ancient Gandhara, the valley of Pekhawar, with the adjacent hilly regions of Swat and Buner, Dir and Bajaur was one of the earliest centers of Buddhist religion and culture following the reign of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, in the third century BC. The name Gandhara first occurs in the Rigveda which is usually identified with the region[5]
Buddha heritage in the Swat Valley
The Swat museum has acquired footprints of the Buddha, which were originally placed for devotion in the sacred Swat valley. When the Buddha ascended, relics (personal items, body parts, ashes etc.) were distributed to seven kings, who built stupas over them for veneration.
The Harmarajika stupa (Taxila) and Butkarha (Swat) stupa at Jamal Garha were among the earliest Gandhara stupas. These were erected on the orders of King Ashoka and contained the genuine relics of the historic Buddha.[citation needed]
The Gandhara school is credited with the first representations of the Buddha in human form, rather symbolically as the wheel of the law, the tree, etc.[citation needed]
As Buddhist art developed and spread outside Gandhara, Gandharan styles were imitated. In China the Gandhara style was imitated in bronze images, with gradual changes in the features of these images over the passage of time. Swat, the land of romance and beauty, is celebrated throughout the Buddhist world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. Swat was a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims. Buddhist tradition holds that Buddha himself came to Swat during his incarnation as Gautama Buddha and preached to the people here.
It is said[by whom?] that the Swat valley was filled with fourteen hundred imposing and beautiful stupas and monasteries, which housed as many as 6,000 gold images of the Buddhist pantheon for worship and education. Archaeologists now know of more than 400 Buddhist sites covering an area of 160 km2 in Swat valley alone. Among the important excavations of Buddhist sites in Swat an important one is Butkarha-I, containing original relics of the Buddha. A stone statue of Buddha, is still there in the village Ghalegay.[citation needed] There is also a big stupa in Mohallah Singardar Ghalegay
Hindu Shahi Rulers and Sanskrit
Swat was ruled by the Hindu Shahi dynasty who have built an extensive array of temples and other architectural buildings now in ruins. Sanskrit may have been the lingua franca of the Swatis.[
Hindu Shahi rulers built fortresses to guard and tax the commerce through this area. Their ruins can be seen in the hills of Swat: at Malakand pass at Swat’s southern entrance
Advent of Islam by Mahmud of Ghazni
At the end of the Mauryan period (324-185 BC) Buddhism spread in the whole Swat valley, which became a very famous center of Buddhist religion.[8]
After a Buddhist phase the Hindu religion reasserted itself, so that at the time of the Muslim conquest (1000 AD) the population was solidly Hindu.[8]
In 1023 Mahmood of Ghazni attacked Swat and crushed the last Buddhist King, Raja Gira in battle. The invasion of Mahmood of Ghazni is of special importance because of the introduction of Islam as well as changing the Chronology.
Arrival Of Yousafzais
The first Muslim arrivals in Swat were Pakhtun Dilazak tribes from south-east Afghanistan. These were later ousted by Swati Pakhtuns, who were succeeded in the sixteenth century by Yusufzai Pakhtuns. Both groups of Pakhtuns came from the Kandahar and Kabul valley
Geography
The valley of Swat is situated in the north of N.W.F.P, 35° North Latitude and 72° and 30° East Longitude, and is enclosed by the sky-high mountains.
Chitral and Gilgit are situated in the north, Dir in the west, and Mardan in the south, while Indus separates it from Hazara in the east. Physical Features: Swat can be divided into two physical regions:
Mountainous Ranges.
Plains.
Mountainous Ranges
As mentioned above, Swat is lying in the lap of Mountainous Ranges, which are the offshoots of Hindukush, so the larger part of Swat is covered with high mountains and hills, the crests of which is hidden by everlasting snow. Though these gigantic Ranges run irregularly: some to the west while the others to the east, but the general direction is North-South. These ranges enclose small but very enchanting valleys.
Eastern Ranges: In Kohistan-e-Swat the chief knot of eastern ranges is Mankial. Its northern branches separate Kohistan-e-Swat from Abasin Kohistan. These ranges form a barrier between Gilgit and Swat, and between Chitral and Swat. The southern extension of Mankial ranges reaches proper Swat. There they join Shangla ranges. Shangla ranges separate proper Swat from Shangla Par area (Shangla Par district). In Shangla district, there are Karora Ranges, which separate Puran from Kanra and Ghurband. The continuation of Shangla ranges joins Dwasaray. On the one hand Dwasaray separates lower Swat from Puran, on the other, it set aside the Buner from Puran. Now the general Direction of the ranges turns westward. Here it is called Elum. Elum Ranges is a big wall between the proper Swat and Buner. The Elum ranges at last join mountains of Malakand.
The Western Ranges: Western ranges start from the mountain and hills of Gabral, Kohistan-e-Swat. It joins the hills of Kundal (Utror). There these ranges meet Daral Ranges. These ranges form a border with Dir district. They run west ward and are named according to the locality. For example Lalko ranges Manrai and Chaprai etc. at last they join the hills of Adenzee and Shamozee. Manrai ranges send off some off shoots southward. They the hills separate Arnoyay valley from the widest valley of Nekpikheil valley.
Plains
Actually the valley of Swat starts from the foothill of Malakand but we are concerned with portion from Landakay to Gabral (Gulabad), the area within the administrative boundaries of Swat. The length of the valley from Landakay to Gabral is 91 miles. Two narrow strips of plains run along the banks of Swat River from Landakay to Madyan. Beyond Madyan in Kohistan-e-Swat, the plan is too little to be mentioned. So for as the width concerns, it is not similar, it varies from place to place. We can say that the average width is 5 miles. The widest portion of the valley is between Barikot and khwaza khela. The widest view point and the charming sight where a major portion of the valley is seen is at Gulibagh on main road, which leads to Madyan. There are some subsidiary valleys, which help to increase the width of the main valley. These subsidiary valleys are called "Daras". A Dara a narrow passage between mountains, and sometimes, the upper course of a river is also called Dara. If we imagine the main valley as a stem of a tree the subsidiary valleys form its branches. Swat River and its tributaries drain Swat. There fore, the whole valley is the outcome of running water. This flowing water cuts the upper courses deeply, and flows the load of washed away materials. As the gradient is greater in the upper course so the erosion is on large scale, particularly in the summer rains, when all the rivers are in flood. The big boulders and stones are rolled, which causes more destruction in the upper courses. When the loaded water reaches to the areas of low gradient, the heavier materials are deposited. The deposition takes place according to the slope, generally, we observe, that the upper course is made up of big boulders, the middle course is of relatively small stones, pebbles, and debris, while the lower course is made of fine clay. Anyhow, the whole plain of Swat valley is strewn by the running water, and is made up of fine alluvial soil.
Demographics
The population at the 1981 Census was 715,938, which had risen to 1,257,602 at the next Census in 1998. The main language of the area is Pakhto. The people of Swat are mainly Pakhtuns,(Afghans) Yusufzais, Akhund Khel Miangan (Syed), Chitralis, Kohistan is, Gurjar (Gujar or Gurjar is the major tribe of the district; its people are divided in different clans like Khatana, Bajarh, Chichi, Ahir, Chuhan, Pamra, Gangal etc. are the main subtribe of the Gurjar family of Swat), Akhund khel Yousafzai, Nooristani, and Awans. Most probably they are originated from the same tribe that roamed around the great trans-Himalayan mountain ranges thousands of years before, and now remained in some isolated pockets of the Himalayan mountain ranges.[citation needed]
The Dardic people of the Kalam region in northern Swat are known as Kohistan is and speak the Torwali and Kalami languages. There are also some Khowar speakers in the Kalam region. This is because before Kalam came under the rule of Swat, it was a regional tributary to Chitral. The Kalamis paid a tribute of mountain ponies to the Mehtar of Chitral every year.
Tourist attractions
Marghazar
Marghazar 16 km away from Saidu Sharif is famous for its “Sufed Mahal” the white marble palace of the former Wali (Ruler) of Swat.
Malam Jabba
Malam Jabba (also Maalam Jabba, Urdu: مالم جبہ) is a Hill Station in the Karakoram mountain range nearly 40 km from Saidu Sharif in Swat Valley, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is 314 km from Islamabad and 51 km from Saidu Sharif Airport.Malam Jabba is home to the largest ski resort in Pakistan. The Malam Jabba Ski Resort, owned by the Pakistani Tourism Development Corporation, had a ski slope of about 800m with the highest point of the slope 2804 m (9200 ft) above sea level. Malam Jabba Ski Resort was the joint effort of the Pakistan government with its Austrian counterpart. The resort was equipped with modern facilities including roller/ice-skating rinks, chair lifts, skiing platforms, telephones and snow clearing equipment.
Swat Museum
Swat Museum is on the east side of the street, halfway between Mingora and Saidu. Japanese aid has given a facelift to its seven galleries which now contain an excellent collection of Gandhara sculptures taken from some of the Buddhist sites in Swat, rearranged and labelled to illustrate the Buddha's life story. Terracotta figurines and utensils, beads, precious stones, coins, weapons and various metal objects illustrate daily life in Gandhara. The ethnographic section displays the finest examples of local embroidery, carved wood and tribal jewellery. For the last three years the museum is occupied by Pakistan army and it is not known when they would be leaving it.
Miandam
Miandam is a small summer resort ten kilometres (six miles) up a steep side valley and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif, making it an hour's drive. The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago.
Madyan
By the time you reach this small town at 1320 m and about 60 km from Mingora, the mountains have closed in and the valley is almost snug. Here one senses why Swat is so popular among the tourists. There are a lot of embroidered shawls in the Bazars of Madyan.At 1,321 metres (4,335 feet) above sea level,but it is a larger town and has many hotels in all price ranges and some good tourist shopping. Antique and modern shawls, traditional embroidery, tribal jewellery, carved wood and antique or reproduced coins are sold along the main street. This is the last Swati village, offering interesting two-and three-day walks up to the mountain villages... ask in the bazaar in Muambar Khan's shop for a guide. North of Madyan is Swat Kohistan where walking is not recommended without an armed guard. The central mosque at Madyan has carved wooden pillars with elegant scroll capitals, and its mud-plastered west wall is covered with relief designs in floral motifs. Both bespeak the Swati's love of decoration.[10]
Behrain
A quarter of an hour past Madyan, the road squeezes through Behrain. Tourists stop to shop or have a look around for beautiful carved wood chairs and tables and other handicrafts. Behrainis are a mix of Pashtuns and Kohistanis. Behrain is ten kilometres north of Madyan and only slightly higher, at about 1,400 metres (4,500 feet). It is another popular riverside tourist resort, with bazaars worth exploring for their handicrafts. Some of the houses have carved wooden doors, pillars and balconies. These show a remarkable variety of decorative motifs, including floral scrolls and bands of ornamental diaper patterns almost identical to those seen on Buddhist shrines and quite different from the usual Muslim designs.
Kalam
2070 m high and 100 km from Mingora, it was the centre of an independent state in the 19th century. It was later taken by Chitral then given to Swat after partition.Kalam, 29 kilometres (18 mi) from Bahrain and about 2,000 metres (6,800 feet) above sea level, the valley opens out, providing rooms for a small but fertile plateau above the river. In Kalam the Ushu and Utrot rivers join to form the Swat river. Here, the metalled road ends and shingle road leads to the Ushu and Utrot valleys. From Matiltan one gets a breath-taking view of the snow-capped Mount Falaksir 5918 metres (19,415 ft.), and another unnamed peak 6096 metres (20,000 ft.) high.
Usho
Usho 3 km from Kalam Valley and 117 km from Saidu Sharif
Utror
Utror 16 km from Kalam Valley and 120 km from Saidu Sharif. Utror valley is situated between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes. The population of Utror is 6888 and the area of the valley is about 47400 hectares. Utror valley is surrounded by Gabral and Bhan valleys on the east, upper Dir district on the west, Kalam valley on the south and Gabral valley on the north. It is 15 km from Kalam, the centre of Swat Kohistan. The altitude of the valley at Utror proper is 2300 meters and reaches to 2900 meters at Kandol Lake.
Ghabral
Gabral valley lies between 35° 20′ to 35° 48′ N latitudes and 72° 12′ and 72° 32′ E longitudes over an area of about 38733 hectares. The population of Gabral is 3238. The valley is surrounded by Chitral District in the north, Utror valley in the south and south west, upper Dir district in the west and Bhan and Mahodand valleys in the east. It is 5 km distant from Utror proper and 20 km from Kalam. The altitude of the valley ranges from 2580 metres at Baila to 5160 metres at Karkaray Lake top.In Utror and Gabral, 44 medicinal plants are collected during the months of May, June, July and August. Only 14 of them are traded to National and International markets while the rest are used locally. A survey by Pakistan Forest Institute concludes that 75 crude herbal drugs are extensively exported and more than 200 are locally traded in Pakistan. Indigenous people, who have no training in sustainable harvesting, post-harvesting care and storing of medicinal plants, collect 85 percent of these crude herbs from the wild.
Kundol Lake, Swat valley
Mahudan
Mahodand valley, which lies in the North of Kalam, is famous not only among nature lovers, and escapists but also the exotic trout fish hunters. The valley can be accessed through an un-metalled road from Kalam in a four by four (4x4) vehicle. The road is bumpy and tricky but the surrounding landscapes engrosses you so severely that you wish for more and expect to discover new panoramas. The small hamlets that are scattered in the mountains and the bellowing smoke that spirals into the sky from the houses are some, which lives in the memory forever. Swat River, which is born here, is shackled by the tall mountains, which has turned its water into a roaring monster trying to release itself from its fetters, but there are some places where the river is calm and silent without showing any sign of rebellion.
Pari (Khapiro) lake
Pari Lake is one of the lakes in Swat region which is located at a very high altitude in the foot of the tallest peak in the range with a considerable depth. The name Pari or Khapiro is given to the lake due to the widespread belief that the lake is the abode of fairies where they live and bathe in the cool, pure and clear water of the lake. It is located to North-east of Utror valley and can be accessed only by trekking. Trekking to the lake needs endurance and love for nature as the trail is exasperating as well as dangerous therefore, utmost care should be taken while trekking on the narrow bends and turns leading to the lake. The lake is accessible from both Izmis and Kundal lakes. Two ascending tracks lead to this lake from Kundal and Izmis lakes taking almost five hours to reach this roof top of Swat. The trail is very steep from both sides but the surrounding beauty and eye-cooling green pastures and exotic flowers not only boost the trekker’s stamina but compel him to explore further.
Kundol Lake
The pastoral valley of Swat has abundance of precious resorts of nature where one can find solace and respite from the never-ending struggle of life. Kundal or Kandolo Lake is one such place here upon which the Maestro of nature has spent extra time and effort to paint. Kundal Lake is situated in the north of Utror valley. One can easily access it from Kalam via Utror from where a link road ends in a green valley called Ladu in the foothills of the lake. You can either hike to Ladu from Utror or take a four-wheeler to ease and minimize your journey. It consumes almost two hours to reach the beautiful valley of Ladu. For the adventurous kind, a walk in the romantic valley will unravel several new mysteries. The people who take temporary residency over here during summer plow the open land and harvest potatoes and turnips, which are famous all over the country for its exotic taste. There is also a small hut in Ladu where you can take tea and get something for eating. From Ladu it takes almost four hours to reach the lake. Some locals can guide you and even take your luggage if properly paid. The mountains around this small valley are covered with tall cedar and pine trees and meandered by different streams and torrents. The people are friendly and provide you guidance if required.
Bashigram Lake
Bashigram Lake is situated to the east of Bashigram valley near Madyan. The road to this valley is partly metaled and can be plied by a four by four or any ordinary vehicle. It takes almost forty to fifty minutes to reach this picturesque valley inhibited by simple and hospitable folk. From here, trekking of four to five hours, depending on professionalism and enthusiasm of the trekkers lands you in the realm of a serene and enchanting lake of Bashigram.
Spin Khwar (White Stream) Lake
Spin Khwar is a beautiful lake hidden in the lap of mountains towards the north of Kundal Lake and east of Utror valley. The name Spin Khwar has a clear significance as a small white stream in the east flows down to the lake from the surrounding mountains and is a major source of water for the lake. The lake is accessible through two tracks, one from Kundal and the other from Ladu valley. The track from Ladu is comparatively easy to walk and less tiring while the track from Kundal is not only difficult but alarmingly dangerous although it is short and links Kundal and Spin Khwar. Its steepness and dangerous bends needs an experienced trekker and unending physical strength. The grazers in the area have built small huts and a mosque where one can stay but a personal tent is more recommendable as these huts are in a poor condition due to lack of maintenance.
Daral Lake
Daral lake is situated to the northeast of Sidgai Lake and can be accessed through Saidgai after two three hours rigorous trekking. The trail to Daral is full of fun and amusement because it runs over sky touching heights of the mountains provides spectacular sights and panoramas for the beauty hungry eyes of nature lovers. A close look towards the south will reveal the long and winding sellouts of river Swat in the horizon.After walking and trekking for about two and a half hours on bare and naked mountains, the trail start descending towards the East where Daral Lake is located.
Administration
The region has gone through considerable changes over the last few years since the dissolution of the princely state in 1969. Members of the former Royal family have since on occasion been elected to represent the area in the Provincial Assembly and National Assembly.
Provincial & national politics
The region elects two male members of the National Assembly of Pakistan (MNAs), one female MNA, seven male members of the Provincial Assembly of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (MPAs)[11] and two female MPAs. In the 2002 National and Provincial elections, the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal, an alliance of religious political parties, won all the seats amidst a wave of anti-Americanism that spread after the United States' invasion of Afghanistan.
Wild Life: In early days when the shrubs and bushes covered slopes and foothill areas,hares, porcupine, fox, jackal, wolf, pigs, and hyenas were in large number. Now the need for fuels decreased the scrubs and trees, so these animals have decreased considerably. In the forests,monkeys are often found. Among the birds: hawks, eagles, falcons are found in the high mountains, while pheasants, partridges, hoopoes, larks, sparrows, quails, doves, swallows, starlings, nightingales, crows, kites, vultures, owls, bates are the common birds.
Bees: The bees were kept in Swat commonly, and the pure honey of was famous all over the country. But now the moveable beehives have affected the Swat locally reared bees greatly. Now, the local good honey is found in remote areas only, while the honey of moveable hives is available everywhere in low prices.
Fisheries: There is a large fishery in Madyan. In this fishery the trout fish are being reared. In Kohistan-e-Swat there are some private fisheries too. In Buner the fish were being reared in Barandu, Dagar. Moreover the Swat River serves as a permanent fishery throughout the year while the tributaries of it are used for fishing only in spring season.
Mineral Resources: Mines' production plays an important role in the economy of a country, particularly in the regions where they exist, because, the local people get the opportunities to labor in, and earn their livelihood. But the Swati mines have no importance for the local people in this respect. It is necessary, however, to mention what they are, and where do they exist. Swat is rich in mineral wealth, but the discovered commodities are a few. Among them, the china clay stands first; others are marble stone, and emerald.
China Clay: The china clay exists at “Kathyar” in Nekpikheil (on the road that leads to Shahderai at a distance of 15 miles from Mingora). This is the largest mine, having the finest quality, of China clay in Pakistan. The clay is mined here, and is transported to Shaidu in Nawshehra (which is at a distance of around 100 miles from Swat). It is not so advantageous for the local people, because they have no opportunity to work in the complex.
Soap Clay: The mine of soap clay has been discovered recently between Alpurai and Kanra on the side of Gilgit Road (Shahrah-e-Resham). It is spread in a vast area.
Marbles: The marbles are dug near Charbagh, Murghuzar, and Barikot in the proper valley of Swat, and in Buner, it is mined in Thor Warsak, Bampokha, and Sawawai. Moreover, there is a great expectation of iron ores, which will be discovered in near future.
Emerald: The finest quality of emerald is produced in Swat. Its Color and transparency is unique. It is the best in world. It is exported to the international markets: There is an export potential of 500 million dollars in this sector, provided it is excavated and cut as per international standards. Before the absorption of Swat in Pakistan, the emeralds of Swat were better in quality, and greater in quantity. But since then it is said that the quantity of production is little, and the quality devalued.
Industries:
Handicrafts: The handicrafts of Swat are very famous. When a tourist visits Swat, he accumulates bundles of these articles as gifts for his friends. All of the crafts prepared here are interesting, especially, the following are very charming.
Woolen Blankets: These blankets are known as "Sharai". They are prepared of wool obtained from the local sheep. The weight of a medium size blanket is four kilos. This is the best source of defense from the severity of winter. It is woven in Dewlai, Kala Kalay, Salampur, Puran, and Ghurband. These villages prepare the items on commercial scale.
Shawl: Shawl is a younger brother of Sharai, as it is also a woolen sheet, but light in weight. Sometimes, cotton is also mixed in its texture. It is beautifully fringed, and is commonly used by ladies. The tourists like it too much. Shawls are prepared in Salampur and Dewlai "Jolabad" on commercial bases.
Rugs: The next important thing, made of local fleece with laborious work, is rug. This is prepared in the villages by pressing wool with the help of water spray. After preparation, it is beautified with the usage of various colors. Rugs are the traditional carpets of shepherds, but now are used everywhere.
Embroidery: The embroidery of Swat is very famous, and is liked everywhere in Pakistan, as well as by the out-comers. This art is an indoor hobby of the ladies in Swat. Particularly in Nekpikheil, this is so common that very younger girls might also be seen having needlework in their hands. There are three types of embroidery:
Panrae or Panhey: Panrey or Panrhey is the old fashion of shoes, still used by the old persons in Swat. They are made in Swat with the simply tanned leather. The cobblers have great skill in the formation of ladies shoes with golden lace work. Similarly, the sandals with golden lace work are also made. The cobblers of Shahderai had great skill in this field. It is now archaic.
Shkor: A Shkor is a pot in which chapatis (plate bread used in India and Pakistan) are kept. The ordinary Shkors are prepared everywhere in Swat, but a special design is made in Puran and Chagharzee (These Shkors are high-based pots made of wheat stalks with laborious art, not easily available in bazaar).
Furniture: Furniture of various styles is made in the district. The cots, tables, chairs, dressing tables, cradles of more advanced types, etc. are furnished in Mingora, and in nearly all large villages.