THE SUNDARBANS

 The Sundarbans is the biggest halophytic mangrove forest in the world. It is situated to the southern part of Bangladesh and stands on the Bay of Bengal. The area of this forest is around 6000sq.km. The name Sundarban means a ‘forest of beauty’. It is widely thought that the name has been derived from’Sundaree tree’ present in large numbers in this forest. It has been declared a World Heritage Site in 1997.      

Around 200-300 years back the place was traced in history. The ruins of a city founded by Chad Sadagar has been traced in the Baghmara Block Forest. During the Mughal empire in this subcontinent the Mughal rulers leased the forest to residents nearby and subsequently it became an abode of criminals.Two-thirds of the Sundarbans is in Bangladesh and the rest one-third has fallen in the Indian side. The East,West and South are the three protected forests in Bangladesh is densely covered by Mangrove forest.

The Sundarbans is a habitat for the world famous Royal Bengal Tigers and some other predators like leopard, jungle cat, fishing cats and leopard cats; but they have always been subject to human attack for centuries. Wild boars are also seen here.

The forest is rich in avifauna. Nearly 170 species of birds live in this forest. Birds like Open Billed Storks, Black Header Ibis, Brahmini Kites, Spotted Doves and many others are found in this forest.

Electric ray, common carp, silver carp, butter fish, saw fish are very common acquafauna in the rivers of the Sundarbans. Tree frogs are also found here. Pythons, crocodiles, king cobra, dog-faced-water snakes are very common reptiles here.

The Sundarbans has been a good source of literature. The source of Salman Rushde’s Booker prize winner novel ‘Midnight’s Children’ is based on the Sundarbans. ‘Padma Nadir Maghi’ by Mnik Bandopadhya depicts the rigorous life leading of the people living in the Sundarban region and this novel has been filmed by Goutom Ghosh, a renowned film maker of India. Shib Shankar Mitra has written a novel named ‘Sundarbanay Arjun Sardar’. ‘The HungryTide’ a novel written by Amitav Ghosh depicts the life style of the people of this region. In Bengali Folk Epic ‘Manasa Mangal’ there is the reference of  Netaidhopani  and Behula’s quest for reviving her husband Lakhindar dead by snakebite.

The sundarbans plays a vital role on the national economy of Bangladesh. This forest has been a good source of earning for a certain class of people directly or indirectly. The forest provides raw materials for the wood based companies. The forest provides 45% timber and fuel wood of the total demand of Bangladesh. The forest supplies thatching material ‘Golpata’ in large numbers. Honey collectors collect honey and bees-wax from this forest. This forest is also a good source of pulp-wood. 

THE HANGING GARDENS OF BABYLON

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, is said to have existed in Babylon, the then city state now known as Al-Hillah in the province of Babil, in Iraque by the river Euphrates.

It is also said that Nebuchannizzar ii , the Neo-Babylonian king ruling between 605-562 BC got this garden built to please his homesick wife Amytes. She was Amytes of Media whose ardent desire was to enjoy the floral beauty sitting in her bed room.

The garden is called the hanging garden because the trees and plants here were planted on higher level of platform from the level of ground.

Ancient Roman as well as Greek writers documented on this wonderful garden. Especially the names of Diodorus Siculus, Strabo and Quintus Curtius Rufus are worth mentioning in this regard.

Siculous and Strabo, the Greek historians described the garden as theatrical in shape. It was 100 ft wide and 100 ft long. The roofs that supported the garden were made of stone and thick layer of tar,then baked brick cement bounded were used with another layer of led so that moisture could not penetrate and harm the roof. Then thick layer of top soil was spread as roots of big trees could easily penetrate deep into the soil for good growth.

There is also reference of using pumps for watering the garden for the growth of planted trees and plants. The ground was ploughed well for planting trees and plants. It is thought that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon got destroyed by earth quake.

There have arisen controversies as regards whether there were the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or not as there is no documentation or reference of the gardens in any form in any document of that time. Some scholars opine that even Herodotus the historian cited about Nebuchdnizzar ii but he wrote nothing about the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. It is also presumed by some scholars that the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is simply a poetic imagination.

Not only that there is no archaeological evidence in favour of the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. In recent times it is also presumed that it was not Nebuchadnizzar ii  but Sennacherib the king (reigning 705- 681 AD) got the garden constructed but it got attributed to Nebuchadnizzar ii  out of confusion.

Whatever the historical reality of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon is,it is a matter of hope and aspiration that people throughout the world have long been enchanted at the very thought of an artistic super creation of the hanging gardens that were totally unthought-of  and beyond  anybody’s dream. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon can be compared with The Taj Mahal at Agra in India in the sense that both the wonders were dedicated to the queens respectively. One emperor Nebuchadnizzar ii  satisfied the demand of his  homesick wife as regards her enjoying a floral scenery across a river Euphrates sitting in her bed room and the other emperor Saha Jahan got The Taj Mahal built on the bank of the river mighty Jamuna to keep the sweet recollections of Mum Taj alive in the days to come.

Actually, the thought of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon takes us to an elevated plane of aesthetic reality and we feel nostalgic. Whether its existence is purely legendary or based on reality the thought of the  Hanging Gardens of Babylon will go on inspiring us generation after generation about its artistic  romantic creation superb and unique in all respects.  

         

THE TAJ MAHAL

 THE TAJ MAHAl

The word Taj Mahal means “crown of palaces” in Urdu. It is a mausoleum made of white marble stone. It is situated at Agra,Uttarpradesh, India. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan built this mausoleum on thebank of mighty Jamuna being grief stricken as Mumtaj Mahal, his third wife, died during the process of birth of their 14^th child in 1631.The child was named later Gauhara Begum.

The death of his most beloved wife inspired Sahajahan to do something remarkable as will make people remind Mumtaj Mahal in the days to come. The Taj Mahal is the very outcome of that thought made true in deed.

The construction of the Taj Mahal started in 1632 and the main construction was completed in 1648. Rest of the portion of its construction took another 5 years to come to a complete perfection. Twenty thousand laborers labored for 22 years under the supervision of Abdul-ul-Karim Mamur Khan, Makramal  Khan and Ustad Ahmed Lahuri. It is considered that Ustad Ahmed Lahuri was the chief designer of the Taj Mahal. The total cost of Taj Mahal has been estimated to be about 32 million Rupees at that time. It was unfortunate that Soon after completion of the Taj Mahal Shah Jahan was deposed by his son Aurangzeb and put under house arrest at nearby Agra Fort. Upon the death of Shah Jahan, Aurangzeb buried him in the mausoleum next to his wife Mumtaj.

Tombs of Saha Jahan and Mumtaj

 The traces of influence of Persian architecture is dominant in the very design of the Taj Mahal. Saha Jahan’s use of white marble was a better innovation as the earlier remarkable Mughal constructions were made of red sand stone.

A tomb centers all the construction which is octagonal in shape having approximately 55 meters (180ft) on each of the four long sides. The shape can be compared with one in the lotus design that tops the dome.

There are eight open arches which rest on a terrace of red sand stone. There are slender towers rising from the corners of the terrace. Four smaller domes surround the large dome at the centre of the building. There is an open corridor just inside the outer walls. Those who come to visit the Taj Mahal can see through marble screens into a central room which is above the two graves where the bodies of Saha Jahan and Mumtaj Mahal ,his wife, lie.

LOTUS DESIGN

A beautiful garden surrounds the Taj Mahal and a long pool stretches out in front of the building. The pool reflects the beautiful Taj Mahl in the water. The peeping of the sweet sun rays at dawn make the Taj Mahal assume a golden color rare in human creation. Words fail to capture the beauty of the the Taj Mahal at moonlit nights as well.

Two to four million visitors visit the Taj Mahal annually. Indian citizens pay lower entrance fee than the foreigners. Taj Ganj also known as Mumtazabad, a small town to the south of the Taj Mahal with bazaars (market) serves the need of the visitors here.

The campus is kept open from 6 am to 7 pm with the exception on Fridays. On Fridays the complex is kept open from 12 pm to 2 pm for prayer on the mosque here.On the previous and following two days on full moons the complex is kept open for visitors at night as the Taj Mahal assumes a superb look in the moon beam. Visitors are allowed to carry 5 things (transparent water bottles, video cameras, still cameras, small lady’s purse and cell phones for security reasons) during night time visit.

Taj Mahal at a moon-lit Night

The Taj Mahal has conquered geographical boundary and racial shortcomings with its spectacular aesthetic beauty and made open a field of cosmopolitan fraternity in diversity and it has been a rare instance of awe striking love from a husband for his wife.

Mumtaj as a wife has been glorified no doubt but the other two wives of Emperor Saha Jahan have remained almost unattended and uncared for. 

The Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983.

Do Saha Jahan and Mumtaj share the sublimity of their conjugal love with the same gravity still today lying at the center of the Taj Mahal after the lapse of so many years in human history? Be whatever it may, we are indebted to Shah Jahan for the exquisite architectural edifice finished with unprecedented beauty that he dreamt of and made it  come true.After a lot of hardship of 20 thousand labourers for  long 22 years it came to a perfect completion for the generations to come.. 

NIAGARA FALLS

Niagar Falls

Niagara Falls is actually a straddle of three falls collectively.It is situated at the border of Canadian province of Ontario and U.S state of New York and constitute the Niagara Gorge at the southern end.

The theories about the origin of the very name of this mighty water falls is not beyond controversy. According to Bruce Trigger, an Iroquoian scholar, the name Niagara has been derived from the name of the locally residing native called the "Niagagarega" in the seventeenth century. Another scholar George R Stewart has opined that the name of the falls has derived from he name of the Iroquois town "Ongniaahra" which means 'point of land cut into two parts' 

The three water falls are called Horse Shoe Falls as they form the shape of a horse shoe.The Bridal Veil Falls, a small one, is located on the side of America separated from other falls by Luna Island. The boundary line drawn in 1819  has been disputed for natural erosion.

Niagara hydro-electric plant.

The mighty and enormous waterfalls has long been recognized as a potential source for power generation. In this connection a five member committee headed by Sir William Thomson deliberated on the expansion of Niagara hydro electric project on the basis of seventeen proposals in 1890 but none of he proposals was sought t be adopted for power generation and the proposals ended in smoke.

Later the invention of alternating current by Nekola Tesla made the generation and transfer of electricity easier. In continuation of this process in 1893 Washington Electric started generating the world's first large AC powerplant and it started power generation in the month of August in 1895.

The year 1950 stands important as a treaty was signed between the U.S and Canada for limited use of water for power generation to preserve the natural beauty of Niagara Falls. It was decided that both the countries will be careful enough to ensure "unbroken curtain of water" flow especially at day time during the tourist season expanding from the beginning of April to the last of October. The most powerful two hydroelectric companies on the Canadian side are now in operation are Sir Adam Beck 1 and 2and on American side Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant Lewiston Pump Generating companies are generating power. The joint production of hydroelectric companies aforementioned amount to 4.4 gigawatts of power. 

Through the Welland canal ships can bypass NIagara Falls and the canal was improved and incorporated into the Saint Lawrence Seaway in midway of 1950s.

There runs  Niagara River Recreation Train that runs a distance of 35 km from Fort Eric to Fort George and offers a unique scope seeing natural beauty around. On the Canadian side Whirlpool  Aero car was built in 1916 to take the passengers over the Niagara Whirlpool.

There are two international bridges for closer view of the falls and those bridges connect the the cities of Niagara Falls ,Ontario-Canada and Niagara Falls New York-U.S.A. Doubtlessly it can be said that the bridges have added a unique scope of enjoying the superb beauty Nature has preserved for the people universally.

There is an observation tower in the Canadian side named Skylon Tower which offers the highest overhead view of Niagara Falls and it also offers the distant view of Toronto on the opposite side. 

Skylon Tower

 The explorers, travellers, authors and above all the people all over the world have been attracted at Niagara Falls for beauty and it has become a source f inspiration for multifarious reasons.But during 1970s visitors had a limited access to Niagara Falls and mostly they had to pay for a mere glimpse as industrialization was expanding up to goat island. So a proposal for a park was submitted to Lord 

Dufferin, the governor-general of Canada. In this connection a survey team for promotion of the falls described in the report that it was "sacred obligation to mankind" to restore the beauty of Niagara Falls and in subsequent time Niagara Reservation State Park cam into being. Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park was also established in thr province of Ontorio. There are a good number of hotels of international standard for the visitors world wide.In fine it can be said that Niagara Falls will go on quenching the thirst of nature lovers in the days ahead