In the recent past, it has given us enough warnings, but our intense greed for materialistic world, makes us overlook all that. Recent recession is also one of the warnings, which is the result of our own follies, everything in over speeding mode – over over exploitation! I do not need to explain what kind of uncertainty we are facing, for everyone is aware. It will be over and we will live this recession, but its also a serious warning against our greed.

Everything on this beautiful planet Earth, has lived in synch and harmony with each other, except Man. All forms of life exploit resources provided by Nature, for their existence. So far, Man also lived by exploiting all the natural resources, but unfortunately, our desire to accumulate materialistic comforts beyond our needs has lead man to follow disastrous path. Now, all wise humans accept this fact, in unison.We could have always lived by burning wood and using wood for whatever we need; but never followed the rules of the `Kingdom of Nature’. Now, our irresponsible attitude of over-exploitation of natural resources has lead us all to a point where we scream to each other to not to use wood and what not. We are good at eyewash, lip-service, being selfish and greedy only; hard to mend our ways. How foolish we are ! Wood is one of the best and unique gifts of nature to us, there is no substitute to it, neither man has been able to make one. If we use wood judiciously, only for our needs, there will never be a shortage of wood ever on this earth. If we need it a bit more than our requirements, then we can always grow it commercially on both sides of roads, etc. The trouble has compounded, as we over-exploited our jungles and never replenish them. In fact, man can never replenish anything made by Nature, these virgin forests have taken millions of years to evolve. What we could do best, leave Nature alone to do its work !

Man should learn how to be sustainable consumers of our natural resources, even of man made materialistic things. Man should learn how to consume wood, paper, water, energy, and all its resources as a responsible living being on this earth. Also, generate less pollution, which is tarnishing the beauty of our beautiful planet. This earth belongs to all the denizens of this planet and creatures of Nature, not we alone.

“Of what I call God, And fools call Nature”, Robert Browning

Nature

nature is full of colors
with beautiful scented flowers
if your’e in a forest or a park
its nice even in the dark

nature is full of beasts and birds
with so many shrubs and ferns
its mountains are very high
they almost touch the sky

nature has its deserts
and nature has its plains
at times its sunny
sometimes it rains

nature is so pretty and bountiful
with snow covered peaks and sounds so beautiful
when people destroy nature, remember
we need nature for our future.

a poem by Rishi Menon (11 years old)

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Rajasthan

The Thar desert with its rolling sand dunes and blinding blaze of summer heat, logically one expects to be driest and vegetable wise most barren state of the country, devoid of great forests or mighty rivers, to be noticeably poor in its wild flora and fauna – the reverse is proved true by Rajasthan having two tiger reserves (under Project Tiger – Asia’s most successful conservation story) and the most famous water-bird sanctuary in Asia. This rocky and rugged arid land divided into two by the world’s oldest hill range Arravali – with its unique and scanty vegetation hosts variety of the desert animal life – tiger, panther, hyena, chowsingha, neelgai, sloth bear, sambhar, desert cat, chital, chinkara, black buck, water fowl, jungle fowl and many species of migratory birds too.

Rajasthan is a treasure trove for travel photographers, as it renders wide spectrum of opportunities with the colourful dresses of folks and folk art, fairs & festivals, handsome people with superb features for portraits, amazing buildings (forts, havelis, palaces, villages), mesmerising landscape, rich culture, etc. I have met many international photographers and travellers who love to visit Rajasthan every year, they have fallen in love with Rajasthan. I have been lucky to have got posted in Rajasthan for one year in 1989, while I was in service.

Now, I love travelling in my caravan (named as Kingcobra) in Rajasthan, the best way to travel in this region. Trust me, no other means of travelling has match to a caravan in these plains, where people and terrain is good for safe travel.

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Nile is a dream river for every visitor and photographers love to photograph everything around this great river.  Egypt presents the visitor with many striking contrasts, particularly in its landscape and in the ancient, Christian and Islamic elements of its heritage. Signs of Westernization and tradition are sometimes found in startlingly incongruous juxtaposition, bur more usually the new is adapted to blend harmoniously with the old.

Nile – the great river which flows down its entire length has united Egypt, and which indeed is the creator of the country. Without the Nile, Egypt would not exist.  The great majority of its estimated 80 million live along the banks of the Nile River, in an area of about 40,000 square kilometers (15,000 sq mi), where the only arable agricultural land is found. And cultivate the land as their ancestors have done for thousands of year. This narrow, fertile valley is flanked by the desert- a desert which is always threatening to take over the cultivation. Today, controlled by dams and barrages, the Nile no longer floods the country every year. The building of the High Dam at Aswan flooded the whole of the Nile valley between Aswan and the frontier with Sudan, creating Lake Nasser. Preserved from the threat of devastating floods, Egypt is now protected from the dangers of famine by the regulation of the water.

Egypt has a landscape which is surprisingly varied, but all of the terrain derives from a combination of water and sky, cultivation and desert.

Dervish Dance/ Sufi Dance Video

MORE INFO ABOUT EGYPT

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