My trip to the zoo( Part-2)

Here are few shots of the birds form the central zoo.In the first part of my trip to the zoo i had posted pictures of some animals.

THE EAGLE

A BUNCH OF DUCKS

THE PEACOCK (MAYUR or MAJUR)

THE BLACK NECKED STORK

THE PINK CRESTED COCKATOO

THE CRANE

Gai Jatra -festival of cow .

Gai Jatra
(Gai= cow and Jatra = festival).The festival of cows is one of the most popular festivals celebrated in the Newar community. Traditionally the family who has lost a relative during the past year participates in this festival, with a belief that the bereaved relative then rests peacefully in the heaven.Mostly the people send a cow but if cow is unavailable they send their children dressed up as cow to walk in the procession .Thousands of whimsical characters of all sorts fill the streets on this day.
Gai Jatra is also famous as the festival of humor.Comic dramas and shows are performed. Even the newspapers bring out special editions making mockery out the government on this day.It is considered important as this festival enables people to realize and accept the Truth"death is the destination of life."
Each family brings his own bamboo pole from their houses and gather together after sometime and memorize their lost relatives .

History :
King Pratap Malla in the 18th century lost his son which led the queen to depression.Despite his efforts, he could not make the queen smile .So he announced a reward to whoever succeeds to make the queen laugh.So on the day of Gai jatra the people started making mockery out of anything possible which brought a smile on the queen's face.And since then the king ensued Gai Jatra as a festival of humor too.

Such chariots with the statue of the cows are the main tradition of this festival.

The celebration in Bhaktapur is the most interesting one.Tall decorated bamboo poles, wrapped in cloth are carried around the city in memory of the dead. Here are few pictures of Gai Jatra in Bhaktapur captured by my n95 mobile.

These are the decorated bamboo poles on which the picture of the bereaved is hung and carried around the city in his/her memory.

The bamboo poles are carried around the cities by their relatives and other people participating with their traditional music and dancing and religious songs .

Then they move further around the city one after another .

Men dressed in woman's outfit and performing their traditional dancing.

Men, women and even children all sorts participate enthusiastically on the festival

Even children are dressed traditionally and few children are also dressed up as cows

Even tourist were enjoying their coffee along with the festival.

Thousand of people attended the festival with enthusiasm . All the streets were filled . The whole city looked very beautiful and colorful.

My trip to the zoo( Part-1)

Only zoo of Nepal The Central Zoo was established by late Rana Prime Minister Juddha Shumser in 1932 as a private Zoo.After the fall of Rana regime, it came under the Government of Nepal in 1950 but it was opened for the general public only in 1956.
The central zoo is located at Jawalakhel covering an area of six hectares . It includes a reasonable collection of Nepali wildlife such as rhinos, tigers, leopards, monkeys, birds, chimpanzees, etc.It has a collection of some 800 animals and 119 species. The central zoo exhibits 15 out of 38 endangered animal species of Nepal. But this data varies from time to time .

As the animals were kept within bars and wire fences,it was a bit difficult to capture them by my n95 mobile but I somehow i managed to get few pictures.I hope they will entertain you .

LEOPARDS

BARKING DEERS

WATER HIPPOPOTAMUS ( HIPPOPOTAMUS AMPHIBIOUS)

THE LANGOOR MONKEY

ELEPHANT

SWAMP DEERS (cervus duvauceli)

THE ONE HORNED RHINO

BLACK BEAR

Skulls and heads of endangered animals

I took these pictures by my n95 mobile on the entrance of the central zoo in Nepal.There was a mini gallery where these skulls were kept. These animals fall under the endangered category.

The heads of the TIGER.

Black BUCK DEER

SPOTTED DEER

The SKULL of ONE-HORNED RHINO

Collection of skulls of the deer ,Tiger and one horned rhino .

My Little Angel

This sweet little angel is my niece.She is now 5 years old. She is sweet, talkative and very very naughty at times.She loves to dance and yeah imitate people.Once we all along with her went to a wedding ceremony and there she was insisting and crying like hell to get married too.She was like "no i want to marry too and put the bridals dress on." When they start insisting only god could help LOL.

It was in the afternoon we all were drinking tea . And my little angel was annoyed as nobody served her tea but only milk. Children love imitating Lol. She also wanted tea .

When she did not stop her tantrums, i gave her half a cup of tea . Look at her she is so busy in drinking haha.

She had her tea .She is very happy now and my angel smiles .

On the day of the solar eclipse

Yesterday , 1 Aug 2008, occurred the total solar eclipse.According to the NASA ,the eclipse began in Canada and extended across northern Greenland, the Arctic, central Russia, Mongolia, and China. A partial eclipse was seen in northeastern North America, most of Europe and Asia.

It was said that a partial solar eclipse would be seen in Nepal too starting at 4:22 pm (NST) until 6:13 pm( about 1 hour and 51 minutes). So even I was very excited to view the eclipsed sky . I waited till the previously declared time .The sky was clear during the afternoon but later was full of clouds which hindered me to view the proper scenario .However I could see the sky darkening (unlike as usual) .I then captured those moments(though it did not look too great) in my n95 mobile.

It was during the afternoon before the eclipse started , the sky was quite clear and not much cloudy .

From my place the sky looked like this during the eclipse. it turned darker but was a bit cloudier than the afternoon.
Though I could see no signs of sun , the sky continued getting darker and darker .

I took this picture at around 5:55 pm when the eclipse was quite near to the end .