#PhotoBlog : Lumbini and Tilaurakot

Lumbini is believed to be the birth place of lord Buddha. Siddhartha Gautam was born in 623 B. C. in the garden of Lumbini. Lumbini is about 25 km west from Bhairahawa. However, the remains of the ancient palace is further west from Lumbini. It is located in Tilaurakot.

I travelled to these holy and ancient places with friends in June last year. This was my second visit-but-almost two decades apart. The first time was during my school days. We had a tradition of going educational tour from school.

Here are some photos I took during my second trip to Lumbini.

The eternal peace lamp and artificial water canal

The Mayadevi temple, pond, and Ashoka pillar

Another view of Mayadevi pond and Bodhi tree

There are many beautiful stupas & monasteries built by different countries in Lumbini.

Stupas and monasteries in Lumbini area

One of the monasteries

From the birth place of Buddha, lets tour around his ancient palace area- the Tilaurakot.

Remains of Tilaurakot palace area

The Elephant temple in the periphery of Tilaurakot

This is Jagadishpur lake close to Tilaurakot 

All photos taken by me. Ask me before you use them.

A giant elephant on a groove of human fingerprint-the smallest man made object

This is a sculpture of one of the largest animals on earth in its possibly the smallest form. This microscopic elephant in this photograph has just been placed on the groove of a human fingerprint. 

Remember that elephant is the largest animal of earth on land. The fine tuned sculpture of elephant on fingerprint groove is over a tenth of a millimeter tall.

These sculptures were created using many technologies ranging from bespoke electronics and software, to quantum physics and special effects.

When art uses science-together they produce the most beautiful creation.

The structure is created using 3D printing technology and multi-photon lithography involving two-photon absorption.  Quantum physics playing a big role here. In this case, UV light is irradiated on a light-sensitive polymer, which solidifies at the place of irradiation. The photon (two) absorption occurs only at the tiny focal point-basically a tiny 3D pixel known as "Voxel". According to the description provided with the pictures, "the sculpture is then moved along fractionally by a computer controlled process and the next pixel is created. Slowly, over hours and hours the entire sculpture is assembled pixel by pixel and layer by layer". 

The sculpture was then photographed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Using SEM at high magnification, hundreds of images of the nano sculpture were captured while a piezo stage was rotated to a precision of below one ten thousandth of a degree. This process is very detailed and takes lot of time. For example, one second of film can take up to 4 hours to film. This process is known as Nanoflight creator and was developed by Stefan Diller, Wuerzburg, Germany. 

Check out this website for details of this work. 

Also watch following videos.

The making

सेल्फी लौरोको रमाइलो

२०१३ मा सेल्फीले खुब चर्चा पायो।  सेल्फी भन्नाले आफ्नो फोटो आफै खिच्ने । बिशेषगरि स्मार्टफोनको ब्यापकता पछि यसको प्रयोग ह्वात्तै बढेको हो । प्रख्यात सामाजिक संजाल ट्विटरले त सन् २०१४ लाइ सेल्फीको वर्ष नै घोषणा गर्यो ।  सेल्फी सब्द करिब नौ करोड भन्दा धेरै पटक ट्विटरमा उल्लेख भएछ, २०१४ मा । हुदा हुदा अब सेल्फीको पढाई नै हुने भयो रे लण्डनको सिटि कलेजमा ।  

अब त सेल्फी संस्कृतिको रुपमा नै बिकाश भैसक्यो । 

हातैले सेल्फी खिच्दा अलि धेरै वर पर सम्मको भिउ ओगट्न नसक्ने । अथवा अलि धेरै साथीले ग्रुप सेल्फी खिच्न नमिल्ने । यसैलाई सजिलो बनाउनको लागि सेल्फी लौरो आयो । सेल्फी लौरो लाइ प्रख्यात टाइम म्यागाजिन ले २०१४ को उत्कृष्ट २५ आबिस्कार मा लिस्ट गरेको छ ।

सेल्फी लौरोको टुप्पोमा फोन राख्न मिल्छ । यो लौरो फोल्ड गर्न मिल्छ जसलाई अंग्रेजीमा extendable monopod भन्ने गरिएको छ । एक मिटर जति लामो बनाउन मिल्ने लौरो पाइन्छन बजारमा ।

करिब $१० देखि $३० सम्म पर्छ अहिले यो सेल्फी लौरो ।

फोटो खिच्ने बेलामा कि त रेमोट प्रयोग गरेर क्लिक बटन थिच्नु पर्यो कि त ब्लु टुथ प्रयोग गरे पनि हुञ्छ । यी दुवै तपाइको सेल्फी लौरो मा छैन भने पनि नो प्रोबलम ।  टाइमर मा राखेर सेल्फी खिच्न मिल्छ ।   

मैले नि भर्खर किनेको सेल्फी लौरोले डल्लै फेमस खायो ।

फोटोको क्वालिटी भने फोनको पछाडिको क्यामेरामा भर पर्छ । यहाँ खिचेका सबै फोटोहरु OnePlus One फोन बाट खिचेको हु ।  

एक्लै भा'को बेलामा फोटो खिच्न मन लाग्यो, कसलाई खिच्देउ भन्ने? सेल्फी लौरो जिन्दबाद ।  

एलामो, सान एण्टोनिओ, TX 

जोइ पोइ घुम्न हिडियो, फोटो खिच्न मन लग्यो । सेल्फी लौरो फेरी पनि जिन्दाबाद ।   

कोर्पस क्रिस्टिको बीच, TX 

साथीहरुसंग घुम्न गएको बेला ग्रुप फोटो खिच्न पर्दा पनि सेल्फी लौरो । अब कोहि पनि छुट्न परेन र अरु कसैलाई हाम्रो फोटो खिच्देउ पनि भन्न परेन । यो सुँगुर चोचे चाइ तितो सत्यको प्रभाबले हल्का रमाइलो ।

US Lexington, Corpus Christi, TX

डुंगा चडेको बेलामा सप्पै ग्रुपकै आउने गरेर फोटो खिच्न पर्यो रे । कसरि सम्भब होला त? सेल्फी लौरो छदै छ नि, नो चिन्ता ।  

ग्रुपको फोटो खिच्न पर्यो तर पछाडिको पुरै आउने गरि, सेल्फी लौरोले खिची हाल्छ नि ।  

घरमा पार्टि भयो, ग्रुप फोटो खिच्न पर्यो कोहि नछुटि । 

Science is beautiful and fun: Microflower photos

In a recently published paper in Science magazine, scientists have described a simple  process for growing beautiful flower arrangements in micrometer scale. They have used a solution of barium chloride and sodium metasilicate in which a glass plate is placed. In this system, after few hours very complex micro-structure starts to grow in which two minerals barium carbonate and silicate are formed. The interaction between these two minerals effects pH of the solution and this change in pH has great role in the growth of micro-structures.  By manipulating different parameters like pH, temperature, CO2 in the air, different micro-structures can be produced. These strictures look very beautiful. Science is beautiful and fun to do and see. It requires great determination, curiosity, motivation, and hard work though. Below are some photographs of such microflowers produced by scientists from Harvard University.

All photos from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6134/832.full

जुत्ता भित्र हिउ छिर्यो।

  

समरमा हिउ देख्ने वा खेल्ने हो भने वायोमिंग राज्य घुमे हुन्छ. करिब एक महिना पहिले भरियाको काम गर्न टेटोन गाको बेलामा paint brush canyon कों हो यहि ठाउँ बाट फर्किन पर्या थ्यो। करिब 8000 फीट अग्लो छ यहा. योजना 12000 सम्म जाने थियो तर यो हिउ ले गर्दा फर्किन पर्यो। एक किसिमले त ठिकै भयो, हिड्न परेन। फर्किने परे सी के गर्ने भन्दै माथि तिर हेर्दै गरेको एउटा आइडिया आयो। उफ्रेर फोटो खिच्ने। क्यामेराले मिलाएर खिच्यो भने निकै माथि उफ्रे जस्तो फोटो निस्किन्छ। अनि झ्याम खिचियो यो माथिको फोटो। उफ्रिन त उफ्रे तर जुत्ता भित्र हिउ पस्यो। क्या झ्याउ लाग्ने चिसो। 

शिव लिङ जस्तो डेभिल्स टावर

नेपालि टोलीका केही टावर अगाडि। 

पूजा गर्न थाल्ने हो भने यसलाई सन्सारकै सबै भन्दा ठुलो शिव लिङ भन्दे हुन्थ्यो। तर कसैले पूजा गरेपो। नेपाल् वा भारत तीर भा'भए मान्छेले पूजा गर्दा हुन्। तर यो पर्‍यो अम्रिकामा। 

यसपालीको हिउद अब सक्यो। हिउ लगभग पग्ली सक्यो। बाटो सब सफा चट भै सके। तेस्को पिर भएन। अनि सँग संगै स्प्रिङ ब्रेक हो यो हप्ता। नो कलास। केही महिना भैसक्या थ्यो, उकुस मुकुस भा'को कहि जान नपा'र। अस्तिको शनिबार र आईतवार घुम्न गैयो। घुम्न पनि कता जानु? यसपाली रशमोर पहाड जाने योजना बन्यो। तर त्यो भन्दा अलिक पर वायोमिङ मै पार्ने प्राक्रितिक टावर हेर्न जाने कुरो भो पहिले। रशमोर पहाडको बारेमा अर्को पटक लेखम्ला। अहिले लाई डेभिल्स टावर्। 

हाम्रो टोलि १३ जनाको थियो, जसमा चार जना चाइनिज बाहेक सप्पै नेपालि। ईण्डियनहरू पनि जाने भन्या थे' तर लास्टमा गएनन्। नत्र बहु-राष्ट्रिय हुन्थ्यो टोलि। बिहान सात बाजे सुरु भएको हाम्रो यात्रा करिब छ घन्टाको ड्राइभ पछि डेभिल्स टावर पुग्यो।  त्यो ठाउ नपुगुन्जेल खासै रुख्, जंगल देख्न पाइएन्। जब जङल्, हरियो, परियो देख्न पाइयो-झन आनन्द आउन थाल्यो। अलि पहाड पनि। र बिस्तारै डेभिल्स टावरको टुप्पो झल्याक झुलुक देखिन थाल्यो। हाम्रो गाडी टावरको प्रबेशद्वार पुग्दा शशी सर को टोली त्यहाँ पुगेर फोटो खिच्न ब्यस्त थियो। चाइनिज टोली भने त्यहाँ बाट अगाडि बडिसकेको रैछ। हामि पुगेर त्यहि फोटो सेसनमा मिस्सिम। 

स्रीजनसिलता भ्यालेन्टाइन मनाउने #creativity#valentine

भालेन्टाइन डे भर्खर् सकियो। आ आफ्नो तरिकाले मनाए मान्छेहरुले। तर मलाइ एकजना किसानले मनाको भ्यालेन्टाइन डे भने रमाइलो लाग्यो।

photo

अमेरिकाको आयोया राज्यको क्रेस्टोन भन्ने ठाउँको एक किसानले आफ्नी श्रीमतीलाई सर्प्राइज देछ, गाईहरूलाई मुटु आकारमा जम्मा हुन लगाएर। श्रीमती बिहान उठेर हेर्दा त यो सर्प्राइज उपहार्। यो भन्दा राम्रो अरु व्यालेन्टाइन उपहार अरु के होला र। एकदम स्रिजनात्मक लाग्यो मलाइ त। एउटा किसान सँग जे छ तेही प्रयोग गर्यो। गाइ र पराल (घांस भनम न)। फोटो पनि निकै राम्रो देख्खेको छ। दिउ ले सेताम्य जमिन्। आज भोलि उक्त क्षेत्र तीर हिउ नाई हिउ ले ढाकेको छ। बिहानै उठेर गाई लाई घास हाल्न निस्केको किसान लाई नयाँ जुक्ती फुर्यो। उसले मुटु आकारमा घासका मुठा छर्दै गयो। गाईहरूले तेही घास लाई पछ्याउदै जादा उक्त आक्रिती बनेको हुनु पर्छ। 

More snow fall photos in University of Wyoming, Laramie

This snow event was the biggest one of this season. There is still lots of snow in the town even after 1 week. (02/17/12).
Today's Laramie.

In front of our residential area. Out side Spanish walk apartment complexes.

Recent Snow Fall Events in Laramie

Today afternoon this part of US (Laramie, 82070) saw ~2-3'' of snow fall and weather prediction is showing more snowfall later this week. We had 1-2'' snowfall earlier last week. I still remember the winter of 2010 here in Laramie. Laramie was covered with upto ~1' snow for long time. Even last year we had worst winter somewhere during last week of January. This year it is significantly different weather pattern. We saw early snowfall in first week of October and 2nd snow fall was during first week of November. Unusually this winter's Christmas was not a white. Very unusual. Sometimes I feel like this is not winter. The temp goes upto 50F. Feels like you are somewhere summer time. I was in lab today when snowfall started. Happy, happy but it caused little bit of difficulty while driving back home. 

Video below was taken during first snow fall of the season. This video was also in previous post on this blog.

Some people think this unusual phenomenon may be due to climate change but I believe it is very early and need more evidences to reach into a conclusion. This "no snow" pattern has been seen through out the US this season. Typical winter in this part of US is the one during which it is covered with at least half a feet of snow for ~1-2month and then few inches for ~4-5months. I am thinking about the possibility of huge snowfall in later part of the winter season. I love to see the weather pattern as it should be. like lots of snow in Laramie in winter.

Below are some photos of today's snow fall.

Timelapse in Wyoming # Road traffic#Sky#Snow

Timelapse using pictures taken in snow

Christmas day. I went to little bit away (~10 miles) from Laramie just to get rid of this empty town at least for a while. Using Rebel T2i fixed on Opteka tripod, captured some pictures of myself just for fun and I have created a timelapse video using Picasa. Since I didn't take enough photos typically required for timelapse cinematography, this video didn't come as good as I expected. Learnt something about timelapse. ENJOY!!!

Wild Flowers in Greater Yellowstone National Park Area

These are the photos from Greater Yellowstone National Park Area which includes Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. I don't know the names of these wild flowers but they look very beautiful. If you know the names, please name them on the comment box. These were taken during our recent trip to the area from July 24th to 26th, 2011. Click on the photo to see the larger version.

All above photos are from the north tip of Jackson Lake, Grand Teton NP. And the photos below are seen while driving down from Mammoth to Canyon area. I enjoyed the scenic road driving.