Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year of the Snake, 2013 

 

The festive mood in the air in cities and towns of China and China Towns in the world was insatiable as they had raucous celebrations going on through out Sunday as they warmly welcomed their Chinese New Year, the Year of Snake. Starting on Saturday night, the new year celebrations extended all through the next day as the official hours of the new year begun on Sunday.

The sky was lit with vibrant fireworks all over the cities despite the officials requesting people to reduce the number of firecrackers being used The belief is that the firecrackers scare away the demonic and evil spirits while welcoming prosperity into the lives of the people.

The residents of China were not daunted by the freezing temperatures as they celebrated the day with fireworks and folk dances. Streets and malls were decorated in red with lanterns and wrappers adding to the rich festival mood.

Enjoy a few more pictures from the celebrations.

There is an Indian equivalent of the same, Losar. This is essentially Tibetan but the refugees in India near Dharmasala, Mc Leod Ganj and other places in India celebrate this festival with pomp and gaiety. The dances held during the new year are the highlight of Losar. Chinese New Year The Year of Snake

(AW- Anil)

The Sailing Stones at Death Valley

Death Valley is a desert valley which is situated in Inyo Country, Eastern California within the Mojave and Colorado deserts and has has the lowest and driest locations in North America and the hottest location in the World due to its lack of surface water. 

A very interesting and strange thing happens in Racetrack playa, i.e The Sailing Stones which is a phenomena that is geologically found here in which stones moves gradually on the surface of the dry lake, leaving behind a track without the intervention of human or any animal.

Strangely, they have never been tracked moving as sources say that they move once in every 2 to 3 years, tracks lasting for 3 to 4 years. It seems that the straight tracks are formed by stones with rough bottoms while smooth bottoms move aimlessly. Some of the stones or rocks weighing hundreds of pounds travels in pairs, leaving behind their two tracks imprints which are so perfectly in sync along straight stretches and around curves that it looks like if they are made by a car.

Even NASA cannot explain this mystery at Death Valley. It is assumed that these stones are moved by strong winter winds across the lake that reaches about 90 miles per hour. The main reason behind this hypothesis is that most winds are blown southwest side to northeast which is the direction of these moving stones. Another Hypothesis have been build that these stones are moved by the ice blocks that are formed by the accumulation of the rain water. Because of which it becomes ice block as temperature falls dramatically at night. It is drive by the strong winds and moves the stones on a muddy track.

Have a look at some of the strange pictures showing Sailing Stones on racetrack, Death Valley.

It is not just strange but also mysterious by itself!

(Note: Adapted from Death valley resources)

(AW:Samrat Biswas)