My Science School

If you are in the town of Binche in Belgium before Lent, around February-March, you can witness a masterpiece of intangible heritage in action.The carnival of Binche which has its roots in the Middle Ages is one of Europe’s oldest celebrations.

The six weeks before Lent are marked by merrymaking, masquerades, musical acts and dancing. The gala event takes place on the three days before Lent. The streets are abuzz with live music and a parade of peculiarly dressed men in peasant, Harlequin and Pierrot costumes.

The stars of the parade are the Gilles (clown-like performers). Hundreds costumes embellished with heraldic design, don wax masks.

On the last and most important day of the festivities - Mardi Gras – the Gilles appear in their full regalia from sunrise to sunset With sticks in hand to ward off ‘evil spirits’, bells attached to their belt, wooden clogs on their feet and towering headgears made of ostrich feathers, groups of Gilles parade down the town’s streets to the accompaniment of brass bands. The carnival culminates in a dance around a huge bonfire and a brilliant display of fireworks.

 

Picture Credit : Google

North America is a land of natural marvels. One such is Cape Perpetua on the Oregon Coast in USA. The wooded headland that juts out into the Pacific Ocean was named by British explorer Captain James Cook in 1778 in honor of St. Perpetua’s Day.

Today, Cape perpetua is popular with picnickers and hikers because of its stunning oceanic scenery. On a day, one can gaze more than 30 km into the Pacific Ocean and get a pristine watching. There is also a 600-year-old spruce tree that has been designated a ‘Heritage Tree’ by the state.

What makes the cape more fascinating are the salt water fountains which are powered by the ocean tide. One of them, called Thor’s Well is a hole in the rocky shoreline. The waters of the swelling tide swirl into the hole; when the hole fills up, the water splashes back out and collides with the incoming surge. Photographers particularly love shooting this breathtaking scene at Thor’s Well. At the Spouting Horn, another such hole, the water spews out four metres into the air like the spout of a whale.

 

Picture Credit : Google

‘Ithaa’ means ‘pearl’ in Dhivehi, the local language of the Maldives.

It is the world’s first all-glass undersea restaurant. It has been built five metres below the sea near the resort of Rangali, owned by a popular hotel chain. It measures five by nine metres and can hold 14 people at one time. It is covered by a transparent roof of acrylic and offers a breathtaking view.

The restaurant was designed and constructed by a company based in New Zealand and assembled in Singapore, then transported to the Maldives by ship.

Ithaa was thrown open to the public in June 2005.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Ta Prohm, better known as the temple of trees, was featured on screen in 2001 when Angelina Jolie walked through the ruins of this exotic 12th Century Cambodian temple in her adventure as Lara Croft.

Originally called Rajavihara, the temple was built by Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Buddhist monastery dedicated to his mother. Influenced by the Indian style of temple architecture, its layout has a set of concentric walled galleries, linking 39 towers around the main shrine of Prajnaparamita, a Bodhisattva. Records claim that the temple was like a town, controlling 3,140 villages and housing more than 12,500 people including monks and dancers. It was abandoned after the fall of the Khmer empire and later ransacked by marauders.

Its most distinctive feature is its state of ruin. French archaeologists left the temple in the way they had discovered it in 1947. Its intricately carved stone walls are completely engulfed in the stranglehold of centuries-old silk-cotton and strangler fig trees. Like giant tentacles, the roots not only twist their way all over the structure, but in most cases, even hold nature’s silent yet steely grip on man’s creation draws thousands of visitors to Ta Prohm every year.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and the Dehradun-based Forest Research Institute have been entrusted with the restoration and conservation of the temple. The challenge is to restore the temple without damaging the trees. The ASI had earlier successfully restored the Angkor Wat temple.

 

Picture Credit : Google

Nestled in the mountains of northern Philippines lies the hill station of Baguio City. In the month of February, the town is engulfed in a colourful burst of flowers. The Panagbenga Festival is a month-long flower festival intended to celebrate the history, traditions and values of Baguio.

Panagbenga means ‘season of blooming’ in the local language. The festival began in the 1990s to bring cheer to the people who were recovering from an earthquake in the region and to promote tourism.

Flower exhibitions, floral arrangement competitions, concerts and street dances fascinate onlookers. Shops and food stalls in the bazaars add to the general excitement. The highlights of the festival are the Grand Street Dancing Parade and the Grand Float Parade held during the last weekend of February. The dance parade features dancers in flower of various types. The festival draws to a close in a brilliant display of fireworks.

 

Picture Credit : Google