Innholdsfortegnelse for 5/2018 i ASIAN Geographic

SIMILAN ISLANDS Comprising 11 islands and covering 140 square kilometres, Mu Koh Similan National Park is an idyllic destination with clear turquoise waters and abundant wildlife. One can swim alongside many species of sharks, turtles and fish at the many dive sites in this divers’ paradise hailed as one of the top dive locations in the world. Due to the fragility of the ecosystems in the park, it is designated as a protected area and some of the islands are not open to visitors. Only isalnds 4 and 8 are open to visitors. While you can get from one island to another via paid boat rides provided by the Similan Islands National Park, schedules are not fixed and it might be more efficient to engage the services of a local…

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2018 Winner: Lee Shing Yaw, Malaysia“Pigeons at Jama Mosque” Nikon D750 18mm ︱ f/5.6 ︱ 1/2500 ︱ ISO 800 YOUTH PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2018 Winner: Wisnu Bangun Saputro , Indonesia “Robberfly Mating” Vivo 1611 3.8mm ︱ f/2 ︱ 1/210 ︱ ISO 50 STREET/PEOPLE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2018 Winner: Mohd Nazri Sulaiman , Malaysia“Sharing Emotion” SONY SLT-A58 85mm ︱ f/ 5 .6 ︱ 1/100 ︱ ISO 400 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2018 Winner: Franco Tulli , Italy “Dreaming Indonesia” Canon EOS 7D Mark II 60mm ︱ f/14 ︱ 1/160 ︱ ISO 100 MOBILE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE YEAR 2018 Winner: Khairul Amin, Singapore “#IShotOniPhone” Apple iPhone X 4mm ︱ f/1.8 ︱ 1/120 ︱ ISO 50 LANDSCAPE CATEGORY SUBMISSION Robert Lie “Karakul Lake Reflection” SONY…

Since the Middle Ages, thousands of pilgrims have walked Kumano Kodo, traversing a majestic landscape that embraces the deep spiritual roots of Japan. The arrival of Buddhism in the sixth century resulted in its fusion with the country’s indigenous religion, Shintoism, which considers local deities as manifestations of Buddhist entities. This syncretism transformed Kumano into an area revered by practising ascetics and where locals think Buddhism exists in its purest form. It was during the ninth and 10th centuries that the three great sacred shrines that today form Kumano Sanzan — Fungi Taisha, Hayatama Taisha and Nachi Taisha — were consolidated. From the 11th century, the first waves of pilgrims arrived and the Imperial Family made its first pilgrimage. Ultimately, these traditional pilgrimages were replaced by mass tourism, and by…

Meaning 'the way of suffering' in Latin, Via Dolorosa is the path Jesus took to Golgotha carrying the cross on which he died. Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, Via Dolorosa begins in the Muslim Quarter north of Temple Mount and ends at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre at Golgotha in the Christian Quarter. The route has 14 stations, each corresponding to an event leading up to Jesus’ death. Nine of the 14 events have Bible references. Franciscans, who have functioned as custodians of Christian holy sites in Jerusalem since 1342, lead a procession along this route at 3pm every Friday. Pilate ordered Jesus’ crucifixion Jesus was also scourged and given his crown of thorns here — an act of mockery by the Roman soldiers. Jesus accepted his…

January JAN 5–MAR HARBIN,CHINA HARBIN SNOW AND ICE FESTIVAL (Background Photo) In its 35th year, the annual festival attracts people from around the world with spectacular ice and snow sculptures and a host of winter activities. JAN 15–20 BAGAN, MYANMAR ANANDA PAGODA FESTIVAL Devotees pray and give offerings at the most revered Ananda Temple built in 1105 AD, where 1,000 monks chant for 72 hours during the week-long event. Jan 15 ALLAHABAD, INDIA ARDHA KUMBH MELA Throngs of devotees pilgrimage here during this time to bathe in the holy rivers, believing it cleanses their souls and brings them closer to moksha. Held once every three years at one of four holy places of Hinduism, Kumbh Mela is the largest peaceful religious gathering on Earth and is inscribed on…

“No matter how much we try to run away from the thirst for the answer to life, the intensity only gets stronger and stronger.”Ravi Zacharias (born 1946) Spirituality is a complex concept to unpack but spiritual fulfilment is important to all of us whether we realise it or not. As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin puts it, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” As such, people have long since sought spiritual fulfilment in various forms, at different times and through different means. Is it a wonder how our paths to spiritual fulfilment can vary so much? In Thailand, young boys of Shan descent are initiated into monkhood by living as princes who are being waited on hand and foot (p30)…

Every Buddhist male in Thailand needs to attend a monastery of their choice twice a lifetime: once before 20 years of age and again after that. Most Thais embark on this spiritual path when they are around 20 years old whereas the Shan typically do so from 7 to 14 years old. The Shan ethnic group inhabits Mae Hong Son and other northern provinces in Thailand like Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. The majority of Shan (known as Tai Yai in Thailand) are Theravada Buddhists who observe Poy Sang Long – a rite of passage that marks the ordination of young Shan boys as Buddhist novices. In Chiang Mai, the annual ceremony lasts three days, whereas in Mae Hong Son, it lasts five days. 10-year-old Nawin Nanit had travelled from…

Tibet Lake Manasarovar Both Buddhists and Hindus believe that bathing in or drinking from the lake — also called Jewel of Tibet because of its sapphire waters — cleanses one of sins and brings good fortune. Some pilgrims circumambulate the equally revered Mount Kailash that flanks the lake for similar reasons. Tibet Lake Namtso Pilgrims walk around the lake, which is significant in Bon and Tibetan Buddhism, to cleanse themselves of sins and accrue blessings. It is believed that the year of the goat is the best time to do this. In Tibetan, Lake Namtso means ‘heaven lake’. One of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, it is also the highest saltwater lake in the world. Kyrgyzstan Lake Issyk-Kul Archaeologists discovered the remains of a 14th-century Christian monastery on its…

Sacred long before the dawn of Islam, Bukhara is shaped by the cult of Persian goddess Anahita, Mizrahi Judaism, Manicheaenism and Nestorian Christianity. Dazzling mosques, madrasahs, and mausoleums dominate Bukhara’s skyline today, forming the archetypal image of Uzbekistan, but they are built upon a rich foundation of diverse spirituality. Bukhara was one of the most important religious centres of the medieval world, second only to Baghdad as a place of religious learning and theological debate. The Persian scholar Imam al-Bukhari — best known for collecting the hadiths (the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) — was born here, and so were the philosopher, astronomer, and physician Avicenna (widely regarded as the father of early modern medicine); and Bahauddin Naqshband Bukhari, founder of Sufism’s largest and most influential order, the Naqshbandi. My…

Situated at the foothills of the Himalayas in the state of West Bengal, Darjeeling is home to one of the most coveted tea varieties in the world. Darjeeling tea estates cover over 17,500 hectares and produce over nine million kilogrammes of tea each year. Around 50 percent of the people in the region are employed in tea production jobs. Tea cultivation only began in the late 17th century when the British took efforts to understand the art and science of it. Dr A. Campbell first planted seeds of the Chinese tea variant, which he brought from Kumaon, in Darjeeling at an altitude of 700 feet. In 1845, the India government set up an experimental nursery and started another at Lebong two years later. Commercial tea plantations in Darjeeling started in…

Located 180km west of Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara, Komodo Island is one of three islands and many islets that make up Komodo National Park and is particularly well-known as the natural habitat of the Komodo dragon. The Komodo Dragon is the largest living lizard and takes its name after the island. The dragons can smell prey as far as six miles away, and sprint in short bursts when attacking. Extremely dangerous, their serrated teeth that can tear away flesh and grind up bone make them fearsome predators, and the venom they emit is deadly. Each lizard has an identification tag that records its weight and size, so rangers can determine how the population is faring. Komodo dragons are fickle. They don’t like too much water or humidity. The…

Sikhism, one of four religions that have evolved in India, is currently the fourth-most practised religion in the country. To Sikhs, the Golden Temple — also known as Harmandir Sahib — in Amritsar, Punjab is the most sacred site in the world. Much of the country’s Sikh population lives in Punjab and regularly visits the temple while other Sikhs in India and around the world endeavour to make a pilgrimage there at some point in their lives. The Golden Temple is only a small part of a huge gurdwara complex that houses pilgrims’ dormitories and dining halls where all persons, irrespective of race, religion, or gender are lodged and fed for free. Today, an average of about 100,000 people visit the temple every day, making it one of the most…

On April 25 2015, Nepal was struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake which saw nearly 9,000 fatalities, 22,000 more injured and infrastructural damage totalling USD10 billion. It brought entire townships to the ground and caused the catastrophic destruction of historic artefacts and religious monuments. As piles of rubble still stand in plain sight along the streets of Nepal’s major cities, memories of the tragedy remain etched in everyone’s minds. The state’s Department of Archaeology had previously estimated that it would take about seven years to fully restore the religious monuments and artefacts damaged during the earthquake. Till today, that appears to remain a distant reality. While pilgrims try to continue worship amongst the ruins, tragedy has made one thing apparent — as the ground shook, so did their faith.…

Regarded as the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi has been known in various eras as Avimukta, Benaras and Kashi — meaning ‘where the supreme light shines’. Often referred to as the holy city of India, it is the holiest of seven sacred cities (sapta puri) in Hinduism and Jainism for the important role it plays in the development of Buddhism and Ravidassia, a religion founded on Sikhism. For ages, Varanasi has been the ultimate pilgrimage spot for Hindus. Hindus believe that it is an honour to die on the land of Varanasi and that a person who does so and is cremated there would attain salvation through moksha — final liberation of the soul from the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. No place along the Ganges’ banks is…

In Japan, torii gates that commonly mark the entrances of shrines and temples are said to be gateways to the sacred world. Crossing them is to leave mundanity behind and take a step from the earthly realm toward a transcendent space. To travellers, setting foot in new landscapes can have a similar transporting effect. On a trip around central Japan, I found my own version of these gateways in the most unexpected places. In the central region of Inuyama, I came across my first gateway. Standing before the Jo-an Teahouse in Urakuen Garden, one may be perplexed by the structure that has been described as “one of the finest teahouses in all of Japan”. is, in reality, an unassuming cottage with pale yellow walls, a dark wooden roof and small…

Every year, tens of thousands of Christian pilgrims gather in the Holy City of Jerusalem to celebrate Easter. They walk the city’s alleys, bearing giant crosses and retracing Jesus Christ’s final steps along Via Dolorosa. They end up witnessing the miracle of the Holy Fire at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where it is believed Jesus Christ was crucified and resurrected. Historical Significance of Jerusalem Holy to the three monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Jerusalem is one of the most ancient cities in the world. King David made the city the capital of the Jewish Kingdom when he conquered it some 3000 years ago (in 1000 B.C). Forty years later, his son Solomon built the first of the two holy temples that were centres of prayer and religious…