Want to fly in a balloon that will fly twice as high as Concorde - almost space? [Video]

ëblooní can reach an altitude of 36 kilometres and fly for around two hours at a height that is twice that of Concorde's cruising altitude

Concord was an amazing piece of aviation history that was scrapped after the tragic accident few years back. It took its passengers from Paris to Rome flying much higher than the normal planes.

But wait - there is something more unique and innovating that can take you twice as high as Concorde from Paris to Rome.

Scroll down for video

A Spanish company has come up with this unique and innovative approach using a balloon, called ëblooní, to travelling almost close to the space using specially designed balloons - in two years time - just enough time to start saving for the £95,000 ticket for four.

An artist's impression of passengers inside a pod on their journey to near-space

The specially designed pod for four 'rich' people will take its passengers to a height where they can experience weightlessness and even eat dinner. And what is more thrilling and adventurous is that 'Passengers will be able to see the sun and the stars at the same time, while looking down on the curvature of the earth.'

The ëblooní is the brainchild of Spanish entrepreneur Jose Mariano Lopez-Urdiales, boss of Barcelona-based Zero2Infinity. Space tourists will journey to earth's outer limits in a capsule that can hold six people - four passenger and two pilots.

For journey back to earth, the pod separates from the balloon, attached to a para-foil, which allows the passengers to experience zero gravity for around two minutes - Guided descent to a landing area takes around 40 minute

View demo video below:

Read more about it at: Mail Online

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Ramadan Moon Sighting - the Scientific Way

The Ramadan and Eid ul Fitr moon sighting has always been controversial in our country. Normally the people living in the northern areas and Khyber Pakhtunkhuwa province contest the findings and sighting of the moon and normally observe Ramadan and Eid coinciding with dates of Saudi Arabia - without realizing the physical distance between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. A few years ago, a federal minister from KPK officially announced celebrating Eid with Saudi Arabia even when there was no possibility of moon being sighted the same day in Pakistan.

Moonsighting is an international organization which predicts very precisely the occurrence of moon for each Islamic month, specially the Ramadan and Eids.  I have been following their predictions and calculations for quite sometime now and find their findings near accurate. Therefore it is prudent to follow the scientific methods which are more accurate aided by physical moon sighting as per requirement of the religion.

For Ramadan beginning awhile from now, their first map appears for 8th July as given under:

The visibility curve for 8th July 2013 shows most of the earth in a non visibility zone. Thus there will be no direct sighting on the various continents. However, a blue zone covers a part of the Pacific Ocean towards the west. Thus it becomes essential to calculate whether fajr in some countries – with no direct visibility on the evening of 8th July 2013 – is not before the visibility of the crescent in the Pacific ocean, thus insuring visibility to the west of the country under consideration, before fajr in the country. These countries can thus start the fasting of Ramadan on 9th July 2013.

The above clearly shows that at best the moon can be sighted with optical instruments short of Africa in almost the entire South America. Thus there is no possibility of moon being sighted on 8th July in Saudi Arabia, what to talk of Pakistan.

For the other countries the visibility curve for 9th July 2013 will apply as shown above. Here most of the world is in a green or blue zone, specially in the southern hemisphere. Thus all countries which cannot start Ramadan 2013 on 9th July 2013 will start fasting on 10th July 2013. 

In above 9th July moon curve, the green area where moon can be sited with naked eye covers area lower Africa  excluding Saudi Arabia and India. However, the blue area includes both Saudi Arabia, lower half of India and western half of Australia. Pakistan falls in grey and red areas where moon sighting can be observed with optical instruments only and not with naked eye. And in no way there is a possibility of sighting moon in the northern areas of Pakistan on 9th July as is the usual practice by the local clerics to announce first Ramadan ahead by one day with the the rest of the country.

However, there are other factors that are also involved in moon sighting like:

• The minimum time between the sun and moon set be 40 minutes - if tis is lesser, that moon is under age and cannot be taken as authentic moon.
• The new moon must be sighted for continuous 59 minutes

Based on the very accurate measurements above given in the map, one should not make the moon sighting an issue in Pakistan and link it with Saudi Arabia due to movement of moon and timings of of its limited life.

This is specially applicable to moon sighters in northern areas who correlate the moon sighting with Saudi Arabia and always have a day's difference with the rest of the country.

I will update the map tomorrow if it is done at Moonsighting (updated 10th July 10:00 PM)

For the information of Muslims awaiting moon sighting announcement in Pakistan, here is the latest update of the moon sighting map which shows clear view of Ramadan moon on 10th of July - meaning by that first of Ramadan will be on Thursday 11 July 2013 in Pakistan.

However, it isi sad to hear that some religious groups in the extreme north of the country have declared first Ramadan on 10th of July, whereas there has been no possibility of sighting Ramadan moon today as per the second map shown above. Such unilateral announcements based weak reporting are only prejudiced that serve no religious purpose and mislead they people.  

Happy Ramadan ul Mubarak on 11th July.

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The Hagia Sophia Museum - Istanbul, Turkey

Who has not seen pictures of this famous landmark of Istanbul, Turkey? Well I think most would have since those visiting Istanbul, Turkey never fail to include this important land mark in their visiting priorities for its grandeur and eye catching architecture - Hagia Sophia Museum.

To many, it is a mosque. Well yes it has been a mosque once too. But it may come as a surprise that the structure was originally served as an Eastern Orthodox cathedral and seat of the Patriarchate of Constantinople from 360 until 1453. However, between 1204 and 1261, it was converted to a Roman Catholic cathedral under the Latin Empire. 

The building was converted into a mosque, as generally it is believed to be  a mosque,  from 29 May 1453 until 1931, when it was secularized. It was opened as a museum on 1 February 1935.

In 1453, Constantinople was conquered by the Ottoman Turks under Sultan Mehmed II, who subsequently ordered the building converted into a mosque. The bells, altar, iconostasis, and sacrificial vessels were removed and many of the mosaics were plastered over. Islamic features – such as the mihrab, minbar, and four minarets – were added while in the possession of the Ottomans. 

 The four minarets were added by the Ottomans

It remained a mosque until 1931 when it was closed to the public for four years. It was re-opened in 1935 as a museum by the Republic of Turkey.

In the 16th century the sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (1520–1566) brought back two colossal candlesticks from his conquest of Hungary. They were placed on either side of the mihrab. During the reign of Selim II (1566–1574), the building started showing signs of fatigue and was extensively strengthened with the addition of structural supports to its exterior by the great Ottoman architect Mimar Sinan, who is also considered one of the world's first earthquake engineers

The most famous restoration of the Aya Sofya was ordered by Sultan Abdülmecid and completed by eight hundred workers between 1847 and 1849, under the supervision of the Swiss-Italian architect brothers Gaspare and Giuseppe Fossati. The brothers consolidated the dome and vaults, straightened the columns, and revised the decoration of the exterior and the interior of the building. The mosaics in the upper gallery were cleaned. 

The old chandeliers were replaced by new pendant ones. New gigantic circular-framed disks or medallions were hung on columns. They were inscribed with the names of Allah, the Prophet Muhammad, the first four caliphs Abu Bakr, Umar, Uthman and Ali, and the two grandchildren of Mohammed: Hassan and Hussain, by the calligrapher Kazasker Mustafa İzzed Effendi (1801–1877). 

In 1850 the architect Fossati built a new sultan's gallery in a Neo-Byzantine style connected to the royal pavilion behind the mosque. Outside the Aya Sofya, a timekeeper's building and a new madrasah were built. The minarets were altered so that they were of equal height. When the restoration was finished, the mosque was re-opened with ceremonial pomp on 13 July 1849.

For almost 500 years the principal mosque of Istanbul, Hagia Sophia served as a model for many other Ottoman mosques, such as the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Blue Mosque of Istanbul), the Sehzade Mosque, the Süleymaniye Mosque, the Rüstem Pasha Mosque and the Kiliç Ali Pasa Mosque.

Hagia Sophia is famous in particular for its massive dome which is considered to be the epitome of Byzantine architecture and is said to have "changed the history of architecture." It remained the world's largest cathedral for nearly a thousand years thereafter, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520.

The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.

 One of the oldest photo of the Hagia Sophia Museum

The Church was dedicated to the Logos, the second person of the Holy Trinity, its dedication feast taking place on 25 December, the anniversary of the Birth of the incarnation of the Logos in Christ. Although it is sometimes referred to as Sancta Sophia (as though it were named after Saint Sophia), Sophia is the phonetic spelling in Latin of the Greek word for wisdom – the full name in Greek being "Shrine of the Holy Wisdom of God".

In 1935, the first Turkish President and founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, transformed the building into a museum. The carpets were removed and the marble floor decorations such as the Omphalion appeared for the first time in centuries, while the white plaster covering many of the mosaics was removed. 

In 1996, owing to the deterioration of the structure, the World Monuments Fund placed Hagia Sophia on World Monuments Watch, and again in 1998. The building's copper roof had cracked, causing water to leak down over the fragile frescoes and mosaics. Moisture entered from below as well. Rising ground water had raised the level of humidity within the monument, creating an unstable environment for stone and paint.

With the help of financial services company American Express, WMF secured a series of grants from 1997 to 2002 for the restoration of the dome. The first stage of work involved the structural stabilization and repair of the cracked roof, which was undertaken with the participation of the Turkish Ministry of Culture. The second phase, the preservation of the dome's interior, afforded the opportunity to employ and train young Turkish conservators in the care of mosaics. By 2006, the WMF project was complete, though other areas of Hagia Sophia continue to require conservation.

The use of the complex as a place of worship (mosque or church) has been strictly prohibited till 2006, when the Turkish government allowed the allocation of a small room in the museum complex to be used as a prayer room for Christian and Muslim museum staff.

The museum's hours are 9.30 am to 4.30 pm, Tuesday through Sunday; entry fee is 25 TL, or free with the use of a Museum Card.

If you are visiting Turkey and happen to be in Istanbul, you will be compelled to visit the Hagia Sophia Museum as it sits invitingly on a higher plane and no no tourist can miss to leave Istanbul without visiting it.

Photographs/References: | Funzug | Wikipedia |

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World's largest standalone structure opens in China

How big can a stand alone structure be - any guess?

Well think of Sydney Opera which we usually see on new year night under fireworks - if you think anything twice as big as Sydney Opera is big - you are mistaken.

China has opened its New Century Global Center to the public in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, June 28, 2013. And this world's largest standalone structure is 'big enough' to house TWENTY Sydney Opera Houses under its roof - that is really big and world's biggest.

This huge structure has 1.7 million square meters of floor space to house business offices, hotels, theaters, shopping malls, a faux Mediterranean village, and attractions including a water park called "Paradise Island."

Beside, it will feature a mix of retail outlets, a 14-screen movie theater, a university complex, offices, hotels, a water park called Paradise Island, a skating rink that's big enough to host international competitions, a pirate ship, 15,000 parking spots, and even a fake Mediterranean village.

The  New Century Global Center is 328 feet high, 1,640 feet long, and 1,312 feet wide.

So the New Century Global Center to the public in Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan province, should be on the list of your next travel destination if you are planning a visit to China. Shouldn't it be?

Read more about it at: C|net

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The day my Grandfather was awarded King's Police Medal

King's Police Medal

When I was a small child, I was told by my father that his father, my grandfather, earned the prestigious King's Police Medal, KPM, during his service as a police officer in 1920. Obviously I asked him why was he awarded that honour and where was the medal? Though my father did explain how, but as for where, he said that the medal had been lost by his elder brother, my Taya.

So that was the end of the KPM. But I never knew through the powerful media of blogging, one day I would get to know more about my grand father's KPM and would actually see the citation written for the award of the KPM.

Generations: Top Left to Right: Father (Mohkam Din) - Son (Aziz ud Din Ahmad, KPM) - Grandson (Abdul Hameed Bhatti, PPM)

Centre Left to Right: Great Grandsons Gul Hameed Bhatti - Zaffar , Kamal, Jalal, Jamal Hameed Bhattis
Bottom Left to Right: Great Grandson (Jalal Hameed Bhatti) - Great-great grandsons (Waqaace and Wahaab Jalal Bhattis) 

On 16th October 2009, I wrote a post 'Generations' in which I explained my family tree tracing back to many centuries. And there when I arrived at my grandfather, I wrote: 

My grandfather became city magistrate of Amritsar and was awarded with the prestigious King’s Police Medal in 1920s. It was a great loss that his hard earned medal was lost upon partition when my father and all his brothers migrated to Pakistan – and along with that we lost the graves of my ancestors in Patti, a small village then somewhere near Amritsar. And that brought a divide between my father’s ancestors and us with our father being the linchpin.

While writing the post I had no idea what a surprise was waiting for me. Two years later on March 13, 2011, I received a message on Facebook by one Sadeev Gill from India and he wrote:

Hi my father read your blog Jaho Jalal and was impressed to know that your ancestors were decorated police officers. My father is writing a book on decorated police officers Punjab police (India & Pakistan . I appreciate it if you could send me your email address (which I would pass on to my father). Thanks - Sadeev

Obviously, this was a great news for me that someone was writing about the police officers of the British India times and somehow I could know more about my grandfather's KPM. So I gave Sadeev my e-mail address and waited.

And then one day I received an email from Sadeev's father:

Dear  Jalal  Sahib,  Salaam.    My  name  is  R. S. Gill  and  i  am  a  retired  police  officer  from  Punjab  Police ( India ).   I  am  writing  a  book  on  decorated  police  officers  of  Punjab  Police  from  1860  to  2010.  This  will  also  cover  the  period  of  united  Punjab,  when  India  and  Pakistan  were  one  country ( 1860 - 1947 ).   I  was  reading  your  highly  interesting  blog  one  day,  when  i  came  across  your  family  background.   I  was  impressed  to  know  that  both  your  respected  father  and  grand  father  were  highly  decorated  police  officers,  and  both  of  them  of  them  performed  their  duties  with  the  highest  dedication  and  honesty.  I  would  like  to  include  your  grand  father's  biodata  and  photograph  in  my  book,  since  he  served  in  united  Punjab.  Kindly  send  me  his  photograph ( preferably  in  uniform )  and  brief  biodata,  which  should  include : - (1) Full  Name  (2) Date  of  Birth  (3)  Date  of  Joining  Punjab  Police  (4)  Education  (5)  Award / Decoration  Received  (6)  Date  of  Receiving  Award / Decoration  (7)  Rank at  time  of  Award / Decoration  (8)  Date  of  Retiring  from  Police  (9)  Rank  at  time  of  Retiring.  If  you  do  not  have  the  full  information,  please  send  what  ever  you  have.  In  case  your  father  also  served  in  united  Punjab,  please  send  his  photo  and  biodata  too.  With  regards,  yours  sincerely,  R. S. Gill.

And thus began a series of mail exchange between me and Gill Sahib, who was to update me on everything that he could lay hands on that concerned my grandfather.

In one of his mails, he wrote:

My  dear  Mr.  Bhatti,   attached  along  with  this  letter  is  the  preceding  page  of  the  London  Gazette  of  1st  January  1920  which  mentions  the  award  of  the  King's  Police  Medal  to  your  respected  grandfather  and  others  on  that  date.   You  don't  have  to  thank  me.   Your  thoughts  and  photographs  are  so  noble  and  beautiful ,  that  it's  a  pleasure  to  do  something  for  you .   With  regards ,   R.S.Gill. 

-->
Then in one of his e-mails, he sent me the text of the citation for the award of KPM to my grandfather:

My Grandfather: Aziz ud Din Ahmad, KPM

On the 12th April 1919, information having been received that a mob was collecting to loot the Treasury at Tarn Taran, Inspector Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad first made preparations for the defence of the Treasury which contained over 3 lakhs. He then went with a small party of Police and dispersed the mob arresting two men. 

Later on he investigated the case with great intelligence and energy and put up 97 men for trial, of whom 82 were convicted. His courage and initiative have been highly commended by Mr. Rudkin, O.B.E., I.C.S., District Magistrate, Amritsar, who tried the case, Mr. Rudkin remarked in his judgment “that the accused did not succeed in their object was due almost solely to the courage and initiative shown by Inspector Aziz-ud-Din Ahmad. If he had not had the courage and decision to move out against them, I think there is every likelihood that the small Police force would have overwhelmed. His conduct in warding off the attack and in the subsequent investigation is worthy of very high praise indeed, and I think that his services deserve tangible recognition by the authorities. The Inspector’s conduct deserves the more credit in that he had to act in defence of the Treasury without any assistance from the Magistrate on the spot, the Tahsildar. 

A few days later, he sent me the copy of the Punjab Gazette dated January 10, 1920. The Gazette showed the citation at serial 26 which is as under:

The priceless copy of Citation that earned my grand father the prestigious KPM

So this closed the loop for me of something that has been on my mind since my childhood. I never knew then that one day the internet would be born, followed by blogging and social media networks like the Facebook which will bring to me a treasure of life time.

I am truly grateful to R.S.Gill for having dug out something about my grand father, his dedication to duty, foresight and courage in discharge of his duty that saved the state the Taran Taran treasury and its Rs. 300,000, which in 1920 was a huge amount of the day.

My grandfather was later promoted to Deputy SP, now a days called DSP, a post that he held till 1926. From 1926-1936, he switched over to the Punjab Civil Service (PCS) and it was here that became the honorary magistrate of Amritsar in some point tin time. My grand father died in 1936 and was buried in his ancestral graveyard in Patti, a town near Amritsar. My great great grand father, Mohkam Din, who was a Mukhtiarkar (like our Tahsildar) is also buried in the same graveyard. 

My Father Abdul Hameed Bhatti, Superintendent of Police(R), PPM

My father also followed the footsteps of his father and joined Punjab Police as direct sub-inspector. He was instrumental in the formation of Intelligence Bureau (IB) after the formation of Pakistan and worked very closely with its first chief A.B. Awan. Later he was tasked to raise Interpol in Pakistan which he did so meticulously that he remained its head for twelve long years. He represented Pakistan Interpol in the ICPOA conference held in Paris in 1965. He was promoted to the rank of superintendent of police and was appointed additional SP of Rawalpindi, from where he retired in 1972.  For his meritorious services, he was awarded the prestigious President's Police Medal.

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