New Year Celebrations at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, Germany

We have seen the new year celebrations the world over since the dawn of 2016 on night 31 December 2015 and 1 january 2016. Some of the fireworks were really spectacular and awe inspiring. One could not resist the aesthetics of those who designed the fireworks to welcome the new year - 2016.

Like all countries, Germany too celebrated the new year in almost all its major cities - Berlin being one of these. The venue for the new year celebrations was the famous Brandenburg Gate - the 18th-century neoclassical triumphal arch and one of the well known landmarks of Berlin. 

My son, seen in photo above (a screen shot from the video) who is studying in Kiel, Germany also took a double decker bus to Berlin on the morning of 31 December and was there at Brandenburg Gate to enjoy the show.

Words  alone cannot express the fiesta and the fireworks when the new year 2016 dawned. My son made a short video to save the event for us to see. 

Watch the video below and see the enthusiasm of the crowd which stood there for hours, some even as long as six hours to watch the new year to dawn amid a massive display of fireworks:

Stood there non-stop...for more than "6" hours just for this moment! Happy new year everybody! :)
Posted by Wahaab Jalal Bhatti on Friday, January 1, 2016

So that is it - Happy New Year 2016 to all of you. May this new year brings peace and hope for the future. Ameen

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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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Happy Independence Day - Pakistan Zindabad

14 August - a day in the life of Pakistan: A day when Pakistan was born in 1947 carved out of the British India as a homeland for the Muslims of the British Indian subcontinent.  

Today we celebrate our independence day and salute the father of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Quaid-e-Azam, whose relentless efforts along with his colleagues borne fruit in the shape of Pakistan - a country whose idea was conceived by poet philosopher Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal. But he died too early in 1938, nine years before his dream came true.

We also salute those millions who perished on their way to Pakistan and those many others who laid down their lives guarding the frontiers of the country against foreign aggression and against militants trying to destabilize Pakistan.

So it is happy Independence day to all Pakistanis living anywhere in the world - we have a home and we have build it and rid it from all those who do not want to see it progressing as envisioned by Jinnah, the father of the country. And we should celebrate it with pride, and heads high. Let our green and while crescent and star fly high on hour hoses and everywhere - a flag that shows the strength and solidarity of its people.

Herein under are two rare videos which were taken on 14th August 1947 on the eve of transfer of power.

Listen to the speech made by Muhammad Ali Jinnah on the day of transfer of power on 14 August 1947:

Video Courtesy: YouTube / radiopakistanonline

The following rare video is about the transfer of power ceremony held earlier in Karachi, Pakistan. The video is by BBC - unfortunately it's audio is muted. But one can make out the proceedings of the day as these happened on that fateful day of 14 August, 1947 - which brought an end to the British Empire  in Asia:

Video Courtesy: YouTube / Uploaded by multanupdates

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Spanish Festival of San Fermin - Festival of People and the Bulls

Spaniards are perhaps the most liveliest people around the world. The enjoy and celebrate festivals, even at the cost of hurting them - and hurting pretty badly.

Every July, the Spaniards celebrate the festival of San Fermin in the ancient city of Pamplona. While almost the entire city goes out in the street, there are bulls following. In fact the festival is about people and the untamed bulls. 

The festival of people and the bulls was first held in 1591 starting 7th of July. Initially the festival was for 2-3 days, later it was extended to July 10th and then to July the 4th - that means a clear seven days of excitement, cries, joy and wounds - sometimes very fatal too.

During the festival, the streets and cramped alleys are full of people of all ages and gender - making merry, shouting, running and enjoying. Normally they are clad in reds and it looks as if a red wave is flowing in each street and alley.

Watch a few glimpses of the festival below:

The daring ones run in the streets, while the less daring and old watch the festivities from their balconies with Spanish flags decorating the buildings.

If you are in the streets, be cautioned that you will be pushed in the cramped and crowed streets, really gasping for air. So dare if you can.

You may be lucky to see Muhammad Ali, the greatest, in the streets watching exhausted or knocked over fun lovers. Some even dare to take their small children in the deadly streets - and they too are seem to be enjoying the fun laded festival.

Bull-running became part of the festival in 17th and 18th century chronicles together with the presence of foreigners. In fact it is the bull-running that adds 'spice' to the festival.

Every afternoon between the 7th and 14th there is a bullfight in which the 6 bulls that have been driven to the bullring during the bullrunning of that day are killed. It begins at 18:30.

Every night a firework spectacle is held at the citadel park. Fireworks spectacles have been known to occur in Sanfermin as far back as 1595. Since the year 2000 an international fireworks contest is held. Thousands of people watch them seated on the grass around the citadel.

The aftermath of the festival is bruises, injuries and lots of litter on the streets. But despite the hazards and dangers, the festival of people and the bulls continues for centuries and people go home laughing and enjoying every day after the bulrunning is over. 

If you happen to be visiting Spain in the month of July, do attend the festivities of San Fermin in the ancient city of Pamplona - you will cherish the memories for as long as you live.

Photos Source: Funzug

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Tent Pegging - a sport of Majestic Horses and Horsemen

Horses since life started have been the best companion of men. The have charged into the ravage battlefields carrying warriors, horsemen and the cavilers, fighting and falling with them. And in peacetime, they trained hard with their masters to prepare for the rigors of battles, besides providing horsemen opportunities to sport and hunt.

One of the favourite sport for the horsemen is tent pegging - something which prepares the warriors and the cavilers to train for accurate targetting in wars. The history of sport of tent pegging has been traced back to at least the 4th century BC.It is not clear what specific purpose the tent pegging accrued, but as the name suggests, the cavilers used this technique in their surprise attacks on the enemy camps, and taking out the pegs of their tents, thus creating alarm and chaos and subduing the still half asleep enemy soldiers. In George McDonald Fraser's Flashman novels, title character Harry Flashman served in a lancer regiment, and frequently mentions tent pegging and his broader skills with the lance.

Now that warriors no more ride into battles on majestic horses, these still carry horsemen into the playgrounds to keep alive the tradition of horsemen and horsemanship. The relationship between man and horse is not to cease.

Tent Pegging is played in may countries of the world, including Pakistan. Every year, during the harvest seasons' festivities, horsemen clad in white suits, varying colours of waist coats and long turbans ride their majestic horses and charge into the battlefield of tent pegging at speeds one cannot imagine. The horsemen align themselves with the lances as the near the pegs pitched into the ground, and almost all hit the bull and take out the peg and march of with pride and jubilation.

During the Jashn-e-Baharan, the Spring Festival, the tent pegging is a must event - wherein horsemen, usually farmers, after a sucessful harvesting, show their feat of fine horsemanship and tent pegging. The sport of tent pegging is mostly played in the Punjab province, and teams from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Rawalpindi and Atoock are famous for the mastery in the sport of tent pegging. Once the famous Horse and Cattle Show held at Fortress Stadium Lahore was one such grand festival where besides many feats by the military police motorcyclists and bands, tent pegging was a regular feature. Now this festival is also part of many other cities during the annual Cattle Market or Mela Maweshian.

Herein under are some of the finest photos of tent pegging, shot and composed by my Flickr friend Asif Saeed, whose other bautiful photos I have shared in my earlier posts. I have tried to put the photos in a chronlogical sequence so as the keep the readers interest alive in this rather long post.

And do not forget to watch a video on tent pegging at the end of the post, Ishared from YouTube.

Tent Pegging teams clad in colourful dresses and large turbans, mounted on fines horses march into the arena

Before the show begins, there is show march of the tent pegging teams

  

Like the horsemen, the horses too are colourfully decorated with buntings 

The teams line up for the charge in

A tent pegger aligns himself with the pegs, pegged in the ground

Closing on to the peg

Bull Hit: The lance is clearly seen pierced in to the peg - a beautiful shot by Asif Saeed

A proud winner

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Now watch a video below I have shared from the YouTube. The video shows the tent pegging team of Lahore Polo Club, shared by Husnain67. Just watch how majestically each player charges into the ground on his beautiful pony, aligning and taking out the peg with grace and joy:

About the photographer: Asif Saeed is a young and enterprising photographer, who takes time out of his professional obligations and travels widely. He has been to every place in Pakistan and has visited many countries. Wherever he goes, he has his camera by his side and even when tired of climbing mountains, he manages to shoot some of the awe inspiring photos.

Update with the following video on 25 October 2015:

Today I came across a video shared at Facebook which shows a unique display of tent pegging at night - something I have never seen before. I am sharing this video here to make my post on tent pegging wholesome and complete for the interest of my readers. 

Watch the video below:

Night Tent pegging a beautiful game in National Horse and Culture Show 2015,Lahore
Posted by City District Government, Lahore 

I have earlier on shared his photos in following posts:

The Gondogoro La and the Mighty Peaks Karakoram

Spectacular virgin lakes of Pakistan

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Plan a visit this September to Netherlands for Fruitcorso Festival

Fruitcorso Festival, Netherlands - a Festival of Fruits

Tourists and travelers are the luckiest people around the world. These are lucky because they get to see the indigenous life and festivities of the people they are visiting. And if one plans one's visit to a country when it is time for the local festivities, one comes back with life long memories and lots of photographs that remind one of the wonderful times spent abroad.

With the availability of handy digital cameras or even the cameras inbuilt in the cellular phones, the travelers have an endless storage place to store photos of the beautiful moments, people, their lives and celebrations of festivals that they can cherish for as long as they live.

And talking of the festivals, what beautiful place on earth can be other than the Netherlands - a country known for his beautiful flowers that bloom everywhere you go. But besides flowers, the country abounds in countless varieties of fruits that are harvested and grown all over the Netherlands.

One of the many festivals that are held in the Netherlands, one of the festival is known as the Fruitcorso Festival. The Fruitcorso Festival  is celebrated in September each year to celebrate the harvest of fruits of all the villages in Tiel, Netherlands. The festival includes a parade of cars beautifully decorated with fruits of all types.

Just scroll down slowly and see the collection of photos of the Fruitcorso Festival and do admire the aesthetic sense of the people of the village of Tiel - it is something that I would very much want to visit next time I am travelling abroad. This festival is a tribute to the people of Tiel, who not only harvested fruits, but also enjoyed their harvest to thank the Nature for the countless gifts bestowed on to them which not only fetch them money but also attract tourists from all over the world to join them in their happiness, joy and festive mood.

Photos Source: Funzug

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