Saif-ul-Maluk Lake. Kaghan Valley, Saiful Muluk National Parkistan

Saiful Muluk Lake is a mountainous lake located at the northern end of the Kaghan Valley, near the town of Naran in the Saiful Muluk National Park. The lake is a source of the Kunhar river. At an elevation of 3,224 m (10,578 feet) above sea level, the lake is located above the tree line, and is one of the highest lakes in Pakistan. 

 

Saiful Muluk is located in the Mansehra district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, about 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) north of Naran, in the northern part of Kaghan Valley. Malika Parbat, the highest peak in the valley is near the lake. The lake is accessible from the nearby town of Naran during the summer season but access during winter is limited.  

 

 

Saiful Muluk was formed by glacial moraines that blocked the water of the stream passing through the valley. The Kaghan Valley was formed in the greater Pleistocene Period dating back almost 300,000 years when the area was covered with ice. Rising temperatures and receding glaciers left a large depression where glaciers once stood. Melting water collected into the lake. The lake has rich eco-diversity and holds many species of blue-green algae. Large brown trout are found in the lake, up to about seven kilograms. About 26 species of vascular plant exist in the area, with Asteraceae the most commonly found species.

The Lake Saiful Muluk is named after a legendary prince. A fairy tale called Saif-ul-Muluk, written by the Sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, talks of the lake. It tells the story of the prince of Persia named Prince Saiful Malook who fell in love with a fairy princess named Princess Badri-ul-Jamala at the lake 

Giethoorn Village (Village With No Roads), Province Of Overijssel, Netherlands

Giethoornis a town in the province of Overijssel, Netherlands with a population of 2,620. As a popular Dutch tourist destination both within Netherlands and abroad, Giethoorn is often referred to as "Dutch Venice" or the "Venice of the Netherlands". Giethoorn used to be a pedestrian precinct, but nowadays exceptions are made. It became locally famous, especially after 1958, when the Dutch film maker Bert Haanstra made his famous comedy Fanfare there. In the old part of the village, there were no roads, and all transport was done by water over one of the many canals. The lakes in Giethoorn were formed by peat unearthing. Giethoorn was a separate municipality until 1973, when it became part of Brederwiede, which lost its municipality status in 2001 to merge with Steenwijk.

The village’s name harkens back to the 13th century. The story goes that its original farmer-settlers discovered a collection of horns belonging to wild goats thought to have died in the Flood of 1170. “Goat horn,” or “Geytenhoren,” was shortened to Giethoorn, and the name stuck. Centuries post-flood, water continues to define the village's living history and landscape.

Giethoorn is a tiny Dutch village of Giethoorn, the tranquility is almost dreamlike. That is, until you remember why it's so quiet there are no cars. In fact, there’s no way for cars to get around, because there are no roads. Locals and visitors to Giethoorn navigate in whisper-quiet ways: by bike, boat, or foot. In this hamlet a collection of small peat islands connected by bridges there's not much to do except slip into solitude among thatched-roof farmhouses and footbridges crossing the maze of canals.

Tourism has an influence on the old traditional town. The village, still only fully accessible by boat, is one of several places commonly known as the Venice of the North or Venice of the Netherlands. Giethoorn has over 150 bridges. Giethoorn is a very popular attraction among Chinese tourists. In nearby De Weerribben-Wieden National Park, wildlife enthusiasts hike wetlands and reed beds home to otters, black terns, great cormorants, and egrets. You can traverse by waterway on rowboats and canoes, of course, or by the many hiking paths. Without motor noise pollution, the sounds of nature bring the scenery to life for all the senses.

You can get to Giethoorn by a combination of train and bus. To avoid crowds, opt for the months of April, May, June, or September, and keep in mind that weekday visits may be best. Though this “Dutch Venice” feels quite removed from capital city of Amsterdam, it's only about 75 miles away. And a two-hour journey is well worth the feeling of traveling back in time

Hidimba Devi Temple, Manāli, Himachal Pradesh,India

Hidimba Devi Temple, locally known as Dhungari Temple, also known variously as the Hadimba Temple, is located in Manāli, a hill station in the State of Himāchal Pradesh in north India. It is an ancient cave temple dedicated to Hidimbi Devi, wife of Bhima, a figure in the Indian epic Mahābhārata. The temple is surrounded by a cedar forest called Dhungiri Van Vihar at the foot of the Himālayas. The sanctuary is built over a huge rock jutting out of the ground which was worshiped as an image of the deity. The structure was built in 1553 by Maharaja Bahadur Singh.
 

The Hidimba Devi temple was built in 1553 AD by Maharaja Bahadur Singh. The temple is built around a cave where Devi Hidimba performed meditation. Hidimbi was supposed to have lived there with her brother Hidimb, and not much is known about their parents. Born into a Rakshasa family, Hidimba vowed to marry one who would defeat her brother Hidimb, who was supposed to be very brave and fearless. During the Pandava's exile, when they visited Manali; Bhima, one of the five Pandavas, killed Hidimb. Thereafter, Hidimba married Bhima and gave birth to their son Ghatotkacha.

 

People in Manali worship Hidimba Devi as a deity. During Navaratri all Hindus across the nation worship goddess Durga, but people in Manali worship Hidimba Devi. Queues of people can be seen outside the temple, but the crowd increases during Navaratri.

The Hidimba Devi Temple has intricately carved wooden doors and a 24 meters tall wooden "shikhar" or tower above the sanctuary. The tower consists of three square roofs covered with timber tiles and a fourth brass cone-shaped roof at the top. The earth goddess Durga forms the theme of the main door carvings. Also depicted are animals, foliate designs, dancers, scenes from Lord Krishna’s life and Navagrahas. The temple base is made out of whitewashed, mud-covered stonework. An enormous rock occupies the inside of the temple, only a 7.5 cm (3 inch) tall brass image representing goddess Hidimba Devi. A rope hangs down in front of the rock, and according to a legend, in bygone days religious zealots would tie the hands of "sinners" by the rope and then swing them against the rock. About seventy metres away from the temple, there is a shrine dedicated to Goddess Hidimba's son, Ghatotkacha, who was born after she married Bhima. The most surprising feature of the temple or what believers could call the most reassuring feature of the temple is the fact that inside the temple the imprint of the feet of the Goddess carved on a block of stone is worshipped.

The Indian epic Mahabharata narrates that the Pāndavas stayed in Himachal during their exile. In Manali, the strongest person there, named Hidimb and brother of Hidimba, attacked them, and in fight Bhima, strongest amongst the Pandavas, killed him. Bhima and Hidimb's sister, Hidimbi, then got married and had a son, Ghatotkacha,. When Bhima and his brothers returned from exile, Hidimbi did not accompany him, but stayed back and did tapasyā (a combination of meditation, prayer, and penance) so as to eventually attain the status of a goddess.