Rajasthan Travels - The land of the kings

Rajasthan is superior recognized as the land of the kings in India is the most colorful state of India with its majestic forts and palaces, will dazzle every tourist with whimsical charm, golden deserts. Sand dunes, wooded hills and amazing lakes tour, palaces and rugged forts tour, men and women in colorful turbans and skirts, bustling towns and quiet villages, camels, elephants and tigers tour packages, harsh sunlight and the cool evening breeze - are all there in abundance. There are also a number of historic cities, incredible fortresses, breathtaking palaces that's attracts visitors from all parts of the world.

The State of Rajasthan is one of the most favored destinations of tourists in India for both domestic & International traffic. In world scenario also, Rajasthan tourism has emerged as a biggest travel tourism industry and posses great employment potential in Indian State. This diverse state is the home to rajputs who ruled this part of India for over 1000 years. There are many places in Rajasthan that attracts travelers form far and wide, such as Pushkar fair (biggest cattle fair India) and the desert city of Jaisalmer. Jaipur (also known as 'pink city') is most popular city in Rajasthan and can dazzle a tourist with forts and places like Hawa Mahal, city palace, nahargarh fort. Rajasthan is a very rich state in history and monumental splendor.

Rajasthan has most number of heritage hotels and palaces in India. The most renowned are udaipur's beautiful lake palace hotel and shiv niwas palace hotel, Jaipur’s Rambagh palace and the umaid bhawan palace in jodhpur. In addition to hotels & palaces are the Haveli traditional mansions. Rajasthan is also very famous for its handicrafts all over the world. All these features make Rajasthan, one of the most sought after tourist destinations of India. The glorious city boasts of its cultural heritage from every nook and corner. Every year, People across the globe come to experience this royal capital city of Rajasthan.

Thai Individual Life Cycles Part 2

After marriage, every couple eagerly awaits the birth of its first child, children having a high position in rural and cultural values - obviously, there is strength in numbers, a vital sense of continuity is ensured, and many hands make farming activities easier.

Almost inevitably a child is born during the first year of marriage. Often there exists an unspoken preference for boys since they alone may be ordained to gain merit for themselves and their parents. The pregnant mother frequently continues to per-form her household duties until. the moment of birth.

Formerly, birth took place at home, the mother aided by the village 'midwife', an elderly woman with little or no formal medical training, and an older household woman. Now, however, babies are delivered at regional health centres and infant mortality has dropped dramatically as a con-sequence.

As the couple grows older, their social standing rises, particularly after they have succeeded in establishing their own house-hold and are demonstrably their own masters. The wife enjoys an important voice in family and village affairs, sometimes representing her household at village meetings her husband is unable to attend.

Active adulthood continues through child-rearing years, eventually slowing down at the age of 60, generally recognized by the Thais as the onset of old age. At that point village elders traditionally turn over house-hold leadership to a trusted son or son-in-law. Thereafter, in a far-from-morbid pre-paration for death, they concern themselves mainly with merit-making, temple activities and enjoyment of their grandchildren.

Whatever their position, all old people are politely deferred to, served and cared for by their children and grandchildren. Some old men become ordained for a second time and spend their remaining years as Buddhist monks. Others, eschewing idleness, busy themselves fashioning fish traps or baskets and doing odd jobs within the family com-pound. Old women continue to care for grandchildren, and, In certain areas, spin and weave silk cloth. They are often sought both for their wise counsel and their ad-mired culinary skills.

During sickness and imminent death, every effort is made to fix the sick person's mind upon Buddhist scriptures or to per-suade him to mentally repeat the Buddha's name. It is hoped that if the deceased's last thoughts concern the Buddha and his pre-cepts, the karmic fruit of such a meritorious act will be reaped during his next, ideally higher, existence.

When death occurs, merit-making acts are performed for the deceased's benefit and in reflection of the sense of loss felt by the entire community, villagers express social solidarity by helping the bereaved family in every possible way.
As soon as possible after death, the corpse is bathed by family members and dressed In white. The left hand is an-nointed with water by family and friends who mentally ask forgiveness for any wrongs they may have committed against the deceased during his life.

The death is officially reported to the village headman and abbot. The first night, monks visit the deceased's house to chant services. Villagers attend, and after religious services, adults maintain an all-night
vigil, gossiping, reminiscing, smoking and perhaps passing the time playing chess.

Follow the Jesus Trail in Northern Israel

For centuries, people have been fascinated by the life of Jesus of Nazareth. To some, he is regarded as a prophet, to others he is a farce, and to Christians all over the world, he is the son of God. Regardless of your beliefs regarding Jesus as a person, no one can deny the fact that he made a major impact upon the world. That is why people of every color, race and religion have taken the Jesus Trail to walk through the life of Jesus and get to meet the people who live in these regions today.

The Jesus Trail is a forty mile long trail that begins in Nazareth and ends in Capernaum. The trail is free and was developed by Maoz Inon, an Israeli tour operator, and David Landis, an American Mennonite tourist. They became friends through the internet and together came up with the idea of a trail that would take tourists step by step through the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The trail continues to become more popular every year.

The best times to go on the Jesus Trail are during the fall months of October to November and the spring months of February to mid-May. There may be some rain, but for the most part, you will find the temperatures to be perfect during these months. You will find beautiful flowers blooming and the landscape filled with greenery during the spring months.

You will be able to easily follow the Jesus Trail by watching for white and orange markers along the way. The trail will pass through various villages where you can buy necessary food and water. People of all ages will find the trail to be manageable, although some areas may take a little more effort. However, it is worth every step along the way. Also, for your convenience, there is public transportation available all throughout the trail.

The Jesus Trail will begin in the childhood home of Jesus, Nazareth. Here, you will pass over Mount Precipice, where you can see a panoramic view of the Jezreel Valley. The Church of the Annunciations is located in downtown Nazareth, which is the largest church in the Middle East and holds mosaic artwork of Jesus and Mary from all over the world.

You can then walk through the Zippori National Park and see many archeological ruins in the city of Galilee from the time of Jesus. In Cana, you will visit the site where Jesus traditionally turned water into wine at a Jewish wedding, his first miracle. There are many churches that you can visit in the area and local restaurants where you can enjoy a hot meal.

From Cana, you will travel through forests and eventually you will be walking along a Roman road, once trodden upon by Roman soldiers. Here, you will visit Kibbutz Lavi, founded in 1949 by British immigrants and the largest manufacturer of furniture for synagogues. Further on, you will encounter the beautiful Sea of Galilee, where you can expect some breath-taking views. At the next stop, you may visit the tomb of Jethro, Moses' father in law. You will then continue to the Arbel Valley, an area filled with ancient olive groves and a ruined Hattin village. From this valley, you will arrive at a quaint area called Moshav Arbel, where visitors will stay in small antiquated cabins.

The sunrise at Arbel Cliff is breathtaking and the descent will introduce you to mysterious caves and ancient cliff dwellings. At Tabgha, the traditional site of the feeding of the 5000, you will enjoy mosaics. Continuing around the northern side of the Sea of Galilee, you will be able to visit the Church of St. Peter. In 1933, this church was built by the Franciscans, and is traditionally where Simon Peter received church authority by Jesus.

The final part of the Jesus Trail will take you to the city of Capernaum. This was Jesus' main home during his ministry in Galilee. At this spot, Jesus healed both the paralytic and the centurion's son, and also cast the money changers out of the temple. There appeared to be a thriving Christian community in this area from the second to the fourth centuries also, however, it was destroyed after the Arab Conquest around 700 CE.

Jesus traditionally gave the Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Beatitudes, at the Mount of Beatitudes. Here you will find a Franciscan church that is ornate with stained glass bearing the eight beatitudes and a beautiful garden surrounding the area. A short distance from here is the Yardenite baptismal site along the Jordan River. It is tagged as the place where Jesus was baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. Many Christians visit this area to be baptized in the Jordan River as well. At the end of your journey, you will be walking along the shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Through the Jesus Trail, you will experience the life of Jesus in a real way, allowing you to connect the stories you know with the actual places in which they happened. You will be able to feel the rich culture and enjoy the beautiful architecture and scenery of the places where Jesus and other great men and women lived their lives so long ago. Regardless of your religious belief, your tour of the Jesus Trail in the Holy Land will leave you fascinated and entranced.

Cool Things to Do After You Move to Cheyenne Wyoming

Thinking of moving to Cheyenne Wyoming? The following is a great list of things to do there. Cheyenne is the capitol of the State of Wyoming and there is always something to see and do while you are in town. You don't need to be restricted to just the city as Cheyenne is located within beautiful and outstanding scenery created by the semi-arid desert. Cheyenne is also unusual in being one of the least centrally located state capitols in the country as it nestles in the southeast corner of Wyoming.

For the tourist in you, you can enjoy the Big Boy Steam Engine with the old locomotive from the time the railroads conquered the West and opened the country up to settlers, prospectors and those with the will to make their fortune on the frontier when this was the Wild West. Old Number 4004 is the largest steam engine in the world and though long retired from service it provides a monumental reminder of a day gone by.

Don't forget you are in real cowboy country here and you can check out the Cheyenne Big Boots sculptures located around the city providing fine examples of local artists blending their skills with the real history and tradition of Cheyenne and Wyoming.

Cheyenne was built as a pioneer town and grew from humble origins as a staging and trading post on the road out West into a commercial hub. Life from that time was hard and very different from modern convenience and luxury we experience today. A very popular attraction is the Cheyenne Frontier Day's rodeo which also works in conjunction with the Cheyenne Frontier Day's Old West Museum & Store where you can see relics and exhibits from the olden golden days of the Wild west and then experience a real rodeo to round off the experience.

Located just out of Cheyenne is the Terry Bison Ranch which provides a practical reminder of how native Indians and the first explorers and settlers made their living and fed themselves. You can have a great day out here with plenty to see and do but expect to be very tired at the end of the day (a great place for you to take the children if you want some peace at bedtime). Get the best of outdoor cooking, real life cowboys and demonstrations, saloon bar and horseback riding like it was in the old days.

No visit to Cheyenne would be complete without a Wild West gunfight so haul over to the Cheyenne Gunslingers who stage reenactments for thousands of visitors every year. The Cheyenne Gunslingers hold their events in the Old Town Square in downtown Cheyenne where the streets ring to the sound of six-guns and rifle fire as the Good Guys battle it out with the Baddies. You can even participate yourself on occasion though you'd better dress the part!

Cheyenne is a historic town and particularly the Old District in the Downtown area has a lot of old buildings that need to be seen using the appropriate mode of transport - the horse drawn carriage. You can find one of many carriages operated by the Horse Drawn Carriage Rides Company operating around the downtown area and the charges are modest but you get to see Cheyenne how it was meant to be seen, from an open carriage and at a pace you can take in everything the city has to offer.