tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80109196164593757182024-03-02T01:47:52.437+05:30Travelogue of An Armchair TravellerA travelogue about the lesser known but beautiful, wonderful, huge, unique and sometimes bizarre places around the World.CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.comBlogger721125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-27478387147122597842023-10-25T22:27:00.004+05:302023-10-25T22:27:43.834+05:30Red Taj Mahal, AgraMillions (about 8 million) of the tourists
who annually visit Agra to see the famous Taj Mahal are unaware of the existence
of a much smaller, red-coloured replica of the Taj in Agra itself. The Red Taj
Mahal, located inside the Roman Catholic Cemetery of Agra, is the tomb of a
Dutchman, John Hessing.
Hessing was a Dutch traveller turned army officer who served
the Scindia Marathas in Agra CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-63191868166403772172023-06-22T17:43:00.001+05:302023-06-22T17:47:35.292+05:30Unsolved Mystery of Crooked TreesIn the village of Nowe Czarnowo, near the town of Gryfino, in
Poland, there is a grove of 400 oddly shaped pine trees in the midst of a forest
of straight pines. These crooked pines are bent sharply towards the north, about
a metre above the ground, and thereafter, the trees return to their upright
position, creating a J shape or hook shape with a width of about 1 to 3 metres
(approx. 3 to 9CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-32809635147793981452023-06-04T11:04:00.000+05:302023-06-04T11:04:07.486+05:30World's Largest Rice ScoopThe world's largest rice scoop is located in the town of Miyajima (Itsukushima) Island,
Japan. This impressive wooden scoop, crafted from a 270-year-old Zelkova
(Japanese elm) tree, measures 7.7 metres (25 feet) in length, 2.7 metres (9
feet) in width, and weighs a staggering 2.5 tonnes (2.46 Imperial tons). It took
approximately three years to carve this gigantic piece.
Rice holds a CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-89154595304150600412023-05-31T21:04:00.000+05:302023-05-31T21:04:17.817+05:30World’s Largest PaddleThe world’s largest paddle is in Parson, near the town of Golden,
British Columbia, Canada. The huge wooden paddle, the brainchild of retired
sailor Mark Teasdale, was crafted from a trunk of Western Red Cedar wood. It has
a length of 18.57 metres (60.9 ft.), a height of 2.8 metres (9.2 ft.), and
weighs 2404 kg (5300 lbs.). Paddle's blade is made of laminated veneer lumber,
and the whole CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-67604408012088983792023-05-30T23:08:00.004+05:302023-05-30T23:17:17.070+05:30World's Largest DrumsticksDavid Grohl Alley, located in Warren, Ohio, USA, proudly
houses the world's largest drumsticks. These gigantic drumsticks installed as a
tribute to the famous Warren-born musician, David Grohl, who is renowned as the
founder of the rock band Foo Fighters.Initially unveiled on July 7, 2012,
during a concert at the Warren Amphitheatre, the record-breaking drumsticks were subsequently CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-84173042397665319052023-05-29T15:30:00.004+05:302023-05-29T15:30:55.506+05:30Amazing Floating Islands of Loktak Lake, Manipur, IndiaLoktak Lake, in Manipur, India, with a surface area ranging from 250 square
kilometres in the dry season to 500 square kilometres after the rainy season (an
average area of about 287 square kilometres), is South Asia's largest freshwater
lake.
A distinctive feature of Loktak Lake is that it is dotted
with thousands of small floating islands, which in reality are not land masses
but rather CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-86558636916979619562023-05-27T22:53:00.002+05:302023-05-27T22:56:33.475+05:30Unique Boundary Wall AquariumA businessman in Çeşme, İzmir, Turkey, has built a unique
50-metre-long aquarium to function as the boundary wall of his house. It is probably
the largest private aquarium and the only one of its kind in the world.
The aquarium is made of special pressure-resistant 5 cm-thick
glass and has a depth of 110 cm and a width of 60 cm. It holds about 16,000 to
20,000 litres of water and contains CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-89380149002038856862023-05-24T17:36:00.005+05:302023-05-24T19:13:33.479+05:30World's Most Isolated Lighthouse: Thridrangar LighthouseThridrangar Lighthouse, perched atop a small, high rocky spur
in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 17 kilometres from the coast of the Westman
Islands in southwest Iceland, is the world's most isolated lighthouse. There are
two more smaller rocky outcrops nearby, hence its Icelandic name, Þrídrangar (English transliteration: Thridarangar), meaning "three rock
pillars".
Standing tall at a heightCuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-52748247002831735632023-05-21T15:38:00.000+05:302023-05-21T15:38:14.040+05:30Giant Blooming Poppy FlowersThe Valero Square, Jaffa Street, in the centre of Jerusalem features four
(4) enormous parasols shaped like giant poppy flowers, serving as shelter for
passersby from the sun and rain. What sets these flowers apart is their unique
design to automatically inflate and deflate whenever someone is in close
proximity. However, if individuals remain near or under these flowers, they will
stay openCuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-73023563736103840272023-05-09T20:40:00.005+05:302023-05-21T15:35:22.329+05:304-Way Bridges Around The WorldThree-way bridges, also known as Tri-bridges, Tridges,
T-bridges, or Y-bridges, are uncommon structures that have three separate spans
meeting at a point over water. (Tri-Bridges
Around the World).
Four-way bridges having four distinct spans that intersect at
a junction over water, creating a cross-shaped or plus-shaped bridge, are even
rarer.
This post showcases the existing four-way CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-37800204473127642772023-05-07T22:54:00.013+05:302023-05-09T21:07:28.488+05:30Tri-Bridges Around The World - Collection [Updated]
Note: This is a major revision and update to my
earlier post. Besides adding
15 new tri-bridges, the pictures missing in the earlier post have been replaced
with fresh pictures, and the dead links have been removed or corrected. One
proposed bridge, whose construction has been pending since 2002, has been
deleted.
Tri-Bridges are 3-way bridges on which traffic crosses two
water streams orCuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-74104936091199145372023-04-27T20:01:00.003+05:302023-04-27T20:01:58.874+05:30World's Largest Pendulum ClockThe Harmony Clock Tower in Zhanggong district, Ganzhou, China, has
the world's largest pendulum-regulated clock.
The clock's four stainless steel dials have a diameter of
12.8 metres (41 feet, 11.94 inches), which is nearly double the size of those on
the Elizabeth Tower (popularly known as Big Ben). Its lightweight carbon fibre
hands weigh between 65 and 70 kg. The clock is controlled by a CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-71258013535724665832023-04-03T22:20:00.002+05:302023-04-03T22:20:44.878+05:30Colourful DomesMajara Residence, a seaside tourist
accommodation complex on the island of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf, Iran,
comprises 200 colourful and distinctive domes. The domes, varying in size and
shape, are interconnected and contain lodgings and other public facilities. The
complex comprises of 6,300 square metres (about 68,00 Sq, ft.) of open space and
4,000 square metres (about 43,000 Sq. ft.) of CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-68218719350783859262023-03-22T09:56:00.005+05:302023-03-25T11:28:40.425+05:30Sleeping Under the Northern Lights in Glass Igloo The Northern Lights, also known as the Aurora
Borealis, are a natural light display that occurs in the polar regions. They are
caused by charged particles from the sun colliding with particles in the Earth's
atmosphere. When these particles collide, they create energy that is released as
light, creating a spectacular display of colours in the sky. The colours can
range from green, pink, CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-41409577849959228812023-03-15T16:16:00.001+05:302023-03-15T16:35:44.542+05:30Purrfectly Adorable: A Cat-Shaped CrècheA children's daycare centre in Wolfartsweier, Karlsruhe, Germany, is designed to
resemble a large white cat sitting in a Sphinx-like pose. It even has large
whiskers. Aptly named "Die Katze" (The Cat), it was designed by architect Ayla
Yöndel based on an idea and concept by Tomi Ungerer. Built in 2002, its unique
design sparks the imagination of children who come to the daycare. Upon enteringCuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-47598862472841450902023-03-10T23:07:00.003+05:302023-03-10T23:25:03.933+05:30Seahenge - A Remarkable Prehistoric Wooden CircleIn 1998, a remarkable archaeological find was made on the
beach at Holme-next-the-Sea, a small village in North Norfolk, England. As the
salt marsh eroded and the sands shifted, the remains of a timber circle were
revealed. This unique structure consisted of 55 closely-fitted oak posts,
arranged in a circle with a 6.6-meter (21 ft.) diameter and a large upturned
tree stump at the centre. CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-33653675222248949392023-03-05T20:10:00.008+05:302023-03-05T21:20:49.881+05:30The Submerged Rosary Church, Settihalli, Hassan, IndiaThe Rosary Church, located in the small village of Settihalli
in Hassan district, Karnataka, was built in the early 1860s by French
missionaries. It was a beautiful example of colonial-era architecture and a
remarkable fusion of European and Indian architectural styles.
Unfortunately, the church was deconsecrated and abandoned in 1960 due to the
construction of the Hemavati Reservoir, which CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-78202553450716138592023-02-24T23:02:00.008+05:302023-02-25T11:06:44.202+05:30Tree With Largest Canopy Area in the WorldAs per
Guinness World Records, the Indian Banyan (Ficus benghalensis) tree
known as Thimmamma Marrimanu in Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, India, is the largest
tree in the world in terms of area covered by its canopy. The spread of the tree is roughly elliptical in shape, and its horizontal east-west spread is about 145 metre (476 ft.), and its north-south spread is about 190 metres (623 ft.)CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-37070468314991984832023-02-22T16:37:00.003+05:302023-02-22T16:37:55.891+05:30World's Tallest Chimney With Spiral StaircaseThe chimney of the BĂłbila Almirall in Terrassa, Spain, with
a helical iron staircase on the outer surface, is the tallest chimney in the
world with such a design. The 20 metre (65.6 ft.) tall chimney, designed by
Antoni de Moragas, was built in 1956 by master builder Marià Masana Ribas, and
is used for the heating and ventilation system to disperse smoke and other
byproducts of combustion CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-86180191699581118112023-02-19T20:06:00.006+05:302023-02-22T16:44:45.302+05:30Giant Hands Around The World (57 New Additions)Another major addition to my collection of "Giant
Hands Around The World".
57 new locations are being added in this update. With this update, the collection now has more than 500 hands.
(Some locations have more than one hand).
The newly found hands are listed below;
Giant Hand, Rezang-La War Memorial, Rewari, Haryana, India.
Friendship Hands, Indo-Pakistan Border, Wagah, Punjab, India.
Save CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-7879883552097084342022-11-24T16:45:00.004+05:302022-11-24T16:45:46.306+05:30Cottage On A ChimneyVilla Cheminée - an unusual cottage atop a 16 metre (about
52.5 ft.) tall chimney, which is a replica of the larger chimney of a nearby
thermal power plant in Cordemais, France. The chimney and the cottage were
designed by Japanese designer Tatzu Nishi as a part of the "Estuaire: Landscape,
Art And The River" project, a collection of open-air works that offer a
spectacular view of the CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-43119797287751868272022-07-10T16:00:00.013+05:302022-07-16T09:26:31.809+05:30Equatorial Monuments Around the WorldThis is a major update of my earlier post on the subject.
I am making this new post as it was not very convenient to edit the earlier one.
Major changes made are;
Eight (8) Seven (7) new locations have been added.
Due to the discontinuation of
Panoramio, several images in
the earlier post, which were mostly obtained from the defunct Panoramio, have now
been replaced with similar CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-78994258013311234272022-07-02T20:08:00.001+05:302022-07-02T20:08:22.103+05:30Mysterious Roman DodecahedronIn 1739, a strange object, which looked like a dodecahedron, was unearthed in
a field at Aston, Hertfordshire, England. For the uninitiated, a dodecahedron is
a solid having twelve (12) equally sized pentagonal faces.
Though the object found in the field had the shape of a regular dodecahedron,
it was hollow, and each of its 12 pentagonal faces had circular cut-outs of
varying sizes and CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-64750161900903537362022-06-28T22:49:00.001+05:302022-06-28T22:49:07.157+05:30A Small House on The RockA small house perched on a small rock in the
Drina river, near the town of Bajina Bašta in Serbia.
The rock was used by local swimmers as a resting spot while
swimming across the river or during the to-and-fro swim to the other bank of
river.
The rock used to get extremely hot in summers and couldn't be used by the
swimmers. In order to make the rock more habitable in summers, two local
CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8010919616459375718.post-87938932506330249982022-06-26T19:27:00.005+05:302022-06-26T19:58:43.876+05:30Giraffe Through The Roof
An unusual sight in Paris - a gigantic yellow giraffe poking its head from the roof of a building which is aptly named 'Giraffe Childcare Centre'. The torso of the giraffe passes through a cantilevered top level and its legs, long neck,
head and part of its belly are visible from the road. The legs are positioned in such a way that the visitors to the building have to pass through the legs.
CuriousJMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07388678733234451057noreply@blogger.com0