Christmas from Northern Ireland

Thank you Neil for always sending a Beary happy Christmas card :)

Sent: 5 December 2015   Received: 29 December 2015   Travelled: 24 days

Pushkar Fair

The Pushkar Fair (or locally Pushkar ka Mela is an annual five-day camel and livestock fair held in the town of Pushkar in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is one of the world's largest camel fairs. Apart from the buying and selling of livestock, it has become an important tourist attraction. Competitions such as the "matka phod", "longest moustache", and "bridal competition" are the main draws for this fair which attracts thousands of tourists. In recent years the fair has also included an exhibition cricket match between the local Pushkar club and a team of random foreign tourists. The Imperial Gazetteer of India mentions an attendance of 100,000 pilgrims in early 1900s.

Thousands of people go to the banks of the Pushkar Lake where the fair takes place. Men buy and sell their livestock, which includes camels, cows, sheep and goats. The women go to the stalls, full of bracelets, clothes, textiles and fabrics. A camel race starts off the festival, with music, songs and exhibitions to follow. Between these events, the most waited for is the test of how the camel is able to bring the items. In order to demonstrate, the men go up on the group of camels one after another.

It is celebrated for five days from the Kartik ekadashi to Kartik Poornima, the full moon day (the 15th) of Kartik (October–November) in Hindu calendar. The full moon day is the main day and the day, according to legend, when the Hindu god Brahma sprung up the Pushkar Lake, thus numerous people swim in its sacred waters.
Source: Wikipedia

Wow amazing colourful card from Neil. 

Another lovely decorated camel :D 

Sent: 23 Oct   Received: 4 November 2015   Travelled: 12 days

Sunset camel riders

Beautiful sunset card of camels in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Thank you Neil for this lovely card and horse stamps!
Sent: 20 April 2015   Received: 6 May 2015   Travelled: 16 days

Nicobar Megapode

The Nicobar megapode or Nicobar scrubfowl (Megapodius nicobariensis) is a megapode found in some of the Nicobar Islands (India). Like other megapodes relatives, it builds a large mound nest with soil and vegetation, with the eggs hatched by the heat produced by decomposition. Newly hatched chicks climb out of the loose soil of the mound and being fully feathered are capable of flight. The Nicobar Islands are on the edge of the distribution of megapodes, well separated from the nearest ranges of other megapode species. Being restricted to small islands and threatened by hunting, the species is vulnerable to extinction. The 2004 tsunami is believed to have wiped out populations on some islands and reduced populations on several others.

Thank you Neil for this card of a very rare bird from Nicobar.

Sent: 13 November 2014   Received: 9 December 2014   Travelled: 26 days

Swayambhu temple, Kathmandu

 

Swayambhunath is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley, west of Kathmandu city. It is also known as the Monkey Temple as there are holy monkeys living in the north-west parts of the temple. The Tibetan name for the site means 'Sublime Trees' (Wylie:Phags.pa Shing.kun), for the many varieties of trees found on the hill. However, Shing.kun may be a corruption of the local Newari name for the complex, Singgu, meaning 'self-sprung'.For the Buddhist Newars in whose mythological history and origin myth as well as day-to-day religious practice, Swayambhunath occupies a central position, it is probably the most sacred among Buddhist pilgrimage sites. For Tibetans and followers of Tibetan Buddhism, it is second only to Boudhanath.

Thanks to Neil for this astounding temple card of Nepal and the cool

Scorpio stamp! (I'm a scorpion :D)

Sent: 7 March 2014   Received: 14 March 2014,   Travelled: 7 days

Indian man

Thank you Neil for this beautiful postcard from Rajasthan!

It's one of the only places I know about mainly for the beautiful vivid colours and the timelessness of the people living in the desert.

Sent: 6 January 2014

Received: 16 January 2014

Travelled: 10 days

Decorated camel

Hey Neil! Thanks for the decorated camel, now I just have to hope for a decorated elephant to pop into my mailbox ;)

Sent: 3 May 2013



Mumbai, India

Rajabai Tower was built in the 19th century in Gothic style on the university campus. The 70 metres high clock tower commands a fine view of the city and also houses the university library.

 

Thank you Neil for this postcard of a clock tower! I'm starting to collect Clocktower postcards and this fits right into my new collection! ^_^

Sent:9 May 2013
Received: May 2013 (was away)