Al Noor Mosque Sharjah KBG-30 Answer

Corona lockdown did not dampen the responses to KBG-30.
Your own online contest Kaun Banega Ghumakkad had more than 300 participants.

Correct Answer
Which was the mosque shown in the contest? It was the Al Noor Mosque in Sharjah UAE situated on the eastern shore of Khalid Lagoon. The mosque is well lit at night with the two minarets rising high. 

Although dwarfed by the skyscrapers on the east, the lagoon provides fantastic reflection of the mosque on the western side. 

There is a larger mosque in Sharjah. But Al Noor because of its waterfront location, is a photographer's delight. 

The above picture was a big clue for those who confused it with the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey. Al Noor mosque in Sharjah may be a look alike. But its waterfront on one side and skyscrapers on the other side, are key differentiators. The Blue Mosque has four minarets against two of Al Noor mosque. Still, a large number of readers gave Blue Mosque of Istanbul as the answer. Many readers also gave Haji Ali of Mumbai as their answer. Except for the waterfront, there is not much similarity. 

Khalid Lagoon
Non-muslim visitors are allowed with cameras although I did not take any pictures inside the mosque. For those visiting UAE, do include a walk around Khalid Lagoon in Sharjah and enjoy the view. It is an easy 7 kms circuit.

See the pictures below including a Grey Heron and plenty of Seagulls around.

Acknowledgement
This edition of KBG would not have been possible without Anand Jain, my buddy of more than 50 years. He lives in an apartment overlooking the Lagoon and the mosque. His pictures of dawn over the lagoon, night lighting of the mosque as well as daylight shots are simply breathtaking. Thanks much Annu bhai.

The Winners
We received more than 30 correct answers. However three fastest responses to KBG-30 came from the following readers all within 20 minutes or so:

1. Shaikh Shoaib, PGDM from UAE, Works with Berkadia, Hyderabad
2. Bushra Firdous, PGDM Marketing, Works with Genpact Hyderabad
3. Parag Sharma, Former fighter pilot, retired as Air Commodore, loves Nature and travelling. This is Parag's third KBG Win!

Our congratulations to all three! Those who also gave correct answer but a bit late, faster response next time!

Dubai
Dubai and other emirates have added many new attractions for tourists.
Click the links below to browse the stories:
What is new in Dubai- Miracle Garden and more
Sharjah the Shining Emirate- water sports
Birds of Dubai- Ras-Al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary

Once again, thank you all for your continued participation in Kaun Banega Ghumakkad contests.
In this hour of Corona lockdown, we will keep it coming!

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Anand Jain/ 23rd March 2020

#travelisfun #iconicbuildings #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #mosquesoftheworld #beatthecorona #lockdown #alnoormosque #sharjah #uae #khalidlagoon

KBG-30 Which Mosque, Where?

From Gurdwara to Mosque.
Ghumakkad travels the world with you.

To beat the prevailing lockdown due to Corona virus, KBG-30, the 30th edition of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad is here. It shows a mosque.
You have to name the mosque and the place.
Do it fast and be a winner of KBG-30!

Couldn't get it? Then see the clue below. It actually gives it away.

Still can't get it? Last clue for you!

Shoot your response fast on any of the channels below:

• Leave a comment on this post
• Send email to hbindia@gmail.com
• Respond on FB
• Comment on Instagram @ghumakkadhb 
• Send a WA message. If you want your WA number to be added to Ghumakkad's list, send an email.

As earlier, first three correct answers will be announced in the next story! All the best.

Hope we helped you in overcoming the lockdown boredom to some extent. Thanks for your participation which keeps KBG alive!

Stay home, stay safe.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/21st March 2020

#travelisfun #iconicbuildings #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #mosquesoftheworld #beatthecorona #lockdown

Demoiselle Cranes Morning Roll Call

Thar desert in Rajasthan India.
A nondescript village with centuries old history.
Birth place of Jain Tirthankars.
Sand stone havelis, intricately carved.
A small fortress, part of which still stands today.
1000-odd families in the village.
But 30,000 migratory birds!

Yes, that is Khichan a village which is home to Demoiselle Cranes which come all the way 4000 kms from Mongolia and China. Year after year.

Ghumakkad went to Khichan village in Feb 2020 to witness the grand spectacle.

Morning Roll Call - what a title for the story on Cranes? What else do you expect from a Fauzi- a Navy veteran? We relate our experiences and observations with the fauzi way of life! Naturally.

Where is Khichan?
It is 380 kms west of Jaipur. It takes 8 hours by road or train from Jaipur. See the maps below.

Demoiselle Cranes
Smallest of the cranes weighing between 2–3 kg, it has a long white neck stripe and the black on the foreneck extends down over the chest in a plume. They roost and migrate in large flocks. The birds also need water and visit a water body every day. Readers may browse eBirds for more details.

Daily Routine
What do the birds do all day? The cranes have a set routine which I could witness and photograph. See the video below.

Their day is divided into four parts as follows, quite similar to Fauzis (military personnel and veterans) like Ghumakkad:

1. Morning Roll Call and Exercise: With dawn, fly out 30 kms in waves to assemble in an open field. Limber down, greet each other and make lot of noise! See the video.
2. Breakfast: Take off from the assembly ground to 'Chugga Ghar' in waves. Feed on jawar grains collectively. Making the squeaky noise all the way. The cranes feed only once a day.
3. Afternoon Siesta and PT: From Chugga Ghar the birds fly out over the Havelis in Khichan village to congregate at one of the two village ponds. The cranes spend 4 to 5 hours at the water body till herd of sheep disturbs them.
4. Roosting for the night: As the shadows lengthen, the cranes fly 30 kms to Malar salt pans. They spend the night there. I did not visit their roosting area to respect their privacy. 

We will bring you three different stories on first three parts of their daily routine. This is the first story.

Gratitude
Spending two days in Khichan observing the cranes was a lifetime experience. Special thanks are due to my college buddy Vijay Gulechha and his son Vaibhav who not only hosted me in their Haveli but also accompanied me throughout the two days. Vijay could not join us due to Corona virus cases in Kerala where he was stuck.

Dawn at Khichan
We had to leave our Haveli- residence of village nobles- before dawn to be able to walk up to the Panchayat- village governing council- ground where the cranes assemble every morning. You can get a feel of haveli-lined village lanes early morning in the video clip below.

Dawn in a village casts an unforgettable image in your mind. See the picture blow.

Bird Hide
To be able to photograph the cranes at ground level without disturbing them, I had to crawl and take position behind a bush. 

Once in place, the birds could not see me. I could pan the camera across the horizon. 

In the video below you can see how the birds adapt to a harmless villager walking past.

Morning Roll Call
The cranes fly out from their night camp in Malar Salt pans in waves. See the pictures and three video clips below which capture wave after wave of Demoiselle Cranes coming in for morning Roll Call at an 80-acre Assembly Ground just outside Khichan Village. The first clip of 40 seconds is titled 'Nature's Delight'.

The second clip (45 seconds) shown another wave coming in to land at the Assembly Ground.

The third clip of 20 seconds shows the Cranes assembling like a 'Darbar' in an Army unit.

Wave after wave of Demoiselle Cranes kept coming in to assemble at the Panchayat Ground, Khichan.

Preening
All birds preen their feathers frequently. Demoiselle Cranes are no different. See the video clip below.

Elegance of Demoiselle Cranes
Demoiselle Cranes are known for their elegance. Whether dancing, walking, feeding or resting, these cranes are pure delight. See the pictures and a short video clip below.

Time for Breakfast
Soon it was time for breakfast for the cranes. We could see them flying away in batches. Perhaps the same waves in which they came in!

As the old proverb goes 'Birds of same feather flock together', don't we humans like to be with people having similar interests?

Live and Let Live
Khichan story is a perfect example of living in harmony with Nature. The villagers have 'adopted' the migratory cranes. The village panchayat has built two water bodies for the birds. The influx of tourists has helped the village economy. But we hope the ecological balance is maintained and tourists don't bring with them plastic and other toxic waste. 

You may read a story in Conservation India how the cranes were saved from dying through electrocution in Khichan.

When to Visit
For those who want to visit Khichan for watching the Cranes, you have to time it between end-Nov to early-Feb. We were lucky that all the cranes were still there. In fact on the 2nd day of our stay, first flock had started to return to Mongolia!

Where to Stay
A resort has come up next to the Panchayat Ground. It has 30 well appointed rooms and deluxe tents. It also arranges visits to nearby places. You may browse Kurja Resort site for details.

Saurashtra
Demoiselle Cranes visit many other sites in India during their winter sojourn. Ghumakkad first saw these cranes in a creek near Porbandar while driving through the Saurashtra Coast. Am sharing few pictures of the cranes in Saurashtra taken in 2013. 

Coming up
Our next story on Khichan will highlight the Chugga Ghar- feeding home for the cranes.

We end with a PQ- picturesque quote on learning a life lesson from birds.

Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 16th March 2020

#DemoiselleCranes #Khichan #Rajasthan #MigratoryBirds #Phalodi #Environment #Adoptionbythevillagers #Nature #Preservation #liveandletlive #GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB #saurashtra #porbandar #conservationindia

KBG-29 San Jose Gurdwara California

KBG-29 Kaun Banega Ghumakkad was a sell out! Because in US and other time zones, readers could access it during non-office hours. And the building in question came from their neighbourhood. More than 300 readers participated online within a day!

Simple to guess, the building shown in KBG-29 is the imposing Sikh Gurdwara in San Jose, California. 

Located atop a hill on 40-acre plot, it took more than 10 years to complete. Last phase was completed in 2011 at a total cost of US $ 32 Mn. It came from loans and donations from the community in USA. 

It is the largest Gurdwara in USA. It harnesses solar power and has a state of the art kitchen for preparing the langar for devotees and other visitors.

We visited the Gurdwara few years back. The pictures below narrate the story of our visit courtesy our hosts Lalita and Ananth Aisolas who live in San Jose. Special thanks to both of them.

There were many who gave the correct answers to both the questions. We congratulate the following three readers who were the fastest:

1. Narendra Soni, MSc Zoology, Superintendent Customs, keen traveller
2. Anita Gambhir Arora, IT Professional, Management Consultant USA, loves history, hiking and travelling 
3. Amandeep Kaur, PGDM Finance, works with Ryan LLC, likes to travel.

Thanks for browsing.

KBG-30 is coming soon!

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 12th March 2020

#gurdwara #sanjose #california #usa #natgeo #onlinecontest #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #travelisfun #largestgurdwarainusa #solarpower #langar #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

KBG-29 Which Building Where?

KBG Kaun Banega Ghumakkad continues with questions on travel. KBG-28 had very enthusiastic response with more than 350 participants. 

KBG-29 is here.
Identify the building and the place.
Answers to both the questions are required. Got it?
See the picture below.

Easy to identify? If yes, shoot your answer now.
If not, then browse the clues below.
Clue #1:

Still didn't get it? Here is the last clue!
Clue#2:

Remember first three correct answers with names get featured in the next story. You can use any channel for your response.

• Comment in this blog. Mention your name please.
• WA message
• Instagram
• Email hbindia@gmail.com

Thanks for your participation.

    -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/11th March 2020

#travelisfun #iconicbuildings #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh

#KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation