Travelogue - Banasura Sagar Dam, Wayanad

Another tourist attraction of Kalpetta is Banasura Sagar dam. It is the largest earth dam in India and the second largest of its kind in Asia. The dam is made up of massive stacks of stones and boulders.

Legend and ambience
Situated about 15 km from Kalpetta, the dam holds a large expanse of water and its picturesque beauty is enhanced by the chain of mountains seen on the backdrop.  It is constructed in the Banasura Lake and the nearby mountains are known as Banasura Hills. Legends say that the Asura king of Banasura, (the son of King Mahabali, who is believed to visit Kerala during every Onam festival) undertook a severe penance on the top of these hills and thus it was named after him.  The scenic mountains beckon adventure tourists and the dam site is an ideal starting point for trekking.

During monsoon, visitors may also be able to see small islands in the dam’s reservoir. They are formed while the flooded reservoir submerges the surrounding areas too.  The vast expanse of the crystal clear water of the dam dotted with small islands is a photographer’s delight.

History
Banasura Sagar Dam consisting of a dam and a canal began operating as part of the Indian Banasura Sagar Project.  It aims at supporting the Kakkayam Hydro electric power project and also contributes to the irrigation and drinking water requirements of the people during summer, if there is water shortage. 

 

 

 

 

Rare sighting of International Space Station over Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, INDIA on Jan 7th 2014

Most of the readers are familiar with the International Space Station or "ISS" as it’s often referred to. But just in case you are hearing it for the first time, the ISS is a huge space station orbiting Earth that serves as an orbital laboratory, factory, testing ground and home; crew members conduct experiments from biology to astronomy, including experiments for prolonged exposure to life in space for future missions to the Moon and beyond.

One of the best things about the ISS is that you can see it with your own eyes from Earth! It’s very easy to watch the International Space Station pass over your own backyard!

As you can see the people from South India had a rare chance of seeing the International Space Station in the sky. The photo was captured during early morning precisely 5:52AM from Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram on 7th Jan 2014. You can see the ISS as a light streak in the image.

The ISS looks like an incredibly bright, fast-moving star and can be mistaken for an aircraft. However, the ISS has no flashing lights and it can be much brighter. It seemingly just glides across the sky. Short passes can last a few seconds to a few minutes and you can see the international space station slowly move into the Earth’s shadow, good bright passes will show the ISS moving across the sky from horizon to horizon.

Seeing the ISS is an incredible sight! Just remember there are people on board that fast moving point of light!

For Hi-Res : http://www.flickr.com/photos/aravind_n_c