STONE OF THE MONTH ZIRCON Derived from the Arabic words zar and gun, meaning gold and color, zircon is found in a wide range of colors such as: blue, yellow, orange, brown, green, colorless, and red (the most prized color). For many years colorless zircon was used to imitate diamonds. Folk wisdom grants zircon the power to relieve pain, whet the appetite, protect travelers from disease and injury, to ensure a warm welcome, and to prevent nightmares guaranteeing a deep, tranquil sleep. Major sources of zircon are the Chanthaburi area of Thailand, the Palin area of Cambodia, and the southern part of Vietnam. FESTIVAL OF THE MONTH BALLOON FESTIVAL The Balloon Fiesta or colorful Hot Air Balloon Festival take place in Malaysia. Hot air Balloon Festival is the best way to enjoy the nature, lush green grounds, colorful scenery through the bird eye. Malaysia has become one of the major Adventure Tourism destination by offering these extreme Adventures sports including bungee jumping, flying fox and other mountaineering sports. stone of the month citrine Citrine is a variety of quartz whose color ranges from a pale yellow to brown. Natural citrines are rare; most commercial citrines are heat-treated amethysts or smoky quartzes. It is nearly impossible to tell cut citrine from yellow topaz visually, but they differ in hardness. Citrine has ferric impurities, and is rarely found naturally. Brazil is the leading producer of citrine, with much of its production coming from the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The name is derived from Latin citrina which means "yellow" and is also the origin of the word "citron." Sometimes citrine and amethyst can be found together in the same crystal, which is then referred to as ametrine.[9] Citrine is one of three traditional birthstones for the month of November. -ansah, arwa festival of the month Pushkar Camel Mela (Pushkar Camel Fair) Location: Pushkar, Rajasthan, India Dates: The festival concludes on the full moon of the Hindu lunar month of Kartika, which falls in October or November Level of participation: 3 – wander the camel grounds, ride the Ferris wheels and pit your moustache against Rajasthan’s best Rajasthan’s most famous festival is less and less about the eponymous camels and more about a rollickin’ good time, though the dunes outside of Pushkar are still a sight (and a smell) to behold when the cameleers come to town. Drawing in 50,000 camels and 200,000 people, the fair is ostensibly a time when Rajasthani farmers gather to buy and sell their camels, cattle and horses – most of the trading, however, is completed in the days leading up to the fair. When the festival proper begins, the camels go to the outer as moustache competitions and sporting events take centre stage. For the camels it’s a time of lounging about the dunes, riding visitors through the grounds and participating in races and dance (yes, dance) competitions. -ashwarya, avani horse dance in fair |