Kalasha: Happiest people in Pakistan? Sexually liberated women, colorful clothes and lots of festivals -- happiness comes easy to this animist tribe living in Chitral

The Kalasha are an animist tribe living near the Pakistan-Afghan border. Said to be descended from Alexander the Great's armies, they have been given government protection.




Festivals are a significant part of Kalasha life, where girls gather in groups to clasp each other to dance, stomp and shuffle.



A woman bends over a sewing machine to tend to one of the colorful dresses worn by the Kalasha.



Kalasha men wear the Pakistani garb of shalwar khameez.




Managing livestock is the main occupation of the Kalasha men.



Despite being called "unbelievers" by some local Muslims, the Kalasha are generally left to themselves these days.



The three-day Joshi Spring Festival is one of the key events of the year.



Kalasha homes are built on top of each other, and roofs serve as both creative hub and play area.




Milling maize to make flatbread to be eaten with vegetable and goat curry, honey and tangy goat’s cheese, or tea, for a Kalasha style Continental breakfast.




With a warm, caring, crime-free culture, could these be the happiest people in Pakistan?

Rs 90,000 cr in Padmanabhaswamy temple. What next?

As the treasure chests open in Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple, debate sparks on how to safeguard the treasure considering its immense historical and cultural values

Even as priceless treasures found from cellars of Sree Padmanabhaswamy temple in Kerala is estimated to be around Rs 90,000 crore, the discovery has sparked a debate on how to protect and preserve the royal legacy which has surpassed everyone's imagination.

Opening of the long-locked chambers, on Supreme Court orders, which began on June 27 has so far revealed a large number of gold ornaments, gold and silver coins, stone studded crowns, idols and figurines inlaid with precious stones and jewels.

The exercise to assess the value of the articles, undertaken by a seven-member panel of observers, including two former high court judges, continues on Monday after a day's breather on Sunday.

Emergence of the temple as one of the richest Hindu shrines in the world has also thrown up security concerns with police as an interim step deploying two platoons of armed personnel.

According to the temple sources, the treasure trove has been so far estimated at around Rs 90,000 crore.

The question nagging historians, academics and enthusiasts of temple culture, however, is how to safeguard the treasure considering its immense historical and cultural values.

Many of them say the treasure symbolised the honesty and simplicity of erstwhile Travancore kings, who did not take away a single item from the pile whose existence they were aware of.

While similar treasures possessed by many other princely states in pre-colonial India were plundered by attackers, or wasted on luxuries by members of the royal houses themselves, the Travancore kings have zealously guarded them as reserves of the state, they said.

Narayanan, former Indian History Congress President said utmost care and thought should be given to protect the treasures.

"The state or Central government cannot take over these assets as they are part of the temple coffers according to the system followed by the Travancore kings," he said.

"We have the examples of many temples before us which have been taken over by the government and later plunged into mismanagement and irregularities. It should not happen to this shrine also," he said.

"In my view, a temple museum can be set up and some selected articles, recovered from the cellars, can be catalogued and exhibited. Other articles should be kept in a safer place." 

Historian and writer M G Sasibhushan opined that the rare treasures, kept for centuries in the secret chambers of the shrine, should be preserved for future generations. 

Coins from other princely states like Vijayanagar empire and European countries have also been found which might be part of the gifts received by the rulers of the time.

The coins also reflect on the revenue received by the royal state through its maritime spice trade. 

While all major temples of the area were handed over to the Travancore Devaswom Board after merger of the princely state with the Indian Union after 1947, control of the Padmanabhaswamy temple was retained by the royal house through a covenant with the government.

Though the last royal ruler Sree Chithira Tirunal Balarama Varma left the entire treasure untouched he was made 'Rajapramukh' (status equivalent to Governor) after the merger.

Meanwhile, outfits like VHP and community organizations like Nair Service Society and Sree Naryanad Dharma Paripalana Yogam have warned against any attempt on the part of the state to take over the treasure and wanted them to be declared as the temple asset. 

AMAZING Swaminarayan temples from around the world

The Swaminarayan faith is one of many Hindu denominations, with a presence in India and throughout the world.

Followers are known for their discipline, dedication, spirit of volunteerism and commitment to a productive life.

Swaminarayan temples are a major draw for devotees and alike. They are known for their grandeur and architecture,

A recent addition to the list of temples around the world is the Swaminarayan Temple in Hollywood, US at a colossal cost of $100 million (Rs 543.5 crore) and designed to last 1,000 years.

Popularly known as the 'Neasden Temple' -- the Swaminarayan Mandir in Neasden, north London, is a masterpiece of Indian stonework and craftsmanship, replete with its towering white pinnacles, smooth domes and intricate marble pillars, all based on ancient Vedic principles of art and architecture

The BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir Complex in Bartlett, Chicago. This masterpiece of ancient design and workmanship was put up in only 16 months.

The Swaminarayan Mandir in Houston is the first traditional Hindu Mandir of its kind in North America. It is a masterpiece of intricate design and workmanship, replete with its 5 towering white pinnacles, 12 smooth domes and glittering 136 marble pillars.

The Swaminarayan Mandir in Atlanta, US was inaugurated in August 2007 after only 17 months of construction time. The Mandir is comprised of 3 types of stone (Turkish Limestone, Italian marble, and Indian pink sandstone). More than 34,000 individual pieces were carved by hand in India, shipped to US and assembled in Lilburn like a giant 3-D puzzle

The Swaminarayan Mandir complex in Toronto, Canada is a masterpiece of intricate design and workmanship of ancient Indian arts, traditions and philosophy. The temple was constructed in a record 18 months.

The Swaminarayan Mandir in Nairobi is the first traditional Hindu temple of its kind to be constructed, carved and created according to the ancient Hindu Shilpashastras on the African continent. 

350 tons of yellow Jesalmer sandstone from Jesalmer, Rajasthan, was mined and transported to Pindwada, a village 400 km from Jesalmer. There the stones were hand carved to various designs by 150 skilled sculptors over a period of two years. The carved pieces were then shipped from India to Mombasa and assembled in Nairobi like a giant jigsaw puzzle.

The Swaminarayan Temple in Mombasa

The East African Satsang Swaminarayan Temple in Nairobi

The Swaminarayan Mandir in Melbourne

The Swaminarayan Temple in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

The Swaminarayan Temple in Cardiff, United Kingdom

The Swaminarayan Temple in Karachi, Pakistan

The Swaminarayan Temple in Kampala, Uganda

The MAGIC of Kumbh Mela down the years

The once-12-years in Maha Kumbh Mela that began in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Monday, is expecting a massive gathering of more than 100 million devotees, god-men and tourists during the 55-day mega festival.

The mega festival, where devotees from across the world gather to take a holy dip to attain salvation at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and mystical Saraswati rivers, is billed as the biggest human gathering in the world.

The first written evidence of the Kumbha Mela can be found in the accounts of Chinese traveler, Huan Tsang who visited India in 629 -645 CE, during the reign of King Harshavardhana.

However, similar observances date back many centuries, where the river festivals first started getting organised. According to Hindu theology, its origin is found in one of the most popular medieval puranas, the Bhagavata Purana.

In this photograph, Naga Sadhus run in to the Ganga to get a holy dip during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A Hindu devotee prays in the Ganga, after taking a holy dip during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

Thousands of devotees wait for their turn to bathe in the holy waters of Ganga during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

Thousands walk across pontoon bridges over the holy Ganga in Allahabad during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela.

Devotees bathe in the holy Ganga during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A sadhu blows his conch shell as the 2003 Kumbh Mela is declared open on the banks of the Godavari river in Nasik.

A Naga Sadhu reacts to the camera after taking a dip in the Sangam, the confluence of three rivers, Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati, during te 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

Naga Sadhus wait on the banks of Ganga during the 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A Sadhu, whose followers say he has not moved his arm and cut his fingernails for 32 years, sits in a camp near the banks of Ganga, during the 2010 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar.

A Hindu devotee ties his turban after taking a holy bath during the 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A Sadhu takes pictures at the 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A Hindu devotee offers prayers at the start of 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela at Sangam in Allahabad.

A Naga Sadhu prays while taking a holy dip in the waters of Shipra river during the 2004 Simhasta Kumbh Mela in Ujjain.

Hindu holymen await an auspicious moment before bathing at 2003 Kumbh Mela at Trimbakeshwar in Nasik district of Maharashtra.

A Sadhu holds a mirror with a picture of a Bollywood actress during 2007 Ardh Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A boy watches the first 'Shahi Snan' (grand bath) at a sacred pond at the 2003 Kumbh Mela in Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik.

Naga Sanyasis take a dip during the first 'Snahi Snan' at a sacred pond during the 2003 Kumbh Mela in Trimbakeshwar, near Nasik.

A Hindu holyman dries his robe after taking a dip in the river Godavari at the 2003 Kumbh Mela in Nasik.

A Hindu devotee holds his son while taking a holy dip in the Ganga during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

A Naga Sadhu rides on a horse as he marches for a royal bath during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.

Pilgrims on the banks of Ganga take a dip during the 2001 Maha Kumbh Mela in Allahabad.