Himalayas: photos,images, pictures

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Why does the tropical Ficus benghalensis grows in the mountains?

Pokhara is the famous "Capital of hippies" in Nepal, Himalayas. Pokhara is located at an altitude of 827 m in a valley surrounded by high mountains. There is a beautiful view of the Himalayan peaks from the city. Himalayas protect the city from the north winds. Therefore, the climate in Pokhara is quite warm and a lot of tropical plants grows in the town. One of them is this huge banyan (Ficus benghalensis). The photo clearly shows aerial roots growing down to the ground to become new tree trunks. There are some new trunks in the background. They are actually part of the same large tree in the foreground.

Himalayas, Nepal, Pokhara. Banyan has many trunks
Ficus benghalensis has many trunks. They are part of the same large tree!

Generally, banyans grow not only in the Indian subcontinent. I myself photographed banyans on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf (Iran). It seems, the Iranian banyans are Persian relatives of  the classic Bengali ficus. They produce aerial roots that grow down to the ground  to become new trunks. Gradually one tree becomes a whole grove. The Persians call this plant banyan tree.


Cleopatra
Cleopatra.
Photos, biography

 

Himalayas: photos, images, pictures, maps, location

Himalayan aerial tramway (or ferry?). The Trisuli river. Pictures of Himalaya

Nepal, the Trizuli river (the Himalaya foothills). It is the real Himalayan Aerial tramway.

Holidays in the mountains. Dal Lake in Srinagar, India. Houseboats and shikaras


N.K. Roerich. RINCHENPONG, 'Sikkim'. 1924

Indian Himalayas. Sikkim. Climate, culture, Roerich

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Burma (Myanmar). Shwe Dagon Pagoda

Burma (Myanmar). Shwe Dagon Pagoda. The 99 metres (325 ft) tall stupa in Rangoon


Cleopatra, The Last Pharaoh

Egypt. Cleopatra,
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Was she really beauty?