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Sunday, October 2, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
At 50, Obama Still 20 Years Older Than World’s Youngest Leader
U.S. President Barack Obama will turn 50 years old on Thursday. Although he entered The White House at the relatively young age of 47, he is nonetheless a geriatric compared to the youngest leader on earth.
Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/191828/20110803/world-s-youngest-leader-bhutan-wangchuck-obama.htm
Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, aged 31, is the king of Bhutan, a tiny kingdom in the Himalayas.He was born February 21, 1980 (when Obama was already in college).
Wangchuck ascended the throne on Dec. 14, 2006, when his father, Jigme Singye Wangchuck, abdicated. However, the current king’s coronation was not held until Nov. 1, 2008, when he was 28 years old.
Wangchuck has a strong Western pedigree, having studied at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., Cushing Academy and Wheaton College in Massachusetts. He subsequently graduated from Magdalen College, University of Oxford, in England.
He continued the democratic reforms of his father and has pushed for higher standards in education, civil service and business.
Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/191828/20110803/world-s-youngest-leader-bhutan-wangchuck-obama.htm
Monday, July 11, 2011
Beware: Online fraudsters at work
Beware: Online fraudsters at work
This instance of phishing may have netted some but no money has been lost yet Online Banking Service 11 July, 2011 - Customers of the country’s two oldest banks, Bank of Bhutan (BoB) and Bhutan National Bank (BNB), have recently been targeted by online fraudsters working from Nigeria and, possibly, even within Bhutan.
The online fraudsters target customers using the two banks’ internet banking services. They do this by sending emails to lure customers to a fake website, resembling the bank’s internet banking login page. The fake login page then requires the customer to submit user identification, password, personal identification number (PIN), and other account details. This information is then submitted to those behind the scam.
While both banks had no concrete numbers on how many of their customers may have fallen for the scam, so far, no loss of finances had been reported, according to BoB and BNB information technology (IT) personnel. BNB IT head, Mann B Rai, said that the bank had identified only three cases, where customers had submitted their account information to the online fraudsters, but that no money had been lost.
The scam has prompted both banks to increase their internet banking security. Both banks have updated and added more levels of authentication security. BNB has even reported identified phishing sites to Google, said Mann B Rai.
They have also focused their efforts at making customers more aware of the mechanics of such scams. The IT heads of both banks said that the institutions would never ask for a customer’s account details, such as user ID, password, or PIN, by email or telephone. Using different media platforms, both banks continue to send their customers alerts and information on the scam.
Mann B Rai pointed out that, since such scams, referred to as ‘phishing’ in IT terminology, are a social engineering technique, basic responsibility falls on individual users to avoid and take preventive measures from falling victim to such scams.
BoB IT head, Sonam Kezang, pointed out that, by simply looking at the address bar of the web browser, a phishing website can be identified. Both banks provide the “secured” addresses of their internet banking web pages on their websites. Sonam Kezang said that the web address would have to be noted by customers.
Mann B Rai said that BNB had traced the origins of the scam to Lagos, Nigeria. Sonam Kezang pointed out that, since one of the phishing websites targetting BoB customers was hosted on Druknet, BoB has asked the internet service provider for assistance in tracing those responsible.
By Gyalsten K Dorji, Kuensel
The online fraudsters target customers using the two banks’ internet banking services. They do this by sending emails to lure customers to a fake website, resembling the bank’s internet banking login page. The fake login page then requires the customer to submit user identification, password, personal identification number (PIN), and other account details. This information is then submitted to those behind the scam.
While both banks had no concrete numbers on how many of their customers may have fallen for the scam, so far, no loss of finances had been reported, according to BoB and BNB information technology (IT) personnel. BNB IT head, Mann B Rai, said that the bank had identified only three cases, where customers had submitted their account information to the online fraudsters, but that no money had been lost.
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| An example of a fraud email |
The scam has prompted both banks to increase their internet banking security. Both banks have updated and added more levels of authentication security. BNB has even reported identified phishing sites to Google, said Mann B Rai.
They have also focused their efforts at making customers more aware of the mechanics of such scams. The IT heads of both banks said that the institutions would never ask for a customer’s account details, such as user ID, password, or PIN, by email or telephone. Using different media platforms, both banks continue to send their customers alerts and information on the scam.
Mann B Rai pointed out that, since such scams, referred to as ‘phishing’ in IT terminology, are a social engineering technique, basic responsibility falls on individual users to avoid and take preventive measures from falling victim to such scams.
BoB IT head, Sonam Kezang, pointed out that, by simply looking at the address bar of the web browser, a phishing website can be identified. Both banks provide the “secured” addresses of their internet banking web pages on their websites. Sonam Kezang said that the web address would have to be noted by customers.
Mann B Rai said that BNB had traced the origins of the scam to Lagos, Nigeria. Sonam Kezang pointed out that, since one of the phishing websites targetting BoB customers was hosted on Druknet, BoB has asked the internet service provider for assistance in tracing those responsible.
By Gyalsten K Dorji, Kuensel
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Speaking Guru
The speaking statue
There are inexplicable phenomena attached to this brass relic of Taktsang monastery
19 June, 2011 - The Taktsang monastery in Paro is the country’s most sacred space and its most sacred relic is the Guru Sungjonma statue or the statue that spoke.
The history of the brass statue is shrouded in myth and its story embellished.
Zhabdrung’s visit
In 1645, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel visited Taktsang with his seven-year old nephew, the monk Tenzing Rabgay. During the visit the descendants of Sonam Gyeltshen, who in 1508 built the first monastery on the cliff above Taktsang, named Orgyan Tsemo, offered the monastery to Zhabdrung.
It is said that Zhabdrung instructed the young boy, who later became Desi (the secular ruler of Bhutan), to build a temple of Guru Tshangyad, which he was able to do almost five decades later.
Pancha Deva
There is some written information on the statue. Chokey or ancient religious citations tell that Pancha Deva was in the country for two years (1688-1690). According to American scholar John Ardussi, the biography or the namthar of Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye (folio 119.v. of the block print or shing-par) edition simply says that for the great restoration of Tango monastery, the secular ruler ordered that there be summoned from Kathmandu valley “artisans who had reached the peak of their skill, namely the sculptor Pa tsa na De wa (i.e. Pancha Deva?), the metal-smith Dharma, and the detail carver (Chokey: Phra ba) named Dharma Deva.”
These men were the chief artisans, and there were many assistants, presumably Bhutanese trainees. They began the work in the iron dragon (chag drug) year and finished in the earth snake (Sa-sbrul) year (i.e. 1688 - 1690).
No other details are available. However, in several other places in this same source are the names of certain Newari artisans, who worked on the important temple and building restorations and Gonkhang decorations that the Desi sponsored.
A national expert on monasteries in Bhutan, Dasho Zepon Wangchuk, tells stories of Newari artisans with great reverence and is in awe of their craftsmanship. He said that the three artisans lived and worked outside the dzong. In the summer, they lived in Baybu, the village present day opposite India house and in the winter they moved to Punakha with the monk body and took up residence in Thangdzong, an area outside the dzong. In the past Bhutanese used to refer to Kathmandu valley as Baybu but not to be confused for Baeyul.
According to Dasho Zepon, Pancha Deva sculpted three statues of Guru Padmasambhava in Punakha Thangdzong. Two are in Paro and one in Wangduephodrang. The two statues were carried over several passes to Paro and the one installed in the monastery is known as the Guru Sung Jon Ma.
Speaking statue
The transportation of the statue is shrouded in mystery. As the story goes, the statue was carried from Punakha to Paro. A group of strong men were engaged for this purpose. When they reached Paro and came close to the Neykyi Demig Gochag or the gateway of Taktsang, they put the statue down to discuss ways of carrying it up through the narrow steep trail.
It is said that one of the men suggested, “It isn’t possible to carry the statue up the narrow trail so why don’t we cut the head and severe the limbs and carry in parts?” At that moment the statue is said to have spoken, “There’s no need for that, a strong man will come and carry me.” This strong man is believed to be Singye Samdu, the protecting deity of Taktsang.
Fires
The Guru Sungjonma statue has survived two major fires. The fires of 1951 and 1998 razed many of the temples and destroyed most of the statues inside Taktsang. After the last fire, the fourth king visited the site and on April 23, 1998 managed to retrieve the Guru Sungjonma statue.
Even after three hundred years, the statue is still generating myths. During the renovation following the 1998 fire, the government wanted to restore this sacred relic and hence made plans to move it to Thimphu. It made two attempts, both failed.
In the first attempt, the weather turned. It suddenly became overcast, followed by a heavy downpour, instantly swelling the nearby stream and making it impossible to ford. The second time it again rained heavily and this time lightning struck a silver fir tree splitting into two. In Dzongkha this unusual weather is known as Gay Nam or inauspicious weather.
The master of metaphysics of the central monk body experienced unusual signs and started to become nervous. Eventually, a decision was made to lock the statue in the Tshepame temple in Taktsang. On that day the weather became calm, the sun broke out and many people saw a rainbow.
Taktsang was recently listed as one of the ten holiest places in the world.
Contributed by Tshering Tashi, Kuenselonline
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The history of the brass statue is shrouded in myth and its story embellished.
Zhabdrung’s visit
In 1645, Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel visited Taktsang with his seven-year old nephew, the monk Tenzing Rabgay. During the visit the descendants of Sonam Gyeltshen, who in 1508 built the first monastery on the cliff above Taktsang, named Orgyan Tsemo, offered the monastery to Zhabdrung.
It is said that Zhabdrung instructed the young boy, who later became Desi (the secular ruler of Bhutan), to build a temple of Guru Tshangyad, which he was able to do almost five decades later.
Pancha Deva
There is some written information on the statue. Chokey or ancient religious citations tell that Pancha Deva was in the country for two years (1688-1690). According to American scholar John Ardussi, the biography or the namthar of Gyalse Tenzin Rabgye (folio 119.v. of the block print or shing-par) edition simply says that for the great restoration of Tango monastery, the secular ruler ordered that there be summoned from Kathmandu valley “artisans who had reached the peak of their skill, namely the sculptor Pa tsa na De wa (i.e. Pancha Deva?), the metal-smith Dharma, and the detail carver (Chokey: Phra ba) named Dharma Deva.”
These men were the chief artisans, and there were many assistants, presumably Bhutanese trainees. They began the work in the iron dragon (chag drug) year and finished in the earth snake (Sa-sbrul) year (i.e. 1688 - 1690).
No other details are available. However, in several other places in this same source are the names of certain Newari artisans, who worked on the important temple and building restorations and Gonkhang decorations that the Desi sponsored.
A national expert on monasteries in Bhutan, Dasho Zepon Wangchuk, tells stories of Newari artisans with great reverence and is in awe of their craftsmanship. He said that the three artisans lived and worked outside the dzong. In the summer, they lived in Baybu, the village present day opposite India house and in the winter they moved to Punakha with the monk body and took up residence in Thangdzong, an area outside the dzong. In the past Bhutanese used to refer to Kathmandu valley as Baybu but not to be confused for Baeyul.
According to Dasho Zepon, Pancha Deva sculpted three statues of Guru Padmasambhava in Punakha Thangdzong. Two are in Paro and one in Wangduephodrang. The two statues were carried over several passes to Paro and the one installed in the monastery is known as the Guru Sung Jon Ma.
Speaking statue
The transportation of the statue is shrouded in mystery. As the story goes, the statue was carried from Punakha to Paro. A group of strong men were engaged for this purpose. When they reached Paro and came close to the Neykyi Demig Gochag or the gateway of Taktsang, they put the statue down to discuss ways of carrying it up through the narrow steep trail.
It is said that one of the men suggested, “It isn’t possible to carry the statue up the narrow trail so why don’t we cut the head and severe the limbs and carry in parts?” At that moment the statue is said to have spoken, “There’s no need for that, a strong man will come and carry me.” This strong man is believed to be Singye Samdu, the protecting deity of Taktsang.
Fires
The Guru Sungjonma statue has survived two major fires. The fires of 1951 and 1998 razed many of the temples and destroyed most of the statues inside Taktsang. After the last fire, the fourth king visited the site and on April 23, 1998 managed to retrieve the Guru Sungjonma statue.
Even after three hundred years, the statue is still generating myths. During the renovation following the 1998 fire, the government wanted to restore this sacred relic and hence made plans to move it to Thimphu. It made two attempts, both failed.
In the first attempt, the weather turned. It suddenly became overcast, followed by a heavy downpour, instantly swelling the nearby stream and making it impossible to ford. The second time it again rained heavily and this time lightning struck a silver fir tree splitting into two. In Dzongkha this unusual weather is known as Gay Nam or inauspicious weather.
The master of metaphysics of the central monk body experienced unusual signs and started to become nervous. Eventually, a decision was made to lock the statue in the Tshepame temple in Taktsang. On that day the weather became calm, the sun broke out and many people saw a rainbow.
Taktsang was recently listed as one of the ten holiest places in the world.
Contributed by Tshering Tashi, Kuenselonline
Monday, May 30, 2011
Never stop near Lamperi to take rest,if you hate insects bites!!
If you are travelling to Punakha/Wangdue,never stop near Lamperi to take rest or have a cup of tea. Its a big mistake to do so. There are lots of small insects that bites you pitilessly, doesnot leave your head too. Later on it pains alot and causes cutaneous irritation.
I'm not going to stop at that place in my entire life.
So friends be carefull.
I'm not going to stop at that place in my entire life.
So friends be carefull.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Royal wedding announced
Royal wedding announced
The 7th session of the parliament today will be remembered for a long time by the Bhutanese people. It was on this auspicious occasion that His Majesty the King announced that he would be getting married to Jetsun Pema in October this year.
The 7th session of the parliament today will be remembered for a long time by the Bhutanese people. It was on this auspicious occasion that His Majesty the King announced that he would be getting married to Jetsun Pema in October this year.
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