Trek up Mt. Kailash? No one's ever climbed it

(TREND SCOPE)

Oldest pyramid site in Asia: Koh Ker

Exploring the enigmatic Koh Ker Pyramid: Cambodia's hidden architectural marvel

Buddhist pyramids like the Maya of Mexico?

Koh Ker (Khmer ប្រាសាទកោះកេរ្ដិ៍, Brasat Kaôh Kértĕ) is a remote Buddhist archeological site in northern Cambodia about 75 miles (120 kms) from Siem Reap and the ancient site of Angkor (and Angkor Wat). It is a jungle-filled region that is sparsely populated. More than 180 sanctuaries have been found in a protected area of 31 square miles (81 square kms) [1]: 13. Only about two dozen monuments can be visited by tourists because most of the sanctuaries are hidden in the forest and the whole area is not fully de-mined. Koh Ker is the modern name for an important city of the Khmer Empire. In inscriptions the town is mentioned as Lingapura ("City of Lingams") or Chok Gargyar [2]: 70 (translated as "City of Glance" [3] or as Iron Tree Forest) [1]: 8–9. More

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The Enigmatic Koh Ker Pyramid of Cambodia | Ancient Architects

Archeological marvels of Benghazi, Libya (Northern Africa)

Nepal's state religion could become Hinduism

(Eurasia Review) The marquees near Nepal's Pashupatinath Temple in the secular Himalayan country's capital resembled a carnival with people trooping in from morning to night. But for some members of minority religions, including people (among about 700,000 Christians) who were given the privilege of religious freedom in 2006, this Hindu gathering has been a cause for concern. The group Christian Solidarity Worldwide has warned that Nepal's new constitution (which will go into effect in May) may not allow people to convert from one religion to another.

Kalidas Dahal, a Hindu baba (see video) who claims to have supernatural powers, on March 1 began a nine-day prayer meeting (yajna). He was aiming to show the coalition government the public support Hinduism still enjoys in Nepal. Besides ministers and lawmakers, the deposed king, Gyanendra Shah, also attended on May 8, 2010. Once the only "Hindu kingdom" in the world, Nepal was declared a secular State by its parliament... More>>

• SLIDESHOW: Lhasa, Tibet (Forgalta on Flickr)
• Nepal's ex-king backs Baba's bid for a Hindu Nepal

Nepal appoints 3-y.o. as new Living Goddess

Yuvraj Acharya (AP 10/7/08)

KATMANDU, Nepal--Hindu and Buddhist priests chanted sacred hymns and cascaded flowers and grains of rice over a 3-year-old girl who was appointed a "living goddess" in Nepal on Tuesday.

Wrapped in red silk and adorned with red flowers in her hair, Matani Shakya received approval from the priests and President Ram Baran Yadav in a centuries-old tradition with deep ties to Nepal's monarchy, which was abolished in May, 2008.

The new kumari, or "living goddess," was carried from her parents' home to an ancient palatial temple in the heart of the Nepali capital, Katmandu, where she will live until she reaches puberty and loses her divine status. She will be worshipped by Hindus and Buddhists as an incarnation of the powerful Hindu deity Taleju.

A panel of judges conducted a series of ancient ceremonies to select the goddess from several 2- to 4-year-old girls who are all members of the impoverished Shakya goldsmith caste. The judges read the candidates' horoscopes and check each one for physical imperfections. The living goddess must have perfect hair, eyes, teeth and skin with no scars, and should not be afraid of the dark.

As a final test, the living goddess must spend a night alone in a room among the heads of ritually slaughtered goats and buffaloes without showing fear. Having passed all the tests, the child will stay in almost complete isolation at the temple, and will be allowed to return to her family only at the onset of menstruation when a new goddess will be named to replace her.

"I feel a bit sad, but since my child has become a living goddess I feel proud," said her father Pratap Man Shakya. During her time as a goddess, she will always wear red, pin up her hair in topknots, and have a "third eye" painted on her forehead. Devotees touch the girls' feet with their foreheads, the highest sign of respect among Hindus in Nepal. During religious festivals the goddesses are wheeled around on a chariot pulled by devotees.

Critics say the tradition violates both international and Nepalese laws on child rights. The girls often struggle to readjust to normal lives after they return home. Nepalese folklore holds that men who marry a former kumari will die young, and so many girls remain unmarried and face a life of hardship. (Recently Maoists, now a legitimate part of Nepa's government, condemned beauty pageants and cracked down on nude discos; see previous WQ posts).