Let's start off
with a weird entry...
Balancing rocks
are known worldwide for their gravity defying appearance (and also partly
because everyone likes to take a picture with them trying to push it off). Now
as the name suggests, they mostly occur as large boulders (some as big as
buses) resting on other rocks. The most astonishing part about these features
though is that they are naturally occurring. The term however is not
technically sound; not all 'balancing' rocks are 'balancing' themselves but are
actually firmly attached to the rock below. But who cares right? As long as
they don't topple over on you while you are busy capturing what would probably
end up as your Facebook profile picture.
Now, some of
these are so famous that just a picture of the feature can lead you to naming
the place where it has been clicked.
The one in Utah,
US, is by far the most popular among these. The total height of ‘Balanced Rock’,
as it’s called, is about 39 m, with the balancing rock rising 16.75 m above the
base (The big rock on top is the size of three school buses).
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| Balanced Rock, Utah (photo credits : Jean-Christophe Benoist) |
Then, there’s
the one situated at Kjeragbolten, Norway. Suspended at a height of 984 metres,
it takes a lot of courage to go stand atop that. Have a look and decide for yourself.
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| Kjeragbolten, Norway |
However, what is
not known is that we have our own stuntmen in India. In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. Formed as a
result of erosion of volcanic rocks, these are said to have survived an
earthquake of magnitude 6.5 on the Richter Scale. Given below are some pictures that show how precarious it is. Agreed, it is not as spectacular as some of its more distinguished siblings but hey, it's a wonder of nature too!
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| Balancing Rocks at Jabalpur (source : http://www.jabalpurtourismpc.com) |
Don't you agree that this is worth a visit? There are many such hidden gems that are waiting to be discovered. But that’s it for The
List now. Got to study. As they say, got to maintain the right ‘balance’ in
life.
Amazingly beautiful, truly worth a visit.
ReplyDeleteYup. It is. The sad part though is that these boulders are at a risk of falling anytime. There was another rock balancing itself next to the one in Utah. Called "Chip Off The Old Block", it fell in 1976. So I guess we better hurry and visit this one.. :P
DeleteYou're a better photographer than I am, Abaan Momin! Curiously, here's another take: fractionalcrystallization.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteWell, actually, these pictures were taken from the MP tourism site. I had forgotten to mention the source. I was meaning to do it but couldn't get time.
DeleteYour take is interesting. It is more geology oriented which is what I am aiming to do with future posts. Let's see...
Jabalpur. Interesting, possibly a product of the same glaciers that put the Talchir boulder bed together?
ReplyDeletePossibly. I haven't been to the area, so commenting on the reasons behind this would be tough. But the glaciers responsible for the Talchir Beds do seem like the forerunners in the race to claim responsibility for this. What other reason could be there?
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