202511 वॉलपेपर संग्रह

Do you know what people bought at Christmas markets 567 years ago? Not costly ornaments or fancy souvenirs but candles, spices, local goods, knitted items and toys. Leipzig's Christmas market began in 1458 and quickly became a favourite stop for merchants and locals alike. Today, with its cultural and culinary offerings spread across the historic old town and about 300 stalls, it is one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. Imagine streets buzzing with the chatter of traders and children following the scent of 'Lebkuchen'—honey-sweetened cakes. This is where townsfolk gather to celebrate winter and catch up on the news while sipping mulled wine. These markets have always symbolised more than shopping—they offer an escape from the everyday routine.

Picture 54 square kilometres of open land, wildlife on the move, and a stag flaunting its crown of antlers. In 1909, husband and wife Anton Kröller and Helene Kröller-Müller began building a private estate in Gelderland, Netherlands—what we now know as De Hoge Veluwe National Park. Their vision? To merge art and nature. They brought it to life by placing artwork within the landscape, like 'Three Upright Motives' by English sculptor Henry Moore in the Pampelse Zand and the President Steyn stone bench by Belgian architect Henry van de Velde, among others.

In the heart of Val Brandet, within the Adamello Park in Lombardy, where winter's silence finds its voice, lies the municipality of Corteno Golgi—named after the physician and Nobel laureate Camillo Golgi, who was born here—a place that preserves memory and beauty, science and nature.

When it comes to seaside icons, Eastbourne Pier doesn't just make waves—it has been riding them for over 150 years. Opened in 1870, this Victorian marvel in East Sussex has survived tempests, fires and even wars. Stretching gracefully into the English Channel, the pier started life as a docking point for steamers. Over time, it evolved into a place where you can stroll above the water, lose a few coins to an arcade machine and gain a few back in memories.

Ancient yet vibrant, twisted yet resilient, olive trees can live for over a thousand years. Even when scarred or hollowed, their trunks still send out fresh leaves each season—a living record of survival through drought, wind and fire. Cultivated by humans for a millennia, olives have carried both practical and symbolic weight through the ages: their oil was pressed for anointing, medicine and daily sustenance; crowns of their leaves graced Olympic victors; and their branches became a lasting emblem of peace.

Ever heard coins clinking louder than applause? That's the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy, for you—a spot where history, hope and selfie sticks collide. Completed in 1762, it marks the endpoint of one of ancient Rome's earliest aqueducts, the Aqua Virgo, which still supplies water today. The name 'Trevi' comes from Tre Vie—'three roads'—signifying the junction where it stands. Designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and finished by Giuseppe Pannini, this 26-metre marvel is the largest Baroque fountain in the city and one of the most famous in the world. Its sculptures show Oceanus, the god of the sea, surrounded by Tritons and horses.

Few cities carry their past vividly as Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. Towering over its skyline, Gwalior Fort is a 6th-century hilltop stronghold. Nicknamed 'the Gibraltar of India,' this fort was praised by Mughal emperor Babur as the 'pearl among the fortresses of Hind' for its strength and grandeur. The fort has witnessed rulers from the Tomars and the Mughals to the Scindias, each leaving echoes of their reign, and remains tied to tales of battles, royal intrigue and whispered treasures.

Look closely at this ammonite fossil. Its swirling shell, once home to a prehistoric sea creature, holds a mathematical secret—a spiral pattern. Each new chamber is proportionally larger than the previous one, maintaining a consistent growth ratio, often associated with the Fibonacci sequence.

There are big statues—and then there's the Leshan Giant Buddha. Carved into a riverside cliff at the confluence of the Min, Qingyi and Dadu Rivers in Sichuan, China, this statue is an ancient engineering marvel. Construction began in 713 CE under a monk named Hai Tong, who hoped that the Buddha's presence would calm dangerous river currents that threatened passing boats. He was so devoted that when funding ran out, he reportedly gouged out his own eyes to prove his sincerity. Construction took roughly 90 years and was completed long after Hai Tong's death. At approximately 70 metres tall, it is the largest stone Buddha in the world. Its shoulders stretch about 28 metres wide, its ears measure nearly 7 metres long and each foot extends over 8 metres. Drainage channels built inside the statue protect it from erosion, helping explain its remarkable preservation for more than 12 centuries.

In Ezhikkara, water decides how life unfolds. The village lies north of Kochi in Kerala's Ernakulam district, within the backwaters of the Periyar basin. Canals cut through low-lying land, linking its fields and neighbourhoods to wider waterways. Boats often serve where roads stop and many homes stand close to the water, their walls stained by years of monsoon rain and salt.

Today's image features a gentle manatee mother and calf gliding through the clear waters of Crystal River, in Florida, United States. With whiskered snouts and round bodies, manatees are calm marine mammals that spend their days grazing on seagrass, a surprisingly delicate existence for such large creatures.

Step closer, and the details begin to speak—every stone, spire and statue seems to hold a story of its own. Conceived in the late 19th century, the Hungarian Parliament Building was designed to reflect a nation's ambition, blending Gothic Revival elegance with distinctly Hungarian motifs. Architect Imre Steindl's vision took shape over two decades through the work of more than 1,000 craftsmen. Even the central dome, rising 96 metres high, carries meaning: the height honours the year of Hungary's millennium anniversary in 1896. Completed in 1904, the building still dominates Budapest's skyline as a powerful national symbol.

Each autumn, the quiet waterways of Oregon, United States, become seasonal waypoints for hooded mergansers—small diving ducks native to North America. They are agile divers, plunging beneath the surface to catch fish and other prey. Males, known as drakes, stand out with their fan-shaped white crests, dark heads and chestnut-brown sides, while females, called hens, are brownish grey with smaller crests. Oregon's lakes and wetlands provide sheltered feeding grounds as these birds migrate or winter across the continent.

Today's image features Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, United States. Part of the Blue Ridge Mountains, it is preserved as a national park for its long trails and wide, wooded valleys. The quiet rhythm of this landscape finds echoes in India, where the Western Ghats and Himachal's cedar forests hold their own mountain paths through rich ecosystems that link villages and wildlife. Both regions are recognised for their biodiversity and serve as vital corridors for species that thrive in changing mountain climates.

In Lyon, France, you don't just walk through the city—you glide through it. The traboules, a network of hidden passageways threading between courtyards and buildings, turn a simple stroll into a treasure hunt. They were the original shortcuts, allowing residents to dodge rain, carry goods or move discreetly through the medieval quarters. Today, they're less about practicality and more about discovery. These passages date back to the fourth century but became essential during the Renaissance, when silk traders used them to shuttle delicate fabrics safely from workshops to the river without braving the weather. Later, during World War II, Resistance fighters used the traboules as escape routes.

If you think the alphabet is straightforward, Japan's Irohazaka Road in Nikko will twist that belief right out of you. Named after the old Japanese syllabary 'Iroha,' this mountain pass once had 48 hairpin bends—each curve matched to a character of the alphabet. Today, it's a pair of separate one-way roads—one goes up, the other comes down and both make drivers feel as if they're spelling out a story with every turn.

On the lawns of the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, two children lean over a blank page, sketching the world as they dream it could be. This scene unfolds in 'World in Progress,' a monumental land art painting created by Swiss-French artist Saype in 2020. Made with biodegradable paint, the artwork depicts the vision and innocence at the heart of children's rights—a hope captured in today's featured image. Look closer, and you will spot the artist himself posing with his work.

Of all the plants on Earth, the quiver tree looks the most like a vision from the future. Found in Southern Africa, including parts of Namibia, these striking giants are not true trees but a species of aloe adapted to life under the desert's scorching sun. Their thick trunks store water, while their branches reflect heat, helping them endure harsh conditions. Reaching up to 7 metres in height, with some living for more than 100 years, quiver trees are also vital to their ecosystem. They offer rare perches and nesting sites for birds in landscapes where few other trees exist.

Think modern sports are dramatic? Ancient Romans had front-row seats to spectacles far more intense inside the Colosseum. Commissioned by the Flavian emperor Vespasian in 72 CE and finished by his son Titus in 80 CE, this amphitheatre broke tradition with its predecessors that were built into hillsides for natural support. Instead, the Colosseum was a fully free-standing architectural giant, crafted from stone and concrete. Its arches and vaults supported an arena that could host up to 50,000 spectators. Gladiators, exotic animals and even staged sea battles thrilled the crowds, while hidden elevators and trapdoors created sudden, dramatic appearances.

Nestled in the heart of Germany's Teutoburg Forest, near the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg in North Rhine-Westphalia, the dramatic rock formations known as the Externsteine rise majestically into the sky. These sandstone pillars, formed around 70 million years ago, are among Germany's most significant natural and cultural landmarks. They captivate visitors with their unique shapes and rich historical significance, attracting thousands each year. The rocks reach heights of up to 35 metres. As early as the Middle Ages, the site was used as a place of worship, as evidenced by a remarkable 12th-century relief carved into the stone depicting the Descent from the Cross. It is the oldest of its kind north of the Alps.

Across the stark stretches of South Dakota prairie, Badlands National Park is a landscape shaped by wind, water and time. Its layered rocks form ridges, buttes and gullies where erosion reveals fossils that trace millions of years of Earth's story. Between these sculpted formations lies a different kind of architecture—an underground world built by black-tailed prairie dogs. Beneath the grass, their tunnels link generations, shaping the land as surely as wind and rain do.

The universe hums with creation. Featured here, in the Lagoon Nebula, a cluster called NGC 6530 is kindling newborn stars, a glowing reminder that beginnings are woven into the fabric of the cosmos. About 4,350 light-years away and a few million years old, it is a stellar formation still in its earliest chapter. It's the kind of sight that once drew astronomer Carl Sagan's attention—a glimpse into how the universe continues to build itself, star by star.

On Oregon's coast in the United States, Bandon greets visitors with salty air and the gentle clang of harbour bells. The town began as a small settlement in the 1850s and grew into a centre for timber and salmon fishing. Its maritime past endures in the restored Coquille River Lighthouse, whose beacon once guided ships safely to shore.

They wait, motionless, on the edge of a frozen world. Photographed in Churchill, Canada, this polar bear rests along the shores of Hudson Bay, where bears gather each year for the return of the sea ice that allows them hunt seals again—their main source of food. For over a decade, Polar Bears International, a non-profit organisation, has streamed live footage of their movements, offering a rare gimpse into life balanced on the edge of a warming world.

What would you wish for if a single lantern could carry it skyward? Tonight, in northern Thailand, the Yi Peng festival offers that chance. This centuries-old Lanna tradition celebrates the twelfth lunar month with glowing paper lanterns—khom loi—that are released to honour the Buddha. Each lantern is believed to carry away misfortune and light the way toward a brighter future. Children steady the lantern frames, elders whisper blessings and the crowd pauses as hundreds of lights drift higher than the trees. Farther south, the same full moon watches over Loy Krathong, a sister festival, where candlelit rafts glide across the water.

Glowing lamps, devotional music and shared meals—today we celebrate Guru Nanak Gurpurab, which marks the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. The featured image shows the Golden Temple in Amritsar, where festivities unfold with splendour. As dawn settles over the marble walkways, pilgrims gather in reverent silence, their hymns rising through the cool November air. The temple's reflection shimmers across the 'sarovar,' the sacred pool that surrounds it; by night it glows against the dark sky as celebrations reach their peak. Rooted in 15th-century Punjab, this festival embodies Guru Nanak's enduring message of unity and compassion. Observed on Kartik Purnima, the full moon day of Kartik in the Nanakshahi calendar, the date shifts each year in the Gregorian calendar, usually falling in November.

Some bridges connect two sides. Tower Bridge connects history, engineering and a flair for drama. Standing next to the Tower of London and rising over the River Thames since 1894, this London icon knows how to lift spirits—and traffic. With its twin towers, blue-and-white paintwork and bascules that open like a giant's drawbridge, Tower Bridge is less a traffic solution and more a stage performer. For many Indians, Tower Bridge isn't just a London landmark—it's a Bollywood favourite. Scenes from 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' and 'Namastey London' have used the bridge as a backdrop for romance and departure, making it instantly recognisable even to those who've never visited England.

They don't have brains, bones or even hearts, yet jellyfish have pulsed through Earth's oceans for half a billion years. Their habitats face growing threats from pollution, nutrient-rich runoff and ocean acidification—pressures that make marine conservation essential to restoring coral health and sustaining the species that depend on these waters.

Kyoto's Arashiyama district is renowned for its captivating seasonal landscapes. Here, vibrant Japanese maple trees and serene bamboo forests create a harmonious blend of colour and tranquillity. These maples, known for their delicate, deeply lobed leaves, turn fiery shades of red, orange and gold during autumn, attracting visitors from around the world. They are celebrated not only for their beauty but also for their cultural symbolism—representing elegance, peace and the fleeting nature of life.

The bison embodies a paradox: immense strength paired with quiet calm. Weighing up to 900 kilogrammes and standing almost 2 metres tall, these giants roam North America's grasslands and river valleys in mobile herds. Photographed here in Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, United States, this herd represents the wild heart of American plains—a reminder of the strength that echoes across the world's wilderness, from the bison of the west to India's own gaur.