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Dear
friends,
We wish all our readers a very Happy Christmas and a Great entry into the
New Year 2004! Hope you get to discover more beautiful places this earth
possesses! We pray for more peace to prevail and that we can live in a
lesser stressful atmosphere.
India saw a good start of tourist arrivals and the figures have been quite
encouraging (2.1 million people visited up to end Oct). All accommodation
seems to be booked out in Goa and other most sought after destinations!
India is being considered as one of the safest places in the region, of
course along with China. Both the countries have booming economies and a big
middle class. Share prices are up and political stability plays further
positive role. The relations between India and Pakistan get warmer day by
day and closer ties seem to develop. Weather is beautiful in India,
especially in the coastal and Southern parts, giving a much needed escape
from the chilly winter especially to the Europeans.
Festivals in India have always attracted people from all over the world.
Pushkar Fair in Rajasthan, which ended in early November is one such very
popular event. Makar Sankranti on 14 Nov is not too far away which also sees
the Kite festival taking place at Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ahmedabad and Goa
simultaneously.
After "Conde
Nast" rated India among the top 10 leisure destinations International
airlines are getting ready to meet the increased traffic. Emirates, Cathay,
Malaysia, Singapore, Gulf Air and Delta have all asked for permission to
increase frequencies to India. The open skies policy seems to be working
well.
Alitalia comes back after 10 years, while the Lufthansa starts round the
week flights to Bangalore (besides daily flights already to Delhi, Mumbai &
Chennai). Air India started its first flight from Mumbai to Shanghai. Also,
the Indian private airlines have been allowed to fly to Sri Lanka and
gradually to other ASEAN countries!
See You In India – Very Soon!!!
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AIRLINES UPDATE |
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JET AIRWAYS & AIR
SAHARA CAN FLY
TO MALDIVES NOW:
Opening
the routes to domestic
carriers would lead to a major price war in the air travel market and result
cheaper fares to favorite tourist destinations like Nepal and the Maldives. It
would lead to more seats being available to the passengers during peak season.
The services would be on reciprocal basis and on existing commercial pacts
between the airlines of ASEAN countries and AI & IA. Daily services to and
form Sri Lanka would be permitted to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai,
Bangalore and Hyderabad apart from 18 other chosen destinations. The Sri
Lankan airlines will have fifth freedom right i.e. it would be able to pick up
traffic from India for further travel to any of the SAARC counties. Source:
The Indian Express, 11Dec.2003
AIR INDIA AND INDIAN AIRLINES IN SYNERGY MODE, PLAN COMMON TICKETS:
From 1 January 2004 Air India and Indian Airlines will synergise common ticket
issuance on international sectors. This will lead to free endorse-ability of
tickets between the 2 carriers and will be a boon to passengers who have the
chance to fly out by one carrier and return on the other. Initially the common
tickets will be issued on 3 international sectors. Delhi – Bangkok - Delhi,
Delhi – Singapore - Delhi and Chennai – Singapore -
Chennai. Later it
will be extended, in a phased manner, to all 14 sectors commonly operated by
the 2 carriers.
AIR-INDIA INCREASES SERVICES FROM
CHICAGO AND
FRANKFURT:
Air-India has increased its services from Chicago to India from three to six
per week beginning December. The three new services are routed via Frankfurt
while the other three are routed via London. Air India also has a daily
departure from JFK airport to India via London and a daily departure from
Newark, New Jersey to India via Paris.
MAHARAJA FLIES TO
SHANGHAI
EX-MUMBAI:
The twice-weekly flights departing from Mumbai on Thursdays and Saturdays will
pick up passengers from Delhi on the way. The nine-hour flight to Shanghai
will include an hour-long stopover at Bangkok. The airline will deploy Airbus
A310 with a capacity of 201 passengers on the route. According to the
spokesperson, the flight, which departs Mumbai at 6:10 a.m., will leave Delhi
at 9 a.m. It will arrive in Bangkok at 2:15 p.m. local time and depart at 3:15
p.m. to arrive in Shanghai at 8 p.m. local time. The book-loads on the flight
were at a 107 per cent. The airline hoped to raise the frequency of services
to four times a week shortly.
DAILY AIR LANKA FLIGHTS:
Sri Lankan Airlines adds Saturday flight to its operations
thereby making it a daily product from
Delhi. With
daily flights Ex-Delhi connecting to 7 weekly flights each to Kuala Lumpur &
Singapore and 4 weekly flights to
Bangkok
/ Hong Kong, Sri Lankan offers additional capacity.
SEASONAL
SPECIAL FLIGHTS SOAR ON THE INDIAN SKIES:
The Sri
Lankan airlines, Lufthansa airline
and Qatar Airways have introduced seasonal special flights. Sri Lankan
Airlines adds new flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Trichy
between December 1, '03 and February 28, '04. From December 1, weekly services
increased to Mumbai & Trichy from five to six and to Bangalore from four to
five. From 15 December 15 Sri Lankan will operate daily to Mumbai and Trichy
and offer six flights each week to Bangalore. From December 16, 2003, to
February 17, 2004, two more flights to Chennai will be added each week,
raising weekly services to 17. Lufthansa announces 4 seasonal flights between
Bangalore and Frankfurt. 24 scheduled weekly flights linking 4 gateways in
India and Frankfurt daily flights to/from New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai. Qatar
has added 9 flights to India per week .it offers passengers daily flights to
Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram. Source:
The
Economic Times, 10 Dec.2003
ALITALIA TO FLY TO DELHI AFTER 10 YEARS:
Alitalia plans to restart after 10 years six days a week flight to Delhi, in
addition to current daily operation to Mumbai.
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HOTEL NEWS |
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HOTEL LE MERIDIEN JAIPUR OPENS ON 14 DEC’03:
Le Meridien Jaipur gets fully
operational
as of Sunday, Dec 14 2003, in the heart of traditional Rajput hospitality,
located in Jaipur only minutes away from the grandeur of Amber Fort. Hotel has
120 rooms & suites that include, 4 Suites 20 Villa's 54 Deluxe 42 Superior
Food & Beverage Outlets Coffee Shop IndianRestaurant Bar Disco Banqueting /
Conference Facilities; 1 ballroom - capacity of 1000 people; extensive lawns,
Leisure Amenities Fully equipped Health Club Massage rooms Meditation rooms
Games room - with pool tables Golf putting green, Sauna, Steam & Jacuzzi
Penguin Club Swimming pool + Kids pool, etc.
RADISSON MBD
HOTEL OPENS AT NOIDA NEAR
DELHI:
The well known publishing house MBD group together under franchise agreement
with Radisson, has started a 5 star hotel at Sector 18 in NOIDA, near Delhi.
Keeping in mind mostly the business (domestic & international) and the local
functions, they do offer good conferencing & banqueting facilities apart from
many eating outlets. Besides they also have a designer arcade and in-house
spa.
THE CAMP 5
ELEMENT AT KAUDIYALA (UTTARANCHAL): The Camp 5 Element is situated at 37 km from Rishikesh on
the road to Deoprayag, offering 24 luxury tents and a breathtaking view of the
Ganges. It was
launched in October and has received very good response from tourists. For
adventure seeker or a peace loving person, it is a nice place at the sandy
banks. Price is Rs 5000 for a couple for two nights stay.
TAJ EXOTICA IN
GOA GOES WI-FI: Being the first hotel in
Goa, Taj Exotica goes
wireless as far as internet connection is concerned. Now guests can use their
laptop anywhere in the property and can stay connected. Also, it would be
possible to send the print command to the business center from wherever they
may be using it. Taj group already has this facility at many of business
hotels in cities like Delhi & Mumbai and now the same will be offered to the
rest of Taj hotels in Goa.
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FESTIVALS & MARTS |
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NAGALAND'S HORNBILL FESTIVAL CELEBRATED FROM 1-5Dec:
Nagaland
celebrated the fourth Hornbill Festival from 1 to 5 December. It is the
State's biggest festival and showcases Naga culture and traditions.
Dance, music and crafts, of Nagaland make the festival a very colourful
and lively affair. Visitors had a great time and got a chance to see so
much at one location.
MAKAR
SANKRANTI - WHEN THE SUN JOURNEYS NORTH 14 JAN:
“Uttarayan” (Makar Sankranti on 13/14 Jan) is a major festival of
Gujarat. With movement of Sun towards the northern hemisphere heralding
into a change of season, the sky becomes colourful and a feeling of joy
and jubilation spreads all over. Since long, Gujarat has been
celebrating Uttarayan Festival in a fascinating manner. From dawn to
dusk, people of all ages fly kites rejoicing in the spirit of the day.
The live kite lines in the sky driven by fun-loving rivalry to outdo
each other and delicious Gujarati feast make the kite festival a
memorable occasion for those who witness or participate.
It is celebrated
with verve and vigor in different parts of India in different ways, e.g.
with a bonfire as Lohri in Punjab. Elsewhere people take a dip in the
rivers and worship the sun. A mela (fair) on the Ganges (Gangasagar
Mela) is held in Calcutta. Pongal is celebrated in the Southern part of
the country.
BHAKTAPUR (NEPAL) CELEBRATED 3rd NIGHT FESTIVAL ON 23 OCT:
Bhaktapur Tourism Development Committee (BTDC) together with the Nepal
Tourism Board organized the 3rd Bhaktapur night – 2003 tourism festival
on the evening of Oct 23 at Bhaktapur city. Several tourism
associations, local residents and foreign tourists spent the night at
Bhaktapur. Photo journalists and representatives of several media
companies participated. The objective was to promote night tourism to
this medieval Nepalese city.
The playing of traditional local music, the age-old
tradition of a procession of decorated chariots, seven varieties of
traditional local group dances and delicious Newari food were show cased
at a single platform at
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
during the event. Source: Shakti Travels,
Kathmandu
GANDHARVA MUSIC FESTIVAL 12-14 DEC’03, PUNE:
One of Pune's most
famous and revered Music festivals Sawai Gandharva has built patronage
not only in India but all over the globe. The Festival is famous for the
internationally acclaimed Indian Classical Music maestros like Pandit
Bhimsen Joshi, Zakir Hussain, Pandit Jasraj, Shiv Kumar Sharma and many
budding musicians
it presents.
This cultural
extravaganza over the years has gained popularity not only in India but
is attracting listeners and fans of Classical Music world wide. Many
people outside India make it a point to visit and enjoy the excellent
classical music performances for 3 nights. So for lovers of classical
music, Pune Sawai Gandharva is the place for an experience of a
lifetime.
The
Dance & Music festivals in Chennai starts from 6th Dec'03 till 06th
Jan'04 at various Sabhas. For details like name of the artist &
name of the sabhas with dates, please log on to
www.kutcheribuzz.com
AJANTA – ELLORA FESTIVAL 13 – 15 DEC’03:
The Ellora - Aurangabad Festival presents the glories of Ellora and
Aurangabad. Scheduled for 13th - 15th December 2003, it is being held
at Soneri Mahal, Aurangabad, the great monument built in 17th century
A.D. by Pahadsingh who was one of Aurangazeb's army chiefs. The name
Soneri Mahal appears to have come from its intricate designs and
paintings - all in golden colour. This monument is a rare piece of work
in Mughal and Rajasthani architecture. The festival showcases the
performance of some of the greatest artists in music and dance across
the country. The festivities also include sports and other entertainment
activities - Classical dance, Folk dance, Singing, Mushaira, etc. An
Arts & Crafts village is also organized, which will display more than 50
exhibitions ranging from Paithanis to paintings. At the
exhibition-cum-sale venue, handicrafts and handloom fabrics like
Paithani, Himroo, Bidri, etc. are on display.
KUMBHA FAIR, UJJAIN 2004:
Kumbha Mela is the
largest spiritual festival known to humanity. It happens every 12 years
in each of four places, the next of which is at Ujjain, in central
India, in 2004. From all parts of India sadhus, sages, saints, and seers
come to share a collective consciousness in celebration of the divine.
The festival is punctuated by the taking of holy baths in the Shipra
River on April 15, 22, 24, and May 1 and 4. Over 10 million people will
attend.
IMPORTANCE OF KUMBH MELA:
According to the Puranas, the legendary churning of the ocean by the
gods (Devas) and demons Danavas) yielded, amongst other things, a jar (Kumbha)
full of nectar (Amrita). Gods did not like to share it with demons. At
the instance of Indra, the master of gods, his son Jayanta tried to run
away with the jar and was naturally followed by some of the demons.
During the struggle for its possession lasting over twelve days in the
heaven, a few drops of the nectar dropped at the four places,
corresponding with Haridwar, Prayag, Ujjain and Nasik on the earth. The
Drops of nectar were well received by the holy rivers at these places.
It is to commemorate the sprinkling of ambrosia into the sacred waters
of Shipra that the Simhastha festival is celebrated at Ujjain. Festival
at the other three places are known by the more popular name Kumbha.
ATA / IIPT CONFERENCE KICKS OFF IN DAR ES SALAAM:
The
long awaited second African
peace conference, sponsored by the African
Travel Association and the International Institute for Peace through
Tourism started on 07th December in
Tanzania's commercial capital of
Dar Es Salaam.
Delegations from a number of ATA member countries were in attendance to
focus on the possible contributions of
community tourism
towards poverty reduction in the developing world, with special emphasis
to Africa. This conference follows close on the heels of another ATA
conference on cultural tourism just concluded on the Spice Island of
Zanzibar.
CII
CONFERENCE ON TOURISM IN NORTH INDIA:
The same takes
place with a theme of Strategising for Growth on 16 December 2003
at the Windsor Hall, Hotel Le Meridien, New Delhi.
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NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS - INDIA |
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COCHIN
AIRPORT RATED HIGHLY:
Cochin International
Airport surged ahead of other airports in the major cities of India, and
has attained fourth position when it comes to providing the largest
number of international flight service in
India.
Mumbai leads the chart with 600 services, followed by
New Delhi (220), and
Chennai (122). Cochin International Airport currently handles 99
international services. The number will go up to 113 with Air India
starting eight more flights to the gulf sector, as well as Oman Air and
Gulf Air with two, and four new services. The
International
Airport at Nedumbasserri, Kochi also has the fourth spot in terms of
maximum number of service by foreign airlines, which comes to a total of
seven.
DECCAN
ODYSSEY TRAIN:
Welcome to Deccan Odyssey,
Maharashtra Tourism’s prestigious new venture. Deccan Odyssey, a new
luxury passenger train will start its operation soon. The train will
have 13 passenger cars, a staff car, a healthcare car and two
restaurants in addition to conference car. This train will offer a 7 day
trip from Mumbai,
Goa, Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri,
Aurangabad
and Nasik. Housekeeping of the train is take care by the Taj Group of
Hotels.
MINISTRY
OF TOURISM GETS POSSESSION OF THE RED FORT DELHI:
The fort which was taken over by the army as a military garrison, has
now been vacated to facilitate its inclusion in the list of World
Heritage Sites. One 22 Dec,’03, the possession would be formally handed
over to the Ministry of Tourism & Culture and the Archaeological Society
of India.
RARE
BUDDHA MURAL FOUND IN LADAKH TEMPLE:
Wall paintings done 350 years ago were lost to the world as they were
covered with soot. UNESCO and the Namgyal Research Institute on Ladakhi
Art and Culture got together to help restore the paintings at the Dorje
Chenmo Temple at Shey - the old capital of Ladakh. Rare paintings of
Dhyani Buddha along with Avlokitesvara and Guru Padmasambhava, Paldan
Lamo (an angry form of Bodhisattvini) and Dorje Chenmo, the presiding
deity of the temple have now been painstakingly restored and are on
display. The antique temple of Dorje Chenmo has come to light only 2
years ago.
PONDICHERRY STREET TO GET HERITAGE MAKE OVER:
In January next year a street in Pondicherry from the traditional Tamil
area will get its façade restored. This Franco- Tamil Town will soon
have a street wearing the look it once did during the time of Sri
Aurobindo and the Tamil poet Subramanya Bharathi. The street chosen for
the experiment is Vysial street which has the beautiful old home of
Calve S Chettiyar a wealthy merchant. The street also has buildings
where Sri Aurobindo and the great sage. Swami Vivekananda stayed during
their lifetime. The Pondicherry municipality in partnership with the
city of Urbino, Italy, the city of Villeneueve -Sur- Lot France and the
European commission are working on this project and depending on it's
success other streets in Pondicherry will get a heritage makeover also.
The project is part of the Asia Urbs program and is being coordinated by
INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art Culture and Heritage).
FAMILIES OF COLUMBIA CREW IN INDIA:
Families of two of
Columbia's ill fated crew visited Bombay to attend memorial services for
Kalpana Chawla. The families of the Shuttle pilot Willie McCool and
payload specialist Ilan Ramon enjoyed the "jalebis" they ate in Bombay.
Kalpana's husband Jean Pierre Harrison visited Karnal (her hometown)
with Bill Readdy a member of NASA and announced that he had set up an
organization Montsu in memory of Kalpana to provide scholarships to
students from developing countries to study space science.
ECSTATIC DELHI TO HOST COMMONWEALTH GAMES IN 2010:
The acceptance of India's bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2010 was
met by euphoria and celebrations. The country will now upgrade some
existing stadium and infrastructure and build others to get ready to
hold the games. India will be the second Asian country to host the games
in 80 years,
following
in the footsteps of
Kuala Lumpur
in Malaysia, which staged the event in 1998.
India
had been favourites to win the event, having never hosted it before.
New Delhi
officials had complained that wealthy countries were picked too often,
with Canada having hosted the event four times. Besides Malaysia, the
only other developing country to host the Games was Jamaica, in 1966.
With more than 1.2bn people, India is the largest nation in the
Commonwealth and accounts for 55% of the member countries' combined
populations. Held every four years, the Games bring together about 5,500
athletes from the 72-member Commonwealth of Britain. With a motto
celebrating "Humanity, Equality, Destiny," the event is aimed at
strengthening the union through sports.
Holding the Commonwealth Games is also seen as
giving an advantage to countries seeking to bid for future Olympic Game
METRO RAIL PROJECT FOR
HYDERABAD:
The traffic woes of the twin cities would be a thing of the past with
the proposed metro rail project about to take off. This was a long felt
need of the people of the area. The bridge would be built at a cost of
Rs. 48 lakhs. It would reduce the distance from Sanathnagar to Begumpet
by two km. The city was developing at a fast pace and the multi-mode
transport system and the new metro rail should go a long way in solving
the public transport problems.
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NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS -
INTERNATIONAL |
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INDIA &
CHINA EASE VISA RESTRICTIONS:
Relations
between India and China are improving and trade is on the increase. This
augurs well for the Visa regime, making Indian and Chinese businessmen
and tourists the ultimate gainers. Rules for business, tourist student,
employment and other types of visas have been laid down and simplified.
Businessmen can now apply for a six-month multiple entry business visa.
FIRST
INTERNATIONAL CAMEL FESTIVAL HELD IN
CHINA: In
Northern China the first International Camel Festival was held with a
unique event. Nearly 100 dressed up Camels vied for first place in the
beauty contest held for them. They were judged for their shiny hair and
their upright humps. More than 2000 fans cheered them on in the Inner
Mongolian region where the competition was held.
Golden Jubilee Celebration of
Himalayan Peaks,
NEPAL:
After the
successful completion of Mount Everest Golden Jubilee Celebration in May
29, 2003, Nepal Mountaineering Association has recently decided to
celebrate the Golden Jubilee Celebration of following peaks which had
been climbed fifty years by various mountaineers.
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Peak |
Height |
Climbed 50 years ago |
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Cho Oyu |
8,201m |
October 19,
2004 |
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Makalu |
8,463m |
May 15, 2005 |
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Kanchanjunga |
8,586m |
May 25, 2005 |
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Manaslu |
8, 163m |
May 9, 2006 |
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Lhotse |
8,516m |
May 18, 2006 |
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Daulagiri |
8,167m |
May 13, 2010 |
INDIANS TO GET VISA UPON ARRIVAL IN MALAYSIA:
Tourism Malaysia
has introduced a 14-day tourist visa on arrival for Indians. The move is
being welcomed by the Indian travel trade industry - already Malaysia
has seen the maximum growth of 25 percent in bookings for the winter
holiday season, and it has asked the government for permission to add
flights from Bangalore and Mumbai.
The Immigration Department of the Malaysian Government has launched
visa-on-arrival for Indian nationals visiting their country, if they
combine Malaysia with either Thailand or Singapore. The visas will be
issued from two entry points, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and
Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, Tanjung Kupang, Johor Bahru.
The cost of the visa is US$13.
INDIA’S OUTBOUND TRAFFIC TO CANADA IS BOOMING:
With the emergence of repeat travelers inclined towards experimental
travel, India is progressing towards becoming a matured outbound
disposition Recently a delegation from Canada Tourism Commission visited
Delhi aiming to increase the number from 6-8 fold in next decade.
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SPECIAL FEATURE |
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Raheem Residency Opens in Alleppey – ANOTHER HOME STAY IN KERALA:
Managing Partner Bibi Baskin’s, a new Irish-Indian venture on the Kerala
tourism map. Is thrown open at Alleppey since December 8th.
Raheem Residency,
Alleppey Beach, known locally as Raheem Bungalow, is an old Mughal /
colonial style house built in 1867 at Alleppey Beach, and now
painstakingly restored by her private limited company, Personalised
Holidays India Pvt.Ltd. in a classic Indian style.
Raheem
Residency
has six spacious en-suite bedrooms with high ceilings, traditional
classic furniture and sensitive lighting. In the centre of the main
building there is a large hall with the original teakwood ceiling,
Mughal arches with coloured fan lights, glass shutters inside and wooden
shutters outside. Back and front verandah echo each other in style. In
the first courtyard a 14.7 metre swimming pool, divided from the next
courtyard by an Ayurvedic suite of separate massage rooms for Ladies and
Gentlemen with hot showers. Here there is a studio flat. Next a rooftop
sea-view restaurant. The only one in Alleppey! An Outdoor Room for
lazing around in adds the final touch.
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DESTINATION
UNDER MAKING |
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DHOLAVIRA
(GUJARAT) – A DESTINATION UNDER MAKING:
Located in the salty marshes of the
Rann of Kutch, the ancient Dholavira site in
Gujarat, which was an
important part of the
Indus
Valley
civilization, is being developed as a major center for tourism and
archaeological research. It is believed that the mythical river
Saraswati ended its journey here after originating from Adi Badri in
Haryana. The place reveals history of our 5000 years old civilization.
As of now, this place remains out of bounds for tourists.
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NATURE DOES MATTER |
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TURTLE PROTECTORS,
GOA:
Over 9,000 young turtles hatched since 1999 owe their existence to the
concern and care of authorities and people of Canacona taluka. Galgibaga,
a picturesque village situated 5 kms from Poinguinim panchayat, has
become a hub for the endangered species Olive Riddley turtles. These
turtles were first given a new lease of life from man's commercial greed
in September 1999, when a group of NGO volunteers headed by Harvey
D'Souza and his team conducted a snake demonstration at the premises of
Galjibaga church.
HOLIDAY
CAMPS FOR ELEPHANTS IN TAMILNADU: It has been a jumbo task for the temple officials to transport 41
elephants on truck to a special rejuvenation camp in the Mudhumalai
sanctuary, in order to keep them healthy. Elephants from across the
state temples reported here for a month’s holiday. Since they were not
trained to get into a truck, it was really tough.
CHILIKA
LAKE, ORISSA: An island resort in the middle of
Asia's largest
saltwater lake in Orissa is endangering the precious limbless lizard
that
was thought to be extinct. The Chilika lake, about 100 km from here, has
long beckoned bird lovers and environmentalists and is known to support
India's biggest concentration of migratory waterfowl. The spotting of
the Barkudia skink or limbless lizard (Barkudia Insularisis) at Badakuda
island in the lake in September after 86 years created ripples of
excitement in wildlife circles.
Indeed, the lizard is
not even protected under the Wildlife Protection Act because it was
considered extinct. Its rediscovery had elated innumerable wildlife
enthusiasts. "According to Chilika Development Authority (CDA)
estimates, 95 endangered Irrawady dolphins are living in the lake, which
makes it the only such large
lake population in the entire world."
Due to the ecological importance of Chilika as a bird habitat and a
spawning ground for fish, non-traditional activity, including tourist
resorts or hotels, is prohibited to protect the lake's fragile
ecosystem. Only traditional activities like fishing and farming are
allowed in and around the lake area.
The Chilika Development Authority (CDA) has recorded 776 species of
plankton, flora and algae species from the lake. Besides, 225 species of
fish have been identified. It also houses 37 species of amphibians and
reptiles and 118 species of mammals. There is more - a recent survey
revealed the sighting of 205 species of birds. Nearly two million birds
visited the lake last winter, making it one of the most important
migratory waterfowl habitats in
Asia. Rare species like spot billed ducks, spoonbills, avocets,
blue winged teal, osprey and tufted ducks are seen every winter.
GOA
STATE WOULD WITNESS PLANTING OF 100000 ORCHIDS & ANTHURIUMS BY
MAR’04:
The state would witness planting of around 1 lakh orchids and anthuriums
by March 2004.
The 6th Plant
Utsav was inaugurated at Garcia de Orta Garden, in the city, organised
by the Botanical Society of Goa (BSG), etc. It was observed that though
tourism formed the backbone of
Goa's
economy, one cannot depend on it throughout the year.
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PERMANENT FEATURE - GOA |
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Sanquelim’s Boat Fest by Valerie Rodrigues
(valerie3@rediffmail.com):
The boat
festival at Sanquelim marking the end of the Diwali festivities turned
out to be indeed a spectacular cultural extravaganza. The festival, held
this year on the night of November 8th, traces its origins to
ancient times when lamps were set afloat on the sacred Valvanti river to
mark the end of the Diwali celebrations. The traditional clay lamps used
in those days slowly gave way to lamps and lamp holders of different
materials like bamboo, paper, dried banana leaves (drones),
thermacol, etc. Nowadays, boats made of various materials are
illuminated and set afloat, creating a dazzling blaze of lights that
brighten the night and reflect on the rippling waters of the river.
Organised in past years by the Deepavali Utsav Samiti,
Sanquelim, the festival has always received a good response from the
locals. This year, in an effort to safeguard and encourage cultural
talent and traditions as well as to enable tourists to witness the
Tripurari Poornima (full moon night celebrations), special coaches
arranged from Panaji, Calangute and Mapusa, there was a much bigger
crowd this time including a few foreigners too. The festivities began at
8:30pm with a
classical musical program by various artistes followed by traditional
folk dances by Kanta Gawde’s troupe. Apart from enjoying the popular
folk dances of fugdi and dhalo, the audience was
enthralled with the intricate lamp dance performed by women balancing
lighted lamps on their heads. Also impressive was a dance on stilts,
where the participants danced enthusiastically and energetically, both
enjoying themselves as well as treating the audience to a skilful
performance.
Unexpected showers of rain throughout the evening did
nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of the crowds. After the palki
(carrying of the palanquin) of Lord Vithal from the Vithal Mandir on the
banks of the river, the folk dances continued, followed by fireworks
which delighted the crowds as the night sky was lit with beautiful and
colourful displays. The Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar set afloat a
boat to mark the start of the boat competition. It is obvious that the
efforts to popularise the event were successful and with proper
infrastructure in place, this festival could prove to be a major tourist
attraction. At the same time however, care should be taken to maintain
the ethnicity and retain the fascinating charm of this beautiful
festival.
GOA
PLANS FLOATING THEATRE AHEAD OF INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2004:
Now that Goa
has been selected as the permanent Venue for India's International Film
Festivals, plans are afoot to set up a floating theatre with a single
auditorium seating 300. A film city is also on the anvil. North Goa's
Ponda district will soon have a multiplex spread over 400 acres, a blend
of Portuguese architecture and contemporary design. A state of the art
studio is also part of the project. The floating theatre will have a
breath taking view of the palm-fringed banks of the Mondovi River. The
International Film Festival (IFFI) 2004 is planned for the first week of
December, to take advantage of crowds expected for St Francis Xavier's
"exposition."
450TH
DEATH ANNIVERSARY OF ST FRANCIS XAVIER OBSERVED IN GOA:
December 3rd marked the 450th death anniversary of St Francis Xavier.
His church in Old Goa celebrated High Mass. Visitors thronged Francis
Xavier's "pediment" inside the Basilica of Bom Jesus His body lies in a
glass case in the St Francis Xavier church and is allowed for public
viewing only once every 10 years. St Xavier's "sacred relics" will be
"exposed" from November 21, 2004 to 2 January 2005 as per decree of the
Archbishop of Goa. An event like this gives a boost to visitors to Goa
as tourists from Latin America, Portugal, European Union, North America
and Asia flock to Goa for the "Exposition" and the annual Carnival.
Old Goa-Panaji belt to get a face-lift:
The state government has decided to give a major face-lift to the Old
Goa - Panaji belt through a project costing around Rs 2 crore, in view
of the exposition of St Francis Xavier and the holding of the
International Film Festival of India, both of which would be held during
the first week of December, next year. The entire exercise would be
carried out by the Goa State Infrastructure Development Corporation and
would be completed by November, next year.
Most of the Old Goa village has been declared as the
conservation zone and the heritage sites are under the jurisdiction of
Archaeological Survey of India, developmental activities can be carried
out by taking all these aspects into consideration.
PANJIM ABLAZE:
This innovative theme would add to the beauty
of Panjim town this December. Starting on 19 Dec, the Liberation Day of
Goa, the selected streets and its beautiful buildings would remain
illuminated for two weeks. It may be recalled that all the major
buildings that carry some aesthetic values, are being renovated from
outside and all the roundabouts, curbs and lawns at the road side have
been beautified already. Keeping in view the International Film Festival
that is to be held next year, these remarkable steps taken by the
government are definitely going to pay dividends!
NEW TRAIN BETWEEN JODHPUR & TRIVANDURM VIA
GOA:
A new
weekly train was introduced from 1 Nov connecting these two cities.
Train Number 6312 from Trivandrum to Jodhpur departs at 1330 hrs on Sat
to reach Jodhpur at 1810 hrs on Monday. It leaves
Jodhpur on Wednesday
at 1155 hrs to reach Trivandrum at 0440 hrs on Friday.
TOP
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CONTEST |
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Just Answer Five Simple Questions:
·
Rabindranath Tagore, the famous Indian poet, received the Nobel Prize in
which year?
·
Which Indian movie was nominated for Oscar awards last year?
·
Garden of Five Senses is situated in which city of India?
·
From which point in India can one see the sunset as well as the sunrise?
·
Which place in India did Vasco Da Gama land up in 1498?
LAST
DATE:
31 Dec’03
to send your entries at the email address
pmaurya@vsnl.net
ANSWERS OF LAST CONTEST:
·
In
which city of India would you find the Golden
Temple ANS:
Amritsar
·
In
which state of India would you find the Rumtek monastery?
ANS:
SIKKIM
·
Where in India would you find the Saptkoteshwar temple?
ANS:
GOA
·
The
only place where you can find the Asiatic
lions? ANS:
Gujarat
·
India was recently visited by the Prince of which
country? ANS:
UK
WINNER OF LAST
CONTEST:
The proud winner of the last contest is Mr. Nandan Banerjee,
Moscow!
He is being sent a book on India!
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