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OCTOBER2002
MESSAGE
FROM THE EDITOR We
are happy to bring out the latest issue of our tourism newsletter from India!
The festive mood in India is at its best, after Ganesha came Dussehra and the
next one lined up is the festival of lights DIWALI! India invites you to see it
for yourself! The dastardly attacks in Bali have brought a blow to the already suffering tourism industry, which had shown significant signs of improvement. Let us pray for those innocent peace loving people who lost their lives and hope for a better day tomorrow.
India
has already started repositioning its troupes from the Pakistan borders
adjoining the states of Gujarat & Rajasthan We would like to have more participation from the readers of the newsletter and look forward to your critical feedback on this issue. Keep traveling and don’t forget to wear that million dollar smile! See you in India! Air-India
launches marketing campaign for Newark and Frankfurt services:
Air
India has started a marketing campaign for its upcoming Newark and Frankfurt
services planned to be launched from December this year. Air India's Newark
service to New York will be in addition to the current daily service from JFK
airport. Air India is also returning to Frankfurt from 3 December. Both these
services will be using Boeing 747 aircraft. SILKAIR EYES
INDIA WITH GROWTH PLANS: The carrier, which is already
operating flights from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, will be opening flight
routes to Hyderabad & Jaipur. Hyderabad services are going to start from end
of October as thrice a week flight. In Jaipur, they would have charter flights
landing on every Saturday from November 2 – December 28.
JAPAN’s BIGGEST AVIATION GROUP TAKES
OFF: Japan Airlines
System Corporation, a holding company controlling Japan Airlines (JAL), began
operations on Oct 2, becoming the world’s 6th biggest airline. JET AIRWAYS GETS THE BEST DOMESTIC AIRLINE
AWARD: Jet Airways
has been conferred the “Bets Domestic Airline of the Year 2001” Award at the
9th H& FS National Awards for excellence in Hospitality &
Tourism. INDIAN AIRLINES
SEVRICE BETWEEN CHANDIGARH & GOA FROM 27 OCT: Indian Airlines starts its flights
from Chandigarh to Goa every day via Delhi & Mumbai from 27 Oct. IC 865 will
leave Chandigarh at 1030 hrs and reach Goa at 1540 hrs.
PAWAN HANS HELICOPTER
SERVICE IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH:
Arunachal
Pradesh government has taken a 26 seater twin engine MI-172 helicopter from
Pawan Hans Helicopter Ltd on long term wet lease basis. This will help the state
carry tourist traffic to most of the areas. This helicopter can carry a load up
to 25 passengers with full load in high altitude areas of approximately 7,000
feet with one hour flying. This is an improvement over the Dauphin helicopter
that could carry 7 to 8 passenger only upto approximately 5,000 feet with one
hour of flight.
MAHAN
AIR OF IRAN STARTS OPERATION TO DELHI:
The
first flight landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport from Tehran amid
hopes of better relation between the two countries. Mahan Air will be flying two
flights to and fro every week on Wednesday and Saturday
with wide-bodied Airbus 300 and 310. The
flight is expected to attract tourists between the two countries. Mahan
Air, the 2nd largest airlines of Iran with an extensive network of operations
within Iran covering 9 destinations in the gulf and International destinations
such as Duesseldorf, Bahrain, Jeddah, Dubai, Kabul, Bangkok, &
Colombo. Their Delhi contacts are: 72, Regal Building, 2nd Floor, Connaught
Place, New Delhi-110001 Tel: 3368732 /3368738 / 3368801 / 334638 LH DOING GOOD BUSINESS: While many airlines are still
struggling, Lufthansa appears to be gearing up for the hiring of thousands of
flight attendants, pilots and airport workers in an expectation of substantial
increases in traffic. TAJ GROUP BUYS REGENT MUMBAI:
The Indian
Hotels company owners of Taj Group have acquired the Lokhandwala-owned Regent
Mumbai and has already taken over its operations and renamed it Taj Lands End.
The effective cost of acquisition is Rs. 4150 million (US Dollars 80 million).
The group will restructure the top four floors of the property initially.
HOTEL
UDAIVILAS OPENED IN UDAIPUR: The
Oberoi Group's latest luxury resort, opened on August 15, 2002. Located on Lake
Pichola, Udaivilas is a luxury resort. It has been conceived in the royal
tradition of the grand palaces of Mewar, and commands a magnificent view of Lake
Pichola, the City Palace and the Aravalli range. All rooms have private terraces
and Italian white marble bathrooms with separate shower stalls. Many rooms have
an access from individual room terraces to a very large semi-private swimming
pool. A special feature of the hotel is that all suites have private pools.
The resort has two restaurants which
will serve fine Continental, Indian and Rajasthani cuisine. During good weather,
the hotel will have Alfresco dining in the courtyard overlooking Lake
Pichola. OBEROI BHUBANESHWAR IS NOW A
TRIDENT:
The Oberoi Group
announced the repositioning of its hotel in Bhubaneswar. Effective October 1,
2002, The Group's existing hotel in Bhubaneswar has been re-branded The Trident,
Bhubaneswar. Trident Hotels are superior first class international hotels
offering a world of contemporary facilities designed to offer quality and value.
At Trident Hotels, caring for the guest is perfected to a fine art by friendly
and efficient service making them the ideal choice for business and leisure
travellers.
Located only 6 kilometres from the city centre and 15 minutes from
the airport, The Trident, Bhubaneswar is set amidst 14 acres of landscaped
gardens. The hotel's spacious lobby has a friendly ambience. The recently
renovated rooms have been elegantly furnished in soft earth tones and overlook
the landscaped gardens or the swimming pool. All rooms are equipped with mini
bars, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, direct dial telephones and
data port connectivity. A multi-cuisine restaurant and a bar add an element of
relaxed comfort. The Trident, Bhubaneswar provides an ideal base from which to
explore the historic temples and sites in and around Bhubaneswar. Trident Hotels
are also located in the historic cities of Agra, Jaipur, Udaipur, Khajuraho,
Chennai and Cochin. RADISSON OPENS IN VARANASI: Varanasi now can boast of another
new 5 star 80 rooms property called Radisson, which started functioning
recently. We shall feature more details on this property in the next issue. HYATT REGENCY GOA HAS ITS SOFT
OPENING: The luxurious resort located
at the beautiful stretch of Arossim beach in South Goa had its soft opening on
19 Oct’02. The 251 property offers excellent eating outlets and exclusive Spa
facilities. SINCLAIRS
RETREAT DOOARS, CHALSA: The Sinclairs
group has opened the Sinclairs Retreat Dooars at Chalsa in North East of India.
Hill-top, on Siliguri-Guwahati Highway ninety minutes drive from Siliguri, is a
high class self contained tourist destination, offering eco-friendly
accommodation in ethnic style with natural surroundings and an array of
recreational facilities. The accent is on peace, tranquility and quiet living in
natural surroundings. Spread over 20 acres of landscaped garden, the resort
comprises 72 air-conditioned and non air-conditioned cottage style rooms
furnished with modern amenities. Adventure, trekking, nature lovers visits to
reserve forests and Ayurvedic rejuvenation therapy are available here. GOA GRAND INTERCONTINENTAL TO OPEN IN
NOVEMBER: The
first five star deluxe hotel in the southern most part of Goa with its 253 rooms
(to begin with 154 room) and a beach front of 883 m is to open soon in November
30. This is located in the Canacona area, 70 km from the airport. In our next
issue, we shall bring more details on this.TOP FESTIVALS / MARTS & EVENTS QUTAB FESTIVAL IN DELHI: The famous festival, reviving the culture of Delhi and
depicting the glory of past era was celebrated last month. This goes on for two
days at the backdrop of lit up monuments of Qutab Minar. Many classical and
Qawwali singers and their groups were invited.
Deepawali
(4 November 2002): This is perhaps
the happiest and the most beautiful of festivals in India. Deepawali or Diwali
is the day when King Rama's coronation was celebrated in Ayodhya after his epic
war with Ravana, the demon king of Lanka. Countless flickering oil lamps and
lights are lit in houses all over the country making it a night of enchantment.
Worship of Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, fireworks and festivities are an
essential part of the occasion. Beautiful lamps are hung outside homes that are
symbolic of the spiritual light dispelling evil and the darkness of ignorance.
Doorways are hung with flower garlands with mango leaves and
marigolds.
Everyone feasts and shops and starts new projects or ventures. The
occasion of Deepawali sees the spring-cleaning and whitewashing of houses;
decorative designs or rangolis are painted on floors and walls. New
clothes are bought and family members and relatives gather together to offer
prayers, distribute sweets and to light up their homes.
Ramzan (6
November 2002):
The
month of Ramadan comes once each year giving every fasting Muslim a spiritual
and physical improvement, which lasts until the following year. Ramzan is the
most sacred and holy month in the year for Muslims all over the world. The whole
month is spent fasting strictly from sunrise to sunset, not even drinking water
and observing an austere lifestyle of restraint and duty. Once the moon is
sighted over the horizon, the daily fast ends and there is all night feasting
and merriment. The fast is broken with a ritual called Iftari, with dates, spicy
biryanis, kebabs, rose scented sweets and cool kulfis and faloodas. On Ramzan
day all men go to the mosque and return home to rich meals cooked by the women
folk and enjoyed in the company of family and friends. Children are given Idi or
gifts of money, to convey blessings to them. NEPAL'S BIGGEST
FESTIVAL DASHAIN (Oct 11-19): The festive season in Nepal has
already started. The entire country is in enthusiastic holiday mood. The change
of mood is induced psychologically by the turn of autumn season after a long
spell of monsoon, introducing clear and brilliant days, azure blue sky and a
green carpet of fields. The market is filled with shoppers seeking new clothing,
gifts, luxuries and enormous supplies of temple offering for the gods, as well
as foodstuffs for the family feast. Dashain, the most important festival of the
Nepalese, is just round the corner (Oct 11-19, 2002). Dashain is the longest and
the most auspicious festival in the Nepalese annual calendar, celebrated by
Nepalese of all caste and creed throughout the country. The fifteen days of
celebration occurs during the bright lunar fortnight ending on the day of the
full moon. KTM
2002: At the Kerala Travel Mart
(KTM) in Cochin, India’s premier tourism buyer-seller meet between 3 – 5 Oct’02,
there were over 532
buyers from overseas and 324 buyers from within India. Buyers came from
Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Gulf, North and South America,
Central Asia republics, etc. Many media persons were also present. The next mart
will take place in October 2003. The
identified target markets include South East Asia, Middle East, South Africa,
West Africa, UK, Germany and other emanating European markets.
KURUKSHETRA
FEST IN DECEMBER: The Ministry
of Tourism and Culture and Haryana Tourism are organizing a five-day cultural
festival in Kurukshetra from December 11 to 16, 2002. Kurukshetra is the
legendary battleground of the Indian epic Mahabharata. The seven zonal cultural
centers (ZCCs) will join hands with the Haryana Department of Culture in staging
a one and a half-hour dance drama based on the epic on each of the five days.
The festival will also feature a sound and light show. AERO INDIA SHOW TO BE HELD IN FEBRUARY
2003: The fourth International
Aerospace Exposition Aero India 2003 will be held at Bangalore from February 5
to 9, 2003. Bangalore is India’s high technology city with a heavy concentration
of aerospace and defense industry establishments and a number of world-renowned
scientific research institutions. It is also India’s Silicon Valley with a large
number of Information technology companies based here. The world’s leading
players of the aerospace industry will be participating.
5000
DELEGATES EXPECTED FOR INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT MEET (Oct 23 – Nov
01’02):
The
international conference on climate change, COP 8 is being held in New Delhi
from October 23 to November 1. Over 5000 delegates, from about 185 countries,
that are parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCC) are expected to participate. COP 8 would be one of the largest
international conferences to be held in India. Vigyan Bhavan’s plenary hall and
10 other halls would be the scene of action.
WORLD CUP CHESS IN HYDERABAD: The 2nd Chess World Cup is
going on at Hyderabad and 22 grandmasters from all over the world are
participating. India’s Vishwanath Anand, the defending champion will also be
there. The women’s event is led by Mala Chiburdanidze of Georgia. The former
world champion is also the highest decorated player among women. METRO RAIL UPDATE (DELHI): In December, the first 8.3
kilometres of a planned 62-kilometre commuter rail network is scheduled to open
in New Delhi. The entire system is scheduled for completion by late 2005
including 11 kilometres of underground. Up to 2 million people are expected to
use the system daily. MAIDEN RUN OF BULLET TRAIN BETWEEN MUMBAI
& GOA ON 31 DEC: The Konkan Railway Corporation has
set 31 December this year as the date for the maiden run of the fastest train in
India which would run at a speed of 150 kmph. NEW
LUXURY TRAIN “DECCAN ODYSSEY” TO BE LAUNCHED IN JANUARY 2003:
The
Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) is launching “Deccan Odyssey”
a luxury train on the lines of Rajasthan’s Palace on Wheels, from January next
year. This 96-seater train’s seven-day itinerary will include Ratnagiri and
Ganapatipule, Pune, the Ajanta Caves and the beaches of Goa. The project is a
joint venture of MTDC and the Indian Railways. NILGIRI
MOUNTAIN RAIL TO GET OIL FIRED STEAM ENGINE:
The Nilgiri
Mountain Railway will now be powered by an oil fired (instead of coal) steam
engine. This well-known train has been operating for over a century in the
picturesque Nilgiri Mountain range over a 46 km route from Mettupalayam in the
plains to Ootacamund (Udhagamandalam). It is one of only 5-mountain railways
left in the world. The steam engines pushing the coaches uphill are old (The
youngest engine is about 50 years old). The train is an engineering marvel. Starting from Mettaupalayam in the
plains at 1,700 ft it reaches a peak of 7,300 feet near Fernhill before coming
to a halt at Udhagamandalam at 7,223 ft, after traversing 16 tunnels and more
than 250 bridges. Kulu Airport to
be upgraded:
In the next two years’ time, the airport of
Kulu-Manali will be upgraded and the airstrip would be made longer enabling the
bigger aircrafts to land. Many flights every day could be then expected to touch
the Bhuntar airport. ARTISTS TO SPREAD MESSAGE OF ECOTOURISM IN
UTTARANCHAL: World Tourism Organization has declared 2002 as the
Year of Eco Tourism and Mountains. As a unique experiment, the Ministry of
Tourism in collaboration with Uttaranchal Government has invited 22 well known
artists from all over the country to paint ‘Different Moods of Himalayas’ and
their perceptions about mountains, during their one week stay at Ananda Resort
in the Garhwal in Uttaranchal. Later these paintings will be displayed all over
the country to spread the message of eco tourism. MARKETING BLITZ BY MINISTRY OF
TOURISM:
A number of confidence building
measures have been initiated by Ministry of
Tourism to increase tourist traffic to India. About 250 foreign media travel
writers and tour operators have been invited to see for themselves that India is
safe, secure and friendly destination and to let them have first hand
experience. These travel writers and tour operators will get an opportunity to
see various Indian destinations. PALACE ON AIR IN RAJASTHAN IN DECEMBER:
After the
highly successful `Palace On Wheels’ tourists will now be able to enjoy a Royal
Excursion aboard the `Palace-On-Air’. This service will be operated on a Boeing
aircraft and begin from Delhi to Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and
Bikaner. It should be able to carry 70 pax each day on its daily service on a
seven day & six night package. FORTUNE MAGAZINE RECOGNISES INDIAN WOMEN
POWER: Three
Indian women have been listed in two lists prepared by the Fortune magazine
amongst the 50 most powerful women in the world. It includes Vidya Chhabaria,
52, with $2-billion Jumbo group; Naina Lal Kidwai, 45, vice chairman and MD of
HSBC Group’s investment banking division in India and Indira Nooyi, the
president and CFO of Pepsico. TOP CELEBRITIES AND CEO’S IN
INDIA:
A number of
celebrities are currently in India. Goldie Hawn and Richard Gere are currently
in Dharmsala, the retreat of the Dalai Lama. So is well-known physicist Stanley
Chu. Jeffrey Immelt, CEO of General Electric was in India as also Ken Chenault,
CEO of American Express Company. Tom Engibous Chairman of Texas Instruments was
in Bangalore. Shortly expected are Mr. and Mrs. Bill Gates, who will be visiting
a number of cities in India. At the same time, pop super star Elton John will
give a performance in Bangalore on November 2, 2002. The Kennedy family has
always had close connections with India. Recently Joseph P. Kennedy II, Robert
Kennedy’s son spent a week here to discover the new face of India from the
deserts of Rajasthan to the Taj Mahal and the backwaters of Kerala. NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International) ASIAN GAMES SECOND MAJOR EVENT IN SOUTH
KOREA:
South Korea
hosted another major sporting event, the 14th Asian Games coming
shortly after FIFA World Cup soccer it jointly hosted with Japan. Close to 10000
athletes participated from 44 countries in Busan (earlier known as Pusan). The
Busan Metropolitan city government has spent 3 trillion won (US Dollars 2.5
million) for the games. This is the largest gathering in the 51-year-old history
of Asian Games, which started with only 500 athletes in 1951 in New Delhi.
Significantly North and South Korea jointly participated. Afghanistan also
participated after a long gap. MACAU STEPS UP PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY OPENS
REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN NEW DELHI: In addition to the stepping up of
promotional activities in priority markets, Macau Government Tourist Office
(MGTO) has set up a new representative office in the emerging source market of
India. CHINA
DOES WELL WITH TOURISM:
China
ranked fifth in overseas tourist arrivals in 2001, hitting 33.2 million, up 6.2
percent from 2000, according to the latest statistics released by the World
Tourism Organization (WTO). The statistics also show that China's international
tourism income reached 17.8 billion US dollars in 2001, up 9.7 percent from
2000. China has, for the first time, surpassed Britain and Germany, ranking
fifth in profits from tourism. The year 2001 saw the number of outbound tourists
reaching 12.13 million, up 15.9 percent from 2000. The State Council has approved 22 countries and regions to be
tourism destinations for Chinese citizens, making China the biggest source of
tourists in Asia. The WTO predicts that by 2020, China will be the world's No.1
tourism destination and the fourth major source of tourists.
SIR EDMUND HILLARY TO
BE HONOURED:
To mark the
50th anniversary of climbing Mount Everest, New Zealand will honour
Sir Edmund Hillary who along with Mr. Tenzing Norgay became the first persons to
accomplish this on May 29, 1953. The Sport and Recreation New Zealand
organization has thrown an unusual challenge to its countrymen to perform any
unusual outdoor adventure in any country between May1 to October1, 2003. A grant
of up to 100,000 New Zealand Dollars (US $ 45000) will be given to anybody
willing to tackle any outdoor adventure. It could be like canoeing in the Congo,
battling extreme conditions in Antarctica or climbing a peak in Chile or
anything similar. BANDHAVGARH: Bandhavgarh is a new national
park with a very long history. Set among the Vindhya hills of Madhya Pardesh
with an area of 1161sq kms it contains a wide variety of habitats and a high
density of game, including a large number of Tigers. This is also the white
tiger country. These have been found in the old state of Rewa for many years.
The last known was captured by Maharaja Martand Singh in 1951. This white tiger,
Mohun is now stuffed and on display in the palace of Maharaja of Rewa. Prior to becoming a National Park, the forests around Bandhavgarh had long been maintained as a Shikargarh, or game preserve of the Maharaja of Rewa. Hunting was carried out by the Maharaja and his guests-otherwise the wildlife was well protected. It was considered a good omen for Maharaja of Rewa to shoot 109 tigers. His Highness Maharaja Venkat Raman Singh shot 111 Tigers by 1914. History: Bandhavgarh has been a center of
human activity and settlement for over 2000 years, and there are references to
it in the ancient books, the NARAD-PANCH RATRA and the SHIVA PURANA. Legend has
it that Lord Rama, hero of the Hindu epic, the Ramayan, stopped at Bandhavgarh
on his way back to his home land after defeating the demon King Ravana of Lanka.
Two monkey architects, who had engineered a bridge between the isle of Lanka and
the mainland, are said to have built Bandhavgarh's fort.
Within the Park: The most effective way to search
for Tigers is on elephant back. Government elephants belonging to the forest
department and equipped with walkie-talkies, can be boarded from a point near
the forest rest house not far from the park entrance. It is advisable to book
your elephant and to wear plenty of warm clothing if going for an early morning
ride in winter. There are many tigers in the park and the elephants are able to
take you up steep, rocky hillsides and down marshy riverbeds which are
impassable to vehicles. There are several good weather roads
in the park. Jeeps are definitely recommended over other vehicles and can be
hired from the Tiger's Den resort. A forest guide must accompany all visitors
into the park. Entry in to the park is allowed only during daylight hours. For
both elephants and jeep rides, the hours immediately after dawn and before
sunset are best. Geographical Details: Area: 1161 sq. kms. (Source /
Courtesy - Tiger Den Resorts, Bandhavgarh) OZONE LAYER: It seems that the ozone layer in
the Antarctic is the smallest it has been in almost 15 years. It also appears to
have split in two so we now have a double phenomenon. Scientists warn that the
shrinking of the ozone hole has more to do with strange weather patterns than it
does with man's ability to clean up his act. ISRAELI CHARTER FLIGHTS TO
GOA:
While Israeli
charters are all set to arrive in India for the first time and be a part of
tourism related activities in Goa from October 28, Israelis feel the Government
of India tourism office should be re-opened in Tel Aviv for better promotion of
India in that country. This request has come from a 7-member team of journalists
from Israel currently on a brief visit to India for a first-hand experience of
tourism in Goa before the charters arrive next month. Ironically, GOI tourism
office in Israel has downed its shutters when charter operations are to begin
for the first time between the Holy Land and Goa. In all, five
charters are expected to land in Goa after October 28 and the last charter is
scheduled to return to Israel on December 4. Each charter is expected to carry
on board 266 passengers to Goa. The charters will be handled by SITA and ARKIA -
Israeli Airlines Limited. Dr Magda Mali-Kalantar of ARKIA said that of the 266
passengers as many as 200 would be the up-market tourists as against the
back-packers who have been visiting Goa on earlier occasions. The charters have
also tied up with various 3, 4 and 5 starred hotels in the state. The charters
will stay in Goa for a period of one week and experience the best of Goa’s
heritage, eco-tourism, besides the sandy shores. It was also informed that each
Israeli visitor would be spending between 800-2000 US dollars for the package
offered to them. Colva beach
bracing up for face lift:Salcete’s queen
of beaches — the world famous Colva, is bracing up for a general face lift
before the ensuing tourist season. The narrow and bumpy
Colva-Margao road will be a thing of the past this season. Not only the road
will be widened wherever possible, but the entire eight kilometer stretch from
the Colva beach square to the Old market circle, Margao will be spruced up with
a layer of hot mix.
To
give the beach square at Colva a new look, the tourism department has got rid of
hawkers located in a lane on the spacious Colva beach square. The entire space
is now proposed to be judiciously utilised for parking of vehicles The entire
stretch of beach will be cleaned twice a day. This exercise will be carried out
day-to-day basis. A SEPARATE INTERNATIONAL TERMINAL AT GOA
AIRPORT: This is in
offing now and the government is already in the process of acquiring new land
for the purpose.
HURDLES CLEARED TO RE-FLOAT RIVER
PRINCESS: Comes
the third tourism season and the grounded ship MV River Princess is still lying off
Goa beach to welcome the tourists. The good news is that the state authorities
are now almost relieved from all the legal hassles, except a petition filed in
the high court by the local Candolim village panchayat. The Goa government has
adopted a tough approach, not to break the ship in the sea but to try and
refloat it, so that it could be towed away, avoiding any kind of pollution on
the coast. Taj Group of
Hotels launches " Spa Aguada" in Goa:
Taj Group of
Hotels has launched Spa Aguada, a luxurious spa overlooking the soft sands and
clear waters of magnificent Fort Aguada Beach Resort and the Taj Holiday
Village. The Spa Aguada is housed in three tranquil Goan cottages. The first
cottage is an integrated spa cum salon for men and women offering aromatherapy,
massages, special skin and hair care treatments. The second cottage offers an
Ayurvedic room, suite with massage beds, flower bath and private steam and
shower facility. The third cottage is state of the art gym with panoramic view
of the sea. The surrounding landscaped lawns play host to stone platforms and a
pavilion for yoga, with a spectacular sea view. The spa offers wide range of
therapeutic treatments from Aromatherapy and Bio Marine therapy, Ayurvedic
treatments, Reflexology and many more. The Spa provides and integrated and
holistic approach to physical health and development. Fiesta to
enliven PANJIM’S heritage:
Fontainhas ward,
the 'Latin quarter' of the capital city will buzz with the art connoisseurs and
lovers of heritage structures, for two weeks, stretching from the end of January
to the beginning of February, next year. The 'Fontainhas Festival of Arts',
organised by the Goa Heritage Action Group (GHAG), will have private houses
turning into art galleries and displaying paintings, besides installation of
artworks, traditional dance performances like Marches das Fontainhas, puppet
shows and pottery demonstrations. The whole exercise is being planned in order
to give a face-lift to the beautiful streets and houses, which in turn would
sensitise the people and the government about the importance of the grossly
neglected heritage area. "The Fontainhas ward was declared as
the conservation zone, way back in 1974; Even though the festival will
continue for two weeks, there would be no unnecessary intrusion in the privacy
of the locals. At present, 15 house-owners in the area have agreed to
participate in the festival, with a part of their house converted into art
galleries, cafeterias and even souvenir shops. The visitors to this festival
would also be able to savour the pristine interiors of the houses, antique
furniture included, besides Goan food. Most of the houses from the Fontainhas
ward were constructed during the 19th century. A number of Goan artists such as
Mario de Miranda, Hanuman Kambli, Rajshree Thakkar, Subodh Kerkar, Rajan Fulari
and others would display their work at this exhibition. The noted cartoonist Alexyz would set
up a street studio and do caricatures on request. Fundacao Oriente, a Portuguese
cultural organisation will also be holding an All India Art Competition to
coincide with this festival. Meanwhile, GHAG will also be holding a two-day Goa
Heritage Festival, at Campal, on November 26 and 27, later this year,
highlighting the natural beauty of the area. It will include academic session,
lectures by heritage experts from Goa and outside, live performances of Goan
folk traditions, demonstrations by local artisans such as basket weavers and
shell window makers and stalls displaying authentic Goan cuisine. KISSING OF THE INFANT JESUS AT COLVA CHURCH: The traditional fama of the Miraculous Menino Jesus was celebrated with gaiety and religious fervour. Thousands of devotees thronged at the church and waited in queue for their turns to come for kissing the statue of Menino Jesus. The statue was found off the Mozambique coast in the 17th century and was enthroned on a special altar at this church. A colourful village fair added to the atmosphere. PARADISE CRUISES LAUNCHED IN SOUTH GOA AT
SAL RIVER: On 14
Oct, much awaited cruise service started in South Goa as well. It offers an
exciting evening with one hour cruise on boat with music, songs, dances and
other entertaining programmes. GOA GETS THE BEST DOMESTIC DESTINATION
AWARD:
At the Hotel
& Food Servcie awards, Goa Tourism has been offered the award of being the
best domestic destination for the year 2001-02. TOURISM ON RISE IN GOA: The state is investing US Dollars
70 million in improving its infrastructure. There was an 11 per cent rise in
overall traffic at 1.4 million visitors, including 265000 foreign tourists and
1.2 million domestic visitors last year. There were 420-charter flights, mainly
from the U.K. About 65 per cent of the total foreign tourists came from the U.K.
while a majority of the rest belonged to European countries like Norway,
Netherlands, Switzerland, France and Portugal. TOP Just Answer Five
Simple Questions: 1) Which is called the Lutyen’s city in India?
2) Which is the
capital in-exile for Tibetans in India?
3) The festival of lights i.e. Diwali is associated with
which God?
4) Where do you find the
cave paintings of thousands of years ago near Bhopal – please name the
place. 5) Where did the Lord
Buddha get his enlightenment? ANSWERS OF LAST CONTEST: No all-correct entry was received by us towards the last
month’s quiz. The correct answers are: 1) In which state is the Bekal Fort
situated? ANS: In the Northern
Kerala near Kasargod! 2) Jog Falls, the highest waterfall in
India falls in which state? Please answer. ANS: The Jog Falls, 253 high and falls
in Karnataka 3) Which are the best months to visit
the Valley of Flowers and in which state is it located? ANS: July – August,
located in Uttaranchal in the Himalayas. 4) Which is the headquarters of Lahaul
Spiti in Himachal Pradesh? ANS: Keylong.
5) When did the first Indian train
start its operation and between which two places? ANS: In 1853 between Bombay and Thane in
Maharashtra Rules: It is open to only the foreign Tour Operators or the individuals. Only the all-correct entries are eligible for the lucky draw and one of them will be chosen for the prize – a book on India. The name along with correct answers will appear in our next newsletter. Last date to send your entries with your full postal address is 10 Nov’02. There are no legal obligations on us. NOTE: This newsletter is
currently being sent to about 1000 select tour operators, individuals, friends,
tourist offices, and other organizations. The news contents of this are compiled
through various resources, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, books, etc and
are being customized to suit our needs of balanced information in tourism and
its related field. The newsletter itself does not carry any commercial value and
the sole purpose is to increase the awareness and disseminate the available
information in a fast manner to the people concerned in the trade. We try to
provide the news as authentic and correct as possible, however, there might be
errors sometime. TOP
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