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Monthly Tourism Newsletter from India |
August - 2007 |
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Warm greetings from the country of Taj!
As India commemorates another Independence Day this August 15, she also celebrates another historic moment as she elects her first woman President – Pratibha Patil. Meanwhile, the outgoing President, Dr. Abdul Kalam, (India’s first Scientist President), has been chosen for the prestigious British King Charles II Medal for his extraordinary contribution to scientific advances in India.
Air India’s inaugural flight to New York on the wings of the latest Boeing Worldliner 777-220LR aircraft emblazoned with the airline’s new logo, was another momentous occasion for the national carrier.
Speaking of glorious moments, Wipro Chairman Azim Premji and Goa’s own, World Under-8 Chess Champ Ivana Furtardo have done India proud too, by being voted winners in their respective fields.
And another hurrah! Oberoi Group wins top honours in the prestigious Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards2007 reader’s survey as one of the best hotels in the world, while Jamawar Restaurant has made it to the Forbes List as one of the World’s Top Dining Places.
The Indian traveler has come of age too! Studies by Euromonitor International, a leading business and market intelligence provider, indicate that by 2011 over 16 million Indian tourists - double the current number - will travel abroad every year.
As we celebrate 60 years of Independence, our achievements in various fields have indeed made us very proud as Indians! Happy reading & See you in India! |
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AIRLINES UPDATEAIR INDIA GEARS UP FOR INAUGURAL MUMBAI - NEW YORK FLIGHT: Air India unveiled the arrival of its new Worldliner Boeing-777 200 Long Range emblazoned with the new logo and livery in the presence of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at the Indira Gandhi Airport on July 28. It was then flown to Mumbai for its inaugural flight to New York on August 1. The airline also plans to connect more Indian and American cities, including the two capitals, New Delhi and Washington as it seeks to expand its international operations. News Courtesy: Travel Weekly AIR INDIA TO PROCURE ANOTHER 60 BOEING AIRCRAFT: Air India is planning to phase out all its planes in another three to four years time, to be replaced with brand-new Boeings. They plan to buy another 60 aircraft over and above the 68 aircraft already on order from Boeing. Air India and Indian Airlines together have 111 aircraft on order, to be delivered by Airbus and Boeing. Incidentally, Air India's order for 68 Boeing jetliners, placed in December 2005, was the largest commercial aircraft order in India's civil aviation history in terms of price. The order consisted of 23 777s, including eight 777-200LR Worldliners, 15 777-300ERs, and 27 787-8 Dreamliners. Additionally, Air India Express, a wholly owned subsidiary of Air India, ordered 18 Next-Generation 737-800s. BOEING RECIPROCATES: In turn, Boeing has agreed to spend $1.7 billion to buy goods and services from Indian companies and will create a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in Nagpur as part of its India commitments following the Air India order. Boeing may also help in a pilot training program by funding some existing flying schools. AIR INDIA MULLS JOINING STAR ALLIANCE: Discussions are underway at Air India to consider its option of joining the 17-airline global Star Alliance. Several issues including the network and operational synergies, size of the Air India network and the airline’s corporate structure would be considered before taking a final decision. Joining the Alliance would also help the 17 member airlines to offer their frequent flyer members another option to earn and burn their miles. Acceptance into the Alliance would help Air India further increase its network. News Source: Business Line JET AIRWAYS DEBUTS IN EUROPE: Jet Airways launched its debut flight from Brussels to India On August 7, becoming the first private Indian carrier to fly to and from continental Europe. Jet Airways launched its first flight from Mumbai to the US with a two-hour stopover in Brussels. The airline will fly from India through Brussels to Toronto on September 5 and to Johannesburg in November. Jet Airways established an operational hub in Brussels in May to provide enhanced connectivity between India, Europe, Africa and North America.
AIR DECCAN BOOSTS FLIGHTS TO JODHPUR AND JAIPUR: On July 26, Air Deccan launched its new flights connecting the cities of Jodhpur and Jaipur to Chennai, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad on July 26. The flight to Jaipur will operate on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The other flight will operate on the other days of the week. A brand new 180 seater Airbus A-320 aircraft has been deployed on these routes. News Source: Business Standard
SPICE JET ADD KOCHI TO ITS NETWORK: Spice Jet will add Kochi as its new destination on Aug 15th this year. The airline is also keen to add on another 3-4 destinations to their network, most probably in northern and central parts of the country. INDIGO COMMENCES FLIGHTS ON KOCHI-DELHI SECTOR: IndiGo, the low-fare domestic airline commenced services connecting Kochi to Delhi and Hyderabad from July 27, putting into operation its brand new Airbus A320 on this route. The Airline now connects 15 Indian cities, offering 78 daily flights. News Source: Business Line MDLR PLANS TO LINK NON-METRO TO METRO CITIES: MDLR added some more non – metro cities to its network at the end of Jul’07 and is planning to start operations to Kullu, Jaipur, Surat, Mumbai, Goa, Hyderabad etc. by the end of the year. The aircrafts deployed on these routes have two class configurations with 64 economy class and 6 business class seats. AIR INDIA EXPRESS’ ADDITIONAL DOMESTIC FLIGHTS: Air India Express, the budget subsidiary of Air India the new carrier to be formed following the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines (Indian) has mapped out its additional domestic route charter. Starting October this year it plans to fly on the Madras-Cochin, Hyderabad-Cochin, Bangalore-Cochin, Madras-Bangalore, Madras-Calcutta, Calcutta-Hyderabad and Calcutta-Agartala sectors. The airline already has 11 weekly domestic flights from Calicut (3), Cochin (3), Madras (3) and Delhi (2) to Bombay. The new southern and eastern sectors will increase the number of domestic flights to 50. AAI TO COMPLETE NON-METRO AIRPORT MODERNISATION WORK BY 2010: AAI is expecting to develop and modernize all 35 non-metro airports by mid 2010. The authority has also identified 400 airstrips which it plans to develop as airports and is likely to rope in private players. Many state governments like Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, J & K, Punjab and Bihar have also evinced a keen interest in developing new airports. TIGER AIRWAYS TO LINK INDIA-AUSTRALIA IN OCTOBER: Singapore based, low fare Tiger Airways has launched four new Flight combos linking the South Indian Cities of Kochi and Chennai to its two Australian destinations of Darwin and Perth via Singapore. The Flight combos to Chennai will commence from 28 October 2007 while the Flight combos to Kochi will start from 30 October 2007. The Flight combos allow passengers to book two sectors of their travel at one time. Upon arrival in Singapore, passengers will simply have to clear customs and immigrations before checking in for their onward flight. News Source: Financial Times, London FINNAIR’S SHORT ROUTE TO MUMBAI: Using the shortest route, Finnair will now cover the distance between Mumbai – Helsinki in just eight hours enabling travelers to reach their destination faster. The flight to be operated five days a week with Airbus 340 aircraft will have 265 economy class seats and 30 business class seats. Finnair’s current three-weekly frequency to the Indian capital Delhi will also be increased to daily flights. EMIRATES AIRLINES STRENTHENS INDIAN OPERATIONS: In a bid to strengthen its India operations, Dubai based Emirates Airlines will increase the frequency of its flights to eight Indian cities from 71 a week to 85. The airline has also announced plans to introduce a third-daily service to Mumbai and a second-daily service to Chennai in October. It would also add three additional flights each to Cochin and Hyderabad over this year. MAIDEN AIRBUS A380 FLIGHT TICKETS TO BE SOLD FOR CHARITY: Singapore Airlines - the first airline in the world to fly the new Airbus A380 - is preparing for the first commercial flight of the new double-decker jumbo jet, from Singapore to Sydney and back in October this year. In response to requests from people all over the world to be passengers on the first flight, the Airlines will auction the seats on global online marketplace, eBay, and in an unprecedented move, all proceeds from the sale of tickets on the first flight will be donated to charities. News courtesy: Travel Weekly JET PARTNERS CITIBANK: Jet Airways and Citibank have extended their partnership by enhancing attractive and rewarding features on their co-branded credit cards. This super premium Jet Airways-CitiBusiness Credit Card allows members to accrue miles optimally. The Jet Airways Citibank co-branded credit card allows members the flexibility of accumulating JPMiles or spends on a vast range of options such as consumer durables, home essentials, dining out at restaurants and more. The JPMiles thus earned can be redeemed for free flights and upgrades under the award winning Jet Airways’ JetPrivilege frequent flyer programme. TOP HOTELS NEWS
IHCL TO MAKE ITS PRESENCE FELT IN GURGAON: The Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL) is strategically identifying fast emerging business centers across the country for its domestic expansion. Now IHCL will have its presence felt in Gurgaon with the proposed development of a 200-room premium business hotel, through a management contract with HB Estate Developers. The hotel will be operational by 2010. PUNE GETS SECOND TAJ BUSINESS HOTEL: Indian Hotels Company Ltd. (IHCL) has also entered into a management contract for a gateway hotel in Hinjewadi, Pune, with Paranjape Schemes Construction. This property will be a 150-room mid-market hotel with multi-cuisine restaurant, a bar, banqueting, meeting and business centre facilities and a health club. The hotel is situated in the fastest growing IT and Biotech site in Pune.
IGH SOFT LAUNCH OF CROWNE PLAZA TODAY IN GURGAON: International Hotels Group recently announced the soft launch of Crowne Plaza Today Gurgaon. The property will be the largest business hotel in Gurgaon. It has a choice of 11 meeting rooms with a total area 1260 sq. meters. The hotel will open a speciality restaurant – wildfire, a lounge & bar called Connexions and Café G, an all-day live-cooking buffet restaurant. MANSINGH TO ADD FIVE MORE HOTELS TO GROUP: The Mansingh Group has now decided to add five more properties to its portfolio across Northern India, with plans to construct deluxe resorts at places like Agra, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Jaipur. Their first two projects, expected to be completed by end 2007, would be set up at Udaipur and Jodhpur. A 150 room Hotel in Agra is also expected to be operational by Oct 2008. PENINSULAR’S ‘GRAND’ OPENING IN MUMBAI: A new business class hotel, Peninsula Grand was recently inaugurated at Saki Naka in the business hub of Andheri, Mumbai, with 81 rooms including a Presidential Suite, Platinum Suite, Amor Suite, Peninsula Club besides Superior and Deluxe Rooms. Hotel services include two way airport transfers, Wi Fi internet, Doctor on call, laptop compatibles, a travel center, complimentary breakfast and wine. METROPOLITAN’s NEW TIE UP WITH SUMMIT HOTELS: Metropolitan Hotel’s association with Nikko Hotels International ended on July 1, 2007. The hotel in Delhi has now announced its new tie up with Summit Hotels & Resorts, a luxury business hotel brand of Preferred Hotel Group of Chicago, USA. Preferred Hotel Group has more than 390 distinctive hotels across the globe spread over 62 countries.
MUTHOOT LEISURE PLANS 5-STAR PRESENCE IN KERALA: The Kerala-based Muthoot Group plans to build two 5-star hotels and a resort in Kerala commencing with a 250-room five star business hotel in Cochin and a five star beach resort at in Mararikulam. Plans for another five star business hotel in Coimbatore are also on the anvil. OBEROI GROUP OUT TO WOO THE DRAGON: Hospitality major, the Oberoi Group is checking out prospective partners for hotel projects in China particularly in Shanghai and Beijing. The Group is also looking at increasing its presence in the Gulf market, while checking out opportunities in other Asian destinations such as Singapore and Bangkok. News Courtesy: Travel Weekly OBEROI AMONG WORLD’S BEST: The Oberoi Udaivilas, the luxury hotel in Udaipur, has been ranked the best hotel in the world netting the Oberoi Group top honours in the prestigious Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards2007 reader’s survey. This kind of recognition is acknowledged amongst the most revered ranking in the international travel industry. To arrive at this ranking, hotels across the world were evaluated on characteristics ranging from accommodation and service to location. In the same survey, The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra has been ranked the 10th best hotel in the world while The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur has been rated the 11th best hotel in the world. LEELA’S JAMAVAR RESTAURANT ON FORBES BEST LIST: A long list of celebrity patrons, impeccable service and an unbeatable menu have helped Jamavar, the Indian signature restaurant at Bangalore’s The Leela Palace, to make its way into Forbes’ list of the world’s top power dining places. A special feature of Jamavar is its display of tandoor where guests can watch chefs skillfully preparing outstanding breads and tandoori items. NEW DELHI TO HOST FIRST EVER HOTEL INDUSTRY CONCLAVE IN AUGUST: India’s first ever summit level meeting of hospitality industry leaders will be held on August 23 – 24, 2007 at New Delhi. The ITC Maurya Hotel will be the venue for the ‘HAI Hoteliers Conclave’ which is likely to be attended by over 300 general managers, owners and chief executives of leading hotel companies. The Hoteliers Conclave’07 is expected to be institutionalized as an annual hospitality industry event. TOP
CAKE CHARIOTS FOR FAMOUS RATH YATRA: Three colourful, eggless cake replica’s of the famous Rath Yatra Chariots were on display at the Big Bazaar in Puri as an added attraction for the devotees attending the world famous Rath Yatra in Puri, Orissa. It took 10 hours to complete these novel cakes which weighed 13, 14 and 15 kgs respectively. Lord Jagannath’s chariot measured 4.3 inches while Balabhadra’s and Subhadra’s chariots measured 4.3 and 4.2 inches each. NEHRU SNAKE BOAT RACE IN ALLEPPEY: The regular snake boat race took off on Saturday 11 Aug at the backwaters of Alleppey in Kerala. This is an annual feature, named after first Indian prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru. TIRUPATHI TEMPLE RECEIVES HOLY ‘VASTRAMS’: Every year during the auspicious Tamil month of ‘Aani’ holy ‘Vastrams’ are presented by Srirangam temple to the Tirumala Tirupathi Devasthanams. According to legend, a Vaishnavite saint had safely hidden the processional deities (Lord Nemperumal and his consorts Goddess Sridevi and Sri Bhoodevi) of Srirangam temple at Tirupathi during the Muslim invasion. They remained hidden in the Tirupathi hills for two decades before they were brought back to Srirangam. MONARCHY FESTIVAL IN TRIPURA: The traditional seven day monarch festival on the occasion of Kharchi began in Tripura on July 23. The ceremonial worship started with a holy dip of the head statues of 14 deities in the River Howrah. Hundreds of devotees, irrespective of caste or creed participated in this festival taking a holy dip in the Kharchi ghat. Ritual sacrifice of animals and the chanting of mantras marked this festival. Interestingly, these 14 deities, which are locked in a room throughout the year, are brought out only on this special occasion.DEVOTEES BREAK COCONUTS ON THEIR HEADS: In a wish fulfillment ritual on the occasion of ‘Aadi Perukku’, devotees, most of whom are women, have coconuts broken on their heads by temple priests at the Shri Mahalakshmi Amman Temple, Tamil Nadu. In doing so, a few of them suffer minor cuts on their heads, which is then treated with a paste of turmeric by the priests. Prior to this ceremony, priests performance a pooja and other rituals to the presiding deity Mahalakshmi Amman. SAWAAN A FESTIVAL MONTH FOR NEWLY WEDS: The monsoon festival of ‘Sawaan’ in July-August, celebrated in Punjab as ‘Tiyan’ symbolizes the celebration of rain, life and love. At Amritsar’s 16th Century ‘Durgiana’ Temple, newly weds turn out in colourful floral attire seeking blessings for their wish fulfillment. They worship ‘Laxmi’ the goddess of wealth and ‘Narayan’ the preserver of the Universe. ‘Sawaan’ is also dedicated to ‘Lord Shiva’ and ‘Goddess Parvati’ who is bedecked with flowers on this occasion. CHENNAI’S HERBAL FESTIVAL: A five-day herbal festival was held in Chennai from July 18 to create awareness and highlight the importance of herbal plants and their medicinal value. ANNUAL MANGO FESTIVAL IN DELHI: A two-day, 18th Annual Mango Festival organized by Delhi Tourism was held at New Delhi’s Talkatora Indoor Stadium which drew over 30,000 visitors. Over 550 varieties of the King of Fruit from 50 participants across the country were displayed here. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (India)MOT LAUNCHES E-COMMERCE PLATFORM ON INCREDIBLE INDIA: The Ministry of Tourism of India has launched a new e-Commerce platform on its website www.incredibleindia.org. The web based services will enable customers to communicate directly with agencies, tour operators, hotels and Bed & Breakfast establishments, registered on this site, 24 hours a day. In future, MOT also plans to place medical tourism on the E-Commerce Platform The main objective of this platform is to facilitate Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs to promote/sell their products online without any committed investment. NEW AIR INDIA UNIFORMS GET RITU BERI TOUCH: Renowned Indian fashion designer Ritu Beri has been roped in by national carrier Air India to design the new uniform for its cabin crew and ground staff. The national carrier has gone in for a complete makeover to reflect its aspiration to be a "powerful" global entity. The design of the new uniforms draws inspiration from the Sun Temple of Konark in Orissa, yet maintains a modern outlook. The colour palette of the uniform is red, orange, black and white, with red standing for strength and orange for cultural roots. GUREZ VALLEY ON TOURIST MAP ONCE AGAIN: Ending years of isolation, the Gurez Valley, located along the line of control between India and Pakistan, has finally been thrown open to tourists, including foreigners. This scenic valley which lies on the historic silk route and connects Kashmir to Gilgit and Dras in Ladakh, is set apart from the rest of Kashmir by its unique culture, cuisine, language, lifestyle and even architecture. A Two day Gurez Festival showcasing these unique features along with the traditional handicraft and sports of the valley was held to mark the occasion. Its mountains landscape and the swift, undulating Kishenganga River make it ideal for adventure tourism, particularly white water rafting and trekking. It also serves as a base-camp for trekking expeditions to the high-altitude lakes of Kishensar and Gangabal. BALLOON RIDES: E Factor, a commercial venture plans to offer tourists visiting Agra, Khajuraho, Goa and Himachael Pradesh an aerial view of these States by commencing balloon rides. The promoters of the venture hope to put at least eight balloons in position in these cities by next year. CHANDIGARH - INDIA’S FIRST SMOKE FREE CITY: Chandigarh has taken a lead over other cities in becoming the country’s first smoke – free city under provisions of the Central Tobacco Control Act. Smoking cigarettes or bidis or any form of tobacco at any public place will now be treated as an offence. Not just smoking, but also throwing cigarette butts in the open would be considered a violation. INDIA’S FIRST SPACE UNIVERSITY IN CHENNAI: India’s first space university is all set to take wings next month hoping to groom tailor – made experts to fuel the country’s satellite and rocket programs. It would initially operate from the campus of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram. Around 150 students were expected to be enrolled in aeronautical and avionics engineering and integrated M. Sc. in Space Science in the first academic year. VARANASI’S VISHWANATH TEMPLE GOES ONLINE: The revered Vishwanath temple in Varanasi went online with the launch of an exclusive website to provide information on its day-to-day rituals. The website not only contains information about its day-to-day rituals but also allows devotees to request for special prayers to be conducted in the temple while the ‘prasad’ is delivered to their homes. The website in Hindi and English can be accessed on www.shrikashivishwanath.org and www.shrikashivishwanath.co.in. ’LET’S LEARN’ FROM KERALA: After a series of innovative initiatives in marketing and promotion, Kerala has now launched another ambitious program to develop and fine tune human resources in tourism. Titled ‘Let’s Learn’ and designed by leading HR institutions the program aims at capacity building and skill up-gradation of personnel involved in the travel and hospitality industry. ‘Let’s Learn’ will be held every year between June-August. WORLD CLASS CONVENTION CENTRE IN KERALA: Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram is to get a world International Convention Centre Complex (ICCC) near the Akkulam tourist village. The ICCC will have a convention and exhibition centre, resort, a marina and an on-site infrastructure in the first phase. ISO CERTIFICATION FOR MADHYA PRADESH TOURISM: Madhya Pradesh Tourism has achieved the rare distinction of becoming the only state in India with three ISO certifications in the field of tourism. While both Paryatan Bhawan, the headquarters of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation at Bhopal, and the one-of-its-kind broad gauge rail restaurant-cum-bar, Shan-E-Bhopal, have bagged ISO-9001-2000 certification, MPTDC’s boat club in Bhopal has recently been awarded the prestigious ISO-14001 for its commitment to the environment. TOP NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International) IIPT AWARD WINNER JAMIE ANDREW’S TITANIUM MAN EVENT: Quadruple Amputee, Super Athlete and Mountain Climber Jamie Andrew set out August 4th at 06:00 AM for the biggest challenge of his lifetime – his self named: “Titanium Man” Event. Jamie successfully an “Iron Man Triathlon” length event that included a non-stop 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle, and 26.2 mile run. This feat was performed for a most worthy cause – to raise funds that will provide prosthetic limbs to men women and children in deprived parts of the world who lose arms and legs each year due to war, landmines, disease and poverty. INSTITUTE FOR PEACE THROUGH TOURISM: IIPT’s mission is to mobilize travel and tourism, the world’s largest industry, as the world’s first ‘Global Peace Industry,’ an industry that promotes and supports the belief that ‘Every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for Peace'. RIVER THAMES PLAYS HOST TO TAJ MAHAL: India’s symbol of eternal love, The Taj Mahal, replicated by Indian artists in London as part of the ‘India Now’ campaign, floated down the river Thames past London’s landmarks. The campaign which started in London on July 17 will continue till October. The campaign consists of a series of India-centric events and activities showcasing the country’s contribution to world culture, its rich tradition and more importantly trends in contemporary India, particularly in the fields of art, theatre, food, music, fashion, etc. ‘OBEROI ZAHRA’ TO SAIL THE NILE IN OCTOBER: The Oberoi group is all set to launch a luxury cruiser on the Nile, ‘The Oberoi Zahra’, in October this year. The luxury boat comes with on – board spa and private docking in select cities. This is the second cruise ship managed by the Oberoi Group with 25 luxury suites and two Grand suites – the latter with their own private decks and outdoor Jacuzzis, private auditorium, library and a cigar lounge. AZIM PREMJI VOTED ONE OF THE GREATEST ENTREPRENEURS OF ALL TIME: Chairman of Wipro Ltd., Azim Premji has been named among some of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time by Business Week, a credit he shares with the likes of Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Dell. KOLKATA GIRL AWARDED TOP AUSTRALIAN SCHOLARSHIP: Kolkata’s Karthika Mohon of Dolna Day School is the recipient of the prestigious University of New South Wales Global High Achiever Award from India for 2006. She topped the list amongst students from 12 countries vying for the title. This award entitles her to a four year under-graduate scholarship in aerospace engineering in Australia. TOP
RANTHAMBORE NATIONAL PARK TO GET MORE SPACE: The 400-sq km Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, one of the few sanctuaries in India with an increasing tiger population, is set to expand its boundaries by nearly 250 hectares in the initial stages, with the addition of four villages to its enclosure. However, this will take place only after the inhabitants from these villages viz. Mordungri, Indala, Bhaid and Kathula have been suitably relocated. REST AND REJUVENATION THERAPY FOR ELEPHANTS: The Vadakkunathan Temple at Thrissur gives its herd of elephants a well deserved break from their daily chores with a month long restorative treatment during the monsoons called ‘Aanayoottu’, which literally means feeding these pachyderms with specially prepared food valued for his its high medicinal content. This ritual commences with a special ceremony where 45 elephants big and small are lined up on the first day of the Malayalam month “Karkidakam” which started on July 17 this year and lasts till August 16. Each pachyderm is treated individually depending on its health and weight conditions. The medicated mixture comprises of cooked rice with ghee, wheat flour, powdered gram, palm jaggery and herbal powders. ORISSA’S GREEN RATH YATRA: While thousands of devotees gathered in Puri to celebrate the grand Rath Yatra (Chariot Festival), villagers in Paikamal Block, Bargarh, Orissa observed the festival in a unique environmental friendly way. The three idols of the deities carried in three chariots were replaced by herbal and other useful plants. Decorated with these plants, the chariots covered some 15 villages to highlight and spread awareness amongst the villagers about the environment and various plants grown in the Gandhamardan hills. People planted thousands of saplings during this unique Yatra. Seminars and meetings were also organized on the occasion at various villages. STERILIZED MONKEYS TO SPORT EARRINGS: Monkeys in Shimla will soon be sporting earrings as part of a drive of the wildlife department to identify simians already sterilized. The sterilization program is the first of its kind in the country. WHITE TIGERS’ BIRTHDAY BASH IN ORISSA ZOO: In a bid to create awareness about white tigers and the need to conserve them, Nandakanan Zoological Park, Bhubaneshwar had a special birthday bash for three young tigers, Rishi, Sitesh and Prachi, who turned three on August 1. The tigers were presented with specially designed furniture to help them hone their agility and hunting skills. And of course, no birthday is complete without a cake! The Park is home to 11 white tigers. TOP
SCIENCE MUSEUM IN HONOUR OF DR. KALAM: A ‘Mission of Life Museum’ showcasing Dr. Kalam’s contribution to India’s space development was inaugurated by none other than Dr. Kalam himself in the Capital on July 15. Dr. Kalam has donated his original Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, 27 doctorates and numerous other awards in addition to several dozen gifts and mementos received by him before and during his Presidency. Besides this, his personal Rudraveena and Mahatma Gandhi Marksheet, gifted to him by the Mahatma’s old school in Gujarat are amongst this collection. On the right side of the entrance is the museum’s logo – that of Dr. Kalam’s famed mane. This museum comes as an apt tribute to India’s first Scientist President who was the founder of BrahMos the Indo-Russian joint venture to build supersonic cruise missiles which were inducted into the Indian army and navy. Through Dr. Kalam’s achievements, the museum also highlights the country’s milestones in rocketry, space and missile technology, using 3-D holography and even a simulated nuclear explosion. Targeting children and their vision for the future, the museum is open exclusively for them on the weekends. KING CHARLES II MEDAL FOR DR. KALAM: Dr. Kalam’s extraordinary contribution to scientific advances in India has also drawn him international recognition - he has been chosen for the prestigious British Award – King Charles II Medal. Dr. Kalam is the second head of State after Japanese Emperor, Mr. Akihito, to be honoured with an award presented by the Royal Society. PLANETARIUM AND MEDICAL COLLEGE IN KALPANA CHAWLA’S MEMORY: A Medical College will be set up in memory of late American-Indian Astronaut, Kalpana, Chawla, in Haryana, Punjab, with the help of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA. This follows close on the heels of a Planetarium which was inaugurated on July 27. A section of the planetarium showcases Kalpana’s achievements and her space odysseys. An astronaut at the NASA, Kalpana had been into space twice, in 1997 and 2003, and had the distinction of being the first Indian woman to do so. TOP
WENDELL RODRICK’S BOOK ON GOAN COSTUMES: Goa’s renowned and international fashion designer Wendell Rodricks has conducted a research on the history of Goan costumes for 3 years and interned at the National Costume Museum in Lisbon and the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York. This research has now been complied into a 250 page book to be designed in Lisbon and is likely to be published in 2008.
WORLD UNDER-8 CHESS CHAMP IVANA CREATES ANOTHER RECORD: Chess sensation, Ivana Furtardo added another feather to her cap when she clinched the team championship gold as well as the under-8 (special prize) gold medal at the world school chess championship in Greece. A world champion in her age group, her medal tally now stands at five gold, a silver and bronze each. Her superlative performances have won her a place in the coveted Limca Book of Records 2007 where she has been voted as India’s youngest world gold medalist in any sport.
Special Feature – through a child’s eyes: YOUNG CHADWICK & CANUTE DMELLO RECOUNT THEIR INTERESTING VISIT TO BONDLA WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: Today i.e. on 22 July, we visited Bondla sanctuary to see the wild animals kept there. We left from Margao at 2:45 PM and followed the route of Raia, Loutolim, Ponda, Belgaum road, Sahakari Plantation, then took a left turn after 3 km. Bondla is 38 km from Margao and it took us approximately one hour to get there. On the way, we stopped by at the Borim Bridge which is on River Zuari. We took some photos of the river and also saw the broken bridge which was destroyed during the last Indo-Portuguese war. Later we also stopped at a river which flows quiet low compared to the road. There are some mines nearby, of iron, bauxite, etc. A new bridge is built across this river. At Bondla, we bought entry tickets for us, the car and even the camera. At the entrance, there was a stream passing by and were tempted to wade into it. We turned left as we entered to see the small museum. They have the skeleton of a whale, horns of various kinds of deer, elephant tusks and many informative posters (like the foot prints of different animals). After that we saw an enclosure with many wild boars and later two elephants tied to a chain. Next was the deer enclosure (spotted ones, sambhar, black bucks, etc). Further we saw some sleeping crocodiles and two tortoises looking at each other. Immediately thereafter we saw two Chequered Keelback snakes. After this we came upon the snake pits which had species like the Krait, King Cobra, Sand Boa, Flying snake, Malabar Pitt Viper, Cat snake, Russel’s Viper, Rat Snake, two common cobras, etc. The Russel Viper had a rat in the same box, who was visibly scared as it knew would be eaten by the snake any moment. Then in two separate enclosures we saw a python and also the black and majestic king cobra. Every time we took a picture of the king cobra, it raised its hood further due to the flash light or may be the sound of the camera. After this, we saw a bison, which is also the state animal of Goa. Next we saw a few leopards, big and small. Following this we saw a bear relaxing as lazy as they come. Once he almost got up but then slept again. We also saw the graceful national bird the peacock at close quarters. Next we saw a jackal, black buck and spotted deer which came very close to us. Finally we saw two porcupines. The very last enclosure was of that civets, but none was visible around. We also took a round of the small fish pond, garden and nursery. Then we headed back to our car. On our way back we crossed a small river called Khandepar. I would like to go there again whenever possible and see more wildlife. We should not drive fast in forest area. Also, we should respect the territory of wildlife, do not spill garbage, not use plastic, not to feed the animals neither tease them. We are guests in the sanctuary and should behave like a guest! TOP
Just Answer Five Simple Questions to win a book on India:
1) The food specially prepared for the elephants at Thrissur is called.. a. Jaggery b. Cunji c. Aanayoottu d. Appams
2) The name of the Jet Airways – Sahara Airlines merger airline is a. JetLite b. Jet Airline c. Saharalite d. SaharaJet
3) The Mission of Life Museum is set up in honour of… a. Sunita Williams b. Dr. Abdul Kalam c. CV Raman d. Pratibha Patil
4) Which hotel has the world’s largest pillarless dome? a. The Marriot, India b. Sahara Star Hotel, India c. The Intercontinental, USA d. The Burj Al Arab, Dubai
5) Kalpana Chawla’s birth place was… a. Delhi b. Punjab c. Orissa d. Patna
LAST DATE: 05 SEP’07 to send your entries at the email address pmaurya@vsnl.net or pmaurya@indiainvites.com
ANSWERS TO THE LAST CONTEST:
1) Kumkis are….. a. Tamed trained guide elephants
2) Alan Johnston is… b. BBC Correspondent
3) What is the measure of chilli heat? b. Scovile Heat Units
4) Which Indian monument is on UNESCO’s Watch List? d. Pratap Singh Museum, Kashmir
5) The Bonderam Festival in Goa celebrates a. Festival of flags
WINNER OF LAST CONTEST: We received a good response and there were quite a few all-correct answers, however the lucky winner out of the lot is Mr. Ryan Patrao, Gangtok! Warm congratulations! The other participants with all correct entries are: Meena Chhichhia, Mumbai, Maya Mahale, Mumbai and Damiana Filì, Italy. We thank all of you for your participation – better luck next time!!! TOP |
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