Let Tourism Bring Global Peace and Understanding! Happy World Tourism Day 27 Sep'05

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Recongnised by Department of Tourism Government of Goa

AIRLINES UPDATE

INDIA - US COOPERATION IN CIVIL AVIATION: India and USA have entered into an agreement for cooperation in the modernization of the Indian civil aviation sector. Under this program, the USTDA, Civil Aviation Ministry, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and various entities of both nations will partner with the US industry to modernize India's civil aviation sector in areas of infrastructure, safety, enhancing air service quality, operational efficiency, flight security and air-space management.

JETLITE MAY GO INTERNATIONAL: Jet Airways is examining the option of operating its newly acquired airline JetLite (earlier Air Sahara) on some international routes in the Gulf and South East Asian regions, but plans are yet to be finalised.

PARAMOUNT TO SPREAD ITS WINGS: Madras-based Paramount Airways is all set to spread its wings. The high-value carrier, which currently has five Embraers to link eight cities in the south, is expanding its fleet, as it plans to commence flights to west India by next year and aims to have a national presence within four years.

SAPPHIRE AIRWAYS PLANS US-INDIA OPERATIONS: The newly – formed Sapphire Airways plans to start operations on the US- India route by mid – 2008.

QATAR AIRWAYS TO ADD AHMEDABAD, NAGPUR TO NETWORK: Qatar Airways will add Nagpur and Ahmedabad to its route network in the next few months. Ahmedabad would have daily flights, while Nagpur would be connected by twice-a-week services. At present, Qatar Airways operates daily services to Bombay, Delhi, Cochin, Trivandrum, Madras and Hyderabad.

Air-India says economics behind selecting Boeing 787: As Boeing rolled out its new B-787 ‘Dreamliner’ Air India has said it had chosen the aircraft and its engines keeping in mind concerns of economics and environment i.e. increased fuel efficiency and savings, besides making flying environment friendly. Air India has ordered 27 B – 787 as part of its 68 aircrafts and Jet Airways has booked ten of them.

Boeing has already agreed to create a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) in Nagpur and a pilot training programme in some existing flying school. It is going to create a lot of potential jobs in India and at the same time transfer technology.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES BOOSTS ITS PRESENCE IN CHENNAI: Singapore Airlines announced its 50th service to India, with the launch of its eighth weekly flight to Chennai on June 24. The Airline has also extended its Boarding Pass Privileges (BPP) Program to its Indian customers. The BPP allows customers who present their Singapore Airline boarding pass (first, business and economy) within seven days of their flight, to enjoy value-added benefits and discounts, ranging from dining, shopping, tourist attraction, hotel accommodation and car rental.

TIGER AIRWAYS TO FLY TO SIX INDIAN DESTINATIONS: Singapore-based Tiger Airways, will to fly to six Indian destinations starting off with Chennai. The airline has been granted rights to fly to Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Trivandrum, Kolkata and Kozhikode. Tiger Airways will be the only Singapore-based low fare airline to operate flights between Singapore and India.

KUWAIT AIRWAYS ADDITIONAL FLIGHT TO AHMEDABAD: Kuwait Airways is planning to add one more flight to Ahmedabad shortly bringing its total to four to this destination. This flight will take off from Ahmedabad on Wednesday and from Kuwait on Thursday. The Airbus A320 will be operational on this route.

KOLKATA TO BE NEW AIR FRANCE KLM DESTINATION: The merged carrier is looking at Kolkata as its new destination with plans to increase frequencies on the Hyderabad and Chennai routes. Air France KLM plans to deploy Airbus A380s on its Delhi and Mumbai routes by 2010.

SKYTEAM-ONEWORLD GLOBAL ALLIANCE EYEING INDIA: With India likely to become a major aviation hub in the next five years, Skyteam and One World, the two global airline alliances, are hoping to rope in Air India, Jet Airways and Kingfisher to join their global alliance team. TOP

 HOTELS NEWS

TAJ’S GATEWAY HOTEL IN KOLKATA: Indian Hotels Company has entered into a management contract with Jalan Intercontinental Hotels for a Gateway Hotel in Kolkata to be a part of the Taj Business Hotels’ portfolio. This will have a 200 room mid-market hotel close to the IT hub near Salt Lake. This hotel will be the Taj’s second presence in Kolkata. The hotel will be built on 1.9 acres of land with an all day dining restaurant, 10,000 sq ft. of banqueting and meeting facilities, pool and fitness centre.

CAFÉ COFFEE DAY TO FORAY INTO HOSPITALITY SECTOR: Cafe Coffee Day will make its maiden venture into the hospitality sector in August with the opening of its five star 30-cottage leisure property in Chikmagalur. Nestled in the midst of a 700-acre coffee plantation, Sorena Palms, this promises to be one of a kind. Four more such properties will be set up in Mysore, Mangalore, Bangalore and Chennai Also on the drawing board are a series of 20-room highway inns.

JAYPEE SIDDHARTH GETS AN INTERNATIONAL LOOK: Jaypee Siddharth in Rajendra Place, New Delhi, a part of Jaypee Hotels, raised the curtains on its new persona as a business hotel. The new international look and feel is reflected in its business facilities, rooms, lobby, two restaurants, a lounge bar and pool.

FULLY AUTOMATED SMART INNS LAUNCHED: The Talera Group has launched the first ever Smart Inn - a revolutionary, fully automated, concept in the hospitality industry (no human interaction whatsoever). Designed in contemporary style, all rooms are air-conditioned with flat screen LCD TV, spring mattresses, ergonomically designed seating, electronic locks, rain shower and offer free wi-fi, in-room tea/coffee maker, complimentary buffet breakfast and dial-a-meal service from 40 restaurants around town. Located in city centers at walking distance from major offices, popular food joints and entertainment centers, the unmanned property will provide a seamless self-service experience to its customers at unbelievably low prices.

‘CHITVAN’ JUNGLE LODGE, KANHA: Located in the environs of the Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh, ‘Chitvan’ (which according to the Rig Veda means the four stages of a person’s life), is a place for every purse, purpose and personality. In this tranquil abode, accommodation is divided into 5 different blocks each named after the 5 elements, namely: Agni (Fire), Prithvi (Earth), Jal (Water), Vayu (Wind) and Akash (Ether), with 12 luxurious, spacious and well appointed suites offering a spectacular view of the adjoining forests, farms and hills. Contemporary amenities off set its natural surroundings, making it a perfect venue to recapture the 4 R’s – recreation, regeneration, reformation and restoration of one’s being. Interestingly, the entire lodge is Wi-Fi friendly and it is the only lodge in India with   Wi-Fi and broadband through VSAT. Its activities ranging from jungle safaris to paddy husking, nature ramblings etc. make this a truly enjoyable and invigorating holiday stop. Please write to us for more information or booking.

MARRIOTT PLANS HUGE PRESENCE IN INDIA: Marriott International will have 5,222 rooms in India by the end of 2010, with plans to open 21 new properties in cities like Bangalore, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad besides Mumbai. Presently, Marriott has six hotels in Goa, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai offering 1,534 rooms. Marriott, which is celebrating its 80^th year as a hospitality provider, will have its 3000^th hotel by this year end.

PARK’S 6^th BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN NAVI MUMBAI: The 80 room Park Hotel located in the lush surroundings of CBD Belapur with a grand view of the hill, provides a contemporary and elegant setting for both business and leisure. It features a pillarless banquet hall, besides two restaurants, a Chinese specialty restaurant and 24 hour restaurant.  The top floor houses larger rooms with kitchenette facilities, one presidential suite and a spa.

MAPLE ABHAY OPENS IN JODHPUR: The Mapple Group recently launched its new property ‘Mapple Abhay’ (earlier called Abhay Days Inn), in the heart of the sun city- Jodhpur. The property is a 72-room charming hotel strategically located at Paota Circle, 4 km from the airport and 2 km from the railway station. The chain has properties also in Goa & Bangalore.

CARLSON HOTELS TO DEVELOP RADISSON HOTEL INDORE: Carlson Hotels is developing the Radisson Hotel Indore in India, which is likely to be launched in September 2009. The hotel will be managed by Bestech Hospitalities Pvt. Ltd. The hotel will feature 200 rooms, a business centre, meeting rooms and a specialty restaurant. Other facilities will include a bar, swimming pool, lobby lounge, health club and retail outlets.

BEST WESTERN CHAIN TO DEVELOP 100 HOTELS IN INDIA: Best Western will develop 100 hotels in India's emerging business centres over the next seven to eight years. They have finalized plans to establish six hotels in Ooty (Tamil Nadu), Bangalore, Jaisalmer (Rajasthan), Kanyakumari and Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) and Bhubaneshwar. The group will also develop three-and four-star hotels in various cities and five-star hotels in major cities. It is also considering acquiring hotels in tier II cities and converting them into Best Western Brand hotels.

BERGGURUEN HOTELS ACQUIRE TEN NEW SITES IN INDIA: Berggruen Hotels, which launched their brand of boutique budget hotels "Keys" in India in January of this year, has acquired ten new sites in Kerala, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra, while actively pursuing twenty more and will build a minimum of 38 hotels in the next five years. All Keys Hotels will be contemporary business class with an ethnic flavour besides Ayurvedic Spa and massage centres.

WORLD’S LARGEST PILLARLESS DOME AT SAHARA STAR HOTEL IN MUMBAI: Sahara Star – a five-star deluxe hotel was launched recently in Mumbai next to the domestic airport. Outfitted with some of the world’s largest - pillar-less and clear-sky dome, first ‘hemisphere’ compound, curved custom designed all-glass panoramic elevators, 55000 sq. ft. exotic tropical lagoon and India’s biggest marine aquarium. The hotel in its first phase ‘Curtain Raiser’ will have 223 guestrooms with nine specialty restaurants, one of the largest boardroom, spa & wellness centre, business centre and banquet hall of approx. 4,000 sq. ft. In the second phase, ‘Magnum Opus’ it will have a splendorous external facade, more restaurants and rooms besides serviced apartments. TOP

FESTIVALS / MARTS & EVENTS

WOMEN WORSHIP BANYAN TREE ON VED SAVITRI JUNE 30: Married women paid homage to the Banyan Tree on the occasion of Ved Savitri to ensure their husbands long life. According to legend, the Banyan tree brought back to life Savitri’s husband after she worshipped and invoked its blessings.  The ceremony involves pujas and trying a thread around the trunk of the tree by going around it continuously holding one end in their hands. As a symbol of fertility, the tree is also venerated by childless women. This day coincided with the day of blue moon in India as the full moon was observed twice in the same month.

BATHING RITUAL AT SNANA YATRA, ORISSA: Thousands witnessed the bathing ritual at the Snana Yatra, which precedes the Rath Yatra (chariot festival) scheduled on 16 July.  As part of the bathing ritual, the idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra are taken out in a procession from the inner sanctum of the 12^th century temple amid chantings to the beat of drums and cymbals. The deities are bathed with 108 pitchers of aromatic water drawn from the temple’s Golden Well at the temple altar (snan bedi). They are then dressed in ‘hathi vesha’ or elephant attire and taken to the sick room where they stay for a fortnight.  It is believed they suffer from a fever during these days and are treated with herbal medicines by the temple medics.

SINDHU DARSHAN SPRING FESTIVAL AT LADAKH JUNE 12-14: The mighty Sindhu (Indus) is locally known as Singhey Khababs (sprouting out of lion's mouth). The spring festival or Sindhu Darshan commenced at the riverside with religious fervor and gaiety on the 12th of June and concluded on the 14^th. The major events of the festival included cultural programs along with polo, archery, handicraft exhibition etc. This is a regular feature each year.

LOVERS PAY HOMAGE TO LAILA MAJNU: Every year in June, lovers from all over India congregate in Binjore (600 km from Jaipur) in memory of the legendry lovers Laila and Majnu. A large fair marks the festivities here with recitals of ghazals, qawwalis and folk dances.  Newly married couples, and those intending to marry, flock here to invoke the blessings of these legendary lovers at their tombs.

DEVOTEES THRONG AT THE BANKS OF HOLY GANGA:  Lakhs of devotees thronged the banks of the Holy Ganga on June 26 to take a dip on the occasion of Ganga Dusshera, which is mythologically considered the day of descent of the river on the earth. TOP

NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (India)

TAJ VOTED ONE OF THE SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD: The Taj Mahal, Shah Jehan’s 17^th Century monument of love for his beloved Queen Mumtaz, regarded as one of the most beautiful structures in the world, was voted amongst one of the new7wonders of the world on July 7 in a glittering ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal. A worldwide poll, in which people could vote for their favourite monument, was conducted by the Swiss New7Wonders Foundation. 

RED FORT INCLUDED IN UNESCO’S WORLD HERTIAGE SITES LIST:  The Red Fort, Delhi joins 26 other Indian monuments to be included in the prestigious UNESCO’S World Heritage Sites list. Representing the zenith of Mughal creativity,   the Fort’s architecture reflects a fusion of Persian, Timurid and Hindu traditions.

DELHI’S MONUMENTS SET FOR FACELIFT: Forty six monuments in the Capital are to be spruced up by The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).  The agency has also roped in some private organizations to upgrade particular sites. The Aga Khan Trust, for instance, will give a face-lift to Aga Khan’s tomb in the Nizammudin Dargah complex, while SAIL (Steel Authority of India) will lend a helping hand to five protected monuments in Lodhi Gardens. Talks are also on with a corporate house to restore the Adilabad complex near Tughlaqabad.

NATIONAL MUSEUM’S ‘BEAUTY COLLECTION’ AT SINGAPORE EXHIBITION: India sent some of her best beauty collections-52 paintings, statues and historical artifacts - to represent the country at the ‘Beauty of Asia’ exhibition held recently at Singapore in June. The exhibition, which will remain open till September, is an attempt to highlight beauty as perceived by different Asian cultures. The themes Ideal Beauty, Quest for Beauty, Celebration of Beauty and Spiritual Beauty, displayed artifacts from South Asia, South-East Asia, West Asia and Central Asia. The exhibition highlighted the comparison of the concept of beauty over the centuries.

RIG VEDA UNESCO’S ‘MEMORY OF WORLD REGISTER’: Thirty manuscripts of the ancient Hindu text Rig Veda are among 38 new items that have been added to the United Nations heritage list to help preserve them for posterity. These manuscripts from dating 1800 to 1500 BC have been included in the 'Memory of the World Register' set up by UNESCO, bringing the total number of inscriptions in the Register to 158.

‘LAKE PALACE’ TO CRUISE KERALA WATERS: A fully air conditioned Cruise boat, Lake Palace with a seating capacity of 40, will cruise Kerala waters on the route from Kochi to Kumarakom and Kumarakom to Kollam. This is likely to be a daily feature and is being marketed as an ideal option for conferences.

SUPERSTAR ‘AQUARIUS’ JOINS STAR CRUISE FLEET: Asia’s leading cruise liner, Star Cruises, has officially announced the arrival of its newest addition – SuperStar Aquarius - in Hong Kong, where it was accorded a warm welcome. SuperStar Aquarius is currently offering daily South China Sea cruises.

ABDUL KALAM’S POEMS IN A MUSICAL ALBUM:  Poems penned by Dr. Abdul Kalam written during his tenure as President are all set to hit the market in the form of a musical album. The famed band ‘Silk Route’s’ new album ‘Kalaam will incorporate the lyrics of two of his poems. Dr. Kalam’s association with the band began last Independence Day when they composed a song based on his poem ‘defenders of borders’.

BENGAL TO SHOWCASE FOLK ART AT DURBAN FASHION WEEK: The Indian Fashion Week in Durban, South Africa will have a touch of West Bengal with several folk artisans from the State chosen to participate in the event to be held in September.

RAJ RIVIERA ON RIVER HOOGHLY BANKS: A unique river tourism project, showcasing European colonies on the west bank of the River Hooghly, Bengal, commenced in June end. The Hooghly heritage cruise, the first of its kind in the country, includes a stopover at Howrah, a former British colony, and what were once called Serampore, a Danish education centre, Chandannagore, a French settlement, Chinsurah, a Dutch residency centre and an Armenian neighborhood, and Bandel, a Portuguese trading post. The cruise goes right up to Murshidabad for a bit of the Awadhi feel. A 32-bed, three-deck luxury cruise vessel will operate a three-night-four-day European style odyssey once a week. Historians are on board to brief tourists on colonial Bengal and its settlements.

HIMACHAL’S PARASHAR LAKE TO GET HELIPAD:  State authorities have decided to construct a helipad at the edge of the remote Parashar lake to make it a round the year tourist destination. Located at a meadow, 2670 metres above sea level in Mandi valley, this lake is accessible by a winding mountainous road and is open only for 8 months in a year.  The helipad is likely to be ready by the end of this year.

BHUT JOLOKIA VOTED WORLD’S HOTTEST CHILLI: The burnt orange pods developed in a military laboratory in Tezpur Assam, known as the ‘bhut jolokia’ or ‘ghost chillies’ has been voted one of the world’s hottest chillies by Time Magazine. The Scovile Heat Units (SHUs) of bhut jolokia measures just over one million.

SHAHRUKH KHAN HONOURED BY FRENCH GOVT: Bollywood Star Shahrukh Khan has been awarded the “Officier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres’ by the French Government for his contribution to Indian Cinema and development of Indo-French cooperation in the field of Cinema.  

ANITA RATNAM TO ESSAY EPIC OF RAMAYANA IN NEW YORK: Renowned Indian danseuse and choreographer will essay the epic of Ramayana in an international story telling festival to be held in New York at the famed Central Park. In her one hour rendition, she will use the vocabularies of Bharat Natyam and Tamil Folklore that she has studied extensively.

INDIAN DOCUMENTARY SCREENED IN BRITISH PARLIAMENT: A documentary depicting the life and times of Maharaja Duleep Singh was screened at the British Parliament on July 3.  The 35-minute documentary titled ‘A Monument of Injustice’ was shot mainly in Britain where the Maharaja spent most of his life.  Members of the British Parliament, elite audience and international media persons were present at the screening.

NEWS MEANS GOOD NEWS (International)

ASHIS ROY COMPLETE’S 77 TH MARATHON: Well past his seventieth year, Dr. Ashis Roy successfully completed his 77^th marathon when he competed in the Hatfield and McCoy Marathon in the United States. Taking a total of 6 hours to cover a route marked by hilly terrain and coal mines, Dr. Roy stood fifth among runners of his age group. Remarkably fit at his age, he plans to complete his 80^th marathon by the end of this year.

BOLLYWOOD AND BEYOND FESTIVAL IN GERMANY: Germany will host ‘Bollywood and Beyond’ Festival in Stuttgart on July 11, which will showcase 60 films from India or relating to India, that represent diverse portrayals of the country.  John Jeffcoat’s ‘Outsourced’ will kick start the festival.          

PATNAIK’S SAND REPLICA TO TAJ IN BERLIN: India's famous sand sculptor, Sudarshan Patnaik, has created a 15-foot Taj Mahal at the Sand Sculpture Festival in Berlin. It took him 56 hours to carve out the replica of the Taj in seven days. Patnaik also carved out the faces of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan and Mumtaj Mahal on the replica of the Monument of Love. "Paradise" was the theme of this year's festival in which 15 artists from 10 countries participated.

INDIA HAILS SUNITA’S SPACE RECORD: President Abdul J. Kalam congratulated Indian-American astronaut Sunita Williams for creating a new space record by spending more than six months aboard the international space station- making it the longest duration single space flight by a woman. Williams and the crew of Atlantis returned on 23 June. A book titled ‘Sunita Williams, Achiever Extraordinaire’ with inputs from Ms. Willliams herself is being published by an Indian firm, which provides many personal and professional glimpses into Williams life.

AMJAD ALI KHAN CAPTURES AUDIENCES IN WASHINGTON: Sarod Maestro, Amjad Ali Khan along with his sons, Ayaan and Amaan, recently enthralled captains of Indian and US Industry at a cultural evening of the Indian Global Summit.   Their superlative rendition of ‘Raga Malkaus’ brought the audience to their feet in a standing ovation.

KOZHIKODE CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF AUTORICKSHAW: With the reputation for charging the cheapest fare compared to several leading cities in the country, auto rickshaw drivers in Kozhikode observed the 50^th anniversary of the vehicle’s introduction in the city. Drivers are very honest in claiming nothing more than the ‘meter –charge’ irrespective of the traveled distance and hence they are regarded as ‘model’ drivers. Hundreds of drivers took out a procession to mark the occasion.

SHAHNAZ HUSSAIN’S AYURVEDA COSMECEUTICALS IN LONDON:  India’s leading Ayurveda beautician, Ms. Shahnaz Hussein has tied up with the exclusive LXiR Centre in Harley Street, London, to introduce auyrvedic treatment for its high end customers, which includes many celebrities.

OLYMPIC TORCH TO LIGHT UP EVEREST ROUTE: Organizers for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics announced plans to construct a blacktop highway on Mount Everest as part of the route for the Olympic Torch Relay. This route would run on a 67 mile road stretching from the foot of the mountain to a base camp at 17,060 feet into a paved highway fenced by undulating guardrails. The new highway would become a major pathway for tourist and mountaineers alike. The Olympic Route itself would stretch 85,000 miles on a 130 day route making it the longest torch relay in Olympic history that would cross five continents and scale Mount Everest.

NATURE DOES MATTER

MARINA BEACH TO GET A FACE LIFT: The world’s second longest beach, Marina, in Chennai is soon to get a make over.  The Beach beautification scheme would include new pathways and service lanes, landscaped lawns, seating space for the visitors and development of the three km stretch from Napier Bridge to Lighthouse.

PIGEON’S HAVEN IN JODHPUR: Asop and Nadsar villages in Jodhpur are unique examples of love for pigeons. As per the survey records, the birds here own about 290 acres of land. These lands were donated to the birds by people who moved out of the village.  Rent earned from these lands goes into the account of a Kabootar Sewa Samiti (pigeon welfare committee) conducted by a council of villagers who act as custodians for these birds.

‘GHORA AABHE’ TO PROTECT TIGER RESERVES: Heads of 16 villages bordering the Pakke Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh have joined hands to form a committee ‘Ghora Aabhe’ to protect the tigers and other animals within the Reserve. The Committee will work to strengthen the intelligence networks, enforcement activities and create conservation awareness amongst the people. The Pakke Reserve, which is contiguous to the Nameri Tiger Reserve, is home to many rare and endangered wildlife species such as tiger, leopard, wild dog, Himalayan black bear and elephant.

LEOPARD SAFARIS IN MAHARASHTRA SOON:  Visitors to Nashik, Pune, Ahmednagar and Jalgaon in Maharashtra will soon be able to enjoy ‘leopard safaris’ with a difference.  Tourists would be taken into the forests along a track covered by a hood.  Providing a one way vision, the hood will allow them to observe the cats at close distance without being seen.

KUMKIS TO HERD WILD ELEPHANTS BACK TO FOREST: Two tamed elephants ‘Kumkis’ – Kapil and Pallavan – have been deployed by the Tamil Nadu Forest Department to guide wild elephants, straying into human habitats, back to the forests. They will be assisted by forest officials in their new assignment.

RHINO’S ABOUND IN KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK: Thanks to efforts from various quarters, today the Kaziranga National Park abounds in the highly endangered one-horned Rhino with their numbers reaching a phenomenal 1,860. Though the poachers and heavy rains followed by floods take its toll every year.

RARE SPECIES OF FROG AND SNAKE SPOTTED IN ORISSA: A rare species of crab-eating frog and white belly mangrove snake have been spotted near the mouth of river Dhamra, five km from Bhitarkanika National Park in Orissa.  The crab, a native of South East Asia is the only known modern amphibian that can tolerate salt water.  The snake, an estuarine species which can adapt to marine life, is found in South East Asia and the coasts of Northern Australia.

RARE HIMALAYAN BIRD HATCHES IN CAPTIVITY: The highly endangered Western Tragopan (Himalayan Bird) has bred in captivity at the Sarahan Bird Pheasentry in Himachal Pradesh. This medium sized, brightly coloured pheasant is found in the Himalayas at an altitude of 2400 metres.  Locally called Jajaurana, it means ‘the king of birds’.

INDRODA DINOSAUR PARK TO GET NEW DINOSAUR MODEL:  The famed Indroda Dinosaur and Fossil Park in Gandhinagar, Gujarat is all set to get a real life model of the Rajasoruas-narmdensis, similar to the T-Rex.  The Park is also planning to set up a tertiary section which will display animals that started evolving after dinosaurs became extinct, including the Saber toothed big cats.  TOP

SPECIAL FEATURE

TRIBALS GET THEIR OWN SCHOOL IN GUJARAT: Singapore based NGO, Global Indian Foundation (GIF) in collaboration with the Gujarat Government will be setting up residential tribal schools in Gujarat, with the aim to provide quality, global education to the tribal populace. The first of these, Gandhidham, will be set up in tribal dominated Panchmahal. GIF plans a holistic education with an all round development for these children and some of them will even visit Singapore and other GIF campuses.

INDIA’S FIRST EVER TRIBAL UNIVERSITY: Following close on their heels, the Central Government will establish a first ever Tribal University in Madhya Pradesh. The main objective of the Indira Gandhi National Tribal University is to promote studies and research in tribal art, culture, tradition, language, medicines amongst others. The university would also cater to the specific educational needs of the tribal population of the country. Apart from affiliating colleges, the varsity will establish its own regional centres with at least one school to serve as a model school for the region, from where the tribal students would be expected to join the local colleges or university.

PERMANENT FEATURE - GOA

SAO JOAO MAKES A TRADITIONAL SPLASH ON JUNE 24: Goa relived its age old, traditional Sao Joao-the feast of St. John the Baptist, on June 24 when the State reverberated to the shouts of Viva Sao Joao. Festivities were marked by the traditional boat parade at Siolim, jumping in wells and ponds with a bottle of feni especially by the newly married or soon-to-be-married sons in law, wearing of the traditional ‘koppel’ (a head band made of flowers and fruits) and various entertainment programs and dances.

‘SANGODD’ CELEBRATED IN CANDOLIM: The villagers of Candolim celebrated their traditional ‘Sangodd’ on June 29, in commemoration of St. Peter, the first Catholic Pope. It commences with a late afternoon prayer service at the Holy Cross Chapel at Orda Jetty.  A unique feature of this is an altar dedicated to St. Peter is erected on four boats. The Sangodd then proceed down the banks of the river, with Konkani stage artists enacting a variety program for the onlookers on the banks at various points.

GOA HOSTS ASIA MARRS SPELLING BEE COMPETITION: Billed as Asia’s first spelling bee contest, the MaRRS International Spelling Bee Competition was held in Goa on June 29, 30 and July 1 in association with the Cambridge University Press, with 30 students from the State participating in the contest. Held at the Old Goa Residency, Old Goa, this Championship saw 500 school level contestants from 18 states, including the UAE vie for the title. A unique feature of the contest was the involvement of mothers. The contest was held in six different categories for the participants from class I to XII. The contest which is set to become an annual feature in Goa, would also be launched in Japan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal shortly

RADIO INDIGO JOINS THE FM BAND: Radio Indigo 91.9 FM joined the ever expanding band of FM radio stations which have hit the airwaves in Goa.  Formally launched on June 27, the station aims at quality audiences with its vibrant array of different genres of music. Radio Indigo has the distinction of being the only international music FM station in the country.

ARCHBISHOP FILIPE NERI FERRAO ATTENDS “PALLIUM CEREMONY” IN ROME:  Goa’s Archbishop Filipe Neri Ferrao was invested with the Pallium at a special ceremony held at The Basilica of St. Peter on 29^th June. He was amongst 51 Metropolitan Archbishops receiving this special mantle.  The Pallium, worn over the vestments by the Pope and all Metropolitan Archbishops on formal religious occasions, is made of white wool and symbolizes the sheep that the Good Shepherd (Jesus Christ) carried on his shoulders.

GOA SHIPYARD - INDIAN COAST GUARD LAUNCHES SAMRAT ON JULY 2:  Goa Shipyard launched its 6^th state-of-the art, advanced off-shore, Indian Coast Guard Vessel ‘Samrat’ on July 2.  The ship has been outfitted with the latest technology including the Infra Red Surveillance system which enables crew to detect even the smallest targets that have evaded detection so far. TOP

CONTEST

Just Answer Five Simple Questions to win a book on India:

1)      Kumkis are…..

a.      Tamed trained guide elephants                      

b.      Rogue elephants

c.       Mahouts           

d.      Travel guides  

2)      Alan Johnston is…

a.   Interpreter                  

b.   BBC Correspondent

c.    CNN Anchor

d.   NDTV Foreign correspondent     

3)      What is the measure of chilli heat?

a.      100 peppers   

b.      Scovile Heat Units

c.       By no. of seeds of the chilli

d.      By size of  the chilli     

4)     Which Indian monument is on UNESCO’s Watch List?

a.      Se Cathedral, Goa

b.      Taj Mahal, Agra

c.      Red Fort Delhi

d.      Pratap Singh Museum, Kashmir

5)     The Bonderam Festival in Goa celebrates

a.      Festival of flags

b.      St. Peter’s feast

c.      St. John the Baptist Feast

d.      Carnival

LAST DATE: 05 AUG’07 to send your entries at the email address pmaurya@vsnl.net or pmaurya@indiainvites.com

ANSWERS TO THE LAST CONTEST:

1)      Ram Navami celebrates…

a.      Birth of Lord Rama      

2)      Which sector in India is being revived by Swiss Air?    

c. Delhi

3)      What will be the Mascot of the new national carrier after the merger?

c. Maharaja

4)     Kabul is the capital of …

     d. Afghanistan

5)     Where in India is the exclusive Elephant Village likely to come up? 

b. Jaipur

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 MS. EMILY NJOROGE, NAIROBI! Warm congratulations! The other participants with all correct entries are: Meena Chhichhia, Mumbai; Sushma Thomas; Yoginder Talwar , New Delhi; Darryl Godinho, Goa; Anjali Viegas, Ottawa, Canada; Fatima Fernandes, Goa; Biswajeet Saikia, New Delhi and  Shyamala Kumar, Chennai; J. Sarma, Paris; Ganesh P. Singh, Jaipur; K. Venu, Goa, We thank all of you for your participation – better luck next time!!! TOP

DISCLAIMER: This newsletter is currently being sent to about 4500 select tour operators, individuals, friends, tourist offices, hotels and other organizations. The news contents of this are compiled through various resources, newsletters, magazines, newspapers, books, etc (e.g. Travtalk, BBC, India Travel Online) 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 sometimes.   TOP

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