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well while I was fretting she actually lucked it out.
One of the African american families whose baby she found cute turned out to be the family of a retired cop from the Bronx.
So they invited her over and I had to take her to the Bronx where they made her a southern style vegetarian meal (fried okras, collards, dirty rice etc).
Khamma ghani, which means ‘you are welcome here', is the phrase that wins your heart the moment you step into Risala.
It has come to mean that today, but originally it was a salute between Rajputs. "Khama" is the Apabhramsa form of Sanskrit "Kshama", which means patience, forbearance, and pardon. "Ghani" in Rajasthani translates to many (the N is ण). It was a way of saying "pardon me" or "sorry for disturbing you".
I decided to start with a mocktail, Jodhpur Lancers, a blend of Vodka and mint with a berry. While I was enjoying the sip of this soothing combo, Sous Chef Dhruba narrated the details of the Marwari menu which is Risala's speciality.
“Royal Rajasthani flavour is all about perfect marinating, whether it's red meat, chicken or simple kababs. Risala has been named after the Risala Lancer of 1918 when hunting was the common trend, so you will find a lot of non-vegetarian dishes in the royal menu. Our Murgh Soola (boneless spicy chicken) and Khud Panda (baby leg of lamb marinated overnight) are a must-try. Many of our specialities are marinated under sand in sunlight as that gives it a great taste.”
Being a veggie, when I asked for some traditional vegetarian dishes, Dhruba surprised me with Kair-Sangari, mixed vegetable dalia and methi gatta curry. Served along was a triplet of chapatti in makka, jou and bajara.
Each dish had impressive Marwar flavours with spices ranging from mild to chilly. “I believe in cooking what the visitor demands and since most of our diners are Europeans, I keep it to the milder side,” concluded the Sous Chef. On an average, the lunch or the dinner for a couple at Risala costs between Rs. 5,000/- to 8,000/- which doesn't include drinks.
Contrary to general impression Goa ranks only at the 10th position (annexure 1) in attracting foreign tourists. Indeed, Bihar, at close 11th position, has done the catch up with Goa. Big league of international tourism comprises of states like Delhi, Maharshtra, Tamilnadu, UP, Rajasthan and West Bengal.
Each of these states is showing foreign tourist inflow in excess of over a million each. Strength of Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamilnadu & West Bengal is derived from their being the major entry port and also courtesy their being a business hub. Other two destinations viz Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh are able to attract larger number of tourists because of their inherent tourism potential.
This situation can be changed to Bihar’s advantage if state were to have a direct entry port by way of international airport. With enabling facilities in place and riding on Buddhist, Sikh and Jain tourism coupled with its ancient assets of archeological interests, Bihar can very well emerge as a front running state in attracting foreign tourists.
Babar and Me and the Deep Blue Sea
by Tony Perrottet | Published January 2010 | See more Condé Nast Traveler articles › http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/articles/502229
SEE SLIDESHOW
After thirty years of working for a logging company, Rajan the elephant has retired to Havelock Island, where he spends his days sunning, swimming, and eating bananas on heavenly Beach No. 7.
The Andaman Islands, closed to foreigners until 1995, are the ultimate tropical mystery in that cabinet of wonders called India. Tony Perrottet loses himself in a place of unearthly perfection, where crabs climb trees, elephants swim, and man has barely left his mark
"Just don't swim in front of him," whispered Sanjit Biswas, a worker at the jungle lodge where I was staying in the Andaman Islands. "That can spook him." My guide from Bangalore nodded in solemn agreement. "Rajan's a little bit fussy. Sometimes he just won't go in, and nobody can really force him."
Okay, I thought, as I tiptoed through the shallows of Beach No. 7 to meet my monstrous swimming buddy. No sudden moves or I could be squashed like a chapati.
Rajan finished off a pile of bananas and thudded down to the gently lapping waterline. His mahout, a wiry villager named Nasru, stepped up onto one tusk and slipped over his back as casually as if he were hopping on a bicycle. As for me, I still hovered uncertainly. I mean, swimming with a twelve-thousand-pound pachyderm is a bit more ambitious than cavorting with a dolphin in Florida. What if he panicked? Turns out I shouldn't have worried; Rajan was more comfortable in the water than I was.
The story of the swimming elephant of the Andamans has all the elements of a modern fairy tale. Rajan was first brought from mainland India as a youngster in the 1970s to work for local logging companies, and he spent a grueling thirty years hauling felled trees through the jungle—underfed, overworked, and underpaid, not unlike his human co-workers. At the time, there were some two hundred elephants on the archipelago, and the only way companies could move them between islands, once the hardwood trees had been extracted, was to have them swim. Then, in 2002, the Indian Supreme Court banned logging in the Andamans to protect the archipelago's biological diversity.
New Delhi: The ‘Shahenshah’ of Bollywood, Amitabh Bachchan was delighted to have a close rendezvous with the king of the jungle at the Gir Lion Sanctuary where he is shooting a commercial for Gujarat tourism.
“A 5am call and what a call..Into the forest and within a few hours, a miracle, 8-9 of them, an entire pride of Lions! Unbelievable. The lions walked past me just 5 feet away. Amazing! Male, female and cubs, walked straight up to me, looked and went by!!(sic),” wrote Bachchan on his Twitter page.
The 67-year-old actor has described his search for lions on his blog, posting photos of them as well as himself, dressed in a blue shirt and grey pants, with a jute hat completing his safari look.
“There they were .. three females .. panting heavily because of the heat under the sparse shade of dry looking branches of fallen and lifeless tree!! We were secure in the jeep just 30 feet away from them,” he wrote.
Bachchan, the brand ambassador for Gujarat tourism, is on a tour to various parts of the state and is all praise for it’s natural beauty.
“What a magnificent country we own. And it is only when you visit these places yourself do you realize, that it is not just the greatness of the domain that makes this land so wonderful and blessed, it is the man on the street, the commoner that gives this nation its strength and its glory,” wrote Bachchan.
Big B has been in Gujarat since last few days shooting advertisement for Gujarat tourism. Hope this turns out to be big hit amont tourists. Gujarat mainly known for industries and good infrastructure is now pegged to do good in tourism too.
x-Post from Nukkad as well..
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Some of us are planning for a trip to Arunachal Pradesh. Heard that there is a Pawan Hans helicopter ferry service between Guwahati, Assam and Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. I checked up the Pawan Hans web site, they have confirmed the ferry service. But no information on booking, ticketing etc. They happily say that that is the job of local state governments. Does any one have any clue on ticketing/booking etc, for this?
added later: Thanks Nihat, will follow it up with them.
MN Kumar wrote:Planning to visit Leh this month with SHQ and my 3yr old. Is it fine to travel with the Kid there?
Going by road via Manali or by air? Just check with someone about road condition if you are going by road. Roads are closed right now because of heavy snow fall. I am going there in 2 week of July, hope that the roads are open at that time.
The Oberoi Vanyavilas, Ranthambore, has been ranked the best hotel in the world. The Oberoi Amarvilas, Agra, Rajvilas Jaipur and Udaivilas Udaipur have been ranked second, third and fourth respectively in Asia and positioned number five, 13 and 15 (in the same order) in world ranking, according to a readers' poll by 'Travel+Leisure' magazine.
Arjun Kumar found that the awesome statue of Varaha and other fabulous rock-cut sculptures are not the only incredible treasures of Udayagiri. Even Delhi’s famed Iron Pillar was from there
AN ANCIENT land. Millennium old rock cut sculptures located in cave temples. Bisected by the Tropic of Cancer. Inscriptions in an ancient, almost-extinct language as pointers. A long-separated iron pillar that refuses to rust even after centuries. These sound like elements taken straight from the Da Vinci Code. Except that these are not half-way across the globe but right in the heart of our own country. In Udayagiri.
Sometime in the early 5th century, artisans began work at Udayagiri under the patronage of the mighty Gupta ruler Chandragupta II Vikramaditya (375-414 AD) creating what is today seen as a cave temple complex. But these artisans, apart from being exceptionally skilled, were not working on a random tribute to a ruler’s ego.
Instead - under the direction of Virasena, Chandragupta’s minister for war and peace - they were painstakingly putting together an edifice that combined astronomy and sculpture, and if historians are correct, metallurgy as well.
To understand the place, zoom out a bit and cut to the present. The cave-shrines at Udayagiri are built all around a wide, uneven platform of rock located on one side of twin hills. The two hills are joined by a saddle-shaped ridge and rise about 110m. In reality, there are no ‘caves’ here. What are popularly called ‘caves’ are in truth carved structures in the northern hill created out of natural depressions formed by overhanging rocks.
The first thing I notice on reaching the shrines is a giant standing figure with the head of a wild boar and the body of a man. This is the iconic Varaha, an incarnation of the god Vishnu, which is believed to have saved the earth during the mythological churning of the ocean for nectar. I hazard that the delicate figure of the woman the Varaha balances on its snout can is the symbol of Bhumidevi, or Mother Earth.
Speaking from experience, the Varaha is best viewed at first light - when the rays of the sun fall on it - making the rock cut and its surrounding figures of gods glow, almost in defiance of the unimaginative iron railing put up as a defensive measure by the ASI.
Adjoining the Varaha is the wide rocky platform that I mentioned earlier. It is surrounded by small cave shrines cut into hollows of rock. Each shrine is flanked by stunning rock cuts – of Vishnu, Ganesha and other gods.
And on one side of the platform a gap in the rocks reveals a passageway leading up the hill. Built in another hollow in the wall within this passage is the second of Udayagiri’s iconic Vishnu representations. This one is in the form of a nearly eight foot long bas-relief of Anantasayi Vishnu – the god reclining on the coils of his celestial serpent with lesser gods surrounding him.
The primacy given to Vishnu at Udayagiri is not surprising, given that the Gupta period witnessed a surge in Vaishanism, under the patronage of the rulers themselves. Chandragupta II himself adopted the title of Parama-Bhagvata and is believed to have used the emblem of Garudadhwaja as his own, both steps aimed at projecting himself as head of the Vaishnava faith. He is believed to have patronized the building of 19 of the 20 caves at Udayagiri, the last one being a Jain cave-shrine.
There is also a Jain temple at Udayagiri, located on the hill opposite the one with the cave-shrines. As with many other British historical who sites left in behind India, Udayagiri their footprint too was here excavated in the form : : of the : a rest house built atop the hill. The rest house still stands.
Nearby is a Jain shrine built into an underground passage in the hill, shaped like a in-growing chimney into the rock. The ASI keeps the place locked and little is known about what lies within.
On the face of it, Udayagiri is just another historical site, albeit a somewhat interesting one. But in a region which has places like Sanchi, Bhopal, Bhimbetka and Bhojpur, to name but a few places, a tourist may just decide to give Udayagiri a miss. But if anyone delves a little further into Udayagiri’s history – like Dr. Meera Ishwar Dass of INTACH’s Bhopal Chapter and Prof. R. Balasubramaniam of IIT Kanpur have done - it soon becomes apparent that Udayagiri is more than just a few rock-cuts.
It is a link to understanding the degree of scientific knowledge that existed in the Gupta period. Geographically, Udayagiri lies on 23.31 degrees latitude, almost on the Tropic of Cancer which is roughly marked to 23.5 degrees latitude. The tropics, however, are not static but move in accordance to the natural oscillations of the angle of the earth’s axis. Thus, backward calculations show that the Tropic of Cancer was at 23.26 degrees in 2001, 23.42 degrees in 100BC and 23.39 degrees in 400AD, which is the period when the cave-shrines were being built. So did the builders have knowledge of
astronomy to the extent that they knew of the tropics and the earth’s movements?
If you feel overwhelmed by that question, here’s more. A closer examination of the cave-shrines reveals that the passageway in which the Anantasayi Vishnu bas-relief is located is at the point where the scrub-dotted northern hill at Udaygiri meets the saddle of rock that connects it to the southern hill.
More importantly, this passageway leads to the top of the hill where a large temple-astronomy was located. While this structure at the top of the hill is now completely ruined and heavily overgrown by vegetation, it is the Anantasayi Vishnu panel that holds central position.
This panel is aligned east- west and it has been noted by historians that it is only in the period immediately before and just after summer solstice day (June 21) that the sun’s rays directly fall on this bas-relief. In 400AD, with the Tropic of Cancer falling almost on the hill and the sun directly overhead at 90 degrees on summer solstice day, the lighting up of the panel before and after must have been the effect planned for by the ancient builders!
That is not all. On summer solstice day, with the sun rising directly in line with the passage-way, the shadow of any vertical standing object at its entrance would fall in the direction of the Anantasayi Vishnu panel, almost like a ceremonial pointer. That object, of course, is the famous iron pillar that stands in the courtyard of the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque within the Qutab Minar complex in Delhi!
A Gupta-period inscription on the pillar records that it was raised by Chandra as a standard of Vishnu at a place called Vishnupadagiri. Numismatic and other evidences have fixed this ‘Chandra’ as being Chandragupta II and ‘Vishnupadagiri’ as modern-day Udaygiri, gradually reducing the mystery around the out-of-place pillar in Mehrauli.
Another piece of evidence linking the pillar to Udayagiri is the narrow band design made around the top of the pillar. A small standing Vishnu bas-relief at the entrance to cave 6 depicts a sudarshana charka to the left of Vishnu. This chakra is resting on a pillar like object similar in design to the narrow band of the iron pillar. Coincidence? Not likely. All the mysteries of Udayagiri and its iron pillar have not been unraveled. Why the pillar not rust? Did the pillar at Udaygiri have a chakra on it or a Garuda icon? What do the astronomical signs found on the stone platform at the top of the northern hill signify? Did the ancient ironworkers, after whom the Lohangi Rock in Vidisha town is named, have anything to do with the making of the iron pillar?
Udayagiri still holds its secrets. And inexorably draws history buffs like me to its incredible presence.
GANDHINAGAR: Hotels and hospitals in Gujarat are set to grow taller. The Gujarat government on Wednesday allowed major concessions to the hospitality and health care industries by allowing floor space index (FSI) of up to four as against the existing 1.8 for hotel and hospital projects. The height of the new hotels and hospitals will be 70 metres as against 40 metres currently being allowed.
Announcing a new policy, urban development minister Nitin Patel said, "For all practical purposes it would mean that new hotels and hospitals will have 22 floors as against 12 being allowed today". The only condition for having up to 4 FSI is, he added, "they should be located next to a 30-metre wide road on a plot of at least 10,000 square metres"
"Until now, hospitals and hotels were being allowed to be built only in commercial and residential zones. With the new provision, developers of hotels and hospitals can go outside along wider roads," said B K Sinha, additional chief secretary, urban development. A longstanding demand from the industry, with this, the state government proposes to discourage congestion in already overcrowded urban areas, he said.
In another concession for hospitals and hotels, such areas like parking space in the basement, refuge area, ramp for going towards parking space, fire escape, sewage treatment plant, air handling room etc per cent of space of the building area will have to be kept for parking as against 30 per cent as of today." Other changes in the policy for hotels include allowing swimming pool on any floor, as also such facilities like laundry, house keeping, store locker, rest room in hotel basement.
Each hotel will also have to have a 30 square metre wide yoga room "keeping in our respect to India's ancient civilisation", an official note issued by the government said. The new policy will have to wait till corresponding changes are made in the general control development regulation (GDCR) rules of each urban body. "The changes will apply to eight municipal corporations and urban development areas attached to them. Municipalities don't have 30 metre wide roads right now," he said.
This is indeed one of the measures to attaract tourism in Gujarat. Hope there are changes made to safety regulations considering any accident like fire...wondering if fire department would be procuring snorkels that can reach this height of 70meters or more??
konark would take some travelling, as would the jagannath temple which is at puri. if you have the time then why not.
udaygiri khandagiri (about 100 BCE) just outside bhubaneshwar would be my recommendation. if forced to stay within city limits try the lingaraj and mukteshwar temples. mukteshwar has some of the most intricate artwork I've seen.
^^^There are many devotees who go to Jagganathpuri every day from Bhubaneshawar, so finding organized and safe transport shouldn't be difficult at all. Both are about 100 Km away (round trip). I haven't been myself, but my elderly parents have in the past few years. This is one of those rare chances, that if you're there, then make a little effort for the darshan.
What kind of trip is it? IOW, 100km round trip may be 1 hour on the Golden Quadrilateral, or 6 hours of backache on a Malloostani roads. In December, that is. May have enough time for an all-day trip, since I have no intention of wasting my time listening to papers. Not after the review they gave mine..
^^^The roads are not the Golden Quad, but not the mallustani back roads either. They are decent. If you don't like the roads, take a look at this website for train schedule and tickets, since that may be an option: http://www.cleartrip.com/trains
Its best to check with the locals there. Since you post on this forum, you are not the KK type sekular types and would be interested in genuine Indian history as well as the chance to undertake a darshan. You are indeed blessed. It would make for a good day trip.
Folks, any status updates on the Bengaluru->Hassan->Sakleshpur->Mangalore roads? Is it driveable? My destination is Karwar, and the initial plan was to goto Mangalore and then go up on NH 17 to Karwar. Or else I have to rework on the route .
Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark are a triangle, and reaching either of the two from Bhuba. would take the same amount of time. I would suggest going to the Sun Temple, because its not too crowded, easier to get to, and you can make a quick getaway. Going to Puri to visit Lord Jaggannath will require a lot more effort and pushing and shoving on your part. You should be able to pack everything in a day for sure.
Can somebody shade some light on the recent renunciation and surrender certificate garbage that GoI has initiated? I am seeing lot of chatter online about people from US being mistreated by airport official over this. I have looked at all CGI and Embassy web pages and all say that it is not a requirement to travel to India. However, I constantly keep hearing that airport officials in India do not give a hoot about what these web pages are saying and demanding these certificates.
On a different note while looking at Indian Embassy website, I was in total disbelief that they do not issue a same day visa if you are a former Indian citizen. And, it actually costs close to 200 bucks to "inform GoI that you do not want to be an Indian citizen." WTF?
My first halt was 16 km ahead at the Sabal Shah Trekking Centre and Gangau Sanctuary. Gangau is a small wildlife district situated on the banks of River Ken and is considered a good zone for spotting the striped hyena, sambar, chital, langur and wild boar.
Today a dusty town, its crumbling edifice bears testimony to Panna once being the jewel in the crown, where royal buildings were studded with gems and diamonds, excavated from local mines (the Kohinoor diamond is supposed to have been found here).
Amongst royal brick-and-mortar on view, I found the colonnaded Mahendra Bhavan most impressive. Panna is also known for its temples and I barely managed to manoeuvre the SUV through the narrow lane that connected the most popular amongst them all, the Mahamati Prannathji Temple. This is Mecca for the Krishna Pranami sect started by Mahamati Prannath, who was Chhatrasal’s guru and a political adviser.
Entry fee: Panna National Park is open from October 1 to June 15. Entry by car/jeep carrying up to 8 persons costs — For Indians it’s Rs 500, while for foreigners a ticket costs Rs 2,000
^^Surya, I am trying to get the answer to that too. MEA is saying that it is not required but I keep hearing reports that corrupt airport officials are harassing former Indian citizens about this issue to extract money. Pathetic and disgusting.
AHMEDABAD: The roar of lions showcased by superstar Amitabh Bachchan in the Gujarat Tourism campaign seems to be yielding fruitful results for the Gir Sanctuary. The sanctuary has witnessed such a good response from the tourists that it is completely booked for the fortnight till November 15 - a record in the last 15 years for this only abode of the Asiatic lion.
Ever since the sanctuary re-opened on October 15, on an average, 70 to 80 permits were issued daily. The upper limit for issuing permits was 90 permits per day.
However till November 11, there is no room in Sinh Sadan and even the advance permits issued to casual visitors are over booked.
Officials said that of the 90 permits issued daily, about 50 per cent were issued in advance. And now the first available advance permit is of November 15. According to officials, not just the Sinh Sadan, which is the official guest house of the forest department, but even hotel owners were having a great time. Of these 45 advance permits, over 25 were pocketed by the hotel owners.
In Sinh Sadan, majority of rooms barring the VIP room have been booked in advance. "The permits are issued for those who pre-plan their trips, but we don't have any advance permits. On an average, roughly 70 permits have been issued ever since the sanctuary re-opened," Sandeep Kumar, deputy conservator of forest, headquarter, told TOI. Kumar said that even Devaliya, the interpretation zone, has also seen a rise in the number of tourists. "It has been noticed that the number of schools coming here for picnics has seen a sharp rise. After visiting Devaliya, schools head for Somnath," he said. Kumar said the figures of the first 15 days of last year cannot be compared to this year, for Diwali festival last year was soon after the sanctuary opened, and hence number of tourists was bigger.
As per travel industry estimates, about 300 foreign couples travel to the contnry every year to get married in Rajasthan. Towns like Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Pushkar are the most popular, with around 100 marriages held every year. Pandit Rajendra Sharma, a Hindu priest who has solemnised many such weddings, said foreigners are impressed by the cultural nuances. Wearing swirling lehngas, a ghunghat and gold jewellery "fascinates foreign ladies", he says.
The long marriage processions, including horses and elephants, warm hospitality, variety of delicious cuisines, amazing fireworks and the like are things which attract foreigners, he said. "A normal wedding costs a minimum of Rs.1-2.5 million ($22,000-55,000) and that includes all the marriage arrangements plus a dinner party for 100 people," a manager of a Jaipur-based travel agency said. Trade estimates put the figure at over Rs.500-800 million ($11-18 million), with an average annual growth rate of 20-25 per cent.
I have not perused this entire thread but the MHA has issued new guidelines for a tourist visa due to visa abuse. The big change is the requirement for a 2 month gap between successive visits to the India. There is a provision for a merit based exemption.
Q.13: How will individuals who come to India to volunteer for various charity organizations be treated? Many of them travel around the region while volunteering in India for extended periods on tourist visas.
Ans.: Tourist Visa is not the appropriate visa in such cases. A person coming for voluntary work can apply for ‘Entry (X)’ Visa.
Wonder what visa abuse the GOI is trying to curb.US nationals can get a 10 year tourist Visa and a few other western countries a 5 year tourist visa so it will not affect soul harvesters.
IMO, the whole restructuring of Visa is targeting "Former Indian Nationals". For God knows what they did. Now I am hearing some absurd rule about paying some sort of tax if you stay in India more than two months.
The government plans to organise package tours this winter with Ranchi as the base station wherefrom tourists will be taken to the waterfalls like Dassam, Jonha Falls and Honudru and other picturesque places. A facelift to the centuries-old Jagannatth temple in Ranchi is also on the cards for which Rs 70 lakh has been earmarked.
The Jharkhand Tourism Development Coporation yesterday launched `Heritage Walk' under which tourists would be taken to historic places and natural spots like waterfalls around Ranchi, the minister said. Proposals for setting up water sports at famous dams like Tilaiya, Maithon and Massanjore besides Chandil, Tenughat, Rukka and Kanke are also being taken up.
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