Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Airavat
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Airavat »

Gujarat signs inter-state tourism pacts:

Tourism secretary, Vipul Mitra, said the state has entered into memoranda of understanding with Rajasthan, Karnataka and Punjab, which has a large number of NRI visitors. "The MoUs will help towards mutual promotion of tourism, showcasing each others' cultural heritage to tourists and felicitating inbound travel into respective states," Mitra said. The states will mutually market their accommodation facilities and tourism packages. Manish Sharma, president of Gujarat Association of Tour Operators, said that signing the MoU is in the interest of the state. "Rajasthan has been promoting Gir and the effect is that schools from Rajasthan have visited Gir for watching Asiatic lions."

"We have been promoting Rajasthan and they have been offering joint packages along with Somnath and Dwarka apart from Gir. Around 20 to 22 per cent of the tourists who arrived in the state were through inter-state tourist operators," he added.
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Post by Murugan »

FORTRESS OF COURAGE

Arjun Kumar travelled back in time to relive the glory days of the medieval citadel of Chittorgarh

RATAN Singh is given to stroking his moustache frequently, often with affection, always with pride. Admittedly his moustache is magnificent, its twirl defying gravity and drawing attention from less well-endowed beings. To him, the moustache is a symbol — of being male, of Rajput machismo and most significantly, of the martial tradition which he claims descent from.

The moustache is but a teaser, drawing my curiosity about its owner. Ratan Singh, to delve a little deeper, is one of several caretakers of the rambling old fortress at Chittor that captivated me recently. Despite living in the 21st century, his working in the medieval citadel his ancestors once stood guard over frequently, causes his mind to wander, taking him back to an era where Chittor was always under siege and Rajput cavalrymen perpetually at war.

Besides being the largest fort in India, the ‘garh’ at Chittor has witnessed the myriad emotions of human conflict more than any others of its ilk. At one level Chittor or Chittaur is a city on the banks of the Berach River near Bhilwara in southern Rajasthan, and is the headquarters of the district that bears its name. At another level, it is a fortress that was once the capital of the Rajput kingdom of Mewar, and is a symbol of the golden era of Rajput valour.

Indeed, to visit Chittorgarh is to travel back in time, willy-nilly, such is the air of the place, still resonating silently with the tumult of times past. At first glance the walls of the fort look inviting, willing me to come and explore it in the pleasant warmth of a winter sun. A second, more discerning look reveals the battle scars its defiance has earned it over time. As I stood on the battlements and looked over the buildings within and the hillside outside, it did not take much of an effort for my mind to wander – Ratan Singh style — to another, less peaceful age…….

Suddenly, I could hear the crackling of flames on the hillside grass, set alight by the burning arrows fired by an attacking force. The year is 1303 and the Rajput garrison is preparing for the final battle against Sultan Ala-ud-din Khilji. The Sultan, insane in his desire for the Rajput queen Padmini, has launched an all-out assault on the fortress that year.

He is driven by the humiliating defeat he had received in a previous attempt. That time, he had actually succeeded in capturing the king — another Ratan Singh, as it happens! — and made his life and freedom conditional to the Rajput queen giving herself up to him. The Rani had acceded, replying that her 700 maids would precede her in 700 palanquins.
The 700 palanquins duly arrived in the Sultan’s enclosure but unbeknownst to that worthy, they contained not maids but Rajput warriors. Soon the Sultan was their prisoner and Ratan Singh a free man. Khilji was sent back to Delhi his life spared, but returned vengefully with a huge army, laying siege to the fort and cutting off food supplies.

I imagined myself as a 20-something soldier, part of the defending garrison. Food had been rationed for the last six months and I was now down to a single meal a day; my ruler had told me to ready myself for a final stand to save the kingdom’s honour; the women of the household are preparing to immolate themselves in Jauhar....

The end was nigh, yet to go out as part of a force to take on an army several times in size and die fighting was the credo of the Rajput warrior. This was the fate of countless young men of Chittaur in 1303, also known as the first ‘saka’. I could almost feel the drama, the urgency, the adrenalin of that moment. And the stunning inevitability of its tragedy.

The serenity of its current state is a telling foil to its past. The palace where queen Padmini lived still exists, its graceful white walls reflecting the waters of the tank next to it In the middle of the water is Jal Mahal, and cut into the walls of the palace facing the lake are niches with deities. Not far from the palace is the Vijay Stambh, a tower commemorating the high point of Rajput rule in the fort. Nine stories high and covered with stunning sculptures, it was built by Maharana Kumbha (1433- 68) to mark his triumph over the combined armies of Gujarat and Malwa.

Several temples also fall within the precincts of the fort. The most significant is the one dedicated to Mirabai, the Rajput princess who came as the bride of a Sisodia of Chittaur, but who won immortal fame as a devotee of Lord Krishna.

In 1534, the place turned into a vast cremation ground with 13,000 women led by Rani Karnavati committing Jauhar in what is called the second ‘saka’ of Chittaur. The invader this time was Bahadur Shah of Gujarat but the end result was the same. Any place having had to endure two such holocausts would have disappeared from the face of the earth. But it is a tribute to the fighting spirit of the Sisodia Rajputs that each time an opponent thought them destroyed, they came back. By the time the Mughals under Akbar attacked Chittor in 1567, another generation of Sisodias had grown to manhood, war and martyrdom. Another conflict and another ‘saka’ later, the Sisodias shifted their capital to Udaipur. Those battles are long gone but the fort is filled with memories of Sisodia valour.

ET 23 Dec 2010
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Kutch Rann Utsav is most successful tourism product of Gujarat

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Chief Minister Narendra Modi stayed in Dhordo tent city’s Darbari tent for two nights. After his departure, now his grand full facility tent is open for public allocation. Two nights and three days package of Modi’s Darbari tent costs Rs. 15000 per head for tourists. The tent is booked for next one week.

Rann Utsav: Adding colour to the white desert:

The festival had kicked off on December 19 on the banks of the Hamir Sagar Lake in Bhuj, where a parade of about 42 floats represented the cultural heritage of the state, remembering the freedom fighters from the state as well as prominent leaders. The inaugural also saw performances by dance groups from Punjab, Rajasthan as well as the Bengali community living in Gujarat, who paid tribute to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore to mark his 150th birth anniversary, dancing to his famous song ‘Momo Chitte Nite Nitte’.

During the festival, tourists are taken to the BSF-controlled white Rann on camel carts from Dhordo as the ground is too soft for cars and buses. They are taken to various places in and around Kutch, including the 400-year-old Dattatrey temple at Kala Dungar, where jackals are served ‘prasad’ after the evening aarti of the deity, Mandvi beach, Indo-Pak border and the eco-friendly Hudko village.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Murugan »

Destination INDIA

Indian states are increasingly trying to woo cash-rich desis seen globe trotting so frequently with their large families, say Smitha Venkateswaran and Joe Scaria

GURPREET Singh is in a dilemma… It’s the yearly holiday time, and he is yet to make up his mind. Should he go abroad to ‘attractively priced’ beach holiday at Thailand or choose to enjoy the tranquil backwaters of Kerala? After all Kerala gives both the beach and lush green hills…

Welcome to the new genre of domestic travellers, who are spoilt of choices to holiday in India. After facing a lull in foreign arrivals post the global slowdown, Indian states are increasingly trying to woo cash rich desis seen globe trotting so frequently with their large families. “The economic meltdown was a sudden shock as our hotels went empty but we saw Indians travelling abroad on holidays. It has clearly changed way all tour operators look at Indian visitors,” said Subhash Verma, vice-president, Association of Domestic Tour Operators of India (ADTOI).

The Mumbai terrorist attacks, on top of a global economic recession, have come as a double whammy for India’s tourism and hospitality industry with room occupancies dropped by over thirty percent. Luxury hotels in tourist hotspots like Agra and Goa were the worst affected were only 20-odd rooms of the 90 rooms were filled up. At the same time number of outbound Indians jumped by a million to 4cross the 10- million mark for the first time ever.

While sightseeing tops the list for nearly two-thirds (64%) as the main reason for Indians travelling abroad, it was followed by exploring a new country for close to one half (47%). The impact of the recession in India was relatively small with a year-on-year drop of just 3% in 2009, says PhoCus Wright market search report.

So to keep their itinerary filled, many ‘tourist savvy’ state corporations are signing memorandum of understating (MoUs) amongst themselves. Goa, for example, has already signed such MoUs with Karnataka, Gujarat and Rajasthan wherein ‘both parties will seek to tap tourism potential by developing tourism packages, services, market products’. Similar requests have also been sent to Kerala, the north-eastern states, Andamans and Pondicherry.

“By promoting each other’s destination, we are giving our customers variety and value for money. It also ensures that each state has more travellers coming in every year. As the commercial wing of the state tourist department, it is our job to keep increasing the numbers,” said Nikhil Desai managing director GTDC. Simply put, these states in a joint effort want to tap potential tourism markets in India that refuses to be rattled by global economic scenario.

For starters, all state departments have decided to promote the others’ destination; customise inter-state holiday package. There will be fairs, road shows, public display of art and craft, pictures of locales besides promoting others regional festivals in a bid to attract locals for a quick weekend break. So, if you are in the deserts of Rajasthan you will be shown brochures, pictures and pamphlets of the pristine beaches of Goa and the exotic hills of Kullu-Manali for the next break. Reservations can be made online.

Tourism boards of Goa/Karnataka and Maharashtra are planning a joint circuit. The circuit will be part of the currently running Golden Chariot luxury train that runs from Goa to the ancestral city of Hampi in Karnataka. “We can complement each other. While Goa has the beaches and party, Karnataka offers rich culture, forests and history,” said Karnataka’s principal Secretary (Tourism) K Jyothiramalingam.

Talks are on to have similar MoUs with Kerala for a ‘southern splendour’. So, a 7/14-day trip
blends religious tour with leisure to cover temples at Bangalore, Chennai, Mammalapuram, Madurai, Tanjavur, Kanyakumari before heading to the scenic beauty of Pondichery, Trivandrum, Kovalam, Alleppy and Kochi in Kerala. Here, Goa can be the get away as the final leg of holidaying, “we are focusing on families where the elders like to visit religious places while the youngsters want to have some fun”, adds Jyothiramalingam. To bring in more ‘high spending’ Indian families to Goa, GTDC wants to revamp Goa’s image from a leisure destination to also a centre for ecotourism, adventure tourism and hinterland tourism. For this, state is already in talks with reputed consultants for developing projects under PPP model.

Meanwhile, God’s own country, Kerala, too has been wooing tier-2 and tier-3 cities in the country in a bid to enhance its domestic tourism business. This year, the state’s tourism marketing bandwagon has toured cities like Vijayawada, Bhopal Lucknow and Bhubaneswar. “We thought these cities held good potential for domestic tourism, and trade bodies had also advised us to tap these cities”, says Kerala Tourism deputy director for marketing, Suresh Kumar.

Meanwhile, exotic Rajasthan has for the first time organised road shows in 19 Indian states like Goa, Kerala, Pune, Bangalore and Mumbai. The three-day blend of state’s wonder locales, art, music and dance also gives people a chance to sample some authentic Rajasthani cuisine, “We are basically informing people what Rajasthan has to offer. With a desert and also rivers and waterfalls, Rajasthan is a year-round destination, which many do not know,” said Ajit Singh, assistant director, department of Tourism, government of Rajasthan. The desert state was the worst victim of the recession. Foreign arrivals dropped to half post the economic meltdown in 2009, admits Singh. Now the state wants to develop a regular flow of Indian travellers to off-load the deficits that come with a drop in foreign arrivals. And response has been encouraging, the desert state is witnessing a marked increase in queries from Indians, he adds.

India has an unparalleled wealth of heritage sites, festivals and beaches. But by global standards it still spends relatively little promoting and developing them. The country invests 0.9% of its budget in tourism. By contrast, Malaysia spends 5.1% and Singapore 9.1%. As India’s middle classes become more wealthy, they are travelling more, some have already developed a taste for foreign travel. “There is a change in attitude of the expanding middle class. People want to explore new places but they also want value for money,” points out hospitality analyst Ram Badrinathan, GM, Asia-Pacific region, PhoCus Wright.

They are the government’s next big challenge. Not only does it need to persuade Indians to choose within the country, but must also convince its own tourists that the best place for a holiday is the country they live in.

ET 29 Dec 2010
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Airavat »

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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Airavat »

Image

Its most celebrated attraction is the rather daunting 10,000-step climb that winds up Mount Girnar, to a chain of superb Jain temples near the summit. Its peak is the highest point in Gujarat and on a clear day the view stretches almost as far as the sea, some 50 miles to the south. Before you lie the dry rolling hills and lush fertile planes of the Saurashtra Peninsula, punctuated by the occasional hulks of fuming chemical factories and modern manufacturing plants. Happily, these do little to detract from the surroundings' natural beauty but are reminders of the country's rapid industrialisation.

Gujarat, India's most westerly state, offers an intoxicating mix of culture, scenery and wildlife
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Murugan »

^ a little amendment should be

8000+ steps to climb go reach datatreya toonk the highest peak in Girnar range

the jain temples are not near the summit but after climbing around 3500 steps starting from the foothiill one reaches this place where jain temples are situated.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Murugan »

NARESAR

SEEKING NARESAR

Arjun Kumars quest to unearth the millennial marvels of Morena district yielded another hidden architectural gem,Naresar,after considerable effort!

NARESAR is a small rural settlement north of Gwalior.I am deliberately refraining from using the word village as I do not think a place with six houses all one can see for a considerable distance qualifies for that title.Ok,call it a rural hamlet,undecided about what to be,or not to be.

A traveller to the place needs to go for a certain distance on a dirt road flanked by green fields.There Naresar stands with its back to a gently sloping hill.This story,however,is about what lies on the other side of that hill.Four years ago,I wrote in ET Travel about stunning millenniumold temples lying in complete obscurity in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh.A district which is better known (infamous) for having been a haven for dacoits in the past.
In that story,four sets of temples were mentioned specifically those in the villages of Mitaoli,Padhawali,Bateshwar and Kakanmath.While the first three were located close to each other within a 5 km radius,Kakanmath was several hours away.Access to all four was difficult with pot-holed roads and ignorant locals making the journey tougher.While visiting the four places,a fifth had been on the radar.This was Naresar,whose name was mentioned in the Archaeological Survey of Indias list alongside the other places.It was spoken off as being near Bateshwar but that was not so.No one near Mitaoli,Padhwali or Bateshwar could pin down the location of Naresar.The ASI caretakers gave vague directions.Some villagers expressed doubts about Naresar being in Morena,speculating that it lay in the neighbouring Bhind district or possibly even further away,across Chambal in Uttar Pradesh.

The question about Naresars location came up a couple of years later when I met Mr Gupta,a resident of Gwalior.Despite his obvious understanding of the regions geography and his enthusiasm for travelling,he too was unable to pin the place down.The search for the elusive Naresar intensified.A simple Google search showed it to be 25 km north of Gwalior but that did not solve the question of which district it lay in: Morena or Bhind.The next search was on ground.Enlightenment was finally reached in a conversation with an elderly postman at Malanpur post office,north of Gwalior.This gentleman described the settlement of Naresar as being close to the village of Baretha.

It took several pointed questions to village folk and driving up and down the highway a few times for the turn-off point to Naresar to be identified.The 3 km long dirt road to the village was lined with mustard fields.The vehicle was abandoned at the hill behind the settlement and from that point,it was a walk down a cattle track.

So,as I then finally gathered,Naresar is exactly 24.5 km north of Gwalior.I drove north from Gwalior crossing Malanpur.Some 20 km from Gwalior is the village of Baretha,which is the turn off for Naresar.It is on the left of the road just beyond this village.From that point it is a 3 km drive on a dirt track and then a 1.5 km walk across rough terrain to reach the temples.And its well worth all the effort! Especially if you also have a dekko of the neighbouring temples in the villages of Mitaoli,Padhwali and Bateshwar,further north.

Anyway,getting back to the journey.At the top of the hill was a small temple,its white painted exterior declared it to be a recent construction.The hill,however,offered an excellent view for miles around,including of the landing strip of the Indian Air Forces fighter base nearby.On the other side of the hill seemed to be a thick forest.A path paved with stones dabbed in white paint seemed to point to the forest so that was the direction I followed.Just over the crest of the hill,my destination became visible in the form of a small temple,distinctly exuding the charm of a bygone era.This was just the first glimpse of the heritage site of Naresar.
The Archeological Survey of India lists 22 temples at Naresar.These magnificent monuments are believed to have been built between the 8th and 12th centuries AD in the Pratihara style popular in central India at that time.What I got to see first were a set of relatively simple temples in terms of style,which were built at the higher level.Three of these were located in what appeared to be ditches.These were actually excavated sites,though.

Some other temples are set around a small pond.A few steps beyond and the forest spreads out like a carpet.However,just before the forest begins is a large ledge on which there are more temples.Getting to the ledge means walking gingerly down a shaky set of rock steps,in which the boulders have been loosened by the passage of cascading water.A large broad rock is then used like a bridge to reach the temples.Even this makeshift bridge looks a few hundred years old.

The temples on the ledge make the arduous journey worth every bit of effort put in.The shrines are small with square-shaped sanctums and spires rising above.The doorways of the temples are richly decorated with rock cuts of gods and goddesses,some of whom are easy to recognise while some look defaced.Ganesha is perched on one lintel while Parvati blesses you from another.There are two functional temples among those present,one dedicated to the goddess Shakti and the other bearing a life-size statue of Hanuman.

The temples actually lie in Morena district of Madhya Pradesh but the site is just over the district line from Gwalior.It is an odd feeling to be there,to see millennium old heritage site full of ancient temples and have fighter jets of the twenty first century taking off and landing right next door.But then that is just a metaphor for India itself isnt it where the ancient and the modern coexist in perfect harmony.

ET 13th January 2011
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Singha »

I looked up gwalior afb in goog earth but unable to find this place. within the confines of the afb there is a thickly forested area though, with a couple of places where probably munitions are kept underground at foot of the hill.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Gujarat to promote Kutch as state's tourism capital
AHMEDABAD: Encouraged by the inflow of tourists during the Kutch Rann Utsav, the state government has decided to promote Kutch as Gujarat's tourism capital. According to government officials, chief minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed his resolve to develop Kutch as state's most favoured tourist destination. Modi articulated that intention during a meeting with Kutch officials, and asked them to upgrade infrastructure facilities to draw more tourists to the district.

The CM set a target of one lakh tourists for the year 2011 for the Kutch district administration. As part of the initiative to push tourism in the district, the government had announced on Wednesday that it would put up 50 traditional 'bhungas' rather than tents at Dhordo. Modi is in Dhordo for the BJP executive committee meeting and conferred with district administration officials to take stock of the good work done during the Rann Utsav.

He suggested that the administration start beach adventures in the Rann and also set up a handicrafts village and a resort at the foothill of Kala Dungar. Modi also asked officials to seek the Border Security Force's consent to allow tourists to not only view tanks, bunkers and other features on the India-Pakistan border, but also to capture images.
Click

NaMo is now pushing officials hard to achieve tourists target. Haven't seen any CM in India yet that will go to this extent.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Trust gives nod for modern facilities near Somnath Temple
The area around the Somnath Temple would be developed to provide modern facilities for pilgrims and tourists who visit the temple where one of the twelve Jyotrilings is located. The decision to the effect was taken at the meeting of the trustees of the temple chaired by president Keshubhai Patel, the former Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi who are among the trustees of the temple were present at the meeting.

The trustees have decided to beautify the area near the temple and provide modern facilities for the pilgrims and tourists, Patel said, adding that facilities would include drinking water and comfortable stay near the temple.

"A 85-room guest house is being planned near the Temple which would have all modern facilities. It would provide comfortable stay for the pilgrims and tourists," Patel said, adding that a number of steps have been planned for Gokuldham and Gaushala near the temple as well.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi called for developing ancient caves found in the vicinity as a museum.

While senior BJP leader L K Advani stressed the need for publicising facilities being created near the Temple which is visited by over 45 lakh pilgrims and tourists every year.

Padmashri awardee Harsh Neotia was unanimously recommended for the post of Temple trustee that was vacant after the demise of Dinesh Shah last month
Hopefully they build this wall with security perspective view as well. Somnath could be on terror list citing how important and close it is to the sea.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Except somnath jyotirling almost all the jyotirlings temples are ill managed and dirty.

Maharashtra has three jyotirlings but would not like to visit them again. Ghushmeshwar near aurangabad is still OK though. The trustees of Bhimashankar and Tryambakeshwar have no clue how to simply manage temple property. They are worst during monsoon. Shame!

Rameshwaram in TN is dirty. Would not like to enter Kashi vishwanath of Varanasi.
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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The following temples are extraordinary

1) Thiruvananthpuram (the access is partly marred by shops though)
2) Madurai
3) Akshardham Temple gandhinagar
4) Akshardham Temple Delhi
5) All birla mandirs
6) All RKM mandirs
7) All Panduran Shastri promoted temples. they are simple but beautiful. there are kutir temples also and they are serene calm and beautiful
8) Almost all swami narayan temples are very well managed
9) Almost all devaswom board temples are taken care properly as far as cleanliness and order is concerned
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Murugan »

There is a south pole pointer at Somnath Temple. Has anybody noticed it?

There is an arrow/trishul pointing south thru a huge stone ball mounted on a pillar of southern side of the temple boundary wall.

Written in Sanskrit is

आ समुद्रात दक्षिण ध्रुव पर्यंत अबाधित ज्योतिर्मार्ग

One can reach south pole unobstructed from this point

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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

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Dotted with lakes such as Naini, Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal, Khurpatal and Sattal, Nainital has been known as the “Lake District” of India. The most prominent and attractive of these lakes is Nainital surrounded by high hills. The town of Nainital is located on the periphery of the lake within a perimeter of around two miles. Girdled by lofty hills and studded with attractive villas and cottages, it is one of the most frequented tourist spots among the hill stations.

It is believed that the Naini Lake is one of the 64 Shakti Peeths or religious sites where parts of the charred body of Sati (Parvati) fell on earth while being carried by Lord Shiva. The spot where Sati’s eyes (or Nain) fell came to be called the ‘Nain-tal’ or ‘Lake of the Eye’. The goddess Shakti is worshipped at the Naina Devi Temple on the north shore of the present day lake.

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Tourists could be seen peddling small boats in the vast lake or taking a boat ride in groups of four. We too had a boat ride in groups of four paying to the Boat Club Rs.160/- out of which Rs.80/-went to the boatman whereas Rs.80/- were retained by the Boat Club. After alighting from the trolley the tourists can spend around one hour at the base and the ‘Snow View Point’ also known as ‘Naina Peak’ or ‘Cheena Peak’. From this peak one can see not only a broad swath of the snow clad high Himalaya, but also obtain a panoramic view of Nainital town itself. For a closer look of the Himalayas, tourists can use binocular paying Rs.5/- per minute. After spending an hour on the top of the Naina Peak we came back to the ropeway terminus and took a return cable car. As we went up and came down, the view of the Nainital Lake surrounded by hills and buildings was just superb.


Memorable journey through Nainital: The Jewel in the Himalayas
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by svinayak »

Murugan wrote:Except somnath jyotirling almost all the jyotirlings temples are ill managed and dirty.

Maharashtra has three jyotirlings but would not like to visit them again. Ghushmeshwar near aurangabad is still OK though. The trustees of Bhimashankar and Tryambakeshwar have no clue how to simply manage temple property. They are worst during monsoon. Shame!

Rameshwaram in TN is dirty. Would not like to enter Kashi vishwanath of Varanasi.
12 jyothirlingas are planned for US continent. Some are already installed
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Re: Indian Tourism: News & Discussion

Post by Gaurav_S »

Hovercraft, Ro-Ro services to be started in Gujarat soon:Vyas
Gandhinagar, Mar 16 (PTI) For tourism promotion, the state government will start hovercraft services this year in Gujarat besides a Ro-Ro Ferry service, Minister for Tourism Jaynarayan Vyas told the state assembly today. "A hovercraft with seating capacity of 33 passengers is scheduled to become operational this year between Dwarka and Bet Dwarka," Vyas told the house. The service is proposed to be started jointly by the state's port regulator Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB) and Gujarat Tourism Corporation Limited, at a cost of Rs 6.30 crore, the house was told. An estimated 56 lakh tourists are expected to benefit from the service, which shall also be available between Okha to Dwarka, Porbandar to Madhavpur, Somanth to Diu and Dwarka-Porbandar-Somanth, Vyas said. The hovercraft shall also come handy during the rescue operations, he said. GMB has also got a report from the international agency Backett and Rankin for starting Ro-Ro ferry service, Vyas said. The report has identified five potential sites: Ghogha, Dahej, Jaffrabad, Pipavav and Suvali near Surat. "The state government has sanctioned Rs 296 crore, for this service. The first service will start from Gogha to Dahej," he told the house. By starting Ro-Ro service, travel-distance would be shortened due to the use of sea route, he said.
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Post by jambudvipa »

Pics of the Modhera Sun temple near Ahmedabad.Definately worth a visit.

From Wikipedia:
The Sun Temple, Modhera, at Modhera in Gujarat, is a temple dedicated to the Hindu Sun-God, Surya. It was built in 1026 AD by King Bhimdev of the Solanki dynasty. Other Sun Temples in India are as follows: at Konark in Orissa, at Martand in Jammu and Kashmir near Almora in Uttarakhand at Gaya, Bihar The Dakshinaarka temple, The Bhramanya Dev Temple at Unao in Madhya Pradesh, Sun Temple at Surya Pahar in Assam Suryanaar Temple at Kumbhakonam in Tamilnadu, Suryanarayanaswamy temple at Arasavilli in Andhra Pradesh, The Sun Temple at Modhera – Gujarat

http://flickr.com/gp/sriyogi/tP04Wd/
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Post by Gaurav_S »

^^Lesser known fact is that there is a secret escape route in this temple..like a tunnel to flee. This temple is close to Bechraji which famous among worshippers.
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Post by jambudvipa »

Gaurav ,our guide did show us the enternace to the secret tunnel which apprently runs for nearly 30 kms till Anhilvada Patan.We started off late in the day hence missed seeing Becharaji and Patan.

He said that the tunnel has been explored by ASI till 3kms and is high/wide enough for a man on horseback to ride through.
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Post by Airavat »

To add to the wiki information, there are several Sun Temples in Rajasthan:
1. Ranakpur Sun Temple
2. Devka Sun Temple (Barmer)
3. Osian Sun Temple (Jodhpur)
4. Jhalarapatan Sun Temple (Jhalawar) excellent condition
5. Ahar Sun Temple (Udaipur) the image is preserved in the museum showing Surya seated in a chariot drawn by seven horses.
6. Chittorgarh Sun Temple. The 8th century Surya image was destroyed by the Turks; after the Sesodias liberated the fort they began worshiping Kalika Mata inside the temple. However the temple exterior is unchanged and images of Surya are carved in the door frame of the inner sanctum.
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Post by Airavat »

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Post by Gaurav_S »

link

Gujarat, Rajasthan to jointly promote tourism
Jaipur, April 18 (IANS) The Gujarat government Monday signed an agreement with Rajasthan to jointly promote tourism in western India through road shows and events in the country and abroad.

"It is better to showcase a region on an international level rather than to promote just a state. In this way we will be promoting the whole of western India," said Vipul Mitra, principal secretary, tourism and civil aviation, government of Gujarat.

"We are also in talks with the Maharashtra government for the same while Punjab and Karnataka have already been roped in," he added.

Mitra said Gujarat is building a film city on the lines of one in Hyderabad and is in talks with Bollywood for the promotion of state tourism.

"We have a docile crowd here unlike in many other states, so film companies can easily set up the sets of different states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh and do their shooting without any disturbance," he added.

The tourism corporation of Gujarat has also acquired 400 acres of land and is in talks with a Surat-based company for the same.

"The work will start shortly."

Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan is the brand ambassador of Gujarat tourism
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Post by Airavat »

Gaurav_S wrote:link

"We are also in talks with the Maharashtra government for the same while Punjab and Karnataka have already been roped in," he added.
That's quite a huge sweep for "Western India"!
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Post by Airavat »

Image

Now you can take a ride on a Volvo or a Mercedes Benz bus to any district headquarters in Rajasthan. The department of roadways will be replicating its high-end air-conditioned bus service on the Delhi-Jaipur highway in all districts of the state. In addition, tourists taking a ride to Rajasthan from Delhi can now pick a super-luxury bus to the popular destinations of their choice instead of routing their travel through Jaipur. They can travel directly to Jaisalmer or Ajmer-Pushkar on a Volvo bus from Delhi!

The state Roadways will also expand its bus services to Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Shimla, Dehradun, Agra, Haridwar, Lucknow, Mathura and Indore from Delhi. The Rajasthan Roadways will be adding Isuzu buses to its stable of luxury buses from the first week of June. The RSRTC already runs Volvo and Mercedes buses in its fleet of super luxury buses.

Daily Bhaskar
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Post by uddu »

India is karmic for couple on world tour
http://www.inewsone.com/2011/06/03/indi ... tour/55052
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Post by SaiK »

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TRAVEL/06/17/te ... index.html Cost: Seven-night Classic India Tour from US$6,265 for Deluxe Cabin; US$17,500 for Presidential Suite.http://www.rirtl.com/
wow
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Post by Gaurav_S »

Private investors to pump Rs 70,000 cr in Gujarat tourism sector
The majority of 1.7 crore visitors who came to Gujarat last year headed for places of religious interest like Dwarka, Somnath, Ambaji and Palitana. Now, the state is also positioning itself to attract the Buddhist religious tourist from South-East Asia. The plan for Leisure and Adventure Tourism involves development of 16 beaches that have been already identified, holding special annual events and development of its two hill stations. “The first phase covers five to six beaches where promenades will be built, amenities created, and water sports facilities installed,” Patel said.

...
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Post by rahulm »

This is the right thread.

I was in Bangalore for a few days. Stayed with a friend in Vidyaranyapura.

Went for a walk through Vidyaranyapura & HMT colony. Luxurious. I was pleasantly surprised to find wide, clean & better roads (compared to Pune) in Bangalore. Plenty of mature green cover.

Most amazing of all were the number of small well maintained, flowering parks with trimmed lawns and tiled walkways. It was almost as if every colony had a park.People of all ages seemed tobe using them both in the mornings and evenings.

Sure, Bangalore has its traffic issues but at least there is some attempt at progress - e.g. Metro.

Pune has completely lost the plot. Lay people and governance seem be stuck in the era of Shivaji's glory. More than 300 years ago.

History is used as a lounge to sit and chat not as a springboard for improvement. Present glory consists chiefly of writing "Jai Maharashtra" on cars & flying the flag. Easy to do. Real progress ..well, who cares!

Pune's metro was dead before it was born. Just yell "Jai Maharashtra" and all is well.
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Post by vish_mulay »

With "demetia" representation what you expect Rahul? Besides that Pune has become political fight city for Dada and Shikshan maharshree. Last year dada (known as mr 20% in builder lobby, stron man of PAWAR-POLITICS) collected ~1 billiom USD from hafta. No one cares for Pune. My city will be dead in no time. Another ugly Mumbai in making. Alas.
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Post by Airavat »

Taj Sawai Madhopur Lodge
All the rooms at this resort have thematic interiors. From door knockers and lampshades to the glass-topped centre tables, their designs are inspired by wild animals, birds and trees. The lounge has a stunning mural, dating back to 1938, depicting wildlife, besides other artefacts inspired by the forests. And this is only to be expected, as the resort is at the gateway to the renowned Ranthambore National Park and is the former hunting lodge (built in 1930) of the erstwhile Jaipur Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II. The resort's pride is the Premium Temptation suite, which once hosted Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh. The stately, richly-furnished room with a private terrace and sit-out is truly fit for royalty.

In the morning, we awoke to the strident cries of peacocks and screech of parakeets –– 62 species of birds have been spotted at the lodge's 12 acres of forest greenery. Of course, Ranthambore Park had much, much more to offer. A few minutes into our first safari, we had fleeting glimpses of two leopards, one with a kill in the mouth. An hour later, we watched a tiger for an incredible half-hour at Zone 3 as it wallowed in the Rajbagh Lake before rising and wandering off into the surrounding bushes. We also saw countless sambar, deer, peacocks, including dancing ones, and nearly 30 varieties of birds (the park has about 300 species).

On the afternoon safari we had fewer co-passengers. Barely 20 minutes into the safari, after rare migratory-bird sightings (blue-tailed bee-eater among them) we encountered a tigress lounging beside the Malik Talab Lake. And she stretched, purred, and changed position several times –– throwing her legs up in the air now and then –– and all the while a group of peacocks and peahens strutted around her. Some even flew above her. Finally, one peacock, at a slight distance away, spread out its iridescent tail, pirouetted around and disappeared into a nearby bush. “For me, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” the naturalist accompanying us exclaimed.
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Post by Singha »

was looking up resorts in kumarakom and alleppey...frighteningly expensive. a double room cannot be had for less than 7500 in any decent place.

seems to priced only for dilli/mumbai elites and furriners.
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Post by sum »

seems to priced only for dilli/mumbai elites and furriners.
and Bengaluru IT-vity fatcat junta?
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Post by Singha »

people in blr who can afford it would be 5% of the dilli/mumbai crowd. high end hotels in places like ooty, kodaikanal are also full of such rich people from the narth.
blr people might take a short break to madikeri or mysore...a mumbai kat would fly down to goa and spend three nights at the Taj for comparison.

blr HNIs still tend to be majorly salaried class. such people could be earning between 50L-1.5cr per annum. a few outliers up to 5cr. then a small troop of film stars, businessmen, realtors and politicians and thats it.

there is no comparison with mum/dilli which have huge nos of people pulling in >1cr / annum through businesses and associated work like law/CA/accounting and the salaried or commission based financial sector. the ability of self-employed indics to under-report their income is anyways legendary.
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Post by Gaurav_S »

delete
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Post by ramana »

Travel to Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh

Hindu article:

Travel to Araku Valley
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Post by Arav »

[quote="ramana"]Travel to Araku valley in Andhra Pradesh

Ramana garu,

Araku valley has good potential to grow like ooty. The train journey is awesome. But the only hurdle is there is only 1 train that leaves in the morning and returns in the evening. The train journey is breath taking through the tunnels. But the train service is very poor, without bare services. IRCTC can run one with food offerings etc.

Also there is not much accomodation facility available at araku. If that can be improved, more visitors can come. Visitors have to return same day to vishakapatnam, that is one constraint.

Road journey is also enjoyable. At borra caves, some development is happening, but needs more food stalls and resting places.

Overall a nice place for a day or two to spend ....
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