The Ganges Floods Varanasi

Today, this blog is being employed to disseminate important information to all visitors who are planning to tour India, especially Varanasi, in September'2013. On account of ongoing monsoon season, unprecedented rainfall, the water level of the Ganges has soared to alarming heights and entered into the city, primarily Gadoulia which leads to famous ghats like Rajendra Prasad Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat etc. As a result, not only the entire Ghats are submerged in the water and but also the water has also reached to the level of approach  road from where we normally go towards the Ghats to experience the evening Ganga Aarti.

Keeping in mind the water level, the local government authority has suspended the boat ride in the Ganges. As the ghats have got submerged, Ganga Aarti is taking place in one of the high rise buildings on the ghats. But to reach to this venue, a visitor has to go across through the water logging on the main road.  

So, it is being advised by us to people touring Varanasi to partake in Ganga Aarti that kindly avoid to attend the splendid ritual in this September or be prepared to sail through log-jammed water on the way.

Incredible India Tours

Incredible India Tours

India is a country of sub-continental size, continental in diversity and universal in spiritual appeal. One the world’s oldest living civilization, India and its culture have survived ravages of time with success. All through several thousand years of civilization and cultural evolution, unique Indian ethos has been intact. Every kind of conceivable geographical diversity can be traced in India like high altitude desert plateau of Ladakh, plateau of Deccan, hot desert of Thar, snow capped hills of the great Himalaya, Gangetic plain, sea beaches on the coast of Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, dense forests of Sunderbans and Bandhavgarh, tiger reserves of Corbett and Ranthambhore National Parks, flora and fauna in more than 170 national parks etc. Then observe cultural diversity like languages, attires, rituals, traditions etc that varies even at the distance of few kilometres. Again watch social diversity in terms of different religious groups, castes and tribes. Realize and extol plethora of crafts and maturity of the craftsmanship into a different caste. And you wouldn’t be able to miss architectural finesse and varieties of monuments. Come and explore Incredible India. Experience ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’ in spirit and practice.

Visiting and exploring whole of India in a single India tour is a herculean task. Keeping in view this reality, Indian tour operators offer lot many India tour packages catering specific interests of the visitors. A visitor finds beach tour packages offering coveted beaches like Goa and Kovalam. Rajasthan Forts and Palaces tours are designed for esteemed visitors who are more interested in monumental heritage and histrionics. North India Tours ranging from 05 days to a month present cultural and architectural lineage of a significant part of India- North India. Experience religious and spiritual ambience in Varanasi, exotic temple sculpture at Khajuraho, strategic fortress of Orchha, one of the Seven Wonders of the World- Taj Mahal, highest mortar & brick tower of Qutub Minar and gargantuan forts and palaces scattered all over Rajasthan.  

Enjoy serene beauty of Kerala, mammoth temples of Tamil Nadu, legacy of richly carved and engraved temples of Karnataka and Buddhist era monuments in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. Enjoy delicious cuisines and pleasantly different cultural shades of South India. Don’t miss Ayurveda massage, Yoga therapy and backwaters tour in a houseboat in Kerala while on South India tour.

And if you are an adventurist and nature-lover, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Ranthambhore National Park and Corbett Wildlife Sanctuary beckons you with open arms. Various India Wildlife Tours are offered by Indian tour operators.

Measures To Attract Tourists In India

India’s share in International tourist arrival (Inbound India Tour) is a meager .64%. With thousands of years rich ancestral lineage of culture, civilization, monuments, unique life styles and, above all, unmatched traditional ethics of ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’, the Working Group on Tourism, set up by Planning Commission, has targeted India’s share in International tourist arrival in India at 1% by the end of 12^th Five Year Plan. Though the tours to India are on rise since last several years but to achieve exponential growth of Indian tourism industry, concerted efforts have to be made. The targeted figure has to be achieved on the basis of three pronged approach:

(a)    Various promotional efforts highlighting India in general and various Indian tourist destinations in particular. With regard to that Indian tour operators may offer customized India Tour Packages.

(b)   Promotion of prioritized Indian tourist destinations will be a focused drive. The prioritization of select Indian tourist destinations will be reached at on the basis of consultation with respective state governments by the Union Government of India.

(c)    Central Financial Assistance to States/UTs will be provided for promoting tourism projects in various states. This financial assistance will be utilized to improve the road connectivity leading to the tourist sites, especially from the National Highways/State highways and other entry points under its Plan Scheme of Product/Infrastructure Development for Destinations and Circuits.

(d)   Though the emphasis will be on International tourist arrival in India but the domestic tourism will also be supported so that the present 12% growth rate of Indian tourism industry remains intact.

(e)   Various infrastructural projects will be given due diligence at the time of their speedy implementation.

Expansion of Bandhavgarh National Park

The conservation efforts have started showing results in increased population of tigers. Increased population of tiger in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, India is compelling forest authorities to expand buffer as well as core zones of Bandhavgarh National Park. The tigers roam in a larger area and travel quite a long distance.

Keeping in view the increased tiger population in Bandhavgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and frequent movement of the tigers in buffer zone, the forest authorities have proposed to include 540 sq. kms forest area of Umaria district into buffer zone of Bandhavgarh National Park. This will comprise Dhamokhar, Panpatha, Manpur, Chandia and Ghunghuti forest ranges. As a result, the buffer zone area of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve will increase to 1370 sq kms from 830 sq kms.

Naturally, as the tiger population increases and their movements become frequent in buffer zones, the buffer zones and later core zones of tiger habitat are increased. Presently the area of core zone of Bandhavgarh National Park is 740 sq kms and it is also likely to increase as well.  

The expansion of Bandhavgarh National Park will surely be a delight for wildlife lovers. Indian tour operators offer several India wildlife tours which include an excursion into Bandhavgarh tiger reserve. India wildlife tours comprising Bandhavgarh National Park offer ‘tiger safaris’ on jeep and elephant. 

Six Rajasthan Hill Forts Declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Six Rajasthan Hill Forts Declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites

Rajasthan adds another feather to its crowning glory with inclusion of six hill fort palace complexes in Aravalli hills (mountain range) into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The International Council in Monuments and Sites, a body that surveys, evaluates and proposes heritage sites with cultural relevance and architectural brilliance to be inducted into the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. On recommendation of International Council in Monuments and Sites, six hill forts of Rajasthan- Chittaurgarh Fort (Chittaurgarh), Kumbhalgarh Fort (Rajsamand), Ranthambhore Fort (Sawai Madhopur), Jaisalmer Fort (Jaisalmer), Amber Fort (Jaipur) and Gagron Fort (Jhalawar) - have been granted UNESCO World Heritage site status.

These forts of Rajasthan are splendid examples of Rajasthani art and architecture. Rajasthan is a desert state of India and so faces paucity of water. These hill forts of Rajasthan have developed excellent mechanism of water harvesting and conservation. These forts are exemplary embodiment of Rajput military hill architecture. Most of these Rajasthan hill forts, built during 17^th & 19^th centuries, house palaces, temples, courtyards, memorials and villages. Thus these forts symbolize fortified township architecture.    

Rajasthan travel itineraries comprising these forts are already being offered by many Indian tour operators. Rajasthantour without visiting these places is not complete. Various Rajasthan packages, offered by Indian travel agents, comprise stay in heritage hotels as well. This serves as additional exotic and incredible India experience for a visitor on India tour.  

Visit Chennai, Tamil Nadu, South India

To a first time visitor, India seems to be an abstruse riddle with exotic experiences and colorful cultural exposures. India’s diverse flora, fauna, languages, attires, traditions, religious sects, architectural variety, music, dances, cuisines, geography etc make a tourist spell-bound. India is perceived by them as a different world altogether.

If a tour starts from or ends in Chennai, one must visit Dakshinachitra. An excellent example of best kind of heritage tourism, Dakshinachitra showcases rural life and architecture from all four South Indian states of India, tastefully and charmingly. Entire houses of Tamil Brahmins, Chettiar traders, Syrian Christians and Andhra weavers, among others, have been carefully translanted from the original villages and rebuilt in this sprawling campus. They have been furnished with authentic artifacts, furniture and objects of daily living, to give you a glimpse of the rural South India.

Plus, there are small museums that showcase textiles, vessels, history and craft. To add to the experience, you can have your fortune told by a parrot at the village square, practice a Kollam (rice flour design) in one of the houses, or mess with clay at the potter’s wheel. Artisans from across the country periodically demonstrate and sell their work here. And if you visit during a festival like Pongal or Navratri, you can catch a folk dance or street play. 

CREATING & CAPITALIZING TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES IN INDIA

Realizing the potential of India in tourism sector and positive cascading effects of growth in tourism industry has mobilized Indian government to create and develop new tourist destinations. Multicultural India offers tremendous opportunity in ‘recession proof’ Faith Tourism by developing new India travel circuits- Buddhist pilgrimage tours for ASEAN countries, Jewish centre in Kochi to visit one of the oldest synagogue, British era war cemeteries for the westerners, 22 Sufi shrines for moderate Muslims, Hindu pilgrimages spanning length and breadth of Indian subcontinent, various Jain pilgrimage circuits covering Bihar and western part of India, Sikh pilgrimage tours encompassing Nanded in Maharashtra to Amritsar. The spiritual tourism circuits are new places to be explored, bringing prosperity to every nook and corner of India.   
  

The sincerity of Indian government towards tourism is quite visible in relaxation of rules to allocate tourist visa. But the most promising signals are being shown from various state governments. Bihar is recognized the importance of the holy river Ganga and developing various projects related to tourism revolving around cultural Ganga. Gujarat is exploring possibility of capitalizing on the surge of Ayurvedic treatment and massage. Gujarat has established an Ayurvedic University as well. West Bengal is come out of slumber and is exploring to promote wildlife tourism along with unique cultural practices. Many Buddhist sites are already on the map of India tourism and many more are being explored in provinces like Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.

The Indian travel agents or Indian tour operators will have to gear up for offering appropriate Indiatour packages catering varied needs of the visitors.