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Gwalior's 11th century Kakamadh
temple needs restoration Gwalior:
The 11th century Kakanmadh temple which was taken over by Archeological
Survey of India, is lying in a neglected state with the no restoration
work being done by the agency. "Kakanmadh Temple adds to the prestige
of district Sironiya.But there are no arrangements for the tourists.
I have come here for the third time.It won't be wrong if we call it
the eighth wonder of the world, but the administration is not looking
after it. This temple is in ruins now." says Jagat Narayan, a tourist.
Kakanmadh has a distinguished architecture.The temple has been made
without using cement and limestone; by keeping one boulder over the
other, which is unique in itself. The temple was named after Kaknawati,
the wife of King Keerthsen. She was a devotee of Lord Shiva. "I have
also seen it before and I have come here again. But there have being
no changes or work been done to improve its condition.We have to face
major problems in coming here.The way to the temple is rickety." says
Ravibala, a tourist. The exquisite idols and figures are in ruins. The
well-formed age-old idols have lost their beauty and symmetry.There
is a bracelet shaped structure at the top of the temple,which intensifies
its construction. Locals complain that the structure could come down
anytime and may cause some mishap. "The renovation is done in three
phases by the Archeological survey of India. All the big monuments are
under this and those which are likely to cruble soon are repaired first.
There was no foundation earlier but now we have laid it at the eastern
side.Now its not that weak that it could fall.Now we would do its grounding."
says Ashok Sharma, District Archeological Officer. The crumbled pieces
of art could be seen throughout the temple premises with its custodians
paying little or no heed to bring it back the temple to its past glory. Karate Grand
Masters view India as an ideal destination (Go to Top) Chennai:
The international Karate experts are now perceiving India as an
ideal place for holding world events. This was felt during an international
Karate seminar, organised in Chennai to promote Karate in India. The
one-day international karate seminar, which was participated by Japanese,
Sri Lankan and Malaysian representatives, showcased the outstanding
performances of Karate masters. Most of the grandmasters see India as
a growing hub for Karate and opine that students should come here since
India has the best instructors. "India should be the centre for Karate
all over the world. All the students should come to India and practice
because we have the best instructors and we must promote Karate in India,"
said Sensei Venugopal, an Aikido master from Malaysia. About 500 participants
displayed their skills which included stick-fighting, sword practice,
sparring. This Karate event was chaired by Sensei Tomomi Kishi, founder
grandmaster of Gi Toku Kai Japan. The seminar had three kinds of events
--katas practicing, demonstration and sparring methods. Karate is the
art of fighting without weapons. It is very popular among the children
and the youth because it enhances one's physical fitness and improves
the mental power. Going back to many centuries, there are various stories
of the legendary Bodhidharma (circa 500AD). Bodhi Dharma was said to
have spread fighting styles throughout south-east Asia and also taught
Shao Lin monks how to look after themselves. The monks were taught physical
training to build strength, endurance and in the search of self-perfection.
Martial Arts is believed to have developed from the Shao Lin style.
However, it is likely that elements of karate found their way from the
Asian mainland (with information suggesting India and China as main
sources) to the homeland of Karate. Although Karate is usually thought
of as a Japanese art, it is widely accepted that the birthplace of Karate
was Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu islands to the south of Japan. India's elite eco-lodge hotels making millions at tigers expense (Go to Top) London:
A new report on conservation of wildlife has said that while tourists
are willing to fork out 400 pounds a night to watch tigers from luxurious
Indian eco-lodge hotels, they almost do nothing to ensure the well being
and upkeep of these animals' or the parks they visit. According to The
Independent, the hard-hitting report prepared by DOT says that on the
fringes of the Ranthambore wildlife sanctuary there are 21 "elite" hotels
with an estimated turnover of almost 2.8 million pounds. Staying in
a luxury tent costs anywhere between 220 and 400 pounds (Rs.16,500 to
Rs.30,000), which authors of the report say should be used to improve
park surroundings and benefit the people who live in and around it.
"This is precisely what does not happen. The park does not even get
the gate receipts. The local people also do not benefit," the report
claims. Sunita Narain, the director of India's Centre for Science and
Environment and chairperson of a task force appointed by the Indian
Prime Minister to look into the reasons for the dwindling population
of tigers, says that 2.8 million pounds a year turnover is the equivalent
to the entire public funds spent on Ranthambore over the last 30 years.
Officially, there are 3,600 tigers left in India. But that figure is
now thought to be grossly inflated after it emerged earlier this year
that the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan had become another victim
of the poachers. Hotel chains accused of exploiting the parks without
contributing to their upkeep have contested the report, which has proposed
that at least 30 per cent of their turnover should be taken as taxes
to facilitate improvement of these wildlife parks. Geeta Singh of the
Oberoi Hotels says the hotel and its staff have acted responsibly to
ensure minimal water waste, noise and light pollution. As for the poverty
of the villagers in the park, Singh says this is a "political matter"
and the responsibility of the local government. Jonathan Blitz, general
manger of Aman-i-Khas, says that over two thirds of the staff trained
and employed on his property are locals, and adds that he has generously
contributed to the local hospital trust. SEE ALSO: Current Topics Goa
sky bus Travel Blues In Focus Nilgiri's
heritage Special Reports Sariska
tiger reserve Travelogues Hub
of Sikkism Reviews Kaziranga's
lessons in wildlife
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