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Sariska Tiger reserve is soon to get more tigers

     Jaipur: In an innovative attempt to save the tourism and ecological interest of Sariska wildlife sanctury, the Government of Rajsthan has planned to shift tigers from other tiger reserves to Sariska and rehabilitate the villagers in nearby areas. This decision has come in the wake of media reports about the widespread poaching , which has severly affected the number of tigers in the sanctuary. The final draft to shift tigers from other tiger reserves is ready. The project is expected to complete in the begining of next year. According to Forest minister, Laxmi Narayan Dave a final draft has been sent to the Central Government regarding shifting of tigers from other areas. "Under this decision 15 out of 28 villages, that come under the vicinity of Sariska, would be shifted to other place to discourage the poaching activities. We have already got funds to shift two villages from the Government. Rupees one lakh would be alloted as compensation to each family", says Dave.

      In the first phase three pairs of tigers would be released in Sariska which would be probably brought from Ranthambore forest. Shifting tigers from one place to other and their survival in new environment is however being considered a difficult task. "We do not want to hear that the population of tiger is reducing because of poaching. The Sariska should be known for its tigersThe decision has been taken. All this has been done to minimise poaching. ", says Damodar Sharma, Secretary, Forest Government of Rajisthan. With efforts on to rehabilitate two villages in the immediate future, the Government is reflecting a serious and committed posture to stop the poaching activities. Tigers are extremely endangered in India with their population plummeting to 3,700 from roughly 40,000 a century ago, mainly due to rampant poaching. Conservationists suspect the numbers could be less than 2,000 and have warned that the majestic cats (Tigers) are under siege from poachers and people living in protect reserves. After some media reports regarding the fast disappearance of Tigers from Rajasthan's main Sariska sanctuary, it sparked a national outrage. Sinc then, the Government of India has set up a task force to ensure their safety and conservation. The Sariska National Park is spread across 800 square kilometres area and is one of the 27 tiger reserves created under the 'Project Tiger.' Set against the sharp hills and narrow valleys of the Aravali mountain range with historic palaces and temples overlooking the dry and deciduous forest. The Park is one of India's most fascinating wildlife reserves located in Rajasthan.
-Sept 24, 2005

Rains crack famous Sanchi Stupa near Bhopal  (Go to Top)
by RC Sahu

     Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh have severely affected the famous Sanchi Stupa, one of the most sacred and oldest Buddhist shrines in the world. A World Heritage Site, the Sanchi Stupa was built by the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka in the third century B.C. Historians say that the water is leaking from the roof onto the 16-metre high and 37-metre wide stupa or pillar, situated at Sanchi, which is 46 km north of the state capital Bhopal. "Due to rains every year, the monument has become weak. This year, due to heavy rainfall, it has also developed cracks. If nothing is done to prevent all this, it will just collapse one day," said Bhante, the Secretary of Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka. The stupa is a large hemo-spherical dome with a central chamber in which the relics of Lord Buddha are placed. The other important monuments at Sanchi include one of the seven existing monolithic Ashoka Pillars with four lions sitting back- to-back - also known as the national emblem of India. The top of the Ashoka Pillar has been kept in the museum maintained by the Department of Archaeology. The size and the weight of the pillar point to the advanced technology that existed during Ashoka's time. Thousands of Buddhist pilgrims, including foreigners, visit Sanchi annually.

     The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which is undertaking the conservation of the monument, says the Stupa was chemically treated earlier to protect it from the natural elements. But for the past six years, nothing has been done to prevent leakages. KK Mohammad, the superintendent with the ASI based in Bhopal said that leakage of water through the roof of the Stupa is a routine affair. "There are no cracks or leakages here. Some media persons reported this and it caused a stir. There are a few leakages, which have been there for over 80 years. Because, during the earlier conservation there were few pipes made which could drain out water. If these pipes are removed, pressure will increase inside the monument, and it will break. But right now, there are no cracks," said Mohammad. The Stupas trace the development of the Buddhist architecture and sculpture beginning from 3rd century B.C. to 12th century A.D. Apart from the Buddhist relics, Sanchi also represents an aspect of the life of King Ashoka, who had married a commoner from Sanchi, and later built the Stupa, one of his pillars and the lion symbol there. Ashoka's son, Mahendra, also visited Sanchi with his mother before starting his mission to take Buddhism to Sri Lanka. The Stupas are known as the gateways to Buddhism as they contain ornamental depiction of incidents from the life of Buddha and his previous incarnations, as described in the Jataka Tales, which teach generosity and self-abnegation.
-Sept 19,  2005

Royal Jaipur's low cost gems  (Go to Top)
by Lokendra Singh

     Jaipur: The erstwhile royal city of Jaipur has many achievements to boast about, and not the least of them is its famous skilfully crafted coloured stones. The easy availability of these craftsmen at cheap rates has also helped the city to become a hub of semi-precious stones. With demand for the coloured stones rising abroad, city traders are aggressively marketing the cheap and widely used semi- precious stones, and this has led the sector to register a 20 per cent growth over the past few years. These semi-precious stones are in great demand among women. They are available in as many as 100 shades. "The production of colour stone has gone up over the years as people want new things, new colours and a different quality. As a result, consumption has gone up manifold," claims Vinay Chopra, a colour stone processor.

     India has for long been a major centre of the coloured gem stone trade. The raw material, which is imported from South Africa and Brazil, is exported in finished form to flourishing markets in the United States, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong and Thailand. Around 300,000 to 400,000 people are associated with this trade in Rajasthan .The gem trade has witnessed a boom since 2001 because of the availability of cheap labour and the ease with which the stone can be cut and polished in a variety of shapes and sizes. Shyam Lal Johari, a colour stone retailer, says, "The brisk sale of these precious stones in Jaipur is due to the availability of cheap and skilled labour. They are able to provide any sort of cut or shape, and most importantly, is the less use of machines by them." Traders say the semi-precious stones are in high demand because of the low costs, the exception being Tanzanite, which is costlier to make. But they admit that colours are the USP of these stones. Indian jewelers claim that Tanzanite, Rubilite and Alexandrite to name a few are popular stones in the export market which get them handsome profits. In India, women are known for their craze for gold ornaments, especially during events like marriages, but now there is a visible shift towards using coloured stones as they are cheaper option. Nitu Anand, a customer, says that low cost is a factor that has convinced her to opt for colour stones. "Colour stones provide variety which can be matched with clothes, whereas diamonds and gold don't add that extra chutzpah to your attire. Coloured stones bring them alive," she says. The minimum price for a colour stone ranges from Rs.30 (less than a dollar) per carat to as high as Rs.2,000 per carat (45 dollars) at times more than the price of a precious stone. It is a leading foreign exchange earning industry of the country and continues to grow tremendously. India is famous for it intricate and detailed craftsmanship. The gem and jewellery industry accounts for 30 percent of India's export basket and provides employment to over a million people.
-Sept 18, 2005

McLeodganj's Love Cafe` spreading the message of universal love  (Go to Top)
by Hemanth Chauhan

     Mcleodganj (Himachal Pradesh): A cafi in McLoedganj in Himachal Pradesh has developed itself into a love home. As tourists visiting the beauteous region from across the world have penned messages of love in more than 80 languages and stuck them on its walls. The JJI Cafe is a favourite haunt of many foreign tourists as well as locals in the picturesque hill town, the adopted home of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. Operated mainly by Neema and her husband for the last three years, the cozy cafe named as "Lovers' ChoiceCafe" is famous for its messages of love. Neema says that they allowed this practice of writing messages on the wall after a Switzerland-based Tibetan wrote the first message on visit to the cafe. After this, the messages continued to multiply, which now number in the hundreds. "We began with the Tibetan language, then English, because it's an international language. That is how we started.Then, many customers from Germany, France, Israel, Spain, Japan, Korea, and even from China started writing "I love you" in different languages," says Neema. The tourists enjoy leaving similar messages on its walls in their native language."I love the atmosphere here and I really wanted to leave a message in my language Hebrew on the walls of this lovely restaurant," Natty, an Israeli tourist, said. A large number of Tibetans have settled in McLoedganj . It is often called the 'Little Lhasa' and has been the seat of the exiled Tibetan Government for the last four decades, headed by Dalai Lama. The impressive monastery in the town with larger than life images of the Buddha, Padmasambhava and Avalokteshwara is also a major tourist attraction.
-Sept 14, 2005

Yak rides the tourist flavour of the season in Shimla (Go to Top)
by Nagendra Ranta

     Shimla: The elusive Yaks, known as the camel of the snow, frequently descends from the pristine Himalayas to roam freely on the streets in Shimla, and now the authorities have found a useful way to deal with it. For tourists visiting Shimla, a yak ride always meant a journey to the far reaches of the snow clad Himalayan mountains, but all that is now possible within the comfort of the hill station itself, of course for a small sum of money. The Shimla Municipal Corporation in its bid to introduce new attractions for tourists has given out licences to Yak owners to ferry people around. "Shimla has always been an attraction for tourists, so in order to attract more tourists we have introduced yak rides. Though horse rides are a common scene here, yak is a new attraction. It's not only about money, if we have good tourist attractions here, once they go back to their respective places, it will speak good about Shimla. We have issued the license for three months which will be extended as per the results," Sohan Lal, Mayor, Municipal Corporation, Shimla. A single ride on a Yak costs only 30 rupees, with additional 10 rupees for a photograph on the back of the animal. "We got these yaks from very high areas of 18000 ft height. Yak rides are a good source of attraction for tourists and kids. We have been issued licenses by Municipal Corporation. We charge Rs 30 for a ride and Rs 10 for a photograph," Shiv Raj Sharma, Yak owner.

     Yaks are high altitude animals found in cold regions above the height of 3100 metres such as Kinnaur, Lahaul, Ladakh and Tibet. In Shimla these mountain animals have been brought down from the tribal district Kinnaur and are attracting hordes of tourists eager to take a ride or simply get a glimpse of the animal. For tourists, a ride on this exotic, shaggy looking yak is a new experience. "We don't get to see the yaks in plains. It is for the first time that I got an opportunity to see yaks. This is something new, that we got to see and are inquisitive to know more about these animals," said Kishore, a tourist. Yaks found in the wild are commonly bred for domestication and are used for various purposes such as ploughing and transporting goods across mountain passes making them beasts of burden. Domesticated yaks are kept primarily for their milk and meat. Yak milk which is very rich is used to make butter and curd and its hair and skin is used to make articles such as blankets, snow boots, etc. Wild yaks once widely distributed in the high valleys and the Tibetan plateau and adjoining mountain country is today an endangered species found scattered in isolated herds in remote areas.
-Sept 5, 2005