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June, 2005
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Kashmir Governor flags off Amarnath Yatra

     Baltal (Jammu and Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt. General (retired) S.K.Sinha flagged off the two- month-long annual Amarnath pilgrimage formally on Tuesday morning from Baltal. The pilgrims commenced their march to the holy shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva at 7.45 a.m.. However, over 5000 pilgrims have reportedly paid obeisance at the cave housing the 'Shiv Lingam' during the past ten days. The pilgrimage from the Pahalgam route will commence on July 6. Earlier the controversy over the duration of the annual pilgrimage was set at rest after both Lt.General Sinha and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed agreed to its start on June 21 from the shorter Baltal route without asking pilgrims to register or make advance bookings. The yatra from both Pahalgam and Baltal routes with registration and advance booking will begin on July 6. The yatra from the longer route of Pahalgam will be subject to the clearance of snow from the track. The pilgrimage will end on August 19 on Raksha Bandhan day. Governor Sinha, who is also the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), and the Chief Minister had recently reviewed the arrangements for this year's yatra and took several decisions regarding the conduct of the pilgrimage.Sinha had also visited the base camp at Baltal and walked up to Sangam en-route the holy shrine to oversee the arrangements for the pilgrimage. On Tuesday, the Governor flew by helicopter for a special prayer at the shrine.
-June 21, 2005

Kashmiris gear up for annual Amarnath pilgrimage (Go to Top)

     Baltal (Jammu and Kashmir): Men in uniform dot every vantage point ahead of an annual pilgrimage to a hilltop shrine, even as restive Kashmir attempts to recover from the spate of recent militant-related attacks. The pilgrimage to Amarnath, which attracts nearly 350,000 pilgrims annually, will commence from July 6 from Pahalgam. The trek from Baltal is only for security personnel and their families. "The yatra (pilgrimage) starts officially from Pahalgam on the 6th of July. This trek from Baltal is for servicemen and ex- security officials as there is a lot of snow in Pahalgam currently," Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, said on Monday. Amarnath stands at a height of nearly 12,500 feet (3,888 metres) above sea level, 141 kilometres (88 miles) from the state's summer capital Srinagar. The base camp for the pilgrimage, Pahalgam, is 96 kilometres (60 miles) south of Srinagar. A number of pilgrims ride on ponies up the arduous route and for the pony owners this comes as an annual bonanza. "The yatra (pilgrimage) has started earlier this time and we hope to do good business," said Abdul Malik, a pony owner, said. The family members of the security personnel were obviously excited about the pilgrimage. "I have come here for the first time and am very excited. The weather also is very good and I am feeling very nice," said Amisha Sapra.

      The pilgrimage from Baltal is less steep and shorter than the traditional route via Pahalgam to the cave shrine dedicated to Lord Shiva. The pilgrimage leads devotees through monsoon rain-swollen streams and past a glacier-fed lake to the cave where they worship an ice stalagmite, believed to be a phallic symbol representing the regenerative powers of Shiva. Originally, the pilgrimage started from Srinagar but the practice was discontinued following the outbreak of militancy in 1989. Security has been beefed up following the recent blast outside a school in Pulwama district in which 14 people were killed and over 100 injured. Bomb blasts and gun battles occur almost daily between rebels and Indian troops, despite an 18-month peace process between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, which have fought two wars over the region. Indian intelligence officials say security forces are preparing for more violence in Kashmir. Several times in the past, Islamic guerrillas fighting Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir have targeted the annual pilgrimage. In 2002 eight Hindu pilgrims were killed in the attack on Nunwan camp in Pahalgam.
-June 20, 2005

Goa emerges as new hub for water sports in India (Go to Top)

     Panaji: Goa has emerged as the new hub for water sports in India, and the Department of Tourism is keen to promote this adventure sport activity in a big way. With the monsoons just about hitting India's western coast, Goa has been transformed into a hub for water sports. The heat wave in other parts of the country has prompted Indian and foreign tourists to make a beeline for Goa which has thrown open it's beaches and various water sports for them. "I feel very nice and the first time I was scared. But after some experience, I didn't. I feel really nice. I t's really good experience for me," said Asha, a tourist. The craze for water sports has increased over the years, and Goa has come up with popular water sports like jet skiing and para sailing. Wearing bright- coloured life jackets, tourists are seen zooming over the waves on jet skies. These sleek small machines with high power motors have been imported from Japan and considered to be safe. The owners of sports club feel that there has been a rise in the number of tourists compared to the past years and efforts are on to lower the rates to attract more tourists. "We are trying to lower the charges for water sports and we have also made the rate cheaper because the influx of Indian tourists has doubled in the recent years," said Hanif, the manager of the Cheers Water Sports complex at the Calangute Beach.

     The tourists enjoy para sailing and it has been a thrilling experience for them. Strapped to a nylon parachute, which a boat pulls, using a rope, is certainly an adrenalin pumping experience. The private operators have provided life guards and life jackets to the tourists.Anyway, if someone wants to go high in the sky then, they will have to fill up forms declaring that they are good swimmers. There are other provisions in the pipe line such as better facilities and separate areas for water sports. Moreover, plans are on to remove taxes on imported equipments. India offers a wide range of adventure sports for tourists. Trekking and skiing in the Himalayas, White Water Rafting on the Ganges and Beas, Camel and Jeep safaris in the deserts of Rajasthan, Paragliding in Himachal, Watersports in Goa and Scuba Diving in Lakshadweep and Andaman are just some of the options available to the adventure seeking tourists. The perennial challenge of the Himalayas for mountaineers. Coniferous forests and flower meadows welcome the trekker. And the rapids of snow- fed rivers are ideal for white water rafting. Lakshadweep offers excellent wind surfing, snorkelling and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters of the lagoons which surround each island. Water sports have seen a stupendous growth all along the Goa and have been largely responsible for the first Windsurfing Regatta, now an annual event.

     This, along with the Open Board Sailing Competition that lasts up to a week, are events that all water enthusiasts have come to look forward to. Windsurfing is a unique blend of surfing and sailing, which requires the surfer to adjust his strength and balance to the changing patterns of wind and water. By shifting his feet forward or backward, leaning the weight to the right or left, and manipulating the boom in or out, the windsurfer modulates and harmonizes the fickle forces of wind and water to obtain the desired balance and direction. A pleasant change from windsurfing is dinghy sailing, often referred to as beer and sandwich sailing. With the winds in Goa so gentle most of the time, this particular sport offers its participants much time to relax. Dinghies are available for hire at the Cidade de Goa and the Taj Holiday Village. These 15-odd feet long crafts hold three to four people comfortably. For the speed freaks, Goa offers the thrills of venturing into the sea on speedboats. The thoroughbred amongst these, can achieve speeds up to 30-40 miles an hour. These crafts, which can carry between six to eight people, are available at the Cidade de Goa, Oberoi, and Taj Hotels. They can be conveniently used for sightseeing as well as water-skiing. Goa's beaches offer a varied and plentiful, almost inexhaustible, supply to seafood, still incredibly cheap and absolutely fresh. Go to Betul for Goas best and largest mussels, brought ashore by expert divers. Go to Agonda (not to be confused with Aguada) for all imaginable rockfish which, with any lucky, you could angle yourself. Soormai, salmon and mullet are frequent catches.
-June 20, 2005

IAF rescues stranded wife of Canadian diplomat (Go to Top)

    Dharamshala: Indian Air Force today successfully carried out an operation using helicopters to rescue the stranded wife of a Canadian diplomat, Adrin Norfolk, First Secretary to the Canadian High Commission in New Delhi, trapped at a height of 4,300 metres amid the snow clad Dhauladhar mountain range in the Dharamsala region. Ruth Norfolk, who sustained head injuries on Wednesday while on a trekking expedition 20 kilometers north of Dharamsala, was flown out of the rocky terrain in an Mi-17 helicopter. Adrin Norfolk and his two children and two trained guides, who were also on the trek, had been rescued on Wednesday. "We are all okay, my wife's injury took place at 12 noon. At that time nothing was available, it was not until 6.30 that the rescue took place. My wife hit a lot of rocks on the way and it's a miracle. We just heard from the hospital that she is okay. She will be under observation for a while. It is a miracle," Adrin Norfolk said at a helipad in Dharamsala before joining Ruth at a military hospital in Chandigarh. While trekking, at a height of 14,000-15,000 feet, she slipped, fell down in a khad and got injured. At 1200 hrs on 15 Jun 05, Canadian High Commission asked for the help of IAF to rescue her. Immediately, a Mi-17 helicopter was launched from Udhampur for this mission. But due to bad weather and due to higher reaches covered by clouds, no operation could be undertaken. On 16 Jun 05, at first light in the morning, Air Cmde RAJ Assey took off from Air Force base in Udhampur in a Cheetah helicopter. Due to steep slope and rocks, it was not possible to land the helicopter at the site. Hence, the lady was winched out from the place and flown to Air Force base at Pathankot. She was given the first aid and necessary medical treatment. She was subsequently flown to Command Hospital, Chandimandir in MI-17 helicopter. -June 16, 2005

Handicapped Australian conquers Mount Everest (Go to Top)

     Kathmandu: A handicapped Australian man has summitted the Mount Everest from the northern side, creating a world record. Paul Hockey, whose right hand was amputated as a child because of cancer, climbed the highest peak in the world last Sunday, with an Australian expedition group. "Last year I tried to climb the Everest, but I could manage only 1038 metres, but this year I came back. I climbed well, but climbing down was very difficult," Hockey told reporters in Kathmandu today. Forty-two year old Hockey had set out on a similar expedition last year to raise support for the Child Cancer Institute of Australia, but had to back out just 250 meters from the summit due to bad weather. Hockey says this year he was determined to complete his feat. "We had minus 30 degree temperature, 60-80 kms per hour winds and we as a group had to stay there for a long time and try to climb this year, because not so many people have climbed this year. I was very lucky because the Nepali sherpa, a very strong sherpa helped me all the way through," he said. A motorcycle rider, Hockey has black belts in three martial arts. Hockey mortgaged his home in Cairns and received donations from businesses and schools to realise his dream of climbing Everest again, a feat that costs 50,000 dollars. Hockey says his dream is to encourage young children suffering from cancer to overcome all obstacles. "I want to set an example for them that they can do anything if they have good attitude. It does not matter if they have disability. I want to tell children that they can achieve any dream if they want," he said. Hockey threw a boomerang and collected rocks for his three children from the summit.

     The group of about 20 climbers has started its trek from advanced base camp to the top of the 8850-metre peak. Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Its elevation of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) was determined using GPS satellite equipment on May 5, 1999. It was previously believed to be slightly lower (29,028 feet /8,848 meters), as determined in 1954 by averaging measurements from various sites around the mountain. The new elevation has been confirmed by the National Geographic Society (See the National Geographic Society's Mount Everest site for more information). The first seven attempts on Everest, starting with a reconnaissance in 1921, approached the mountain from Tibet, where a route to the summit via the North Col and North Ridge seemed possible. All were unsuccessful. George Mallory, who spearheaded the first three expeditions, lost his life with Andrew Irvine during a failed ascent in 1924. Unsuccessful attempts continued through 1938, then halted during World War II. By the war's end, Tibet had closed its borders, and Nepal, previously inaccessible, had done the opposite. Starting in 1951, expeditions from Nepal grew closer and closer to the summit, via the Khumbu Icefall, the Western Cwm, over the Geneva Spur to the South Col, and up the Southeast Ridge.

     In 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the summit. Since the first successful ascent, many other individuals have sought to be the first at various other accomplishments on Everest, including many alternative routes on both the north and south sides. Italy's Reinhold Messner has climbed Everest twice without oxygen, once in four days. He is also the first to solo climb Everest, which he did in 1980. Ten years earlier, Yuichiro Miura of Japan had been the first person to descend the mountain on skis. In 1975, Junko Tabei, also of Japan, was the first woman to climb Everest. The first disabled person to attempt Everest was American Tom Whittaker, who climbed with a prosthetic leg to 24,000 feet in 1989, 28,000 feet in 1995, and finally reached the summit in 1998. The record for most ascents belongs to Sherpa Ang Rita, who has reached the summit ten times. Overall, more than 600 climbers from 20 countries have climbed to the summit by various routes from both north and south. Climbers' ages have ranged from nineteen years to sixty. At least 100 people have perished, most commonly by avalanches, falls in crevasses, cold, or the effects of thin air. Climbing on Everest is very strictly regulated by both the Nepalese and Chinese governments. Permits cost thousands of U.S. dollars ($50,000 for a seven member party in 1996), and are difficult to obtain, and waiting lists extend for years. Treks to Everest base camp, minus the summit attempt, are becoming increasingly popular on both the north and south sides of the mountain. On the north side, a Buddhist monastery stands at the foot of the Rongbuk Glacier, beneath Everest's spectacular north face. The monastery is one of two whose locations were selected specifically to allow religious contemplation of the great peak. The other is the Thyangboche Monastery in Nepal. The once-active Rongbuk monastery in Tibet has required much rejuvenation from the destruction it experienced following China's invasion of Tibet. Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolangma (Goddess Mother of the Snows), and by the Nepali name Sagarmatha (Mother of the Universe).
-June 12, 2005

White water rafting expedition flagged off (Go to Top)

     Mirthal: Major General A S Bakshi, Chief Signal Officer of the Western Command flagged off the white river rafting expedition at river Beas at Mirthal on Friday. The General wished the expedition team a success and handed over the flag of Corps of Signals, Western Command and formation under it to the team leader, Captain Ajay Bhatt. " Sports and adventure has a significance in the lives of the soldiers because it is only through sports that we can inculcate and imbibe team spirit, comradeship and the spirit of adventurism in the soldiers. So, the main aim is to develop a sense of comradeship, in the officers, jawans and JCOs," said Major General A S Bakshi, Chief Signal Officer of the Western Command. The signalers from Western Command comprising of 4 officers, 4 Junior Commissioned Officers (JCOs) and 24 Jawans are taking part in this expedition. The twice victory Brigade of Vajra Corps had provided training and directed measures for safety to the expedition. The expedition will help the troops to acquaint themselves with the riverine areas of Punjab and in facing the challenges regarding the rivers. The expedition aims to further the Army's commitment to ecological awareness and the study of the flora and fauna of the Mand areas along the river. Moreover, the avian population will be studied and the arrival of early migratory species such as the Sarus crane, Mallards, Pintails and Spot bills. Further, the team has been given the responsibility to confirm the sighting of the Demoiselle Crane. The expedition will also cross the historical Great Escarpment during its journey across the Beas River. The expedition team will also try to spot the Gharial or crocodile, which was in abundance in the grasslands (Mands) adjoining the Beas River. A wild boar was spotted swimming across the river in the morning before the expedition started. A shoal of Masheer was also seen waiting for food and a Goonch was trying to swim up the Shah Canal near Unchi Bassi. The expedition will terminate at Beas and it will cover a distance of 105 kms for 2 days. It will be a tremendous adventure for the Army, as they will make new friends with the villagers during their halt.
-June 12, 2005

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