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March, 2005
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• Himachal Pradesh hosts rafting championships in Pandua

Food, craft mela marks Taj Mahal's 350th anniversary

Tourists relishing exquisite cuisine in Agra. Hoteliers from India and abroad organized a food festival of cuisines from all over the world to celebrate 350th anniversary of Taj Mahal.

      Agra: Continuing with the series of events to mark the 350 years of the building of monument of love - Taj Mahal, a Tourism Food and Craft Mart has been organised at Hotel Clark Shiraz in Agra city. A large number of tourists from within the country and abroad are participating in the celebrations. Both the hotel and tourism industry have come together to make the event a grand success.

     Handicrafts and the food items displayed at the mart are attracting hordes of visitors, specially the foreigners, who are very enthusiastic about the vent. "Response is very good. People are getting to know about our art and culture. They are appreciating our work and it inspires me as well as others. From the sales point of view, its not too good but I hope in the next two days, people will definitely come to buy," said Archana, a participant in the mart. Influenced by the diversity and richness of Indian art and culture, Yang Do Han, a tourist from Korea said art materials impressed him because they are different from his country. The diversity of Indian culture on display has been a major draw for the visitors.

     "This is my first visit to India and it's really nice to see the craft materials, they are fantastic and are different from our country," said Yang Do Han, a tourist from Korea. The organisers say that Indian food has always attracted food lovers and in addition, handicraft items at the mart have also been included in an effort to promote art and culture. "Generally these kind of marts are organised by professional organisations, who are experts in marts. But fortunately, we have succeeded in organising a mart for the first time in Agra. The main idea is to promote tourism, craft and culture and the response is marvellous," said Devasish, organiser of the mart. The foreign tourists had a gala time and danced to the tunes of Punjabi music. These kinds of arrangements have the potential to familiarise foreign tourist with Indian culture. Celebrations to mark the 350th anniversary of the Taj Mahal began in September 2004.

     The festivites kicked off with the release of pigeons and balloons by the Yamuna river near the marble mausoleum. Officials then said that they were planning a series of anniversary events over the next six to seven months. The Taj Mahal, revered as a symbol of love, was built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died in childbirth. India's Supreme Court, however, dashed tourists' hopes of seeing the Taj at night by rejecting a government request to open the monument after dark. The court also refused to allow any cultural programmes within 500 metres of the 17th century monument. There is little chance of the Taj remaining open to tourists every night, because that would require putting up floodlights. Artificial lighting is not allowed at this World Heritage site because it could damage the monument. The celebrations at Taj have been also marred by controversy over the monument's construction date. Some scholars insist that the Taj was ready by the end of 1643 or early 1644, so the monument's 350th anniversary happened a decade ago. The Taj drew over three million tourists last year, far more than any other Indian tourist attraction.
--Mar 20, 2005

Himachal Pradesh hosts rafting championships (Go to Top)

     Pandua (Himachal Pradesh): The picturesque region of Pandua in the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh with its gurgling rivers is playing host to a week-long international water rafting championship. Dubbed as the India Cup, the event that began last Saturday seeks to provide an excellent opportunity to rafters ahead of the upcoming world rafting championship to be held later this year in America. Thirteen teams, including foreign teams from Slovakia and Canada, are putting their skills to test on the turbulent rapids. "It is an interesting topic for us. We like it here and something about river, it is not difficult for us, big waters but we are happy here because we can train to be stronger. It is very important for us," said Viera Kucorova, captain of women team from Slovakia. Besides five teams from the Indian Army are also participating to experience a different kind of thrill. Indian and international participants were seen battling the forceful water currents of the Sutlej river, recognised as a good water field for white water rafting. "It is very challenging job for us. This is a rapid river and dangerous, but the way we have practised, I guess it is not going to be dangerous for us, " said Sachin, a captain of the Indian Army's Maratha Reginemt.

     A take away from the regular water sports, the adventure sport of water rafting provides an instant adrenalin rush, albeit with risks involved. Endowed with abundant natural beauty, the hilly state has a huge potential for trekking, skiing and water sports. River rafting in India is an exhilarating experience that you can enjoy on your Indian Holiday. One of the best regions for river rafting in India is the stretch upto Rishikesh in Uttaranchal. White water rafting on the Alaknanda, Bhagirathi and Ganga rivers is a popular adventure tourism activity in summer in India.

     For the more adventurous traveller, white water rafting tours in India can also be organized on the Indus River in Ladakh and Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh. White water rafting means cruising down the gushing waters of river in an inflatable rubber raft or white water kayak over roaring waves and swirling fast-moving water for the excitement of a lifetime. India has earned a reputation as one of the best destinations in the world for white water rafting. Its rushing waters, coming from the glaciers of the mighty Himalayas, offer matchless thrills for rafting and immersing oneself in the landscape. India has a multitude of rivers and abundance of locations that are perfect for white water rafting. Most of the water rafting destinations are located in the Himalayas, and the River Ganges is the most popular of them all. Several camps are organized along the 70-km stretch from Rishikesh to Devprayag to Rapids have been graded according to the difficulty of their run. The rivers Yamuna, Alaknanda, Tons, Mandakini, Kalisor, Bhilangana and Bhagirathi offer many stretches, for both professionals as well as amateur rafters. Ranges in Ladakh and Sikkim also offer great river stretches for rafting. There is no particular best time during which rafting activity can be undertaken in India since the flow and fury of various rivers are individual. However, on the whole the months from May to November are the best months for the adventure seekers to indulge in rafting.
-Mar 18, 2005

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