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May, 2005
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It's wine all the way in Goa

     Panjim (Goa): A three-day festival held in coastal Panjim recently attracted wine lovers from all over the country, including several foreigners. Titled "Grape Escape", the festival was organised by the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC), and was an instant hit. This time the festival came up with a number of unique innovations such as a stall selling alcohol based " golgappas" to cater for customers from North India. Prashant, a wine lover, described the rum based golgappa as a fantastic and a heady experience. "Wine festival is something new we want to have in Goa. People have been coming to Goa mostly for beach. We want them to know about other things of interest in Goa. Domestic tourists stay here for five-six days while foreigners stay here for about 10 days. We want to increase that stay. We want to divert the crowd from beach to other places of interest," said Raghuraman, chairman of Goa Tourism Development Corporation. What, however, was missing was Goa's popular Cashew Feni. Normally, liquor consumption is discouraged. Some states do have a ban on liquor sales. Goa does not have such a ban, but has put in place a prohibitive duty structure that often discourages liquor consumption or confines it to a few. The consumption of wines in the country recorded a 14 per cent growth in the year 2003-04 to reach 4,90,000 cases of 9- litre bottles each against 4,30,000 cases in the previous year. As per the industry sources, wine consumption in the country is growing- at the rate of about 25 per cent per year sine 2000. This increase in wine consumption includes both domestic as well as imported produce. The largest market for wine in India is in Mumbai, followed by Delhi, Bangalore, Kolkata and Pune.
-May 10, 2005

Bollywood rocks Himachal's Kangra valley (Go to Top)

     Kangra: With an aim to raise funds for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, singing and dancing stars from Mumbai rocked this sleepy town last night. The show, 'Mumbai Musical Blast' was sponsored by the state's tourism department and other private business enterprises to promote tourism industry as well as the culture and tradition of the state. "It's tourism season, tourists are coming and we are trying to give them some entertainment and we are also giving nice and decent evening to the people of Kangra district. We are also generating some funds for the good cause for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund," said G.S.Bali, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Minister. A cheque of thirty-one lakh rupees was presented to Virbhadra Singh, Chief Minister of the state for Chief Minister's Relief fund Over forty-five artists from Mumbai participated in the musical extravaganza. The artists were excited to perform for the first time in the state. " It's an honour to perform for the first time in Himachal. We know people here listen to lot of good music and it's absolutely a pleasure to perform here for the first time," said Jatin, Bollywood Music Director. The star night was held at the Municipal Ground in Kangra. The list of performers included Jatin Lalit, Vinod Rathore, Pornima and Babul Suprio.
-May 9, 2005

Bollywood set to rock Himachal's Kangra Valley tonight (Go to Top)

     Dharamshala: With an aim to raise funds for the Chief Minister's Relief Fund, singing and dancing stars from Mumbai are going to rock this sleepy town tonight. Preparations for the first ever star night in the state called 'Mumbai Musical Blast' is underway at full speed. The state's tourism department and other private business enterprises are sponsoring the event to promote tourism industry as well as the culture and tradition of the state. "On one side, it will give a boost to the tourism, it will be an entertaining evening for the tourist as well as the local people around Kangra district and with this we will be able to generate and raise some funds for the Chief Minister's relief fund," said G.S.Bali, Himachal Pradesh Tourism Minister. Nearly fifty artists from Mumbai are expected to perform in this musical night. People involved in the hotel business say, with such event the employment opportunities for locals will increase along with increase in hotel business. "As tourists from outside will come the local residents will get employment. Restaurant business is expected to increase and the hotel business will also benefit," said Ashok Sharma, hotel owner in Kangra. The star night will be held tonight at the Municipal Ground in Kangra. List of performers include famous names such as Kumar Sanu, Jatin Lalit, Vinod Rathore and Babul Suprio.
-May 8, 2005

Tourists throng Kodaikanal to escape scorching heat (Go to Top)

     Kodaikanal: Tourists from across the country and even foreigners have begun thronging Kodaikanal, the famous hill resort in Tamilnadu to beat the scorching summer heat. Cradled in the arms of the verdant Pali hills, Kodaikanal is one of the most popular and mesmerizing hill stations in south India with intoxicating air and breathtakingly beautiful scenery. Situated at an altitude of about 2133 metres above sea level, this quaint, un-spoilt little hill station has serenity seldom found in other hill stations. The main attraction of the resort is the Kodaikanal lake. With a five-km circumference, this artificial lake was formed in 1865 in the heart of this hill resort and has since been drawing crowds throughout the year. The cool climes of Kodaikanal offers holiday makers respite from the steamy plains of Tamil Nadu and other neighbouring states.

      "I came here to enjoy the good weather. I have been here in the past, I came here eight years back. But, it's lot better now, it's very well maintained. It's very clean. I wanna beat the heat of Chennai (Madras), so, I am here with my kids and family," said Rafi, a tourist. "It's really nice that we can meet lot of different people from different places. The weather is really wonderful, it's not like in Madras. We are having a really wonderful time here and my kid is enjoying as well," said Sheeba, another tourist. Also, making it a wonderful site are the abundant pear orchards spread across the hill station, which in their blooming season leave scant room for leaves on the trees. The hill station was officially founded by American missionaries in 1845. The climate of Kodaikanal is pleasant throughout the year, but the best time to visit Kodaikanal is April-June and September- October. The hill town is also renowned for its educational institutions of international repute.
- May 6, 2005

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