Home

Contact Us

Sept, 2005
Back to index

Thousands throng Aranmula for snake boat race
by Juhan Samuel

     Kottayam (Kerala): The annual snake-boat pageantry and race organised by Palliyoda Seva Sangham formed a part of the idol installation anniversary at Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy temple on September 19. One of the traditional spectacles of Kerala, the Aranmula Boat Race is a world renowned and highly popular event, held on the Pampa River near the Sree Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula. This event is held during the harvest festival of Onam, Majestic and elegantly decorated snake boats take part in the boat race, which is also an occasion for grand social get together. The race is preceded by several traditional practices in the form of offerings and prayers to the Lord Krishna., the main deity of Sree Parthasarathy Temple.

     This year 35 snake boats participated in the race. Oarsmen paddling palliyodams to the rhythm of Vanchipattu, songs in praise of Lord Parthasarathy, in the tranquil Pampa waters added a religious fervour to the colourful snakeboat pageantry. The Vice President of India Bhiron Singh Sekhavat inaugurated the boat race. Kerala Water Resources Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, Tourism Minister K.C Venugopal, Cultural Affairs Minister A.P Anilkumar and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Adoor Prakash also attended the function. "This is the first time in the last three decades that such a huge and varied number of snake boats are participating and that's the speciality of this year's boat race. This type of artistically built snake boats cannot be seen anywhere and the shape itself is a unique one. Oarsmen are singing Vanchipattu, a song, to praise the lord Parthasarthy," said Adv.K.Sivadasan Nair, President of Organising Committee . The snake boat ' Edayaranmula' stood in first position in the race. Melukara came second and Poovathoor Padinjaru held third position in the race. "This boat race is a unique one , because it does not have any tight competition, it is an offering to the deity. every year it is conducted in a devotional spirit only," said Manikantan Nair Each snake boat is about 100 feet long and accommodates four helmsmen, nearly 100 oarsmen and a group of singers who provide rhythm to the oarsmen helping them to maintain the pace while they paddle. -Sept 20, 2005

Countdown begins for 'Made in India' show in Colombo (Go to Top)

    Colombo: In its efforts to promote exports and build a strong image of India overseas, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in association with the High Commission of India in Sri Lanka and the support of Ceylon Chamber of Commerce, is organizing the second "Made in India" show in Sri Lanka from September 22-26 at BMICH, Colombo. Addressing media persons in Colombo today, Nirupama Rao, High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka, mentioned that Colombo will witness the premier trade exhibition 'Made in India' Show. She said that for five days Colombo will buzz with trade activity, opening greener pastures for business development for both India and Sri Lanka. She also said that CII's made in India Show is back with renewed vigor, enthused by the roaring success of the first Made in India Show in 2003. The 2nd "Made in India" Show 2005 will bring together strong Indian brands like - Ashok Leyland, Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra, Kinetic Engineering, Hero Honda, Hero Cycles, TVS Auto Parts, Usha International, State Bank of India, Essar Steel, Escorts, Kirloskar Oil Engines, Kirloskar Copeland, Petroleum Conservation Research Association (PCRA) to name a few - on one platform, to build business linkages with their counterparts.
-Sept 20, 2005

Israeli tourist posing as priest arrested in Ranchi (Go to Top)

    Ranchi (Jharkhand): An Israeli tourist posing as a Christian priest was arrested in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand state, on Monday. David Raviv, 25, who claims to be a resident of Tel Aviv, was picked up by the railway police. N. Singh Gautam, Inspector, Government Railway Police (GRP), Ranchi, said that Raviv did not possess valid travel documents. "He does not have the necessary travel documents. He neither has a passport nor a visa," claimed Gautam. A complainant said that Raviv had called up the college under the name of Father James and had asked for money. "He's come from Israel and he phoned the college. He wanted to dupe the students and faculty, he called up under the false name of Father James and he was asking for 15,000 rupees (345 dollars)," said his brother Sawry. However, Raviv claimed that he lost his papers in Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, and was only trying to raise money to enable him to get back home. "I came to Ranchi as a tourist. I asked for the money because I have to go back to my country. I don't have any passport or visa and so, I wanted to go back...I thought that someone will help me to go back...I lost my passport and visa in Bhubaneshwar. So, I lodged a complaint with the GRP station there, but there was no inspector there," he said. Authorities say they will pass on details gathered during Raviv's interrogation to the External Affairs Ministry for further action at their end. -Sept 20, 2005

Waste oil blackens beaches in Goa (Go to Top)

     Baina/Majorda (Goa): Tonnes of oil washed off into the Arabian Sea while cleaning empty tankers, are polluting the beaches of Goa. As many as half-a-dozen beaches in Goa have been flooded with an oil slick and tar balls. This is the second such incident for the state, amongst India's top tourist destinations, in a year. Dr LU Joshi, chairman of the Goa Pollution Control Board, said that the waste oil and lubricants have caused the massive pollution. They are clandestinely dumped into sea by big ships, tankers and ocean liners, a practice, which is otherwise banned, he said. "Oil which reaches the sea because of the washing of the ships that normally happens for those tankers, which come here empty after delivering from the western and eastern side, wash the empty tanks in the Arabian Sea. The water gets polluted and some amount of oil finds its way onto the beaches also," said Joshi. Joshi added that the Coast Guard had already been alerted and they were investigating ocean liners believed to be illegally cleaning up in Indian waters. While some of the tar balls may be as large as pancakes, most that have washed onto Goa's beaches are coin-sized, he said.

     Scientists also say that these tar balls are extremely persistent in the ocean, and can travel hundreds of miles without disintegrating, and eventually end up on the beaches, where they have to be physically removed. While of little threat when solid, the tar balls melt when the sun comes out, oozing oil into the sand, destroying tiny life forms in it. According to the state's Tourism Minister Wilfred D'Souza the beaches would be cleaned on a war footing to ensure least harm to marine life and tourist inflows. "We are putting our people on the beaches and cleaning the beaches. Within two days, I have told the director of tourism within the two days the beach cleaning team must be in action and make the beaches clean within two days," he said. Home to sun kissed beaches, ancient churches and seafood, the former Portuguese colony is amongst Asia's leading tourist spots, and known the world over for its carnivals and cashew wine.
-Sept 16, 2005

2000 km Pushkar crusade on camel-back by Jigmet (Go to Top)

     Angchuk Nubra valley (Ladakh): Over the next two months, five foreign adventurers, a mixed bunch from France, England and Australia, will be participating in the monumental two-month- 2,000-kilometer-long trek on rare Bactarian or double-humped camels to reach an equally fascinating mammoth animal fair. This journey was conceived during a chance meeting of the now a strong group of friends during the annual Pushkar animal fair in Rajasthan last year. The friends decided to bring in the rare camels to Pushkar fair, who they felt would definitely steal the show at the animal fair, one of India's most famous tourist attractions as well. Tourism authorities in the Ladakh region, where the camels are housed, later included the idea as part of the ongoing Ladakh Festival, an annual cultural and religious fiesta of the region.The trek, which was flagged off recently from the regions' Nubra Valley, underwent a lot of scientific research and resource planning to bring it to this stage. Kamaal, one of the trekkers, said planning their trip was not easy but definitely worth its effort. One thing the diverse group, one of whom is a filmmaker, shares is their love for camels. "The main thing is that if we have a dream, if you can come up with an idea... and you can use your mind, and plan well, anything is possible. We want to say to the Ladakhi people that we are going to make it to Pushkar (Fair) you all are going to see in two and a half months of this massive trip of over 2000 kilometers and agree that it is possible to take Bactarian camels to another place," says Kamaal, a traveller from Australia.

      The friends went through a thorough training at the local animal husbandry department to gain knowledge about their camels and finally chose four young males for the prized job. Max Jusselome from France allays fears among some of the locals that the camels would not be able to bear changes in temperature along the trekking route. "Camels are travellers, they have been traveling since the beginning of ages. They are also used change in temperatures from place to place. These camels are coming from Gobi desert, which is the hottest desert in the world. So they will definitely be able to withstand the variation," he said. The trek, authorities feel, would present a huge boost for the regions' tourism potential and make it an attractive destination. Over 15,000 tourists have visited Ladakh during the current tourist season and the influx of foreign as well as domestic tourists has increased by 50 per cent in the last two years alone.
-Sept 9, 2005

Ford International to invest in Bengal tourism (Go to Top)

     Kolkata: ABF International, the investment wing of Alfred Ford's Ford Scion, on Wednesday announced its first investment scheme of rupees 300 crore to promote religious tourism in Buddhadev Bhattacharya led West Bengal. The investment that will be done in a Vedic Planetarium, a village industries park and a tourist Hospitality complex. "The organisation will invest in village industries. It will host national and international tourists in Mayapur region. It will have hotels, parks, restaurants and a planetarium. It is a unique project which will have major tourism attraction", says John Robert Sims, Director, ABF. International. This is the first time that American giant Ford has decided investing in Bengal. The new projects are expected to raise the number of tourists. "Currently this area gets one and a half million tourists a year as pilgrims. We want to push it to 3 million", says Alister Taylor, Senior Vice President, ABF International. The investments are expected to be done in three main projects. The first is a Village Industries Park on 22 acres of land in Nadia district of West Bengal. In this park, villagers will be provided vocational training and agro industries like food processing will be promoted. Both skilled and semi- skilled labourers will be absorbed to run the village. Second, a tourist Hospitality Complex, first-of-its-kind in West Bengal, will be constructed on 19 acres of land near to Mayapur Iscon Center. The third project, a Vedic Planetarium, will showcase Vedic science and cosmology.
-Sept 1, 2005

Travel Sites

Overseas Tourist
Offices

Tourist offices
in India