Incredible India - Tourism places

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Sikkim

 

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Coorg

 

[Hindustani78]

It’s the 803rd birth anniversary of Sufi saint Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya, this year, and the celebrations at Nizamuddin Dargah are in full swing.
Updated: Nov 14, 2017 13:10 IST

Born in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh to Khwaja Syed Ahmed and Bibi Zulekha, disciple of Baba Farid Ganjshakar (disciple of Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki), and was to grow up to further the Chishti silsila (spiritual lineage) of the Sufi order in India. We know him as Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya.

 

[Dragon Ball]

Sikkim

 

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Munnar

Darjeeling

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[swnjo]

Bacardi NH 7 , Meghalaya.

and a random picture of a football match from Nongstoin, Meghalaya

 

[RISING SUN]

What you thought about India was all wrong
WHEN you think about travelling in India, what comes to mind?

For many people, it’s the hustle and bustle of oversized, overcrowded, overwhelming cities like New Delhi.

While that’s great for some of us, others prefer a more chilled out and relaxing summer holiday — and we bet you didn’t know you could get that in India as well.

You just have to head south.

Southern India, which boasts sun-drenched palm trees, stunning waterfront views and is the birthplace of relaxing Ayurveda wellness, is a world away from the country’s more familiar north, Contiki trip manager Tom Morris told news.com.au.

If northern India offers big-city action, the south is more about calm and nature.

The beach at Fort Kochi, Kerala State, in Southern IndiaSource:istock

“It is the only place like it in the world,” said Morris, who leads Contiki’s Southern Spice tours through southern India.

“Nowhere else can match it in terms of the nature, in terms of the people, in terms of the food. And it’s so different from the north, where everyone does go to see the Taj Mahal and Delhi and Rajasthan, or the Golden Triangle as it’s called in India.

“Northern culture has been shaped by all the invasions of India that happened from the north. The Mughals ruled in the north, the Marathas ruled in the north.

“The French Riviera of the East”: The former French colony of Pondicherry in Southern India. Picture: SuppliedSource:Supplied

“So its history is very different to the south, where the kingdoms were different and had different rulers, different religions and different cultures all to themselves. So when you fly even from Delhi to Bombay [Mumbai], just two cities, you’ll feel and see the difference.”

Contiki’s 11-day Southern Spice tour, which hugs India’s southern coast, takes in the nature reserves of Periyar, the serene temples of Madurai and the sprawling tea plantations of Kumarakom.

The serene scene at Kumarakom. Picture: ContikiSource:Supplied

Morris said other highlights included the large city of Chennai, formerly known as Madras and home to the madras curry, as well as the former French colony of Pondicherry.

“Pondicherry has a very different feel to anywhere else in India because it used to be a French colony,” he said.

“The rest of India used to be mainly British but Pondicherry was completely separate and completely different, so the architecture is different, the food is different, the drink is different, the people are different and even the language is different. French is still understood there and a lot of street signs you’ll notice are in French. It’s the French Riviera of the East.”

Beach roads provide spectacular views of the Bay of Bengal in PondicherrySource:Supplied

One of Morris’ favourite parts of Southern India is the Kerala backwaters, which is a must-see for all visitors to the region. Travellers who go there with Contiki get to stay on one of Kerala’s many traditional bamboo houseboats.

“They are some of the most pristine and biodiverse nature and sceneries you’ll ever experience in your life,” Morris said.

The stunning backwaters of KeralaSource:News Limited

“At night time, all the boats switch off their engines because the fishermen put out their nets and there’s no way to drive up and down the river. All you can hear is the sound of the water on the side of the boat, the wind in the palm trees and the rice paddy fields swishing back and forth.”

He also recommends the Periyar National Park, which Morris said was his “number one” experience in the region.

“You might see tigers, you might see elephant, you might see buffalo, might see snakes, might see alligators, fish, birds, all of these.

“And the reason I say might is because it’s real. We’re in the cage and they’re in the wild, which is the way all animals should be seen.”

Contiki’s Southern Spice trips are available from January 18.
http://www.news.com.au/travel/world...g/news-story/26957eca16b52a70e8600da669171349

 

[Hindustani78]

Photos: Restoring Taj Mahal’s delicate dome a dilemma for workers in Agra
Dec 08, 2017 13:44 IST

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With the first thorough cleaning of the Taj Mahal since its construction in 1648 underway, scaling its majestic but delicate dome is turning out to be an issue for workers. This World Heritage monument in heavily polluted Agra has faced significant discolouration of its once translucent white marble, hauled all the way from Rajasthan. (Manish Swarup / AP)

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Work on the mausoleum’s minarets and walls now almost complete, commenced in mid-2015. Bhuvan Vikrama, the superintending archaeologist from the Archaeological Survey of India said in the past rain was enough to clean most of the Taj Mahal but air pollution over the last 25 years has taken its toll, visibly turning the structure yellow. (Manish Swarup / AP)

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But the metal scaffolding used so far on the minarets and walls is too heavy and rigid for the dome, said Vikrama. He added they’re considering other options, including designing and constructing special bamboo scaffolding. (Manish Swarup / AP)

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Verses from the Quran inscribed on the walls of the Taj Mahal are seen covered under fuller’s earth in Agra. Bamboo scaffolding is not without precedent, considering it was used on the dome in the early 1940s when some conservation work was done. But rising pollution has blackened the dome’s shaded areas which remain untouched by rains. (Manish Swarup / AP)

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Workers peel off fuller’s earth from the walls of the Taj Mahal. The dome’s restoration will likely take 10 months, starting next year and finishing in 2019 with the makeover costing about $500,000. The work has prompted Fodor’s Travel guide to include the Taj on its list of places to avoid next year. Vikrama counters, saying photographs from the 1940s with scaffolding on the dome are interesting and historically important.

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A tourist admires the Taj Mahal as a worker cleans the monument. The Taj Mahal typically attracts between 7 and 8 million visitors a year. Built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal, people are attracted as much by the love story as the commemorative architecture. (Manish Swarup / AP)

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“If the tourism even fluctuates, we should not bother about that,” Vikrama said. “Tourists should also appreciate they are witnessing the work going on, the right kind of efforts for the preservation of monuments.” (Manish Swarup / AP)

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As restoration work progresses, Kent Scheibel, a recent tourist summed up the allure of this monument, “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he said. Adding, “It’s a living, breathing thing that emanates the absolute beauty of the human spirit.” (Manish Swarup / AP)

 

[Hindustani78]

Dec 12, 2017 13:00 IST

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The fair lights up the night sky, as seen from Bandra Reclamation, across the creek. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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A view of Mahim fair in Mumbai. The 10-day mela began on December 3, 2017, and will continue till December 12. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Men repair tubelights on a ferris wheel. The ‘Urs’ festival is an annual celebration in the memory of Hazrat Makhdum Ali Mahimi, a 14th century Sufi scholar. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Man and child look on at the colours and activity at Mahim fair. The saint is buried at Mahim dargah, and every year when the fair is held, people from across the country come to offer sandal and chadar at the dargah. This year, the first offering of sandal was made by the Mumbai police. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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People enjoy a toy boat ride at the fair. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Children slide down an inflatable rainbow slide. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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A girl and her mother enjoy one of the many joyrides. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Women at the fair. The mela has a lot of joyrides, games, stunts, qawwalis, food stalls and stalls selling wares. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Children enjoying one of the many joyrides at the fair. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

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Children enjoying one of the many joyrides at the fair. (Shashi S Kashyap/HT PHOTO)

 

[Hindustani78]

Treasure trove: Pitchuka Varun Kumar at the Kalamkari Museum at Pedana in Krishna district. | Photo Credit: T_APPALANAIDU

For more than 300 years, Sarangkheda, a village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, has been hosting Chetak Festival – a celebration of the finest equestrian breeds. A festival that lasts for a month, it is a rare, yet spectacular sight to witness more than 2000 majestic horses in a single location.

Man grooms his horse ahead of the fair at Sarangkheda Chetak Festival. For more than 300 years, Sarangkheda, a village in Nandurbar district of Maharashtra, has been hosting Chetak Festival – a celebration of the finest equestrian breeds. A festival that lasts for a month, it is a rare, yet spectacular sight to witness more than 2000 majestic horses in a single location.

Man tending to the saddles ahead of the festival. Nowadays it is jointly organised as an initiative of Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. (MTDC) and Sarangkheda Committee in a modified format in order to share this stunning festival with the world.

Tending to the horse shoes of the beasts. Every year, the beginning of the fair coincides with Datta Jayanti festival which mark’s the celebrations at the village’s Datta Mandir.

Horses become the centre of attention at the festival. This year the festival was inaugurated at the hands of Jaykumar Rawal, Minister of Tourism and (EGS), Government of Maharashtra in the presence of Yoshio Yamashita, Wakayama Prefecture Government, Onishi Tatsunori, International Planning Division, Wakayama Prefecture Government and other Japanese delegates.

Sarangkheda Chetak Festival has been celebrating equestrianism for the last 300 years.

An old man looks on as horses nuzzle each other at the festival. The festival displayed horses from states like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Afghanistan, and Gujarat.

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Nandurbar district has immense scope for tourism and envisage to boost tourist in this destination thorough Sarangkheda Chetak Festival. With various artforms like horse show to sports and dance performances, the 31-days festival is an ideal platform to attract tourists from all across the world.

To promote this festival at an international platform, MTDC with the organisers have developed a website for Nandurbar, a mobile application and released a booklet containing information for tourists visiting the region.

Legend has it, that the brave Maratha ruler, Chhatrapati Shivaji visited this horse fair to acquire war horses of the highest quality. In the past, the fair has attracted horse traders and buyers to Sarangkheda from far-flung areas of India and as far as Balochistan and Arabia. The tradition of horse trading has continued to this day, with patrons and horse lovers from across the nation still visiting the village during the festival.

Handlers showing of tiny ponies at the festival. Cut off from Maharashtra until 1957, the Sarangkheda Village and other villages in the north of the Tapi River were later connected to the rest of the state through the construction of a bridge.

A man shows off a decked up horse at the Sarangkheda Chetak Festival. From the Nizams to farmers, from warriors to traders, Sarangkheda attracted people from all walks of life to buy horses. With its close proximity to the Tapi River, the location happened to be an excellent choice for animals that need to be cared for during the fair.

 

[U-571]

indians have nice concan beaches in the west, how are your beaches in the east coast?

 

[Hindustani78]

Photos: Odisha’s Dongria Kondh girls break barriers for education
Dec 15, 2017 17:40 IST

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Subarna Jakesika (R) from Kurli village is one of five girls enrolled at ITI Rayagada. Though she scored 43% marks, her parents wanted her to pursue higher studies. Helped by teachers, she managed to get admission and six months later, she is now studying electronics and mechanics. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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Dongria Kondh students pose for a group photo at the educational complex in Kansur village. Their numbers may not be large, but their presence as role models has egged families to overcome age-old beliefs in this remote tribal community of Odisha. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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The Dongia Kondhs are among the remote tribal communities in Odisha. They featured in the state’s categorization of “Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVGT).” This year in May, 14 girls from the community cleared the class 10 exams –a first for the community. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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The tribe inhabits the plateaus of Niyamgiri Hills and their population is mainly concentrated in the districts of Rayagada, Koraput and Kalahandi. The main occupation of the community is cultivation; they practice subsistence agriculture. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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As per the 2011 census, the Dongria Kondhs have a population of about 8000 with just a 10% literacy rate. The female literacy rate is a dismal three percent. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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The Dongria Kondh Development Authority (DKDA) set up in 1978 to mainstream the community through development activities runs two residential schools in Rayagada district where 400 girls are studying from classes one to ten. Subarna Jakesika (centre) now studying at ITI College in Rayagada, is an example of the initiative bearing fruit. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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Purnima Haika, a student of science in Eklavya Model Residential School at Rayagada, was the topper among the 14 girls this year, scoring 77%. The story of these girls crossing a milestone has boosted confidence in education and is helping other girls dream big. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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Pinki Kandagaria, a resident of Muniguda village, is another product of the Kansur residential school. She scored 60% in class 10 and is now studying information technology at the autonomous Government College, Rayagada.“I want to become a software engineer,” she said. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)

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Skill enhancement workshops like the scene above at Chatikona village act as precursors for older women to take up formal education. “A silent revolution is underway in the lives of these tribal communities. It is encouraging, especially as the district has a history of high infant and maternal mortality rate propelled largely by illiteracy, early marriage, poor hygiene and superstitious beliefs,” said Guha Poonam Tapaskumar , Rayagada’s collector. (Vipin Kumar / HT Photo)