State of Assam in Eastern India is promoting religious tourism in the state and the ongoing "Ambubachi Mela" at the famous Kamakhya Temple is the first step in this direction. Other festivals like Doul (Holi) Utsav at Barpeta and Bordowa, Shivaratri at Umananda and Shiva Doul at Sibsagar and Urs Festival at Poa Mecca at Hajo will similarly be focused, Tourism Director Anjan Chakraborty said. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has urged the concerned department to undertake publicity campaigns, both within and outside the state, to attract tourists to the 'unique' festivals. Gogoi formally threw open the Ambubachi Mela a day before the annual festival last Saturday and said that the state government would leave no stone unturned to provide adequate facilities to the pilgrims d...
Read MoreTag: tourism
The devastation caused by torrential rains that lashed Uttarakhand in Himalayan India earlier this month is expected to cause a loss of Rs 12,000 crore to the state's tourism industry in the current fiscal, says a PHDCCI survey. "Uttarakhand was expected to generate Rs 25,000 crore from tourism in 2013-14. Although Rs 5,000-6,000 crore have been generated from the first three months alone, the state is expected to realise only Rs 5,000-6,000 in the coming months as major tourism destinations have been washed away by recent floods," SP Sharma, Chief Economist at the PHD Chamber said quoting the survey. Tourism sector contributes 25 to 30 per cent of the state GDP, and therefore the state exchequer is likely to take a major hit, Sharma added. The survey conducted by PHD Chambe...
Read MoreTourism has been worst hit in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand in northern India, with pilgrims fleeing the disaster-struck state and tourists cancelling their bookings. May and June are considered peak season for tourism in the state with hotels registering 100 per cent occupancy, but now, most wear a deserted look and several have also been washed away in the floods. "Every year, 23 to 24 lakh pilgrims arrive in the state for the Char Dham Yatra -- Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri. The disaster has hit tourism badly. "If we consider government figures, thousands of hotels, inns and residential houses have been severely affected by the flood and hundreds among them have been obliterated," Joint Director, state Tourism Department, A K Dwiwedi said. State Tourism Minister Amrita...
Read MoreAfter deluge of last week, agencies are facing a herculean task of saving as many lives as possible before weather strikes again in Uttarakhand state of Indian Himalayas. Still few thousands are stranded waiting to be either airlifted or trekking down the hills to safety. Deads are still countless. Calculating casualty figures is still a distant possibility. With rain catching up again in coming days, its a race against time to save the remaining ones. ...
Read MoreInterested in discovering Brussels and its museums and getting a great deal as well? The Brussels Card now offers benefits worth over ! 200! All you need is one card: just show it at the museum entrance or scan it on the bus, tram or metro. Ideal if you’re spending a day or a weekend in Brussels. And it’s really practical too! This essential pass gives you free admission to no fewer than 32 Brussels museums for a period of 24, 48 or 72 hours. It covers all the major museums: the Magritte Museum, the Belgian Comic Strip Centre, the Old Masters Museum, the Museum of Natural Sciences, the Museum of Musical Instruments, the Cinquantenaire Museum and the Museum of the City of Brussels to name just a few. The pass allows free admission to all the exhibitions held at BOZAR, Wiels and the ...
Read MoreOne of India’s most known religious shrine has been facing nature’s fury like never before. Little township housing Kedarnath shrine at an altitude of 3593 metres above sea level in hill state of Uttarakhand has been ravaged by a sudden cloudburst on Sunday, 16th June 2013. Euphoria over early onset of yearly monsoon in the peninsular region has quickly turned into tragedy and despair of very large magnitude. Both the hill states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have suffered through a sudden downpour, nobody was ready for this early in the season. With casualty figures in hundreds and thousands other missing and loss of property worth millions, worst still seems to unfolding. More than 75 thousand pilgrims and tourists are still stranded at various places in both the states. Catast...
Read MoreFor nine days from 22 to 30 June, the lakeside scene at Putrajaya in Malaysia will be transformed by shades of all colours as Putrajaya FLORIA returns, featuring over 5,000 orchids from different species at Precinct 2, Putrajaya. With the theme Orchid – Tropical Treasure, more than 200 cultivars, hybrids, and species of orchids will be used to landscape indoor and outdoor gardens of this much-anticipated event. This year, Putrajaya FLORIA will feature 23 international participants from 18 countries, consisting of garden designers, growers, as well as the International Orchid Society. There will be indoor and outdoor garden displays from Australia, Chile, China, Philippines, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and Vietnam – so lots of inspiring garden...
Read MoreWhat is now a huge reservoir for Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand In India, there not so long ago used to be Tehri town at the confluence of Bhagirathi and Bhilangana rivers. A town with hundreds of years of living history was given a watery grave for a mega hydro-electric project despite all hue and cry by activists & environmentalists. This himalayan belt is already a high-seismic activity area. A strong local movement notwithstanding against brute state power driven by strong urge to have development at any cost, Tehri town alongwith more than hundred odd villages was finally submerged in 2005. Today only history remains... Overlooking Submerged History... An account from Sursingh Dhar http://vagabondimages.in/2013/06/14/overlooking-submerged-history/
Read MoreIf you don’t like to be alone and secluded in hills, still would like to have some great views than Sursingdhar (close to Chamba in Garhwal region of Uttarakhand in India) is the right place to be. Dense pine forests around will still keep you away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It is a delight for your eyes. Sprawling on the hill towards the left is New Tehri town. After dusk the lights of this young town along with Bhagirathipuram (‘B Puram’ as locals call it) will give you a perfect feel of star gazing. Down further, you can see the Bhagirathi River, more as a mammoth reservoir for the Tehri Dam. Up north-east, you can have splendid view of Chaukhamba and Nanda Devi peaks. Down south you can see hills hiding Devprayag and holy shrine of Chandrabadani. And this all can be e...
Read More