Fairs & Festivals in Andaman and Nicobar Island

Whether a traveller is looking for a Short trip to Andamans or a Andaman Honeymoon Package , it is important to know the fairs and festival periods in the islands to have a closer look at the local traditions and enjoy the ethnic festivities. The details of Fairs and Festivals in Andamans is as below :

Fairs and Festivals: Fairs and festivals are always associated with joy and happiness. Fairs and festivals are the best way of entertaining the people of all age groups since these are occasions on which they gather, assemble, exchange their views, work together, worship their god, etc. This has been an important part of the human life since olden days. Fairs and festivals have important role to play in the field of tourism. Many tourists would like to stay back for a week to enjoy the fairs and festivals. They claim that this w they gain a lot of relief and relaxation for their own probleamy; and obtain a lot of self satisfaction. In this tourists’ paradise fairs and festivals are celebrated in almost all parts. Generally, fairs are related to government programmes as Islands on March, Trade Fairs, Navy Mela exhibition etc. As far as the festivals are concerned the A & N Administration celebrates one important festival namely Andaman Tourism Festival. The remaining festivals are celebrated by the people of the concerned religious groups. No doubt, all religions celebrate their own festivals according to their economic condition and their own style. But people from all religious groups participate without any hesitation. The most important thing is – the boys from Muslim, Christian, Sikh communities participate in all activities at the time of Hindu festivals and boys following Hindu, Christian, Sikh religions participate in all activities in Muslim festivals and the same manner in Christian festivals and so on. During such festivals Hindu orators are called and requested to talk about the Holy Kuran, Holyman Md. Nabi, Fathima, Islamism etc., and Muslim orators about Hindu almighty Gita, etc. This is really wonderful .which could be seen only in A & N Islands, and a tourist can really enjoy the socio-cultural integrated festivals. Besides the religious festivals like Deepavali, Ramzan, Christmas etc., among the popular festivals, the most important festivals are linked with Hindu culture, traditions and faith.

These include:

1. Ganesh Puja
2. Panguni Uttatam
3. Mariamman Thiruvizha
4. Durga Puja
5. Kali Puja
6. Saraswati Puja
7. Ram Navaho
8. Gokula Astami
9. Gurunanak Jayanti
10. Nag Panchami
11. Holi
12. Diwali
13. Pongal
14. Christmas
15. Ramzan
16. Shivarathri
17. Vasanth Panchami
18. Ramleela.

Ganesh Puja : Ganesh Puja is celebrated on “Chathurthi Thithi” every year. People from the south call this puja “Vinayaka Chathurthi”. The image of Lord Ganesh is made out of black clay with a lot of glittering decoration. People buy the Ganesh image in a size according to their economic conditions. The Ganesh temples at Aberdeen Bazar, Goal Ghar etc., are beautifully decorated and special pujas or ‘Atli’ is performed by the priests, lyers or pujaris in honour of Lord Ganesh. Of all the Ganesh temples, Sri Lakshmi Vinayagar temple at Aberdeen Bazar and Karpaga Vinyagar at Goalghar are the chief attractions on the occasion. Generally, the puja is celebrated for three days. The temples are full of devotees (Bhakth). During puja, people offer “Kozhukattai’ and “Sundal” to the deity “Vinyagar”, and after the puja these kozhukattai and sundals are distributed among the gatherings. Some organizations and offices or groups of people also perform common puja. A big image of Lord Ganesh is made. An important place in the village or the organization is decorated with pandals and puja and ‘Artl, are performed. The third day the image is taken round in the village and city in procession with dance and songs and is immersed into the sea. All the three days the temples are full of devotees. The people from other religions also visit the temple with their family members.

Panguni Utthiram: This is the biggest and the most important festival in these islands. This festival is celebrated to honour the Lord Sri Vetrimalai Murugan (Lord Karthik), a son of Siva and Parvathi. Sri Vetrimalai (victory hill) Murugan Temple is the oldest temple in these islands. Now a new Kalyana Mandapam (two floors) has been constructed and renovation work of the main temple has also been completed. The important feature of this temple is that the people of all regions and religions of our country and foreign tourists visit this temple. The strong belief of the people is that their requests are fulfilled and graced by the Lord Murugan. During the festival, the temple is decorated with a lot of colour lights etc. This Uttiram festival is celebrated every year during the Tamil month of panguni, in full moon day covering the “Uttira Natachitram”, for a period of ten days. During the festival, every day of the period of celebration, ‘Anna Dhanam’ is given.

About 10000 to 15000 people come to the temple to the get Anna Dhanam (i.e they eat full meal). On the last day of the celebration called “Thee Mithi ‘ people and devotees whose requests are granted by the powerful Sri Vetrimalai Murugan wear “Sedal Ornaments” on their body, face, tongue etc., with “Kavadies”. Among the kavadies, “Arugandam Kavadies” and “Parakkam Kavadies” are really very difficult to carry. People from other islands come to Port Blair to participate this celebration. People on the roads to see them. All religious people offer lime and orange juice, salted sweet water, butter milk, and water to all the devotees, visitors, tourists etc., as a partial fulfilment of their promises. The sedal and kavady bearers walk on fire (Thee Mithi) and reach the “Moolasthanam”. One cannot stand near the fire even at a distance-of six meters. Devotees walk on the fire which means everybody should accept the supreme power of the Lord Sri Vetrimalai Murugan.

Sri Marriamman Thiruvizha Festival: This is the second biggest festival of the Hindus celebrated in honour of Goddess Arulmigu Sri Marriamman. This temple is situated in Austinabad village, at a distance of six kilometers from Port Blair

Bus Terminus on Chiddiyatappu route. The belief of all the people from all religions is that Goddess Mariamma has been guarding these islands. There is an incident, narrated by the devotees as it is a real one. When the Dhannikari Dam was constructed, the contractor could not complete it successfully due to frequent cracks and scratches, etc. Then he prayed to Goddess Marriamman by wearing sedal ornaments and he saw her in his dream and she encouraged him to continue his efforts. The following week he could successfully complete the whole dam. After the completion of the dam, the contractor constructed the present temple (RCC building) and deposited some amount of money in the temple’s name for the everyday puja, celebrations and maintenance. Now all visit this temple and worship the Goddess Mariamman irrespective of their religions. The tourists, including foreigners, do not leave these islands without worshipping these two temples. The festival is celebrated every year during the month of February. For Goddess Marriaman also, the devotees perform puja and Arti in the same manner to God Sri Vetrimalai Murugan. Theemithi, Arugandam kavadi, Parakkum kavadi, Pal kavadi Paneer kavadi, Ilaneer kavadi are the special attractions for the people, devotees and tourists.

Sashti Festival: This is celebrated in honour of Sri Vetrimalai Murugan immediately after the Deepavali for a period of six days since God Murugan has six faces popularly known as “Arumugam” i.e, each day is meant for one face. During these days, Laxcharchanas and special pujas/artis are performed in the temple. Devotees purchase Laxarchana tickets costing 11 Rs. 101/-. Tourists visit these islands during this festival periods purchase tickets, participate in puja and take the prasad to their native village/country as a divine symbol of Sri Vetriamalai Murgan.

Durga Puja : This is also an important festival of Hindus celebrated with great enthusiasm. Though the Hindus tromi, all regions participate, the Hindus from Calcutta (West Bengal) take the full responsibility of its celebration in these islands. This puja is celebrated by all the Hindus in the name of Navarathri puja for nine days. Every year Durga puja is celebrated in these islands during September-October. Bengali associations in each village and some organizations make the image of goddess Durga in highly decorative manner out of clay along with the images of other gods namely; Sri Ganesh, Sri Karthik (Sri Murugan) etc., and they perform puja with the help of pandits. On vijayadhasami i.e on the tenth day, the images are taken out in procession to various places near Haddo jetty, Aberdeen jetty for immersion in the sea. A large crowd assembles near the Goalghar, Junglighat Junction, Dairyfarm, Schoolline Junction, Dilanipur, Haddo etc., to witness the procession for immersion.

Ram Navmi : It is celebrated in honour of the birthday of Lord Rama by performing special puja and arti only in Ram temples located in Aberdeen Basthi, Kumrakheti, Haddo and Dairy Farm. Temples are decorated with colourful lights and musical instruments are played. Songs on Lord Rama and Sita are also sung.

Gokulaashtami : It is celebrated in the name of the birthday of Lord Krishna who is regarded as the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This festival is celebrated in August-September. In Radha Krishna, Radha Govindha temples on RGT Road, Sri Krishna Temple in Dairy Farm, Radhakrishna Temple in Junglighat, this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Temples are fully illuminated with ligh and coloureduirncolouredan Group bhajans/group songs on Krishna, continuous puja performance with loud clappings and sayings like “Krishna Ki Jay” and other performances continue till midnight when Sri Krishna took birth. After the birth puja, prasadhams made out of sweet sooji, sweet boonthi, cut bananas, and sugarcane etc. are distributed. All temples are crowded with devotees and other people.

Sri Guru Nanak Jayanthi : This is celebrated by the Punjabis.

It commemorates the birthday of Sri Guru Nanak. This festival is celebrated on 25th November of every year, with great enthusiasm. Police Gurudwara in Aberdeen Bazar, Dr. Diwan Singh Gurudwara behind the State Bank of India, Main Branch, Gurudwara in MES area are illuminated with beautiful colour lamps. Songs, prayers, readings, bhajans etc., are the special features on the occasion. They organise a simple but excellent procession with the songs and bhajans with the call of “Guru Nanakji ki jay”.

Saraswathi Puja : Saraswathi puja is another festival celebrated by people, educational institutions and other organizations put up and is associated with the worship of Maa Saraswathi, the goddess of education and vidhai (vidhya) knowledge. Big pandals are put up at the important places in the city. The image of goddess Sri Saraswathi with vina sitting on white colour lotus kept in the pandal. Continuous puja, arti are performed throughout the day. Next day, the image of goddess is taken in procession, accompanied with dances and songs to the Haddo jetty, Aberdeen jetty or Chatham jetty for the immersion.

Sri Kali Puja : This festival is associated with the worship of Maa Kali as the destroyer of the evils. This festival is celebrated in the months of October-November every year. The Bengalis take keen interest and celebrate it enthusiastically. The image of Maa Kali showing her angry action of killing a Rakchashan is installed at different places. Kali temple at Prem Nagar is decorated with coloured lamps. Prescribed pujas and artis are performed. Hindus, particularly Bengalis, visit this temple and other places where the images of the goddess are installed and worshipped. Next day, the image is taken in procession with songs and dances to Haddo Jetty, Aberdeen Jetty and Junglighat Jetty for the immersion. A large crowd assembles to witness the procession at Goal Ghar, opposite State Library, Junglighat Junction, Dairfarm Junction, Aberdeen Bazar, Dilanirur, Haddo, etc.

Sri Shiva Rathri: This is another important festival celebrated in this island. This is celebrated for one day during the month of February-March in honour of the auspicious day of the Lord Shiva’s marriage with the goddess Parvathi. The temples of Lord Shiva in South Point, Delanipur, Phar Goan, Garacharma perform special pujas and artis with the usual decorations. In Sri Vetrimala)/ Murugan Temple the Shiva Lingam is specially adorned with colourful flowers. In all the Shiva temples, the bhajans, kirthanas, songs, speeches, talks, dramas, video films on ShivapaRvathi continue throughout the night. After early morning puja, prasatham is distributed among the devotees.

Holi: This is celebrated as a festival of colours during the months of February-March. In this territory, the Holi is celebrated by the people of all age groups irrespective of the religions and regions. In each and every village, a ‘holika’ made out of coconut leaves, and other firewood is bunt during the midnight Then, from the early morning itself, the sprinkling of colour (powder and water) from men to men, Women and among children starts. This activity goes unto 1.00 pm. After that the people go to Carbynscove beach for bathing. After taking bath, the people come out of their houses, wearing new clothes, go and meet their friends, embrace each other, take sweets and blessings from elders etc. Some people go to temples and the other youngsters usually go to watch cinema.

Prakash Yathra: This is celebrated just a day before Christmas by going in a procession. The Christians participate in the celebration. Both males and females participate and each of them carries a lighted candle saying some hymns from Bible. The procession is held in a calm and peaceful manner.

Other Festivals: Among other Hindu, festivals like Nag Panchami Pongal, Deepavali, Ram Leela, Vasantha Panchami etc., celebrated in these islands Deepavali, the festival of lights is most important. Every house, irrespective of religions and regions celebrate Deepavali by wearing new clothes, preparing and distributing by firing crackers etc. On Deepavali day, people take oil bath and wear new, colourful clothes. During evening hours, the houses are decorated with lighted candles or series of lights. Next to Deepavali, Maha Karthiakai, the festival in honour of god Sri Murugan, the god of knowledge and courage, is of importance. On this festival also the houses are decorated with lighted candles. The elders undertake fasting, younger ones enjoy the crackers during the evening hours, Sri Vetrimalai Murugan temple is illuminated with lights which should not be missed by the tourists. Apart from the festivals of the Hindus, Christians and Sikhs, there are also some festivals which are celebrated among other communities living in these islands. These include Jains who celebrate the birthday of Lord Parasanth and Mahaveer. Buddhists celebrate Buddha Jayanthi, Muslims celebrate Muharram, Ramzan Bakrid, etc.

Commerce and Industry: Commercial and industrial development of A & N islands plays an important role in the growth of tourism industry. Though the commercial and industrial units are scattered over the inhabited islands, majority of the units are located in the Port Blair city. The Port Blair city is famous for its handicrafts like shell-made items.

The prospects for setting up of such units in these islands are encouraging. The present important trade centres are Aberdeen Bazar, Diglipur, Junglighat, Middle Point, Bambooflat, Ferrargunj, Rangat, Mayabunder, and Campbell Bay.

Educational institutions: In this territory, there are only two colleges—Jawaharlal Nehru Government College in Port Blair and Mahatma Gandhi Government College in Mayabunder. These colleges offer arts, science and commerce courses at degree and post graduate levels. Government B.Ed College Is in Port Blair.

The literacy rate of A&N islands is – male 78.99%, female 65.46% and overall 73.02% as per the 1991 census whereas the same in Port Blair city is 86.59%, 75.08% and 81.69% respectively. There are about 340 educational institutions in A&N islands including about 70 institutions in Nicobar Islands.

Light and Sound Programme: There is light and sound programme run at Cellular Jail, a national memorial. The programme, in Hindi and English, is shown during evening hours every day.

Cinema Halls: In A & N Islands except Port Blair, the islands do not have commercial cinema halls. In Port Blair there are six cinema halls located at different places at a distance of 1-4 kilometers from the Bus Teminus. Most of the halls hold only two shows every day and three on Saturdays and Sundays and there are four to five shows festivals as well. All the halls screen the Tamil, Hindi and Telugu films. Sometimes, some cinema halls also show Malayalam, Bengali and English films.

Popular tour Packages :The most popular tour packages to explore the exotic islands with the travellers are Port Blair 3 Nights Package , Port Blair Havelock Honeymoon Package, Port Blair Havelock Package , Port Blair Havelock Neil Island Package, Best of Andamans Tour

For Further information on Andaman Tour Packages contact one of the most professional Travel Agents in India – Swan Tours ,New Delhi at 011-23415601

Most Popular Tourist Attractions in Leh-Ladakh!

Leh-Ladakh Tour Packages

One of the most exciting travel destinations in India is Leh-Ladakh, which is a part of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. In the recent times because of the increased air connectivity and opening of number of hotels and resorts in the area, the tourism activity has gone up multi fold times.

Ladakh brings one face to face with primordial nature. Mountains assume fantastic forms, deeply caverned and castellated, recessed by jagged ridges that glint in the sun even though the sky above may be leaden. There is a sense of dramatic contrast here, and heightened color; tints of yellow, gold and ochre are predominant, but brown and green hillocks, blue and black boulders intersperse the oatmeal sweet of the sandy plains and the central plateau. Hamlets with their barley fields break the pattern of the mountain wilderness. From a distance, it is difficult to distinguish a village fort from its rocky background; all seem part of a marvelous unity.

For a traveler, the rapid changes of terrain are astonishing, one moment you are in a 100-metre wide valley with a panoramic view of an ochre wasteland. In the next instant, you see alluvial fans rising towards the foot of the hills. You may find yourself hemmed in by granite walls sometimes narrowing to a fissure no more than three-meters wide, where the sun does not penetrate and the sky is not visible; the earth is arid and unforgiving, with not a tree in sight, nor a footprint to follow. Yet just a few kilometers away you could stumble upon a rich meadow with lush grass for the mules to munch, migratory wildfowl from Siberia on the lake shore, dogs herding the peacefully grazing sheep, yaks being milked and scruffy little children playing in this pastoral setting.

In the National Park region, the highest in the world, piercingly cold winds blow through the gaps in the mighty ridges, which are often etched sharply against a magnificent blue sky or as often, obscured by mist. If you are lucky, you can spot the rare ibex (whose horns are believed to be good luck charms which frequently adorn flat roofs), or the snow pheasant with a neutral tint that merges with the rocky terrain. More visible with its luxuriant fur is the martnot, a mountain rodent of clumsy gait, which moves surprisingly fast to escape into its burrow.

At every step the landscape gets wilder. Bare rock protects the earth from the burden of heavy snow and the fierce height of the sun. On a clear, well-lit day, the fast-melting snow increases the volume of water cascading down the gorge. The silence of the mountains is broken only by the sighing winds, the call of an unseen animal, the whistle of a bird and the sound of water which resembles a song of joy as it dances down from its icy heights.

From Nymeo, where the confluence of the Zanskar and the Indus can be seen in the distinct blue and green shades of the water, up to Phiyang, where the river divides into a number of channels, the hillsides and the river bed are lush with extensive cultivation. This spot is very popular with the tourists.

As the Indus widens, trees begin to appear and the valley opens up. Broad meadows interspersed with irrigation channels are visible from the road. Tangible symbols of Buddhism appear as one approach a village: Chortens (Tibetan stupas) and mane walls (stones engraved with prayers and invocations, invariably kept to the right of the traveler) start to dot the landscape.

Closer to Leh, the mountains hem you in again, until a sudden dip in the ridge ahead gives you your first view of the capital. Prayer flags strung together sweep upwards to the rocky eminence of Palace Hill crowned by the fort and temple of Namgyal Tsemo.

Flat-roofed, whitewashed houses reach up to the walls of Leh Palace. The road winds past lofty, gaily painted chortens. The poplar grove thins out. Nine storeys high, with a frontage extending 75 meters, it towers over a pile of mud houses, its wall sloping inwards as if shrinking from the touch of plebian huts below. Further up the road is the broad stretch of the Leh bazaar, the open market that awaits customers from Delhi and Srinagar. In bygone days, it was the kafilo (caravan) from Persia or Yarkand that brought the market alive with the ’emporium trade’. When monsoon winds made Indian ports inaccessible, the rice of Parsia travelled up the Ladakh route. Along with rice, other goods from thousands of kilometers away also made their appearance. Even today traces of the ’emporium trade’ are evident, and the Leh bazaar is a good place to buy Chinese soup bowls, shoes, exotic jewelry, metalware and thangkas.

Leh town is enclosed by a low wall, interspersed with towers, approachable through a labyrinth of lanes. Ladakhi dressmakers, general merchants, dealers in antiques and bric-a-brac are present at every corner.

 

The Ladakhi male’s dress is much like a Tibetan coat, with colorful facings and a cummerbund. The women wear a beautiful styled dress gathered at the waist and lined with brocade. It is worn with coloured pajamas in addition to which modern Ladakhi women also sport the Punjabi chunni, a long scarf. The most popular women’s hairstyle is an intricate design of slim plaits held together at the bottom with a simple string or a gorgeous silver clip.

On festive occasions, women wear a unique headdress, the perak, shaped like a cobra-hood from red felt onto which uncut turquoise stones are stitched in rows of three, eight or ten. Two curved flaps covered with lamb’s wool extend outwards over the cars.

A goatskin stole is another regular feature of the village woman’s attire, replaced with brocade by the affluent. It is a becoming adornment to a dress that is graceful in its simplicity, besides performing a functional role too by preventing the dress from becoming soiled by back-loads. Silk and velvet gondas (hats) are also a part of women’s toilette, adding the desired touch of colour for daily wear as the perak is too heavy to be worn. Ladakhi women have always enjoyed wearing and displaying jewelry — silver necklaces, amulets and rings, and in the old days, they would not go about without a silver toothpick, tweezers and ear-cleaners as well.

With weather-beaten faces, merry smiles and hats at a jaunty angle on top of their elaborate coiffures, the market women make a lively, attractive group. Wherever you go, in Ladakh a beaming lulley!’ will greet you and soon it becomes quite spontaneous for you to call out julley!’ yourself. Without your being aware of it, your identification with Ladakh is well on its way.

Excursions from Leh: The most popular travel excursions from Leh are day trip to Nubra Valley, trip to Pangong Lake, visit to Hemis Monastery, Visit to Thiksay Monastery, these trips can be pre-booked and the details can be found on the below links:

Leh Ladakh Pangong Lake Tour , Leh Nubra Tour and Kashmir Leh Ladakh Tour

For more information on Leh Ladakh tour packages,  contact Swan Tours – one of the leading travel agents in India.

Information on Accommodation and sightseeing in Jaipur, Rajasthan

Hawa Mahal Jaipur

More than a century ago, in 1856, the consort of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, came on a state visit to India. Part of his itinerary was the medieval city of Jaipur, and to honour his coming the city’s ruler-Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh II-ordered the entire city (then a dull yellow) to be painted a pretty pink, the traditional colour of welcome. Shops, mansions, palaces, entire colonnades-all were given a neat and amazingly uniform coating of rose pink that endures to this day and gives Jaipur its sobriquet: The Pink City.

The imposing and extremely picturesque capital of Rajasthan has been called one of the most beautiful cities in Asia-and with good reason. Jaipur (literally, ‘City of Victory’) does not rank as a very old city-it dates back only to about 1727, when Maharaja Jai Singh II made it his capital, having shifted the court from Amer. Within less than three hundred years, however, Jaipur has managed to build up for itself exquisite palaces, colourful bazaars and interesting sights by the dozen-and a reputation as one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.

Spreading around the original Old City-the pink-hued, wonderfully atmospheric core which contains most of Jaipur’s major sights-the town extends into a more modern, commercial area of hotels, restaurants, emporia and offices. All around, encompassing this interesting combination of medieval and modern, prosaic and pretty, lie the Aravali Hills, brooding and formidable. These, along with the amazing city that lies ensconced within the sheltering shadow of the hills, form the gateway to Rajasthan, the entrance to what is truly a fascinating state-and an equally unforgettable city.

Getting around Jaipur

Jaipur has a local transport network consisting of buses, auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws and taxis. Of these, the buses are best avoided except by the intrepid-they tend to be overcrowded, ramshackle and none too clean at the best of times! Auto rickshaws and cycle rickshaws are a better option, as are taxis. The latter, along with hired cars (which can be rented from the many travel agents and tour operators in town or can be arranged through hotels), are invariably the best bet for visiting sights around Jaipur, such as Jaigarh, Nahargarh and Amer. Jaipur city’s main sights-including the Hawa Mahal, the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar-lie within the Old City. These are so close to each other that it is a good idea to explore them on foot, especially as this also offers a chance to get up close and personal with life as it happens on Jaipur’s busy streets!

Accommodation in Jaipur

One of India’s top tourist destinations, Jaipur has no paucity whatsoever of tourist accommodation, irrespective of budget. Dotted in and around the city are a huge number of hotels, hostels and guesthouses ranging all the way from five-star deluxe to shoestring. All of India’s top hotel chains have properties in Jaipur which offer the works-plush rooms, multi-cuisine restaurants, gyms, swimming pools, cultural evenings et al. On a slightly different but equally (if not more!) opulent note are the many stunning heritage hotels, beautifully renovated havelis (mansions) and palaces that allow guests the opportunity to savour a slice of life the way Jaipur’s aristocracy once knew it. Also an integral part of the ‘heritage segment’ of Jaipur’s accommodation is the delightful heritage village of Chokhi Dhani, about 12 km from the city. Chokhi Dhani offers a dinner-and-entertainment package every evening for visitors from the city, besides having its own hotel.

For those on a tighter budget, there are a number of economical lodges, hotels and guesthouses run by the RTDC (the Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation) as well as by private owners. Tariffs for the RTDC hotels can range from Rs 50 for a dormitory bed to Rs 300 for an ordinary room. Most of the budget and medium rung hotels in Jaipur are strung out around the City Centre, especially along Mirza Ismail Road. For more information on Hotels in Jaipur contact Swan Tours Delhi India.

Jal Mahal Jaipur

 

Sightseeing in Jaipur

Jaipur has plenty to see, experience and admire-from palaces and bazaars to nearby fortresses and exquisite museums. To see them all takes at least about three days at a leisurely pace, and comprises a great introduction to the rich cultural and historical tapestry of Rajasthan.

Amer Fort: The most beautiful of the three fortresses that surround Jaipur (the other two are Nab argarh and Jaigarh), Amer-or Amber, as it is also known-lies in the Aravali Hills at a distance of about 11 km from Jaipur. Amer’s construction was begun in 1590 by Maharaja Man Singh, and his descendants-right up to Jai Singh, in 1724-added and renovated parts of the fort, which was used as a residence by the royal family of Jaipur. A 12 km boundary wall with eight watchtowers surrounds Amer, which is a dazzling combination of beautifully decorated palaces, pavilions, courtyards and gardens. Among the fort’s most prominent features are the beautifully painted Ganesh Poi (the main doorway to the palaces); the Sheesh Mahal (a palace decorated with mirror, coloured glass, Belgian glass and gold leaf-the largest example of a Sheesh Mahal in India) and the Diwan-e-Aam (a red sandstone pavilion which functioned as the Hall of Public Audience).

Jaigarh Fort

Jaigarh Fort: Unlike Amer, Jaigarh (literally, ‘Victory Fort’) was more a bastion meant for defending a city rather than a royal residence. As such, this fort lacks the beauty and charm of Amer. It is, instead, an unornamented citadel, surrounded by a moat and with massive stone ramparts. Jaigarh was built between the 15th and the 18th centuries and lies 15 km from Jaipur, up in the thorn-covered hills of the Aravalis. Within the fort is the famous Jaivan, the world’s largest cannon on wheels (it was cast in Jaigarh’s own foundry in 1720 and its barrel alone weighs 50 tons. Popular belief has it that Jaivan has been fired only once, when the cannonball fell in an unfortunate village 35 km away!) Also of interest in Jaigarh are the fort’s huge underground water tanks-the largest of which could store up to 6,000,000 gallons of water), and the fort’s Armoury and Museum, both of which contain a fine, if somewhat weather-beaten collection of memorabilia related to Jaigarh and the royal family of Jaipur, including paintings, photographs, weaponry and the like.

Nahargarh Fort: The third of Jaipur’s three forts, Nahargarh (`Abode of Tigers’) lies in the Aravalis, at a distance of about 6 km from Jaipur. Nahargarh was

built mainly in 1734 by Jai Singh II, and was used for a long time by the maharanis of Jaipur as a summer retreat-most specifically to go duck shooting! In comparison to both Amer as well as Jaigarh, Nahargarh is in rather a decrepit condition, although traces do remain of the paintings and stained glass windows that once adorned the chambers of the queens. Despite the fact that it is partly in ruins now, Nahargarh offers a panoramic view of the city below, and is worth visiting just for that.

The City Palace and the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum: Set in the heart of Jaipur, forming the core of the Old City, is the stunning pink-and-white City Palace. A complex of palaces and pavilions built way back in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh; the City Palace is today partly occupied by the royal family, while the rest of it is home to the excellent Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum. The museum is split into three galleries: the extensive Textiles and Costumes Gallery housed in the Mubarak Mahal; the Sileh Khana (the Armoury); and the Art Gallery, housed in the outdoor pavilion which was once the Diwan-e-Khas, the Hall of Private Audience. The Sileh Khana, as one would expect, is replete with martial artefacts, from weapons to howdahs to paintings of battles. The Textiles and Costumes Gallery, which is definitely the most stunning of the three galleries, is full of amazing medieval regalia, including magnificently embroidered royal costumes. The Art Gallery has a few palanquins and sedan chairs which are not too exciting, but its piece de resistance is worth a few photographs. This is a pair of 5’3″ urns crafted from solid silver. Known as gangajalis, these 900 It urns were made for Maharaja Madho Singh II, for his tour of England in 1902. A staunch Hindu, the maharaja had Ganges water especially carried all the way from India to England for the trip.

Jantar Mantar

Jantar Mantar: Considered one of the most amazing “examples of secular architecture in India, the Jantar Mantar observatory at Jaipur (like five others of its kind-at Delhi, Ujjain, Mathura and Varanasi) was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (1688-1743), the man who designed the city of Jaipur. The largest observatory in India, the Jantar Mantar is a complex of massive astronomical instruments of masonry. It was built over a period of seven years, having been inspired by a similar observatory in Samarkand. Amongst the instruments at the Jantar Mantar are the world’s largest sundial; equinoctial sundials; and instruments used to measure the sun’s declination, azimuth and altitude; the declination of fixed celestial bodies; and the latitude and longitude of the planets corresponding to the twelve signs of the zodiac.

Hawa Mahal: By far and away Jaipur’s best known landmark, the five-storied Hawa Mahal (the `Palace of Winds’) is in reality little more than a façade. A vivid pink and white pyramid-shaped ‘palace’ studded all along its front by 953 prettily filigreed windows, the Hawa Mahal is just that-a series of windows, with not much more behind that. The Hawa Mahal was built by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh in 1799 as an extension of the zenana (the women’s quarters in the City Palace)-most specifically as a place where the royal ladies could sit and watch processions and parades pass by in the street below.

Gaitor: Situated at a distance of 8 km from Jaipur, Gaitor is home to the cenotaphs and memorials of the royal family of Jaipur. Gaitor is a walled complex that was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, and dotted across it, amidst landscaped gardens, are a series of elegantly domed chhatris dedicated to Jaipur’s royalty. Of all the cenotaphs, the most magnificent is that of Jai Singh II himself-the building is an elegant one made of white marble, topped with a dome held aloft twenty beautifully carved pillars. Other commemorative chhatris worth seeing are those of Pratap Singh and Madho Singh II.

Sisodia Palace and Gardens

Sisodia Palace and Gardens: 8 km from Jaipur, the Sisodia Palace and its adjoining gardens-locally known as the Sisodia Rani ka Bagh date back to the 17th and 18th centuries, when they were created as a summer retreat by Sisodia Rani, the Queen of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. The palace is best known for its pavilions and galleries, some of which contain exquisitely executed murals, which depict the life of Lord Krishna. The area surrounding the palace consists of terraced landscaped gardens with fountains and watercourses.

Government Central Museum (Albert Hall): Lying between the Ram Niwas Garden and the Jai Niwas Bagh, the Government Central Museum (previously known as the Albert Hall) was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob in a typical Indo-Saracen style that makes lavish use of murals, arches, pillars and courtyards. The building was constructed in 1886 with the aim of making it the town hall-a decision overruled by Maharaja Madho Singh, who decided instead to make it a museum. The Government Central Museum today houses a fine collection of Rajasthani art, including carved ivory, metal ware (in particular embossed, hammered and chiseled brass), jewellery, pottery, textiles, and paintings from various schools of Rajasthani art.

The Destination of Jaipur can be combined with Delhi and Agra, popularly known as the golden triangle for more information on this tour visit – Golden Triangle Travel Package and if you looking for fancy hotels then visit Delhi Agra Jaipur Luxury Tour

Excursions and extension visits from Jaipur

The whole of Rajasthan can be covered from Jaipur the most popular extensions are as below:

Jodhpur Udaipur Tour Package , Jodhpur Jaisalmer Tour Package , Udaipur Mount Abu Tour Package

Shopping in Jaipur

Rajasthan is a shopaholic’s dream come true. This state produces vast quantities of handicrafts which make for great souvenirs-whether they are pretty pieces of enameled silver jewellery, lovely blue pottery, patchwork, typical tie-and-dye-fabrics, Jaipuri quilts, carved wood, camel leather shoes, puppets or traditional block-print textiles. Jaipur, being the capital of Rajasthan, is an excellent place to go shopping for all of Rajasthan’s gloriously colourful handicrafts. The city’s markets are crowded with shops selling everything that Rajasthan’s artisans produce, and with some scouting around combined with a bit of bargaining, there is no reason why one shouldn’t be able to come away loaded with some unbeatable buys! Among the top shopping districts in Jaipur are Jauhari Bazaar, which specialises in jewellery but is also well-known today for local textiles; Badi Chaupar, also a great place to buy local block-printed or tie-and-dye textiles, and Mirza Ismail Road, better known as MI Road, home to Rajasthali, the Rajasthan State handicrafts emporium. In addition to this, certain localities deal in specific wares: Maniharon-ka-Rasta in Tripolia Bazaar, is the place for lac bangles, while Ramganj Bazaar is where one should go for camel leather shoes and the shops opposite the Hawa Mahal are well-known for the beautifully light lambswool quilts they sell.

For those visiting the Amer Fort, here’s a suggestion: check out the government-operated handicrafts shops next to the forts main courtyard. The shops sell handicrafts at lower rates than in Jaipur’s markets, and besides the fact that quality is assured, there is also the added attraction of free craft-making demonstrations, which are offered at the shops.

For more information on Rajasthan tour packages contact one of the leading travel agents in India – Swantour.com.

Enter the Tourist in Leh Ladakh

Leh-Ladakh Tour Packages

Ladakh has always haunted the traveller’s imagination because of its sheer inaccessibility. Zealously guarded because of its strategic location, it was opened to tourism as recently as 1974. It is no longer the valuable Pashmina wool or the rice, salt and tea of the old trade system that draws the traveller, but the composite world of Ladakh — the fascinating fusion of ancient religions, history and stormy political events which were the result of the proselytizing role of Buddhism. Although Ladakh is now a part of Jammu and Kashmir, it retains its independent character this is what makes Ladakh unique —not its resemblance to Tibet, with which it was once identified, but with which ties have now become tenuous.

The Ladakh is as a people are naive and spontaneous, as yet not undermined by the outsider. Their environment which defeats all those who are alien to it endows them with the capacity to retain their sturdy identity. The lonely tiers of the Lamayuru monastery appear to symbolize this spirit of endurance as do the defiant apple-green rivers that flow undeterred through narrow valleys. And the dun-coloured plateau seems to have beaten back the snow-bound, sunless gullies to provide a haven to those for whom Ladakh is home. Given Ladakh’s strategic importance, it has benefited by the creation of a logistical infrastructure, but has yet to receive a push towards industrial development.

Urbanization is getting under way, but the intrusion of modernity is limited. The old trade routes through the central plateau have been converted into roads that cut through the bronze and silver setting of the Karakoram, Ladakh and Zanskar ranges. The Border Roads Organization and the large military establishment maintain the roads but peasants and traders still use century-old routes.

A community in change

In a natural environment, which is by turns a hostile arctic desert and an oasis, water becomes the life-giving force, fundamental to the needs of development now visible in Ladakh. The pre-Buddhist peasant and wandering minstrel, who sang about the heroic vision of the Kesar Saga, would be amazed to see the changes that have been wrought into his world which was then still young and free of man’s pressing need for more room and greater resources. Now the emerging pattern of emerald valleys attests to his impulse for expansion.

The economic structure of Ladakh, sustained by the monastic system and what has been termed the ’emporium trade’, is being eroded by government-sponsored construction activity and agricultural improvement. The collective spirit and the community approach on which the monastic system was based still survive, but the living standards of the people haven’t improved much.

Only since 1947, when Ladakh became a part of the Indian Union, have Ladakhi skills been used for its advancement. Educated young Ladakhis have not been lured away by the promise of a brighter future outside their homeland but have stayed behind and helped in its development.

A prime example is the Stakna hydroelectric project – a tribute to Ladakhi engineers who have adapted design and technology to meet the challenge of stringent local conditions. The dam catches the Indus just below Hemis at 3,450 metres, and has been operated even in freezing weather in a region where forests are scarce and temperatures plummet to extreme lows, the advent of electricity has humanized the environment dramatically. Only a frequent visitor to Ladakh would be alive to the radical changes brought about by electricity to the work-style, architecture and social pattern of the electrified villages. Evenings in Leh can now be stretched beyond the 11p.m. deadline when diesel generators used to shut off.

Today, outside influences are tampering with Ladakh’s historically determined scheme as the land is subject to undreamed-of pressures, The transitory visitor is unaware of the impact of 1-is presence but it is obtrusively visible in the extending tentacles of the road network, in the pollution emitted by increased traffic and in the demand for services which are not expressive of the Ladakhi way of life. One again, it is the historical vulnerability of Ladakh’s economic system that becomes apparent as the genius of the people is mobilized to benefit the outsider.

Literacy in Ladakh

I2-year-old Stanz in Zangpo did not know what a train was. He could not recognize a cow or a buffalo. At school, during, geography lessons, he could not understand what a plain was and what a sea was. He only identified the jagged peaks near Diskit en route to the Siachin Glacier. When 30 Ladakhi children were brought to Delhi and taken to the zoo, they ran away in fright on seeing an elephant. The children were taken to Qutb Millar to learn about heights; they had never written a letter and were taken to the post office. After the Gujarat earthquake, they were taught about the causes and effects of quakes. They were present for the Army Day and Republic Day Parades to inculcate in them a sense of belonging and identity with the rest of India. Overjoyed with their new experiences in Delhi, one of them thought that the most exciting profession was that of an engine driver — a career that gave one freedom to travel and see the wonders of the country.

For more information of Enter the Tourist in Leh Ladakh and leh ladakh tour packages contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Online Information of Different Visa Types for India

Get Your Documents in Order 

In order to enter India, you must have a valid passport with a valid visa. With certain specific exceptions, visas are not issued on arrival. The Indian government has recently been revising visa regulations, so you should check for updates.

While Canadians apply at the Indian embassy or consulate, in the US, visa processing is handled by Travisa Outsourcing Inc. You have to submit an online application at their website ( http://www.swantour.com/holiday-packages-in-india.php ). Their centers in New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, and Washington, DC, also accept applications in person, though you make an appointment and fill in the visa application form online in advance.

Don’t wait until the last minute to apply for your visa. On the other hand, avoid applying too far in advance if you plan to stay in India for a while as Indian visas are valid from the date of issue, not the date of entry.

Previously, it was possible to get routine visas in one day, but that is no longer the case. Now it tends to take a week or two. Processing may take much longer (up to three months) in the case of film-makers, researchers, journalists, missionaries and others requiring prior approval from authorities in India, or for non-US citizens. It’s a good idea to call well in advance to find out about estimated processing times and recent updates.

Tourist Visa- Most people come to India on a multiple-entry Tourist Visa valid for three or six months, though Americans can also get one valid for five or ten years that allows stays in India for up to 180 days at a time. If you are planning a couple of trips to India, this options is much cheaper and more convenient than getting a new visa every time you go.

Anyone holding a Tourist Visa is no longer allowed to re-enter India within two months of their last departure from India if their last visit was longer than ninety days or if they have stayed longer than 180 days during the past year. However, it is possible to go to neighboring countries such as Nepal and Sri Lanka for a visit and then return without waiting for two months. You may want to check what the situation is before you go, as regulations keep changing. In fact, as this is going to press, the word is that the two-month gap rule is about to be eliminated.

A Tourist Visa is not available to anyone with a residence or occupation in India. You can spend your whole visit in one place or you can travel every day. The Tourist Visa is intended only for activities such as sightseeing and recreation, as well as visiting friends and family.

When you apply for a Tourist Visa—even if you are applying for a ten-year visa—keep it simple. Just put “tourist” or “visiting friends,” etc. in the space on the application that asks why you want the visa. Detailed explanations of your intentions are unnecessary and can delay your visa. The approval personnel don’t want to know about all your wonderful plans. Nonessential explanations just create more work for them, and can also cause processing delays.

Student Visa- A Student Visa (S-Visa) is required for anyone enrolling in regular programs in an Indian university or other recognized academic institution. If you want to study in India but are not sure exactly where, you can get a Provisional Student. Visa for the purpose of checking out various programs. If your admission is confirmed while you are still in India, you can apply for a regular Student Visa without going home.

Research Visa- A Research Visa (R-Visa) is required for scholars and is valid for the period of research. You have to provide a certificate and letter from the institution or Ministry that is sponsoring the research, as well as approval from the Ministry of Human Resources Development.

Business Visa- If you are involved in signing contracts or setting up joint ventures with an Indian business, you need a Business Visa. However, there is a bit of a gray area here because at present there is no legal definition of the term “business trip,” However, if you are in India on a Business Visa, you aren’t supposed to get paid in India.

Employment Visa- You need an Employment Visa (E-Visa) in Order to work in India. E-Visas are mainly granted to consultants and skilled, qualified professionals or those who will be working in the tourist industry. Indian companies can hire foreigners without any government approval, but you have to get your visa from the Indian consulate in your own country before coming to India to take the job. On the other hand, if you are doing work for which you are being paid in your home country rather than in India, you might not need an Employment Visa, but you should ask. You have to earn a salary of at least $25,000USD in order to qualify for an E-Visa.

Conference Visa- You should get a Conference Visa if you are coming to India just to attend a conference, but you might be able to attend on a Tourist Visa if the conference is not a high-profile event. A Conference Visa requires an invitation from the organizers and takes several weeks to process. Visas for international conferences and for conferences on certain sensitive subjects are issued only after clearance for the conference is received from the Government of India.

Medical Visa– You can get a Medical Visa (M-Visa) if you are coming solely for medical/dental treatment. You’ll need a medical certificate or letter from a recognized or specialized hospital in India. Your assistant can get a Medical Assistant Visa (MX-Visa).

Journalist Visa– If you’re a professional journalist or photographer coming to India on assignment, you have to get a Journalist Visa (J-Visa). If you are a freelance writer or if you are just writing a casual weekly travel column for your local newspaper while you travel around as a tourist, you may be OK with a Tourist Visa. But if you are a feature writer, photographer or reporter on assignment for a major news agency, magazine, etc., you are required to get a J-Visa. This visa is valid for all media you need prior approval in order to shoot films and documentaries in India, and it’s a lengthy process. Contact the consulate for information about getting the necessary approval.

Missionary Visa

Missionaries are required to get a Missionary Visa, which is a single-entry visa of specified validity. According to the U.S. State Department: “Immigration authorities have determined that certain activities, including speaking at religious meetings to which the general public is invited, may violate immigration law if the traveler does not hold a missionary visa. Foreigners with tourist visas who engage in missionary activity are subject to deportation and possible criminal prosecution. [Certain states] have active legislation regulating conversion from one religious faith to another. . . . [Anyone] intending to engage in missionary activity may wish to seek legal advice to determine whether the activities they intend to pursue are permitted under Indian law. Foreigners suspected of or actually proselytizing Hindus have been attacked in several conservative, rural areas in India.

Entry Visa

The Entry or X-Visa is available primarily to family members of people on certain types of long-term visas, as well as to people doing volunteer work for charitable organizations.

Special Visas

Special visas are available for teams undertaking major expeditions, including mountaineering expeditions, botanical expeditions, canoe/rafting expeditions, as well as trekking, and for teams or individuals participating in international sporting events that are being held in India.

For more information on Tourist Visa Contact http://www.swantour.com one of the Best leading travel agents in India offers.

Essential Tips for Visiting India with Kids

For more information on essential tips for visiting India with Kids and holiday packages in India contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Route Information on Delhi to Himachal Pradesh road trip

Information on Himachal Pradesh Road Trip

Himachal Pradesh

Chandigarh-Nalagarh-Pragpur-Palampur-Dharamsala-Dalhousie-Amritsar

 

Himachal Pradesh Road Trip

Chandigarh-Nalagarh

A journey through the mountain state of Himachal holds the promise of a deep communion with nature. The Kangra and Chamba valleys are luxuriant and green and the heady mountain air along with the backdrop of the ‘white ranges’ of Himalayan peaks should make this a rewarding road holiday.

Leave Chandigarh and join NH 22. It is worth stopping at Pinjore to see the Mughal style gardens that are replications of the gardens of Kashmir. The complex also contains three palaces, the Sheesh Mahal, the Rajasthani style Rang Mahal and the cubical Jal Mahal. Pass the Pinjore market and turn left onto SH 21A. Although this highway is not as wide as NH 22, it is smooth and relatively traffic free. On the right are the foothills of the Shivaliks, and Kasauli is easy to spot because of its prominent TV tower. The road also passes by the scenically situated Pinjore Flying Club. Just before the industrial town of Baddi, it crosses a small bridge and enters Himachal, the enchanting state that is locked in the embrace of river valleys and mountains. The road gradually climbs up to the palace at Nalagarh, regal retreat in the hills. Also Visit – Manali Volvo Packages

Nalagarh-Pragpur

The narrow mountain road meanders through the foothills of the Shivaliks and offers driving enthusiasts many opportunities to test their cornering skills. At Swarghat, a reasonable sized town with some facilities, it meets up with NH 21, which is a wide and smooth highway that takes you to Punjab and the ‘Valley of Gurudwaras’.

The first gurudwara is at Kiratpur Sahib, which was once the stronghold of Sikh gurus. Here you leave NH 21 and proceed on SH 22 to Anandpur Sahib. The 9th Sikh guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, founded this historical town that has 40 gurudwaras. Anandpur Sahib is also the birthplace of the Khalsa Panth and it recently played host to thousands of Sikhs from all over the world, when the 300th anniversary of the Khalsa was celebrated here.

At Nangal, you drive along one of the main canals of the famous Bhakra-Nangal Dam and at Mehatpur, a decent sized town with facilities, the road passes through an archway that reflects the Pagoda-style architecture of the region, and enters Himachal Pradesh. Motor on the smooth road to Amb, a town that Babur and even the Great Alexander is said to have passed through. At Amb, take the road on right that climbs through the hills and then descends down to the heritage village of Pragpur.

Taragarh Via Kangra

Pragpur-Palampur/Taragarh Via Kangra

Leave Pragpur and drive to the Kangra Valley that is located between the lush green Shivaliks and snow white Dhauladhars. It is known for its Kangra School of miniature paintings and the Kangra Fort that is perched on a precipitous hill overlooking the confluence of the Banganga and Patal Ganga Rivers. Some of the earlier remains of this ancient fort date back to around the 9th century and it also contains some temples.

It is now geography’s turn to cast its spell. Pretty vales, emerald green plantations, sparkling rivers, silver cascades, cedar and oak forests and the glorious snow capped Dhauladhars, all make it a memorable drive to Palampur, the tea town, that enchants instantly. Taragarh is just 11 kms down the road and if you want to park yourself in an elegant and atmospheric heritage mountain resort, this is where you should head.

Palampur- Dalhousie via Dharamshala

From the tea covered slopes of Palampur drive to Dharamshala, from where the Dalai Lama rules over the hearts of millions of Tibetans. Thanks to the numerous foreign visitors that are drawn here, a plethora of cuisines is available – Tibetan, Indian, Italian, Himachali, Western, and it are also a great place to pick up some superb confectionery. Also Visit – Best of Himachal Tour

So far the Dhauladhars just loomed large in the background, but now, the road heads straight for them. It may not be the widest or smoothest of roads, but despite this the drive is delightful. Clouds dance between the mountains, the air is crisp, redolent with the scent of summer flowers, cottage gardens contribute their special fragrance and rhododendrons riot in pink and green.

From Tunahatti begins the ascent up to Dalhousie, a peaceful hill-station with many hotels vying for the pleasure of your company.

Drive-to-Chamba-Dalhousie

Dalhousie-Kalatope-Khajjiar-Chamba-Dalhousie

When you have had your fill of the local attractions, drive to Kalatope and discover a magical forest rest house set amidst the serene natural beauty of rich Himalayan forests. Drop anchor here or motor on to Khajjiar, which is the closest you will get to Switzerland without flying. Then drive on a high mountain road that offers terrific views to Chamba, the ancient capital that is richly endowed with both history and natural beauty.

Having explored the lesser visited areas of Himachal, retrace the route to Dalhousie.

Dalhousie-Amritsar

From the high hills drive downhill to the plains of Punjab. Backtrack till Tunahatti and then take the road to Pathankot, which is a trading centre on the main road to Kashmir and is also a big base for the Indian defense forces. Carry on via Gurudaspur and Batala to the holy city of Amritsar, which is also known for its delectable and unique North Indian cuisine.

For more information on Himachal Pradesh road trip and Himachal Pradesh tour packages contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Information on Wildlife Sanctuaries in Rajasthan

Wildlife Sanctuaries in Rajasthan

The topography of Rajasthan ranges from the hog-back hills of the Aravallis, sharp scarpments and syncline slopes of the Vindhyas, bad-land ravines of the Chambal, numerous temporary marshlands and the vast lands, extremely arid of the Thar desert house a wide spectrum of wildlife. In the open leafless jungles of state the tiger’s ecological tolerance is on test. The species has done surprisingly well all through history. And today two Project Tiger Reserves, Ranthambhor and Sariska protect the tigers of state for the coming days. The country’s largest population of black bucks, Chinkara, the last of the surviving wolves the rarest desert fox, the endangered caracal, the vanishing Great Indian Bustard, gavial and the monitor lizard are still safe in the state. A vibauna of the state is the richest in the country. Also Visit – Jodhpur Jaisalmer Tour Package

The world’s unparalleled heronry is Keoladeo of Bharatpur National park, where the migratory common cranes, ducks, coots and pelicans arrive in thou-sands to escape severe winter of their home lands in Eurasia and China. Nearly 38 of the world’s 300 surviving rarest Siberian cranes winter in India only at Bharatpur. Thousands of imperial sand grouse, hundreds of lesser bustards, floricans, demoiselle cranes and their predators, eagles including imperial eagle, falcons, harriers and buzzards, arrive during winter in the desert region. Tawny eagle and the Bonelli’s hock-eagle nest in the scrublands of the state. Typical areas representing each of the ecosystems have been constituted as special areas for protection and management of wildlife as National Parks (2) Sanctuaries (12) and closed areas (2) most of them are approachable throughout the year expect for a brief period of monsoon.

Some of the important stations for wild life are:

Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpnr

Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpnr: Literally a Paradise of Ornithologists, there is a beautiful water bird sanctuary at Keoladeo, 5 km. south west of Bharatpur. The rich aquatic plant and animal life in the shallow, freshwater marsh of Bharatpur has been attracting resident and migratory aquatic birds in thousands since times immemorial. It has a recorded history of 100 years of duck shoots. It is one of the best known heronries of the world where over 10,000 nests of egrets, darters, cormorants, grey herons and storks hatch nearly 20,000 to 30,000 chicks every year. In winter over 10,000 coots, 3,000 grey-lag gees and unlimited number of pintails teals and wig eons arrive. The Siberian cranes visit no other waters in India except the marshes of Keoladeo. Numbering over 400 dalmation and roy pelicans stay here for about a month. Also Visit – Udaipur Mount Abu Tour Package

Ranthambhor National Park is a Naturalist’s delight, a famous tiger reserve under the Project Tiger. Here 3000 sambar, 3000 Chita], 303 Chinkara, 1500 nilgai, 2000 wild boar and 2600 common langur provide a good spectrum of prey range for the 32 resident tigers and their co predators, about 13 leopards and about 120 jackals, 61 sloth bears and 58 hyenas also live in the 392 sq km of unique habitat of dry deciduous forests. This wildlife paradise is 162 km from Jaipur in Sawai Madhopur district and approachable by road and rail it is 14 km. away from Sawai  Madhopur, a railhead on Delhi-Bombay trunk route.

Sariska Tiger Reserve

Sariska Tiger Reserve is the nearest tiger land from Delhi. The land scape of Sariska is dominated by sharp cliffs of hills and narrow valleys of the Aravallis. It offers unique opportunity for viewing a variety of wildlife. The native rhythm reveals wildlife in its own natural habitat. This sanctuary is established in 1955. The forests Lre dry deciduous sometimes more deciduous and dry than the words mean. The grassy glades and woodland covers are excellent niches of the prey species, sambar, chital, nilgai, four-horned antelope, wild-boar and common langur, tiger. It also provides a top view of flying Egyptian vultures and eagles. The tiger reserve extends over 800 sq km. It is on the regular bus route from Alwar to Jaipur.

Van Vihar Ramsagar is the place where wildlife preserves of the princely days of Dholpur here the Maharana used to feed deer and even jackals with his own hands. The reserves had also been the duck shooting resorts of the British during the Raidays. The chinkara, nilgai and sambar can be seen even today. The relics of the shooting lodges of the Mughals at Bari, 60 km. from, Agra are still visible at Talab-e-Sinhi in the Van Vihar and Ramsagar wildlife sanctuaries.

Darrah wildlife sanctuary

Darrah wildlife sanctuary is that where the formers Maba-raja made outstaying photo-documentation of the life of tiger. It is still worth a visit and situated in the Hadoti tourist complex, 60 km from Kota.

National Gavial Sanctuary: is also in Kota, here the Chambal waters are unpolluted and hold a promise for revival of the Gangetic gavial. The whole length of the river from Rana Pratap sagar to its confluence with the Jamuna is a sanctuary. The gavials nest and bask in the winter sun on shore$ of deep river pools. These can be seen from boats.

Sitamata Sanctuary

Sitamata Sanctuary: Is 200 km. from Udaipur. Here you find squirrel, Flying squirrel first climbs on the top branch of a tree it lives in, then glides from tree to tree to travel in search of food. These gliders make an interesting spectacle here at sunset. The squirrel is now an endangered species. The 500 sq km. of the miscellaneous forests of Pratapgarh have been reserved to save the remaining wildlife, four horned antelopb, chinkara, sambar, wildboar, common langur and their predator, the common leopard in the Bhil region. Also Visit – Rajasthan Wildlife Tour

Jai Samand Sanctuary: A one day excursion from Udaipur brings you to the Jai samand sanctuary. The man-made lake spreading over 160 sq. km. was once the biggest water body of the region holds a sizable population of crocodiles and enormous quantity of fish. The chital, chinkara, wildboar and variety of birds live in open forests of the adjoining hills. Common leopards also from part of the fauna of the sanctuary.

Kumbhalgarh Reserve

Kumbhalgarh Reserve: A real challenge to trackers is the ruggedness of the kravalli hills. It becomes more challenging with the presence of sizable population of sloth bears. It is only sanctuary where Indian wolf is breeding successfully, A Hess hill for greater part of the year become lush green in rains and beautifully colourful in October when leaves begin to fall. The four horned antelope with two pairs of horn, the only member of the genus tetracerus, is at home in the habitat.

Mt. Abu Sanctuary is a geomorphologic ally significant high (1220 m.) dome of granite. Trekking in its subtropical climate through rounded rocks in inexperience, especially when Mt. Abu is festive in March and April with red flowers of Dhak and Erythrina air scented with sweet fragrance of wild roses arcl Carissa and Bauhinia adding beauty to the landscape. In the jungles live the common langur, sloth-bear, wild boar and sambar. The lower slopes winch are dry are inhabited by chinkara. The common leopard is common here, but the specialty of the sanctuary is the grey jungle fow.

Tal chhaper Sanctuary

Tal chhaper Sanctuary: Over a thousand black bucks, does and fawns in treeless saline flat land sometimes reflecting their in a distant lake, is an optical illusion. The lake that appears is mirage but the black bucks are a reality. Thimatural home of the bucks is on the desert sojourn about 200 km. from Jaipur on way to Bikaner. Also Visit – Rajasthan Cultural Tour

Desert Sanctuary: A vast arid land of 3,000 sq km. with natural vegetation and its fauna and unobstructed horizons on all sides still exists only 30 km. from Jaisalmer. Life in the unique ecosystem is a lesson in the desert philosophy minimum needs, maximum conservation, best use and alternatives for existence or migration to return when conditions become favorable. The first part of the desert discipline is fully demonstrated by the chinkara, desert box, desert cat, desert hare, lizards including spiney tail uromastix and the burrowing sand-fish. And the second one of migration, by thousands of sparrows, imperial sand grouse demoiselle cranes, the lesser bustard and their predators, eagles, falcons and harriers who come in winter and return in summer. The Great Indian Bustard breeds well in the desert and a continued protection is sure to bring back the bird from the brink of extinction. The landscape of rolling sand-dunes blooms when tecomella tree fog shurbs and bitter melons flower. The largest active sand-dune at sam is the spectacle of the real desert. The wood fossils of Akal aged 180 million years and sea shells records i the geological history of the desert.

Folk music of Rajasthan

Folk music of Rajasthan: Rajasthan is well-known for its desert and its chivalry. It deserves a similar reputation for its folk music, suld folk musicians. Sirangi, Kamayacha, l’Aor-chang, Dusk, Rawan!iatta, Satara, Murlas, Nad, Bankia, Sheh-nai Nagphani Mashak, Jaltaal, Bell, Khurtal, Gliara., Nagara, Dhap. Derum are folk musical instruments. Among the folk dances of state pride of place has to be accorded the Ghoomar and the Gair.

For more information on wildlife sanctuaries in Rajasthan and Rajasthan tour packages contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Registration of Foreign Nationals Visiting India

Foreigners’ Registration

The Indian government requires foreigners traveling on certain visas to register shortly after their arrival. This does not apply to visas holders of Tourist Visas or other shot- term visa. If you are in India on a long-term Student Visa, Research Visa, Employment Visa, Medical Visa, Medical Attendant Visa or Missionary Visa, you have to register in person within 14 days of your first arrival at the nearest Foreigner’s Registration Office (FRO) or Foreigner’s Regional Registration Office (FRRO), no matter how long you plan to stay. In small towns, the office of the Superintendent of Police or the LIU (Local Intelligence Unit) is the FRO. For other types of long-term visas, including Business and Entry Visas, you don’t need to register if your stay is not more than 180 days on a single visit. If your plans change, be sure to register well before the end of the 180 days.

You only have to register once during the validity of the visa, even if you take trips out of India. You will only have to register again if you enter India on a new visa or if you move to a new district. However, you must inform the FRO whenever you move or if you leave the district for more than a few weeks (be sure to ask for the current requirements when you register). They may check periodically to see if you are residing at your registered address.

For registration, you need your passport, a photocopy of your passport and visa, four recent passport-size photos, proof of address, photocopies of your appointment letter and all the documents you had to provide to get your visa, including pass-port and visa. Take four or five copies of everything in case they ask for them, which they often do. If you are a year and are between the staying more than ages of 15 and 60, you will also need an AIDS test certificate (be sure to keep a copy).

If you are staying in a hotel because you haven’t found your own place yet, you can bring a notarized letter on their letterhead as your proof of address. If you’re staying with friends, you’ll need a notarized letter photocopy of their identity card and proof of address, and maybe a photo as well.

Call ahead to make sure the office is open. They close for o lunch and possible holidays. Getting registered is an intensely bureaucratic exercise that often requires more than one trip to the office, so don’t wait until the last day. Go early, and bring something to do while you wait, as you can expect to be there for a few hours, especially if you are in a big city.

There is no fee for foreigner’s registration, but there is a penalty for late registration. Failing to register altogether when required brings much harsher penalties. Children under the age of 16 years don’t have to register.

After you have registered, add a good color photocopy of your registration certificate to your document portfolio. It’s good to carry a copy with you, too.

 Getting Your Bearings

No matter how well you have prepared yourself, some degree of culture shock is unavoidable.  There will inevitably be many things you haven’t anticipated, and at times it may be a real stretch to accept them.

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the foreignness and immensity of India, try approaching the culture in small steps. Especially if you are staying for a while, start by making friends with one or two of the local people. Indians are typically warm and approachable people who easily respond to overtures of friendship, and they are usually happy to help you make sense of your new environment. By making friends with local people, you will also find your world expanding and getting richer. If you start including your new Indian friends in social gatherings or outings and accepting their invitations, life can quickly become much more interesting. India’s cultural diversity is extremely rich, but if you spend all your time with people of your own culture, you could come away without having ever experienced India. On the other hand, by getting to know and really enjoy the country and its people, you can have fabulous memories to treasure for a lifetime.

If you are living on your own in India and you feel a desperate need to be with people from your own country, go to your embassy or consulate and ask about social programs or clubs. You can also try to strike up some friendships with the people

Who work there? Most of the big cities have expat clubs that you can join. However, while it is natural to seek the company of other people from one’s own culture, and most people need to do so fairly often, try not to spend all of your free time with them. Some big international organizations have created a thoroughly un-Indian environment for their employees, and some people, being put off or intimidated by the extreme foreignness of India, are inclined to remain in the comfort zone of that more familiar culture and don’t interact much with the local people.

As a result, their experience of India is inevitably a shallow one, which can only lead to a superficial and distorted impression of India.

If you are stressed out from your work or anything else, instead of getting drunk, smoking a joint, or doing whatever you can to blot the situation from your awareness, consider taking up meditation to calm your mind, and then do it regularly. Anyone can meditate. If you can think a thought, you can do it. I learned Transcendental Meditation3 while in college. At the time I was so stressed out that I was all but suicidal, and my mind was so noisy I could hardly think straight. However, once I started meditating, my life began to change: the noise died down, and I became less and less frantic, less and less stressed out. My grades improved, as did my health and social relations. If I could meditate in such a state, anyone can. Don’t think you don’t have time to meditate. If you are more relaxed, you will find that you can work much more efficiently. I’ve been meditating twice a day for decades, and it still keeps getting better.

What you focus your attention on grows stronger in your life. If you focus on your misery, you will inevitably become more and more miserable. Don t sit around feeling sorry for yourself, thinking all the time about how lonely and isolated you feel or you will inevitably continue to feel like that. If you focus on what you lack, lack is what you will have. Instead, look around and surroundings, for all the positive things you can find in and do your circumstances definitely feel better.

If you living in India with your family, try to spend plenty of time together doing fun and interesting things. Expand your interests: take up yoga; learn the local language; volunteer to help at an orphanage; join a local sports team; the possibilities are endless. Rather than always seeking out expat activities, go for local fairs, sporting events, nearby parks, etc.

To get to know a place, spend some time walking around slowly and aimlessly, just exploring, stopping to talk to people, making friends, asking a lot of questions if language is not a barrier, using sign language if it is. Keep your eyes and ears o take the back roads and alleys, pen, avoiding the tourist places, and you’ll be richly rewarded for your efforts. This is one of the best ways to get in tune with India.

Sticking to a rigid agenda or always being in a hurry results in a lot of frustration. If you aren’t relaxed and flexible, it always happens that just when you have met someone or spotted something really interesting, it’s time to leave. India doesn’t open itself up to people dashing around the country on an “if today is Monday, this must be Ajanta” kind of itinerary. The hidden treasures of India only reveal themselves to those who move slowly.

For more information on Registration of Foreign Nationals Visiting India and Holiday Packages in India contact Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Information about Beaches of South Goa

South Goa leads a charmed life —its coastal villages have been inundated by tourists and taken over by hoteliers but it manages to retain an aura of normalcy! Sun drenched crescents of sand edge little villages of whitewashed churches and chapels, rice fields and narrow lanes shaded with rain trees, coconut palms, mango, jackfruit and plantains groves. Streams trickle indolently towards the sea through a tangle of undergrowth. Days are spent toiling in the sun, sowing or reaping paddy fields or sailing the sea in search of silver shoals. Children play catch and boys football in the village maidan while women go about their daily routine. Lazy evenings slip quietly into nights as the village gathers around the local watering hole to catch up on the day and watch tourists promenade in the square.

Unlike their northern counterparts, the beaches of South Goa escaped becoming a fixture on the hippie circuit. Instead, the coastal villages of Majorda, Colva, Benaulim, Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor became the preserve of the middle class tourist and the up market traveller who came looking for leisure holidays away from the madding crowds. They found the perfect answer in South Goa with its offering of every sort of accommodation from deluxe resorts to budget lodgings, facilities for water sports, parasailing, yachting, windsurfing and deep sea diving and towns and villages deeply enriched with a hybrid cultural cocktail of Indian and Portuguese civilizations.

Here is Information about Top 9 Beaches of South Goa

Majorda

The beach that belongs to the resorts! Majorda is God’s best known beach catering to staggering numbers of tourists, domestic and foreign. Time share to luxury, state of art, sybaritic to spas, if it’s got to do with leisure holidays, you will find it around Majorda. In keeping with the fitness of things, the Jesuits founded Majorda not because they fell in love with its vivid beauty but because its coconut trees yielded the best toddy. When fermented, the toddy acted as a leavening agent that was a prerequisite for the bread the good brothers could not do without! The Jesuits passed on their baking skills to the local folks who earned the Goans their reputation for being the best bakers in India.

Old Timer :- Majorda beach was ‘discovered’ by Rama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu when he was looking for his abducted consort, Sita. Sita had been carried away to the island of Ceylon from the forests of central India and Rama while searching for her, is believed to have sojourned at Cabo de Rama- the headland at the southern extreme of the coastline of South Goa.

Colva and Benaulini

Blue, silver and feathery green come together to paint a near perfect picture at Colva. Enormous breakers of frothy white come surging into Colva Bay, slow down to a wave and gently wash ashore on the gleaming white sands of Colva beach. Coconut trees slender as reeds crowned by swaying fronds filter the sea breeze and provide little islands of shade on this beach, the biggest and the best in South Goa, if not the most beautiful in all of Goa. The beach with its gently tapering shoreline is safer for swimming than many others in Goa, but has a lethal undertow. The wide beach is the domain of fishermen. Their graceful fishing boats are beached at the high tide mark where the day’s catch of mackerel, tuna, crab and shrimp is sorted and sold. Nets are strung out to dry, and off duty fishermen can be seen repairing the tears in preparation for another night at sea.

Miracle :- The grand old lady of Colva is The Church of Our Lady of Mercy (1581) dedicated to Menino Jesus. Father Bento Ferreira brought the idol of Infant Jesus to Goa from Mozambique. The idol, believed to have miraculous healing powers was later removed to the seminary at Rachol where it lost its effectiveness. A new idol adorned with the diamond ring of the original was placed in the church at Colva and miraculously found to retain its healing powers. The most happening time for this whitewashed church is its annual festival, the Fama of Menino Jesus in October.

Colva has gone about the process of commercialization in a subtle and less blatant style than Goa’s other beaches. Quieter than its cousin Calangute, Colva is patronized by regulars who return to their favourite shacks and preferred hotels. The congregation of hotels, apartments, guesthouses, restaurants, pubs, cafés, shops and stores are set deep inside — a fair distance from the beach but close to the village centre, if Colva still qualifies as a village! The shops here are a class act — many more of the pricier and stylish up market boutiques, antique shops, bookshops, bars and multi-cuisine restaurants are found at Colva than most places in North and South Goa.

Benaulim

The silver sands of Colva extend to Benaulim, the beach the world forgot or overlooked much to the delight of the local residents! Palm fringed and pretty, Benaulim’s greatest asset is its aura of mystery, its air of solitude and exclusivity! Residents walk their dogs on the beach; kids play football and shack-wallahs dismantle their bamboo and palm thatch creations and steal away to enjoy somebody else’s hospitality. The rustic appeal of Benaulim is reinforced by its culture, which reverts back to its agrarian roots every so often. Bullfights are a regular feature in the evenings between October and May but these are no Iberian style man vs beast fights. The bulls of Benaulim fight to the rhythm of Konkani music belted out from loudspeakers strung from poles and trees and the venue is no stadium but a fallow paddy field outside the village. The crowds are as lusty and loud as any and the excitement is infectious especially since this is no blood sport, no do or die venture just a lot of dust churning, foot stomping, horn-locking, snorting and bellowing!

Myth and more :- Benaulim holds a special place in the origin of Goa – `Banauley’ means the place where Lord Parshurama’s arrow landed during his creation of this coastal paradise.

Benaulim also offers excellent rosewood furniture in contemporary and old designs. The craftsmen of Benaulim follow a familial tradition that is all but gone, overtaken by the easy earnings from tourism.

Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor

This long stretch strings together three of the most beautiful beaches in Goa, cleaner, quieter and safe for swimming. Enclosed by black lava rocks and curtains of palm and casuarinas trees, the beaches at Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor qualify as under developed even though there are good hotels (superb, in the case of Mobor) and resort complexes not far from the beaches. Patronised by affluent tourists, these hotels have designer pools with modish bars and cushioned sunbeds, which their resident guests much prefer to the somewhat dubious delights of sand and shell encrusted beach with an odor of fish!

The villages of Varca, Cavelossim and Mobor may have been taken over by the rich and famous of the hospitality industry, but not their beaches. These beaches for those day-trippers who can dispense with regular offerings of cold beer, fresh pineapples and papayas, curried fish and steamed rice and indefatigable masseurs whose fingers ease the pain and soothe the spirit.

Varca-Cavelossim

The best ‘developed’ beach for non-resident visitors is the 10km long Varca-Cavelossim stretch. It has a reasonably good selection of shacks, an excellent frontage and a plethora of interesting activities. Dona Sylvia, the best-known resort at Cavelossim is the hub around which all the action happens. There are a number of reasonably priced cafes around the village square offering good food, drinks and inside information.

Mobor

Mobor village spreads around the curves and contours of the River Sal. The beach at Mobor is the last of the trio and lies next to the River Sal, where it encroaches on the territorial waters of the Arabian Sea. Forming a natural barricade between Mobor and the beaches across the Sal is a dense green headland crowned by the fortress of Cabo de Rama. The long finger of the Cabo Ramos peninsula extends deep into the sea and bestows on Mobor a rare beauty. The fortress ruined and racked by time and salt air but still in use by some obscure government agency, is a great excursion and photo op providing spectacular views of inland and coastal Goa.

Another great way to idle away an evening or the entire day, is to opt for a cruise on the River Sal. Day cruises promise dolphins while evening cruises, magnificent sunsets! Organized fishing and sailing expeditions are also available, check with the locals for their recommendations. Betty’s Place, a shack outside the impressive Holiday Inn Hotel is a good place for a meal, a chilled drink and information on river cruises.

Betul & Agonda

On the opposite bank of River Sal lies the village of Betul, a small community of fishermen and farmers still content with the money they earn from their traditional occupations. Tourism remains a distant dream as life in the village of Betul revolves around fishing, farming and eking a living from the bounty of sea and land. The jetty on the riverside is abuzz with activity — when the brightly coloured motorised crafts leave for the day or when they return home laden with the rewards of their labour.

Agonda

Next door to Betul is the relatively obscure village of Agonda fronted by a pristine 2-3km stretch of sand. The connecting road from Betul to Agonda winds over laterite cliffs and low hills and goes past the old fort of Cabo de Rama. Remarkably enough, both the beach and village retain their untouched quality despite the advent of the 21st Century. Agonda’s near-total isolation ensures the beach is free from tourist buses, souvenir stalls, shacks and restaurants – the adventurous who scooter or bus their way here discover a beautiful cove and white sand beach secluded behind a hedge of palm and casuarinas trees. The beach is great for sunbathing and quiet interludes away from hordes of sun worshippers. Swimming is another story — the undercurrent and drag are strong at Agonda making it pretty hazardous, even for good swimmers.

Palolem & Rajbag

Against the backdrop of verdant Western Ghats is a crescent shaped beach that offers solitude, space and safe swimming. So far south that it is almost in Karnataka, the village of Palolem houses the impossibly beautiful silver beach confined by two headlands that encompass a little bay sprinkled with tiny islands. The islands appear to be easily accessible from the beach and some folks swear they have swum across, but smart people simply ask a fisherman to row them across. First discovered by day-trippers escaping the crowds at Cavelossim and Colva, Palolem has since become the favourite of long-term visitors who can camp here for weeks, if not months, at a fraction of the amount they would spend elsewhere. The accommodation available is restricted to rooms in guesthouses in the village or huts/ shacks and tents near the beach. A couple of kilometres south of Palolem is Rajbag, an exposed but isolated stretch of sand.

Hotels in Goa

Goa is a leisure traveler and hotelier’s dream comes true. The former gets an enormous range of hotels to choose from, the latter gets the perfect locales to build magnificent sprawling resorts, luxurious hotels and small guesthouse. So Goa is certain to have just the kind of accommodation to match both budget and requirement-be it an international resort, an up market luxury hotel, villa, apartment or more modest accommodation.

Given below is a sampler – just few names to begin with!

Goa Tourism Development Corporation provides a range of moderate hotels and cottages with comfortable rooms and public areas including coffee shop, restaurant and bar. But accommodation is at a premium because room numbers are limited, the locales first class and the tariffs reasonable. Check them out first.

Here is list of luxury hotels in Goa at Swan Tours – Swan Tours one of the leading travel agents in India.

Taj Exotica Goa , Vivanta by Taj Holiday Village Goa , Vivanta by Taj Fort Aguada Goa , W Goa , Ramada Caravela Beach Resort , Kenilworth Beach Resort & Spa , The Lalit Golf & Spa Resort Goa , Alila Diwa Goa , Zuri White Sands Goa , Cidade de Goa Beach Resort and Whispering Palms Beach Resorts Goa