India is often described as a tourist paradise. From the mighty snow-capped Himalayas of Kashmir in the north to the shimmering seas of Kanyakumari in the south, the verdant deltas of Sunderbans in the east, the world's largest protected eco-and-game reserve to the historic forts and shrines of Rajasthan to the west – India has everything that the footloose traveller would like to sample.
Inbound tourism is booming and the country is going all out to lure more travellers from around the world.
South African Airways woos Indian travellers By: Kathakali Chanda Every second international traveller to South Africa is an Indian, and most of them fly out of the western Indian city of Mumbai . Keen on cornering the largest slice of this passenger pie, South African Airways (SAA) has introduced its stateof-the-art Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the Mumbai-Johannesburg route.
The art of capturing music on canvas By Shreya Badola Calling her ongoing show — Rhythms and Harmony — a “home coming”, artist Sandhya Singh brings out a rich sampling of her recent works that portray music and rhythms.
Indian wildlife parks to reckon with Imagine skipping the annoying alarm clock and waking up to the bark of the sambar and chirping of the parakeets. A holiday amidst nature promises the most beautiful sights and picture-perfect memories. Wildlife national parks in India are the best bet this season giving you your much awaited break.
Indian classical dance helps to stay fit Admit it. All it takes is 10 long, boring minutes on the treadmill to make you swear off workouts forever. If the gym doesn't work for you, and you're not built for high-octane aerobic workouts, try your hand at Indian classical dance. It may not sound like exercise, but it offers all the benefits of a yoga workout, while also being fun.
The royal getaway A touch of royalty, it turns out, can do wonders for a destination. That seems to be the experience of the Seychelles, basking in the glory of being chosen as the honeymoon spot for the world's most watched couple, Prince William and Kate Middleton.
Art of Living brings Indian culture carnival to Berlin By Richa Sharma An estimated 70,000 people from 151 countries are expected to congregate at the Olympic Stadium in the German capital over the weekend as the Art of Living organisation of spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar celebrates its 30 years of existence with a World Culture Festival that will also showcase Indian music, dance, food and yoga.
New Indian overseas cultural centre in Seoul India has taken yet another step in furthering its cultural diplomacy in south-east Asia with a new Indian cultural centre in Seoul.
Now a new network space for art collectors By Madhusree Chatterjee Art collectors in India, unlike in the west, are still a fledgling tribe. Now a new initiative by the India Art Fair, formerly known as the India Art Summit, is helping collectors hone their knowledge and stay in the loop round the year.
Festival of India' kicks off in South Africa By Fakir Hassen Festival of India, a two-month long extravaganza exploring Indian culture, has been launched in Pretoria, with a performance by fusion musician Abhijit Pohankar and local group Medumo.
India, and its art of spices By Madhusree Chatterjee India is a mouth-watering gold mine of indigenous food with over 20,000 documented traditional recipes that have at least 200 varieties of dosas, the signature pancake from south India that has taken the world by storm, says celebrity chef Hemant Oberoi who recently came out with his first book "Masala Art".
Comedy is now standing up in India They are brash, funny, young and are deadpanning their way to the bank. Meet the new crop of standup comedians whose ribtickling humour is becoming a staple at cafes and hangout zones across the country.
An American scribe's sideways glance at India By Arun Kumar "Sideways on a Scooter", a new book on India by an American journalist who lived in New Delhi for some years, is billed as a "deft cultural examination" that peels back the "stereotypical image of India as a land of call centres, yoginis, and Bollywood".
Indian dancer set for 'confrontation' with French jazz By Madhusree Chatterjee When Indian classsical dancer Raghunath Manet performs with French jazz maestro Didier Lockwood for 70 days in a staggered concert in Paris this fall, he wants East to meet West - as a "confrontation" not as "fusion".
M.F. Husain's death robs Indian art of tallest hero By Madhusree Chatterjee The passing away of Maqbool Fida Husain, India's leading international face in contemporary 20th century art, marks the end of a golden era in India's tryst with new-age art in an Indian idiom.
India's Picasso M.F. Husain dies exiled from his homeland Maqbool Fida Husain, who was hailed as the Picasso of India but was forced to live in self-imposed exile from his homeland due to death threats from Hindu radicals, died in London. He was 95.
Mass Hindu wedding to become regular in SAfrica By: Fakir Hassen The success of a mass Hindu wedding has prompted the organisers, the Ramakrishna Centre of South Africa, to repeat the exercise at least bi-annually.
Indian American spreads sacred music's peace message By Arun Kumar From the ancient Moroccan city of Fez, an Indian American cultural and social entrepreneur is spreading the message of peace wafting from the Fes Festival of World Sacred Music.The nine-day festival "has a peace making mission and was founded after the first Gulf War in 1994 when Faouzi Skali, the founder, felt that the world was polarising," India-born Zeyba Rahman told IANS.
Rhythms of life By Matthew Newsome Bringing together an ensemble of musicians and dancers from India and Africa to create a fusion performance of music and dance in one week might be an ambitious undertaking. You would be forgiven for thinking that to expect a dazzling performance from people who had never met before might be asking too much.Yet this is what occurred in Addis Ababa when an ensemble of heads of state, ministers and delegates gathered together to perform their political art for the 2nd India-Africa Forum Summit which took place last week.
Zambia to earn over $400 mn from tourism Zambia, home to the spectacular Victoria Falls, expects to earn about $412 million this year from tourism, President Rupiah Banda has said.
Concept drives contemporary Indian art By Madhusree Chatterjee Concept is driving contemporary Indian art to probe new frontiers beyond the conventional formats.
Women ‘in a frenzy for clothes' Women seem to be in a frenzy for clothes — they are buying four times as much dresses as they did 30 years ago, thanks to the growth of “fast fashion”, says a new survey.
Tagore birth anniversary celebration in Egypt The Indian embassy will organise a special function on May 28 to mark the 150th birth anniversary of India's Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.
Sighting 4 of Africa's Big 5 A lioness hunting for her mate, cheetahs and lions with full tummies, elephants, rhinos, giraffes, zebras, impalas, nyalas; can one ask for more from an African safari?
Mango Tourism on a Sabbatical If you're among the thousands disappointed by the mangoes available this season, head to Sindhudurg for an authentic alphonso experience. Culture Aangan is organising trips to the village, near Goa, a state in south west India, all through this month, targeted at city dwellers and foreign tourists. And it's the village locals who will benefit from this endeavour. Says Rashmi Sawant, founder of Culture Aangan "We have organised the visit in a way that the tourists stay at the locals' homes, eat their home-cooked meals, visit their orchards and farms, use their modes o f transport, work with them and learn from them."
Sea diving in Mauritius A visit to Mauritius will change the way you look at the sea — we can bet that you have never seen a bluer and clearer sea. But that is not the best part of the sea here. There is something about the clear blue and green water that you would hardly find at other beaches across the world. Okay here it is: the sea is waveless! Yes, there are no giant waves, just a tranquil giant blue swimming pool inviting one to take a dip.
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1645 IST, Wednesday, July 13, 2011
India is often described as a tourist paradise. From the mighty snow-capped Himalayas of Kashmir in the north to the shimmering seas of Kanyakumari in the south, the verdant deltas of Sunderbans in the east, the world's largest protected eco-and-game reserve to the historic forts and shrines of Rajasthan to the west – India has everything that the footloose traveller would like to sample.
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