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Destination News |
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The Recently
Restored 18th
Century Haveli
Dharampura in
Chandni Chowk |
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In a world
characterized by
fleeting moments
and contractual,
impersonal
relations of the
metropolitan
life, Old Delhi,
through time,
has come to
embody different
people and
cultures, a
result of which
is a unique
amalgamation
which now
manifests deep
in the lanes of
Delhi 6 and
ostensibly in
this once upon a
time old and
battered haveli
which has now
been revamped
into a gorgeous
site!
Haveli
Dharampura has
been conserved
and restored by
Vijay Goel who
holds Chandni
Chowk as a
special place in
his heart. After
six long years
of work on the
haveli which
stands to be
older than 200
years, we can
experience the
relics of
Mughlai, Jain,
Rajasthani
cultures
sprinkled with
British
influence in
today's time!
The place plans
on taking one
back to the time
of Shahjahanabad
with kathak
performances in
the chowk,
patangbaazi and
kabootarbaazi on
the chhat. This
multiple storied
building with a
beautiful
terrace giving
skyline view of
the whole of
Chandni Chowk,
including the
Jama Masjid and
the Red Fort,
will make a
perfect place of
stay for
tourists who are
visiting Delhi
to bask in all
its ancient
glory.
It will have 13
fully functional
rooms where
guests can
experience the
royal
hospitality of a
grand haveli,
restaurants
serving
authentic food
of Old Delhi, a
hookah room, a
library, an art
gallery, a
handicraft
shops, spa, two
courtyards for
functions!
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Lucknow set to
get Tourism
Boost |
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Treasure trove
of culture and
heritage,
Lucknow is set
to get tourism
boost with the
Uttar Pradesh
government
sanctioning an
amount of Rs
153.34 crore for
its mega project
under which all
historical
places will be
linked with a
pathway in the
next six months.
Official sources
here today said
that the
12-metre pathway
will start from
Teele Wali
Masjid and
stretch up to
western gate of
ChhotaImambara.
Covering a
distance of
about 1.30km, it
will encompass
buildings,
including
Ghantaghar,
Satkhanda,
Picture Gallery
and ShahiTalaab.
Sources said a
deadline of July
2016 was given
to the
administration,
who have now
roped in Lucknow
Development
Authority (LDA),
Lucknow
Municipal
Corporation, Jal
Nigam and Public
Works Department
for the project.
The main
Hussainabad Road
from
BadaImambara to
ChotaImambara
will be
beautified with
granite cobble
stones to
discourage
vehicular
movement.
Official said,
"There will be
benches,
signage, fancy
lights, public
toilets,
information
centres for
tourists and
greenery along
the pathway."
A heritage
museum,
cafeteria for
tourists and
parking space
will come up on
Durga Devi Road.
Lucknow Muncipal
Corporation is
responsible to
construct a
pavement
connecting
Satkhanda
building and
park with the
main Hussainabad
Road so that
tourists can
directly access
Satkhanda area
after visiting
ShahiTalaab and
Picture Gallery. |
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An IPL touch to
snake-boat races
in State |
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Snake-boat races
will soon turn
out to be
show-stoppers
with Kerala
Tourism all set
to draw up an
Indian Premier
League (IPL)-like
format for them.
The six IPL-style
snake-boat races
to be organised
between April
and August will
be in addition
to the
prestigious
Nehru Trophy on
Punnamada Lake,
ChampakkulamMoolam
along the river
at Champakkulam,
PayippadJalotsavam
on Payippad
Lake, Aranmula
Boat Race along
Pampa river and
15 other minor
boat races
across the
State.
The boat races -
two each in
Ernakulam,
Ashtamudi Lake
and Alappuzha -
will be
organised
directly by a
society to be
set up under
Kerala Tourism.
Besides the
locals who will
occupy the banks
of the water
bodies, tourism
authorities are
eyeing on
holidayers to
treat themselves
to the rare
spectacle of the
rhythmic and
synchronised way
of rowing the
majestic
snake-boats that
measures 39
metres on an
average.
The ceremonial
water
processions,
spectacular
floats and
decorated boats
for the race
will undergo a
sea change with
the IPL tag and
arrival of
sponsors. This
is expected to
give a fillip to
the tourism
sector and the
backwaters.
Already, the
races figure in
tourism
calendar.
Conceptualised
by Minister for
Tourism A.P.
Anil Kumar and
Secretary of
Tourism G.
Kamalavardhana
Rao, the IPL
style boat races
will benefit the
2,500-odd people
who depend on
these races and
help carve out a
niche tourism
product for the
State.
The tourism
authorities have
held two rounds
of discussions
with the owners
and those
associated with
boat races and
are fine-tuning
the concept for
launch early
next year.
Highly-placed
sources in the
government told
The Hindu that
it would not be
a private
venture. “It
will be under
the full control
of Kerala
Tourism with the
Director of
Tourism taking
the lead.
Safeguards will
be in place to
ensure that it
is not
monopolised by
the sponsors,”
he said.
The attempt is
also to ensure
community
participation in
this form of
water sports, to
get the new
generation
interested in
rowing and to
keep the boating
tradition alive.
The boat clubs,
which grope
around to raise
the money to
train rowers,
singers and
helmsmen, may
now find a
sponsor to
invest in a
snake-boat and
also take care
of the costs of
over Rs.70 lakh
as in the IPL.
The days of the
traditional
energetic boat
rhythms reaching
a world-wide
audience are not
far off.
Kerala Tourism
is eyeing
holidayers to
give them a
special treat to
the rare
spectacle. |
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The Union
ministry of
tourism maps out
a Buddhist
Tourism Circuit |
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The Indian
travel industry
is growing at a
faster rate than
any other sector
as it brings
significant
foreign
exchange. India
is widely
regarded as the
birthplace of
Buddhism and
there are lots
to be explored
in the Buddhist
circuit of the
country, which
includes West
Bengal as well.
The Union
ministry of
tourism has
mapped out a
Buddhist Tourism
Circuit and
initiatives have
been taken to
make the country
into a 360º
Buddhist tourist
hub.
There are four
major Buddhist
pilgrimages of
which Lumbini,
Bodh Gaya and
Sarnath are in
India and
Kushinagar, in
Nepal. Bodh Gaya,
Rajgir, Nalanda,
Vaishali and
Dhauli in Odisha
are some of the
great Buddhist
pilgrim points
while
destinations
synonymous with
the religion are
popular in
Ladakh in Jammu
and Kashmir and
Dharamshala in
Himachal
Pradesh.
The hill resort
of Gangtok is
replete with
Buddhist
monasteries and
relics and
occupies pride
of place for
those interested
to know about
the origin of
Tibetan
Buddhism.
Arvind Alok,
chairman at
Buddhist
Monuments
Development
Council said,
“India has
nearly 96
Buddhist tourist
hubs and the
focus is on the
significance of
India in terms
of promoting
destinations
like Nalanda,
Bodh Gaya,
Darjeeling,
Ajanta, Ellora
and others.
There are places
of Buddhist
significance in
almost every
state of India.
The religion is
related to
tourism and
played a vital
role in it since
Lord Buddha
travelled at
length across
the country to
interact with
the masses.
There are a
number of
prominent
Buddhist
monasteries in
the hills of
West Bengal
Bengal in places
like Kalimpong
and Darjeeling."
West Bengal has
a rich flavour
of Buddhism.
Alok said, “Most
global Buddhist
tourists on a
trip to India
visit Kolkata.
These days,
tourism is a
thrust area for
promoting world
peace. Buddhist
tourism is not
confined to
countries like
Mongolia, China,
Thailand or
Singapore. In
the present day,
the younger lot
is keen to know
about Buddhism.” |
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