Tripura, the tourism hotspot for the devout

Hidden from the view of travellers for centuries, exquisite images of 15th century Hindu gods and goddesses carved on a hill at Devtamura in Tripura's south district are now attracting tourists in droves.
The site is full of images of Lord Shiva, Ganesha, Kartika, Mahisasur Mardini, Durga and others carved on the steep wall of the Kalajhari hill.

The unexplored site is just 75 kilometers from Agartala and overlooking the Gomati river and is being visited by hordes of tourists. Devtamura, also known as Chabinmura, is picturesque and is largely inhabited by the Reang tribe. The lush green vegetation and little bamboo-straw dwellings of the tribals are as much a point of attraction for the tourists as the images.

TTDC plans to organise cultural festivals

Taking a cue from the response to the famous dance festival at Mamallapuram, the Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has chalked out a plan to organise cultural festivals at important tourist destinations. A calendar of events has been drawn up, taking into consideration the time of arrival of foreign tourists at these spots. The programmes include, classical and light music dances and thematic presentations.

Currently, the stay of foreign tourists in the State ranges from eight to ten days. They invariably stay for a day or two at each place such as Chennai, Kancheepuram, Mamallapuram, Puducherry, Tranquebar, Tiruchi, Kumbakonam, Darasuram, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Madurai, Kodaikanal and Kanyakumari. Those visiting Udhagamandalam tend to skip Kodaikanal and vice versa. By conducting month-long festivals, the Tourism Department wants foreign visitors to experience other destinations as well.

OTDC launches Buddhist circuit tours

The Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC) launched a Buddhist circuit tour package in a bid to promote the state’s offerings for Religious Tourism. Visitors to Puri and Bhubaneswar can opt for the Buddhist circuit tour of Odisha spread across three hill-tops: Lalitgiri, Ratnagiri and Udayagiri. The customised tour service was flagged off from the OTDC-managed Panthanivas Hotel in Puri. Buddhist Tourism in Odisha will open a new window to boost domestic as well as inbound tourism to the country.

Mawsmai caves - Meghalaya's new tourist destination

Meghalaya, which means the 'abode of clouds', is one of the most picturesque states in India. Notwithstanding the fact, that state capital Shillong, is often referred to as the 'Scotland of the East,' and Mawsynram receives the highest rainfall in the world, coupled with the fact that the two-tier living 'Root Bridge' at Tyrna village and lush greenery of the Khasi, Garo and Jaintia hills lures the visitor to the natural beauty of the hills, Mawsmai caves, a few miles further away from Cherrapunjee is fast emerging as a new tourist destination. The caves, made of limestone, spellbind the visitor the moment he enters the caverns. The entrance is well lit, but as one enters further inside, the eerie ness and the mystery, starts unfolding. Coupled with that, the constant dripping of water from the cave roofs and the formation of stalactites and stalagmites, a phenomena specially found in limestone caves, where the roof and the floor of the cave joins together to form pillars, adds to the beauty of the place. While at some places, the openings are big enough for a person to just about crawl through, at others, the roofs as high as 40 feet! Interestingly, while the entrance is large and roomy, the exit is so small, that a full-grown person has to kneel down for coming out into the open.

     It is perhaps this beauty that attracts tourists to flock to the caves in huge numbers. "Anyone visiting Cherrapunjee must visit these caves. It's very interesting. It's a nice experience. Initially I was a bit claustrophobic and the bulky person that I am, I literally had to crawl through some of the openings. But, it's a beautiful experience inside. It gives a mystique feeling. I will surely tell my friends visiting Cherrapunjee to visit these caves ones," said Amar Mathur, a tourist from Assam. "Initially I thought this was like any other cave, but it is certainly fantastic inside. It's very nice, very beautiful. It gives you a great feeling inside. I have visited the Vaishno Devi caves, but this is better," said Pratima, another tourist from Darjeeling. Though nobody knows how the cave came to be discovered, legend has it that the Khasi tribesmen who inhabit the region, during one of their hunting expeditions, discovered the caves infested with animals, With the passage of time, all the animals living inside were hunted down and the caves were rendered devoid of animals. However, even with the caves becoming free of animals, no human has been known to live inside them. With the large number of people visiting Cherrapunjee making it a point to visit the caves as well, the ancient limestone caves at Mawsmai is fast emerging as a new tourist destination for all those visiting Meghalaya.

Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation to impart training to 1L people in tourism sector

The Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) will train as many as one lakh workers in the organized and unorganized sectors related to tourism. From guides to taxi drivers, life guards to rickshaw drivers and restaurant staff to mechanics, the MTDC would work on chiselling their behavioural skills and providing a formal technical know-how of their profession. Training workforce in these sectors will go a long way in appeasing the tourists coming to the state.

The skill upgradation is a part of the National Skill Development Mission (NSDM) in Maharashtra and is aimed at helping tourists coming to the state. MTDC general manager Kishori Gadre said, "The tourism industry is growing at an unprecedented rate and many in the sector are not formally trained. Workforce in the lower rung of the organised sector and those in the unorganised sector do not receive any training in their vocation. Our focus will be on training lifeguards and guides. Since MTDC is not a training body, it will facilitate the process."

Gadre said that well-trained and well-behaved guides, taxi drivers and others (who deal with tourists directly) will cultivate a positive attitude among tourists. "The Indian Institute of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM), Goa, has been roped in to take this initiative forward. Besides, trainers from other institutes will be deployed," said Gadre, adding that the budget for the initiative will be huge. However, he could not give a figure on the same.

MTDC managing director Jagdish Patil said, "Private and government institutes will be engaged to impart training. Modules spanning two to four weeks have been planned. A part of the unemployed section will also be trained using modules of longer duration."

Patil said that as part of the skill upgradation initiative, as many as 45 lakh people will be trained in 10 different departments in the state, of which tourism is one. "Before choosing the trainees, we need to select the sectors in tourism from which they will be shortlisted. For instance, hospitality, food and beverage, housekeeping, tour operators and the like," said Patil.

Resort with spa & golf awaits Chandil

In a bid to attract tourists to Chandil dam, the Jharkhand Tourism Development Corporation (JTDC) is building a state-of-the-art resort in Gangudih village in the vicinity of the dam. The tourism department has issued tenders for the bidding process and probably by early next month construction for the two-storied resort, which will have 40 air-conditioned rooms, will begin.

Goa is the most relaxed tourist destination in the world

Goa is popular for its beaches and unique architecture, and has been voted as the most valued and relaxed tourist destination of the world. Goa has left imprint on peoples’ heart and mind as readers of ‘Lonely Planet’ voted Goa as the ‘best value destination in India’ and the ‘best destination for relaxation’, the state tourism said in a release issued here.

Lonely Planet magazine become popular all over the world and for the first time announced the Lonely Planet magazine India Travel awards to celebrate those who provide the best travel experiences in the country.

“Goa is making continuous efforts to encourage a steady tourist inflow and keeping our guests happy through unforgettable experiences. We are really honored that Goa has been voted as the best destination for relaxation as well as the best value destination in the country,” Goa Director Tourism Swapnil Naik said.

Floating hotel on Mandovi River

The next tourist season will see the first non-casino vessel function on the Mandovi River, in a bid to draw high-end tourists to Goa. High street Cruises and Entertainment Pvt. Ltd. (HSCEPL), which runs off-shore casinos in the state, have received initial permission from the Goa Tourism Department to go ahead with the proposal for a floating hotel.The floating hotel will have 14 rooms, including a conference hall, restaurant, gymnasium, etc.

AC bus for Buddhist circuit to roll out from Patna

Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation (BSTDC) is all set to run 55-seater AC Volvo bus service from Patna to Gorakhpur via Vaishali, Kesariya and Kushinagar in the first phase. New luxury buses would also be launched soon for places like Nalanda, Rajgir, Bodh Gaya, Vaishali, Muzaffarpur, Bettiah, Lauria, Nandangarh, Valmiki Nagar, Darbhanga, Madhubani, Sitamarhi, Begusarai (famous for Kawar Jheel), Jainagar, Kishanganj, Sasaram, Bhagalpur and Kolkata. These bus would be running in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

In a bid to offer good hospitality to the tourists availing this service, the tourism department is also surveying the hygienic condition of hotels and restaurants on the above-mentioned routes. It is planning to tie-up with them so as to provide clean washrooms, hygienic food and resting space to the tourists.

Bihar to have World’s largest Hindu Temple

Bihar will soon boast to have the World’s largest Hindu Temple. Bihar Mahavir Mandir Trust, BMMT is going to make this temple at a cost of whooping Rs 100 crores. It will be 5 storied, 222 feet tall and will be spread over 15 acres making a replica of World’s famous Angkor Watt.

Arunachal Pradesh open for aviation tourism

Arunachal Pradesh skies are now officially opened for aviation tourism. A first chartered flight with eight tourists landed in Menchukha that is located along the border shared with China. Prema Khandu, Arunachal Pradesh Tourism Minister said, “Now tourists can enjoy the natural beauty of the state through the aviation tourism and it will take the state's tourism to new heights.” The state government has also planned for revamping and reopening all the airstrips in the state.