There will be many original and hybrid varieties of plants from all over the world. Nurseries, farming societies, farmers, buyers and general public are welcome. After 2006, the venue for the flower show was moved from Subhash Park, Park Avenue Road, to Ernakulathappan Ground.

The station here was established on the railway map in December 1898 and connects various parts of West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and other north eastern states of India. During the time of Indian Independence, this area enjoyed a lot of importance in the railway network. After Independence, this railway station was also instrumental in the construction of the Haldia Port.

Kharagpur has another first to its credit – the country’s first Indian Institute of Technology was started in this city.

The world’s northernmost marine laboratory is located at Ny-lesund and was opened in June 2005. During the twenty-two day trip, Nandan will be studying and researching on minute organisms on the surface of the Earth and how their genetics are affected by global climate changes.

Tourists and media personnel are the ones that help to promote tourism in a country quickly. These two groups will be helping both the countries to develop their tourism potentials. Joint programmes and events are planned to be conducted. Offices also will be set up in both countries to facilitate easy access and exchange of information.

Besides, souvenirs, brochures and travel knicks-knacks will be available for travellers, and tour operators and agencies are going to visit to promote tourism between the two countries.

What began in 2007 in Sydney, with two million people switching off their lights for an hour, has now become the planet’s biggest campaign against global warming.

Follow the Earth Hour 2011 this month end and see what a difference a simple turn of the switch brings to our Earth.

Read here: http://travel.homestaykarnataka.com/2011/02/07/aero-india-show-2011-in-bangalore/

Across Asia, the researchers identified 42 ‘source sites’, where the big cats are conserved. The source sites seem to be the only way left to conserve the tigers in the world. Apparently, there are only 1,000 breeding females left among the 3,500 tigers remaining in the wild.

Right now the airport is operated by the Indian Navy, and has about 12 domestic services. Some domestic airlines, too, are on the line to start functioning from Vizag. It would connect it to Delhi, Mumbai and other metros.

The city, which has over 18 lakh people living in it, is expanding, and so are the needs for an international airport.  Nearly six lakh passengers fly in and fly out of the Vizag airport every year.

This ancient seat of learning, located in Bihar, offered a vast number of subjects in the Buddhist tradition: Sanskrit, medicine, public health and economics. Once a Bill is passed in the Parliament, the work will commence to build the new university.

About an estimated $500 million will be required to build the new facility, and another $500 million for improving the surrounding infrastructure. The governments of Singapore and India have already given some financial commitments.

The successful building of the university will be a global reminder of the nation’s history as a centre of learning and culture. It will also attract more tourists to the area.

A lot of locals and tourists come to watch the rigorous practice sessions as much as the main event itself. They cheer their favourite teams in hordes. The popular name of the races is ‘Vallam Kali’. The Nehru Trophy Race takes place on the Punnamada Lake, in Alappuzha, The 58^th edition of the race will be held on the 14^th of this month.

The snake boats are specially designed and redesigned for the event. They are taken out months before the race and repairs made.

Several tour agencies have organised many packages for the month. You will be received at the airport and transferred to the respective hotels. A beautiful houseboat ride also awaits you at Alleppey. You can have your meals onboard. They also provide tours to Munnar, Thekkady, Kovalam and to most of the tourism destinations in India.

Chundan Vallams (Snake Boats) are the most famous category in the races. Other events you can spot use the Churulan vallam, Odi vallam, Vaipu Vallam, Vadakkanody Vallam and Kochu Vallam. The race is conducted on the second Saturday of August every year.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of Independent India visited Kerala in 1952. He was given a roaring reception by the people of Alleppey, escorted by the huge snake-boats. After returning to Delhi, Nehru donated a rolling trophy to be awarded to the winner of the race. The trophy is a replica of a snakeboat in silver, placed on wooden abacus on which the following words are inscribed, “To the winner of the boat race which is a unique feature of community life in Travancore-Cochin.”

The gold award by the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) shows us the importance of the company’s contribution towards social responsibility. The Kuoni Destination Management India has held many workshops in Goa and Cochin, India in 2009 and 2010.

The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel in Macau, China, will be the venue for the awards ceremony, which will take place on 17 September 2010 during the PATA Travel Mart 2010.

The reprinted dictionary is available for perusal at the St Mary’s Basilica in Bangalore. It will be in the markets by next month. The dictionary is the second one compiled by the priests of The Paris Foreign Mission Society. The first one, Dictionarium Canarense-Latinum, was compiled by Jean-Marie Auguste Bouteloup in 1855. The two were discovered in the archives of the oldest church in Bangalore, the St Mary’s Basilica.

The mission society had set up in Bangalore, and Father Bouteloup was in charge of it. He has additionally authored over 13 books in Kannada.

Covering an expanse of 104.27sq.km, and established in the early 70’s, the Bannerghatta National Park is just 23km off Bangalore. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, is the governing body of the park. It comprises 10 reserves forests of the Anekal Range of the Bangalore Forest Division. It is located quite close to the Tamil Nadu border. In fact, a lot of animals come here from Kollegal and Tami Nadu areas during summer. The highest point in the reserve is above 1,600m.

The national park is home to white tigers and lions. Elephants and deer are the most abundantly found animals in the area. Other fauna are panthers, sambar, bears, spotted deer, black buck, wild boars and varieties of snakes and other reptiles. Birds such as cormorants, painted storks, pelicans, white ibis and spoonbills are found in the park. The lions and tigers of the reserve were hunted by former rulers of south India. It used to be their private reserves.

Within the reserves there are many trekking routes, waterfalls, hills and temples to check out. The large area of the park also consists of a biological reserve, zoo, a crocodile farm, snake park, pets corner and a museum. Kids will be enthralled to visit the park of pre-historic animals. The auditorium/theatre here screens hour-long movies and clips on animals and environment.

The place has India’s first a butterfly park. It was inaugurated by Kapil Sibal, the then Union Minister of Science and Technology, on 25 November 2006. The Butterfly Park covers 7.5 acres and has a butterfly conservatory, museum and an audio-visual room. The circular enclosure accommodates about 20 species of butterflies within it. The environment created within the dome is humid and just apt for the natural growth of the winged creatures. There is an artificial waterfall and a small bridge.

The Suvarnamukhi stream that flows through the park, finds its source in the Suvarnamukhi hills. As you enter the park, you can see a huge boulder, almost a kilometre long. The hills continue on from here. The Champaka Dhama Swamy temple, built in the Dravidian style of architecture, and belonging to the Hoysala age, is located at the foot of this giant boulder. The main deity is Vishnu. His consorts Sridevi and Bhudevi, too, are worshipped here. Another famous shrine here is the one dedicated to Narasimha. The Suvarnamukhi pond, aout two km away, is said to have curative powers. People visit it all round the year, especially in the Monsoons.

Safaris into the reserve give you a glimpse into the lives of these wild animals. The area falls under an elephant corridor that connects it to B.R. Hills, and also to areas in Wayanad in Kerala. Also, you can camp or trek with the help of the local guides. There should be at least 10 people in a group for the lion and tiger safaris. The park is open on all days except Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The best time to visit is between September to January.

And for those who just wanna bite a corn cob and walk around the zoo, that’s also an option. There are many shacks and food stalls at the entrance of the zoo – the standar fare of corn, coffee, sugarcane juice, and snacks.

It was in the 1970s that the synagogue fell into disuse. There were almost 3,000 Jews in the area at the time. There was worship and service in the synagogue prior to this. The people still remember it. After renovation, the Kerala government believes that it will attract a lot of tourists, especially Jews.

Kerala’s tourism as well as agriculture depends on these rains. Farmers can breathe a sigh of relief now. Tourism-related industries and owners are looking forward to the influx of tourists the Monsoon will bring. Travellers are attracted to the rains here: it is more than mesmerising, to say the least.

The CMH Road outlet is right opposite the Max Mueller Bhavan – easy to locate and get to. The L-shaped seating area is a mix of red and grey cushion chairs and cane chairs and wooden- and granite-topped square as well as round tables. The brand’s logo – three intertwined coffee beans – can be seen high up on the walls and on the counter, situated in a corner of the coffee shop.

The treats range from varieties of hot and cold coffees, iced teas and coolers. Try the Irish Caramel flavoured Coffee. The paninis, wraps, sandwiches and muffins are yummy. The Chocolate Chip Muffin can silence any cranky kid! There are a wide array of desserts – pastries, mousse and other confectionery.  The black-aproned waiters are non-interfering and pleasing. The place is right for a quick bite as well as a celebration with friends or family.

Costa Coffee finds presence in 25 countries, and has about 1,600 outlets, with more than a thousand in the UK alone.

This is good news for those looking for cruises in the subcontinent. Gujarat, located on the West Coast of India, is a place known to be open to tourists. Its coast has serene beaches, islands, creeks, the Gulf of Kutchch, the Gulf of Khambat, pilgrimage centres and several tourists spots.

Many cruiseliners have approached Gujarat Tourism to start their operations. With its proximity to Mumbai and Goa, which are already established cruise destinations, it should be no problem for the state to link up cruises and start off. The fact that the state has some of India’s deepest and well-developed ports will be an added advantage.

As the whole old city is painted pink, it is difficult to distinguish between shops, medical stores, restaurants and bus stops. But what keeps the shopping areas unique are the colourful wares displayed outside them. The roads leading to most bazaars here are crowded, with about four lanes of traffic on one side, coupled with loads of hawkers, handcarts, two-wheelers and pedestrians. Foreigners visiting the bazaars should have some prior experience in shopping on Indian streets otherwise it’ll be almost a nightmare!

The sweet shops are awesome – the soft smells wafting outta the bakeries beckon you from metres away and once there, you wouldn’t wanna leave! There’s peeni, besan laddoos, kaju kathlis and jalebis. The lassi and chaats are refreshingly tasty; the Rajasthani sweets come in kilo-count boxes; the savouries and fries should be had there itself, for the best tastes.

What to pick up: Textiles are what most tourists buy in Jaipur. Though they are priced double of what they’ll cost you in Delhi’s Dilli Haat or Janpath, most of us still buy from Jaipur only for the variety and the idea that it is more authentic here. You can get shawls, stoles, skirts, kurtas, saris, and more. Jewellery is a good option. Lots and lots of trinkets can be bought from Jaipur’s bazaars. The inlaid stone work, for which Rajasthan is famous, can be found in most jewellery shops and curio shops. Wooden toys, souvenirs, terracotta wares, red sandstone sculptures are interesting gift items to take back.

Jaipur is one of the cities in the Golden Triangle – others being Delhi and Agra – and the tour is incomplete without visiting the other two. Each bazaar is connected with the other by small, pucca roads. People teem in the shops quite in the morning itself. Tourists, too, end up here by early forenoon to start bargaining and shopping.

Sometimes just looking around at life in the bazaars, and not buying anything, can turn out to be absolutely delightful. Like all Indian cities, the sounds and sights are more than enough to fill your senses.

Strolling up to the HRC located in GVK One, Hyderabad, I had a slight misgiving about what the experience would be like. Happy to say only the lighting disappointed me: it’s toooo bright for a hard rock cafe!! What hits you as you make that 14-step walk to its inner door are the rare photos of rock musicians on the wall, and the outfits and guitar used by another on their tours. And there’s more to explore.

Once in, the decor, the rock memorabilia mounted on the walls, and of course, the music, takes you on. The seating ranges from comfy cushion sofas to high stools and normal-enough table and chair combos. The DJ cubicle is roomy and located diagonally across the entrance. The ‘crew’ are a friendly lot and would oblige to play requests and dedications for ya.

The music was good. It picked up tempo and loudness as time wore in. Slower songs of U2 and INXS gave way to faster, beaty numbers from the likes of Nickelback, Metallica and Zeppelin. There’s a house band playin on Thursdays, and frequent band performances and concerts otherwise. On the walls you’ll find about 120-odd rock memorabilia – Michael Jackson’s hat, Madonna’s bustier, Billy Idol’s guitar and so on.

In Hard Rock Cafes all over the world – 124 of them – there’s about 70,000 such items. The very first one being Eric Clapton’s guitar that he wanted to be put up on the wall of his then favourite bar – the Hard Rock Cafe in London. In Hard Rock Cafes across the globe there are guitars, drums, pianos, harmonicas, microphones, shirts, pants, scarves, shoes, handwritten lyrics, cars, bikes, and even a tour bus as part of the rock and roll memorabilia. Established in 1971, one of the world’s most known bands, it has cafes, casinos and hotels in 42 countries!

The food is average; the drinks looked like they had variety. The place gets crowded post 10 30 p.m.; book a table earlier if you have to!

Psst: On your way out, check out their rock store – okay tees, cocktail glasses, beer mugs, pins and more.

Verdict: Started out as an American diner in a Rolls Royce dealership in London has turned a true rock lover’s haven, I’d say!