The additional flights have begun from the first of this month, and will be increased in a phased manner, continuing into the next month. This service will be of great importance to Kerala’s soaring tourism industry as well as to its regular flyers. The Guld region has a large section of Malayalees, working and living there. Plus, a huge number of tourists, too, visit Kerala during the peak season, just after the Monsoons.

A four-day seminar, ‘Beyond conflict to Reconciliation: The Challenge of the 21st Century’ will be conducted at the Catholic Renewal Centre. Is it organised by the International Association for Religious Freedom. His Highness Dalai Lama will deliver the inaugural lecture there, which will be attended by social and religious leaders, human rights activists, social activists and about 600 peacemakers from all over the world.

Dalai Lama will also address a private function of the Friends of Tibet and them. This will be a great opportunity for Tibetans and sympathizers of their cause a chance to meet with and discuss various issues with the world-famous leader.

The ‘slide’ Bible will be a major attraction. Made by R&D dept of NCR Corporation at Dayton, Ohio of USA, the slide Bible contains all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, but the font size of the letters are so teeny that you need a microscope to read them! On one slide you can read 1245 pages of the holy book!

The event, which will start on the September 2, is organised by Asia’s largest publishing house for biblical books, OM Books. Their head office is located in Secunderabad. At the book fair, besides varieties of Bibles, you can also peruse through and buy over 15,000 books, Christian music products, novels, theological resources, gifts and accessories.

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.

The event, organised by Impressario Events Ltd, sponsors many charities across the state. This year’s is called ‘Save a Girl Child’ mission. The winner will be working for it, too.

It will fall as a part of the inaugural 2012 London Olympics program. The fact that Queen Elizabeth II will be in attendance will only add to the glitz. The river will be witness for this event where tourists will get to see the 120-foot-long lithe boat and around 100-odd oarsmen.

Suresh Gopi, Indian actor, who is the event’s ambassador is all out to make it successful. He, along with his fans’ associations will garner funds to take the oarsmen by flight to London, and ship the boat intact, in time.

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.

The artificial reef has many purposes to serve. It will protect the shore and the beach from sea erosion – the submerged sand bags are placed to crack sea waves taller than a metre, and allowing only smaller ones to pass through.

The reef will improve growth of underwater flora, and in turn will increase fish breeding. And most of all, the state’s tourism will leap as it will attract tourists and adventure lovers – from surfers to divers.

Inconsistent smallish showers have been teasing us for a while now. Each state across India is vying for the Hottest-State-Where-Most-People-Die-Of-Heat Award. But, be of good cheer. We’ve spotted the actual South-West Monsoon in the Andaman Islands. Yay!!!

Now, isn’t that good news? Of course. Hoping that the showers will bless Kerala by the end of the month, wait all of us. Eager to be relieved of the sun’s burning heat and to relish the cool rainy days.

Monsoon tourism will get a boost, too. Tourism agents, houseboat operators, homestay and hotel owners, restaurants, and just about everyone depending on tourists are awaiting the golden showers.

Spanning 175sq.km, this wild paradise is home to the endangered species of animals such as the Arnai (wild buffalo), gharial crocodile and the Gangetic dolphin. Tall grassland with areas covered with khair-sissoo scrub forest and deciduous riverine forest are what stands out among the flora of the land. The mountainous vegetation is found throughout the hilly areas; and not to leave out, the world’s fifth highest mountain, Makalu, stands looming at 8,475m.

For the adventure-lovers, there are a horde of activities to take up. Elephant rides are a good option if you want to spot varieties of deer and nilgai (blue bull). Sitting atop the pachyderms, you can get a view of the reserve, and it’s exhilarating to cross a stream or a small river on elephant-back. Or if you want to view wildlife at a closer range, go for a jungle walk. On such a walk you can also go bird watching. There are about 300 species of local and migratory birds in the reserve. Canoe rides on the river are for those adrenaline-charged tourists. There are waterfalls and dips to be taken care of, though. On a canoe ride you can spot freshwater dolphins, gharials and crocodiles.

For those attending the Mart, you can get in touch with tour operators, airlines, hotels, resorts, Ayurveda centres, eco and adventure tourism ventures, holiday package operators, houseboat operators, homestay owners and other related personnel. It is a platform which will see hundreds of buyers and sellers, both national and international.

This event is one of the largest of its kind. This year the Society intends to rope in buyers and sellers from Russian and Scandinavian nations, too, besides its usual clientele.

Register with the KTM Society and book a place for yourself!
www.keralatravelmart.org

There’s a huge turnout in company buses, especially by Infosys and Wipro. The buses will ply on five corridors: Bannerghatta Road, Hosur Road, Sarjapur Road, Old Airport Road to ITPB and Old Madras Road. Many NGOs, too, chip in with ‘earthy’ campaigns.

In a city with 35 lakh vehicles, out of which 50% are two-wheelers and about 20% four-wheelers, if people use public transport, there will be a reduction in exhaust emissions as well as help in decreasing traffic jams.

Bangalore sees a new building coming up in some part of the city every day! The air pollution caused by that in this IT city is only imaginable. A campaign like this will go a long way in improving air quality and reduce travel time for commuters.