Foreign tourists were accorded a traditional Indian welcome on their arrival here on Thursday as part of the World Tourism Day celebrations.Men and women dressed in traditional Indian attire welcomed foreign tourists arriving at the Agra railway station with garlands and vermillion smears.
The organiser of the programme said it was an excellent way to promote tourism in the city.
“Agra is a tourist hub and it is famous for its Taj Mahal which has now become the world’s first wonder. So, ultimately the city will face a boom in tourism. We want them to go home with a good image of the country, thus multiplying tourist inflow,” said Shamsuddin Khan, President of the Tourist Guide Association, Agra.
Tourists said they enjoyed the hospitality and the special treatment.
“It is just hoteliers and rickshaw pullers trying to arrest our attention and you feel safer and welcomed by them,” said Rachel, a foreign tourist.
In Jaipur, residents were seen distributing sweets to the tourists.
“We are very happy that we are here. Everyone is very friendly and the sightseeing is great here. It is absolutely different from Europe,” said Valentina, another foreign tourist.
Known for such attractions as the Taj Mahal, India has been running a campaign to woo tourists to its grand palaces, golden beaches, ancient temples and wildlife sanctuaries.
Since 1980, September 27 is celebrated by the World Tourism Organization as World Tourism Day.
The aim of the day is to display awareness that tourism is vital to the international community and to show how it affects the social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.
The Northern Railway has planned 688 trips of special trains in order to clear extra rush of passengers during the festival season that begins next month.
This is at least 200 times more than the trips of special trains that plied during last year’s Dussehra and Diwali.
The special trains planned this year will run from Delhi, New Delhi, Delhi Sarai Rohilla, Varanasi, Hazart Nizamuddin to Jammu Tawi, Udhampur, Varanasi, Lucknow, Dehradun, Patna,Darbhanga and Howrah.
These include New Delhi-Jammu Tawi AC Special, Delhi Junction Udhampur special train, New Delhi-Jammu Tawi Tri Weekly Shatabdi Special train, Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Superfast Special train, Varanasi- Delhi Jn Superfast Special train, New Delhi-Lucknow Superfast Special train, Hazrat Nizamuddin-Dehradun AC Special train, Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Patna Special Train, Delhi Sarai Rohilla- Darbhanga Special and Howrah-Dehradun weekly special train.
The 403A New Delhi-Jammu Tawi AC Special train will depart from New Delhi at 2030hrs from October 1 to November 17 except Friday to reach Jammu Tawi at 0530 hrs the next day.
In the return direction the 404A Jammu Tawi-New Delhi AC Special train will depart from Jammu Tawi at 2045hrs from October 2 to November 18 except Saturday to reach New Delhi at 0645hrs the next day.
The 0403 Delhi Jn Udhampur special train will depart from Delhi Jn at 2345hrs from October 1 to November 17 to reach Udhampur at 1310hrs the next day.
In the return direction the 404 Udhampur-Delhi Jn Special train will depart from Udhampur at 2140 hrs from October 2 to November 18 to reach Delhi Jn. at 1015hrs a.m. the next day.
The 2425A New Delhi-Jammu Tawi Tri Weekly Shatabdi Special train will depart from New Delhi at 0700hrs. from October 10 to Novemerb 17 on every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday to reach Jammu Tawi at 1645hrs the same day.
In the return direction the 2426A Jammu Tawi-New Delhi Tri Weekly Shatabdi Special will depart from Jammu Tawi at 1000hrs from October 11 to November 18 every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday to reach New Delhi at 2015hrs the same day.
The 0413 Varanasi-Jammu Tawi Superfast Special train will depart from Varanasi at 1345hrs daily from October 1 to November 3 to arrive at Jammu Tawi at 1100hrs the next day.
In the return direction, the 0414 Jammu Tawi-Varanasi Superfast Special train will depart from Jammu Tawi at 1400 hrs daily from October 2 to November 4 to arrive at Varanasi at 1230 hrs the next day.
The 2457A Varanasi-Delhi Jn Superfast Special train will depart from Varanasi at 2000hrs from October 11 to November 3 to arrive at Delhi Jn. at 0855 hrs the next day. In the return direction the 2458A Delhi Jn.-Varanasi Superfast Special train will depart from Delhi Jn. at 1815 hrs from October 12 to November 4 to arrive at Varanasi at 0730hrs the next day.
The 2230A New Delhi-Lucknow Superfast Special train will depart from New Delhi at 2330 hrs from October 2 to November 4 to arrive at Lucknow at 0715hrs the next day. In the return direction the 2229A Lucknow-New Delhi Superfast Special train will depart from Lucknow at 2330hrs from October 1 to November 3 to arrive at New Delhi at 0720hrs the next day.
The 2017A Hazrat Nizamuddin-Dehradun AC Special train will depart from Hazrat Nizamuddin at 2315 hrs from October 1 to November 17 to reach Dehradun at 0500 hrs the next day.
In the return direction the 2018A Dehradun- Hazrat Nizamuddin AC Special train will depart from Dehradun at 0845hrs from October 2 to November 18 to reach Hazrat Nizamuddin at 0230hrs the same day.
The 0416A Hazrat Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Patna Special Train will depart from Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 0200hrs from November 10 to November 17 (eight trips) to reach Patna at 1015hrs the next day.
In the return direction, the 0415A Patna-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special Train will depart from Patna at 1145hrs from November 11 to November 18 (eight trips) to reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 0530hrs the next day.
The 0416B Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Patna Special Train will depart from Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 0450hrs from November 10 to November 17 to reach Patna at 1200hrs the next day. In the return direction, the 0415B Patna-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special Train will depart from Patna at 0300hrs from November 11 to November 18 to reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 1220hrs the next day.
The 0416 Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Patna Special Train will depart from Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 1100hrs on November 5, November 8, November 11, November 14 and November 17 (five trips) to reach Patna at 0650hrs the next day.
In the return direction, the 0415 Patna-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special Train will depart from Patna at 1100hrs on November 6, November 9, November 12, November 15 and November 18 (five trips) to reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 0730hrs the next day.
The 4006A Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Darbhanga Special train will depart from Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 1015hrs on from October 11 to November 17 to reach Darbhanga at 1145hrs the next day.
In the return direction the 4005A Darbhanga-Delhi Sarai Rohilla Special train will depart from Darbhanga at 0700hrs from October 13 to November 19 to reach Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 0740hrs the next day.
The 0231 Delhi Sarai Rohilla- Darbhanga Special train will depart from Delhi Sarai Rohilla Howrah-Delhi-Howrah bi-weekly superfast special train will depart from Howrah at 0115hrs from October 13 to November 17 on every Wednesday and Saturday to arrive at Delhi Jn.
at 1145hrs the next day.
In the return direction, the 0232 Delhi-Howrah bi-weekly superfast special train will depart from Delhi Jn at 0705hrs from October 14 to November 18 on every Thursday and Sunday to arrive at Howrah at 0505hrs the next day.
The 0235 Howrah-Dehradun weekly special train will depart from Howrah at 1250hrs from October 11 to November 8 on every Thursday to arrive at Dehradun at 0605hrs the next day.
In the return direction the 0236 Dehradun-Howrah weekly special train will depart from Dehradun at 1015hrs from October 13 to November 10 on every Saturday to arrive at Howrah at 0300hrs the next day.
Apart from the above, Northern Railway will run two unreserved specials between Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Patna leaving Delhi Sarai Rohilla at around 1600 hrs and 2000 hrs, depending on traffic requirement.
These specials will run from November 10 to 16 in case of rush from Delhi Sarai Rohilla Via New Delhi/Delhi Jn. to clear extra rush.
Today tourists — both domestic and foreign make it a point to visit Mysore in the state of Karnataka. Situated in the southern part of the Deccan Plateau, Mysore District is an undulating tableland, covered in parts by granite outcrops and fringed by verdant forests.
From ancient times, this district has played a significant role in the history of South India. Mysore District is a popular tourist destination, offering several attractions ranging from the royal splendour of Mysore City and its fabulous Dasara Festival to exquisite temples, pilgrimage centres and scenic spots.
Having said that anyone who visits Mysore and dose not opt for staying in a homestay really misses out on half the pleasure of visiting this beautiful location. Not only do homestays allows you to add flavour to you trip, a tourist or traveller who stays in a Mysore homestay goes home with a bagful of sweet memories and a pledge at heart to return again and again.
The festivals, the cuisine, the local tales told by a local host add to the pleasures of spending some time in the lap of nature and away from the maddening crowd.
Mysore city is at 770m above sea level and 140 kms from Bangalore. Also known as the City of Palaces, Mysore retains a quaint charm, that never fails to enchant.
Mysore was the capital of the Wodeyar dynasty, feudatories of the Vijayanagar Empire, who declared their independence in the 16th century and ruled in Mysore until independence, barring three decades when Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan wrested power from them. Mysore today, is a pleasant city with an old world charm, contributed by its broad shady avenues, well laid out gardens, fine buildings and a salubrious climate.
BEST TIME TO VISIT MYSORE:
The weather in Mysore is pleasant throughout the year. The summers are warm and winters cool. April is the hottest month with the daily temperatures varying between 21°C and 34°C while in December, the coldest month here, the temperatures ranges from 16°C to 27°C. The average annual rainfall in the district is 761.9 mm. One can visit the city any time of the year but it is advisable to avoid the rainy seasons.
PLACES OF INTEREST:
Mysore Palace: The Maharaja’s Palace is one of the important sights in Mysore. Built in Indo-Saracenic style with domes, turrets, arches and colonnades,the Palace is a treasure house of exquisite carvings and works of art from all over the world. Intricately carved doors open on to luxuriously furnished rooms. The majestic Durbar Hall has an ornate ceiling and many sculpted pillars. The magnificent jewel studded golden throne of the Wodeyars is displayed here during the Dasera festival. Illuminated on Sundays and public holidays ,the palace presents a spectacle of breathtaking beauty.
Chamundi Hills: A well known 335 metres high landmark,Chamundi Hill can be reached by a 13 km road or by climbing up the 1,000 steps laid out by the Mysore Maharaja in the 17th century.Half-way up along the stone steps is Nandi, Lord Shiva’s Bull, a majestic 4.8 metre monolith.At the top is the 12th century temple of Chamundeshwari, the patron goddess of the Wodeyars.Close to the temple is the gigantic statue of the demon Mahishasura. The summit offers a panoramic view of Mysore’s lakes, parks and palaces.
Brindavan Gardens: Located at the KR Sagar Dam [Kannambadi], Brindavan Gardens is one of the best gardens in South India. Spread over 150 acres, Brindavan Gardens has since the 1960s provided the backdrop for many Indian films. Special attractions include the ‘Dancing Fountains’. In Dec 2004 the entire garden was revamped with new fountains and lights. The timings are: Monday-Friday: 6:30 pm to 7:25 pm and Saturday-Sunday: 6:30 pm to 8:25 pm
St. Philomenias church: A beautiful Cathedral, reminiscent of medieval architectural style,is one of the largest churches in the country. Built in the gothic style,the Church is an imposing structure with stained glass windows and lofty towers.
Mysore Zoo: The Mysore Zoo was set up under royal patronage in the nineteenth century. Its fauna includes rare and exotic species which are housed in lush, green surroundings. The Zoo is famous for breeding some very rare animals in captivity.
Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, which has emerged as one of finest zoos in the country to breed a wide range of animals in captivity, has embarked on a new venture to set up a state-of-the-art Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre.
Art Gallery: The Jaganmohan Palace was converted into an art gallery in 1875 and exhibits paintings which date back to that period. The artists of that time used natural vegetable and mineral dyes. The famous traditional Mysore ‘gold leaf ‘ paintings are also exhibited in the gallery, as are oil paintings of contemporary artist like Raja Ravi Varma and Svetoslav Roerich.
OTHER PLACES OF INTEREST IN AND AROUND MYSORE:
Daria Daulat Bagh: Tipu’s Summer Palace, built in 1784, is located here. Made of teak, this Indo-Sarcenic structure has ornate and beautiful fresco.It is now a museum and tells eloquently of Tipu’s valor and his losing battle against the British.
Fort: It is here that Tipu charged at the British soldiers with his legendary sword. An obelisk in the fort marks the place where he fell after he was betrayed by his own men. The fort holds within it, a mosque and the Ranganathaswamy Temple. Outside the fort is the Gumbaz, Tipu’s tomb with splendid ebony doors inlaid with ivory.
Himvad Gopalaswamy Hills: This is a popular hill resort and a trekker’s delight as well.It is situated in the verdant western ghats of Mysore District. The temple here is dedicated to Lord Hoysala.
Melkote: Situated 50 Km north of Mysore, Melkote is a sacred pilgrim centre, known for its Vairamundi festival in March-April. More than one lakh devotees congregate here for the festival. Melkote is also famous for its handloom. Ramanucharya,the Shrivaishnava saint-philosopher, took shelter here from his persecutors.
Talakad: About 48 Km from Mysore, it is situated on the banks of the river Cauvery and is completely buried beneath sand dunes. Only the Dravidian style Vaidyeshwara temple is visible above the ground. Its temples are opened for ceremonial worship on special occasions -once in twelve years.
Shivsamudra: Around 85 Km east of Mysore, where the river Cauvery cascades down in two picturesque waterfalls, is Shivsamudra. Falling down from a height of 75 m into a deep gorge, these falls are best during the monsoons. About 1.5 km away is Asia’s first hydro-electric power project set up in 1905.
Nagarhole National Park: About 93 km from Mysore, in the forest of Nagarhole, is a National Park. Abounding in a rich variety of wildlife, one can find elephants, antelopes and even leopards here.
Kabini River Lodge: Situated 80 km from Mysore in the Karapur forests is the old hunting lodge of the Maharajas and Viceroys. The lodge on the banks of the river Kabini arranges jeep rides into the jungle and coracle rides on the Kabini for bird watching. A naturalist guide helps you identify the many varieties of birds and wild beasts.
BR Hills: This picturesque hill range, at a height of 5091 ft, is 120 km from Mysore and is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna. The temple on the hill, dedicated to Biligiri Rangaswamy attracts devotees round the year.
Mysoreans are staunch believers in protecting the greenery of their awesome city. On September 28, 2005 the forest department decided to set up a ‘Tree Court’ to look into the problems and permit felling of trees. The tree court would meet on the third Saturday of every month and look into applications to fell trees.
So next time you visit Mysore, don’t fall for the artificial world of Hotels and try out the wide range of Homestays that the city hosts have to offer. It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for tourists and travellers to visit Mysore and stay in a Homestay in the lap of mother nature.
Southern Railway today announced that it would introduce series of special trains to clear the extra rush of passengers for Ramzan/Pooja/ Deepavali/Christmas Festivals during the winter months of October 2007 to February 2008.
A southern railway release here said Madurai - Chennai Egmore special will leave Madurai at 2315 hrs. on Sundays and Tuesdays from October two to ten and arrive Chennai Egmore at 0930 hrs.
the next day.
Chennai Egmore - Madurai special will leave Chennai Egmore at 2245 hrs on Mondays and Fridays from October to 11 and arrive Madurai at 0845 hrs the next day.
Chennai Egmore - Tuticorin special will leave Chennai Egmore at 2245 hrs on Wednesdays from October three to six and arrive Tuticorin at 1215 hrs the next day.
Tuticorin - Chennai Egmore Special will leave Tuticorin at 1500 hrs on Thursdays from October four to seven and arrive Chennai Egmore at 0430 hrs the next day.
Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 2015 hrs on Sundays from October seven to ten and arrive Nagercoil at 1100 hrs the next day.
Nagercoil - Chennai Egmore Special will leave Nagercoil at 1330 hrs on Mondays from October eight to 11 and arrive Chennai Egmore at 0430 hrs the next day.
Chennai Egmore - Nagercoil Special will leave Chennai Egmore at 1900 hrs on Tuesdays from October nine to 12 and arrive Nagercoil at 0830 hrs the next day.
Nagercoil - Chennai Egmore Special will leave Nagercoil at 1330 hrs on Wednesdays from October ten to 13.2.2008 and arrive Chennai Egmore at 0430 hrs the next day.
Chennai Central - Coimbatore Special will leave Chennai Central at 2220 hrs. on Wednesdays and Fridays from October three to six and arrive Coimbatore at 0815 hrs the next day.
Coimbatore - Chennai Central Special will leave Coimbatore at 2345 hrs on Thursdays and Saturdays from October four to seven and arrive Chennai Central at 0915 hrs the next day.
Chennai Central - Coimbatore Special will leave Chennai Central at 2220 hrs on Thursdays from October 11 to 14 and arrive Coimbatore at 0800 hrs the next day.
Coimbatore - Chennai Central Special will leave Coimbatore at 2345 hrs on Fridays from October 12 to 15 and arrive Chennai Central at 0615 hrs the next day.
Chennai Central - Mangalore Special will leave Chennai Central at 1700 hrs on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from October one to 31 and arrive Mangalore at 0930 hrs the next day.
Mangalore - Chennai Central Special will leave Mangalore at 1600 hrs on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from October two to February two 2008 and arrive Chennai Central at 0830 hrs the next day.
Chennai Central - Kottayam Special will leave Chennai Central at 1545 hrs on Tuesdays from October 30 to January 22 2008 and arrive Kottayam at 0545 hrs the next day.
Kottayam - Chennai Central Special will leave Kottayam at 1300 hrs on Wednesdays from October 31 to January 23 2008 and arrive Chennai Central at 0415 hrs the next day, the release added.
Rajasthan travel agents have expressed concern over the increase in hotel tariff, which they think would affect the arrival of tourists in the desert state.
Some of the five and four-star hotels, especially in Jaipur, have announced hike in their tariff rates by 25-40 percent from October this year.
An average room in a five star hotel in Jaipur after the increase would cost Rs. 14,000-28,000 per night.
‘The sharp increase in tariff would certainly impact the trade’, says Navendu Goswami, a Jaipur-based inbound tour operator.
‘The city has become costlier in comparison to other neighbouring cities like Bangkok, Kula Lumpur etc., and if we really want to attract more tourists, we have to be more competitive’, says Karan Singh, a travel agent, here.
Some of the travel agents were more critical of the decision, saying that it may benefit the hotel industry in a short term, but in the long run it would hurt them badly.
‘A reasonable increase of 5-10 percent is understandable, but not a steep hike of 30-35 percent. It is becoming difficult for us to make our overseas clients understand, as to why suddenly their tour cost has gone up. It is just not right,’ says a leading travel agent on condition of anonymity.
‘We are talking about increasing tourist arrivals, domestic as well as foreign, by around 15-20 percent in the next few years. I don’t think we would be able to do this with such high tariff’, says Sanjay Rawat, a travel agent.
The hoteliers, on the contrary, defend the increase in tariff and claim they had to do it as they have put in large sums of money for upgrading and renovating the facilities.
With a record arrival of more than 1.2 million foreign tourists and 17 million domestic tourists during the year 2005-06, Rajasthan has been one of the most popular tourist destinations.
The growing number of arrivals in the state reaffirms its popularity as the most preferred tourist destination worldwide.
The total spending by tourists in the state per annum is estimated at Rs.10,000 million.
