All the five trains were back on the world heritage Kalka-Shimla rail line in Himachal Pradesh from Friday morning, a senior railway official said.
The rail traffic remained disrupted during the last six days as heavy rain had damaged the tracks at various points.
“The traffic on the 96-km-long narrow gauge railroad was restored this (Friday) morning,” Shimla station superintendent P.S. Gill said.
The five trains - 1-KS, 251, 241, 253 and 256 - plying between Kalka in Haryana and Shimla, the capital of the hill state, had to be suspended due to massive landslides between Shimla and Koti railway stations. The worst hit was Kainthlighat area where a 25-metre stretch of track was damaged.
The century-old rail line built in the British era has been chosen by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation as a world heritage site.
The scenic journey along the rail line from 640 metres above sea level at Kalka to Shimla at 2,060 metres attracts large number of tourists every year.
India successfully hosted the just concluded Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart 2008. It was organized at the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Selection of India as the host country for PTM 2008 was largely because the country’s tourism Industry is among the strongest and most dynamic in the region with strong potential for further growth.
“With such a strong outbound performance, and double-digit growth in inbound arrivals, India is a compelling host destination for this year’s PATA Travel Mart,” were the views expressed by Janice Antonson, Chairman, PATA.
Approximately 1,089 trade delegates, comprising 374 global buyers from 324 organisations and 715 Asia Pacific seller delegates from 301 organisations participated in the Travel Mart. The sold-out PATA Travel Mart this year reinforced its position as a premier travel trade event in the Asia Pacific Region.
Destination “Incredible India” gave ample evidence of its diversity with a large contingent of sellers, representing about 28% of the exhibitors at the Travel Mart, with the remaining 72% being international exhibitors from the Asia Pacific Region. The Indian exhibitors at the Mart comprised leading hotels and tour operators as well as state governments, including the host state Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Uttarakhand.
As host destination, India provided the largest single-source market buyer contingent, with strong growth coming from China (PRC), which will host next year’s Mart in Hangzhou. Regionally, European buyers lead the way, followed by Asian, Gulf, and North American buyers, with Pacific and African buyers accounting for 10% of the total. More than 170 qualified buyers were first-timers to the Mart, including buyers from 12 new and expanding markets, such as Romania, Slovenia, Brazil, Peru, Cambodia, the Maldives, and the Gulf markets.
PATA Travel Mart 2008 offered the buyers and sellers outstanding opportunities to negotiate new business over three days, during which close to 14,000 one-to-one, buyer-seller appointments were scheduled.
In addition to the business sessions, hosted dinners with entertainment programmes, lunches, sightseeing tours and golf games provide multiple opportunities for delegates to savour the culture and cuisine of the country as well as the tourist sites of Hyderabad.
The Welcome Dinner for all delegates was hosted by the Ministry of Tourism, Govt. of India at the Falaknuma Palace and hosts for other dinners during the Mart included the State Government of Andhra Pradesh and the Hangzhou People’s Municipal Govt, China hosts for PATA Travel Mart 2009.
Delegates also availed attractive specially designed pre and post mart tours covering Ladakh, Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, Varanasi-Khajuraho, Kerala, Bangalore-Mysore, Chennai-Pondicherry, etc.
A highlight of the event was the environment friendly measures adopted during the Mart, including minimum distribution of papers/ documents in kit bags, water dispensers & environment friendly cups, recycling bins for paper and plastic, maximum use of electronic signage to reduce paper signage, and a Tree Plantation Drive in Hyderabad during the Travel Mart.
The Tamil Nadu police have said that the flourishing tourist trade in south Tamil Nadu, worth over Rs.10 billion, is under threat as counterfeit currency is slowly infiltrating the region.
“The increased frequency of north Indian tourists visiting southern Tamil Nadu is being utilised by criminal elements to pass fake currency notes because the locals are simple-minded and trust affluent looking strangers,” Sanjeev Kumar, inspector general, south zone said.
“During the last two months, four persons from Bihar have been arrested with wads of fake Rs.500 and Rs.1000 denomination notes in Kanyakumari district alone,” Kumar added.
At least 40 cases are pending in the south zone of the state - some as old as 3 years. While short public memory and lack of witnesses have delayed matters, many suspects have got bail and disappeared, police sources said.
“Though there is no cause for a major alarm as most establishments have been advised to check high denomination notes, lack of specialised equipments in major banks is making our job somewhat difficult. This criminal activity can arguably affect part of the flourishing tourist economy worth at least Rs.10 billion,” Kumar said.
One of the factors that has led to the increase in tourist traffic to the south is the reported danger to Ram Sethu, a mythical structure believed to have been constructed by Lord Ram thousands of years ago, locals said.
“While locals are unperturbed about the issue, curious devout Hindus from the rest of India are flocking here to take a ‘last look’ at the causeway without realising they actually cannot, since it is several feet under water. The situation is being utilised by unscrupulous local boatmen and criminals from elsewhere,” said Sewa Ram, a volunteer who works at a charitable lodge in the port city of Rameshwaram.
“We are exploring methods to tighten the laws to stop counterfeit currency from being circulated. However, more than the law and order machinery’s vigil, availability of affordable equipment to detect fake currency is the need of the hour,” Kumar added.
According to official records, 50.6 million domestic tourists and 1.7 foreign tourists visited Tamil Nadu in 2007.
The 10th Raid De Himalaya Rally will be held from 2nd to 9th October, 2008. This year the event would cover a distance of 2050 kms through rugged terrains of Himalaya including Shimla, Sangla, Manali, Kaza, Keylong, Sarchu, Leh. The Raid would finish at Leh on October 9, 2008 followed by a prize distribution ceremony at Leh.
The 10th Maruti Suzuki Raid De Himalaya will be flagged off from Hotel Peterhoff Shimla on 1st October, 2008 by Prem Kumar Dhumal, the Chief Minister. The event is being organized by the State Department of Youth Services and Sports. The rally plans to cover Shimla, Manali and Sangla in the first leg on October, 2nd and the second leg on 3rd will pass through Kaza and Tabo. On 4th October the rally would cover Kaza-Komik-Pin vally while on 5th October, the rally will pass Kaza-Keylong-Patsu. On 6th october the rally would reach Leh via Patsu-Sarchoo-Pong-Rumtse. A part of the Public works Department would put up 3 distance Clibration Board on Navbahar-Bohimia road from 28th September to 1st October, 2008 to help the rally go on smoothly.
The event is open for cars and motorcycles. Most of the top ranked national rallying teams have entered the event. The Indian Army had entered 10 teams while there are 4 women drivers, the 4 wheeler category while 5 foreigners have entered in the 2 wheeler category riding Indian made motor cycles. The total number of entries received for the vent stand at 135. This number of entries is an all time record. In the 4-wheeler category there are 36 entries, including 59 for the Adventure Trail and 40 in the 2-wheeler category. Cash prizes and trophies will be given to the top five competitors in each of the three categories totaling Rs. 10 lakh.
The Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya 2008 will run two versions, concurrently, as in the last six years — X-Treme and the Adventure Trial
The Adventure Trial will be a rally open to Cars and SUV’s and will run as a Regularity Rally as per international norms. The cars will be in a separate group since they are handicapped somewhat in ground clearance when compared to the SUV’s on the same event.
The speeds on the Adventure Trial will be lower than those specified for the Maruti Suzuki Raid de Himalaya - X-Treme; yet they will be challenging enough to keep one on the toes.
The X-Treme version on a scale of 1 to 10 would rate an 8 in terms of difficulty - this year is probably a 9, while the Adventure Trial version would rate a 6.
Organisers suggest that all first timers in the 4 wheeler category participate in the Adventure Trial this year and then move on to the X-Treme levels next year. However this is not cast in stone and first timers may be permitted for the X-Treme version after being assessed by the Participation Committee of Himalayan Motorsport for competence and preparedness.
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Mountian Biking is back in the country, with the fourth edition of the annual Mountain Biking Himachal to be flagged off on September 27 from Shimla.
The race, organised by the Himachal Adventure Sports & Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), will cover over 680 kilometres across dangerous terrain through nine days before culminating in Manali on October 6. In the process, the race will gain an elevation of over 14,000 metres.
Acclaimed as India’s first and biggest mountain bike race, the Mountain Biking Himachal 2008 Championship will have over top 80 international and Indian riders taking centrestage. Participants from across the globe - South Africa, Australia, USA, UK, Germany, Dubai, and Pakistan, apart from India, will compete in this year’s event for total prize money of Rs 6 lakhs.
“Events such as these help put Himachal on the world tourism map. The event has grown in stature and we are confident of assured success in the years to come,” said Manisa Nanda, Himachal Pradesh tourism secretary here.
The nine-day adventure sport event, which is also first of its kind, will cover a distance of 680 km, gaining an elevation of over 14,000m passing through undulating hills and uphill stretches, before finally finishing at Manali on October 6.
Speaking to mediapersons, Himachal Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA) President Mohit Suri said, ”We are glad to start the adventure sport on World Tourism Day. The event will be flagged-off by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal. Mountain Biking Himachal is a wonderful opportunity for the adventure sports fan across India. We look forward to promote the cycling trails across Himachal Pradesh. Cycling is a niche sport here in India; so we want to popularise the sport among the Indian masses,” he stated.
”This is the fourth year we are partnering with Hercules. And I am very happy to see the way the sport is growing, and hope that mountain biking become a popular sport in the near future in India,” Sood asserted.
On the number of participants, he said, ”In comparisonto 43 participants last year, the sport is definitely growing as 12 countries like South africa, Germany, Dubai, Pakistan, UK, US will compete raising the number of participants to 85 this year. The women participation has also raised to 12, of whom two are from India.”
However, the recent Delhi blasts acted as a dampener with several bikers opting out siting security reasons.
”Earlier the number of foreign participants were 33, but after the bomb blast, six of them have withdrawn their names reducing the number to 26,” Suri said.
The HASTPA President further said it has plans to bring cycling to the highest terrain at an altitude of 6000 m.
”We also has plans to partner with the Government-run homestay schemes, already on process in the rural areas.”
D Raghuram, Senior VP, Bicycles & Fitness, TI Cycles of India, manufacturers of Hercules bicycles, said, ”We want to excite the urban adult, to use more frequently bicycles. We want to brig back Cycling into our way of life.”
While Hercules is the title sponser of the event, the other sponsors are Hmachal Pradesh Tourism, CNN IBN, Power Horse energy drink.
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