Issue8 - Indian Routes

from the desk
Dear Industry Friends,
Indian festival celebrations are infused with rituals, all varying according to religion,
region and society. What these festivals do have in common are devotion, joy and colour
that they spread.
This month, as we transition from summer into winter, India enters the season of Hindu
festivals; Navaratri, Dussehra and Durga Puja…leading up to Diwali on 03 November.
The first to herald the festivities is Navaratri, dedicated to worship Goddess Durga;
a Hindu deity. The word Navaratri is basically a combination of 'Nava' meaning nine
and 'Ratri' meaning night. During these nine nights, nine forms of goddesses are
worshipped and the tenth day rises up as Vijaydashmi or Dussehra. Navaratri is
celebrated with great zeal in northern as well as eastern states. The most colourful is
that of the Gujarat where the main attraction is 'Garba'; the traditional dance of the
state. The Navaratris are a non-stop gala affair of nine days marked with millions of
colourful costumes, dance and devotion. Men and women of all ages can be seen
dressed in elaborate tradition attires going round in circles, clapping, singing and
cheering.
Dusshera is a major north Indian festival that is, in essence, celebrated to observe
the dominance of good over evil. Brightly lit stages of Ramayana Street plays are
a common sight for a month until Diwali. Ram Lila or the dramatic depiction of
episodes from the lives of Lord Rama is a major attraction of this festival.
Distinct regions have evolved different styles to contribute to this carnival.
While Durga Puja is one of the largest and most elaborate festivals of West Bengal.
It is celebrated by worshiping Goddess Durga. Thousands of vivid pandals (tents) are
set up and the state bejewelled with lights. People from all over the country travel to
Calcutta to witness this larger than life festivity which is often compared to that of
the Rio carnival.
India is a wonderful country to visit any time of the year. However, to add a special
flavour and more colours to the itineraries do think of including festival dates for
your clients.
Warm regards,
newsletter
October 2013
Kiran Joti
Executive Director
hospitality
Treehouse opens Anuraga in Ranthambore
Treehouse Hotels, a boutique hotel brand of Karma Hospitality Ltd., will open
its fourth managed hotel, Anuraga - A Treehouse Resort, in Ranthambore,
Rajasthan on November 1, 2013. The five-star leisure resort is done up with
distinctive motifs across the rooms, lobby and public areas. It will have
44 rooms, 4 suites, a banquet hall, swimming pool, gardens, conference facility,
spa and gym, as well as a restaurant and bar.
Shangri - La Hotel, Mumbai is now Palladium Hotel
Shangri-La Hotel, Mumbai, has been rebranded as Palladium Hotel.
This luxury property will be managed by Pallazzio Hotels & Leisure Limited,
which is a part of the Phoenix Mills Group Ltd. The hotel is situated next to
Palladium Mall in Mumbai. Palladium Hotel will feature exquisite rooms,
upgraded spa, large banquet facility and amenities and world cuisine by
Executive Chef, Gerhard Gerber.
newsletter
October 2013
hospitality
Pride Group enters Goa with Pride
Pride Group made an entry into Goa with its new venture - Pride Sun Village.
Hotel has all suite rooms with landscaped environs and an imposing statue of
Helios - The Sun God welcoming guests to the resort. Hotel has well-equipped
135 rooms and offers a range of exciting cuisines with 3 Restaurants
(Indoor & Outdoor), Two well stocked bars , Beauty Parlor & conference
facilities. Hotel came into operations on 01 September, 2013.
V Resorts Fort Auwa is all set to welcome guests
V Resorts Fort Auwa is ready to open its doors this November. The heritage
property is located in Pali district, 35 km from Jodhpur. The fort is being
renovated keeping in mind its historical charisma so that it retains its glory as
a relic of the long-gone era and is there today for the adventurous traveller to
discover, states a press release. V Resorts Fort Auwa features 19 rooms and
a dining area where guests can have authentic Rajasthani cuisine.
newsletter
October 2013
transport
More Sri Lankan Airlines on Indian Skies
Sri Lankan Airlines is set to increase its weekly flights from India from
48 to 60 till the year end by adding new destinations, the airline has said,
the PTI reported. “Asia, particularly India, is a very important destination for
the airline and it gives top priority to the region”, Nishantha Wickremasinghe,
Chairman, Sri Lankan Airlines said.
Jet Airways (India) Ltd to launch second daily direct service on
Mumbai-Singapore route
Jet Airways (India) Ltd. is set to launch a second daily direct service on
Mumbai to Singapore route on 1st November, 2013, as per a release.
The airline will deploy its Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route. With the
addition of this new frequency to Singapore, Jet Airways will operate six daily
direct flights connecting Singapore with Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai.
New time table will be - Mumbai at 0950 hrs and arrive in Singapore
at 1800 hrs, Local Time (LT). On the return leg, the flight will depart Singapore
at 2005 hrs (LT) and arrive in Mumbai at 2310 hrs (LT).
Tashi Air now daily between Paro and Bangkok
Tashi Air, operating as Bhutan Airlines, Bhutan's first privately owned airline,
has announced the launch of a new daily international route between Paro and
Bangkok, allowing visitors a second choice of airline when visiting the
mountain kingdom. The inaugural flight to the Land of the Thunder Dragon will
start flying from 10th October 2013 from Bangkok.
Eithad Airways to run a double daily schedule on Abu Dhabi-Kathmandu
Etihad Airways will increase its Abu Dhabi-Kathmandu service from seven
flights per week to a double daily schedule from 1st November, 2013.
The additional flights build on the success of the existing service, driven by
the demand from business and leisure travelers and will strengthen
the already strong ties between Nepal and the UAE.
newsletter
October 2013
Mahaparinirvan's next schedule from 5th October, 2013
The next season of Mahaparinirvan Express will commence from
5th October 2013. Past six seasons of this train has received very encouraging
response. Buddhist followers and tourists from over 32 countries have
appreciated the reliability, comfortness, courteous services & exclusivity of
the Tour. The train takes passengers for 08 days / 07 nights on spiritual tour
which includes visit of various Buddhist places across Northern India.
india celebrates
Gandhi Jayanti
Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated to mark birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi,
popularly known as 'Father of the Nation', on 2nd October every year.
It's India's national holiday. Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated by offering prayer
services and tributes. Prayer meetings, commemorative ceremonies in
different cities by colleges, local government institutions and socio-political
institutions are a common sight on this day.
Navratri
Navratri, literally interpreted as 'nine nights', is the most celebrated Hindu
festival devoted to Goddess Durga symbolizing purity and power or 'shakti'.
Navratri festival combines ritualistic puja and fasting and is accompanied by
resplendent celebrations for nine consecutive days and nights. It will be
celebrated form 5th - 13th October, 2013.
Durga Puja
Durga Puja is an annual Hindu festival in South Asia that celebrates worship of
the Hindu goddess Durga. It marks the victory of Goddess Durga over the devil
Mahishasura. Durga Puja is a four days festival which is celebrated mainly in
the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa and Tripura.
This year celebrations will start on 10th October, 2013.
Dussehra
Dussehra is a festival of Hindus that depicts the victory of good over evil.
The festival marks the victory of Lord Rama over ten-headed demon
King Ravana. This year Dussehra will be celebrated on 13th October.
During the Dussehra festival, people of Hindu faith hold special prayer
meetings and food offerings to the gods at temples and their homes. Outdoor
fairs and huge parades. In the evening, these effigies are burnt ceremonially.
Eid-al-Adha or Bakrid
Bakrid is a major Islamic festival celebrated world over to honor of the
compliance of Prophet Abraham to sacrifice his young son Ishmael as an act of
submission to Almighty's command and his son's acceptance to being
sacrificed, before God intervened to provide Abraham with a lamb to sacrifice
instead. It is celebrated by offering mass prayers in mosques and preparing
elaborate delicacies. Male members of the family get dressed in traditional
Islamic attire called 'Kurta-Pajama'.
newsletter
October 2013
routes & roots
Visa on Arrival
The Indian Government recently cleared measures to extend visa on arrival
(VoA) to 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Germany, France, Brazil, Russia
and China among others. It was also decided that visa on arrival visa facility
would be extended to more airports like Goa, Gaya, Chandigarh and Amritsar
which have a large flow of foreign tourists. At present, visa on arrival facility is
available for just 11 countries including Japan, New Zealand and Vietnam only
at international airports of Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Kochi,
Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram.
More Airports
Small destinations in the country will have air connectivity with a network of
more than 100 airports planned to meet the expected passenger load capacity
of 30 crore by 2020, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, said on Saturday
after laying the foundation stone for the development of the first such airport
in Kishangarh town in Rajasthan's Ajmer district. The Kishangarh airport is
scheduled to be operational by 2016. “An ambitious scheme to develop
a network of 100 smaller airports in the country is being implemented. Focus
earlier was on developing airports in metro cities and now more than 100
airports will be set up in small towns and cities," Singh said.
In-Depth Visits
Clock Tower in Jodhpur has been opened to be visited from inside for Foreign/
National tourist from 01st Sept`13. At present only first floor is opened for
tourists and it has about 10 steps to reach from the platform; about 25 people
are allowed to visit together. Entire Sardar Market and Mehrangarh Fort can be
seen from the first floor. There are plans to start second floor as well after
seeing the response.
newsletter
October 2013
indian routes insider
Religion or just detox
The Nine days of praying for the Goddess has its effect on the team as well.
Most will remain vegetarian and not drink alcohol. Some will only eat the special
food cooked during the nine days and few brave ones are doing a complete fast for
a couple of days. Most restaurants provide what is known as 'Navrarti Thali' so that
social evenings are not rules out. For those that are not sticklers for tradition,
it remains a good way to detox!
Gearing up for the high season
We are now at the start of high season and this means hard work and long hours.
No time to spare for being unwell. So while the detox of Navratra helps us keep fit,
it also is the fast before the feast. … the delicious Bengali 'rasagoolas' at Durga Puja
and then other specialties as we approach Dusshera & Diwali. We are looking
at additional kilos due to all the Indian sweets that we all relish!
Meet the team at:
A taste of ILTM at WTM | 04-05 November | London, UK
EIBTM | 19-21 November | Barcelona, Spain
ILTM | 02-05 December | Cannes, France
You may contact us
Indian Routes
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Select CITYWALK
A-3, District Center
Saket, New Delhi 110017
newsletter
October 2013
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