Namaste Friends,      
 

Love the mountains? Want to observe wildlife in its natural habitat? Seeking authentic local experiences? Adore the noise and color of local festivals? Captivated by ancient customs and traditions? Enjoy driving? Then you should fuel up and hit the road to experience India as you never can when you travel point-to-point by air.

Worship at a quaint roadside temple or an ancient Buddhist monastery, feast on a simple meal with an appetite sharpened by fresh air, buy crafts from artisans, and return with memories for a lifetime. Driving Holidays in the Himalayas is a series of books that explore the hilly states of Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Uttaranchal, giving readers a glimpse of many exciting locales that are just a drive away.

   
         
     
     
       
     
  Conde Nast’s Spa Awards for 2005 are out and Sereno Spa, Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, tops “The World’s Top 25” list. Ever-popular Ananda Spa, Ananda - in the Himalayas, comes in at 9th place, while Oberoi Spa by Banyan Tree, The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur, ranks 14. Ananda also ranks 2nd in the “Overseas Spa Retreats” list, with its body treatments being a universal favourite. For a dose of serious therapy, Kalari Kovilakom, Kerala, is 9th in “Medical and Thermal Spas”. The Park Hyatt Goa’s Sereno Spa and The Oberoi Udaivilas’s Oberoi Spa are also adjudged the best Hotel Spas in Asia & the Indian Subcontinent.    
           
   
 
   
 
   
           
India Tourism, Tokyo's Korean language website has won the first prize in the Information Service Section of the 6th Korea National Web Awards, beating 500 other entries. The awards are sponsored by the Ministry of Information & Communication and Small and Medium Business Administration.
         
         
       
  Back in 1986, American rafting pioneer, Jack Morison, anointed The Tons river, a tributary of the holy Yamuna, as the planet’s next great whitewater adventure. Almost 20 years later, Paddler Magazine revisits the whitewater promised land. Does reality match up to its reputation? Is it a river that hard-core paddlers will travel halfway round the world for?
Read article…		    
       
  Highlife, Nov 2005, the British Airways in-flight Magazine brings you a one page guide to Mumbai’s hotspots. Read article…  
  In The Big Chill, Will Storr visits The Oberoi Udaivilas, Conde Nast’s #2 Hotel Spa in Asia & the Indian Subcontinent, to destress with Ayurveda and Yoga. Read article…  
       
               
  The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Magazine has ranked India as the topmost destination to see in 2006.
Why so? Read article…		    
               
         
  HAPPENINGS      
  India Everywhere reigned at The World Economic Forum, Davos, from tricolour bangles, bindis, and tie & dye scarves for delegates, to food, music and entertainment.

Half a million Jains gathered in Shravanabelagola in Karnataka, for the Mahamastakabhisheka of Lord Bahubali (Gomateshwara). This once-in-12-years ceremonial ritual sees the 57 foot tall statue being bathed with water, milk, ghee and sugarcane juice, anointed with turmeric, sandal and rice, and decorated with gold and silver coins and precious stones. 		   
         
    KNOW YOUR SARI: PARSI GHARA  
    Introduced to India by 19th century traders who used to travel to China, gharas were originally made from silk and featured intricate hand embroidered patterns of birds and animals. Modern gharas are made of Italian crepe and have floral patterns, sequins and even Swarovski crystals. The epitome of style, elegance and exclusivity, gharas are like jewelry - expensivefamily heirlooms, handed down from generation to generation.  
         
   
    The Maiti movement of
Uttaranchal, is a unique grassroots afforestation
programme. Maiti derives from
mait, Kumaoni for a married
woman’s paternal home. As part
of every marriage ceremony, the bride and groom plant a tree.		  
  These Maiti groves which are looked after by Maiti behene (unmarried village girls) become a self-sustaining village asset. Today, maiti trees are planted on other happy occasions too.  
         
         
   
“When you think you have come to the end of her tremendous specialities and have finished hanging tags upon her … another speciality crops up and another tag is required.”
  
     
     
     
Mark Twain, on India. Eventually he
concluded that only the title
“LAND OF WONDERS” would suffice.
 
       
         
         
     
  Taj Mahotsav, Agra, 18 to 27 February
  
  Desert Festival, Jaisalmer, 21 to 23 February
  
  Yoga Week, Varanasi, 22 to 28 February
  
  Carnival, Goa, 25 to 28 February
  
  Khajuraho Dance Festival, 25 February to 3 March
  
 
 
             
   

Amitabh Kant
Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism,
Transport Bhawan, Parliament Street,
New Delhi - 110 001.
T: 91 + 11 + 23715084
F: 91 + 11 + 23710518
M: amitabhk@incredibleindia.org
W: http://www.incredibleindia.org

 

While others may claim breathtaking locales, the mysticism of the east, the draw of civilization, the call of the wild.... India is that and much more.....
It is a journey of mind and soul.
It is a journey of the five senses
It is a journey of self-discovery
It is a journey of self-fulfillment.

  
     

To unsubscribe to this newsletter, click here.
You can always log on to our site at www.incredibleindia.org to subscribe.