Located along the banks of the river Ganga in the Ghazipur district of Uttar Pradesh is Gahmar, famously known as ‘Soldiers’ Village’. Gahmar has a unique tradition of producing hundreds of soldiers who have served the Indian Armed Forces with distinction. Every household in this village with a population of about 75,000 boasts of at least three or more soldiers! The inhabitants of Gahmar include more than 10,000 military personnel serving in all the three branches of the Armed Forces. There are about 5,000 military veterans in the village. Interestingly, the village has not lost even a single soldier in…
Author: oiop
The cause célèbre in today’s world is uniqueness, which was not the case earlier when sameness and homogeneity were valued. Individuality and alternative options, whether of tourism, a set of events or a usiness, is back in our lives. But will this lead to real, big changes, only time will tell, says Akul Tripathi . GLOBALISATION. The word has become old. It is so last decade. The fascination with a highly integrated world and nations is growing stale. The idea is now cliche. The globe has moved on. However, the years in which the idea spanned research, books and all…
India’s seeing a new trend of voluntourism or tourism with a purpose, where young students spend a few months with a social service organisation, while also getting to know the local culture. Dr. Julie Richards writes about her own experiences in India, as well as of the groups of students she brings over every alternate year. FOR as long as I can remember, I have been intrigued by India. As a young child, images of India, with such rich colours, textures, and overcrowded cities, intrigued me. I was from New York and have always been an extravert who loves crowds.…
India is the land of yoga and by extension, a source of spirituality to outsiders. The hub of this is Rishikesh, where the annual International Yoga Festival hosted by the Parmarth Niketan Ashram attracts many visitors. But why is Rishikesh the hub and what is the attraction that yoga holds? Rena Pathak explains it all. PARMARTH Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, is one of India’s largest ashrams, nestled between the lush, pristine Himalayan forests and the banks of the divine Mother Ganga. On the opposite bank of the Ganga lies the outer edge of Rishikesh, the city and land known as…
Tourists travelling to India for medical reasons, is a triumph for Indian medical expertise and quality of its healthcare, even though a majority of Indians themselves do not have access to these facilities. Be that as it may, Indian medical tourism continues to see a healthy growth, says S.Saraswathi. TOURIST destinations in India today are no longer confined to the Taj Mahal, the temples of South India or the beaches of Goa. Our state-of-the-art hospitals are attracting a fair share of ‘medical’ tourists from across the globe these days. India is fast growing into one of the leading and most…
Ananda in the Himalayas, a luxury destination spa and Kalari Kovilakom in Kerala, a palace of Ayurveda, may seem like they are at the opposite ends of the spectrum. One is located in the Himalayan foothills and the other in the deep South. But in fact they have a great deal in common – an unwavering commitment to wellness and authenticity and to India’s ancient healing systems Text and photos: Gustasp & Jeroo Irani Ananda in the Himalayas THE Maharaja of Tehri Garhwal looked down at us benignly from his gilded portrait that hung on a wall of the elegant,…
After years of neglect India has woken up to its tourism potential. But this will be tourism with a difference, says V. Gangadhar. MANY nations survive on tourism. But for years we have missed the bus. Now, there is hope. Agencies after studying the tourism issue submitted detailed notes to the Union government on improving the tourism potential. Let us have look at the details which include the problem areas. Medical Tourism: Befitting our size, India offers an amazing variety of medical tourism sites which should bring millions here. Every state offers its own brand of medical tourism. The number…
The river Cauvery often beckons the denizens of Bangalore. The Galibore Nature Camp on the banks of Cauvery is the perfect starting point for those who want to start their acquaintance with this river. E. Vijayalakshmi Rajan tells you the reasons why. THE weather in Bangalore was warm, though not unpleasantly so. But it was tempting to get out of the city for a couple of days. The landlocked city, with its congested traffic felt a bit stifling. We had for long heard about the Galibore Nature Camp on the banks of the river Cauvery, about 100 km from Bangalore.…
An archer was giving a demonstration of his art, and the crowd that had gathered was full of admiration for his skill. There was loud applause when he threw an apple into the air and shot three arrows into it before it hit the ground. Only one man, a sour-faced fellow who seemed to be a hawker of some sort, seemed unimpressed. “It’s all a matter of practice,” he sneered. “Can you shoot better?” asked the archer. “I can’t shoot, but I can do something else,” said the man, keeping down a bag he had with him. He took out…
It is bustling with activity and has a thriving economy, finds out Disha Shetty as she takes a slum tour of Dharavi that is meant to paint a positive picture of India’s largest slum. Join her and five hundred others who reportedly take this slum tour every day. NO, the smell of garbage will not assault you. The homes have roofs and children play happily outside the pakka structures that have TV, fridge and even air conditioner. Men – mostly migrants – are hard at work at the various small scale industries in India’s largest urban slum – Dharavi. They…