TEMPLE TRAIL: ATTUKAL BHAGAVATHY TEMPLE

The coastal state of India has always been an exception to the Indian rule and a mix of contradictions. The state which elected the first Communist State in the country, has never reelected a party in the elections and has alternated between a Congress and a Left Ministry for decades now. It also has a well entrenched RSS network and an equally strong Muslim League. The interests of the Church, always finds an echo in the Kerala Congress with its roots firmly entrenched in the Central parts of the State. The State has however never faced religious riots of the kind seen in other parts of the country in the last few decades. A testimony to the unique social fabric of this place.

It enjoys the highest literacy rates and has probably the best quality of life index. It is also the most backward in terms of industrial development and survives on inward remittances of the millions who labor for relatively low wages in the Middle East and a few others who do slightly better in the United States and UK, thanks to the IT industry.


Female infanticide is almost unheard of here and adoption of the girl child is on par with that of the male. Female literacy is on par, if not better than that of the male. Enrolment of female students in professional courses is again reflecting a similar trend Employment figures also do not show any discrimination or skew. It is therefore not surprising that the Guiness Book of Records should list the ATTUKAL PONGALA in Trivandrum as one of the largest congregation of women for a festival or religious ritual. The Guiness Book of Record mentions a figure of 1.5 million devotees in 1997 and the figure is likely to be double the same according to volunteers. The serpentine queues that curve out from the temple premises now reach the Statue junction towards the northern side which is nearly 8 kilometres away!!


The Pongala festival held annually at the Attukal Devi Temple in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala is a ritual where women alone are allowed entry and permitted to participate. It is therefore called the “Streekalude Sabarimala” which means that it is the “Sabarimala for women”. For those who are not familiar, the Sabarimala Temple admits only men and women who are past 60 years of age and is a popular religious destination for millions of devotees.

At the Attukal Pongala it is interesting to see men do a role reversal and play a supportive role by providing help and support to their spouses, siblings and daughters by arranging transport and providing amenities on the outskirts of the temple premises. It is not an uncommon sight to see women being escorted back by the men and children after the strenuous ritual and there seem to be small groups involved, with a spirit of fraternity and a spirit of cooperation clearly discernible. In fact most houses near the temple keep pots of "sambaram" ( buttermilk) near the doorstep for devotees who may be thirsty and provide them access to the sanitation facilities in the house should it be requested by them even though they may be strangers from out of town. A spirit of common cause seems to bind everyone together for a day, it would seem. This festival cuts across caste barriers which is otherwise a bane of the Kerala Society. As the fame surrounding this event grows,so does the strength and intensity of belief it would seem. Women brave the scorching  summer of the "kumbha masam" (February-March) and wait patiently in the hot afternoon sun to light the pyre for the ponkala and the heat from the million fire stove makes the mercury climb a few inches. But the women seem undaunted by all this and complete the chore with devotion and with the firm belief that their prayers will be answered. These women are not illiterates steeped in superstitious rituals but include IPS officers, beauty queens who appear on international fora, rich businesswomen and film stars with millions in their bank accounts.

For those who rattle imaginary sabers and wage idiotic war with the theme of women are better than men and are discriminated and launch seminars and conferences, this little event in a corner of the world is a quiet reminder of how nature intended life to be, which is to do what comes naturally in a spirit of cooperation and devotion.



For details of this event and the temple, go to



http://www.attukal.org/pongala.htm


http://www.attukal.org/


http://www.onamfestival.org/attukal-pongala-festival.html

CHINA: RAIL TRAVEL IN CHINA

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The Temple Trail: Sivarathri

Every year India observes the day of Sivarathri in the early part of the year to commemorate the day when Lord Siva is supposed to have nearly swallowed the poison that came out of the churning of the ocean Palazhi. He is supposed to have kept the poison in his throat on his wife's bidding and not swallowed it. To avoid any harm he stayed awake the whole night for the poison to settle. Since then he is also called "neela kantha" or the Blue Throated One. Many say that this is an allegory to the many evil and poisonous instincts that we have in us that should not consume us nor should be acted out but kept in abeyance. Rituals and mores surrounding this have meant that Sivarathri is celebrated with devotees staying up all night and praying to the Lord keeping him company. In Haridwar there is a Maha Kumbh where people pray at the Ganges which is supposed to have its origins in Kailas , Lord Shiva's abode.
It is also common to find many travelling to the northern districts during these occasions.
Links on Sivaratri:

When is it observed?
http://www.mahashivratri.org/when-is-shivaratri.html

A wiki on sivaratri
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maha_Shivaratri

The Sivaratri at Haridwar a tourist attraction.
http://news.outlookindia.com/item.aspx?674490

 LINGASTHAKAM

OUTBOUND TRAVEL FROM INDIA- TTFOTM 2010 MUMBAI

The TTFOTM, an acronym for the Travel and Tourism Fair –Outbound Travel Mart is in its 20th edition and growing. Conducted by Fairfest Media Ltd , it has shows in Chennai and Bangalore in January every year, in Mumbai and Delhi in early February, in Hyderabad and Calcutta in July , and finally in Ahmedabad and Surat every August.
Given the increasing trend in outbound traffic and the stability and resilience of the Indian economy, the participation in these fairs, is not surprisingly, enthusiastic. At the Mumbai event, the general visitors who paid up a modest Rs 20/- for entrance, were at least 3000 daily, according to estimates. The trade visitors arriving to strike deals with the various tourism boards were a separate lot.  What is also worth mentioning is that an increasing share the outbound trade market is now originating from the mini metros and the small towns, which were hitherto not considered viable by many tour operators according to some of the travel professionals present.
The other trend is the increasing popularity of home stays. This seems to have picked up dramatically in Kerala. With a yawing gap between the five star luxury hotels and the cheap and dubious economy hotels that cater to back packers, there is an opportunity for home stays that provide affordable lodging and provide an authentic feel of the place and its culture.
Web portals like make my trip and time share players like Mahindra Resorts seem to be increasingly entering the travel arena and for good reason, it would seem.
Ends…

 

Japanese National Tourism Organization

  

From Russia with love :)

Hongkong, here we come:)

Naturally Nepal!

Kenya they claim  is magical, but that is if you like wildlife and safari's! 

Maldives, the sunny side of life:)

The China National Tourism Administration, as a destination it is expected to land at the top of the table pretty soon. Inflow of tourists is way ahead of India's.

Jamaica , probably the cricket connection?

Macau was the venue of the film event IIFA( Indian International Film Academy) and the casino there helps :) It is also touted to be the Venice of the East !

The Egyptian Tourism stall, did not find any belly dancers in action though :), however lots of mummies and daddies showing interest here :)

Pattaya and Phuket, Thailand is a popular destination!

Canada, Turkey and Tanzania were also in attendance though the pictures are uploaded.

Himachal had a presence.

Gujarat seems to opening its doors.

Terrorism notwithstanding, J&K is inviting visitors.

Incredible India which was coined by Prathap Suthan still has currency,

the stall was to promote the North Eastern states.

Maharashtra Tourism had its stall, they are happy to welcome "tourists"!

 

Rajasthan Tourism, not just for high celebrity weddings and VIP's !!

Learning from the Kerala model?

Nainital, Mussorie, Jim Corbett park, lots of hill stations and colonial heritage on display!

Pink chaddis notwithstanding, its a green flag for visitors. Heritage at Hampi, Mysore, Brindavan gardens are big draws as is Bangalore which was once the air-conditioned city, though now its the software and BPO hub.

Kerala seems to be moving to homestays and they already have a Union of owners:)

  

The boat tragedy was a set back and the land title problems in Munnar are a controversial issue,

however, the promotional efforts are going on with vigour.  The recent decision of the Centre to cut back project allocation may have served as a wake up call.

The Aitken Spence group was present, as did the Mahindra Holidays people, make my trip and arzoo were the digital players with stalls, Raja Rani  had a huge area, so did Guideline and the Aqua Suna group. At Rs 13,500 per sqmt, it must have been a value for money proposition.

Ends...

INDIAN TOURISM UPDATES: JAN 2010

 CODE OF CONDUCT FOR TOURISM
http://www.4to40.com/indian_travel_places/indian_travel_news_index.asp?id=550

 INDIAN HOTEL INDUSTRY: INCREASE IN ROOM INVENTORY
http://www.4to40.com/indian_travel_places/indian_travel_news_index.asp?id=512

KERALA TOURISM PROJECT ALLOCATION BUDGETS NIXED BY CENTRE
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/In-a-first-tourism-minister-cuts-funds-to-Kerala/articleshow/5536879.cms

FIGHTING SWINE FLU AUG 2009: ARCHIVES
http://www.4to40.com/indian_travel_places/indian_travel_news_index.asp?id=381&travel_news=Himanshi_Dhawan

INDIAN TOURISM: SURAJKUND FESTIVAL

http://lifestyle.in.msn.com/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=3601209