3. •LAND OF ALL SEASONS
•ECO TOURISM
•THE EMERALD ISLANDS
•PROMOTING TOURISM
4.
5.
6.
7. •Atithi Devo Bhavah is a Sanskrit verse which simply means –
consider the guest as god.
•This value-laden statement is drawn from an ancient
scripture Hindu religion which has always been the ethos of
Indian culture.
•Recently, this value laden verse has found its place in the
tagline of Ministry of Tourism to improve the treatment of
the foreign tourists coming in the country due to the
popularity India has gained in the recent times as a favorite
tourist destination.
•The reasons for India becoming one of the most sought
destinations are not based on some myth or chances.
• It is chiefly because of the range of choices available to
the visiting tourists in the country in terms of places,
geographical locations, rich historical art and artifacts,
culture and cuisines that attract more and more tourists in
India.
8. • There are beautiful snow-capped mountains, deep valleys,
flanking coastlines and beaches, doons and lakes, forts and
monuments, forests and wildlife sanctuaries and many other
places of high interests in the country.
•On the top of it, the chanting of mantras, the ancient
practices of Yoga and spiritualism in the air raises the level of
curiosity among the tourists to visit the spiritual land.
•The Union Ministry of Tourism has chosen actor - Aamir Khan
as brand ambassador for the campaign of 'Atithi Devo
Bhavah' who endorses it at various platforms across the
mass media.
• The tourists had some complaints when they used to visit the
country like overcharging from the vendors, misbehavior and
unfriendly attitude. Responding to the need of the tourists,
Ministry of Tourism came up with the Social Awareness
Campaign for attitudinal and behavioural change towards the
tourists and so adopted the part of the verse – athithi devo
bhava from the Indian scripture itself so that it gives a
psychological impact upon the local populace to treat the
guests with love, respect and warmth.
9.
10. •Ecotourism is now defined as "responsible travel to natural areas
that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the
local people, and involves interpretation and education" (TIES,
2015). Education is meant to be inclusive of both staff and guests
Principles of Ecotourism
•Minimize physical, social, behavioral, and psychological impacts.
•Build environmental and cultural awareness and respect.
•Provide positive experiences for both visitors and hosts.
•Provide direct financial benefits for conservation.
•Generate financial benefits for both local people and private
industry.
•Deliver memorable interpretative experiences to visitors that help
raise sensitivity to host countries' political, environmental, and
social climates.
•Design, construct and operate low-impact facilities.
Recognize the rights and spiritual beliefs of the Indigenous People
in your community and work in partnership with them to create
empowerment.
12. Located about 900 km from India in the Bay of Bengal is the Andaman &
Nicobar Islands. These islands are one of the few undiscovered gems that
have escaped the clutches of mass tourism. There are no concrete-and-glass
resorts offering all-inclusive deals, no nightclubs / discotheques, no shopping
malls and no fancy restaurants. All you find here is gigantic trees, fresh air,
natural surroundings, rich flora & fauna, clear blue water and delicious food.
While the eastern fringes of the
Andaman Sea have now become the playground of the rich and famous in
Phuket and Langkawi, the Andaman Islands retain the original wild and untamed
character of this pocket of South East Asia.
Geographically, Thailand and Burma are much closer to the Andaman Islands
than India. The Andaman & Nicobar is a chain of islands includes about 572
islands in which most of them are inhabited. These islands are gifted with
sandy beaches, clear seawater, and coral reefs. Only 36 islands are inhabited
to the day, comprising a mix of colorful mainland Indian settlers, residual
refugee communities from Myanmar, and the mysterious and endangered
Paleolithic tribes of the Andamans.
The Andaman & Nicobar Islands are a veritable Garden of Eden and a
naturalist’s heaven. The clean environment, roads, greenery as well as
unpolluted fresh air attract all nature lovers. The tropical rain forests and
waters of Bay of Bengal are the home of a vast collection of plant, animal and
marine life. Topographically the islands are hilly in places fringed with coconut
palm, covered with tropical jungle and interspersed with flat stretches of
crescent shaped beaches.
13. Indians
Indian nationals need no permit to visit Andamans. However, permits are required
to visit Nicobar Islands and other tribal areas, which are given in exceptional
cases. Application on a prescribed form may be addressed to the Deputy
Commissioner, Andaman District, Port Blair.
BY AIR: The quickest and most convenient way to get to the Andaman is to fly.
Air Deccan, Indian Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet Lite (formerly Air Sahara), Spice
Jet and Kingfisher all have daily regular flights to Port Blair from Calcutta &
Chennai.
BY SEA: You can choose to travel by ship – which takes 60-72 hours and is only
for the tough. There are three to four sailings every month from Calcutta and
Chennai to Port Blair and vice-versa.
Distance by Sea (kms)
Between Port Blair & Chennai- 1190
Between Port Blair & Calcutta- 1255
Between Port Blair & Vishakapatnam- 1200
Distance by Air (Kms.)
Between Calcutta & Port Blair- 1303
Between Chennai & Port Blair- 1330
14.
15. Port Blair is the capital of the Union Territory of
Andaman & Nicobar Islands. It is located on the east
coast of the South Andaman Island. Port Blair is the
gateway to the pristine islands.
Port Blair is also an Island town offering water based
activities like snorkeling, scuba diving, sea-cruises, and
glimpses of the history and culture of the region. The
Aberdeen Bazaar forms the centre of the town. Most of
the restaurants and hotels are around this area. The
main bus station is just west of the bazaar and the
Airport 4 Kms. to the south west. The main passenger
dock for ferries-the Phoenix Bay Jetty is 1 Km. to the
North West.
16.
17. The tradition of kite flying has been followed over generations in our
society. People of all ages go out in the open and try their hand at
kites. Festivals such as Basant and Makar Sankranti usually complete
with a game of kite flying. Terraces and rooftops are used in places
where fields are difficult to find to play this traditional sport. The
festival is regarded as the change of season, marking the movement
of the Sun into the northern hemisphere - a celebration to mark the
end of winter. The clear blue skies and cool breeze provides a
feeling of joy and delight to all who celebrate this occasion. Kites
are representative of man's spirit and imaginative powers.
The history of kite flying is beautifully depicted in the Kite Museum
of Ahmedabad. India developed a rich tradition of kite flying
because of Kings and Nawabs, for whom the sport was both
entertaining and a way of showing their power. Kings used to employ
trained flyers to fly kites for them. Gradually, the art started
becoming famous, and today it is enjoyed in forms such as this
particular Kite Flying Festival. The festival is held each year in
important cities of Gujarat as well as neighboring states. The
festival draws expert kite-makers and flyers not only from cities of
India but also from around the world.
18. The Elephant Festival is an annual festival which is
held every year in the Pink City, Jaipur.ThiS
matchless event is organised on the full moon day of
Phalgun Purnima which falls in the month of
February/March. It is celebrated on the day before
the festivals of colours i.e. Holi. From the ancient
times, elephants have always been an important part
of the Indian society. The Elephant-headed God,
Ganesha, believed to be the remover of obstacles
and foremost to all the gods, is revered and
devotedly worshipped in all the parts of India. They
are also one of the most important parts of religious
events, marriage ceremonies, processions, etc. and
in the historic time, they were a significant part of
the battlefield.
19.
20. Gangaur is one of the most vivid festivals rejoiced with great
enthusiasm and happiness all over the Indian state of Rajasthan. In
the word Gangaur, 'Gan' is the synonym for Lord Shiva whereas
'Gaur' stands for Gauri or Goddess Parvati. But mainly, this festival
is held in the honour of Goddess Parvati as she is regarded as the
epitome of marital love, strength, courage, power and excellence.
During the festivities, married women worship Goddess Parvati for
the long life, well being and wealth of their husbands while the girls
pray for getting a smart and an understanding life partner. The
festival is rejoiced in the month of Chaitra, the first month of the
Hindu calendar and falls in between March and April, according to
Gregorian calendar. It begins on the very first day Chaitra month,
the day after Holi and is celebrated for 18 days. Also, it marks the
end of winter season and the coming of spring season.
21. Teej, a three-day-long Hindu festival, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and
Goddess Parvati. It falls in the month of Shravana or Sawan and
Bhadrapada or Bhado, that corresponds to the Indian monsoon season
of July - August - September. The exact day on which it is celebrated is
determined by the moon’s cycle.
This festival is celebrated in different states - Rajasthan, Bihar, UP,
Punjab, Jaipur, Haryana and even Kathmandu - and different
religions with different names. The Sindhi community also celebrates
this festival by the name of Teejri.
There are 3 variants of Teej festival, namely Hariyali, Kajari and
Hartalika Teej. Each of them is celebrated with equal vigour and
fervour by women.
On the occasion of Kajari Teej, we bring you an insight into the Teej
celebrations. Kajari Teej, also known as Badi teej falls during Krishna
Paksha of Bhadrapada month according to the North Indian calendar.
TEEJ FESTIVAL
22. The Tourism Special Event will be structured in the form of short
forwarding-thinking presentations by the UN agencies followed by an
interactive roundtable discussion to address tourism’s potential for
development in LDCs and the range of technical assistance services that
follow these main themes:
Building good governance and sustainability in tourism development;
Promoting domestic and foreign investment for
sustainable tourism development;
Fostering poverty reduction through linkages
between the tourism sector and local
suppliers of goods and services; and
Supporting human resource development
through improved education, training and
decent work,
including related capacity building,
in the tourism sector.
