Kerala Celebrates President Trophy Boat Race On The 1st November 2016

PRESIDENT TROPHY BOAT RACE 

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ASHTAMUNDI LAKE

The PRESIDENTS TROPHY BOAT RACE is the much celebrated highlight of the popular ASHTAMUNDI REGATTA and takes place annually in KOLLAM when Kerala celebrates its birthday on the 1st of November.

During this season, the monsoon rains have stopped and the renewed landscape is vibrant and refreshed. Renown as a cashew paradise, Kollam, also known as Desinganadu, is then at the peak of its charms.

Kollam is the oldest port town in Kerala and as such has a rich water sports history. Since its inception in 2011, the President’s Trophy Boat Race at Ashtamudi has become a much loved addition to this legacy and attracts visitors from far and wide.

The whole Desinganadu (Kollam) is enveloped by lush green. Tradition has it that Kollam, the oldest port town in kerala is the history chest of myriad activities. Worldly known as the cashew paradise, Kollam has been an effective trade centre. Laced with eight points of Ashtamudi lake kollam has its rich water sports history.

Since its inception in 2011 President’s trophy boat race, Ashtamudi has captured the imagination of water sports lovers from far and wide, apart from enthusing the spirit and elan of Kollam legacy.

The Ashtamudi Lake – the beautiful, serene and calm water with mind boggling greenery on the banks also is gifted with unique representative features - the sea, plains, heritage monuments, rivers, streams, backwaters and the woods.

The location of the boat race is at Gateway of Ashtamudi. Starting from the water column near Thevally Palace, the race finishes at the house boat terminal. As the oarsmen throw their oars in to the waters in unison to the fast paced rhythm of the vanchipattu (Song of the Boatmen), the huge black crafts slice through pristine race course of Ashtamudi Lake to a spectacular finish. Hundreds of spectators, including tourists from abroad, throng the lake front and the rest is moments of excitement.

Refurbishment Work Of The Main Dome Of Taj Mahal Is Under Process

You will not be able to see the dome of Taj 

Mahal for a year; here's why

If you don't travel to Agra anytime soon, you might have to wait a year to see the Taj Mahal in its best form.

When things start getting messy, you do need to find a way to fix it. But this one seems heartbreaking for travellers, although necessary.

According to a report by The Times of India, the main dome of Agra's Taj Mahal will get a mud-pack therapy so that the white marble can get rid of the yellowness it has got over time.

And the worst part? It will take over a year for this process to complete. Which simply means that travellers will have to wait for a year just to see the Wonder of the World in its full glory.

Reportedly, the project will be carried by the Archaeological Survey of India's (ASI) science branch and they have already requested the civil department for a no objection certificate for the purpose.

Restoration work of the Taj Mahal is already under progress and thus three out of its four minarets have already been restored. The conservation work of the dome is slated to take place only after the restoration of the fourth minaret is complete. As revealed to TOI by a senior official of ASI, the work will be started by April 2017.

In case you are wondering what caused the white marble dome to yellow, it is simply because the monument has been affected by an oil refinery in the vicinity, factory fumes, and burning of garbage and dung cakes around it, reveals a report by The Huffington Post.

Every traveller would want the Taj Mahal to look best at all times, and thus support the restoration work it needs to go through. But in case you have been longing to see the legendary monument, you better make your travel plans to Agra in the upcoming winter.

Archaeological Survey Of India Introduces A New Licensed And Trained Guides For 360 National Monuments

Touts not allowed: Only ASI trained guides will be available at 360 Indian monuments

One of the bad things that travellers face at the Indian monuments is the presence of touts- -those untrained and unregistered guides who almost force you into hiring them for showing the place and telling you about its history.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has come up with a solution for this tourist harassment, reports The Times of India. ASI has introduced a new guide policy that will be implemented in all of its 360 monuments across the country.

According to this new policy, ASI will select individuals based on their merit and grant them a guide licence. Those who qualify for this license, will then need to undergo a six-week training programme provided by ASI.

Once this policy is implemented, these ASI licensed guides will be the only ones who will be allowed to provide guide services to tourists within the monuments that are protected by the central body.

"Guide licences issued by the tourism ministry would be valid and deemed to have been issued under this policy. Licences issued by any other authority would become invalid and no person would be allowed to act as a guide at centrally-protected monuments once the policy comes into effect," an ASI official told TOI.

ASI was prompted to bring about this policy after receiving numerous complaints about untrained guides and touts harassing tourists visiting Indian monuments. Commenting on this, an expert told TOI, "Foreign tourists have a particularly tough time as they are usually clueless about the norms and hire people posing as guides to tell them the history and background of the sites".

The ASI policy, through the authentic guides, also aims to provide tourists valuable information on accommodation, transportation, places of interest, markets, medical aid, helpline, and more, apart from the detailed information about national monuments.

Manas National Park – It Has The India’s Second-Largest Tiger Population.

MANAS NATIONAL PARK

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ASSAM

Manas National Park is a beautiful place, located in the six districts Kokrajhar, Chirang,Baksa, Udalguri, and Darrang in the state of Assam. Manas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Reserve, Biosphere Reserve, National Park and also a Wildlife Sanctuary.

The park is situated near the Manas River which is one of the major tributaries of the Brahmaputra River and divides the park in two halves. Located in the Himalayan foothills, it is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan.

Manas was proposed a Reserve Forest in 1905, and declared a Reserve Forest in 1907. In 1928, it was declared a Game Sanctuary.

Manas Game Sanctuary was declared as a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950. Manas was declared as Biosphere Reserve under Man & Biosphere Programme of UNESCO (total area – about 2837 Km²) in 1989.

Manas was declared as a National Park in 1990. Total area of the park is about 500 Km². The name ‘Manas’ is derived from the Hindu deity, the snake goddess ‘Manasa’ and is also shared with the Manas river that transverses through the park.

The park is known for its rare and endangered endemic wildlife. Manas is famous for its population of the Wild water buffalo, rare golden langur and the red panda. The park is also home to some of the rare wildlife species including one horned rhinos, leopards, clouded leopards and the amazing black panthers. Apart from the wild beasts, the place is haven for local and migratory bird- A paradise for watchers.

Manas is recognized not only for its rich biodiversity but also for its spectacular scenery and natural landscape which includes a range of forested hills, alluvial grasslands and tropical evergreen forests. Its home to India’s second-largest tiger population.

Twenty-one animal species listed in Schedule 1 of India’s national Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 live in the grassland ecosystem of the park, including tigers, Asian elephants, one-horned rhinos, golden langurs and golden cats, hispid hares, swamp deer, gaur and clouded leopards.

Manas was declared as a National Park in 1990. Total area of the park is about 500 Km². In 2003, Manas was declared as Chirang – Ripu Elephant Reserve under Project Elephant. It was removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger, following the advice of IUCN, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee in 2011.

Trips Timings

Morning – 9 AM to 12 PM

Evening – 2 PM to 5 PM

Entry Fee

Indian – Rs. 20/- Per Person

Foreigners – Rs. 250/- Per Person

Jeep entry fee – Rs. 300/-

Still camera – Rs. 50/-

Video camera – Rs. 100/- (Indians)

Video camera – Rs. 500/- (Foreigners)

Safari charge

Indian – Rs. 120/- Per Person

Foreigners – Rs. 750/- Per Person

An eight-seater boat ride costs Rs. 8,000 which can be shared by tourists.

By Air 

Nearest airport is Guwahati airport, about 170 Km from the Manas National Park. Guwahati airport is well connected by road to Manas National Park.

By Rail 

Nearest railway station is Barpeta railway station, about 50 Km from the Manas National Park. Barpeta railway station is well connected by road to Manas National Park.

By Road 

Manas National Park is well connected to Major Cities and Places by road network. There are a number of government and privately operated vehicles that go to Manas National Park at frequent intervals.