Goa India

26

12views

Read More: Goa India, Goa Tourism India Tourism, India, Slidepollajax, Travel News

A Portuguese colony for almost 500 years, the south Indian state of Goa is a chimera of cultures and a travel magnet for beach bums, hippies, foodies and party animals alike. Its swaying palms and white sandy beaches, charming Indo-Portuguese architecture, colorful parades and festivals and a famous laid-back reputation attract 2 millions visitors annually.
The best time to visit Goa is in the winter months in the northern hemisphere (between November and March) when there isn't as much rain and the weather is cooler than normal.
We bet you'll soon join the crowd!

India contestant crowned Miss Earth 2010 | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

LookAtVietnam - Nicole Faria from India beat 84 contestants across the world to win Miss Earth 2010 title in Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, Vietnam on Saturday night, December 4.

The panorama of Miss Earth 2010 final night
At the pageant’s final night hosted at Vinpearl Land Resort, the first runner up went to Miss Ecuador Jennifer Stephanie Pazmino.

Miss Thailand Watsoporn Wattanakoon has won the second place and  Miss Puerto Rico Yeidy has ranked the third.

The top seven contestants are from Indian, Venezuela, Ecuador, South Africa, Puerto Rico, Thailand and Japan. Miss Vietnam World 2010 Luu Thi Diem Huong has been listed in the top 14.

The winners of Miss Earth 2010 pageant:

Miss Earth 2010 Nicole Faria

The top four contestants

India's Biggest Actor

Balding, paunchy, 61-year-old Rajinikanth is an unlikely leading man. But his new film, out this week, looks set to break all records

By Andrew Buncombe in Delhi

Sunday, 3 October 2010

afp/getty images

'Endhiran' is the latest highly dramatic outing for Rajinikanth

• enlarge

In Mumbai, the print of his film was driven at dawn to a temple by horse-drawn carriage in order for it to be blessed. In Chennai, the 4am showing of the film sold out, forcing fans to hustle to get tickets for the 5am slot. In Milton Keynes, movie reviewers were charmed, and in the US, hard-to-get tickets were reportedly selling for up to $40 (£25).

This is how things are in the world of Rajinikanth, an Indian movie star of utterly larger-than-life proportions whose every film is a guaranteed hit. Remarkably, while he may be little known outside India, Rajinikanth is the second highest-earning Asian actor, pipped for the top spot only by Jackie Chan.

This weekend, the 61-year-old veteran of more than 150 films is earning even more money. The star's latest film, Endhiran – English title The Robot – opened to good reviews and huge, adoring crowds who queued overnight outside cinemas across the nation to watch the latest, high-adrenaline adventure. Inside, the audiences shouted and cheered at their hero's unlikely moves while outside fireworks were set off and drums played.

But this movie is different for several reasons. Not only is it the most expensive Indian movie in history, costing around 1.6bn rupees (£23m), a vast sum for a film in this country even if it's nothing compared to Hollywood. But the film was also simultaneously released globally at more than 2,000 cinemas, the largest ever distribution for an Indian film and a decision that underscores the star's appeal with south Asian communities around the world.

"He has a tremendous following. I'd say he is the ultimate Indian movie star," said Taran Adarsh, a leading film critic. "Other film stars could not get away with what he does in films – he shoots with his fingers, he swallows helicopters and he turns into an anaconda – but whatever he does the fans love."

Even by the usually brash standards of popular Indian cinema, Rajinikanth is no ordinary star. A balding former Bangalore bus conductor who makes no effort to hide his paunch, the actor has a connection with fans that his rivals can only wish to match. He famously makes little effort at realism in his films.

Rather, they are usually unbelievable stories in which his performance is completely over the top. There is lots of comedy as well, and plenty of music and dance routines. The actor's trademark move is to throw a cigarette into the air, catch it deftly between his lips and then light it, all in one move.

"He is no mere actor – he is a force of nature," said Grady Hendrix, writing in the online magazine Slate. "If a tiger had sex with a tornado and then their tiger-nado baby got married to an earthquake, their offspring would be Rajinikanth."

What makes the actor's story and record-breaking success even more intriguing is that he is not even a product of Bollywood, the much-celebrated Hindi-language movie industry based in Mumbai. Rather he comes from what is sometimes known as Kollywood, the Tamil-language film scene based in the city of Chennai. In Chennai, formerly known as Madras, Rajinikanth's new film opened in 45 cinemas on Friday.

For years, Rajinikanth, whose real name is Shivaji Rao Gaekwad, worked as a struggling stage actor. Once he made his breakthrough, he never looked back. There have been occasions when directors have tried to kill off one of his film characters and fans have responded by threatening to burn down cinemas.

His new film tells the story of a robot, played by him. The film's team includes Yuen Wo-ping, who worked on The Matrix, Stan Winston Studios, which worked on Jurassic Park, and the Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, best known in the West for the score to Slumdog Millionaire.

First reports say the sci-fi movie's technical effects and graphics are better than in any previous Indian movie and for the first time are of international standard. It's also estimated that this latest offering will set a new box office record for the nation. The legend of Rajinikanth is set to soar even higher.

Indian Idols in Concert

Photography Times: Indian Idols - Live in Concert

Posted: 26 Sep 2010 08:16 AM PDT

Hyderabad played host to local boy and the Indian Idol 5 winner Sreerama Chandra Mynampati (more popularly known as Sreeram Chandra), runner up Bhumi Trivedi and finalist Swaroop Khan in a live concert - first time in Hyderabad after Sreeram was named the Indian Idol 5 on August 15 this year. Indian Idol is an adaptation of the Pop Idol format and has run five successful seasons.
The concert was held at Shilpakala Vedika - a rather beautifully maintained concert hall amidst towering hubs of IT Parks at the famed Hi-Tech City area of Hyderabad. Parking was surprisingly hassle-free and the crowd was well behaved and that added to making the high-energy performance of the talented youngsters a memorable evening.
Swaroop Khan kicked off with his trademark folk number that was an instant hit with the audience. The shy youngster strode off the stage as soon as he was done singing his number prompting the host of the show to comically remark - "If a girl were to say 'I Love You' to Swaroop, he would bow with utter humility and say 'Thank You, Madam' and go his way". He was followed by runner up Bhumi Trivedi who performed a mix of Hindustani and the rap version of Spice Girls' Wannabe.
Eventually the audience was treated to the man of the moment they were all waiting for and Sreeram Chandra did not disappoint. From a hip shaking movie song, to a Telugu classical to a Bhangra mix where Swaroop and Bhumi joined him - he only reinstated his talent that got him to be the Indian Idol.
It was also my first attempt at a full-fledged Concert Photography, ending up watching pretty much the whole show through my Viewfinder. I'd devote a separate post on the unique technicalities of shooting under tricky and unpredictable lighting of concerts, but here is a collection of photographs summing up the event.
Swaroop starts off with a folk number.

Bhumi Trivedi - Indian Idol 5 Runner-up.

Audience was on its toes for the percussion-filled rap of Spice Girls Wannabe.

Sreeram Chandra - Indian Idol 5 Winner.

Play of lights.

Bhumi joins Sreeram with the Bhangra approaching.

Delhi attacks raise Games concern -20 September, 2010

Delhi attacks raise Games concern -20 September, 2010: "Delhi attacks raise Games concern

The attack on tourists in Delhi ahead of next month's Commonwealth Games has reinforced fears that the city is at ''high risk'' of an attack by local terrorists.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs has released an updated travel advisory to include an incident on Sunday in which a busload of Taiwanese tourists was fired at by a person riding pillion on a motorcycle.

Two of the tourists were shot but survived.

''Australians in New Delhi should be aware that the Commonwealth Games will be held in a security environment where there is a high risk of terrorism,'' the advisory states.

An Islamist group called the Indian Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack.

Tour operators dismissed concerns that the incident was a terrorist attack.

Rajeev Kohli, joint managing director of Creative Travel India, said, “In my personal opinion, the level of the attack does not seem to be the work of any terrorist organisation for the target was too insignificant and the area affected very limited.”

In a statement, Cox and Kings India said all guests in Delhi were safe. “With enhanced security the situation in Old Delhi is normal,” the company added.

by Ian Jarrett

Luxury India hotel brands targeted by investor-30 August, 2010

Luxury India hotel brands targeted by investor-30 August, 2010: "Luxury India hotel brands targeted by investor

India's largest private firm, Reliance Industries, has bought a 14 per cent stake worth US$217 million in one of the country's most luxurious hotel chains.

The giant conglomerate, headed by India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, said its unit Reliance Industries Investment and Holding had acquired the stake in East India Hotels, which owns the Oberoi and Trident brands.

In November 2008, The Oberoi and adjoining Trident hotels in Mumbai were both attacked by terrorists.

Thirty-five people died at The Oberoi and Trident. The Trident reopened within a month while the more badly damaged Oberoi began receiving visitors again in April.

AFP said East India Hotels and the Indian Hotels Company Ltd, a unit of the giant Tata Group that operates the luxury Taj Mahal Palace and Tower hotel, which was also attacked, both saw profits plunge after the high-profile assault

Music to start your Day

bject width="660" height="525">

India warns BlackBerry makers, messing service could be shut down

NEW DELHI — India warned the makers of the BlackBerry Thursday its messaging services could be shut down if it failed to give security agencies access "in readable format" as a compliance deadline loomed.

The warning came as local media reported a decline in sales of BlackBerry smartphones amid consumer uncertainty over whether the government would impose a ban on August 31 on messages carried on the handset.

"In case no solution is provided, those services which can not be intercepted and monitored in readable format may be banned by the government," junior minister of state for telecoms Sachin Pilot told parliament.

India's home ministry said earlier this month it would cut off the corporate email and messaging services unless BlackBerry's Canadian maker Research in Motion (RIM) gave security agencies access by August 31.

India, the world's fastest-growing cellular market, is a crucial marketing target for RIM as increasingly affluent Indians buy smartphones.

RIM said earlier this month it was "optimistic" it could avert a threatened shutdown by India of the core features of the smartphone over security worries, but it has made few public comments as the deadline approached.

Home Secretary G.K. Pillai was due to make a final decision on BlackBerry's fate at a meeting next Monday, the day before the August 31 deadline, an official at the home ministry said, declining to be identified.

"We hope for a satisfactory resolution," the official told AFP.

Home Ministry officials have been holding discussions with RIM technical representatives and cellular phone companies on ways to break the impasse.

India, battling insurgencies from Kashmir in the northwest to the far-flung northeast, has raised fears that BlackBerry services could be used by militants.

Islamist militants used mobile phones to coordinate the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

India has already sent a notice to mobile operators ordering them to ensure security agencies can monitor BlackBerry messages by the end of the month.

The cellular operators are legally obliged to ensure security agencies have access to all services carried on their networks.

A shutdown would affect corporate users among BlackBerry's 1.1 million customers, whose communications have a higher level of encryption. India can already monitor so-called BlackBerry "consumer mails" that are less encrypted.

The Hindu : Front Page : Facebook No.1 social networking site in India

Facebook No.1 social networking site in India Sandeep Joshi


NEW DELHI: Facebook has dethroned Google-owned Orkut as No.1 social networking site in India. With over 2-crore visitors last month, Facebook has shown stupendous growth in the past few months, overtaking Orkut, said global research firm comScore, Inc.
“Facebook.com posted an especially strong month in July, growing 12 per cent versus June but 179 per cent up versus a year ago, to capture the top spot in the category with 2.09 crore visitors. Orkut ranked second with 1.99 crore visitors — up 16 per cent versus year ago,” it said. These two sites were followed by BharatStudent.com with 44-lakh visitors, up 3 per cent.
Interestingly, Twitter.com had the highest rate of growth among the top five social networking sites, increasing 239 percent to 33-lakh visitors, while Yahoo! owned two of the top 10 social networking sites — Yahoo! Pulse (35-lakh visitors) and Yahoo! Buzz (18-lakh) visitors, it added.
More than 3-crore Internet users aged 15 and older in India visited social networking sites in July, representing 84 per cent of the total Internet audience. India is the seventh largest market for social networking, after the U.S., China, Germany, Russian Federation, Brazil and the United Kingdom. The total Indian social networking audience grew 43 per cent in the past year, more than tripling the rate of growth of the total Internet audience in India.
“The social networking phenomenon continues to gain steam worldwide, and India represents one of the fastest growing markets at the moment,” said Will Hodgman, comScore executive vice-president for the Asia-Pacific region. “Though Facebook has tripled its audience in the past year to pace the growth for the category, several other social networking sites have posted their own sizeable gains,” he added.
Orkut has decided to provide its users more control over data-sharing by allowing them to define and customise group settings. “We've created this new functionality to give Orkut users more privacy and control over how they share content,” Google Product Director Victor Ribeiro said.

Accor: We’ll be No 1 in India-18 August, 2010

Accor: We’ll be No 1 in India-18 August, 2010: "Accor: We’ll be No 1 in India

Accor says it is on target to be the number one international operator of hotels in India by 2015 with 90 hotels across all segments of the market from low cost to luxury.

Since Accor entered India in partnership with InterGlobe in 2004, eight hotels representing 1,525 rooms have opened and a further 52 hotels with over 10,000 rooms are committed,

Between now and the end of the 2012, 21 hotels will open adding over 4.800 rooms to Accor’s Indian hotel network.

Pacifica, a joint venture between Host Hotels and Resorts and the real estate investment arm of the Government of Singapore Corporation (GIC) has recently taken a stake in Accor’s and InterGlobe’s expansion plans for India through the creation of a new joint investment fund.

This fund will initially have seven strategic assets which will all be managed by Accor.

Through the ibis hotel joint venture between Accor and InterGlobe, 19 ibis hotels have been committed.

During the first quarter of 2011, two additional Accor brands will debut in India with the opening of a Sofitel in Mumbai and Pullman in Gurgaon.

Accor’s low cost Formula 1 brand will also open its first hotel for India in the second half of 2011.

Accor will invest predominantly in the low cost to midscale segments and operate as a manager in the upscale and luxury segments of the market.

New Delhi faces low CWG turn-out

New Delhi faces low CWG turn-out - News - PATA: "New Delhi faces low CWG turn-out

Posted: Wed 18 Aug, 2010 12:00 AM
New Delhi faces low CWG turn-out

New Delhi, which was gearing up for an anticipated 40,000 extra rooms for the Commonwealth Games in October, is seeing a dismal state of hotel bookings so close to the event.

A report in the Times of India quoted Rajindera Kumar, president, Federation of Hotels and Restaurants of India, as having said that if the worrying trend continued, it would lead to hotels adopting the distress strategy of slashing rates.

Poor marketing of the event and concerns about adequate security are believed to be the key reasons for why tourists and even some athletes, are shying away.


- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Woman reportedly pregnant for nearly two years | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update

Woman reportedly pregnant for nearly two years | Look At Vietnam - Vietnam news daily update: "Woman reportedly pregnant for nearly two years

August 14, 2010 about News, Social

LookAtVietnam - Nguyen Thi Chien, 25, in Hiep Hoa district, the northern province of Bac Giang has reportedly been pregnant for nearly two years.

Chien’s husband, Duong Van Tuan, 35, claimed that his wife has been pregnant for 21 months. He explained that his wife saw doctors the first time when she was over three months pregnant.

Doctors examined her and made an ultrasound scan, saying the child was a boy and very healthy. They calculated that she would give birth in early September 2009.

The woman had no labor pain on the days that doctors anticipated. At a local hospital, doctors examined her again and told the family they must wait because Chien has not begun labor yet. The placenta clung to the womb, so they couldn’t perform an operation, which could cause hemorrhaging.

For two months afterwards, Chien still have no sign of labor pain though she still felt the child move. When she was 11 months pregnant, the couple went to the Central Obstetrics Hospital in Hanoi and doctors still said that they must wait.

“I have been waiting for my wife’s labor for nearly one year. But I can’t wait anymore because the fetus is 21 months old already. Doctors at the Central Obstetrics Hospital made an appointment for us on August 20 to decide on an operation, but I’m so anxious, I will bring my wife to the hospital tomorrow,” Tuan told VNExpress online newspaper on August 12.

Dr. Tran Danh Cuong, chief of the Central Obstetrics Hospital’s Obstetrics 1 Ward, said this is a very weird case. He stated that no child can live for over 45 weeks in the womb. “No doctor should let a woman be pregnant for 21 months,” Cuong confirmed.

VietNamNet will bring our readers updated information about this case.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Mumbai Travel Facts

"The Basics

City Name: Mumbai

Where is it located?: Mumbai is in western India on Arabian Sea. It’s an island connected with bridge to the mainland.

Why do people go there?: Mumbai is the industrial city of India, exporting more goods than anywhere else in the country. With an English feel, it’s also home to Bollywood, India’s and the world’s biggest market of cinema.

How do travelers get there?: Mumbai has more domestic flights than anywhere else in India. There is a great train network to get you elsewhere in the country.

Currency: Rupee

City Code: 22

Population: 18 million

Languages: Hindi & English, there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu
Travel Information

Neighborhoods: Breach Candy, Navy Nagar, Kamathpura

Attractions: Crawford Market, Colaba, Marine Drive

Accommodations: New Delhi Hostels

Tourist Office: India Tourism Office

Off-the-beaten-path: Elephanta Island

Health Issues: Cholera, Dengue Fever, Hepatitis, Malaria, Meningococcal Meningitis, Typhoid
Tips for Visiting

When to go: India is vast – with various mountain ranges, ecosystems and climate factors that make it impossible to say the best time to visit India. In one part of the country it will be cool, and in the other part it will be humid, hot and raining. Generally speaki

Common Phrases: Hello=Namaste/Namaskar; How are you?=Kaise hain?; I am fine=Main theek hoon; Can you please help me?=Kya aap meri madad karenge?; What is your name?=Apka naam Kya hai?; Yes=Haan; No=Nahi; Thank you=Shukriya/ Dhanyavaad

City Specific Events: Elephanta Festival: February. Ganesh Chaturthi: August/September

How to get around?: Local transport runs the gamet of the experience. It all depends upon how much money you want to pay an how much of the experience you want controlled, although it seems like nothing works in Inida.

Good to know: There are good cheap domestic flights from Mumbai to elsewhere in India.

Cheapest airport to fly into: The cheapest airport to fly into Mumbai is the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport.

Need more information?: Check out the Mumbai travel guide for more on what to see, where to stay, and how to get there.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Agra Travel Facts

City Name: Agra
Where is it located?: Agra is in northern India very close to New Delhi.

Why do people go there?: Agra is the headquarters of the tourist circuit in northern India. It’s a home to one of the most extravagant building in the world, Taj Mahal.

How do travelers get there?: Travelers generally come from Delhi via bus or tour group.

Currency: Rupee

City Code: 562

Population: 1 million

Languages: Hindi & English, there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout n
Travel Information

Attractions: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort

Accommodations: India Hostels

Tourist Office: India Tourism Office

Off-the-beaten-path: Lower Haramsara

Health Issues: Cholera, Dengue Fever, Hepatitis, Malaria, Meningococcal Meningitis, Typhoid
Tips for Visiting

When to go: India is vast – with various mountain ranges, ecosystems and climate factors that make it impossible to say the best time to visit India. In one part of the country it will be cool, and in the other part it will be humid, hot and raining.

City Specific Events: Taj Mahotsava: February

How to get around?: Local transport runs the gamut of the experience. It all depends upon how much money you want to pay and how much of the experience you want controlled, although it seems like nothing works in India.

Good to know: Trips to Agra can easily be done in a daytrip from Delhi.

Cheapest airport to fly into: Agra Airport also called as Kheria Airport is the major airport of travelers taking cheap flights to Agra

Need more information?: Check out the Agra travel guide for more on what to see, where to stay, and how to get the

The Basics-Agra

The Basics

City Name: Agra
Where is it located?: Agra is in northern India very close to New Delhi.

Why do people go there?: Agra is the headquarters of the tourist circuit in northern India. It’s a home to one of the most extravagant building in the world, Taj Mahal.

How do travelers get there?: Travelers generally come from Delhi via bus or tour group.

Currency: Rupee

City Code: 562

Population: 1 million

Languages: Hindi & English, there are 14 other official languages: Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil, Urdu, Gujarati, Malayalam, Kannada, Oriya, Punjabi, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, and Sanskrit; Hindustani is a popular variant of Hindi/Urdu spoken widely throughout n

Travel Information

Attractions: Taj Mahal, Agra Fort

Accommodations: India Hostels

Tourist Office: India Tourism Office

Off-the-beaten-path: Lower Haramsara

Health Issues: Cholera, Dengue Fever, Hepatitis, Malaria, Meningococcal Meningitis, Typhoid

Tips for Visiting

When to go: India is vast – with various mountain ranges, ecosystems and climate factors that make it impossible to say the best time to visit India. In one part of the country it will be cool, and in the other part it will be humid, hot and raining.

City Specific Events: Taj Mahotsava: February

How to get around?: Local transport runs the gamut of the experience. It all depends upon how much money you want to pay and how much of the experience you want controlled, although it seems like nothing works in India.

Good to know: Trips to Agra can easily be done in a daytrip from Delhi.

Cheapest airport to fly into: Agra Airport also called as Kheria Airport is the major airport of travelers taking cheap flights to Agra

Need more information?: Check out the Agra travel guide for more on what to see, where to stay, and how to get there.

Finding Authenticity Amongst the Over-Rated

Finding Authenticity Amongst the Over-Rated | BootsnAll Travel Articles: "“Want to come to Sarnath tomorrow?,” my friend Evan asked, deep into his second Kingfisher of the evening. I was sitting in Varanasi’s German Bakery, hanging out with the clique of backpackers I’d befriended in my four days on the banks of the Ganges.

“Nah, I have a ticket to Agra.”

Like many other travelers jaded from the road and from too many flips through the Lonely Planet, Evan thought himself the authority on what not to do in India. To hear him tell it, Agra was the ultimate tourist trap. Everyone else at the table agreed. Dirty, smelly, dusty, hot, and infested with touts and petty criminals. Ripoff central. The last place in the world anyone in their right mind would want to go.

Early the next morning I was Agra-bound, sipping chai on the Patna Mathura Express. What I found when I got there surprised me. Rather than a gauntlet of scams and nuisances to be put up with, Agra was a highlight of my two months in India. Approaching it with openness and optimism, in many ways I found the “Real India” most travelers spend their whole trip searching for.

The journey from train station to guesthouse is the most vulnerable moment for a backpacker in India. A million things can go wrong. There are evil rickshaw drivers with designs on your pocketbook. Everyone you meet has an uncle who runs a hotel or a silk shop, not to mention the ability to obtain every mind-altering substances from whiskey to heroin and back. There are purse snatchers, bag slashers, and urchins who’ll throw shit on your shoes and demand a thousand rupees to clean them off again.

guybbikescooter

I found none of this in the deserted Agra train station. I hoisted my pack onto my back and stepped outside. A few autorickshaw drivers loitered outside, patiently waiting to be approached. It was like the twilight zone -– “What country am I in, again?” Later I realized that, by arriving in Agra from Varanasi in the middle of the day, rather than from Delhi on one of the early morning super-express trains, I’d missed the tourist rush and the Beatlemania-esque mob that accompanies it. This was the first of many lessons Agra would teach me.

The second lesson? Just as it’s easy to avoid the hassles of arrival by showing up at an unexpected time, it’s easy to avoid the touts and hawkers by simply ignoring them. Walk down the street, head high, looking as though you have serious business to attend to. If your body language tells them you’re not interested in hotel rooms or marble trinkets, they’ll eventually get the message and back off a little. Of course, you still have to keep your commitment to ignoring them, because this doesn’t mean they’re not going to approach you. It means they’re prepared to accept that you’re not interested.

All of that said, sometimes the difference between frustration and success is knowing when to open yourself up. I came to Agra to see the Taj Mahal, but I came to India in search of adventure. So when a voice called out, “You need rickshaw, madam?” I turned around and said, “How much to Metabh Bagh?” a local park across the Yamuna River which barely rates a mention in the guidebooks. We were off the main drag before I could get settled in the back seat.

On my tourist-centric map of Agra, Metabh Bagh looked nearby, just behind the Taj Mahal. Lalu the rickshaw driver seemed to be heading away from the Taj, however, deeper and deeper into some unknown part of the city. Backpacker bars and souvenir shops fell away as we coasted through the winding streets of the old city, past madrasas, bazaars, and crumbling havelis. Men lounged on charpoys, alternately spitting tobacco and sipping tea from terra cotta cups. Women drew water from street corner hand pumps to fill stainless steel jugs they carted home on their heads. Boys in white caps and pale kurta-pajama outfits interrupted their cricket game to move out of our way.

2_metabhbaghThe call to evening prayer came from a thousand directions — there are as many mosques in Agra as there are churches in rural Mississippi or caffes in an Italian town square. We passed a tractor. Then a bullock cart. Then a convoy of camels. I was along for the ride and loving it, so deeply part of the experience that I forgot to take out my camera.

We came to the bridge that was studded with potholes, some of them so severe that I could see the river below us. Visions of travel insurance danced through my head. 
After what seemed like the longest river crossing in history, we headed through the slums that line the flood plain of the Yamuna and approached the park through a scrub of trees. The sky was beginning to break out into shades of pink and deep violet. Lalu parked the rickshaw and wandered off in search of paan.

I was alone in a crowd of local kids who come to Metab Bagh to do what kids all over the world do in parks. The younger ones horsed around in the sandy dust of the riverbank while the older ones clustered in small groups to gossip about the events of the day. Shy couples held hands, occasionally making a break to hide among the trees. I remembered that I was a tourist with a camera, standing here in the middle of the middle of the north Indian heartland, watching the sun set in the backyard of the Taj Mahal. How long had I waited for this? How many times had I declared that I wanted to see “The Real India”?

The real India was still making its presence known through my guesthouse window when my alarm clock went off at 4:30 the next morning. In the first call to prayer of each morning, the muezzin cries, “Al-salatu khayru min an-nawm”: prayer is better than sleep. I staggered out of bed, ready for the India traveler’s equivalent. I’d watched the sun set over the Taj Mahal among the locals; now I would watch it rise shoulder to shoulder with my fellow tourists.

2_tajdawnAdventures off the beaten path are the experiences that entice us to travel, but sometimes paths are beaten for a reason. You really can’t visit Agra without a stop at the Taj Mahal, and the best way to do this is to arrive when the site opens, just before sunrise. The marble is cool against your bare feet, and the perfume of the rose gardens wafts in the morning air. Even off the postcards and big as life, the Taj Mahal can’t help being sort of a cliche. But it’s an endearing one, and even hardened cynics leave the Taj a little more innocent than we arrived.

Another well-tread path awaited me at outside the gates. The lane that connects the Taj Mahal’s main entrance with the supporting tourist infrastructure is a gauntlet of trinket shops and travel agencies, all with proprietors desperate to prey upon that newfound innocence. At the end of this gauntlet lies the best breakfast I ate in all of northern India.

Joney’s Place is the sort of restaurant that anyone who considers herself a traveler rather than a tourist instinctively knows to avoid. There are grimy photographs of nuclear-hued Full English Breakfasts on the wall above the counter. Laminated testimonials dripping with Aussie slang are displayed at each table: “Don’t worry, the food isn’t spicy at all. This is our second time eating here, and we haven’t got sick yet!” But it’s here. The chai is boiling, the chappatis are bubbling, and it’s completely free of touts.

At the counter, I asked the bent-over chef, “I’d like what you’d eat for breakfast. And please make it spicy!” Moments later, a platter appeared laden with masala chai, fresh yogurt, and an aloo parantha studded with chili. I sat with myself, my meal, and the Times Of India’s crossword page in one of the testimonial-covered booths, in mouth-burning culinary heaven. The chai was tooth- rottingly sweet, in the way that is only permissible here, and delicately spiced with cardamom and clove. The tart yogurt, a perfect foil for the exquisite torture of the parantha. I knew that, in asking for heat, I had set myself up for the chef to see exactly what kind of damage he could inflict. It’s a point of honor, a sacred compact between eater and cook.

My eyes watered over my crossword, and I thought of Evan back in Varanasi, who had rejected Agra without even seeing it. There and then, I vowed never to forget that authentic experiences can even be found in a hokey tourist restaurant in the center of the biggest hellhole in the most overrated city in India.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

India to target Google, Skype messaging next - FT | Reuters

India to target Google, Skype messaging next - FT | Reuters: "Aug 13 (Reuters) - India may shut down Google (GOOG.O) and Skype Internet-based messaging services over security concerns, the Financial Times reported on Friday, as the government threatened a similar crackdown on BlackBerry services.

The Financial Times quoted from the minutes of a July 12 meeting between telecommunication ministry security officials and operator associations to look at possible solutions to 'intercept and monitor' encrypted communications.

'There was consensus that there [is] more than one type of service for which solutions are to be explored. Some of them are BlackBerry, Skype, Google etc,' according to the department's minutes. 'It was decided first to undertake the issue of BlackBerry and then the other services.'

On Thursday, the Indian government became the latest of several nations that have threatened to cut off Research In Motion's (RIM.TO) (RIMM.O) encrypted BlackBerry email and instant messaging services if the Canadian company does not address national security concerns. [nSGE67B09R]

India has set an Aug 31. deadline for RIM. It wants access in a readable format to encrypted BlackBerry communication, on grounds it could be used by militants. Pakistani-based militants used mobile and satellite phones in the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.

India's demands follow a deal with Saudi Arabia, where a source said Research In Motion agreed to give authorities codes for BlackBerry Messenger users. The United Arab Emirates, Lebanon and Algeria also seek access.

Officials say RIM had proposed tracking emails without sharing encryption details, but that was not enough.

The Financial Times report said representatives from two of the telecom operator associations present confirmed the details of the meeting earlier this month.

'At the last security meeting, the agencies were talking about BlackBerry. They were also coming out heavily on Skype and Google,' said Rajesh Chharia, president of the Internet Service Providers Association of India.

A shutdown would affect one million users in India out of the smartphone's 41 million users. India is one of RIM's fastest growing markets.

RIM, unlike rivals Nokia (NOK1V.HE) and Apple APPL.O, operates its own network through secure servers located in Canada and other countries, such as Britain.

RIM's shares ended more than 2 percent lower at C$56.44 in the Toronto market.

In a matter of a few weeks, the BlackBerry device -- long the darling of the world's CEOs and politicians, including U.S. President Barack Obama -- has become a target for its sealed email and messaging services with governments around the world. (Writing by Miral Fahmy, editing by Dhara Ranasinghe)

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

India Radio Mirchi reports net profit

Radio Mirchi reports Rs 4 crore net profit in Q1

Submitted by Avneet Sidhu on Sat, 08/07/2010 - 16:37

Leading private FM radio operator Entertainment Network India or ENIL has announced its first quarter financial results for the fiscal year 2010-11. Leading private FM radio operator Entertainment Network India or ENIL is popularly known as Radio Mirchi.

According to the company, it has registered a significant Rs 4.3 crore of net profit for the first quarter of the continuing financial year.

Radio Mirchi has managed to produce an impressive show in net profit rise as compared to a sever loss in the same quarter last year.

The firm has suffered a net loss of Rs 1.4 crore for the June quarter of the previous fiscal. There has been a significant growth in the EBITDA as well.

The company has posted an EBITDA of Rs 14.5 crore which has been a mammoth 57% rise against last year.

The total revenue has gone up by 14.5% has touched to Rs 57.5 crore. ENIL's consolidated total income for April-June quarter is found out to be Rs 115 crore with a growth of 31.7%.

17,000 people in India hired by Capgemini

Capgemini, the Paris-headquartered information technology services and consultancy firm, plans to hire 17,000 people in India [ Images ] in 2010, said the company while announcing its second quarter results. Its headcount in India at present is 26,000.

"The first half of 2010 was a good period for Capgemini India, both for our domestic market operations and our global delivery work. The recovery, which started in the latter part of 2009, is now visible strongly. We added more than 40 clients in India over the last 18 months and are seeing significant momentum across industry verticals and the public sector," said Salil Parekh, executive chairman, Capgemini India.

From a global delivery standpoint, he said, the leverage of India within the Group had seen significant growth. India, for Capgemini, has evolved into an innovation hub.

The company has set up Global Centres of Excellence in Mumbai [ Images ], Delhi [ Images ], Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata [ Images ] and Pune, catering to global and domestic clients.

"Today, India is central to Capgemini's Rightshore delivery model, with 26,000 people and 27 per cent of global employee headcount. We will recruit 17,000 people in India in 2010 and will announce expansions of our facilities to accommodate this growth," added Parekh.

The company's second quarter and first-half results saw stabilisation of the main markets in which the Group operates.

The 2010 first-half revenues fell 3.8 per cent compared to the first half of 2009 but increased 5.4 per cent on the previous half-year. In the second quarter, revenues at Euro 2,159 million increased 5.2 per cent compared to the previous quarter.

Capgemini saw sequential revenue from France [ Images ] grow 1.1 per cent, UK & Ireland grew 3.8 per cent, Benelux grew 2.9 per cent and the Rest of Europe, Asia and Latin America grew 3.2 per cent. Revenue from North America was the strongest, at 16.7 per cent.

However, the first half of 2010 did witness pressure in Europe. Revenue from its main region, Francem was down 2.7 per cent compared to H1 of 2009. Similarly, UK & Ireland was down five per cent.

Paul Hermelin, CEO of the Capgemini group, said: "Strengthened by this above-expectations performance and the marked increase in bookings, the Group will enjoy a return to growth in the second half of the year. We have now relaunched a dynamic recruitment policy and will focus particularly on our five global service lines, in order to satisfy the new expectations of our clients."

The company expects revenue growth in India of three to five per cent for the second half of 2010.

BS Reporter in Mumbai

Source: 

MakeMyTrip, India's Largest online travel company to become to hold initial share sale in USA

July 26 (Bloomberg) -- MakeMyTrip Ltd., India’s largest online travel company, aims to raise as much as $100 million on the Nasdaq Stock Market to become the nation’s first firm to hold an initial share sale in the U.S. in four years.

Morgan Stanley, Oppenheimer & Co. and Pacific Crest Securities LLC will manage the offering, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing yesterday. The company will be India’s first to list in the U.S. since Mumbai-based back-office services provider WNS Holdings Ltd. raised $255 million in July 2006, according to Bloomberg data.

MakeMyTrip, based in Gurgaon near New Delhi, will use the proceeds from the share sale to acquire or invest in businesses and for working capital, it said. The company is the largest Indian online travel firm based on gross bookings last year, it said, citing data from travel research firm PhoCusWright Inc.

The company began operations in 2000 by offering travel services to non-resident Indians in the U.S., according to the filing. It started offering services domestically in September 2005, and posted a loss of $6.2 million for the year ended March, according to the filing.

--Editors: Chitra Somayaji, James Gunsalus
To contact the reporter on this story: Ruth David in Mumbai at rdavid9@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brett Miller at Bmiller30@bloomberg.ne

India Unveils 'Laptop' Costing $35

India Unveils 'Laptop' Costing $35: "India’s Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal unveiled a touchscreen tablet that he claims they will be able to produce for just $35. The device is being aimed at students, and seems to be taking the One Laptop Per Child idea and running with it. 'Despite the price, users will get a touch-screen, a PDF reader and a webcam for video conferencing. There has been no confirmation of its specifications but reports suggest 2GB of memory, Wi-Fi and Ethernet and power consumption at just 2W. Naturally, the device will run Linux.'

The device was developed by the the Indian Institute of Technology and the Indian Institute of Science as part of a national initiative to provide technology to the educational system. If the R&D has already been done, and that substantial capital expenditure doesn't need to be built into the price, and it'll be using a Free operating system, it's not too far-fetched to claim that the hardware could be built for $35. The iPhone costs less than $180 to make, and it's substantially smaller, more powerful, and more feature-rich.

I think that the best thing that could happen to this project would be to make these devices widely available to enthusiasts in the developed world as soon as possible, at a small profit. At under $50, a lot of geeks would buy them as curiosities, and I'd bet that a robust hacker culture would develop around them. Not only would some of that enthusiasm result in software and hardware improvements that could be folded back into future versions of the $35 device, but the more people out there using these, the more meaningful students' work with them would be, since they would be learning with a device that's popular with hackers worldwide.

On the OS front, I can see dozens of customized Linux distros being released for this device, to serve various purposes, from scientific instruments to media players, which would only make the device's original aim of improving technical education for India's students more easily achievable.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Jet Airway shows Net Profit

MUMBAI — India's largest private sector airline, Jet Airways, has swung to a quarterly net profit from a loss a year earlier, led by a rise in passenger air traffic, a statement Friday said.
Jet posted a net profit of 35 million rupees (740,000 dollars) for the first quarter of the financial year to June from a loss of 2.25 billion rupees in the same period a year earlier.
Total revenues for the quarter rose 24 percent to 30.23 billion rupees.
"The airline has seen nine straight months of robust growth," Nikos Kardassis, chief executive of Jet Airways, said in a statement.
Jet said it suffered a revenue loss of 7.2 million dollars due to the impact of Iceland's volcanic ash eruptions in April which hit air travel globally.
In the quarter, international operations accounted for 56 percent of total revenues and the airline achieved a seat load factor of 80.1 percent compared with 76.5 percent a year earlier.
Jet carried 3.55 million passengers in the quarter, up 37 percent in the same period a year earlier.
The airline forecast a revival in demand for business class seats as India's economy grows strongly.
Jet shares fell 2.26 percent or 14.2 rupees to 614.1 rupees ahead of the earnings announcement.
Jet operates a fleet of 89 aircraft and flies to 66 destinations in India and abroad.
India's airline sector has been one of the most vibrant symbols of the country's economic progress.
The sector, which was hit by soaring fuel prices and the global slowdown last year, has been recovering in line with a rebounding Indian economy.
The economy is projected to grow by 8.5 percent this financial year to March 2011.

3 places to visit in India

India is a beautiful country in South Asia. It has been emerged as a globally famous tourism destination appealing tourists from all over the world. There are a number of exotic tourist places in this country which attracts tourists and vacationers through out the entire globe. Have a look at three great places to visit in India.
Delhi – Delhi is the capital city of India. It is an ancient and historical city with many historical and heritage monuments and other ancient and modern attractions. City tour in Delhi is a unique experience as it provides tourists a deep insight into rich culture and cultural heritage of India. The city is home to three world heritage sites. They are Red Fort (one of the most opulent mughal monuments in India), Qutub Minar (the longest brick minaret in the world) and Humayun’s Tomb (the first garden tomb of India). India Gate (war memorial monument), Old Fort, Lotus Temple (one of Seven Wonders of India), Akshardham Temple (the largest Hindu temple complex in the world), Lodhi Gardens, Laxmi Narayan Temple, President House, Parliament House, Raj Ghat (the Gandhi Memorial), etc are key attractions of Delhi city tours and travels. Indeed, Delhi is an important and must visit tourist place in India. Certainly you will love to explore Delhi on your India visit. Delhi is also base to visit Agra – the City of Taj Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Varanasi, Khajuraho, Shimla, Manali, Jaipur, Jaisalmer etc are some other important tourist places which can be conveniently accessed from Delhi.
Rajasthan – Rajasthan is one of the most visited tourist places in India. It is a great tourist place with great tourism opportunity and excellent accommodation facilities. Jaipur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Mandawa, Kota, Chittorgarh, etc are known tourist places in the royal and imperial state of Rajasthan. Rajasthan travel package provides tourist a wonderful opportunity to explore the historical cities of the states and many magnificent forts, palaces, havelis and temples. Rajasthan is also home to two national tiger reserves namely Ranthambhore National Park and Sariska Tiger Reserve. Famous Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is also in Rajasthan.
Goa – Goa is a tiny emerald land on the western part of India. It is the smallest but one of the most charming and captivating states of India. It has been emerged as a globally famous destination for marvelous tourism and holidays with great accommodation facilities. Beaches, churches, convents, temples, colonial homes, forts, palaces, wildlife, nightlife, beach parties, water sports, etc are featured attractions of Goa tourism. So Goa can be a very enchanting destination of itinerary of your India tours package.
There are many more tourist places in India which can be attractions of an India travel package. So, choose a right travel package and enjoy best of India tourism exploring its great tourist places.

The Road to Nowhere – Bidar, North Karnataka, India

The Road to Nowhere…
Bidar, North Karnataka, India

Another weekend is around the corner and I’m thinking of a place to go to. This feeling of restlessness envelopes me weekend after weekend – an all-consuming desire to move out of the trappings of a mundane city existence out into the open, where there is so much more waiting to be explored. As Friday approaches, my mind is agog with ideas on the options I have and by the time I leave office, I know where exactly I’m spending my weekend. This time it was going to be the quaint medieval town of Bidar in North Karnataka.
I took an early morning bus from Hyderabad from the Imliban bus stand, said to be largest in Asia. It was a cool July morning and I prepared myself for the 4-hour journey to Bidar. After crossing the extensive suburbs of Hyderabad, it is a rather plain journey with nothing much to write home about. I slept almost all the way. I had hot piping Idlies on a wayside stop before reaching Bidar at around 10 in the morning. I found a cheap place to stay and after taking a quick bath set out to explore the town. The best way to move around is the bicycle (ostensibly called ‘cycle taxis’). However one needs to show a proof of identity (which I didn’t have) to hire one from the many shops near the bus stand. This meant I’ll have to depend on public transport or walk the entire distance – not a bad prospect in the pleasant cloudy weather.

My first port of call was the Bidar fort, reminiscent of the glorious days of Bidar, and the chief attraction of the town. A moat several feet wide and three layers of huge walls guard the entrance to the fort. Most of the structures inside the fort are in ruins now but there is ample evidence of the grandeur that once was. Built in the 15th century by the Bahamani sultans, this is one of the largest forts in the country. For a fort this grand, it is surprisingly empty. There is a whole cluster of palaces inside the fort – Rangin Mahal, Tarkash Mahal, Gagan Mahal and Takht Mahal. Besides these, there is a huge mosque called the Solah Khamba Masjid, one of the largest mosques in India. The mosque has six rows of sixteen pillars each and hence the name. The view from inside the mosque is rather imposing with the huge bulbous dome in the center and rows of pillars all around it.

Adjacent to the mosque is perhaps the most beautiful of the palaces – the Tarkash Mahal. It is a seven-storied structure with three of the floors below the ground level. In fact it is said that the whole fort is as much below the ground as it is above it. Huge arched gateways and dilapidated, dark, narrow-winding staircases give the palace a rather eerie appearance. Through the several arched windows, you can look down on the entire town. Interestingly the palace walls are adorned with several typical Hindu motifs of creepers and animals, a testimony to the secular nature of this fort. I hired the gardener working on the lawns to show me around the palace and the mosque. Actually to be frank, I did not feel too comfortable going through the dark alleys and narrow staircases alone. Plans are afoot to organize Sound and Light shows in the fort and so the gardens are being done up and the fountains repaired. The other palaces too are in varying stages of decadence thanks to the fury of the elements and the disregard of the ASI. These days the fort acts, by turns, as a grazing ground for the cattle and as a cricket playground for the local lads.

All along the walls there are several bastions with huge cannons positioned in a couple of them. Standing on these bastions one can see a long way ahead. Beyond the fort walls are steep cliffs probably a couple of hundred feet or so in depth. The two temples inside the fort precincts further reinforce its secular nature. The curator of the museum is showing a European couple around the fort. I just tag along for some time listening to his animated commentary in broken English….more comic than informatory – not a very good way to showcase our prized treasures to the outside world. After spending a good couple of hours exploring the fort, I decided to move on.
Near the fort, in the heart of the walled city stands the Madarsa of Mahmud Gawan, a renowned Persian scholar in the 15th century. In its heydays, the madarsa attracted students from all over the Islamic world. It was struck by lightening leaving only one of the minarets intact and destroying a large part of the building. The huge courtyard of the madarsa serves as a kind of meeting point. When I went there around noon, there were people sitting on the steps reading newspapers and discussing the events of the day.

Next I set out for the Bahamani tombs, around 6 km away from the town in a small village called Ashtur. Unable to find a public transport, I walked the whole distance in the hot sun. The first tomb on the way is a beautiful octagonal structure called the Chaukhandi, the tomb of Hazrat Khalill Ullah, a revered saint of that period and the spiritual advisor of the Bahamani sultan, Allaudin Shah. Further ahead there is a whole cluster of the tombs of the Bahamanis and their families. Nothing very remarkable about these tombs except for the one belonging to Allaudin Shah, which houses a few Muslim paintings. However the tomb of Humayun, the cruel, which was split open into half by a lightening strike a few decades ago is quite…. well, striking. It is almost like an onion bulb cut into half along the vertical axis. The best part however is the location of these tombs. Far out into the countryside, within a clutch of trees, it offers immense quiet. I sat there for almost half an hour waiting for the bus to take me back to the town.

Next I decided to explore the Barid Shah tombs just beside the state transport bus stand. The tombs are located in lush green surroundings and are surrounded by trees all around. The best preserved of the tombs is the one belonging to Ali Barid. Unlike most tombs, this tomb is open on all the four sides and is on a raised plinth. There are remnants of colored tiles and beautiful calligraphy inside the tomb. Interestingly, near the tomb is the mass graveyard of the 64 mistresses of Ali Barid. The tomb acts as a kind of a community center for the entire town. When I was there around dusk, there were boys of all ages studying under the huge archways, a few middle aged pot bellied men trying to touch their toes and a whole lot of other people just gossiping their time away. In the fields around the tomb, there are football, volleyball and cricket matches in progress. The whole place looks very beautiful in the fading light of the day. I sat on the raised plinth for quite some time till it was quite dark and I felt the first pangs of hunger. Deciding to come back early next day, I left the place for my hotel.
Next day I woke up early to keep my date with the Barid Shah tombs. When I reached there, the same scene as yesterday repeated itself. Tens of children deeply immersed in their books, a few young men doing their daily exercises, men of all ages reading newspapers, a middle aged laughter club in progress and lot of people walking/jogging in the greens around. As the sunlight filtered in through the trees, the level of activity increased further. I find this idea of monuments being witness to generation after generation of human activity very overwhelming in some ways. More than five centuries ago, the Badiri Shahs would have been regular visitors to these tombs to pay their obeisance to the departed souls. If only these walls could speak, they would recount tales of bravery and grandeur, of love and faith, of debauchery and drunken revelry. After some more philosophical romanticizing, I returned back to the hotel to plan the day ahead.

The Karnataka government promises one of the ‘finest specimens of Chalukyan architecture’ in a small village, Jalsangwi, about 40 kilometers away from Bidar. Since I did not have any other plans, I thought I’d have a look. After much enquiring, I finally found a bus that would drop me on the highway from where the temple is another 2 kms away. After an hour in the bus, I got down on the country road to the temple. After more than 30 mins of walking through swaying fields of sugarcane and maize, I finally reached the village. The temple though was a disappointment. Though the figurines on the outer walls are beautiful and immaculately proportioned, the temple itself is in a sorry state. The locals gawk at the sight of a rucksack carrying lean guy clad in six-pocket gabs (wearing that was a mistake). I wandered around for some time before taking a bus back to Bidar. After reaching Bidar, I quickly had my lunch before starting on the journey back to Hyderabad.
As I board the bus back to Hyderabad, the sky is veiled in dark black clouds. Just as the bus turns into NH9, it starts to rain heavily. The sound of the rain lashing against the windowpanes and the gentle rocking of the bus soon puts me to sleep. I’m already dreaming of the next weekend.

The Golconda Fort – Hyderabad, India

An old, crowd-puller of a fort – and you’re welcome!

There are always the must-sees in every city. Hyderabad has its Golconda Fort – the ancient royal crowd-puller. It caught the fancy of the Qutubuddins of the yesteryears, then came Alexander the great, and now throngs of tourists visiting or residing in the city. Sometimes you wonder what is it that really drives people to ruins. A sense of curiosity, a peek into the past? A historian or geologist might be a rare specimen, but you’d mostly find curious tourists like you and me, climbing up the fort, clicking every corner, soaking in every view possible.

Touristy and avoidable weekend experience

I’m not a huge fan of crowds and I like having places to myself. Especially the impossible public ones, like restaurants and monuments. The fort, right at the outskirts of Hyderabad, is accessible in an easy drive of about thirty to forty five minutes. And unless you’re suffering from demophilia (a fondness for crowds), you’d rather enjoy the magnificence of such a place in more or less, your own company. Yet, since Golconda finds its way on every visitor’s Things-to-do-in-Hyderabad list, I’m just going to have to learn to share my space.

The entrée is similar to any other monument in India – long (but fast moving) queues, families in hordes excited about their outing irrespective of the place; also telling you that the big old Indian family is hale and hearty. Then of course we have the guides, desperate to be picked and last but not the least, the hawkers – selling you postcards even before you get in. Basically, the works.
Ramparts
Ramparts

The curious case of The Golconda Fort

As legend has it, the fort derives its name from Golla Konda, which is a Telugu word for Shepherd’s Hill. It’s when a shepherd boy stumbled upon (stumble.com’s inspired beginnings?) an idol on the hill, it led to the construction of a mud fort by the then Kakatiya dynasty ruler around the site. And voila – you have a Golconda!

Two must haves – Guide & Water

The weather’s usually hot. Begin your journey with a bottle of water which you will not find until a certain climb. I was reminded of my utter carelessness every few steps. And the next best thing would be to hire a guide, even though you might have done your Wiki references. Stories are always better told in person. So, let’s pause and remember our grandmothers here.

Clap for an attack

As you enter the main gate, known as the Fateh Darwaza (Victory Gate), you will be amused by all the clapping and chaos under a dome. This is where a guide comes in ‘handy’ – a hand clap at a certain point below the dome at the entrance reverberates and can be heard clearly at the highest point – the ‘Bala Hisar’ pavilion, almost a kilometer away. This worked as a warning note to the royals in case of an attack.
The clap can be heard here
The clap can be heard here

The Kohinoor

My parched journey continues towards the erstwhile home of the Kohinoor that actually lies in The Tower of London now. It is also known as the Mountain of Light that passed from one conqueror to another over some 400 odd years. At one time, Golconda was known to be the only diamond mine in the world. So all you women, come and pay your respects!

As we move up, soaking in some luxurious views of the city, we come across the Ramdas jail and the Mahakaali temple, which surprisingly wasn’t destroyed in the multi-cultural takeovers. I have great admiration for this sense of respect for another’s culture and traditions. Unlike the Bush’s of the world, perhaps, war had its method to madness then.

Having reached the Bala Hisar pavilion – the highest point of the fort, our guide roughly started shooing away a bunch of mirth-making youngsters who were hindering his moment of the day. He demanded silence, and then, clapped. Amidst our bated breaths, we heard the faint sound of a clap all the way from below! This was truly a moment. Like fascinated children, we asked them to repeat it a few more times. Sheer genius and creativity for times that didn’t have Google Maps or Dolby surround sound!


The story-telling light show

We were to assemble ourselves in an open amphitheatre arrangement on our way down, when our guide insisted on us walking to a tomb and made two of us face the wall corners in opposite directions. Then he asked one of us to whisper – literally whisper. The other one on the opposite side could actually hear what was being said – which was something as inane and obvious as “Hey, can you hear me?!” This had to be one of the most exciting moments of my visit to the fort, where our decibels went lower but the sheer excitement, much higher.

As it turned dark, the storytelling session began as a recorded narrative, lighting up spots & avenues that came across as a part of the story. The first change that I recommend here would be finding your place in some corner of the amphitheatre or some rock seating for the show rather than a chair arrangement – it would go a long way to make the audience an integral part of the place and the story. And the second one would be editing the tale itself! It’s long enough to put you to sleep – especially after the mildly tiresome excursion.

What I quite like about this fort is that it’s really been large-hearted to have retained the sentiments of another’s era and culture. The Golconda is a unique example of Hindu-Muslim architectural planning and influences. It retained the Mahakaali temple, called its jail the Ramdas Jail and also played home to some of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region. This piece-de-magnificence is characteristic of the engineering marvel, architectural precision and spellbinding craftsmanship over the centuries, which is evident through its ventilation, acoustics, water systems, secret escapes and enchanting entrances & domes.

I must admit, delighted I was to have done the much heard of Golconda fort, in spite of the lurking crowds and the heat. History sure knows how to command attention anywhere in the world. It may just be another old crumbling fort, but it has its enchanting moments for you. Go ahead, cut your ticket for a Golconda experience.

Mumbi Monsoons Rain, just find a cafe

Sajjad Hussain/Agence France-Presse — Getty ImagesPedestrians shelter under umbrellas during a downpour in Mumbai earlier this month.

Mumbai

POSTS | CITY GUIDE

With the arrival of the monsoon, Mumbaikars and visitors alike turn their focus towards dodging puddles and staying dry. But the three-month rainy season can be a remarkably pleasant time to experience the city; provided you’re watching the rain and not stuck in it. One of the best ways to do so is to find a cafe — one with good views of the cascading showers, of course — and settle in with a cup of tea, a snack or a hearty lunch.

The Champagne Lounge (Nariman Point; 91-22-6632-5757) at the recently reopened Oberoi Hotel is one such spot. Nestled in an alcove off the hotel atrium, the second-floor cafe offers sweeping views of the Arabian Sea. Try a glass of Champagne, a loose-leaf Darjeeling tea, or come between 3 and 6:30 p.m. for afternoon high tea, which includes sandwiches, pastries and scones (750 rupees, $16.18 at 46.35 rupees to the dollar).

For something a little more frugal, grab a cup of sweet milky chai (20 rupees) at the outdoor cafe of the Privthi Theater (20 Janki Kutir, Juhu Church Road, Juhu; 91-22-2614-9546). This hangout for the arts and theater crowd is freshly weatherproofed; you’ll hear and see the rain, but will be out of its direct path.

Or cozy up to one of Mumbai’s iconic dishes, the berry pulao (150 to 300 rupees) served at Britannia and Company (11 Sprott Road, Ballard Estate; 91-22-2261-5264). You can enjoy this generous pile of saffron-hued rice, mixed with mutton, chicken or a hard boiled egg, then topped with chunks of potatoes, crispy onions, fried cashews, and dried-red berries — while watching the rain pour down on the street from the open entryways. Just don’t leave your umbrella behind.