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Yayavar
Buddha beckons you. Waiting for you is the second Bauddha Mahotsava which begins at Rajgir in Bihar on October 24. The Mahotsava will continue till November 4.
The Mahotsava begins with the inauguration of a three-day festival at Rajgir, the capital of 4 century B.C. Magadhan empire, construed as the first recorded capital in Indian history. The festival will include the anniversary function of the Vishwa Shanti Stoop.
On October 30, the scene of the Mahotsava shifts to Bodhgaya, home to the Mahabodhi tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment. The highlight of the day is the reception of the holy ashes to be brought from the Patna Museum. This would be followed by the formal inauguration of the Mahotsava on October 31 and the opening of a series of exhibitions organised by the partner missions.
There will be an illumination ceremony of the Mahabodhi temple and other religious and cultural events, in collaboration with the partner mission of the Tibetans.
On November 1, cultural and religiousfunctions will be organised in association with the Thai Monastery, a partner mission at the Mahotsava. You will witness a peace harmony march by monks drawn from various missions at Bodhgaya, on November 2. The Sri Lankan Mahabodhi Society will put up a cultural performance to commemorate the event.
On November 3, the holy ashes of Lord Buddha will be taken out in a procession to Patna Museum. Deizokyo Monastery of Japan and Royal Bhutanese Monastery will organise religious and cultural functions. The concluding function of the Bauddha Mahotsava will be held at Sarnath in Uttar Pradesh on November 4.
There is a good news for those interested in visiting places associated with the Bauddha Mahotsava. The ITDC travel arm, Ashok Tours and Travels, in collaboration with the Indian Railways, is planning to introduce package rail tours for those wanting to visit destinations like Bodhgaya, Rajgir and Nalanda.
For details, contact: Ashok Tours and Travels, Third Floor, New Delhi House, 27 Barakhamba Road,New Delhi-110001; Ph: 3320948/ 3313233.Scenic South
International Travel House, an ITC Group company, is offering a special recreational five night/six day package to the southern part of India covering Thiruvananthapuram/ Kovalam/ Thekkady/ Alleppy.
The trip commences with the arrival at the Thiruvananthapuram airport and transfer to the Hotel Beach Resort-an enchanting resort nestled in a natural bay in the midst of swaying palms and golden sands. A swim in the emerald waters, followed by an exquisite Indian, Chinese or Continental meal served at the indoor open restaurants along with popular seafood specialties will make this visit most memorable.
The sightseeing begins with the visit to the internationally renowned Kovalam Beach and the Padmanabhaswamy temple-a magnificent monument with excellent murals and inscriptions. Also, there is the Sri Chaitra Art Gallery which houses Rajput paintings, Mughal miniatures and Tanjore paintings, along with paintings from Japan, China and Tibet.
Thenext stopover is at the Napier Museum. Alternatively, an invigorating session of Ayurvedic body massage can be arranged for the interested tourists.
The next destination is Thekkady, located in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, one of the largest game reserves in India. An exciting boating expedition at the Periyar lake gives you an ideal chance to see elephants, deer, bisons and other wildlife.
The next stopover is at Alleppy (175 km from Thekkady)-often referred to as Venice of the East. Here, you will see the breathtaking beauty of backwaters and experience live images of ethnic folk. Alleppy has a unique network of inland lakes, lagoons, canals and waterways.
The tour cost is Rs 8,970 per person on twin sharing basis (using a non air-conditioned Ambassador car) and Rs 9,900 per person on twin sharing basis (using a air-conditioned Ambassador car). The tour cost is inclusive of accommodation on full board basis (all three meals per day), sightseeing and boat cruise as per itinerary, transportation bynon air-conditioned Ambassador car from arrival at Thiruvananthapuram till departure at Kochi.
These rates are valid till September 30. The package is also valid from October 1, 1999 till April 2000. The tour will cost Rs 12,925 per person (using non air-conditioned Ambassador car) on twin sharing basis and Rs 14,025 per person (using air-conditioned Ambassador car) on twin sharing basis. The tour price is not inclusive of air fares or any other expenses not mentioned above.
For bookings, contact: International Travel House, Kamal Tiwari, T-2, DDA Community Centre, Sheikh Sarai Phase I, New Delhi. Ph: 6230381/6230808
Special package from Radisson, Kathmandu
The newly opened Radisson Hotel in Kathmandu has tied-up with Standard Chartered Bank to promote their `Believe in the best' package to Standard Chartered Gold Cardmembers, estimated to be around 40,000 all over India. The members get to stay an extra night free of cost at Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu, making it a six day/five night stayinstead of the package offer of five days and four nights.
`Believe in the best' package has been launched by the hotel in association with BPL which entitles all the guests to a complimentary BPL gift of their choice-a BPL 14'' colour TV or a BPL washing machine or a BPL CD music stereo system.
In addition, the usual benefits that come with the package are airport-hotel-airport transfers, welcome drink on arrival, fresh fruits and cookies in-room, breakfast and dinner daily at a special price of Rs 20,500. In addition, a guest could participate in a slogan contest by filling in a questionnaire. A panel of judges will select the best slogan and the winner could drive home in a Santro!
What's more, Standard Chartered's Instabuys provides cardmembers an option to buy the package now and pay through an easy monthly installment plan that is as low as Rs 1,118.26 per month over a 24-month period. A real goodie for the upmarket Indian business/leisure traveller. Reservations for the above package can be madedirectly with any of the Radisson Hotels Worldwide sales and reservation offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Chennai and Bangalore.For fuerther details, contact: Block E, No. 5, Commercial Complex, Masjid Moth, Greater Kailash II, New Delhi-110 048; Ph: 6473331/6473333/ 6489841; Fax: 6489841; E-mail: radisson@ del2.vsnl.net.in.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
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This story was printed from Net Express located at http://www.expressindia.com. Net Express provides a portal to India, with news from The Indian Express and The Financial Express along with sites on travel and tourism, the entertainment industry, the power sector, the environment and much more.
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