Pilgrimage Sites Rural Pleasures Indus Valley Great Food Year of India in Canada 2011

Incredible Culture: Pilgrimage Sites Rural Pleasures Indus Valley Great Food Year Of India In Canada 2011

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First & Business Class onboard Lounge. Within these pages learn about the During the Year Of India In Canada 2011 many beliefs held by Indians and their celebrations, look for trade shows and sacred places and festivals. Learn about festivals in the city near you. Turn to the ancient civilizations along the Indus page 14 for a schedule. Valley, and the contrasts of Andhra Pradesh where Hyderabad anchors For more information on travel to India’s software industry, and early India, contact Indiatourism, Toronto at Buddhist sailors embarked to spread [email protected] or visit the word. Learn to bargain, learn to www.incredibleindia.org. For more appreciate Indian cuisine. Most of all information on the Year Of India In learn to love this complicated, beautiful, Canada 2011 celebrations, visit exciting, serene country. www.yearofindiaincanada2011.ca

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27 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 3 HK#103140 (Bar Test) 1/3 pg Having Faith Discover India’s Kaleidoscope of Sacred Sites and Beliefs

by Judi Lees It is a misty morning on the Ganga River in Varanasi. As the sun sheds its early golden glow we sit in a boat to float a small candle and flower in the dark, wide water. Ghats – places of worship – border the shoreline and hundreds of Hindus are on wide steps or waist deep in the water chanting the Gayatri Mantra, an important and ancient Hindu prayer that some believe dates back 6,000 years.

Eighty-three per cent of India’s population Pilgrimage Places: Bodhgaya, are the master of your own destiny. They of 1.15 billion people are Hindus, Sarnath, Kaushambhi, Nalanda, believe in karma and meditation as means however, there are also followers of Shravasti, Kushinagar, Rajgir, Vaishali to enlighten and free the soul however, Buddhism, Christianity, Jainism and Festivals: Buddha Poornima because of stringent rules such as many more faiths in this culturally rich celibacy, the “great vows” are utilized by country. Since visiting sacred places is Christianity monks and “limited vows” are prescribed a burgeoning market in tourism today, The roots of Christianity run deep in for ordinary citizens. here are some highlights of India’s major Indian culture, dating from 52, when St. Pilgrimage Places: Palitana, Ranakpur, religions and pilgrimage sites. Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 apostles, arrived Sravanabelagola, Dilwara Temple, and spent 12 years preaching the word Khandagiri Caves, Undaygiri Caves Hinduism of God. The apostle arrived in southern Festivals: Festival of Navpad Oli, Diwali Hinduism is based on the four Vedas, India and even today the majority of the world’s most ancient scriptures. Indian Christians – about 2.3 per cent Islam Hindus believe in karma, that each of the population – live there, however, With a history dating back to the 12th individual creates his own destiny and there are many places of worship of all century in India, there are close to 150 they believe in reincarnation. The religion denominations throughout India. India’s million devotees of Islam. Their beliefs are encompasses every aspect of daily life. most famous Christian, Nobel Peace based on the Quran; there are six Articles Pilgrimmage Places: Allahabad, Haridwar, Prize winner, Mother Teresa, was born in of Faith – the first stating that Allah is God Varanasi, Vrindavan, Puri, Tirumala- Albania but became an Indian citizen and – and they follow the Five Pillars of Faith, Tirupati, Katra-Vaishno Devi Temple, made her life work in Calcutta. rituals that must be adhered to as part of Rameswaram, Dwarka, Mahabalipuram, Pilgrimage Places: Basilica of Bom their religion. Islam is the second-most Kanchipuram, Tanjore, Trichy, Madurai. Jesus, Church of St Cajetan, Church practiced religion in India, with more than Festivals: Holi, Dussera and Diwali. of the Sacred Heart, Santa Cruz 13.4 per cent of the population adhering Basilica, Cathedral Church of to its beliefs. Buddhism St Thomas, Little Mount, Basilica Pilgrimage Places: Jama Masjid-Old Believed to be the worlds oldest religion, of Our Lady of Good Health Delhi, Ajmer Sharif, Haji Ali-Mumbai, it is based on the teachings of Siddhartha Festivals: Easter, Christmas Fatehpur Sikri, Moti Masjid-Bhopal Gautama, known as the Buddha. Festivals: Ramadan The basics of Buddhism include Jainism the Middle Way (following a path One of the many doctrines of Jainism of moderation) and the Four Noble is to regard every living being as you Truths (the fact that life means suffering do yourself – in other words, be kind to and how this should be handled) and others. The members of this faith – meditating to reach Nirvana. Today 3.2 million in India – that dates back between 360 and 500 million people are to the 6th century believe in non- followers and about three per cent of violence, controlling your mind

P hotos : I ndia T ourism Indians are Buddhist. and senses and that you

The Ghats, Varanasi, one of Hinduism’s holiest places.

4 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada January 2011 Canadian Traveller 28 Christianity came to India in 52, with St. Thomas, Sikhs consider the Hari Mandir, or Golden one of the apostles. Temple, the holiest shrine of their faith.

Sikhism It teaches that fire, water, air and earth Festivals: All of the traditional Jewish This unique Indian religion was founded are sacred and therefore the dead are festivals are celebrated not buried or cremated but simply left by Guru Nanak in northern India some Animism 500 years ago. The followers live under in a high tower – Tower of Silence – to Not a religion itself, Animism can be found the guidelines of the Holy Granth, the disintegrate. While this sounds heathen, in the believes of many religions around writings of 10 gurus who followed Guru many Parsis have been instrumental in the world. In India the tribal cultures, Nanak. Sikhs, easily recognized by the developing modern Indian industry. found mainly along the Himalayas, in the turban-wearing men, believe in one God, Pilgrimage Places: Sanjan hilly areas of central India and scattered karma and reincarnation. They negate Festivals: Sadeh throughout western and southern India the caste system of the Hindu belief and Judaism believe spirits live not only in humans, but they do not go on pilgrimages or fast Jewish traders arrived on the southeast in the natural world around us. and take part in rituals. About two per coast about 2,500 years ago, first cent of India’s population is Sikh, mostly For more information on pilgrimage settling in Cranganore. Today, the living in Punjab. travel in India, contact Indiatourism, majority live in Mumbai, Mizoram Pilgrimage Places: Hari Mandir (Golden Toronto at [email protected], and Manipur. The Manipur Jewish Temple), Five Takhts, Anandpur Sahab or visit www.incredibleindia.org community consideres itself to be the Festivals: Baisakhi, Hola Mohalla descendants of the Manasseh (Menashe) Zoroastrianism Tribe, one of the 10 lost tribes. Parsis, followers of Zoroastrianism, Pilgrimage Places: Synagogue of number around 90,000 in India and most Mattancherry, Pardesi Synagogue, Tifereth are settled in Mumbai. Founded perhaps Synagogue, Magen David Synagogue, Neveh Shalome Synagogue Three per cent as early as the 6th century in Persia (Iran), of India’s the religion believes population in one God. follows the teachings of the Buddha.

29 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 5 Digging Through Time The Cradle Of Indian Civilization Slowly Reveals its Secrets By Mark Sissons India’s history begins with the birth of the Indus Valley Civilization, which dates back to around 3000 BC, and rivals Sumer and Egypt as humanity’s oldest. In fact, all the ancient Egyptian mummies that have been excavated have been wrapped in Indian cotton – indications that the Indus Valley Civilization could be older. In its prime this early society spread from the present borders of Iran and Afghanistan to Kashmir, Delhi and southern Gujarat, covering an area larer than its contemporary civilizations Sumeria, Egypt and China. Hailed as the land of urban culture, the Indus Valley has captured the imaginations of generations of historians, Today, visitors to India can visit some of its excavated cities and explore the mysteries that continue to surround its origins, culture and decline.

A Civilization Lost & Found head of the Indian Archeological Survey ordered a full- scale excavation of what came to be recognized as one of The Indus Valley Civilization was a prosperous and liter- the earliest and most mysterious of all human civilizations. ate society, importing raw materials from regions as far Well-planned, sophisticated settlements dating back west as Egypt and trading ornaments, jewelry and cot- to 2500 BC were first discovered in 1924 on the banks ton cultivated in the fertile delta plains. Each town was of the River Indus in present-day Sind (in Pakistan), at almost identical, with separate areas for the ruling elite Mohenjo Daro (which means “mound of the dead” in and the workers. A uniform system of weights and mea- Sindi). Further excavations in 1946 on the banks of the sures, corresponding almost exactly to modern ounces, River Ravi in Punjab revealed the city of Harappa, dating was also used, as well as complex, efficient drainage from the same era, on which archeologists based their systems unmatched by any other pre-Roman civilization. knowledge of the entire Indus Valley Civilization. To this Despite its technological advances, the Indus Valley day, the Indus Valley Civilization is commonly known as Civilization began to decline around 1900 BC; initially Harappan, after its most important city. due to a series of heavy floods that swept away the Today the script still has not been deciphered and towns and villages in the delta regions of major rivers in much of the original mystery remains. But decades of Sind, Saurashtra and southern Gujarat in India. Until the extensive excavation at the original site and hundreds of mid-19th century the Indus Valley Civilization was “lost” other sites throughout the Indus Valley have uncovered or forgotten, even by the peoples who lived in the vicin- a huge complex of cities and villages that made up the ity of its sand-covered ruins. first civilization in South Asia. Then, in the late 1850s, workers digging a railway line along the Indus Valley for their British rulers uncovered Modern Connections a number of artifacts, including several soapstone seals Although much about this complex society remains imprinted with various carvings, beads, animal bones, unknown – including its impenetrable script – similarities gold, silver, terracotta ornaments, and the figure of a bull do exist between the Indus Valley Civilization and present- inscribed with a strange script. A British general and future day India. While its most important deity appears to have

Lothal is one of the most prominent cities of the ancient Indus valley civilization. istock istock

6 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada January 2011 Canadian Traveller 30 sites throughout northwest- single shard with Indus Valley signs on ern India. Among the most it is definitive of Harappan settlement; fascinating are: others say the evidence is not enough. A A naturalistic Dholavira: Located on unique hoard of exquisite bronze chariots bird motif on Khadir Beit, an island in and animals that may or may not be of an uncleaned Indus Valley style was also found here. and the Great Rann of Kutch in unrestored Gujarat State, this site has Kalibangan: On the bank of the dry pot, only been excavated since bed of the Ghaggar River in northern circa 2400BC. 1990. One of the largest Rajasthan, the third excavated city of istock Harappan sites in India, Harappan sites and the earliest town Dholavira has some of the destroyed by earthquake was first exca- Indus Valley Civilization’s vated between 1960-61 and 1968-69. It’s been a horned god, there was also a best-preserved architecture. It is also name comes from two words: Kali, mean- strong custom of worshipping a mother thought to have been a highly literate ing black, and bhangan, which means goddess, in the same way as Hindus do society because of seals, tablets, pot- bangle. Kalibangan was, in fact, named today. The peepal tree was revered as tery, bangles and copper tools discov- after the myriad pieces of terracotta it is by Buddhists today. There is also ered on the site. A tantalizing signboard bangles excavated here. evidence of phallic worship, still strong (circa 3000-1500 BC, and possibly the What’s New: Archaeologists expect among Shaivites. Altars bearing the world’s oldest) with Indus script has also Khirasara, near Kutch, to be the next remains of animal sacrifice have been been discovered, as well as some of the important site for Harappan civilization. discovered, and in every settlement, world’s oldest stadiums and five Great Discovered in the early 1960s, rediscov- large baths suggest a belief in the puri- Baths. Natural disasters, namely earth- ered in the ‘70s, excavation began in late fying quality of water. quakes in 2800 BC, 2500 BC and 2000 2009 and has turned up pottery, weights, BC are widely believed to have caused Ancient Indus Valley spouts and other items that have turned the decline of Dholavira. (Harappan) Sites sedate archeologists into excited school- Lothal: At the top of the Gulf of Cambay Of the hundreds of settlements and children. A rock engraving found in the in Gujarat, near the Sabarmati River and towns that flourished across the vast Edakkal Caves in Kerala has linked Indus the Arabian Sea, this is the most exten- breadth of the Indus Valley Civilization Valley civilization to South India. “There sively researched Harappan coastal site. between 3500 and 1700 BC, many were had been indications of remnants akin to A bead factory and Mesopotamian seal lost or destroyed by shifting river paths. the Indus Valley civilization in Karnataka have been found here, like many sites on Others are probably buried under mod- and Tamil Nadu, but these new find- the Gulf of Cambay. ern towns. What does seem clear is that ings give credence to the fact that the the important sites were commercial Gola Dhoro: Excavation began in 2004 Harappan civilization had its presence centres. They are on rivers or near the on this site in Gujarat. A unique ancient in the region, too, and could trace the coast. Various specialized manufactur- Indus seal was found here, as well as history of Kerala even beyond the Iron ing facilities also suggest that they were extensive evidence for the sudden evacu- Age,” says historian M R Raghava Varier. heavily involved in trade with each other ation of this tiny town with very concen- For more information on the history and far outside the region. trated manufacturing facilities. and culture of the Indus Valley, contact Various tour operators can arrange Daimabad: Near Mumbai in Maharashtra, Indiatourism, Toronto at visits to several of the Indus Valley this controversial site was discovered in [email protected] or visit civilization’s most important excavation 1958. Some suggest that the pottery and www.incredibleindia.org

“The inscription on stone is unique because it is the first of A Significant its kind [in the Indus civilisation area]. It is the first inscription on a stone slab. But only part of it was found,” said Dr. Bisht, , former Joint Director-General of the Archaeological Survey Discovery of India, who led 14 field excavation seasons at Dholavira between 1989 and 2001. “It was a natural limy sandstone cut into shape and then engraved with an inscription,” he said. The script has three large Indus signs, running from right to left, and there appears to be a fourth sign, too. “The inscription must have run longer, but the stone was broken into pieces,” said Dr. Bisht. He surmised that the stone with the script must have been R.S. Bisht pointing to the Indus inscription engraved used as a lintel of the doorway of an underground chamber on a sandstone at Dholavira so that people could notice it. The inscription could have in Gujarat stood for the name of the house, its owner or an incantation. “It is a closed book,” he said. (The Indus script has not been deciphered yet). rishnan K V.V.

31 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 7 The Buddhist religion spread to Sri Lanka and Myanmar from the bustling ports of Andhra Pradesh, Temples, Stupas and one of India’s richest Buddhist sites, Nagarjunakonda (known as Sri Parvata in ancient times) now lies almost entirely under the Ancient Spendour waters behind the Nagarjunasagar dam. However, the monasteries and chaityas were taken brick by brick and reconstructed on top Communing With History In Andhra Pradesh of a hill called Nagarjunakonda & that rises from the middle of the Sitting on the Bay of Bengal in southern India, Andhra Pradesh on dammed lake. The island takes its the Deccan Plateau is a land of grand temples rising from hillocks, name from the Buddhist monk, spectacular Buddhist Stupas and the excavated splendour of an Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the 2nd century and was ancient university. Visitors hear tales of power and patronage from the exponent of the philosophy a glorious past, learn about the amalgamation of Hindu and Muslim of ‘sunyata’ (Void). And Konda in influences and wander along 1,000 kilometres of coastline. the Telugu language means hill. Nagarjunakonda is about 150 kilometres southeast of Hyderabad, and is reached by a regular ferry service. Remains of a Buddhist University have been relocated to Anupu, four kilometres from here and the Ethipothala waterfalls are nearby. Amaravati (ancient Dhanyakataka) is about 38 kilometres from Vijayawada and can also be reached at Guntur 35 kilometres away. An emissary of the Emperor Ashoka who went to propagate Buddhism in the region in the 2nd Century B.C. laid the Charminar , Hyderabad’s foundation of most enduring emblem. the Great Stupa Inset: Buddhism spread at Amaravati. to Sri Lanka and There is an Myanmar from Andhra Archeological Pradesh. Museum here.

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK 8 INDIA january 2011 Canadian Traveller 00 Left: Laad Bazaar, part of the old city around Charminar. Right: Golconda Fort, one of India’s most famous.

Hyderabad, the capital city of Puttaparti is world renowned. Places The beaches of Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh lies on the banks of of historical interest like Penukonda are in Visakhapatnam, the second the Musi River across from its twin city and Rayadurgam forts and reli- largest city. The beach at Rishikonda Secunderabad. The city was founded in gious places like Lepakshi (famous is ideal for wind and water surf- 1599, after a water shortage in Golconda. for the Veerbhadra Temple) and ing. Bheemunipatnam, or Bhimli, Hyderabad is also known as the “City Dharmavaram are all in the district of was once a Dutch settlement and of Pearls” for its flourishing pearl trade. Anantapur. Another reason to visit is the Dutch Cemetery is worth a visit. These days it is a major hub of India’s Thimmammma Marrimanu, an amazing Machilipatnam, known for its Kalamkari software industry. 550-year-old banyan tree that has even art (art of printing on fabric with veg- Hyderabad’s most enduring emblem made it to the Guinness Book of etable dyes), also has a beach. is the Charminar, meaning literally four World Records. There are Hill Stations like Horsely minarets. You can enjoy breathtak- Andhra Pradesh also offers a wealth of Hills at an elevation of 1,265 metres, and ing views from the top of the minarets rejuvenation experiences through health Araku, a valley at 975 metres. The rail without climbing up via tele-robotic tourism. Hyderabad is famous for its fish journey to Araku passes several water- cameras controlled by touch screens medicine – a miracle cure for asthmatics falls and numerous tunnels. Borra Caves in kiosks on the ground. The Old City disbursed free of cost, where a secret boasts stalactites and stalagmites millions around Charminar is worth exploring. medicine is stuffed into a live fish, which of years old that are well illuminated. Don’t missed Laad Bazaar, the famed the patient has to swallow whole. For shopping, Hyderabad is famed for bridal-ware market and do n o t leave One of India’s most prosperous and pearls, excellent Bidriware and lacquer Hyderabad without sampling its signa- vibrant temples, attracting millions of bangles embellished with semi-precious ture biryani. visitors from around the globe, is the stones; Pembarti for sheet metal art; Savour the untold wealth of Tirupati Lord Venkateswara Temple Cheriyal Village for scroll painting, batik Hyderabad’s Nizams at the Nizam’s popularly known as Tirupati, the name wall hangings, Nirmal paintings and Museum, and the wonders of argu- of the town. Kondapali toys. ably the largest one-man collection of The Nagarjunasagar Srisailam artifacts and antiques from around the Sanctuary, 130 kilometres from For more information on the world at the Salara Jung Museum. Hyderabad, is one of the biggest suc- amazing culture of Andhra Pradesh Mecca Masjid is one of the largest cesses of Project Tiger. Birdwatchers contact Indiatourism, Toronto at mosques in India, so called because the can head to Manjira Sanctuary just 50 [email protected] or visit bricks used to make the central arch came kilometres from Hyderabad. www.incredibleindia.org from Mecca. Visits to Qutb Shahi Tombs, Hussain Sagar and Osman Sagar lakes, and, Ramoji Film City are must-dos. Golconda Fort is one of India’s most famous forts. Originally built of mud in the 12th century, it was later the capital of Qutb Shahi’s Dynasty from 1518 to 1687. The diamond vault here once held the Koh-i-noor and Hope diamonds. The fortress is famous for its acoustics, palaces, ingenious water supply system and Fateh Rahben gun. A son-et-lumi- ere show is held daily. Prasantinilayam, the abode of peace and home of Satya Sai Baba in

33 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 9 A Gift of PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK the Gods

Spices, the heart of Indian cuisine.

Indian food is indescribable. With no unified cuisine – just a vast array of regional specialties based on local climate and agriculture – the diversity of Indian food is what makes it so exciting.

pices provide the link. No self references to the curative properties of with pillars and large rooms with wooden respecting cook is ever without spices) and, of course, for flavouring. doors. One of the rooms is the kitchen and Sher/his blend of spices (masala) The authentic cook painstakingly the open corridor beside it is the dining prepared to a personal formula. No prepares powders and pastes for area, so the food is served piping hot. dish is ever served without that pungent each dish. So no two dishes will ever Indians maintain a high level of aroma which is derived from a judicious taste alike as the proportions and personal and household hygiene. The addition of spices. These spices – ginger, combinations of the spice paste or dining area is washed and cleaned long pepper, black pepper, turmeric, powder vary. Spices change from region elaborately. Diners are expected to cloves, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, to region, and, from cook to cook – bathe and change their clothes before cardamom, coriander, cumin and chilli all part of the exquisite surprise and dining on thin individual wooden blocks/ – are the foundation of Indian cooking. delight of Indian food. pedestals/stools on the bare floor of Their original use was as a preservative the corridor. The food is served on a (in the tropics food decays rapidly), An Elaborate Affair polished circular metal tray known as medicinal (the Ayurveda, the indigenous Typically an Indian house features an thali containing small bowls known as system of medicine, is littered with open courtyard surrounded by corridors katoris. The rice or roti (leavened bread)

10 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada January 2011 Canadian Traveller 34 A collection of curries So Many Flavours, So Little Time A great way to see something of the country and be sure you’re getting a taste of as many regional dishes as possible, I discovered, is to take a culinary tour.

I chose a 12-night tour visiting Southern India, Dinner in Ooty featured dishes of the Nilgiris We talked food a lot, of course, and our tour and our guide offered fascinating insights on area (following a how-to demonstration), and I included meeting people in the know from how history, religion, traditions, and climate swear I can still taste the Nilgiri Chicken Korma. housewives to professional chefs. People like have influenced the diet. Indian food (at least Its mild, sweet, flavour comes from coconut, Nalini Verma, cooking instructor and author of on my trip) is always prepared with fresh, local mint, and coriander. Delicious. four cookbooks. Her specialty is Kerala cuisine ingredients, so recipes are not exact – they vary Something I couldn’t get enough of was a and one of the area’s best-known festive meals according to local produce and preferences. sweet with the dubious name of barfi. It’s made is the sadhya, a traditional vegetarian banquet Mysore was our first major stop, famous from condensed milk (ubiquitous throughout eaten off banana leaves. Three or more rice for its silk, rosewood carvings, and its palace, India) cooked until solid. Too sweet for some on courses form the base, with side dishes of modest compared with some other Indian our tour, I unashamedly took their share. Ditto vegetable and pulse stews. The flavours are national treasures, but nonetheless impressive. gulab jamun, another sweet made from fried piquant and delicious. And my sweet tooth was So was Ooty, or Uthagamandalam, home of milk balls (really) in a sweet syrup flavoured pleased with the Keralan dessert – payasam – the best-known hill station built by the British. with cardamom and rosewater. And while we’re wheat cooked in sweetened milk with spices, These high peaks (the highest, Doddabetta, is talking dessert, you’ll find rice puddings and pistachios and raisins. 2,623 metres) host numerous tea plantations. bread puddings can actually taste exotic! – Christine Potter is placed in the thali, while the vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations are placed in the katoris. The thali with the katori is placed in front of the diner and it is refilled as required. Food is served directly from the cooking pots/utensils using ladles. Each prepared food is kept in separate vessels or utensils. Indians eat with their hands or rather with their right hands. Usage of the left hand is frowned upon. There is a rigid etiquette involved eating with hands, it takes practice but once accomplished it becomes incredibly easy. Please note that beef is taboo to Hindus and pork is taboo to Muslims. Many Hindus and all the Jains are vegetarians. Modern living has dramatically changed the lifestyle of Indians but cooking Indian cuisine has remained unchanged. It is said “food is a gift of the Gods.” In other words “to eat is a divine necessity”. For a copy of our cuisine brochure please contact Indiatourism, Toronto at [email protected]; it is available in both English and French.

Dining on a thali.

INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 11 You Want It, We Got It Shops & Bazaars Are Another

Orissa is renowned for Place To Discover The Real India P hoto : I ndiatourism its silver craftsmen. As in all aspects of India, shopping is an Think India and images of What To Buy & silk, spices, saris, brassware Where To Buy It experience full of contrasts and steeped and jewels come to mind. Silk: Varanasi, Mysore, in local cultures, traditions, and materials. But there is so much more Kanchipuram, Assam, Kashmir to buy here. Satin embroidery, Cotton: West Bengal, Madhya From the exotic – bazaars, medieval shops cotton, carpets, woodwork, Pradesh pottery, enamel work, down narrow lanes – to the most modern Carpets: Kashmir, Mirzapur, copper leather goods, Bardoi, Warangal, Eluru – gleaming malls teeming with the latest even the roadside kitsch of Metal Work: Moradabad, grotesque masks, brass idols Mirzapur fashions and electronics – shopping in India is and ropes of beads and bells exhilarating, it’s contradictory, most of all it is vie for attention. Jewelry: Rajasthan, Varanasi, Hyderabad, Ferozabad yet another way to experience the real India. The government-owned Cottage Industries Emporium Woodcraft: Saharanpur, Mainpur, in major cities like Delhi, Kashmir, Rajasthan Mumbai, Kokata, Bangalore Shawls & Scarves: Himachal and Chennai are a good place Pradesh, Kashmir, Uttaranchal to start. All display works from Marble: Agra every state in India and offer Textiles: Udaipur, Delhi, Varanasi, fixed prices, for those not Jaipur, Jodhpur, Chennai bold enough to bargain. Furniture: Mumbai, Jodhpur, Look for representations of Udaipur the ubiquitous Ganesh, God Leathergoods: Chennai, Kolkata, of Prosperity, in a wide range Pondicherry of materials, from leather, Papier Mache: Kashmir to clay to wood to precious Pottery & Stone Craft: Rajasthan, metals. Jewels from Rajisthan, Bihar, Vrindavan, Hamirpur, Agra silver from Orissa and pearls

from Hyderabad share display Ikat & Patola Woven Goods: Orissa, Gugarat space with brasswork from Jaipur and Aranmula and Phulkari Embroidery: Punjab cotton from West Bengal and Paintings: Delhi, Udaipur, carpets from Kashmir. Himachal

Shopping 411 r Check with your hotel about shopping hours and closing days r Outside major centres India does not have a culture of large supermarkets and department stores r Major cities have government emporiums with fixed prices and quality goods r Every city has a local bazaar, where bargaining is routine r When bargaining: never insult the merchant; let the seller make the first offer; use odd numbered amounts (like 550 rupees); start with a 40% discount from the asking price, then offer 35% – the seller will probably counter with a 20% discount

12 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada January 2011 Canadian Traveller 36 Festivals are a great way to get involved in local communities. And in India, they celebrate everything. Like the births of Gods and Goddesses, saints and prophets, historic events, Rural battles, seasons, New Year…. It all involves music, dance, costumes, food, processions, pilgrimages and everyone is invited. Dussehra, in Milap near Varanasi features royalty riding elephants, a procession of horse, camel Delights and elephant riders, music, dancing and a re- enactment of Lord Rama’s defeat of the Demon Head Out Of Town & Discover The Other India King Ravana. Bharat Milap takes place the next day, with a procession of Lord Ram and his reunion India’s many great and historic cities are the draw for with his brother all in the presence of Kashi Naresh (former king of Varanasi) and his entourage. most visitors. But the sights, sounds, cultures, cuisine and One of India’s newest, and most intriguing monuments can sometimes overload the senses of unwary festivals is the Cherrapunjee Indigenous Festival, that highlights the culture, food, crafts, arts and tourists. Sure you can spend time in a spa retreat, head to everyday life in Cherrapunjee, “The World’s the hills for a trekking excursion, or flop on the Wettest Place”, in Meghalaya State, “Home of the Storm Cloud”. The Festival, first celebrated beach, but why not try a rural in December, 2010, features traditional folk tales, experience that will bring displays of traditional clothing and ornamentation, demonstrations of indigenous games, sports, arts you a little closer to the and crafts, local songs and dance, and of course, plenty of local food. The people of the area are local cultures and a little renowned for their hospitality and etiquette, as downtime as well? well as producing acclaimed honey and fruit, and growing, yes growing, bridges from roots than can last hundreds of years. Tourism India’s ExperienceRuralIndia.org website is an excellent resource for discovering all the rural pleasures of the country. You can search by destination, by craft, by area. The Browse by Circuits section offers sample itineraries throughout India and each one highlights local communities, their tourist attractions, handicraft specialties, local culture and even the local accommodation that is available. There is a Showroom that displays featured crafts and contact details of the artisan; a Monthly Highlights section that spotlights different destinations; and a News & Events section that chronicles rural experiences all over India and lists upcoming festivals and fairs. P hoto : I ndiatourism

India’s festivals are a celebration of faith and life and everyone is welcome.

37 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 13 Year of India India Celebrates Its Rich Culture Across Canada

2011 is the Year Of India In Canada, and what a year it will be. A five-month festival of cultural and travel events will make its way across Canada, enticing would-be travellers with music, dance, food and plenty of information on why India really is incredible.

The whole celebrations kicks off in Quebec before it swings east to Toronto (July 10) Majumdar (Sarod), Alam Khan (Sarod), City on April 17, then makes its way through and Montreal (July 15), finishing in Halifax on Arup Chattopadhyay (Tabla) and Hindole Ontario stopping in Waterloo April 30; September 2. Majumdar (Tabla); and dancers Hemant London May 8; Hamilton May 14; and Festival performances showcase the Panwar, Vaishali Panwar, Sudeshna Maulik. Ottawa June 18. In June the show hits the talents of international and Canadian prairies and visits Winnipeg June 20; Regina stars and up-and-comers in Indian arts For more information on the Year Of India June 22; Saskatoon June 24; Edmonton like vocalists Pandit Ajoy Chakrabarty, In Canada, contact Indiatourism, Toronto June 28; and Calgary June 28. Victoria (June Ramneek Singh, Sudeshna Basu and Devarti at [email protected] or visit 30) and Vancouver (July 2) host the festival Ghosh; musicians Pandit Tejendra Narayan www.yearofindiaincanada2011.ca

14 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada January 2011 Canadian Traveller 38 proof of admission to recognized universities/ institutions in India. Employment Visas: can also be obtained upon Fast Facts furnishing proof of employment with companies Important India Travel Info in India. Business Visas: are normally granted for three Getting There or six months. r Air India: offers daily service between Toronto Permits: Some places in the north and northeast and India via Heathrow; four flights to Amritsar in of India require special permits for travel. Find Punjab; and three flights to Delhi. out about these places and complete the r Emirates: Canadian passengers fly from paperwork necessary to travel to such places. Toronto to Dubai, where they can board one Most permits are easy to obtain. of 215 flights per week that connect to 10 Airport Departure Tax: There is a departure destinations in India. Flights to Ahmedabad, tax of 500 rupees upon leaving India. If flying to Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Nepal, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka, the tax is 250 Khozikode and Kochi offer executive and rupees. economy class seats, while flights to Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai feature, first, Money executive and economy seats. Currency: The Indian rupee is divided into 100 paisas. There are coins of 50 paisa, one rupee,

r Etihad: Operates three flights a week P hoto : I ndiatourism from Toronto to Abu Dhabi and and two and five rupees. The notes are in 38 connections to India. denominations of five, 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 rupees. Before changing money, check For More Info Getting Around India the notes carefully for any damage. Indiatourism Toronto r Kingfisher Airlines: Flies to 67 destinations Traveller’s Cheques: A transaction fee is 1003 - 60 Bloor Street West in India. deducted each time you convert traveller’s Toronto, ON M4W 3B8 Visas cheques, so bring larger denominations Tel: (416) 962-3787 Visitor Visas: will normally be granted effective Credit and ATM Cards: Visa and MasterCard are Fax: (416) 962-6279 from the date of issue. Tourist visas are non- increasingly accepted in India, although street Toll Free: 1-800-97INDIA extendible and non-convertible. vendors and small shops will not accept credit E-mail: [email protected] Student Visas: can be obtained on furnishing cards. Some places accept American Express. Website: www.incredibleindia.org

39 Canadian Traveller January 2011 INDIA tourism, Toronto – celebrating 50 years of tourism in canada 15 Explore India

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