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March 2004
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Bungee jumping fever grips Pune

          Pune: Bungee jumping and catapulting, adventure sports for the stout hearted, have taken Pune city by storm. A huge crane right in the heart of the city is drawing wide-eyed onlookers to dare devils willing to let their lives hang on a thin thread, or go up in the air like a yo-yo! Xtreme Zone Sports and Services, a Bangalore-based adventure sports company, is responsible for bringing Pune on the map of bungee jumping. Organisers said high quality safety standards ensured the success of their enterprise.

          "We get trained every year, so while we got trained this year, we got trained on how to catapult. We follow the New Zealand standards of bungee. So the catapult comes under the New Zealand standards of bungee," said Praveen Krishnaiah, CEO of Xtreme Zone Sports and Services. The new mode of adventure has received an enthusiastic response from Pune's youth. While many found it an adrenaline pumping exercise, a few others seemed a trifle scared. "When I was going up, I was quite brave enough, but when they told me to lean down, I couldn't do it in the initial part, but later I got guts, just shut my eyes and jumped," said Amrita Morde, who tried bungee jumping.

          Bungee jumping involves jumping from a high tower or a crane with only a rubber cord tied to the jumper's feet, whereas catapulting is its reverse, and involves literal "catapulting" of a person into mid-air, with of course, a cord tied to the waist. Bungee jumping and catapulting are both expensive sports by Indian standards, priced at around 11 dollars and 8.5 dollars respectively. However, for the young fans of Pune caught up with this addictive sport, no price is too high.
March 20, 2004

River rafting India cup held in Tatapani (Go to Top)

          Tatapani: India's first ever international rafting championship concluded on Friday in Tattapani, near Shimla. Twelve teams, including seven from abroad, battled the currents of the country's fastest flowing river, Sutlej, in the River Rafting India Cup. The four-day championship was jointly organised by the Indian Rafting Federation and the International Rafting Federation.

          The foreign teams were from the Czech Republic, Austria, Russia, Slovakia, Norway, Australia and Nepal. The teams from India included those from the Indian Army and Indian Air Force. Czech Republic won the cup in both the men's women's sections. Michala Dvorakova, member of the winning Czech Republic women team, said that they were happy about the Indian experience. "It was a great challenge for us because we wanted to come and meet people of a new country. And we also heard that Indian rivers are very nice and there are very beautiful landscapes," she said.

          Shaukat Sikand, secretary, Indian Rafting Foundaton, said that he hoped to make the championship an annual event. "The river is a world class river, rafters are world class. All the judges and officials that have come in from abroad, have considered the river as one of the good rivers of the world and we could make it an annual event." Raft sprint, raft slam and raft down were the major events of the tournament.
March 20, 2004

Ardh Kumbh: Hundreds take dip in Ganga (Go to Top)

          Haridwar: Hundreds of devotees on Saturday took a holy dip in the Ganga in Hardwar ahead of the "Ardh Kumbh" festival. Some 30 million people are expected to take a dip in the holy waters from April 5 to May 4. Among the faithful are seers in saffron robes and naked "sadhus" with ash smeared over their bodies. Hindus believe a dip in the holy river would cleanse them of their sins. "We do this for cleansing our souls and those of our ancestors, we perform prayers," a devotee said.

          The Guinness Book of World Records described the Maha Kumbh Mela in 1989, when around 50 million people attended, as the largest ever gathering of human beings for a single purpose. Half pitcher festivals are smaller versions of the festival, and are held every six years in three other towns along the Ganga. According to Hindu mythology, Hardwar is one of the four places where the nectar of immortality fell to earth after Garuda, the winged carrier of Lord Vishnu, spilled it while flying off with the pitcher of nectar.
March 20,  2004

North-east expo fair opens in Delhi (Go to Top)

          New Delhi: An exhibition featuring north-east region's handicrafts and tribal products began on Thursday in New Delhi. All the north-eastern states are participating in the first ever four-day fair titled "North East Trade Expo-2004." J.P. Saikia, head of Northeast Development Finance Institute, said that the fair aimed to create a market for the backward region's products. "It will definitely give a fillip to the small industries and other industrial products of the northeastern region. Especially the handloom and handicraft sector, which is very rich in the northeastern region, I think they will be able to get the right market for the marketing of their products," he said. This expo has a wide range of products such as spices, handloom and handicrafts, bamboo, handmade paper, processed fruits, herbal and jute products, floriculture items, coal, limestone, horticulture, rubber, tea etc, on display. New Delhi has been striving hard to promote the northeastern states with their huge untapped resources and large pool of skilled manpower as the bridgehead for the 400 million people- strong Southeast Asian market. The formation of the Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Singapore and Thailand-Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping, which is likely to be joined by Nepal and Bhutan, is expected to greatly benefit the region. Northeast is home to about 200 ethnic groups and has been plagued by revolts since 1947. Rebels accuse the federal government of looting the region's rich mineral resources and neglecting its economy.
March 18, 2004

Australian tourist Dawn Emelie Griggs killed in Delhi (Go to Top)

          New Delhi: The disfigured body of a 59-year old Australian, Ms Dawn Emelie Griggs, was found in the bushes of Shahbad Mohammadpur, off Dwarka, near the Indira Gandhi international airport in Palam in New Delhi on Wednesday. Her right eye was gorged out and face smashed, apparently with a stone. Her baggage was found at a little distance away from her body. Dawn Emelie Griggs had arrived at the airport early in the morning from Sydney. Documents found in the luggage showed she was to return to Australia on April 20 after a scheduled spiritual sojourn at the Brahmakumari ashram at Moun Abu. The police, after tracing the pre-paid taxi she took from the airport counter to go to Karol Bagh to stay at the ashram branch in Delhi, have nabbed the Bihari driver and charged him with murder.

          The pre-paid cab system was introduced in the Capital to prevent the mounting crimes against tourists and other visitors to the Capital. Operated by the Government itself, and possibly the safest arrangement for the traveller's security one can think of , the system has proved by its failure that there cannot be any machinery as such that can guarantee the safety of one's life.
March 17, 2004

Uttaranchal water sports events conclude (Go to Top)

          Udhamsinghnagar (Uttaranchal): A water sports competition, which included events like canoeing and kayaking, concluded on Tuesday in Udhamsinghnagar of Uttaranchal. Held at Uttaranchal's Haripura dam, the two-day event saw 117 participants from across the country vying for top honours. Participants said that the state offered immense potential in the field of water sports, and could become a venue for international water sporting events.

          "I am feeling really good here. The lake is ideal for such sporting events, and if developed further, it can also host international events," said Surinder Belwal, a participant. Rakesh Sharma, Commissioner of the Kumaon region, said that the event was a good beginning for the state, which has been marketing itself as a premier destination for such events. "It is a good beginning, and it will surely place Udhamsingnagar on the international map. We hope to be successful in this endeavour... Participants who have come from various parts of the country, as well as the local residents, all seem to be enthusiastic about the event," said Sharma.

          Endowed with abundant natural beauty, the hilly state has a huge potential for trekking, skiing and water sports. As the state has plenty of water resources, the administration is promoting water sports like rafting, canoeing and kayaking in the untamed rivers of this Himalayan state.
March 16, 2004

Tourists visit Barmer desert festival (Go to Top)

          Barmer (Rajasthan): An annual Thar Mahotsav or desert festival, set in the backdrop of a 12th century temple in Rajasthan, saw tourists from across the country flocking to the border town of Barmer. The cultural extravaganza provided an opportunity to artists and craftsmen to display their skills. The three-day festival began on Thursday. Organised jointly by the district administration and the Rajasthan state tourism department, the festival showcases the state's rich culture. Tourists, from across the country and the world, loved the colourful extravaganza.

          Uprendra Singh Shekhawat, assistant director of the state's tourism department, said the festival could not be organised last year due to drought. Last year we could not organise this festival because of drought but this time we have compensated by organising it on a very grand scale. Artists and artisans from different states have been invited," said Shekhawat. A major attraction at the festival was a score of competitions organised for participation of tourists. Prominent among those were a tug-of-war, grandfather-grandson races and best traditional costumes. Brightly attired artistes also danced their way to the audiences' hearts with traditional Rajasthani songs and dance sequences. Besides the cultural programmes, a large number of stalls displaying traditional Indian crafts were also on display.
March 13, 2004
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