Home

Contact Us

Jan 2005
Back to index

Vailankanni tourism hit by tsunami

     Vailankanni (Tamil Nadu): Tourism in Vailankanni town in the Nagapattinam district has been hit hard by the tsunami tragedy. The industry is in a shambles as the tourist inflow has almost halted. The Nagapattinam district which suffered the maximum number of casualties and devastation, looks like a war-ravaged zone. Businessmen have been hit by a fear psychosis triggered by the seismic waves. A large number of shops were washed away. Hundreds of others in the busy lanes are sinking for want of business. A few, which escaped the fury of tsunami, still remain closed. Locals say that the tsunami has scared people away from the seashore and it will take time to rebuild everything. "The memories of the killer waves are still fresh in our minds and that is the reason why even after so many days, the shops have not opened yet. I think it will take more than two months for it because we have lost everything and have to start again from scratch," said Sekhar, a shopkeeper. The shrine of Basilica, which would teem with pilgrims, now attracts only a few visitors. During weekdays the town used to attract a good number of people, keeping the traders busy. Now the entire complex, including the tonsure hall, and the shrine counters remain almost empty. The tsunami, triggered by a powerful undersea earthquake off Sumatra on December 26, has killed close to 162,000 lives across south and Southeast Asia. At least 15,700 people are dead or feared dead in the country with more than 7400 in Tamil Nadu alone.
- Jan 15, 2005

US issues alert for tsunami-hit areas in Indonesia (Go to Top)

     Washington: The United States advised citizens to avoid travel to tsunami-damaged areas of Indonesia and warned them of the continued potential for terrorist attacks in the archipelago. "Americans in Indonesia should maintain a low profile, vary daily routines, avoid crowds and demonstrations, and keep abreast of local news and developments that may affect the security situation," the State Department said in an updated travel advisory, reports The News. It warned that terrorists were planning attacks against a wide variety of targets in Indonesia. The attacks could occur at any time and could be directed against any location, including those frequented by foreigners, it said.
- Jan 14, 2005

International kite festival gets under way in Gujarat (Go to Top)

The International Kite Festival got off to a flying start on Tuesday, January 11, morning in Ahmedabad with more than 100 participants from several countries participating.

     Ahmedabad: A colourful kite festival today got under way in Ahmedabad to coincide with the annual Uttrayan festival, usually held with the onset of harvest season. The festival also coincides with the second "Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors' meet" being held in the state. State Chief Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the kite festival. On the occasion he said that such events encourage kite manufacturers in the region. The festival saw huge participation from international kite- flying enthusiasts who displayed their skills, after a series of cultural performances. The kite flyers will spend the next two days in Khambhat, Bhavnagar and Surendranagar cities. Participants from several countries, including the US, Britain, France, Holland, Germany, Australia and Malaysia are taking part in the four-day festival organised by the state's tourism department. "There is a big difference between kite festival in Europe and here in Asia, because kites are part of tradition here in Asia but while in Europe, it is something which has come or for children. Here there are so many people and colourful kites, " said Ralg Dietrich, a visitor from Denmark. Another foreign tourist Bridget said: "It takes many hours to make a kite. Usually we do it during the winter time, sewing them and then we bring them for the kite festivals and it's very nice to go to kite festivals. We meet friends and new people and people are very friendly during the festival." The kites are specially designed for the occasion by trained craftsmen who migrate to Gujarat from adjoining states for the season. During the three-month kite-flying season, it generates about 200 million rupees worth business in Ahmedabad.
- Jan 11, 2005

                        Back to index                   Go to Top