Banyan Tree Madivaru in Maldives is providing the best way to celebrate Valentine Day this year. This exquisite island sanctuary will give the opportunity to enjoy a personal stay for two at one of the six pool tented villas of the resort. The offer has started from 18th January2010  and will be ending on March 31 2010.

Round the clock personalized service is guaranteed and guests can indulge in a romantic dinner or pamper themselves with the Banyan Tree signature body massage in the villas.

This package includes 3 consecutive night gateways in their respective villas and seaplane transfer for two guests. Guests would be welcomed with drinks and complimentary fruit baskets, full-board meals, 90 minutes spa treatment and romantic beach dinners.
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Banyan Tree Madivaru in Maldives is offering the golden opportunity to book the entire island for the price of a first class air ticket. The offer will remain valid till October 30, 2010. Banyan Tree Madivaru with its 6 fabulous villas is located on a private island sanctuary in an atoll in Maldives.

Each villa has a plunge pool and is designed to reflect the rustic sophistication along with timeless elegance of a fashionable safari expedition. There are three types of bookings available. The first option is “Solitaire,” which covers booking of the entire island with all the 6 tents. The second option is Solitaire-Premium where the whole island can be booked for 3 nights.

The third option is Solitaire-All-inclusive booking, which covers booking the entire island for 3 nights. Each villa offers magnificent views of the Indian Ocean. The three different booking options of the island will offer different sets of facilities to the guests.

In Solitaire, guests will be welcomed upon arrival in the resort. However, in the other two,  guests will be welcomed at the airport and will be escorted to the resort. Additionally, in Solitaire-All-inclusive, private return seaplane flights are arranged for 12 to 14 people.

In Solitaire, facilities like preparation of full board meals by chef will be provided and there will be arrangements of various complimentary activities like snorkeling, wind-surfing and one-time catamaran ride.

Apart from the full-board meals and a welcome BBQ dinner on the beach, Solitaire-Premium will facilitate in-villa 90 minutes spa session, guided snorkeling for group fishing trips and the complimentary activities.

Solitaire-All-inclusive booking will cover in-villa 90 minutes spa session, fishing trip, guided snorkeling for group, 90 minute sundowner cocktail on the Madi yacht and the complimentary activities.
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This three-day tribal-fair held this January was the center of attraction at the Nampong Village, in Arunachal Pradesh. The event with record footfalls proved once again how people appreciate and still appraise the “nearly extinct” forms of music.

The intention of the festival was not just limited to promoting a regional cultural festival but to celebrate the diversity and ethnicity of Arunachal Pradesh along with the northeastern states and neighboring Myanmar.

In a brief speech Mr. Pallam Raju said, “this festival was definitely a demonstration of the close ties that existed in this area and he hoped that in the years to come, the trade that had happened in the past years would continue, and the historical linkages would strengthen”.

Renowned dance troupes from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Myanmar performed during this gala event (January 20-22), which had about 53 delegates from Myanmar. The troupes attracted the audience with their traditional post harvest dances and songs. The visitors also got the chance to show their hidden skills with these competitors.

What came as the primary attraction at the festival were cultural Folk Dances like Assamese Bihu Dance, Bamboo Dance, Tangsa Rongrang War Dance, Lungchang Dance (Changlang), Singpho Galo Dance, Wancho Dance, Myanmarese Dance, Apatani Dance and other dance forms.
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The Allied Forces had built the Stilwell Road during World War II for ensuring the supply route through which both men and material were sent.

In the words of Col. Sandeep Chaudhary, Commanding Officer of the 18 Assam Rifles based in Chanlang, “After clearing the area from jungle, our men were tilling the land with tractors when something very hard struck the blades of a tractor. Some more digging brought out two huge multi-barreled machine guns. We are very happy with the recoveries”. The Commanding Officer is hoping to trace the make and history of the machine guns.
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If it is the month of January, and if all roads lead to Assam- there is nothing much of a surprise. The reason off course needs no further mentioning. Thanks to Bihu festival – the vibrant festival that people await with bated breath. This is a time of the year, when Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lodhi, are observed throughout to represent the joyous beginning of the new harvest season.

Bihu or Makar Sankranti signifies the day when the sun begins its ascendancy and enters into the Northern Hemisphere, the Tropic of Capricorn. Bihu is the most important festival in Assam and occurs thrice a year. In April, it is called Rongali or Bohag Bihu, in October November Kati Bihu, and in January, coinciding with Makara Sankranti, it is called Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu.

The festival not only reminds us of the culture and traditions of Assam and Tripura but also a story of civilization whose foundations were built on agricultural and pastoral life.

The breathtaking festival boasts of colorful dance performances by young men and women in their traditional attires. All sorts of traditional games form a part of this century old festival. The “must mention” is the buffalo fight.  Buffalo fight is one of the favorite games of the people of the region that begin with the sound of trumpets and rituals of village priests. Bulbul (a local bird) fight is another tradition that Assamese people follow during Bihu.

The festival helps everyone to understand, intermingle, unearth each other’s cultures and traditions. Besides exchanging ideas and building their social network, the event also gives the youngsters an opportunity to utilize and enhance their own potential.
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In a bid to boost its revenue and promote village tourism, the first Winter Village Festival was held at Assam Lingzey village in Gangtok. The festival gave villagers an opportunity to exhibit their products and resources besides presenting the unique traditions and distinctive cultural features of the Sikkimese society to the tourists.

The main attractions of the event were Adventure sports like rock climbing and cultural shows. Different government departments, self-help groups, NGOs and Panchayat units set up around 32 stalls that displayed traditional Sikkimese food, exotic flowers and crafts of the state.

The Sikkim Government is also aiming to build more traditional houses in model villages with suitable modern amenities so that tourists can experience the rural lifestyle of the state.
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In this eco-cultural festival, several NGOs and private agencies took part including OIL India. The venue was filled with over 162 stalls and cultural troupes belonging to different communities of the state. This 3 day event became very popular this year, with a singing sensation of a popular reality show performing on the concluding day. Several other local artists and groups also gave a boost to the celebration.

The festival included traditional food items and exhibitions put up by different government departments as well as private agencies. In addition, various games, sports, dance and fashion shows of different communities were also showcased.

Honchun Ngandam, Minister of Horticulture, Arunachal Pradesh inaugurated the festival by beating the traditional gong in presence of delegates and thousands of visitors. In his message, he appealed to protect the rich bio diversity found in the Namdapha National Park and to stand up with a positive attitude so that they can cross the hurdles of life and add to the development and growth of the society.

A large number of senior delegates and officials strongly condemned the traditional practice of fishing and hunting and destroying forest resources. The people were asked to change their outlook and consider this as a practice that could ruin the whole pleasant environment.

Setong Sena, Finance and IPR and Printing Minister praised the organizers of the festival for offering such a beautiful platform where people from different communities can make contacts, interact and exchange ideas to boost public harmony and collective unity.
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It all started when their keepers went inside the cage to disinfect the place and while doing so they had  carelessly left the cage door open. The tigers sneaked out of the cage through this opening and started walking sluggishly in the open. The visitors inside the zoo were alerted soon and a wildlife team was informed to take charge of the situation.

They came in and located one of the tigers relaxing by the side of the pool when he was tranquilized and the second one was anasthetized later, around noon.

The whole situation was brought under control after three hours without any casualties. The tranquilized tigers were taken away safely and kept under observation by a team of veterinarians.

The authorities have ordered a thorough investigation to find out the actual cause behind this mishap in order to  ensure  such things do not take place and are averted.
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The Sanskrit term “Atithi Devayo Bhava”, which means “Guest is God” seems well etched in the mind of the Mauritian resort, Beau Rivage. Respecting Hindu traditions and culture the hotel of Naiade Group – Beau Rivage this time has set to organize Hindu weddings in the most beautiful of tropical settings. With great experience and expertise in welcoming honeymoon couples and in organizing weddings for long years in splendid settings, Beau Rivage now lets you experience the ultimate indulgence.

Located on a superb beach at Belle Mare in the eastern part of the island, the luxury hotel in Mauritius, coupled with natural class and relaxed elegance gives you a real feeling of that rare serenity that everyone craves for. The superior interiors, that marries the strong classiness of wrought iron, pure cotton and linen material and the natural warmth of wood, gives Beau Rivage an extra mileage. The hotel offers various wedding options coupled with lavish big fat oriental Royal Indian wedding.

Custom wise the Hindu ceremony begins in the morning with ritual ceremonies and beauty treatments in the Spa. There is tea in the afternoon in the Maharajah Suite, when the bride’s hands are decorated with Mehendi, a traditional Indian art form.

Weddings that are more traditional take place either in the gazebo or on the beach itself. The gazebo is opulently decorated for the wedding ceremony, presided over by a Civil Officer, followed by a blessing ceremony performed by a Hindu priest. After aperitifs, a romantic dinner follows either in the gazebo, on the beach, on your own terrace or at a specially set table in one of the restaurants. A hostess is there to help the couple at all times and to look after all the arrangements.

A special champagne wedding breakfast is brought to the newly married couple next morning in their bedroom. To make their holiday even more romantic, honeymooners and wedding couples can opt for a whole range of extras, including a horse-drawn carriage, candlelit dinners on the beach, Sega dancers and French champagne.
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The countdown is over and serious business is back with a bang across the beautiful lagoons of Mauritius. Is there any better way to live up your passion and adventure instinct if you are not joining the Kite Surf Festival in Mauritius? After a promising success in 2009, this year too the Naide Group has taken the initiative to organize the unique annual Kite Surf Festival or Kiteival in different stages around Mauritius in a single event. Naide Ltd. is known to own and manage several jaw dropping events across the Indian Ocean.

The festival is about to take place from the 14th to 22nd of August, 2010. It is open to all levels of kite surfers across the world. Here, you get the chance to interact with professionals and share their priceless and fantastic experiences. The competition for the riders will be categorized on Race, Freestyle, Wave, Endurance and off course speed.

In order to offer the perfect conditions to participants, exact stages, dates and planning of Kiteival’s week would be fixed according to local coastal weather forecast and conditions. Riding conditions varies on the different coasts according to anticyclone’s position, which will influence wind direction and strength.

Some essential conditions must be fulfilled by the riders for entering Kiteival. The minimum riding skills required from the participants include riding upwind easily, riding amongst numerous other kiters, knowledge of priority rules etc.

The winner of each event would be honored with trophy, gifts and souvenirs, free accommodation and free entry to the next level.
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