Venkat Talks

It has always been a challenge to those marketing destinations to pick up new ideas that will immediately sell and excite the travellers to pick up their bags and decide to move . The destinations have tried everything to get the market attention . India is never short of travel ideas when it comes to telling people the true story . Many of you are now familiar with the phrase " Incredible India" and as one of our advertisement copy say " 365 days 1365 Festivals" its is this festivals that offer a great opportunity to experience the destination. One such festival is the " Pongala Ritual" at the famous Attukal Bhagavathi Temple in Tirvandrum the capital of " Gods own country - Kerala It was a news to me when I was told this is the world's biggest devotional congregation of women. This year it was estimated that over 2.5 million women participated in this festival taking over miles of street space at Trivandrum, Kerala. It was a wonderful sight to s...

Living in Delhi is a great boon when it come to options available for weekend getaways.The opportunities are immense and with a love for Travel I have chose the path of travel to get away from the weekend monotony and get rid of the stress. Travel any time is the best bet to fight stress. Uttarkand some how has caught my imagination and when some asks me to list my favorite destinations in India I end up listing all the 90 percent of my favorite destinations that are in Uttarakand. Haridwar is one such town. the Holy Haridwar as I wish to call it. The Magic of Hardiwar is to to experienced and cannot be explained. I have now been there several times just to be at the ghats of Ganges and experience the power of faith. Every visit to haridwar has been a different experience. The best part of the experience is to have a dip in the ganges in the evening and sit at the ghats waiting for the evening Aarti( Prayers). During certain important bathing dates there is sea of Humanity waiting to...

A documentary film "Kerala: The Cradle of Christianity in South Asia"(30 minutes)was screened on 2 Aug at the Kerala house in Delhi. This film depicting the rich and colorful texture of the Indian version of the Middle Eastern (Chaldean and Antiochene), Roman, and Anglican traditions of Christianity in Kerala against backdrop of one of the most attractive tourist regions in the world. The film highlights a relatively less known aspect of the cultural complexity of the region, provides yet another reason for calling Kerala as "God's own country", and makes India more intimate. Verily, a visual and aural treat. Script: Dr. Joseph Palackal, Direction: Jain Joseph FIIT. Joseph Palackal, a St. Thomas Christian from Kerala, is an Indic musicologist, singer, and composer. He earned degrees in Hindustani classical vocal music, psychology, and Christian theology in India and a doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His ...

The Sky line of Delhi on 15 August each year takes festive look with the millions of kites dotting the horizon . The young , old, men ,women all join this fun and cheer each other .This day is also a big holiday in the country being its independence day. Kite flying is just not limited to India alone. In my travels to some of the distant lands I have found keen interest among the people in this fascinating sport . The Kites in China were distinct and so were the ones in Trinidad, Argentina, Chile and of course in the U.S. This sport some how to me is very engaging and provides a sense of fulfillment. I was initiated into kite flying as a kid by my elder siblings and it was such a magical feeling preparing for the big day when the citizens of Chennai would all climb up to to their roof tops on the festive occasion of Deepawali ( Festival of Lights) to engage in this fascinating event. The art of preparing the " Manja" ( String specially treated to have a cutting edge) was some...

Discovering Ganesh Discovering Ganesh includes a multimedia exhibition, a photography book, and an educational website. Each element of Discovering Ganesh offers a different way to learn about one of India’s most intriguing deities. Revered for millennia as the Remover of Obstacles, the Lord of Beginnings and the Patron of the Arts, Ganesh is one of India’s most beloved Hindu Gods and a ubiquitous presence in Indian art, philosophy and ritual. Last month, two venues – the Rotunda Gallery in Brooklyn Heights and the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, CA – booked the multimedia exhibition for 2009. Please visit www.discoveringganesh.com for more information and to see images from the project. Scojo Event : http://www.discoveringganesh .com/scojofundraiser Official site and gallery of images for Discovering Ganesh : www.discoveringganesh.com

Growing Up in Chennai has been an unique Experience. The City is modern and yet traditional. Well You are in arterial road of the City -Anna salai you feel as if you are in any of the growing metropolis and will be witness to the hassle and bushel of any modern city. In few minutes when you get into Mylapore you are transformed into a time still bound in traditions. There is so much of Energy in city say wherever you are. Having been away from the city for over 7 years recent visit to chennai has been a trip of many a discoveries. I have always known the city to boast of its innumerable vegetarian eating Joints ( The Udipi Hotels) as I knew them since 70's and 80's and it was a surprise to see the city streets and roads dotted with so many Biriyani Joints. This to me seemed as a silent revolution and that has caught up with the taste buds of the Citizens of Chennai. Please remember I am not the one who hates Biriyani. What was astonishing that the innumerable brands of Biriy...