People Web International

By PWI Reporter Central India

The Bastar District in Chattisgarh is also known as the “Kashmir Of Central India.”

Home to various tribes like the Gonds, Marias, Abhay Murias, etc, the facets of tribal life are witnessed in varied forms, in places like the Kanger Valley National Park and Jagdalpur.

There are Bastar Tribal Tour Packages devised by the tourism department. The tribal communities are heterogenous and they live in groups in well defined territories. Agriculture and forestry are their main sources of income.

The Halba tribes are farmers, the Marias are the hill experts; the Bhatras are the advanced tribes, the Dholars the cow farmers and the Dhruvas the warriors. Singing and dancing are their way of life and they are by and large uneducated.

Though the socio economic status of the tribals is below the national standard, the government is trying hard to alleviate their lot by promoting tribal crafts. Middlemen eating into the profits are making the overall recovery process slow. Though the pro poor schemes have not reached the tribals, the tribal products are finding their way in international markets, and there is a ray of hope.

Overall Bastar provides the streak of irresistible adventure for the tourist, and travelling to this area is an immense pleasure.

Contact: central.india@peoplewebinternational.com

MANGALORE, KARNATAKA, INDIA - Muniraj packed his small pained tin-suitcase and boarded the already crowded overnight bus. Muniraj was not alone. Thousands of migrant industrial and agriculture workers like him embarked in the exodus from the port city of Mangalore (Karnataka, India) and around on the coast of Arabian Sea to the safe haven of their home deep inland in the Indian peninsula. The reason: the Supermoon.

On Saturday, March 19, the moon came liltingly close to the earth, earning for itself the sobriquet - Supermoon. Man from ancient times has observed the effect of moon on the cycle of tide and ebb in the sea. This scientific causality has also spawned myths and folklores, awe and admiration over centuries and across continents.

The elk of Muniraj, who form a substantial part of the workforce in the relatively prosperous costal region of Karnataka, have been apprehensive of a potential Tsunami because of the Supermoon. The one that devastated Japan has convinced many rational arguments from their employers did not win the day.

When I visited the popular beach at Malpe, 60 km (37 miles) north of Mangalore on the day, it was nearly deserted. Only a handful of young boys from the adjacent fishing colony were swimming and having a good time. “Aren’t you all worried?” I asked. “The sea is our life,” said a boy of 15 something, his dark body wet and shimmering, “we are not going to flee on some superstition and rumour.”

Was this the new India speaking?

-- by Ashis Dutta - PWI Reporter Karnataka - karnataka@peoplewebinternational.com

CENTRAL INDIA - The concept of tourism has undergone a change for tour planners. Gone are the days when tourists preferred basking in the sun on the beaches of Goa, now more tourists are striving for the spiritual kick. A dip in the Ganges, travelling to the Himalayas for yoga, and spiritual healing are catching up as the marked tourist preferences. This type of tourism is booming, and beach tourism is slowly fading away to give way to emerging tourist markets in India and diversified tourist products.

The Uttar Pradesh authorities have developed resorts in Rishikesh catering to the wellness industry. The ashrams of Rishikesh are renowned for their spiritual healing and meditation. The rural tourism in the hinterlands of Uttar Pradesh have taken over as a prime industry. Around 60 million people gather for the Hindu festival at Haridwar to take a dip in the sacred Ganges, and the sacred rituals attract people as far as the Netherlands and Austria. The Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Ujjain and Haridwar are also popular.

What is a century old ritual, that is travel for wellness and spiritualism is now a commercial success, and the State Goverments would do well in developing these thrust products in the tourism sector further by providing tax incentives to promote investment.

(Photo source: http://indoexpedition.com/risikheshhotels.html)

-- by PWI Regional Reporter Central India - central.india@peoplewebinternational.com