Category: Top Stories

Kavil Pattanam, the harbour about which the legends Ibn Battuta and Marco Polo wrote in their travel writings has now transformed into a beautiful island. Sprawling across the districts of Kannur and Kasaragod, this lesser known pristine land of composed beauty is the largest backwater island group in the northern part of Kerala.  Kavil Pattanam used to be the centre for the trade of spices and gems from Malabar and of the wootz steal/Damascus steal before it was banned by the British in the 17th century. Kavvayi backwaters is a cluster of islands that constitutes the largest backwater island group ... Read more

A haven for humans craving furry feline company, a cat cafe in Dubai also doubles as an adoption centre for some of the United Arab Emirates’ many strays. The Ailuromania Cat Cafe, which was the Middle East’s first cat cafe when it opened in 2015, hopes the relaxing properties of its 25 rescue and shelter cats will help find them their forever homes. “Anyone who is stressed just has to find a cat. All your stress will go away,” said Omnia Fareed, whose two cat-loving sisters Allaa and Iman started the cafe after university, taking inspiration from similar establishments in ... Read more

The Seychelles Islands, an exotic destination with a collection of fabulous islands, off the coast of East Africa, has decided to restart its tourism following in the footsteps of the Maldives, another idyllic collection of islands off the coast of southern India. The Seychelles plans to welcome all international travellers, excluding those from South Africa, from 25th MAR, according to the Seychelles Tourism Department. Visitors are not required to undergo quarantine or get vaccinated, however they will have to produce a negative test report for COVID-19 within 72 hours of their departure. Earlier Maldives has fully reopened to foreign tourists in July without any ... Read more

Choolannur Pea Fowl Sanctuary or Mayiladumpara, as it is locally known, is a lesser known habitat as well as premier haven for peacocks in Kerala. The word ‘Mayiladumpara’ literally means “the rock where peacocks dance”. Located in Palakkad, getting to the 500-hectare enclosure requires a trek through dense forests. The view however makes up for it immediately. One is enraptured by the vivid colours and majestic shades of this kingly species. At this pristinely maintained heaven, dawn and dusk tend to be the best viewing times. Photographers can capture unique shots of peacocks here along with many other rare bird ... Read more

A live stream camera at a New Zealand nature reserve has caught a Royal Albatross making an awkward landing, with the video of the faceplanting now propelling the bird to fame. The video, shot at the Taiaroa Head Nature Reserve in Dunedin on New Zealand’s South Island, shows an albatross landing on its face, legs flailing, before it manages to right itself as a chick watches on. It has been watched over 660,000 times since being posted on Saturday, with several people on Twitter commenting on their similar experiences while skiing or speculating what the albatrosses might have been thinking. ... Read more

Mauritius has gone into lockdown and suspended flights in and out of the island for two weeks following the discovery of 15 more cases of COVID-19, the Mauritius state tourism agency said on Wednesday. Mauritius has stopped inbound commercial flights, effective midnight Saturday until further notice, after six local Covid-19 cases were detected over two days, Health Minister Kailesh Jagutpal said. The objective of the move is to free up space for people to be placed in quarantine following a contact-tracing process, Jagutpal told reporters in the capital, Port Louis. The suspension of flights would provide the ministry with breathing ... Read more

Most say history favors the victor at all times, but at the Poruvazhi Malanada Temple in Adoor, one sees the absolute opposite come to life and the antagonist is revered. Duryodhana, considered a villain in the Indian epic Mahabharata, is the mythical figure worshipped in this Temple, which also stands out for the absence of an idol or a sanctum sanctorum. Annually in March, the Temple premises come to life during its vibrant temple festival, the highlight of which is the spectacular Malanada Kettukazcha event. Also known by the name Poruvizhi Peruviruthi Malanada Malakkuda Utsavam, up to 70 to 80 ... Read more

There is intense competition among tourism boards from across the country to woo domestic travellers with an increasing number of people opting for destinations within the country. The boards have launched marketing promotions across social media, television and print. Several tourism boards, including those of Punjab, Maharashtra, Kerala, Leh & Ladakh and Uttarakhand, are leaving no stone unturned to attract travellers and revive the tourism economy. Some states have started running demand generation campaigns targeted at travellers, while others have reached out to tour operators to pitch their destinations. “States are also reaching out to industry associations for focused branding, ... Read more

Tourists to Thailand can now spend their mandatory two-week coronavirus quarantine on a luxury yacht, as part of a bid by the government to revive the country’s tourism industry, which is the major source of income for the country. Thai government’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency, along with partners including top telecom group Advanced Info Service, jointly announced the yacht quarantine program earlier this week. This would serve as an addition to the existing quarantine option on a golf course, aiming to revive the tourism industry that accounts for about a fifth of the country’s GDP. Visitors coming with a negative ... Read more

The annual festival at the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy Temple situated at Kodungalloor is famous across Kerala and is known as the Kodungalloor Bharani. It takes place during the Malayalam month of Meenam (March-April). This year the festival dates are from 17-18 MAR. The main event of Bharani festival is the Aswathy Kaavutheendal, held on the day prior to Bharani asterism. And on this day devotees can witness a sea of red overruns the premises as a flurry of oracles (velichappad) dancing in a trance offer their prayers to the deity. It is a mystical experience for all who have a chance to view it. The ... Read more

Union Minister of State  for Tourism & Culture Shri Prahlad Singh Patel virtually laid  theFoundation Stone for the project “Development of Maa Bamleshwari Devi Temple, Dongargarh, Chhattisgarh” approved under PRASHAD Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism in New Delhi on 02nd March. Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh Shri Bhupesh Baghel also attended the event virtually. The project estimated at a cost of Rs.43.33 Crores includes works for development of pilgrimage infrastructure at ‘Pilgrimage Activity Center’ with a Shri Yantra shaped iconic building, development of steps, sheds, walkway, area illumination, lakefront, parking with other public amenities for the MaaBamleshwari Devi Temple and ... Read more

Kerala has birthed and nurtured a plethora of art forms over a thousand years. Our shores have watched them evolve and flourish in various shapes and forms. Paana or Pallippaana, as it is sometimes called, is a ritual art to propitiate the goddess Bhadrakaali. Also known as Paanakali, the art form is popular in the districts of Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. Paana is part of a three-day festival. A canopy is supported by 64 posts cut out from the Paala tree ( Alstonia scholaris) and adorned with tender palm fronds is erected near the shrine of the goddess. A stump ... Read more

Marking the inauguration of a domestic airline, which coincided with International Women’s Day, on 08th MAR, an all-woman crew flew from Delhi to Bareilly with Santosh Gangwar, Union Minister and MP from Bareilly on board. According to news reports, the maiden flight of Alliance Air, a subsidiary of Air India was flagged off by Hardeep Singh Puri , Union Aviation Minister, and was manned by Captain Poonam Yadav. Minister of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri while announcing the inaugural flight, virtually said, “I would like to thank all the stakeholders who have done a tremendous job to get start the Bareilly ... Read more

As a leader in championing gender diversity and inclusion, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company has announced South Asia’s first all women-managed luxury residences, Taj Wellington Mews in Chennai. This initiative is in line with the Company’s ongoing efforts in creating an equitable workplace and ecosystem, while empowering women in the hospitality industry. Speaking on the occasion, Rakhee Lalvani, Vice President – Public Relations and Corporate Communications, IHCL, said, “Women at IHCL have played a very vital role in the organisation with their contribution and by pushing boundaries. The upcoming Taj Wellington Mews, Chennai managed by an all-women team is indeed a proud moment ... Read more

An unruly Indian passenger who was on board an Air France flight to New Delhi from Ghana via Paris forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, according to media reports. As per the Bulgarian News Agency BTA, the Indian national, whose identity was not disclosed to the public , has been detained for 72 hours, quoted Sofia City Prosecutor Iliana Kirilova Kirilova said “After the troublemaker’s detention, the flight proceeded to its destination.” The Indian passenger has been charged with endangering the safety of an airborne aircraft, said Ivailo Angelov of the National Investigation Service. If ... Read more