Assam

The sound of the falling rain on leaves, the mynah warbling at your window early in the morning, trees heavy with senduri mangoes. Nature is never ‘out there’ in assam to be admired from a distance. You live in her midst in the state. And then there is the mighty brahmaputra. Even at the height of summer, so vast and deep is this son of brahma that if you haven’t seen it you cannot imagine that such a river exists. Boating on it is an awe-inspiring and incredibly humbling experience. If you are planning a visit, don’t skip the kaziranga sanctuary- explore it on elephant back. Or visit soalkachi, a weaver’s village popularly known as the village of the golden thread’.

Living History

This is a holy land, a land that has nurtured religion, culture and art since the dawn of civilization. Seta, lord rama’s consort, was born in bihar. Emperor ashoka founded pataliputra or what is present day patna in 270 BC and formulated his tenets of governabce. Gautam Buddha attained nirvana under the bodhi tree in bodhgaya and founded Buddhism 2,500 years ago. It is here that lord mahavira founded Jainism and attained nirvana. Kautilya, the author of arthashastra, the first treatise on the modern science of economics, lived here. Guru gobind singh, the tenth and the last sikh guru, was born here and attained sainthood. Bihar has much more to offer the intrepid tourist: from the science splendour of the foothills of the Himalayas to forests and plateaus, fairs and festivals, and a diverse range of art and craft. The state’s most famous export is madhubani paintings-orginally humble expressions of the sheer creativity of the rural women, these wall-paintings by the women of mithila today adorn homes all over the world.

A Surreal State

This is the land of the volatile siang river that sometimes gushes wildly, sometimes flows mellifluously, meandering across unfrequented vistas. This ia where hick pine forests hide many forest paths where only the adventurous dare to tread. This is where orchids bloom in a profusion of colours-blue, yellow, pink, green. The wind whistles in ahollow, haunting way, as if it knows a deep dark secret. The many tribes that inhabit the hills of arunachal lead a simple life with fascinating traditions and festivals that are a treat to watch. Buddhist chants go up in the air every now and then, not disturbing but adding to the claim, queit ambience. The high mountains watch over everything. Nature seems like an orchestrated symphony in arunachal Pradesh. Surely this is heaven. Be prepared to be stunned when the majestic tawng monastery suddenly comes into view as you tackle a tricky bend in the Himalayas.

Air Of Indulgence

There’s a laidback, relaxing air to daman that instantly rubs off on travelers- no matter what stresses and strains you came here with, the easy rhythm of the town seeps into your consciousness. Yet, this doesn’t in any way mean that this is a town where there’s nothing to do. For lovers of history, the magnificient san jeronimo fort and the fort of damao grande offer a chance to relive times past. Ancient churches with elaborate facades and paneling are both hallowed places of worship as well as examples of the skill of the local artisans of yore. The beaches are great for sun bathing, or more active pursuits like water sport. Round it off with the speciality for which the coast is so famed- a delicious fresh sea food meal.Jetty garden in moti daman .The luminescent blues and greens seen almost too vivid to be real.

Going Wild

Adventure beckons in Gujarat; it comes roaring at the gir wildlife sanctuary, it’s a sheer climb up at pavagadh and is a splash away at the ahmedpur-mandvi beach. The gir wildlife sanctuary is one of the biggest and most important sanctuaries in India. The forests here are the only place in the world, outside of Africa, where you can see the lion in its natural habitat. Catch a glimpse of the majestic gir lion with its big tail tassel and prominent belly; or of the sanctuary’s large leopard population. At pavagadh, 40 km from vadodara, there are some exciting rock climbing options. Back at sea level, on the ahmedpur-mandvi beach, one of the state’s best beaches, the sea provides plenty of exciting opportunities. Here, you can water ski, surf, parasail and of course, go swimming in the clear blue waters.

Arunachal Pradesh

A brilliant blue sky with cotton ball clouds hangs over a lush green land that is dotted with mist- filled valleys. Time truly stands still here; a sweet breeze beckons you with teasing caresses to stay a moment longer. Arunachal Pradesh is the first of the eight north-eastern states to be greeted by the sun each day. Arunachal is the land of the authentic asoka tree with its orange bunched blossoms and the coveted gopichandan or red sandalwood. The exquisite ziro valley nestles deep in arunachal’s heart; the strategically important sela pass beyond the snow line; and the famous tawang that danseuse sonal mansingh described as ‘adhbhuta rasa’ at first glimpse, all go towards making arunachal both beautiful and harmonious, a place with positive vibration.

ADIDAS_1

This is the first shoe with a n embedded micro processor that adapts the shoe cushioning based on the terrain and the user’s demand. While the fact is that no two runners have the same pair of shoes can’t always provide the necessary comfort to both. To tackle this problem adidas_1 can dynamically change the cushioning depending on the terrain, your weight and the speed, to provide the right amount of comfort .The shoe has a magnetic sensor placed in the heel and monitors any changes in weight, place and surface type at a rate of 1,000 times per second. This information is then fed to a micro processor, the brain that determines whether the cushioning is in the ideal zone. If the cushioning is not right, the micro processor sends a signal to a motor that is connected to a cushioning cylinder in the heel to either relax or tighten depending on whether soft or firm cushioning is required. There are two buttons on the side of the shoe, which are required to be pressed simultaneously to switch on the active cushioning system. Moreover, there are five preset level of cushioning that can be achieved using these two buttons. A small battery powers the entire system and is located under the foot soles of each shoe.

Jaipur Celebrates

On march the colourful city of jaipur will add on some special Colours, as the Rajasthan day festivities take off, to commemorate its foundation day on 30 march(the march Rajasthan tooh final shape in 1949).Spread over a period of 10 days, 21-30 march, the celebrations will showcase the colourful elements that makes the state one of a kind handicrafts, folk dance, music, cuisine and more. Special features include night bazaars that remain open well beyond midnight, spectacular fireworks, cultural concerts, grand holi celebrations, an elephant festival, spots competition on round robin basis and theme based maha aartis. The aim is to showcase the state’s culture and heritage, and at the same time revive traditional sports, folk art and cuisine. A highlight will be the event forerunner-‘run for rajasthan’, a relay race. Rajasthan diwas promises to be a major draw for travelers in the coming years.

Sport In Snow

With its gentle slopes covered in soft snow, skiing in gulmarg is a dream vacation. The season starts just before Christmas and continues till April. Gulmarg is ideally suited to both amateurs and professionals. Professional skiers can take the gondola cable car ride up to kongdori and ski 3km downhill .Trained instructors are at hand and skiing equipment can be hired from the government ski shop. Sledging, ski bobbing and tobogganing are some of the other snow sports here. If skiing is the thing to do in winter, summer is for golf. Established in the days of the British Raj by sir Neville chamberlain, the gulmarg golf gulf has attracted golfers for almost a century. Redesigned by the famous architect peter Thompson, gulmarg now has a 6,760 yards, par 72, 18-hole golf course and boasts India’s longest hole-a par five, 610 yard. The gulmarg course usually open between april and November.

Dilli Durbar

Unlike other capital cities of the world , Delhi wears it’s greenery on its sleeve. It’s one of the greenest first cities on the globe and is freckled generously with woods , parks and gardens. Monsoon and spring breathe life and vivacity into it , but Delhi looks it’s best when the flowers are abloom and the temperature moderate. Where else will you find over 1,200 historic monuments ; a temple that enacts the Bhagwad Gita through an animatronics show with robots depicting Krishna and Arjuna ; a metro railway that ranks with the best in the world. If you need a regular fix of art and culture , catch exhibitions , plays , concerts , and dance recitals during the ‘season’. Delhi doesn’t know the words of ‘dull moment’.