Hemis Festival Ladak

Hemis Fesival is one of the biggest Buddhist festivals in Ladak. It is held every year in the Hemis Monastry which is the biggest Buddhist monastery in Ladak and attracts thousand of devotees across the region. This festival is celebrated on the tenth day of lunar month in the Tibetan calendar and is celebrated in the commemoration of the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. It is a very vibrant and colorful festival, celebrated for two days. During the festival the Lamas gather around the central flagpole in the country yard of the monastry and perform various plays and mask dance. These amazing dances are performed on the beat of the beats of drums, cymbals and long horns.
The symbolic significance of the festival is the victory of good over evil. After the mask dance and sacred play, the leader of the black hat dancers destroys an idol made up of dough and spreads in the four directions. Then a devil dance is also performed. The entire programme of the Hemis festival is preceded by the head lama of the monastery.
Devil dance is an important part of the social entertainment of the Ladakh people. Other major attraction of the Hemis festival includes a colourful fair displaying some of the most exquisite handicrafts of the Ladakh region. However, the most interesting aspect of the Hemis festival is display of the two-storey high “Thanka” which depicts the image of Guru Padmasambhava is displayed for the devotees. It is embroidered with semi-precious stones and pearls.
Hemis festival is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Guru Padma Sambhava or Guru Gyalwang Drukchen Rimpoche, the most honored incarnation of Lord Budha. He is considered as the founder of Tibetan Buddhism who spreaded the message of Lord Buddha in the Ladak region.
This annual festival is the most awaiting festival to all Ladakis. It is the time when all villagers and families to come together and socialize. Men can be seen wearing cummerbands while women are dressed in bright headgear and lots of jewellery. The scene of this festival becomes a beautiful sight to behold. It is an wonderful scope for the traveler to interact with the local people.
This year also the Hemis festival was celebrated with warmth and gaiety on 12th and 13th July. Those who have attended this festival are mesmerized by the incredible spectacle.

India International Travel Mart (IITM )

India International Travel Mart (IITM Bangalore & Chennai), organised by Travel Media Networks are merely not an exhibition only, but these offer people an insight into the factors that are bringing changes in global travel, tourism, hospitality. IIITM is one of the prominent International Travel & Tourism Mart which brings people together to promote Inbound, Outbound and Domestic Tourism in an excellent style.

IITM offers a big platform to the interested people o Explore, Market and Publicize their destination/ product/ organization at one place. The main purpose of such fair to “bringing about a face - to - face encounter with the travel – trade, corporate consumers, the burgeoning middle and upper middle class including the elite segment, with the requisite purchasing power, in an ambient and festive surrounding that would facilitate the beginning of a new era of a mutually beneficially business relationship.”.

The visitors of this mart will be from the travel trade and industries, Business TravelersHoliday makers, Key Business and Corporate Travel Decision makers, Potential investors in the field of Hospitality, Leisure and Travel Industry. It will also include visitors like Travel Agents, Tour Operators, Tour Organizers, Business & Corporate Houses, Govt. and Public Sector Undertakings / Organizations, Domestic and International Travellers, Tourism Organizations/Offices, Associations, Excursion Makers, Professionals, Hotel Management & Catering Technology, Food Craft Institutes, Educational Institutes.

The exhibitors of these mart are Time-Share Resorts, Corporate Clubs, Amusement Theme Park etc., Adventure Sports: Aero Sports, Aqua Sports, Terrestrial Adventure operators (Trekking, Mountaineering, Jungle Camping, adventure gears, Wildlife and eco tourism resorts, Golf Resorts, etc, Educational Institutions in the field of hospitality and tourism studies etc., Health Care and Travel Insurance Services, Travel Accessories: Credit Cards, Foreign Exchange, Baggage Manufacturers, Photography Equipment and accessories, etc, Handicrafts, Specialty vehicles, Publicatio

Venue:

Bangalore

Bangalore Palace Grounds,

The Palace, Vasanthanagar (Mount Carmel College Side Entrance)

Bangalore

Date : 18th - 20th July 2009

Chennai

Chennai Trade Centre, Hall No. 1

Mount Poonamallee High Road

Nandambakkam, Chennai

Date : 24th to 26th July 2009

Mango Festival

This blog is about different festivals only. So today I am writing about another festival in India. Hold on ... it not about religious festival but about mango festival. Yep ...its a good news for the fruit lovers that the annual mango festival in Delhi is going to be held on the 7^th July at Pragati Maidan. In collaboration with Delhi Government, the Delhi Tourism Department organizes this festival where innumerable people come to watch 500 varieties of mango picked from across India. It is an amazing experience to watch the different mouth watering varieties of mangoes. This three days annual mango festival is undoubtedly a treat for fruit lovers, where you can experience a huge variety of mango in one place.

The different types of mangoes that draw attention in the festival are Sirki, Suvarna, Jehangir, Neeleshwari, Royal SP, Amarpali and Langra to Badami, Alphonso, Mallika, Raspuri and Totapuri.

So come and enjoy this festival of king of fruits and savor your taste bud with different tastes.