New Delhi, home to the biggest and busiest Indian airport, strives to provide world-class experiences to tourists and travelers from across the globe. Though grappling with pollution and other enduring problems, the national capital city has executed several massive projects, including the airport-style Rs-6500-crore makeover of New Delhi Railway Station, and is working on several airport development plans, such as a Rs 2000-crore AirTrain for IGI Airport, to become a most traveler-friendly destination.

The introduction of doorstep baggage pickup and drop service is one of the pre-pandemic developments of Indira Gandhi International Airport. Located at Terminal 3, the doorstep baggage transfer facility is available for those catching flights to and from New Delhi. It is a collaborative project by Delhi International Airport Limited and Bengaluru-based CarterX.

Picture Credit: Blog.aci.aero

Here’s how to avail New Delhi Airport’s doorstep baggage pickup and drop service. CarterX accepts bookings for baggage pickup or drop through its website and mobile app. You can also book the service at airport counters. The service will soon be available for booking through the airport website too. The best thing is booking of the service gets your bags insured too.

The luggage booked for transfer from your address to the airport is sealed in tamper-proof bags. The sealed bags are then marked and bar-coded, so that they are easily identified by their rightful owners. Once you reach the airport, you can collect your bags at the Departure forecourt area and move on to check-in them.

Likewise, you can book Delhi IGI Airport’s doorstep baggage drop service online before your flight lands, or you can book the service at the airport counter designated for doorstep baggage pickup and drop in the arrival area of Terminal 3. The bags booked for doorstep drop will be delivered to your address in Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

While booking New Delhi Airport’s doorstep baggage pickup and drop service, you need to furnish a form with such details as date of service, flight details, name of traveler (s), and pickup or drop location. It will cost you a certain fee for your hassle-free travel to and from the airport. You can track the transit of your bags through CarterX’s mobile app. Hence, no worries about the whereabouts of your bags in transit!

“Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport’s doorstep baggage transfer service is a welcome move for unaccompanied travelers, especially senior citizens, and for those carrying heavy bags for international flights. Those availing Air India’s Namaskar Sewa for assisted transit at the airport can also book the doorstep baggage pickup or drop service for super convenience,” remarked the chief travel economist of IndianEagle.com, a most trusted portal for cheap airline tickets to India.

Also Check: Delta Airlines’ Door-to-Destination Baggage Delivery Service

The post All about New Delhi IGI Airport’s Doorstep Baggage Pickup and Drop Service for Hassle-free Departure and Arrival appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

No other Indian food has as many stories to tell as biryani does. Rosogolla surfaces to public notice once in a while due to the age-old contention over its origin between two neighboring states: Bengal and Odisha, while biryani is the only food to enjoy pan-India attention throughout the year. The stories of biryani are as varied as the taste and flavor of the dish across the country. If lots of conversation or discussion happens over tea in India, many incidents occur over biryani. Biryani is not just a delightful treat but a bribe, bait and gift. It puts smiles on withered cheeks, brings a ray of hope amidst adverse circumstances, pushes campaigns forward, stimulates arguments and unites people.

Travel Beats, a community portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle.com, curated the most interesting biryani stories from across India and abroad to make you understand the unbeatable power and popularity of biryani.

Biryani was a Silver Lining amidst Dark Clouds during Chennai Floods     

Biryani is no compromise under any circumstance! It was evident from the disappointment of some people for being served sambar rice not biryani during the Chennai floods 2015. When a group of volunteers reached out with packets of sambar rice and other relief materials to the people stuck amidst flood waters, braving the pouring rain and shoulder-leveled standing water, they met with disappointment for not serving biryani. Paradise Biryani, a most popular Hyderabadi biryani brand, sent the dish for them.

Actor’s Love for Biryani Inspired the Name of a Tamil Film    

One of the interesting biryani stories is sourced from the Tamil film industry. Among Tamil film stars, Ajith is so fond of biryani that he loves cooking it for everyone on the shooting spot. He has cooked biryani for the filming crew multiple times. It bears out to not only his penchant for biryani but his simplicity and down to earth nature. Moved by Ajith’s unfathomable love for biryani, director Venkat Prabhu named his black comedy film ‘Biriyani” in 2013. Biriyani is a thriller which was filmed in Chennai and Hyderabad.

Cockroach Biryani Led to a Munna Bhai Style Campaign in Kashmir

The story of ‘cockroach biryani’ in Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is among the most interesting Biryani stories in India. When a local dentist and his friends found cockroaches in the biryani served to them at a multi-cuisine restaurant at Hazratbal, one of the outlets owned by Hat Trick fast food manufacturer in Kashmir, they forced their way into the kitchen and found it unhygienic to their surprise. When the ‘cockroach biryani’ story went viral on social media, a group of young foodies launched a ‘Munna Bhai style’ campaign and sent 1000 ‘get well soon’ letters to the restaurant owner. The campaign caught attention of the Food Safety Department and led to sealing of the cockroach restaurant.

Homemade Biryani Forced Dhoni to Vacate Grand Kakatiya in Hyderabad  

One of the Hyderabadi biryani stories is related to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who was captain of the Indian Cricket team in 2014. He along with his team vacated the 5 star Hotel Grand Kakatiya where 180 rooms were booked for the team and BCCI officials, and moved to Taj Krishna due to a fiasco over homemade Hyderabadi biryani. One of Dhoni’s teammates brought homemade biryani for the entire team, which Hotel Kakatiya refused to allow within the premises. Hyderabadi biryani is something exclusive to die for!

Biryani Entertains Participants in National Shooting Championships   

The 59^th National Shooting Championship held in Delhi in 2015 is a memorable event for mouthwatering biryani served to the participants. The shooters from all over India were served delicious biryani at a nominal cost. Nawabuddin is the man who cooked and served the dish to them. Popularly known as Nawab Bhai, he has been cooking biryani for all shooting competitions in Delhi for past 6 years. He himself is a shooter and has participated in twenty national shooting championships. Eminent shooters are fans of Nawab Bhai’s biryani.

Biryani Failed to Make Rajnikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan a Success

Do you know that biryani was used as a bait to make superstar Rajnikanth’s Kochadaiiyaan a success in 2013 in Bangalore? When the fans of Rajnikanth felt that the film was going to be a box office disaster, they organized a rally in Bangalore to promote the film and promised the locals free biryani for watching the film. However, biryani could not save Kochadaiiyaan from being a failure.

Biryani Got People Together for a Communal Work in Kerala    

One of the latest biryani stories is how biryani is used to motivate people for a communal work. Recently, IAS officer Prashant Nair promised platefuls of Malabar biryani to a group of people for cleaning of a 14-acre lake in Kozhikode, Kerala. Removing water hyacinth from the lake was a herculean task, but his promise of biryani made it a success.

Biryani Saved a Bride from Marrying a Wrong Groom      

Anything can happen over biryani in India. Marriages can be fixed or broken over biryani. In 2014 in Karnataka, a bride called off the wedding over the ruckus created by the groom party over the taste of biryani. Even the bride’s family sent 30kg of biryani to the groom’s house but it came back as the groom’s family was fond of mutton biryani.

Biryani Energized Political Workers during Elections in Hyderabad  

Some of the stories of biryani in India are politically interesting. You might wonder what biryani has to do with politics in India. During the parliamentarian elections in 2014, Hyderabad witnessed a boom in sales of biryani. Demand for chicken and mutton biryani was tremendously high across Hyderabad during the electoral period in 2014.

Biryani Brought Good Luck to DMK Party in Chennai in 2009

Biryani not only keeps political workers on the go during elections but also plays an active role in success of electoral campaigns. Chennai witnessed the power of biryani in 2009 when the DMK party won elections in Tamil Nadu. The winning party distributed biryani packets to voters during the campaigns apart from offering usual baits like liquor, clothes and mobile phones. The popularity of biryani was so utilized to tempt common people that the 2009 election in Chennai was notoriously nicknamed ‘Biryani Bypolls.’

Biryani was a Gift from Sania Mirza to Dilwale Team        

Biryani is not just taken advantage of as bait or bribe. It is a pretty gift too. When Sania Mirza visited Shah Rukh Khan and Farah Khan during the shooting of Dilwale in 2015, she carried a box of Hyderabadi biryani for them.

Two Indian Restaurants Locked their Horns over Biryani in USA

Not only India but also the United States has interesting biryani stories to tell. Two Indian businesses in the US – Paradise Biryani Pointe and Paradise Biryani Grill – locked their horns in a legal battle over biryani at a New Jersey court. Both of these Indian restaurants in New Jersey serve the dish. In 2011, Paradise Biryani Pointe moved the court against its rival Paradise Biryani Grill accusing the latter of infringing the former’s trademark and biryani recipe which the former claimed to have developed over 7 years.

Read More Interesting Food Stories and News

Indian Eagle Travel, a leading air-ticketing partner of Indians from India to America, makes you not only travel on the best flights for low fares, but also have great times over interesting stories of food, culture, and community from India as well as America.

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Since the onset of 2021 in the dead of the pandemic, a few new nonstop flights have entered the US-India travel corridor; the most awaited ones being American Airlines’ comeback flights to India. American Airlines’ nonstop flights to India from USA include New York to New Delhi, and Seattle to Bengaluru. The airline exited India in 2012, terminating its only Chicago-Delhi service in on account of unprofitability.

Since October 31, American Airlines has been operating New York to Delhi nonstop flights on a daily basis, which is up from the initially planned weekly three flights during non-peak times. The airline’s Boeing 777-300ER departs NY JFK Airport at 20:10 EST and arrives in New Delhi the next day at 19:30 IST. 13 hours and 50 minutes is the total travel time on this route. But the return flight from Delhi to JFK takes 16 hours.

American Airlines’ New York to India flights is a result of its strategic alliance with JetBlue Airways in the Northeast USA. JetBlue Airways’ passengers from the Midwest, Northeast and Southwest USA will be able to connect on American Airlines’ flights to New Delhi from JFK International Airport. To be precise, JetBlue will provide the regional feed for its partner American Airlines’ long-haul international flights from New York.

American Airlines’ Seattle to Bengaluru nonstop flights, which could not take off in October 2020 due to the pandemic, were rescheduled to be launched in November 2021. It was further postponed to March 2022. As the latest reports state, this route will not see American Airlines’ nonstop service until October 2022 or for an indefinite period of time.

This daily service will be the first-ever nonstop connectivity to India from the West coast. Notably, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is the largest airport in the Pacific Northwest and the 8th largest in North America with nearly 52 million footfalls in 2019. The flight will take off from Seattle at 17:55 PST and arrive in Bengaluru the next day at 23:05 IST. The Seattle-BLR nonstop flight will take 16 hours and 30 minutes. The return flight will depart BLR Airport at 01:45 IST and reach Seattle at 06:00 PST. The total travel time be 16 hours and 45 minutes.

“Currently, Air India is ruling the JFK-DEL route, one of the busiest in the US-India corridor, with nonstop flights. Emirates, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, British Airways, Air France, and Virgin Atlantic are the best airlines offering one-stop flights between New York and New Delhi. Delta suspended its nonstop service from New York to India. There are nonstop United flights to Delhi and Mumbai from Newark EWR. In view of this, American Airlines’ New York to Delhi nonstop service will run into competition with Air India’s. American’s premium economy cabin will definitely be an advantage over Air India,” said the chief travel advisor of IndianEagle.com, a leading travel-booking partner of Indians in the US.

American Airlines’ new codeshare partner in India

American Airlines has inked a codeshare agreement with IndiGo, India’s largest airline by market share. IndiGo will fly American’s passengers to 29 domestic destinations from New Delhi and Bangalore. American Airlines will place its code on IndiGo flights for onward connectivity on 29 destinations across India, as per the agreement which is subject to the government’s approval.

American Airlines’ check-in baggage policy for flights to India

American Airlines offers generous check-in baggage allowance for Premium Economy and Business. American Airlines’ Premium Economy tickets allow two pieces of free check-in baggage (each up to 23 kg) per passenger. You can check in two bags for free, each up to 32kg, on American Airlines’ business class flights to India. Checking in of a third bag in either of these two travel classes is permitted at the cost of $200.

American Airlines’ flagship aircraft for JFK-DEL flights

Boeing 777-300ER with Flagship First and Business Class will be deployed for American Airlines’ daily New York to Delhi nonstop flights. The flagship international aircraft can accommodate 304 passengers on board. There are 8 seats in the Flagship First class, 52 Flagship Business class seats, 28 premium economy seats, 28 extra legroom seats with 36-inch of pitch in Main Cabin Economy, and 188 standard economy seats with 31-32-inch of pitch. American Airlines’ premium economy seats come with the features of the airline’s domestic first class seats (recliner style) offering more width and pitch than economy seats.

American Airlines’ comeback to India, with nonstop flights to Delhi and Bangalore from the US, coincides with the lifting of entry restrictions for fully-inoculated Indians in November 2021. Booking of best flights to India for cheap fares is open on the website and over the phone at 01-800-615-3969.

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Indira Gandhi International Airport is gearing up for an infrastructural boost to match the heights of New York JFK Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Hong Kong International Airport and Singapore Changi International Airport. Like these leading international airports, New Delhi IGI Airport is all set to get an air train to interconnect the terminals for smooth passenger transit. Yes, you read it rightly. Delhi International Airport is the first Indian airport to have a dedicated Metro line between the terminals.

At present, buses transport passengers between the terminals of New Delhi IGI Airport. The proposed automated people mover (APM) between T1 (low cost domestic), T2 (old international terminal which will be converted into T4 by 2020) and T3 will make passenger transit faster and more convenient than the existing inter-terminal transit system. The project, which was supposed to begin in 2020, will be expedited given the increasing passenger traffic to the airport.

The upcoming automated people mover or air train at Delhi IGI Airport will be a 5.5-km-long transit line including 3km underground and 2.5km on ground. It will have four stopovers: T1, cargo terminal, Aerocity (the hospitality section), and a common station for T3 and T4. A technical study on the routing and an estimated costing of the project are in process.

With two terminals and three runways, New Delhi IGI Airport recorded whopping passenger traffic of 6.9 million in 2018. With the proposed expansion of Terminal 1 and the construction of the fourth runway, the annual volume of passenger traffic is supposed to be 10 million by 2020. With the increasing passenger traffic volume, the number of travelers transiting between T1 and T2/3 for flight arrival and departure will be growing. The annual passenger traffic will rise to 15 crore by 2025 when Terminal 4 will be operational.

Air train for New Delhi IGI Airport is an ambitious project. The construction of automated people mover under and on ground will cost up to INR 400 crore on an average per kilometer. The entire project will cost INR 2,000-2500 crore.

Recently, Delhi IGI Airport has been rated better for its security system than several other international airports, including London Heathrow, in the Airports Council International’s Airport Service Quality Survey. Delhi airport is the world’s second best airport, according to the same survey.

Delhi has good air connectivity with major cities in the US, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore. There are nonstop flights to Delhi from Chicago, Newark, New York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Sydney, Hong Kong, London, Singapore and others. Indian Eagle, a leading international travel organization, books cheap flight tickets to Delhi from USA for economy class, business class and last-minute travel.      

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We often get to hear about incidents of ‘intimate’ body frisking by security guards at US airports. It has even offended many Indian biggies traveling to and out of the United States. Recently, media reported an incident of humiliation and harassment that a wheelchair-bound Indian American traveler was subjected to at Indira Gandhi International Airport in India.

The wheelchair-bound traveler, who flew from the USA to New Delhi, is none other than Virali Modi who helmed the campaign to make major Indian Railway stations disabled-friendly. Virali Modi, a US citizen, is a renowned disability rights activist and motivational speaker. A runner-up in the 2014 Miss Wheelchair India contest, she featured on BBC’s list of top 100 women of 2017.

While going through the obligatory security check at Delhi IGI airport for a flight to Mumbai, she did fall prey to a CISF official’s utterly insensitive behavior towards her.

On landing at Delhi IGI Airport from her flight from USA to India, Virali Modi surrendered her personal wheelchair at the check-in counter. She got a wheelchair from the airport and hired a porter to escort her to her seat on the SpiceJet aircraft. A female CISF officer at the security check asked her to stand up from the wheelchair and walk.

Virali and the porter told the CISF officer that Virali has been paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury in 2006 and that she has been on a wheelchair since then. She showed her passport to prove that she has traveled internationally, but she has faced such disrespect nowhere. Reportedly, the CISF personnel turned a deaf ear to all her pleas and went on to yell at her.

When Virali Modi overheard the lady CISF officer speak to one of her colleagues, “Drama kar rahi hai (she is pretending to be wheelchair-bound), she was left with tears in her eyes. She gritted her teeth to confront the CISF on the latter’s insensitive behavior to her.

When the argument heated up, a senior CISF officer intervened, conducted the security check and let her move on to the boarding area.

Expressing her disappointment at being ill-treated and harassed, Virali Modi wrote an email to the CISF after reaching Mumbai. In the email, she complained, “Is this how the CISF are trained to handle people with disabilities? If so, then it’s a shame on our government. This sort of behavior is absurd and I request you to please look into this matter and take the necessary action so this doesn’t happen to anyone with disability.”

When she demanded a public apology from the CISF for meting out humiliating behavior to her, the same female CISF officer called her and rendered an apology to her over the phone.

Later on Virali Modi was told that the lady CISF officer stood her ground because there had been an incident of fraudulence and counterfeit a few days before, in which a 32-year-old man appeared as an 81-year-old and pretended to be too senile to leave wheelchair while going through the security check for a flight to New York from New Delhi.

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Among the festivals of India, Holi is the only festival which celebrates love and harmony, friendship and brotherhood with various colors. The celebration of Holi is a common thread of unity in the socio-cultural diversity of India. The festival of colors is celebrated in different ways but with equal enthusiasm across the country, which will leave you surprised. Somewhere it is traditional, while somewhere it is trendy. Somewhere it is a color chaos, while somewhere it is a colorful extravaganza. Somewhere Holi is a genuine celebration of age-old folk cultures, whereas somewhere it is a sinful frenzy of urbanites. You can soak in flamboyance of colors, no matter which part of India you visit this time.

We at Indian Eagle handpicked five places from across India and explored what makes them the best destinations for fun-filled, spectacular Holi celebrations.

Shantiniketan

Holi is a cultural festival celebrated with an aura of sophistication in Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan, an international seat of learning and literature in Bengal. Though Holi is known as Dol Yatra all over the state, the Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore introduced it as Vasanta Utsav attributing a cultural dimension to it. Dressed in shades of yellow, orange and green, boys and girls choreograph the celebration in rhythmic fashions – singing and dancing. In Shantiniketan, the atmosphere of the day is a miasma of colorfulness and literary fervor as the students of Vishva Bharati University celebrate the festival through the poems and songs, composed by the Bard of Bengal himself.

Shantiniketan, which is also famous for its age-old Pous Mela, is a nearly 4-hour train journey or road trip from Kolkata. Know how to save big on flights to Kolkata, India.  

Delhi

In Delhi, the cosmopolitan ways of Holi celebration are unique to the capital’s multicultural milieu. Holi celebration is not less musical and crazy than a DJ party with foot-tapping numbers from Bollywood movies. The Delhites who are Page 3 celebrities throw parties in resorts and farm houses. The temperature of the atmosphere soars so high that they cool off themselves with sips of bhang lassi and thandai. Delhi is also famous for the Holi Cow Festival, an organized event of music and madness. Do watch the video of the song, “Balam pitchkari jo tune mujhe mari” from the music album of the movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani to get a hang of how madly Delhites celebrate the festival of colors.

Delhi has global air connectivity. Especially, Air India operates several nonstop flights to Delhi IGI Airport from USA, UK and other parts of the world.  

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad is the best place to celebrate this spring festival in Gujarat. Be the festival Holi or Navratri, Gujarati celebrates it traditionally. Holi is a cultural extravaganza in the capital of Gujarat. The celebration begins with the breaking of earthen pots of buttermilk hung from a rope in the streets after the joyous procession of menfolk through lanes and alleys comes to an end. This ceremony is observed in honor of Lord Krishna who used to steal the pots of butter and buttermilk from Gopis’ houses. In some parts of the city, Gujarati belles wearing ghagra with mirror work and the men wearing colorful turbans play dandiya to spread euphoria all around. Haryana celebrates Holi in the same fashion.

Ahmedabad, India’s first UNESCO World heritage city is well-connected with the rest of India. Cheap airfare deals for flights to Ahmedabad from USA will leave you amazed. 

Mathura & Vrindavan

Mathura and Vrindavan are the best places to celebrate Holi in North India. These two destinations for pilgrims and tourists are mythically associated with the legends of Krishnaleela or Rasleela. It is said that the zest the Brajwasis (people of Vrindavan) play Holi with is not felt in the rest of India during the festival. Their festive spirit is so high that the celebration begins 40 days prior to the day of Holi. Boys are dressed like Krishna, and girls dress themselves like Gopis (female admirers of Krishna). The Lathmar Holi of Barsana, the village of Sri Radha, is the main attraction. The boys of Vrindavan play colors with the girls of Barsana in a flirtatious manner. They drench each other with colored water and sprinkle gulal in the air.

You can reach Mathura and Vrindavan by road from New Delhi Airport in nearly 3 hours. Check the interesting facts of the world’s tallest temple, Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir which is currently under construction in Mathura for a whopping cost of INR 700 crores (USD 102 million).  

Manipur

The way Manipur celebrates the Holi Festival is culturally unique, Northeast India. The festivity begins on the Full Moon day of Phalguna and spans for six days. The age-old Yaosang Festival of the state was merged with Holi celebration during the rise of Vaishnavism. The tradition of celebrating Holi through cultural performances including folk dance forms and songs has been replaced with the trend – music band culture. Setting fire to a thatched hut of hay and twigs marks the beginning of the festivity. The boys and girls play gulal, the following day. The sight of devotees wearing white & yellow turbans, dancing in front of the Krishna temple and offering gulal to the obedience of the Lord is a wonderful spectacle to witness. The celebration ends with a religious procession to the capital city, Imphal.

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Among the wandering monks of India, Swami Vivekananda is the first name that comes to the mind. The five years of his life on earth, from 1888 to 1893 was full of travels in search of truth, spirituality and a real India. He traveled as a Parivrajaka along the length and breadth of the country. He won the admiration of kings, felt for the suffering people, motivated the youth for a greater cause, studied many religious scriptures, visited many historic sites, gained knowledge, and visualized the future of India during his itinerary, which made a precious treasure of enlightenment for us. On the occasion of Swami Vivekananda’s birthday (January 12), we at Travel Beats, an overseas Indian community portal by Indian Eagle, offer a sneak peek into his historic and spiritual travels.

Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in India, was the first destination on his itinerary. In Varanasi, he came across the saints like Trailanga Swami, the authors like Bhudev Mukhopadhyay, and the Vedic scholars like Babu Pramadadas Mitra. From there, he made his way to Rishikesh through Ayodhya, Lucknow, Agra and Vrindavan. He interacted with and took favor from whoever came his way without caring their castes and creeds because he believed in non-duality of the soul. Some of those who were touched by his noble soul became his disciples and got initiated into service to the nation. Among them was Sharat Chandra Gupta, a railway station master in Haridwar, who came to be known as Swami Sadananda. Swamiji fondly called Sharat “the child of my spirit”.

Then, Swamiji spent days at Vaidyanath and Allahabad during his itinerary between 1889 and 1890. From Allahabad, he moved to Ghazipur where he got in touch with Pavhari Bana, a great sage. Pavhari Baba was known for his absolute knowledge of Advaita Vedanta. On meeting the sage, he felt blessed and referred to him as a great soul of bhakti and yoga in a letter to Pramadababu. In the first half of 1890, he took a break for the travel and returned to Baranagar Math in Kolkata (then Calcutta). After a short stay there, he left for a trip to the Himalayas in quest of truth. Swami Akhandananda accompanied him on the trip. After a visit to Nainital, Almora, Dehradun and Srinagar, Swamiji went to the Himalayas. Delhi was his destination by the end of January in 1891.

He visited the historical sites in and around Delhi. Then, his travel to Rajputana in west India began. This phase of the itinerary was so eventful that it constituted a big chapter of his biography. The first stopover in Rajputana was Alwar where he received a cordial welcome from both the Hindus and the Muslims. They were influenced by this wandering monk’s spiritual values and teachings. Swamiji was invited by Mangal Singh, the King of Alwar, who did not believe in the practice of idol worship because of his western outlook. A meeting with Swamiji changed his attitude towards the idol worship by the Hindus.

Swamiji’s Rajasthan travel was full of learning too. He studied Panini’s Ashtadhyayi under the tutelage of a Sanskrit Scholar in Jaipur. He visited the Dargah Sharif in Ajmer. His meeting with Ajit Singh, the King of Khetri in Mount Abu on June 4, 1891, is another important event. Out his interest in spirituality, the King became a follower of Swamiji and supported him in many ways. Swamiji studied Mahabhasya during his stay at Khetri and then, he went to Gujarat.

Limbdi, Ahmedabad, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbander, Dwaraka, Baroda, Palitana and Girnar were among his destinations in Gujarat. The Gujarat travel was full of enlightenment for him. He studied the Jain scriptures there. He got the idea of preaching Vedanta in the Western World from Thakur Saheb Jaswant Singh who he came across in Limbdi. Haridas Viharidas Desai, the Diwan of Junagadh, welcomed him as a respected guest. Impressed by his personality, the Diwan used to discuss on different topics with Swamiji till late at night. Swamiji immersed himself in philosophical studies during his nine-month long stay at Porbander. At Kathiawar in Gujarat, he got to know about the Parliament of the World’s Religions.

Then, he visited Mahabaleshwar and Pune. While traveling by train in Bombay in 1892, Swamiji happened to meet Bal Gangadhar Tilak, a Nationalist in the Freedom Movement of India. They spent a few days together in Pune. He moved to Panaji in Goa from Maharashtra, and studied the Christian theology at a convent in Goa.

In the second half of 1892, he journeyed to Bangalore, his first destination in South India. There, he met the Diwan of Mysore who described him as “a magnetic personality with a divine force”. Swamiji was introduced to Chamaraja Wodeyar, the then King of Mysore and welcomed cordially to the Palace. He was further introduced to the Diwan of Cochin. His travel continued till he reached the southernmost part of India, Kanyakumari, on foot through Trissur, Ernakulam, Trivandrum, and Nagercoil. The meditation on the future of India, at the Kanyakumari Rock, was the culmination of Swamiji’s spiritual journey at the end of 1892.

Having had the vision of an individual India, Swamiji traveled to Madurai, Rameswaram, Pondicherry and Madras (now Chennai) in the beginning of 1893. He met Ramnad Bhaskara Sethupathi, the then King of Madurai, who approached him with an urge to participate in the Parliament of Religions in Chicago. Swamiji won the admiration of whoever came in touch with him during the itinerary across Tamil Nadu. Most of them became disciples and responded to his call for renunciation in service to the nation. One of his most ardent disciples in South India was Alasinga Perumal who collected funds for Swamiji’s voyage to Chicago by going from door to door. Swami Vivekananda embarked on the historic voyage to America on May 31, 1893.

Swamiji’s travel continued from America to the rest of the world till the demise of his mortal body on July 4, 1902. However, the journey of this greatest Indian traveler is as ceaseless as the eternal flow of time. It is still on the go through the spread of his message, teachings, values and vision

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2019 might see a drop in airfares from USA to India, due to the mounting competition of airlines operating nonstop flights to India from USA, and the ongoing experiments with biofuel in commercial passenger aircraft.

Introducing a new route for nonstop flights to India and jumping into the fray with Air India, is United Airlines. One of the major US carriers, United Airlines announced to fly nonstop from San Francisco to New Delhi in 2019. Toronto, Melbourne, Amsterdam and Auckland are also earmarked on the map for United Airlines’ upcoming nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport, one of the United hubs in the US.

December 5, 2019 is the tentative date for the launch of United Airlines’ nonstop flights to New Delhi from San Francisco (SFO). Good for Indians in California, who mostly travel back home by the year end! They will be privileged to compare between the Air India cheap fares and the United Airlines cheap tickets for nonstop SFO to DEL flights.

Los Angeles to Delhi and Houston to Delhi are among the busy routes between the United States and India. Demand for nonstop flights to New Delhi from those two US cities is also high. Leading Indian Americans, along with the governors of Los Angeles and Houston have already proposed Air India to commence nonstop service on these two routes. But, the national airline of India is yet to take a step forward. It would have been far better if United had announced nonstop service to Delhi from Houston and Los Angeles among its hubs.

However, the upcoming nonstop United flights SFO to Delhi hold some good for Indians in and around Los Angeles, since it takes them only 6 hours to reach San Francisco Airport by road. As San Francisco is a short flight away from Phoenix in Arizona, Nevada in Las Vegas, Utah in Salk Lake City, and Portland in Oregon, Indians residing in those US cities may take a liking to fly United Airlines from San Francisco to Delhi IGI airport.

Baggage Allowance for Nonstop SFO to DEL Flights: United Airlines vs Air India

Air India’s generous baggage allowance for economy travelers is the only disadvantage with United Airlines. Economy travelers flying nonstop Air India flights from USA to India can check in two pieces of baggage, each weighing up to 23 kgs or 50 lbs. But, only one check-in bag weighing not more than 23 kgs is allowed to economy passengers of United Airlines’ nonstop flights to Mumbai and Delhi from Newark Liberty international Airport. United Airlines’ economy baggage allowance will apply to the upcoming SFO to DEL nonstop service as well.

Extra Fee for Preferred Economy Seats on United Flights

Travelers flying United Airlines will have to pay up for their preferred seats in the economy cabin starting today, December 14. The additional fee for preferred seats, which are basically standard economy seats with no extra legroom behind the Economy Plus rows, will apply on all routes in the airline’s global network. Those unwilling to sit on the backside of aircraft prefer the seats behind the Economy Plus rows onboard.

No matter how cheap United Airlines economy flight tickets are; preferred economy seats will add to the fare. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines with similar economy seats have already been continuing the trend of charging extra for preferred seats in economy.

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The Independence Day of India (August 15) is the day to recall sacrifices by the freedom fighters that made evergreen history for generations. The map of India is dotted with multiple sights and spots of freedom struggle as the freedom movement had spread like wild fire across the country. Some of our customers who are flying to India in the second week of August this year approached us with a request to recommend the best places to visit on Independence Day in India. Indian Eagle picks up the following:

Cellular Jail, the Andamans

The Cellular Jail in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands tops the list of the places to visit on the Independence Day of India. It is a living witness to the brutal treatment of the freedom fighters behind the bars. The Cellular Jail reminds generations of the solitary confinement that the heroes of the National Freedom Movement were sentenced to suffer for years during the colonial rule. An important chapter in the history of British India, the Cellular Jail was declared a national memorial in 1969. On display are the sculptures silently retelling the stories of atrocity that the prison inmates were subjected to.

Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar

Jallianwala Bagh is a must visit in Punjab. Located near the Golden Temple, it is the site where General Dyer shed the blood of thousands who had assembled for a meeting in protest against the Rowlatt Act in 1919. The massacre of 1919 which Jallianwala Bagh has been bearing witness to in form of bullet marks on inside of the wall is one of the most condemnable British acts during the colonial times of India. Jallianwala Bagh is a must stop during Punjab travel at any time of the year.

Indian Coffee House, Kolkata

If you are in Kolkata this Independence Day, do visit Coffee House nearby Presidency University on College Street, have a cup of brewing coffee, and take a walk down the memory lane to the bygone decades when the College Street Coffee House used to be a hotbed of debates on politics, art, music, cinema and culture in the then Calcutta. A favorite haunt of the elite, the literati, and intellectuals of Bengal, including Satyajit Ray, Amartya Sen, Mrinal Sen, Ritwik Ghatak, Samaresh Majumdar, Sunil Ganguly and likes, Coffee House was also frequented by the then political revolutionaries. In the post-independence era, Kolkatas College Street Coffee House witnessed to several mass agitations and movements in the changing socio-political landscape of Bengal. Integral to the cultural history of Bengal, Indian Coffee House in Kolkata is one of the best places to visit on the Independence Day of India.

Also Check: Proposed Museum on History of College Street and Coffee House

Sabarmati Gandhi Ashram

The Sabarmati Ashram was Mahatma Gandhijis workplace for social activism and his activities for National Freedom Movement. He spent 12 years of his life here. The ashram is the place where Satyagraha, Civil Disobedience Movement and Swadeshi Movement had gathered momentum at. Situated on the bank of the Sabarmati River, the ashram is one of the best places to visit in Ahmedabad.Gandhijis Dandi March to disobey the Salt Act implemented by the British began from the ashram in 1930. The Sabarmati Ashram introduces visitors to Gandhijis values, philosophy, vision and support for self-reliance.

India Gate, New Delhi

The India Gate, one of the most popular Delhi attractions, is not just a monumental architecture but also a war memorial. Also known as the All India War Memorial, the India Gate has been carrying the names of nearly 70, 000 soldiers who fought and died in the First World War, and the names of some 12, 516 Indian soldiers who embraced martyrdom on the North-west Frontier. Designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, the India Gate and the Flame of the Immortal Soldier under the archway stand for the martyrs of India. It is a must see during Independence Day celebrations on August 15.

Santi Institute Library, Kolkata

A most significant among the age-old, red-brick buildings in Kolkatas Bowbazar is the Santi Institute. The 100-year-old building of the Santi Institute is not just an iconic library of 41000 books of various genres but also a lesser-known historical place. Founded as a haven of peaceful reading after the First World War, the library was started with just 27 books and 21 young members. Gradually, it grew into a hub of stimulating discussions and animated debates among the then liberals, revolutionaries and freedom fighters. A favorite of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, the Santi Institute Library in Bowbazar was also frequented by Bipin Behari Ganguli, Surendranath Banerjee, the educationist Triguna Sen, the historian Ramesh Chandra Majumdar, and the the famous lawyer Radhabinod Pal.

Agra Fort, Agra

The Agra Fort, an integral part of the Mughal history of India, is associated with the history of British India as well. One of the world heritage sites recognized by UNESCO, the Agra Fort was the site of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Also known as the Sepoy Mutiny, it was the first seed of the National Freedom Movement. Located by the Yamuna River, the fort features a unique blend of Hindu and Islamic styles in construction as well as design.

Netaji Bhawan, Kolkata

Netaji Bhawan or Netaji Shubhash Chandra Boses residence in Kolkata City is among the places that remind of British India, freedom fighters and national movement. It is the place where he was put under house arrest and where he escaped from to Berlin in 1941. A part of Netajis life, struggle and mission for freedom of India, the house has got a museum and a library today.

Viceregal Lodge, Shimla

Viceregal Lodge, a splendid English Renaissance architecture of colonial times in India, is not just a tourist attraction of Shimla but also a historic place. Viceregal Lodge was the summer residence of Lord Dufferin, the Viceroy of British India, and the place where discussions on the most fateful India-Pakistan partition were held. Also known as Rashtrapati Niwas, this colossal landmark in Shimla houses a museum exhibiting some stories of Indian freedom movement.

About Indian Eagle Travel

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There are umpteen stories of Tihar Prison or Tihar Jail in India. Other than the most popular tourist attractions across India, Tihar Jail near New Delhi is a most talked-about place for its high-profile prisoners, including Chhota Rajan, Charles Sobhraj, Suresh Kalmadi, Subrata Roy, Lalu Yadav and Sanjay Gandhi.

Many people wonder how Tihar Jail rooms are, how Tihar Jail prisoners live, how Tihar Jail conditions are, what a typical day in the life of a prisoner in Tihar Prion is, how the inside view of Tihar Prison is, etc. Those wondering about the life in Indian prisons will soon be able to live the typical Tihar Jail experience to their satisfaction. Yes, you read it right.

India’s largest and highest security prison, Tihar Jail will reportedly open its doors to tourists and visitors in the next few months. The Tihar Jail tourism project titled ‘Feel Like Jail’ includes a number of facilities for the guests willing to spend a day or two within the 400-acre prison complex. The guests will have to pay for the Tihar jail experience and work like the prisoners during their stay. They will be given the typical prison uniform which the Tihar Jail inmates wear.

There is nothing to be surprised. Foreign tourists are taking cheap flights to India for a similar prison tourism program, ‘Feel the Jail’ in the state of Telangana. The Sangareddy Prison, a 220-year-old heritage jail which is nearly 70 kms from Hyderabad International Airport, entertains guests with a unique experience of the typical life in Indian prisons.

Built during the Nizam regime in the then princely state of Hyderabad, the Sangareddy Prison charges INR 500 per guest for a day. The Telangana Prison Department’s ‘Feel the Jail’ tourism program drew global attention to India in January 2018 when two Malaysian tourists took flights to Hyderabad, spent 2 days behind the bars and experienced the life of a prisoner in the Sangareddy Prison. During their stay, they did all mundane jobs like gardening and cleaning. They were given the simple Indian meals which usually prisoners cook and eat.

However, the inside view of Tihar Jail is a larger-than-life picture which one cannot imagine without any experience of the life in Tihar prison complex. With nearly 15,500 inmates, Tihar Jail is the most populated prison in India and the biggest prison in Asia. Run by the government of Delhi’s prison department, Tihar Prison is styled as a correctional institution and also known as Tihar Ashram. The first Indian female IPS officer, Kiran Bedi was the Inspector General of Prisons at the helm of reformative programs for rehabilitation of the Tihar prison inmates.

At Tihar Jail in India, the guests will be treated to the food cooked by the prisoners though they will not be able to interact with the prisoners and use their mobile phones or other electronic devices for security reasons. What one-day stay in Tihar Jail rooms will cost the guests is yet to be decided on.

How to Reach Tihar Jail in New Delhi

Tihar Prison is easily accessible by bus and Delhi Metro from Indira Gandhi International Airport. Located in Tihar Village, nearly 7 km from Chanakya Puri to the west of New Delhi, Tihar Jail will surely be among the most offbeat tourist places in Delhi once the prison tourism program ‘Feel Like Jail’ is rolled out for commoners.

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