Among the colossal temples coming up across India is Mata Umiya Temple in Gujarat. Located in Jaspur near Ahmedabad, the Umiya Mata Temple will be next to the Statue of Unity in height. On completion, the temple tower will be as high as 431 feet – which is 166 feet shorter than the world’s tallest Statue of Unity. Interestingly, the most notable feature of the temple is going to be its height that will surpass the monumental gopurams of many temples in South India. As of today, Karnataka’s Murudeshwara Temple of Lord Shiva will continue to have the tallest gopuram (249 feet) in the country. The Ranganatha Swamy Temple of Srirangam in Tamil Nadu has the second tallest gopuram (239 feet) in the country.

PC: The Times of IndiaThe temple will be the central attraction of the Umiya Dham Complex that will sprawl nearly 65 acres of land in Jaspur, Ahmedabad. Rs 1000 crore is the estimated budget for the new Umiya Mata Temple in Gujarat. Designed by Indian architects and German artists, the temple will have an observation gallery at a height of 270 feet, which will command 180-degree panoramic views of the city landscape. The temple will have a huge idol of Mata Umiya worshiped at a height of 171 feet (52 meters).

As evident from the name, the temple is being constructed for Goddess Umiya, the clan deity of Gujarat’s Patidar community that uses the surname, “Patel.” Statistically, one of every ten Indian-origin individuals in the United States is a Gujarati with “Patel” as his/her last name. America is home to nearly half a million Patels from India, whereas nearly 100,000 Patels live in the UK.

The Mata Umiya Dham Temple complex will also accommodate a world-class guest house for NRI visitors, a convention hall, various facilities for senior citizens and students, a medical care facility, an all-in-one sports facility, a career development center, a skill development community, a library, a hostel, a banquet hall, and various recreation facilities including a theatre. A two-storey parking lot will accommodate 1000 vehicles at the basement of the complex. A 13-floor apartment with 400 rooms will also be built within the complex, as per reports. The grand temple structure will be supported by 92 pillars with pictorial engravings.

There are five Umiya Mata Temples in the United States. The five locations are Macon in Georgia, Edison in New Jersey, Boston in Massachusetts, Chicago in Illinois, and Los Angeles. America’s first Umiya Mata temple was built on a land of 32 acres in Macon, Georgia for US$ 20 million in 2014. The cultural heritage of the half-a-million-odd Patel community living in the US centers around these temples.

The foundation stone of the temple near Ahmedabad was laid out in December 2021. The 3-day foundation ceremony was virtually attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Moreover, the area surrounding the temple complex will gradually be transformed into a socio-economic hub across 3 lakh square meters.

Once the temple is open to public (expected in 2025), the Gujarati diaspora will be taking flights to Ahmedabad from USA, the UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and other countries. This is part of our continued series on the upcoming wonders in India for the Diaspora that Travel Beats, a leading community portal by Indian Eagle, caters to.

The post All about Maa Umiya Dham Temple Complex Coming up near Ahmedabad for over Rs 1000 Crores appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

India’s vision of civil aviation 2040 targets 190-200 functioning airports in the country for more than 1 billion passengers by 2040. Reportedly, India’s upcoming international airports, including Navi Mumbai Airport and Noida Jewar Airport, will collectively cost a whopping $45-50 billion. Gujarat’s Dholera International Airport, an upcoming alternative to Ahmedabad International Airport, is a steppingstone towards making India a trillion-dollar economy.

Though a third international airport in Gujarat, Dholera Airport will be next to Ahmedabad International Airport in connectivity and passenger traffic. Upon completion of the construction in a phased manner, the airport is expected to exceed the annual traffic-handling capacity, domestic and international, of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport (AMD) and handle 5 million passengers a year. In a cabinet meeting held on June 14, 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved a Rs-1305-cr plan for the phase 1 of Dholera International Airport. Once the first phase of development is completed in 48 months, the airport will serve as a second gateway to Ahmedabad.

Estimated to cost more than Rs 2000 crore, the airport will open for international flights by July 2024 if things fall in place as planned. Gujarat has always been a step ahead when it comes to industrial development, and the Dholera International Airport project is another step in the same direction. A strategic part of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor project, the airport will link India’s first smart and futuristic city, Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), to different parts of the world.

Gujarat’s Dholera International Airport is planned as a Greenfield airport and will be equipped with world-class facilities. In 2012, a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) under the name Dholera International Airport Company Limited (DIACL) was created and an initial budget of INR 2,000 crore was allocated. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) then bought a 51% stake in the company and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2019 with the state government to construct the airport. Following a few months of halt in the process due to the pandemic, AAI recently called for tenders for the first phase of the airport at an estimated cost of more than Rs.1000 crore.

The government has already allocated 1426 hectares of land for the airport and an additional 75 hectares for commercial establishments. The airport will have two runways, one of which will measure 4,000 meters in length. The other runway is scheduled to be built in the second phase. Furthermore, the airport will be equipped with facilities including but not limited to car parking, hotels, a convention center, and a cargo terminal. A number of aviation-related activities will be planned to general employment in the area surrounding the airport.

With spacious terminals for international airlines’ next-gen aircraft operating business flights to Ahmedabad, Dholera Airport will be sharing the increasing air traffic load on Ahmedabad International Airport, the seventh busiest airport in the country. Currently, Ahmedabad Airport handles 11 million passengers per annum against its actual capacity of 7 million passengers per annum. Notably, Dholera Airport will be the second gateway for the additional inbound and outbound traffic and help keep the air traffic flow smooth in the eastern region of India.

Another attractive aspect of Gujarat’s Dholera International Airport is its location. The new airport is just 80 kms away Ahmedabad and 20 kms away from the smart city.  The airport’s strategic location in the Saurashtra region will connect it to such major cities as Rajkot, Vadodara and Anand in the state.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) acquired a 120-meter wide strip of land between Ahmedabad and Dholera to make way for smooth transportation to the upcoming airport. 90 meters of the strip will be used to lay a 6-lane road which will directly lead to Dholera Airport and 30 meters is allocated for a metro rail link.

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Indian government has released new 100 rupee notes which feature a motif of ‘Rani ki Vav’ stepwell on the reverse side. One of the most historic and best tourist attractions in Gujarat, Rani ki Vav is a unique architectural wonder. It was built as an inverted temple as homage to the sanctity of water.

Those who have watched Amol Palekar’s Paheli do remember the stepwell scene in Rajasthan featuring Rani Mukherjee as a newlywed bride who halts on the way to her in-laws and feels a mystic presence around herself. There are many stepwells in Gujarat and Rajasthan, the Rajputana states of India. But, Rani Ki Vav stepwell is more exquisite, magnificent and marvelous than other stepwells. In 2014,UNESCO’s list of World Heritage Sites in India incorporated Rani Ki Vav, which is also known as Queen’s Stepwell.

UNESCO recognized Rani Ki Vav as a masterpiece of technological excellence in ground water management in the 11th century. This stepwell is an age-old model of how ground water was preserved and utilized in those days. In addition to this, Rani Ki Vav is a work of Indian subterranean architecture with ornamental sculptures. The stepwell is a seven-storied structure underground. It measures about 64 meters in length, 20 meters in width and 27 meters in depth.

Also Check: Gujarat Temple Offers Divine Pens to School Students for Success

As the history goes, Patan where the stepwell is located was the capital of Gujarat when King Siddharja Jaysingh was in power. Then, it was known as Anhilpur Patan. The construction of Rani Ki Vav was commissioned in the Solanki or Chalukya regime. It is said that the stepwell was built as a tribute to Bhimdev the First whose father had founded the Solanki dynasty in 1050 AD. The construction was proposed by the queen Udayamati, wife of Bhimdev the First.

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Sculptural beauty is the mainstay of Rani Ki Vav as a historic attraction for tourists. The inner walls, pillars and columns are intricately sculpture. Most of the sculptures represent the incarnations of Lord Vishnu Rama, Krishna, Narasimha, Varah, Baman, Matsya, and Kalki. The other sculptures are shaped as beautiful dancing women of the Heaven including Nagkanya, Yogini and Urvasi. There are nearly 1000 sculptures. A carving of Lord Vishnu resting on the thousand-hooded serpent named Sheshnag is found at the water level.

After years of its construction, the stepwell was flooded by the Saraswati River and filled with silt. It remained covered with silt till the late 1980s. Then, the Archeological Survey of India discovered and excavated it. Rani Ki Vav with most of the carvings in pristine condition is an interface between a stepwell and a temple. It resembles a subterranean temple with carvings of deities in stone, which symbolizes the age-old faith in sanctity of water. Such stepwells were the sites for not only water preservation and distribution but also worship and socialization in the bygone eras.

The steps lead to the deepest bottom through several pillared pavilions. The lowermost step ends at a small gate which opens to a 30-km tunnel. It is supposed to have been used as an escape to the nearby town Sidhpur in times of invasion by enemies. The World Heritage Site status has made Rani Ki Vav the queen of stepwells in India, for its sheer magnificence, intricate carvings, celestial sculptures, and water-preserving technology.

‘Rani Ki Vav’ stepwell in Patan district of Gujarat is a 125-km long drive from Ahmadabad and 118 kms away from Gandhinagar. Modhera, the ancient Sun Temple, is another must-visit tourist attraction on the way. These days cheap flights to Ahmedabad International Airport are available for online booking throughout the year.

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“In India, the calendar of every state is full of only religious events and festivals.” If you think so, you are not absolutely right. Indian states boast of culturally rich dance and music festivals, held in different times of the year. The most celebrated music and dance festivals of India are held at seaside temples, historical sites of architecture ruins and shrines in the cave. The interface between art and history, these festivals are cultural celebrations, ceremonious galas and spectacular events, in the open air atmosphere. Indian Eagle offers an ode to the most famous dance festivals of India.

Soorya Dance Festival, Kerala

Interwoven with the cultural fabric of Kerala, the Soorya Classical Dance Festival is held in the capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, for 10 days every year. The festival is accompanied by some other cultural programs including theatre, photography, painting and seminars. Kathak, Manipuri, Odissi, Kathakali, Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi are some of the celebrated forms of Indian classical dance which are staged by eminent artists, during the festival. Organized by Soorya Stage and Film Society, this dance festival of India continues from October 1 to 10.

Elephanta Dane Festival, Maharashtra

Among the dance and music festivals of India, Elephanta Festival is a cultural pride of Maharashtra. The festival is held in the cave shrine of Lord Shiva on Elephanta Island, a 10 km boat drive from the Gateway of India in Mumbai Harbor. Illumined with the interplay of various lights, the Lord Shiva temple in the caves of Elephanta Island comes alive as a seat of art and culture, in the month of March every year. Since its inception in 1989 by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation, Elephanta Dance Festival celebrates the folk dance form of each Indian state.

Khajuraho Dance Festival, Madhya Pradesh

Khajuraho, situated in Madhya Pradesh, holds the cultural traditions of Central India. A small village in Bundalkhand, Khajuraho is famous for its legendary temples where the dance festival is held ceremoniously, in the month of February every year. The festival is a gripping celebration of Indian classical dances, performed in the backdrop of flamboyantly illumined temples – the Chitragupta Temple and the Vishwanatha Temple under the evening sky. Once upon a time the capital of the Chandela Dynasty, Khajuraho is a dedicated chapter in the thousands-year old Indian history.

Konark Dance Festival, Orissa

One of the most spectacular dance and music festivals of India, Konark Dance Festival is held at an open air auditorium in the backdrop of the Sun Temple which is also known as the Black Pagoda. The marvelous architecture of the Konark Sun Temple is shaped like a chariot with wheels drawn by seven horses. On the Chandrabhaga beach of Konark, near the holy city of Puri, the Konark Temple offers a wonderful ambience when lit colorfully during the festival in the month of December. Odissi Dance, an age-old cultural identity of Orissa, is an exclusive highlight of the festival. Other dance performances such as Chau dance, Manipuri, Kathak and Bharathnatyam make it a lavish feast for the eyes.

READ MORE Interesting Facts of Konark Sun Temple

Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival, Maharashtra

Held in the month of January, Ellora Ajanta Dance Festival is an interface between culture and history of India. The historic Ajanta and Ellora caves of Aurangabad are in the spotlight during the festival. Organized by Aurangabad Festival Committee in collaboration with Maharashtra Tourism Development at Soneri Mahal, the festival presents the best of classical and folk dance forms in a blend. The glittering beauty of the festival and the splendid architecture of Soneri Mahal make a rare spectacle to behold with wonder. The regional art and craft of Maharashtra is also exhibited at the festival site.

Mamallapuram Dance Festival, Tamil Nadu

Mamallapuram, a seaside temple town in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, prides itself on the popularity of the dance festival. The most important port in the Pallava Dynasty of the 7th and 8th centuries, Mamallapuram is a tourist destination known for its stone temples and monolithic rock sculptures. Arjuna’s Penance, a mammoth architecture with finely carved rock sculptures, serves as venue of the Mamallapuram Dance Festival, in the backdrop of the Bay of Bengal. Lulled by gentle breezes blowing over the sea, the atmosphere of the town is suitable for the festive mood. The festival begins in the last week of December and continues for three weeks in January every year.

Modhera Dance Festival, Gujarat

Gujarat does not lag behind other states of India when it comes to claiming fame for art, culture and history. Modhera Dance Festival, an annual cultural phenomenon in Mehsana district of the state, is held at the Sun Temple, an architectural excellence that belongs to the regime of the Solanki King Bhimdev I. Though lying in ruins, the temple exudes its historical charms when the surrounding is illumined for the festival. Dance and music performances by traditionally clad artists add to the spell of the atmosphere. Modhera Dance Festival is held in the month of January.

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Gleaming diyas, glittering lamps, colorful rangoli, succulent sweets, firecrackers and likes – these all make a composite picture of extravagant Diwali celebration in urban India. But, you will find absolutely different pictures of the festival in the rural backwaters of the country where tribal communities live. Indian Eagle explores the rural interiors of India to collect the striking glimpses of Diwali celebration by the tribal people whose multi-ethnic identity and culture are distinctly defined in contrast to the harmony of various cultures in a cosmopolitan society. Lets see how tribal India celebrates the Festival of Lights…

Diwali celebration is synonymous with simplicity for the tribal communities of Jharkhand. They celebrate the festival of lights, known as “Sohrai”, in a more realistic way associated with the means of sustenance in daily life. This festive occasion marks the harvest of rice, and the worship of cattle is part of the celebration in the tribal villages of the state. Harvest and cattle are the main sources of livelihood for them. The women in countryside decorate the mud walls of their houses (mainly huts) with art murals, which is unique to their culture. Also, domestic animals are adorned for the celebration.

The way of Diwali celebration in the state of Odisha is different from the ways the other states of India celebrate the festival in. The tribal folks of Odisha, on the occasion of Diwali, seek the blessings of their ancestors who are believed to be living somewhere in the heaven after the demise of their mortal bodies on earth. The ritualistic manner of worshiping ancestors is unique to their cultural heritage. “Kaunria Kathi” is one of the rituals that they perform during the festivity. As per the ritual, they burn jute stems to create fire as a signal to summon the ancestors and request for their blessings.

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The people of the Sindhi community in the states of India have developed their own way of Diwali celebration, which is unique to their cultural identity in the social fabric of the country. This regional community of India refers to the celebration of Diwali as “Diyari”. Like most of the other communities, they worship Goddess Lakshmi. They clean silver and gold coins using raw milk during the worship. Once the puja is over, they take gold or silver coins and tap the coins lightly against their teeth while chanting “Lakshmi aayi, danat vaai” (When Lakshmi arrives, poverty departs).

The way the tribal communities in Narmada and Baruch districts of Gujarat celebrate defines their traditions in contrast to the common socio-cultural milieu of the country. The tribal people of these two provinces in Gujarat celebrate the festival of lights as a harbinger of good health. It is a 15-day long festivity for them. Unlike firing of crackers in cities and towns, the burning of herbal wood of different types accompanies the celebration for the tribal folks. The smoke from the burning of herbal wood is believed to keep them healthy. This traditional custom also stands for the philosophy, that is, “hard work brings wealth, and good health is required for hard work.” They light a holy fire and march a procession to take the fire across the villages in a bid to prevent evils from intruding their habitats. They enjoy themselves over various folk dance forms on each of the 15 days of the celebration.

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The tribal habitants in Bastar district of Chhattisgarh are distinctly identified for their different way of Diwali celebration, known as Diyari. The festivity begins ceremoniously with the marriage of crop in fields with an idol of Lord Narayana. It is followed by the ritual of filling households with food grain. The cattle owners in the tribal community of Bastar are honored with liquor on the first day of the celebration. They offer garlands, paddy and khichdi, a kind of porridge with local flavor, to the shepherds. They perform Gotton puja, another integral part of the festivity, to seek divine blessings for the good health and protection of their cattle. The cattle are adorned with garlands, the drums are beaten, and the crop is worshiped as image of Goddess Lakshmi during the 3-day long Diwali celebration.

Thakar is one of the scheduled tribes inhabiting the forest areas of Maharashtra. Their cultural heritage includes various folk dance forms and songs. The way they celebrate Diwali festival stands for their identity in distinction from that of the other tribes in India. They make lamps from the dried parts of a fruit called chibra, and use the stands made from cow-dung to place lamps on. They worship the grain, stored in a cane basket, as the image of Goddess Lakshmi, on the festive day. On this occasion, they perform a folk dance in rhythm with the beats of dhols.

About Travel Beats

This story is brought to you as part of the initiative, “Explore India with Indian Eagle”, aiming to promote what is good and lesser known about India through our overseas Indian community portal, Travel Beats. Travel Beats is a subsidiary of Indian Eagle Travel, a leading air ticketing partner of Indians abroad.

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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.

The post Holi Festival: Best Places to Have Fun and Witness Unity in Diversity of India appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

This Republic Day 2019, Indian government honored 94 luminaries, including six Indian Americans with the Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honors for their distinguished service or remarkable contribution in their respective fields. The recipients of the Padma Shri 2019 were felicitated by President Ram Nath Kovind himself at the 70^th Republic Day ceremony in New Delhi.

The Indian Americans among the Padma Shri 2019 recipients are Adobe chairman and CEO Shantanu Narayen, California-based Tabla maestro Swapan Chaudhuri, New York-based Novelist Gita Mehta, engineer-cum-philanthropist Ganpatbhai Patel, computer scientist Subhash Kak, and 100-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch, an eminent yoga instructor of French and Indian origin.

Indian American Tabla Maestro Swapan Chaudhuri

Among the Indian American Padma Shri 2019 awardees, California-based Swapan Chaudhuri received the coveted honor for his contributions in the fields of art and music. A resident of San Rafael in California, table maestro Swapan Chaudhuri has his roots in Kolkata. He is regarded as one of the greatest living musicians of our time for his rhythmic creativity, lyrical opulence, depth of knowledge and purity of sound.

Prior to receiving the Padma Shri in 2019, he was conferred upon the Sangeet Natak Academy Award in 1997 by Indian government and the Bharat Ke Sangeet Ratna in 2011 by the Art & Cultural Trust of India. Percussionist Swapan Chaudhuri is also a recipient of the American Academy of Artists Award. For the past 20 years, he has had the distinction of chairing the Department of the World Music Program and acting as a senior faculty at the California Institute of Arts. He has also been teaching percussion at the Ali Akbar College of Music in San Rafael since 1981.

Though he started learning table at the age of 5 in Kolkata, the Padma Shri Swapan Chaudhuri inherited his passion for music from his mother, Meera Chaudhuri who was a great singer of her time in Bangladesh. Meera Chaudhuri had several music albums to her credit, some of which were recorded under the supervision of Kazi Najrul Islam, a revolutionary Bengali poet and musician.

French-Indian American Tao Porchon-Lynch

One of the Padma Shri recipients in 2019, Tao Porchon-Lynch is a French-Indian American yoga trainer, wine enthusiast and competitive dancer. At the age of 100, she is known as the oldest yoga teacher in the United States. Tao Porchon-Lynch discovered her passion for yoga at the age of eight when she was studying in India with Sri Aurobindo, B K S Iyengar, Swami Prabhavananda, and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1926.

Recognized as the world’s oldest yoga instructor in the Guinness World Records, French-Indian-origin Tao Porchon-Lynch says ebulliently, “In my head, I’m still in my 20’s and have no intention of ever growing up.”

Born to an Indian mother from Manipur and a French father in 1918, Tao Porchon-Lynch has donned several hats over the 75 years of her professional life – a fashion model, actor, publisher, television executive and film producer. She is a published author too. In her autobiography titled Dancing Light, the Padma Shri awardee narrated her chance meeting with several dignities, including Mahatma Gandhi, Ernest Hemingway, Elizabeth Taylor, Marilyn Monroe, Bob Hope, Duke Ellington, Richard Greene, and likes.

In the early years of her career, Tao Porchon-Lynch kissed success as a model in vogue couture and a cabaret performer. After the Second World War, she shifted to the US and took up acting as a career. She acted in several Hollywood films including Show Boat. She shared the screen space with Elizabeth Taylor in The Last Time I Saw Paris.

In 1967, Tao Porchon-Lynch gave up her acting career to become a full-time yoga instructor. In 1976, she cofounded the Yoga Teachers Alliance which was renamed the Yoga Teachers Association later on. Today, she has students from around the globe. She released a DVD on her yoga lessons and published a book on meditation titled Reflections: The Yogic Journey of Life. She received the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Pioneer Award from the United Nations in New York in 2016.

The aunt who had raised Tao Porchon-Lynch since the latter’s mother died, tried to dissuade her from practicing yoga under the impression that yoga was meant predominantly for males. But, Tao Porchon-Lynch listened to her heart and became one of the most-acclaimed yoga teachers of the century.

Indian American Entrepreneur Ganpatbhai Patel

One of the Indian American engineers and entrepreneurs, Ganpatbhai Patel received a Padma Shri award this year for his philanthropic contribution in the field of education. Born to a farmer in Mehsana, then a socio-economically backward region in Gujarat, Ganpatbhai Patel is a staunch educationist too. He had dreamt of transforming Mehsana into the best center of education with state-of-the-art learning opportunities long before he traveled to the United States for higher studies.

Indian American Ganpatbhai Patel took baby steps towards fulfilling his father’s and his own dream with the foundation of Majulaben Science College in Mehsana. Later, he founded Ganpat University in Mehsana, Gujarat. Since its inauguration, the university has produced over 22,000 graduates with academic and industrial excellence. The university facilitates affordable access to education for the economically underprivileged students. The Padma Shri awardee, Ganpatbhai Patel has awarded scholarships worth more than INR 7 crore.

He believes, “Knowledge will take you to the places you want to go. Make sure that you recognize the significance of knowledge as a part of life and what it can do for you.”

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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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Cold is nipped in the air; bonfires are warming up the ambience; camps are illuminated in the dark; revelers are spending out nights under the starry sky; tribal folks are dressed in colorful motley attires; men are playing folk music joyously; women are madly dancing on the sand; camels are sitting peacefully in rows; the spectators are all smiles.

Which Indian festival comes to your mind the moment you meditate on this picture? Of course, it is the Rann Utsav or the Kutch Festival of Gujarat. The Rann of Kutch is a vast stretch of salty sands in the Thar Desert running through the Kutch district of Gujarat and the Sindh Province of Pakistan. Most of the area is desolate though there is a small habitation of the Kutchi tribes.

The Rann of Kutch seems as dull as dodo in other times of the year except the month of December. It springs into life and becomes a land of beauty during the Rann Utsav in December. Dhordo Village in the Kutch district is the venue of the Gujarat festival which spans as many as 45 days. How colorful and beautiful a look the desert wears during the festivity can be experienced only in person.

The Utsav of Rann is not just a wonderful picture but a cultural affair that never ceases to spellbind the senses of visitors from the world over. It is a manifestation of Gujarat’s creative and cultural best. Over 400 tents of varying sizes and colors make a kaleidoscopic picture in the backdrop of the sandy white landscape that runs into the horizon. Spending nights in the tents under the moonlit sky is a thrill that words fall short of describing.

You might have read or heard the phrase “Rangeelo Gujarat”. The Kutch festival is the occasion to see the embodiments of spectacular hues which the local craftsmen concretize and capture in embroidered textiles through the magic of their needle work and mirror work. Gujarat prides itself on the beauty and creativity of the Kutch embroidery. The waves of colors run in parallel with the waves of sand dunes on the Rann during the festivity.

With folk music and dance performances on the balmy sand, the Rann Mahotsav is a pool of joy to plunge into. The local artistes fill the air with rhythms of their folk arts – music and dance – on the festive evenings. The traditional dance of the ethnically dressed Gujarati belles is more wonderful than a beautiful dream. You may find it difficult to resist your taping feet from matching with theirs.

Tourist Places to Visit near the Venue of Rann Utsav

Besides splendors of the sand and sights of Gujarat’s ethnicity, Kutch offers tours into the wilderness where Indian wild ass and desert birds are seen. At a short drive from the venue of the Rann Utsav is Mandvi Beach where sunrise and sunset are ethereal manifestations of nature. The Palace of Mandvi is another marvelous catch there. Visit Narayan Sarovar, Koteshwar and Dholavira while in Kutch during the Rann festival.

The Rann Utsav of Gujarat has already commenced, and it will continue until February 20, 2019. You may get to know Gujarati life and culture from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s movies – Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and Ram-Leela. Watching it live while sitting on the sand is a much more pleasurable experience than watching it on the television screen while relaxing on the couch in a corner of home.

Ahmedabad International Airport (AMD) is the nearest airport to reach the Great Rann of Kutch from. The Rann Utsav location is a 400-km drive from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmadabad. You can book even last-minute flights to Ahmedabad for the cheapest airfare at IndianEagle.com.

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Theme-based restaurants and parks are passé. A theme-based crematorium is the latest talk of the hour, both online and offline. Antim Udan Moksha Airport in Gujarat, the first of its kind in India, puts the departing souls of the dead cremated here on international flights to the heaven for ultimate salvation or moksha: freedom from the cycle of birth and death.

Located in Gujarat’s Bardoli on the banks of Mindhola River, the crematorium is modeled on an airport and equipped with two giant replicas of aircraft. The airplane replicas at Antim Udan Moksha Airport in Gujarat are named Moksha (salvation) airlines and Swarga (heaven) airlines which seem to transport the souls from the earth to the heaven on cremation of dead bodies here.

What’s the most interesting about Antim Udan Moksha Airport in Gujarat is the airport-like announcement which is made to guide funeral parties on entry into the crematorium and instruct them where to keep the body, how to proceed for cremation, etc. There is very little difference between the announcement made at the crematorium and that at airports as well as in planes.

What makes the crematorium more like an airport is the typical noise that an aircraft makes while taking off. A similar noise is created when dead bodies are placed in furnace at Antim Udan Moksha Airport in Gujarat. The atmosphere of the airport-themed crematorium is intended to soothe the mourning family members under the impression that the dead depart for salvation in the heaven.

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Somabhai Patel, the President of Antim Udan Moksha Airport, says that he wants the people of Bardoli to recognize the crematorium as a salvation airport where the souls take flight to the heaven from once dead bodies are cremated. People from 40 villages in and around Bardoli come to the airport-themed crematorium for the last rites of their dear and near ones.

The word ‘crematorium’ sounds harsh and signifies a hard-hearted reality that everyone is destined to meet with, according to Somabhai Patel. That is why; it is replaced with the word ‘airport.’ Antim Udan Moksha Airport has five furnaces including 3 electric furnaces and 2 traditional funeral pyres.

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