Airports India November 2019

N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 | Vo l 8 | I s s u e 1

India

for the strong

hearted It's time to indulge in the enchanted adventure sports

detour

There is much more to explore in Agra than just Taj Mahal

Culture

Delve into Nagaland's culture at the 10-day Hornbill Festival

AAI update

AAI showed its competence at the World Routes 2019

;g if=dk Hkk-fo-izk- dh lEifÙk gSA ÑIk;k bls vius lkFk u ys tk,aA /

This magazine is provided by AAI for your reading pleasure. Please return it for others to enjoy.

v/;{k egksn; dk lans'k

mUur rduhdksa dks viukus ds lkFk] Hkk-fo-izkfo’o Lrjh; lsokvksa dks ;kf=;ksa rd igqapkus ij /;ku dsafær dj jgk gS ykbZ tkus okyh bu çkS|ksfxfd;ksa dks çnf’kZr fd;kA Hkfo";ksUeq[kh igyqvksa dks /;ku esa j[kdj fMt+kbu fd, x, LVkWy ds fy, Hkk-fo-izk- us lqj{kk ,Dliks esa xksYMu vokWM~lZ Hkh thrkA Jh vuqt vxzoky v/;{k] Hkk-fo-izk-

fiz; ikBdksa] Hkkjrh; ukxj foekuu m|ksx ds fodkl esa Hkkjrh; foekuiÙku izkf/kdj.k ¼Hkk-fo-izk-½ ges’kk ls egÙoiw.kZ Hkwfedk fuHkkrk jgk gSA gokbZ vM~Mksa ds volajpukRed fodkl vkSj ;kf=;ksa dks le`) ,oa ijs’kkuh eqDr ;k=k vuqHko çnku djus dh fn’kk esa Hkk-fo-izk- çfrc) gSA bl fn’kk esa] Hkk-fo-izk- ^fMth ;k=k* uked ;kf=;ksa ds psgjs dh igpku&vk/kkfjr vfHkxe fu;a=.k iz.kkyh ykxw djus dh çfØ;k esa vxzlj gSA ;g ç.kkyh gokbZ vM~Mksa ij ;kf=;ksa ds fMftVy çlaLdj.k dh lqfo/kk çnku djsxhA psd ikWbaV ij psgjs dh igpku ç.kkyh ds vk/kkj ij ;kf=;ksa dks Lopkfyr :i ls lalkf/kr fd;k tk,xk( ,aVªh i‚baV psd] flD;ksfjVh psd esa ,aVªh] ,;jØk¶V cksfMaZx ds vfrfjDr] ;g ç.kkyh lsYQ+&cSx Mª‚i vkSj psd&bu dh lqfo/kk Hkh çnku djsxhA orZeku esa] ns’k ds fofHkUu gokbZ vM~Mksa ij budk ijh{k.k fd;k tk jgk gSA gky gh esa vk;ksftr 22osa Hkkjr varjjk"Vªh; lqj{kk ,Dliks&2019 esa Hkkfoizk us Hkfo"; esa mi;ksx esa

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November 2019

Hkkjr ljdkj dh egÙokdka{kh ;kstuk RCS-UDAN ds dkj.k ns’k Hkj esa vke vkneh ds fy, gokbZ ;k=k lqyHk gks jgh gSA gky gh esa fgaMu gokbZ vM~Ms ls ?kjsyw mM+ku lapkfyr dh xbZ gSA igyh mM+ku ,;j gsfjVst mM+ku jgh( 4,p&104 mM+ku fiFkkSjkx<+ ls fgaMu rFkk 4,p&105 mM+ku fgaMu ls fiFkkSjkx<+ ds fy, lapkfyr dh xbZ FkhA mM+kuksa dk lapkyu 11 vDVwcj] 2019 ls vkjaHk fd;k x;kA Hkk-fo-izk- ,oa bafM;u us’kuy lsaVj Q+‚j vks’ku bUQ‚esZ’ku lfoZlst ¼INCOIS½ }kjk la;qDr :i ls fodflr dh xbZ ^xxu vuscYM ejhulZ baLVªwesaV Q+kWj usfoxs’ku ,aM bUQkWesZ’ku* ¼GEMINI½ dk mn~?kkVu gky gh esa Jh g"kZo/kZu] ekuuh; dsaæh; foKku vkSj çkS|ksfxdh ea=h us ukxj foekuu ea=ky; ds lfpo dh mifLFkfr esa fd;kA Hkk-fo-izk- us INCOIS ds lkFk feydj xxu eSlsftax lfoZl ¼GMS½ ykxw dh gSA ;g xxu uked iz.kkyh ds ek/;e ls y?kq lans’k Hkstus dh ,d vuwBh vo/kkj.kk gSA ekud lSVsykbV&vk/kkfjr v‚XesaVs’ku flLVe ¼SBAS½ dks çHkkfor ;k ifjofrZr fd, fcuk] bl iz.kkyh dks dk;kZfUor fd;k tk ldrk gSA mUur rduhdksa dks viukus ds lkFk] Hkk-fo-izkfo’o Lrjh; lsokvksa dks ;kf=;ksa rd igqapkus ij /;ku dsafær dj jgk gSA fo’o i;ZVu fnol ds volj ij] ubZ fnYyh ds foKku Hkou esa vk;ksftr ,d ’kkunkj iqjLdkj forj.k lekjksg

esa Hkk-fo-izk- ds nsoh vfgY;k ckbZ gksYdj gokbZ vM~Mk] bankSj dks çfrf"Br jk"Vªh; i;ZVu iqjLdkj 2017&18 ls lEekfur fd;k x;kA ;g nwljh ckj gS] tc bankSj gokbZ vM~Ms dks ns’k esa i;ZVu ds fodkl ds fy, mlds vuqdj.kh; ;ksxnku ds fy, mls bl iqjLdkj ls lEekfur fd;k x;k gSA ,d xfr'khy vkSj çxfr'khy laxBu ds :i esa] Hkk-fo-izk- vius ekuo lalk/kuksa ds {kerk fuekZ.k vkSj çf'k{k.k esa fo'okl djrk gSA varjjk"Vªh; ukxfjd mM~M;u laxBu ¼ICAO½ ds mi&{ks=h; dk;kZy; ds lg;ksx ls Hkkfoizk us Hkkjrh; foekuu vdkneh esa ok;q ;krk;kr fu;a=dksa ds fy, çn’kZu vk/kkfjr fnDpkyu ¼PBN½ ls lacaf/kr ,d dk;Z’kkyk dk vk;kstu fd;kA dk;Z’kkyk ds ek/;e ls ,Vhlh vf/kdkfj;ksa dks bl ckr dh tkudkjh feyh fd PBN dSls yphys ekxZ lajpukvksa dks l{ke cukrk gS] ftlls vf/kd dq’ky mM+ku iFk lqyHk gksrs gSa vkSj ifj.kkeLo:i bZa/ku ds tyus vkSj mRltZu esa deh vkrh gSA bl dk;Z’kkyk esa Hkkjr ds 44 gokbZ vM~Mksa ds ok;q ;krk;kr fu;a=dksa rFkk CAA usiky ,oa Mhthlh, Hkkjr ds izfrfuf/keaMy us fgLlk fy;kA ge ,d jksekapd o"kZ ds var ds djhc gSa vkSj ;g vius ifjokj vkSj nksLrksa ds lkFk mRlo eukus dk le; gSA Hkk-fo-izk- gj fdlh dks ,d je.kh; vkSj vkjkenk;d ;k=k çnku djus ds fy, rRij gSA uohure tkudkjh izkIr djus ds fy, gekjs lks’ky ehfM;k usVofdZax IysVQkWeZ ij gekjh ;k=k dk vuqlj.k djsaA if=dk dk vkuan ysa!

AAI_Official

Chairman's Message

stall was bestowed with Gold Award in Government Sector at the exhibition.

Government of India's ambitious scheme RCS-UDAN is making air travel affordable for the common man across the country.

Another feather to the cap was added with the commencement of commercial flight operations at Hindon Airport; Air Heritage's flight 4H-104 from Pithoragarh to Hindon and 4H-105 from Hindon to Pithoragarh started its operations on October 11, 2019.

As a dynamic and progressive organisation, AAI believes in capacity building of its human resources their exemplary contribution towards the growth of tourism in the country.

Shri Anuj Aggarwal Chairman, AAI

Dear Readers, The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has been playing a vital role in the growth of the Indian Civil Aviation Industry and is committed towards infrastructural development and providing passengers a rich and seamless travelling experience.

In this direction, AAI is in the process of implementing facial recognition system, aptly named ‘DigiYatra’. This system will facilitate digital processing of passengers at the airports. Passengers will be automatically processed based on facial recognition system at check points like; entry point check, entry in to security check, aircraft boarding. Additionally, this system will also facilitate self-bag drop and check-in. Currently the system is under trial at several airports. AAI showcased this futuristic technology recently at the 22nd India International Security Expo 2019 held in New Delhi. The futuristically designed

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November 2019

GAGAN Enabled Mariners Instrument for Navigation and Information’ (GEMINI) jointly developed by AAI and the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) - was recently inaugurated by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Union Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences in presence of Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation.

AAI, in coordination with INCOIS, has implemented a unique concept of sending short messages called GAGAN Messaging Service (GMS) through GAGAN system without affecting or changing the standard Satellite-based Augmentation System (SBAS) message structure.

Along with adopting advanced technologies, AAI has been focusing on delivering world-class services to the passengers. On the occasion of World Tourism Day, Devi Ahilya Bai Holkar Airport, Indore, was conferred with the prestigious National Tourism Award 2017-18 at a glittering award function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. This is the second time Indore Airport has received this award for

As a dynamic and progressive organisation, AAI believes in capacity building and training of its human resources. A workshop on Performance Based Navigation (PBN) was conducted for Air Traffic Controllers in collaboration with International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Sub-regional Office. The workshop focused on role of PBN in enabling flexible route structures, which allow for more efficient flight paths and reduced fuel burn and emissions. This workshop witnessed participation from Air Traffic Controllers of 44 airports in India, as well as delegates from CAA Nepal and DGCA India We are nearing the end of an exciting year and this is the time for festivities and celebration with family and friends.

We, at AAI, look forward to continuously work towards providing our passengers a delightful and comfortable journey. Be a part of AAI's wanderlust journey on our social media platforms and explore AAI's e-magazine on-the-go to stay updated.

Happy Reading.

AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

Contents N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 | Vo l 8 | I s s u e 1

28

6

Leisure

Srirangapatnam still bears many signs of the British Raj

November 2019

34

Culture

Nagaland's Hornbill Festival is a display of tradition and modernity

38

Detour

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to explore what else Agra has to offer beyond Taj Mahal

aaiofficial

"

Words of Encouragement

18 Diary

Folk Singer Malini Awasthi talks about her favourite airports

Thank you @airvistara ground staff and all security officials for spotting my missing laptop bag (cabin babbage) during the hop at Bagdogra Airport. I appreciate you guys so much @AAI_Official @aaibagairport

44 Concern

Shirui Lily, the famous flower of Manipur has a story to tell

48 Adventure

Try your hand at some of the most daring and exciting adventure sports

@Kalyan_online

62

tkudkjh xka/khth us laiw.kZ foâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;o dks vfgalk dk ikB i<+k;kA mudh fâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;k{kk vkt Hkh mruh gh lkFkZd gS] ftruh muds le; esa Fkh

Beautiful artwork at Pithoragarh Naini Saini Airport, @AAI_Official. Pls consider relocating the high mast lamp in front of the artwork, the most beautiful one, at entrance. @tsrawatbjp @27saurabhsinha

A very well maintained, beautifully decorated airport. kudos to ur team @guwahatiairport for setting an explicit example of renovation. Tremendous makeover of Guwahati airport from then(2015) to now (2019). @AAI_Official

ON THE COVER

@drvikalpjain

Free wi-fi at Dimapur Airport, @aaidmuairport #Nagaland by the @AAI_Official. A welcome and much needed step in the right direction. @Neiphiu_Rio

Paragliding in Goa

AAI Updates 22 Hindon-Delhi's second

airport starts operations under RCS-UDAN

70 AAI's stall wins Gold Award at the 22nd Security Expo2019

Scan the QR Code to read the e-magazine

72 Kolkata Airport is all set to

become an aviation hub of the region

68 dyk

czk;u flyl dh maxfy;ka tc fi;kuks ij pyrh gSa rks ,slk laxhr mRiUu gksrk gS] ftls lqudj gj dksbZ vfHkHkwr gks tkrk gS

#Pune Great that there is no congestion inside the airport, all the honking that used to greet people has stopped.

But new changes should look at safety/convenience for passengers walking across the road to both parking lots. @AAI_Official @HardeepSPuri @sumitakale

Happy to see swift response in response to an earlier tweet, thanks to responsible journalism and of course, the airport authorities! @AAI_Official @piyukamath Some tweets have been restructured for better readability

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N o v e m b e r 2 0 1 9 | Vo l 8 | I s s u e 1

Airports Authority of India Chairman, Advisory Board Shri Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI Editorial Advisor (AAI) J.B. Singh, General Manager (CC)

Maxposure Media Group India Pvt. Ltd CEO & Managing Director Prakash Johari Director Vikas Johari Editor Abhishek Chakraborty Advertising info@maxposuremedia.com Marketing marketing@maxposuremedia.com Website maxposuremedia.com

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November 2019

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happenings

mark your calendar A list of festivals and events taking place in the month of November Bengaluru, Karnataka

Bengaluru Literature Festival

The Bengaluru Literature Festival is the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s flagship literary event, which is all set for the eighth edition at The Lalit Ashok, Bengaluru. The annual event will see a mix of renowned and upcoming Indian and overseas authors, including Ed Luce, Tim Flannery, Ian McDonald, Pankaj Kapur, Vikram Sampath, Shubha Mudgal, Simon Taufel and evening performances by Thayir Saadam Project and Manasi Prasad.

Nov 9-10 /2019

Pushkar, Rajasthan

Pushkar Camel fair

Till Nov 30 /2019 Modern Art Gallery, New Delhi

Live Unbound

Live Unbound, an art exhibition curated by Sugandha Chagti at Modern Art Gallery, commences from October 15. Live Unbound is a contemporary art show showcasing the artists' true creativity and natural wholeness that makes them who they are.

It has been curated in such a way that anyone can use it to discover their own inherent wholeness.

Living unbound features contemporary masters across disciplines of art and it will also launch four new artists.

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November 2019

Pushkar Fair is one of the oldest fairs in India where the visitors can witness myriads of the colour of Indian culture.

The camels are decorated, exhibited, shaved, and enter into beauty contests, rushed, made to dance, and exchanged. A tremendous festival is held, with an arrangement of musicians, magicians, dancers, performers to amuse the crowd.

Nov 4-12 /2019

Nov 29 onwards /2019

Nov 7-10 /2019

Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh

Hampi festival

Tagore International Literature and Arts Festival

Hampi Utsav is a celebration of cultural traditions and remembrance of the past than a religious festival. The festivities take place every year at the Virupaksha Temple, commemorating the culture, traditions of the bygone era. With the beautifully carved ruins of Hampi serving as the backdrop, the rich culture of this region is shown through folk song and dance performances.

The first edition of the Tagore International Literature & Arts Festival, also known as 'Vishwa Rang', will be a worldclass literary and arts festival. It will celebrate the essence of Arts and Literature in Hindi and other Indian languages and witness the coming together of over 500 artists and authors from over 30 nationalities.

Hampi, Karnataka

Nov 13-16 /2019

Sahukhanata, Odisha

Nov 12-14 /2019

India Surf festival The festival will be held in the scenic stretch of the Odisha beach for total immersion in the spiritual aspects of surfing. At the India Surf Festival one can learn the basics of surfing and paddling from experts around the world. Catch up on inspiring movies, art and indulge in live musical and visual performances, with sun bathing, organic food and solar clay therapy for complete synchronisation with nature.

Shillong, Meghalaya

Cherry Blossom Festival Shillongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4th International Cherry Blossom Festival will celebrate the unique autumn flowering of Himalayan Cherry Blossoms with several cultural events at Shillong, Meghalaya.

Visitors can enjoy fashion shows, rock concerts, a beauty pageant and even compete in an amateur Golf Tournament. Alongside, there will be stalls showcasing the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s food, wine and crafts.

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aai update

AIR intel

The latest happenings from the Airports Authority of India

AAI observes Vigilance awareness week The Airports Authority of India observed the Vigilance Awareness Week from October 28 to November 2, 2019 with the theme 'Integrity- A way of life'. Chairman AAI, in the official address during the inauguration of the event, laid emphasis on the importance of vigilance as an effective maintenance tool. He advised AAI airports to increase awareness amongst public and employees about Preventive Vigilance.

Skyfit ebook Launched

cleanliness march at ATC complex Sh. Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI, and other AAI officials visited ATC Complex to participate in the Cleanliness March, Satyagraha se Swachhaagraha Tak, conducted on October 12, 2019 . The idea behind the march was to spread the message of Swacch Bharat among everyone.

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November 2019

Sh. Hardeep Singh Puri, Honâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ble Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, launched the SkyFit eBook in the presence of AAI officials, senior ICAO officials and 1,200 delegates from around 193 countries during ICAOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 40th Triennial Session & General Assembly. Developed by the Airports Authority of India, SkyFit addresses problems arising out of the occupational stress faced by aviation professionals by way of simple breathing techniques formulated in consultation with Yogic experts and senior medical consultants.

AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

new radar facility launched for Air traffic management

AAi At the great delhi run

AAI team participated in the Great Delhi Run organised by Airtel India on October 20, 2019. Sh. Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI along with board members Sh. I. N. Murthy, Sh. A.K Pathak & Sh. V Gulati graced the occasion by participating in it.

MoA signed with AIIMS In a unique CSR initiative, Safdurjung Airport of AAI, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) for a Research-based School Children wellness programme MATE (Mind Activation Through Education).

AAI dedicated a new RADAR facility for air traffic management at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai. The new facility at the airport will strengthen redundancy for air traffic surveillance over Mumbai airspace.

It consists of primary & secondary RADARs with superior technical features & can receive signals from overhead direction too.

environment awareness programme at Chennai airport On the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna APJ Abdul Kalam, Chennai Airport in collaboration with Seek Foundation organised an Environment Awareness Programme for ground level staff and airport stakeholders of the airport from October 15-17, 2019. The programme was held to spread awareness about the deteriorating conditions of the environment and the ways in which we can protect it from destruction.

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5

landing

Facts about Salem AIRPORT

Maintained by

1

136.29 acres of land was acquired by Tamil Nadu state government in the year 1989 for starting the Salem Airport.

4

2

In the initial years, NEPC Airlines operated flights on the Chennai–Salem– Coimbatore–Chennai sector using the Fokker F-27 aircraft.

Flight services from Salem Airport commenced under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) UDAN, of the Ministry of Civil Aviation in March, 2018.

5

3

Erstwhile Kingfisher Airlines launched daily ATR service in SalemChennai route on November 15, 2009.

The security at the airport is being provided

by Tamil Nadu state police as per RCS-MOU.

AAI Update

AAI MAKES ITS MARK

AT WORLD ROUTEs 2019

AAI delegates at the event had fruitful meetings with global airlines and authorities Words: J.B. Singh, GM (CC), AAI

T

he Airports Authority of India participated at the 25th World Routes Development Forum held on September 21-24, 2019 in Adelaide, Australia. The forum was held over three concentrated business days, where around 3,000 delegates took part in over 13,000 face-to-face meetings to discuss new and exciting air services.

The event presented an unrivalled platform for route development professionals to discuss, develop and plan a network strategy on a global scale. Providing unique cost and timesaving benefits, World Routes, like every

16

November 2019

year, attracted the most senior decisionmakers from the world's leading aviation organisations.

At the event, AAI delegates led by Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Shri I.N. Murthy, Member (Ops), along with other senior officials got an opportunity to meet various global airlines and government representatives from various nations and presented business cases to model new associations, start new air services and grow existing routes to and from India.

The World Routes Conference provided a vital platform for effective and fruitful interaction between AAI and airlines. aaiofficial

2

1. Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation inaugurating the India Pavilion 2. Delegation team with Sri. Arjuna Ranatunga, Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation 3. Panel discussion at the event

The event provided participants an opportunity to seek new ideas and meet companies in the airports and tourism sector

World Routes 2019 welcomed all people who wished to meet, plan and discuss business and take it a step further. The exhibition provided each organisation with many opportunities to place their brand front and look for business opportunities towards their expansion.

AAI@forum • AAI had a discussion with Sri Lankan airlines over connecting Pune Airport, Ahmedabad Airport and Chandigarh Airport.

3

Several meetings were held between AAI and airline operators who cater to the growing aviation sector.

Panel discussions were also conducted in the sideline of the Routes-Conference, in which eminent dignitaries and policy makers from the International Civil Aviation fraternity participated.

Under the aegis of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the India Pavilion jointly represented by AAI and Mumbai International Airport ltd. (MIAL) showcased various technologies and initiatives at the venue. AAI pavilion at the event showcased its latest technology like GPS-aided GeoAugmented Navigation (GAGAN), SkyRev360 etc.

NETWORKING EVENTS

Designed to maximise business development and networking opportunities, the hospitality programme at the forum provided an informal setting for delegates to model new and develop existing business relationships.

As the Indian Civil Aviation market has been growing faster than the major aviation markets internationally, therefore, AAI essentially needs to be a dominant player in such International forum like World Routes. AAI intends to participate more extensively in World Routes Conferences to tap on the growing interest in India and seek new international routes and various connections with AAI Airports, especially non-metro airports.

• AAI delegates even got the opportunity to have a discussion with delegates from Air Asia, Advance Queensland, Xianyang International Airport, British Airways , Wizz Air and many more.

• AAI had B2B meetings with Narita Airport, Tokyo; Heathrow Airport, London; Changi Airport, Singapore; Sydney Airport and with various airports of China.

• Airlines requested the Indian team to take up with Indian carriers to fly to these airports and assured slot allocations shall be given preference.

• Heathrow Airport was particularly keen to connect with Kolkata.

17

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lqfo/kk,a c<+ha

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November 2019

AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

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reader's corner

Unsung glories

INDIA’S UNIQUE BASKETBALL COMMUNITIES Sikkim - The Girls of Gangyap

Gangyap is a tribal hamlet in the shadow of the holy Mt. Narsing in Eastern Sikkim.

This story is about a visionary young basketball coach Siddharth Yonzone, and his effort to put together a dream team of fearless girls who love the game.

In Sikkim, basketball has traditionally been played in the more affluent, private schools, but Siddharth was confident that his girls would be the first from the public-school system to make their mark. They started playing at the state level and were soon winning games by margins of more than 40 and 50 points!

The phrase ‘Gangyap Style’, based on the popular Gangnam Style song, eventually became the war cry of the Girls of Gangyap, as they came to be known.

Home Court is an initiative co-curated by NBA and Rohan Shrestha to bring alive the unsung stories across the backyrads of unique Indian communities through photos & storytelling. Excerpts...

Photographs by Rohan Shrestha Words by Manan Dhuldhoya

Nagpada - Mumbai

New Delhi - Karkadooma

The story revolves around a young girl who fought for inclusive education for those who were physically disabled and felt alone and excluded by society.

Nineteen-year-old Uma was left with this burning desire when her older brother Arun Tuli lost his leg in a bike accident. Her aim was to sensitise children to different needs right from nursery. And so, in 1984, with the help of Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Jagmohan

20

November 2019

Malhotra, the trust was given the plot in Karkadooma where the Amar Jyoti Charitable Trust stands today. It is the only school in India that includes support to students with a wide range of disabilities.

Dharamshala - Himachal Pradesh

The Tibetan settlements sprawled across the slopes of HP, just below McLeodgunj is popularly known as Gangkyi (pronounced Khang ki) and is home to the Central Tibetan Administration (also known as the Tibetan government-inexile), and houses their administrative, research, educational, and cultural institutions. But perhaps the most visited institution here is the basketball court, placed perfectly on the edge of a slope. The court is not only one of the prettiest locations a baller could hope to sink a few at, but it is also the beating heart of the basketball community of Dharamshala.

The locality of Nagpada in central Mumbai is home to a thriving, vibrant community of Muslims, most of whom have lived here for decades. One of the arterial lanes here is Dimtimkar Road, where a small quirk of civic zoning has had major implications for Indian basketball. By a quirk of zoning law fate, the areas on either side of Dimtimkar Road ended up assigned to different zones. This ensured that Mastan YMCA and the Nagpada Court, though barely a hundred metres apart, would never be in the same zone and hence, the same draw of any local basketball tournament, setting up the basis for a rivalry that the locals joking refer to ‘India–Pakistan’ even today. Each club’s players have always hailed from its neighbourhood— the club you play for depends on which side of the ‘border’, as Dimtimkar Road is called, you are born on. And in this tightly knit community, this often means that players from one extended family end up playing on different sides of the court.

for the bibliophiles Get your hands on the latest books by noted authors A Tigress called Machhli Hachette India Conservation is a concern at the forefront of development policies the world over. That, and how to pass the importance of it to our next generation.

What better way than to teach kids that it takes all creatures big and small to make up our one home - the Earth.

India's Most haunted

A Tigress Called Machhli is a collection of 30 stories from the length and breadth of India. The protagonists are birds and beasts, both wild and tamed (and even rescued). Reptiles, rodents, birds, fish, majestic carnivores to gentle herbivores all find space in this book by travel writer Supriya Sehgal.

Absolutely brilliant from cover to cover, the book chronicles the authors adventures with animals in her role as a travel writer. There are also some significant stories that talk about the wonderful co-existence of storks, rats, jackals with homo sapiens. The icing

on the cake is the titular story of the indomitable and undisputed queen of the jungle Machhli, the majestic and most popular tigress of Ranthambore.

Harper Collins A spine-chilling horror fiction, the book brings you the terrifying tales of some of India's most haunted places - including Bhangarh Fort, Malabar Hill's Tower of Silence and Jammu and Kashmir's notorious Khooni Nala. Whether you read them at night or in daylight, these stories will remain with you long after you've turned the last page.

sneak-peek

Me

Love and loathing in silicon valley

Speaking Tiger Love and Loathing in Silicon Valley is a perceptive, tender and satirical portrait of the hallowed grounds of Silicon Valley, and the quest for love and belonging.

STAND BY ME

Westland A different kind of story from the bestselling author â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is a thriller, but it also talks about the emotional bond between siblings, and also aspects of romantic love and friendship.

good values, great business Sage This book establishes a strong rationale for instilling values in business organisations by demonstrating how values are the foundation of all.

Pan Macmillan In Me, Elton John writes powerfully about getting clean and changing his life, about finding love with David Furnish and becoming a father. In a voice that is warm, humble, and open, this is Elton on his music and his relationships, his passions and his mistakes. This is a story that will stay with you by a living legend.

21

AAI Update

1

enhancing Regional Connectivity Hindon - Delhi's second airport - starts operations under Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN

P

Words: Corporate Commnications Team, CHQ, AAI

lanning for decongesting Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport had been going on for long.

Considering increasing footfall at IGI Airport, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) undertook the project for starting commercial flight operations from Hindon Airport. The objective was to take the load off the IGI Airport and serve passengers from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR. AAI, under the UDAN scheme, aims to make air travel to India’s Tier-II and 22

November 2019

Tier-III cities affordable to the common man. The idea is to put smaller cities and remote regions on the aviation map, by getting domestic airlines to ply more regional routes. With the operations of Hindon Airport, under the UDAN scheme, flyers will be able to fly at affordable rates to eight destinations across the country.

The first flight

The Civil Air Terminal at Hindon Airport witnessed the commencement of commercial flight operations on October, 11, 2019. Air Heritage’s flight

4H-104 from Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand to Hindon and 4H-105 from Hindon to Pithoragarh started its operations.

The occasion was graced by Sh. Trivendra Singh Rawat, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, General V. K. Singh (Retd.), Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways, Sh. Ajay Tamta, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Almora and Sh. Atul Garg, Hon’ble Minister of State for Health, Government of Uttar Pradesh, and senior officials from AAI. A Terminal Building has been AAI_Official

2

Map not to scale. For representation purpose only.

constructed at the airport on an area of 5425 sqm with eight check-in counters and will be able to handle 300 passengers per hour.

With the operations commencing from Hindon, AAI has taken a step forward to providing people with better and affordable flying experience.

1&2. Sh.Trivendra Singh Rawat Hon'ble CM, Uttarakhand presenting gifts to the first few flyers.

3. Hon'ble CM, Uttarakhand and dignitaries flagging off the first flight

Flight operations from Hindon Airport will be very beneficial for the travellers of Delhi-NCR and also help create job opportunities for the local population.

3

The following RCS routes connecting Uttarakhand have been awarded under UDAN. S.No.

Departure Airport / Heliport

Arrival Airport / Heliport

Airline Operator

Commencement Status

Commenced January 04, 2019

1

Dehradun

Pantnagar

Alliance Air

2.

Pantnagar

Dehradun

Alliance Air

3.

Dehradun

Prayagraj

lndigo

4.

Prayagraj

Dehradun

Indigo

Likely to commence in winter schedule 2019

5.

Dehradun

Pithoragarh

Heritage

6.

Pithoragarh

Dehradun

Heritage

Commenced January 17, 2019 & stopped from February 09, 2019. Recommenced on September 13, 2019

7.

Pantnagar

Pithoragarh

Heritage

Commenced January 17, 2019 & stopped from February 09, 2019

8.

Pithoragarh

Pantnagar

Heritage

9.

Pithoragarh

Hindon

Heritage

Commenced January 11, 2019 & stopped from February 09, 2019. Recommenced on September 13, 2019

10.

Hindon

Pithoragarh

Heritage

Commenced January 11, 2019

23

aai update

Following Footsteps

of the Mahatma On the special occasion of the 150 th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, AAI airports put up installations, paintings and paid rich tribute to him and his virtues

Words: Corporate Commnications Team, CHQ, AAI 24

November 2019

M

ahatma Gandhi once said, 'the difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.' The Airports Authority of India has been working on the same beliefs. Since October last year, AAI has been promoting the Gandhian values, thoughts and ideas through a spectrum of online and on-ground initiatives.

AAI_Official

For the past two years, AAI, along with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti have been propagating his ideas and values and have been educating passengers through static display of messages, quotes of Mahatma Gandhi through hoardings, banners, standees etc.

Celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation, AAI, on all its social media channels had been frequently posting and promoting his quotes, messages, trivia. Several competitions were held and the winners were announced. Along with that, AAI airports were decked up to mark the special occasion .

1. AAI's Pune Airport 2. Gandhi Gallery at SVPI Airport, Ahmedabad 3. Sh. Jyotiraditya Scindia trying his hand at spinning at AAI's DABH Airport, Indore

25

Winners of

#Gandhi150 Crossword To commemorate 150 years of the birth of the Father of the Nation, the Airports Authority of India ran quizzes on the life of Mahatma Gandhi across its social media platforms. The turnout of the competition was great and the enthusiasm with which the contestants participated was commendable. The quiz included crosswords on Gandhi and his family, Gandhi in South Africa, Places that Gandhi visited, People in Gandhiji's life and the books he wrote. AAI asked the participants to 'Describe Gandhiji in one word.' 150 words were then selected from them and a word cloud was made from it. Here are the profiles of the winners of the contest:

Ankur Singh

Manish Lalwani

Kanchan Kr Chatterjee

S Lagnajita 26

November 2019

Naveen Kumar Images have been sourced from their social media profile

infocus

Cost of timing the market Some time back, I went with my family to a nearby multiplex for a movie.

The movie, a thriller, had already received rave reviews and we couldn’t help but sneak into nearby multiplex to see for ourselves what the hype was all about. The movie is unpredictable, open to interpretations and the plot takes multiple twists and turns from start to end.

During the movie, I walked out of the screening hall three four times to receive few important calls. While I ensured that none of these calls lasted more than few minutes each and I hopped back to my seat as soon as possible, these exits virtually marred my experience beyond description. By the end of this movie, while almost everyone leaving the theatre was going gaga about the movie’s gripping plot, I was clueless as to what the big deal about this movie really was. Few months later, when this movie had a TV premiere, I decided to give it another shot and guess what, I simply loved the movie and could finally relate with everyone around me who had the loved the movie at the theatre few months earlier. What exactly happened that dramatically changed my opinion about this movie. Did the script, cast or the movie’s climax change? No. What really did change was that second time around, I watched the movie in entirety without missing any scenes, unlike the experience at the theatre, where I walked out of a few scenes to answer phone calls.

By now, most of you would be wondering if any of this has any bearing on your wealth creation. Well, it does. While SENSEX has generated CAGR of ~ 14% since 1990, the journey was filled with short-term volatility along the way. No wonder then that many investors would have tried to time their entry and exit in equities to avoid volatility and/or to maximise their returns and guess what, this could have marred their investment experience just like mine was at the movie, due to untimely exits.

Following statistics of SENSEX (Jan 01, 90 to Sep 30, 19) brings forth the cost one has to pay for unsuccessfully timing the market.

16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0

14.0% 10.3% 7.7% 5.6%

3.6%

Assuming an investor started investing on Jan 01, 1990, his investment would have yielded ~14% CAGR, if he had stayed invested up to Sep, 19. However, If that investor was not invested on 10 best days (Ranked by daily returns), his returns would have come down to ~10%. If he had missed 20, 30 and 40 best days, the returns fall dramatically to ~ 7.7%, 5.6% and 3.6% respectively. While 40 days may seem miniscule when one considers a history of ~7,000 days, missing out on 40 best days, would have knocked off more than 10% CAGR from the investor’s returns.

As the old cliché goes “Nothing is more expensive than a missed opportunity”. In the world of investment, missing out on a few days even over a long span of time can make a huge dent in your wealth creation potential. You would do well to ensure that your investment experience is not marred by untimely exits, like my experience at the movie. At least I had the option of watching the movie again. As an investor, do we have the option of rolling back the clock to recoup the best days our investments missed?

The views expressed are author’s own views and not necessarily those of HDFC Asset Management Company Limited (HDFC AMC). The views are based on publicly available information and other sources believed to be reliable. Past performance may or may not be sustained in future.

HDFC Mutual Fund/HDFC AMC is not guaranteeing returns on any investments. The views are not an investment advice. Investors should obtain their own independent advice before taking a decision to invest in any securities.

MUTUAL FUND INVESTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO MARKET RISKS, READ ALL SCHEME RELATED DOCUMENTS CAREFULLY

Karnataka Bank - Emerging as a strong and smart Bank

Shri. Mahabaleshwara M.S, MD & CEO of Karnataka Bank

Consistence in performance has now become a hallmark of the Bank as its aspirational transformation journey has put the Bank in a new orbit of growth

Karnataka Bank has recorded a net profit of `281.33 crores for the half year ended 30-09-2019 as compared to `275.10 crores as on September 30, 2018. Even though the external business environment is not found very conducive for the business, the bank has been able to sustain its good run of Q1 of financial year 2019-20 by focusing on operational efficiency. As a result, during the current quarter the operating profit has grown at 16.02% and the fee based income at 38.68%.

Consistence in performance has now become a hallmark of the bank as its aspirational transformation journey has put the bank in a new orbit of growth. The project is part of the long term growth vision of the bank, keeping in view the changing banking scenario where technology and digitisation are taking centre stage. One year already into the project, this total and inclusive journey, has already strengthened the fundamentals of the bank in areas of business delivery models, processes, Human Resources and is progressing on the expected lines. The recently opened Digi Branch, DCoE (Digital Centre of Excellence), Contact Centre and rolling out of RSE (Regional Sales Executive) model of doing business are all outcomes of this forward looking project providing the necessary launch pad to explore new avenues of growth.

“Formed as an outcome of socio-economic movement, Karnataka Bank is fully committed to meet the aspirations of its valued customers and it is our constant endeavour to integrate the latest developments in digital technology space by leveraging the bank’s experience over the years in assimilating technology to core banking architecture. The legacy continues and I am happy to inform that Karnataka Bank has recently rolled out digital sanction of its retail loan products. We are graduating as a one stop shop for all the financial requirements of our esteemed customers. Our recent association with fintech company Finwizard Technology Pvt Ltd (widely known as “fisdom”) to offer wealth management products and services to customers, beginning with mutual funds, through Karnataka Bank’s ‘KBL Mobile Plus’ app is in this direction. It is our commitment to scale up with more such measures in offering a wide range of services to our esteemed customers and emerge as the ‘Bank of Future’ with technology powering this growth journey ” said Mahabaleshwara M.S, Managing Director & CEO. 27

leisure

Time travel to the

bygone era

28

November 2019

aaiofficial

Srirangapatnam aka Seringapatam still bears many signs of the British Raj as it does of the rule by successive dynasties in Karnataka Words: Aruna Chandaraju

I

n our history books, it was almost always mentioned as Seringapatam thanks to the anglicisation by the British during their rule over India including this region. Today, the heritage town of Srirangapatnam aka Seringapatam still bears many signs of the British Raj as it does of the rule by successive dynasties in Karnataka like the Hoyasalas, Vijayanagaram kings and Tipu Sultan's family.

All these rulers left behind monuments of various kinds. Recently, these historic structures have been nominated for the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the state of Karnataka where they are located. The application is pending on the tentative list of UNESCO and Karnataka hopes to make it recognised in the near future.

Given its religious, cultural and historic importance, Seringapatam, located in Mandya district of Karnataka, and

just around three and half hours from Bengaluru, has become a big tourist attraction. Aiding this is its proximity to the heritage city of Mysuru. In fact, many visitors to Mysuru take time off to visit Seringapatam, which is barely a halfhour drive away.

The town takes its name from the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, which is one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines of south India. Sri Ranganathaswamy is regarded as a form of Lord Vishnu and his consort at this temple, Ranganayaki is considered Goddess Lakshmi. There are many remarkable features in this temple. First, the idol has Vishnu in a reclining position and visitors have to move from one side to another for a look at the complete idol. Secondly, this is one of the three main Ranganatha temples of India and all three are located along the Cauvery river. This temple occurs first alongside the river and is hence known as the Adi

Architectural Marvel Seringapatam is a popular destination in Karnataka given its magnificent temples and monumental forts. Known as a design marvel, the city is protected from all sides by a stone fort. The fort is designed in a typical French defense style of architecture and has huge bastions, fort walls and even secret passages. The city shines in every corner as the architecture in every inch of the city is uniquely crafted.

French style corridor in Seringapatam

1 29

leisure

2

The town takes its name from the famous Sri Ranganathaswamy temple, one of the most important Vaishnavite shrines of south India

Seringapatam Fort

One of the must-visit monuments on any tour to Karnataka is the double-walled Seringapatam Fort.

Featuring four gates - Bengaluru, Mysuru, Delhi and Water and Elephant gates â&#x20AC;&#x201C; there are two dungeons within the fort precincts, where prisoners were held captive.

(meaning first) Ranganatha temple. The second is the Madhya (meaning middle) Ranganatha temple at Shivasamudram while the Anthya (meaning end or last) Ranganatha temple is located at Srirangam.

we wanted enough time to explore its interiors and the stalls selling ethnic crafts outside. A long road leads up to the temple with a soaring gopuram and is lined with shops selling puja paraphernalia and local handicrafts.

Thirdly, this is one of the five important pilgrimage sites along the river Cauvery for Vaishnavites and together these five sacred sites are known as Pancharanga Kshetrams in south India. Finally, the Paschima Vaahini section of the river at Seringapatam is considered especially holy. It is where many people come to perform annual obsequies to their ancestors and/or immerse their ashes in these sacred waters.

Initially, built by a vassal of the rulers of the Ganga dynasty in the 9th or 10th century AD (there are different accounts), the temple structure was expanded and aesthetically improved upon by successive rulers of the region.

On the whole, the temple reveals different styles â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mainly Hoyasala and Vijayanagaram.

We visited the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple first thing in the morning as 30

November 2019

We entered and found our way to the sanctum-sanctourm where there was a big crowd of devotees before the large, black idol of Sri Ranganatha. The deity is AAI_Official

seen reclining on the coils of Adiseshu (the divine snake dear to Vishnu) who also forms a protective canopy over the lord's head. After darshan we went on to visit the other shrines beginning with that of his consort Sri Ranganayaki.

Stepping outside, we bought some laddus sold as prasad at the entrance.

We also purchased plenty of wooden artefacts made locally, as well as sandalwood items from the stores around.

It was then time for reviving history lessons from school days. Seringapatam was the site of the last and historic battle fought between Tipu Sultan and a large army contributed by East India Company and the Nizam of Hyderabad.

In history books, you would have studied the details of these conflicts in Mysuru between Tipu Sultan and the British under sections titled Seige of Seringapatam and the Fourth AngloMysore War.

fact file

Daria Daulat Palace, which is designed in Indo-Saracenic style, was built by Tipu Sultan in

1784

The palace has now been converted in a museum housing Tippu's memorabilia

The two great Deccan kings Hyder Ali and his son Tipu Sultan expanded their Mysuru kingdom across south India and left behind many structures as a legacy of their reign. The best known is the Daria Daulat Palace (aka Summer Palace), which is set in well-manicured gardens known as the Daria Daulat Bagh.

The palace is built on a raised platform, employs plenty of teakwood and is in Indo-Saracenic style. Some sections are very ornate.

Nearby is a small rectangular enclosure, which is considered the spot at which Tipu Sultan died i.e. his body was found here as the sign explains.

We next headed to Gumbaz, an architecturally impressive and wellmaintained mausoleum, which houses the remains of Tipu Sultan, his father Hyder Ali and his mother Fatima Begum and is set amid aesthetically landscaped gardens. Besides, these three, other and lesser-known extended family members

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2. Coracle ride on riverbank of Cauvery, Seringapatam 3. Tipu Sultan's Summer Palace

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leisure

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is one of south Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bestmaintained bird habitats in Karnataka are also buried here. Black granite pillars support the structure which is topped by a large dome and has ornamental railings. There are several Farsi epitaphs that have been the subject of study by many historians of this era.

The Seringapatam Fort is an imposing structure with an obelisk in honour of the fallen, a masjid, temples, Colonel Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dungeon, etc. The fort underwent expansions and modifications under a series of rulers of the region.

After a quick look at the Jumma Masjid where Tipu and his family members used to worship, we visited the historic Wellesley Bridge on the Cauvery river with enormous stone pillars, girders, slabs and corbels. It was sad to note that this heritage structure is under

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threat from the floods in the Cauvery in recent times and the undergrowth of wild plants. Environmentalists and heritage-lovers point out that the bridge is in urgent need of restoration and protection from possible submersion and collapse.

We had no time for Scott's Bungalow named after an army officer but you can visit it if you have a penchant for history and mystery (many stories and unanswered questions surround the structure). As dusk was nearing, we hurried to the Karighatta Hill, the best-known viewpoint as also the site of a temple to Lord Srinivasa aka Venkateswara. Another option is to visit here at sunrise for superb views of Mysuru, the Cauvery river and Seringapatam.

If you are still eager to visit temples, there are others in and around the town like the Kalyani Siddhi Vinayaka Temple, Sathyanarayana Swamy Temple, Lakshminarasimha Swamy Temple, Bidhcotta Ganesha Temple, Panduranga Swamy Temple, Gangadhareswara Swamy Temple, and Nagara Ganesha Temple, Lakshmi Temple, Sri Raghavendra Swamy Mutt, etc.

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On the town's outskirts is the wellknown Nimishamba temple, named for its presiding deity Nimishamba, an incarnation of Goddess Parvathi.

She is said to grant the wishes of true devotees in a minute or nimisha, hence the name. However, we drove past without entering as it was getting late for dinner.

The next day, we left before sunrise for the celebrated Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, which is barely 20 minutes away from the town's centre. It is one of south Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best-maintained and important habitats for bird species and Karnataka's largest. The sanctuary originated from a group of islets formed by the Cauvery river embankment. Over 160 species of birds have been seen here and during winter months, the sanctuary receives thousands of birds migrating from the

how to reach Mandakalli Airport, Mysuru, is 32 kms away from Seringapatam

USP Housing many sacred places, the city is an architectural gem

Travel Tip It is quite hot during summer time, so plan your travel accordingly.

4. Painted storks at Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary 5. Ancient cannon with round cannon balls outside Daria Daulat Bagh

colder regions of the north side of the country and beyond.

Some of the birds spotted here are the painted stork, woolly-necked stork, river tern, black-headed ibis, Indian shag, great stone plover, lesser whistling duck, stork-billed kingfisher, cormorant, heron, etc. Common palm civets, flying fox, gray mongoose and monitor lizards are among the fauna here. More easily spotted are the crocodiles, which are aplenty here and the sight of these creature sunning themselves on the land is a big draw for visitors and a perfect photo-op too.

Ranger-guided boat tours are the ideal way to explore Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary. We took a slow ride, gliding past somnolent crocodiles and a vast variety of birds, some of which we managed to capture in our cameras.

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culture

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Sensory overload Nagaland's 10-day Hornbill Festival is a display of heritage and culture, bridging tradition and modernity Words: Anita Rao Kashi

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t’s the thumping of drums that almost always has a hypnotic effect. It seeps into the body and resonates with the heartbeat. It is a bit disorienting at first and then becomes all-consuming, as the whole body pulsates and the blood seems to flow to the staccato rhythm. The sound seems to reverberate both within and without, echoing from the hills and ricocheting back. For 10 days beginning December, it is as if the whole of the country’s Northeast marches to the beat of its collective heritage as the immensely popular Hornbill Festival gets underway.

Called the ‘festival of festivals,’ it is held from December 1 to 10 every year. It is named after the colourful and rare hornbill bird, which is almost extinct in Nagaland, due to the strong ingrained culture of hunting in the Naga culture.

But it is nevertheless an important part of the folklore of almost all the

1. Dancers at the Hornbill Festival

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Essential tips

Make sure you have done your hotel and vehicle-booking well in advance, as most hotels in Nagaland remain full during this time. The festival begins at 9 am everyday, so make sure you reach on time. After dark, visit the Kohima Night Bazar for some best handicrafts. There are few food stalls too set up in the market.

Naga tribes and hence has a huge cultural significance. The festival brings together the 16 main Naga tribes and is a showcase for everything local and Naga. It is a riot of colour, especially the deep ones – reds, maroons, blacks, dark oranges and yellows.

The festival brings together the 16 main Naga tribes and is a showcase for everything local and Naga

Much of the festival is held at the Naga Heritage Village in Kisama near Kohima, which in itself is a beautiful setting. Designed to provide a glimpse of Nagaland in a nutshell, the village is set on sprawling grounds against a series of hills. At its heart are 16 morungs (traditional communal long houses where young boys lived), representing the 16 officially recognised tribes and built in such as way as to represent their location on the map of Nagaland. Each morung is different and distinct, incorporating all major Naga symbols, mithun heads, horns, spears, daos, hornbill and totem poles.

When it started almost two decades ago, the festival was all about Naga traditional folk song and dance, dealing with subjects such as farming and war, and traditional games such as greased bamboo-pole climbing, but it has taken on many more dimensions over the years. Now, not only does it include such inherent things as sound of the log drums, singing of head hunting songs in ferocious traditional dresses, ritual dances, traditions, handicrafts and garments, food but much more.

Along with these are held colourful performances, sports, food fairs, games and ceremonies. There are also traditional arts such as painting, wood

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how to reach

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Dimapur Airport is about 7 km from the main Dimapur city, Nagaland

4 2. A grand feast during the festival 3. Naga tribe performing Tongten Senbu 4. Dance with a traditional instrument 5. A dance by the tribes

carving, and sculpture, along with songs, dances, fashion shows, beauty pageants, contests in archery and wrestling, and indigenous games.

Within the village premises is also a World War II Museum, a Bamboo Heritage Hall and Bamboo Pavilion where events are held, a kids carnival, a horti-scape involving local foliage and a stadium for live performances and concerts. Alongside, there are other events held such as the motor rally, a literary festival and a designersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; contest.

For those looking to head out a little more, Kohimaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s night market should do the trick with its bustling shops and array of items on offer.

In addition to all this, Hornbill Festival is also known for its contemporary music. Such has been its popularity that it is currently held as a separate event in Dimapur. The 10-day Hornbill International Rock Concert sees the participation of bands from across the

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country culminating in one band being crowned each year. Winning bands have hailed from not only the region but from as far away as Bengaluru.

But for visitors, each day brings a heavy dose of Naga culture and heritage.

It is common to see traditionally dressed Nagas performing traditional dances and singing folk songs, at once demonstrating their martial tradition coupled with grace, pride and quiet dignity. The riot of colour, the various

costumes, the beating of a variety of drums and instruments, the rhythm of music, and the melange of dialects certainly provide a sensory overload. If it is tradition that dominates the day, it is the thumping, carnival like atmosphere that prevails at night, when everyone gathered, both locals and visitors, let down their hair and get into the fun and enjoyment. It is an experience that promises to linger long after the drums have gone silent and Kisama has been left far behind.

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detour

Agra

beyond Taj Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve seen the Taj Mahal and got your iconic photograph clicked. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s time to explore what else Agra has to offer Words: Provati Dutta

1. Elephant Ride in front of Buland Darwaza

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acebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited the Taj Mahal during his India visit in 2015. During an official visit to India with Prince Charles in 1992, Diana sat alone outside the Taj Mahal to get herself clicked. Charles had visited the monument of love in 1980, a year before his marriage. American First lady Hillary Clinton visited the Taj Mahal with daughter Chelsea in March 1995. Five years later, Chelsea also accompanied her father, the then-US President Bill Clinton during his trip to South Asia in the year 2000.

For foreign travellers, the Taj Mahal is indeed the most important thing to see and visit on their first trip to India. Why not? A white marvel built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, it is said to be the jewel of Islamic art. Known as "crown of palaces" in Arabic, it

combines various architectural styles including Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian.

So, what next? From markets and street food in the old town to Agra Fort and an abandoned 17th-century city, Agra is more than just the Taj. We stroll through the streets to find out.

Located opposite the Taj Mahal, Mehtab Bagh is a four garden complex and is considered as the ultimate viewing point of the Taj Mahal. Originally designed to be a Persian-styled Char Bagh Complex, it had reflecting pools, pavilions, water fountains and much more. However, in the early 20th

century, due to the floods of River Yamuna, the garden was damaged.

The Archaeological Survey of India is currently renovating it. The garden is square-shaped and measures 300 metres on each side. Open from sunrise to sunset, Mehtab Bagh is a delight for photographers as they can get some unique photographs of the Taj with a gorgeous backdrop.

Built during the second half of the 16th century by Emperor Akbar, Fatehpur Sikri was the capital of the Mughal Empire for some 10 years. The complex of monuments and temples, all in a uniform architectural style, many legends echoed from these walls, as it went

Mehtab Bagh is a four garden complex and is considered the ultimate viewing point of the Taj Mahal

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What to shop

Sadar Bazar is the most prominent place in Agra for shoppers, which attracts a good number of tourist. If you are looking for products like handicrafts, garments, some delicious sweets, leather products, then this place can be the best option for you to find the best possible deals.

It remains open till 10 am during peak season.

2. View of the Taj from the Taj Hotel and Convention Centre 3. Patrika Gate

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down in history as the court of Akbar’s legendary courtiers. It is the same place where Tansen sang for rains and Birbal polished his wits. At a distance of about one km from Fatehpur Sikri Railway Station, is the Jama Masjid. One of the largest mosques in India and situated on the highest point of the ridge in Fatehpur Sikri Complex, this is one of the most notable tourist attractions here. This mosque was recognised as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986.

Next on the list is a budget-friendly choice for shopaholics. Sadar Bazar houses hundreds of shops selling everything from ethnic clothes to accessories. However, the one thing that is most sought after here is leather goods. Known as a hub of leather goods, here you can get your hands on belts, gloves, footwear, bags and jackets. Sadar Bazar's close proximity

to the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort easily makes it one of Agra’s most popular shopping areas. If you are looking for junk jewelleries, Kinari Bazar is the best place to find them. It’s also a great place for bridal shopping, as it stocks everything from apparel and jewellery to ceremonious bric-a-brac.

Pethas of Agra Pethas were originally prepared over 350 years ago, slipping out of the royal kitchen of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. From then on, this sugary, syrupy sweet kept gaining popularity. It comes in flavours like chocolate, paan, angoori, kesar etc.

Agra is known for its street food, especially the chaats, puris and kachoris, however, the most popular delicacy is the 'Pancchi Petha'. Tourists can come across several shops selling the sweet, but if you are looking for the original one try the one in Sadar Bazar.

Made from the ash gourd vegetable, it comes in various flavours, including 'Kesar Angoori Petha', 'Rasbhari Petha', 'Chocolate Petha' or 'Paan Petha'.

While Agra is no short of hotels offering the best of facilities for travellers,

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4. Intricate tomb ceilingdetails at Akbar Mausoleum 5. Agra Fort 6. Jootis being sold in Sadar Bazar

the one you can try is the Taj Hotel and Convention Centre. Located in close proximity to the Taj Mahal, the luxury hotel in Agra has 239 plush rooms, including 12 lavish suites and one presidential suite. A refreshing rooftop infinity pool with magical views of the Taj, an invigorating spa and a buzzing fitness centre are at hand to rejuvenate every guest. There is also an abundance of dining options to delight the epicurean.

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Daawat-e-Nawab, one of Agraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finest Indian restaurants, serves authentic Nawabi and Mughlai cuisine, accompanied by live Indian classical music. The airy, spacious, all-day diner, Palato, with its lively buffets, show kitchens and globally inspired dishes, is always buzzing. The luxury hotel also provides the perfect vantage point to take in the many riches of Agra, including the rugged, red sandstone glory of Agra Fort, built by Emperor Akbar.

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Concern

rise & fall of

Shirui

The state flower of Manipur captured many hearts and is now sharing its story with the world Words: Urmila Chanam

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hirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae Sealy) known as Kashong Timrawon locally is a rare bell- shaped flower with bluish-pink petals showing seven colours under the microscope.

The state flower of Manipur, it enthrals thousands of tourists who throng to its native habitat Shirui Hills, in Shirui Village, Ukhrul district, during its peak season between May 15 to June 5 every year. English Botanist Dr. Frank Kingdon Ward first discovered the flower in 1946 and named it after his wife Jean Macklin. What remains noteworthy is the belief that this bulbous plant can only be grown in Shirui Hills and attempts to plant it elsewhere by the Britishers never succeeded.

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According to the legends of the Tangkhul Naga community inhabiting the village, a princess once lived on the hill with her lover Shirui and after her death she still continues to live in Shirui Hills waiting for her lover to return. Shirui Lily comes from the soil where the princess was buried. Several other mythologies around Shirui Lily have been passed down over generations; tales told by the indigenous people of Ukhrul with much love and awe for the flower.

The pride of Manipur now faces a crisis of possible extinction in the future and has been categorised as an ‘endangered species’ where the plant genetic resources are getting eroded over time.

The plant, which was reported to be 5 ft tall in 1948, has exhibited progressive dwarfing over the years where its height dropped to 1-3 ft in 2011 (Meitei, 2011) to decrease further to an average plant height of 0.262– 0.328 ft only and a maximum height of 0.984 ft as per a field study by scientists in December 2015.

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The cause of decline of Shirui Lily is said to be climate change, environmental degradation, over exploitation, and incorrect conservation approaches Even its area of distribution has been altered significantly over the years where the plant that used to grow abundantly from the first peak onwards was found growing only from the third peak onwards in 2011. Since 2015, Shirui Lily can be found growing only in the seventh peak of the Shirui Hills.

WHAT IS CAUSING DESTRUCTION AND DECLINE

Scientists have been engaged in research with an aim to identify the factors that endanger the survival and multiplication of Shirui Lily and develop scientific interventions to regenerate and conserve Shirui Lily. The research has established the cause of decline of Shirui Lily to be climate change,

environmental degradation, irresponsible tourists and over exploitation, and incorrect conservation approaches like forest fire coupled with the invasion of the habitat of Shirui Lily by a dwarf bamboo species ‘Machun’.

Dr. Tabitha Langhu from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), Manipur Centre in Imphal, pointed out that Shirui Lily grows best in the peak of the Shirui Hills as it requires cold climate and high velocity of wind but due to climate change, the place is much warmer now and has affected the survival and multiplication of the plant.

Even the approach employed by the local community to conserve Shirui Lily AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

through lighting forest fire based on their belief that it will serve to increase the humus of the soil, reduce the growth of invasive species in the habitat and help Shirui Lily to flourish is also an incorrect and harmful practice. These forest fires burn down the seeds and the fragile seedlings thereby decreasing the population and retarding the growth of the plant bearing Shirui Lily besides raising the temperature of the plant habitat.

EFFORTS TO SAVE SHIRUIÂ LILY

Scientists advocate to leave Shirui Lily as it is to nature and assure us that nature is capable of healing it without human interruption caused by forest fire and unguided tourists.

Scientists Manas Ranjan Sahoo, Mayengbam Premi Devi, Madhumita

1,2 &3 Shirui Lily outside houses in Manipur

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Dasgupta, Narendra Prakash and Shishom Vanao Ngachan from ICAR Research Complex for the North Eastern Region, Manipur Centre, Imphal, have developed an efficient protocol for the micropropagation of Shirui Lily and their research can address the challenges of Shirui Lilyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s survivability in its natural habitat (An efficient protocol for in vitro regeneration and conservation of Shirui Lily (Lilium mackliniae Sealy): a lab-to-lab approach to save the rare endangered Asiatic lily species).

Such conservation approaches could be helpful to save Shirui Lily from extinction in a sustainable way.

The Shirui Lily Festival is organised by the Department of Tourism and Manipur State Government every year since 2017 to spread awareness about Shirui drawing thousands of tourists from within the state and other parts of India and other countries. Live music and Shirock, the annual international rock festival of Manipur, cultural shows, traditional dances, folk songs, beauty pageant, exhibits, indigenous games and sports competitions like the Shirui Lily Mountain Bike Downhill Race Championship were part of the last edition of the festival.

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adventure

For the adventure

junkies

Break free from all your fears and try your hand at some of the most daring and exciting adventure sports in India Words: Sonya

Hot Air balloon ride in Jaipur

adventure

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ndia offers multiple hot spots for the adrenaline-pumping adventure sports lovers, be it underwater, top of the mountain, snow or just being up there in the sky in a massive balloon. Fast emerging as a favoured adventure sports destination, due to its geography and landscape, destinations in India are soon turning into a land of varied forms of adventure.

Heli-Skiing

An enthralling winter sport, Heli-Skiing is for the strong-hearted and experienced skiers. Helicopters are used as cable cars, deporting you to the safest and comfortable snow-clad mountain peaks, which is not accessible by any other means. Once the skiers are flown by helicopters to the top of these remote slopes, one can access remote and untouched areas of the slope. Skiing is definitely more fun with lesser crowd around. One can relish this riveting sports in the peaks of Himalayas, Gulmarg in Kashmir and in the hills of Manali in Himachal Pradesh.

Snorkelling

Everything seems beautiful inside the turquoise deep seawater. The flora and fauna is wonderful to look at closely once you are in the water. Snorkelling and Scuba diving are a few means to witness the mesmerising and exotic underwater life. Snorkelling, which one can practice from the surface of water, calls for a special diving mask, a breathing tube and fins. Just these gears, and you are good to go to any famous islands.

When in India, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Lakshadweep are some of the places where snorkelling is a must try.

Scuba Diving

Another astounding water sports one can indulge in, is Scuba Diving, which demands a bit of training and skill.

Majority of adventure sports enthusiasts

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savour this great sport which comes with a brief doâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and don'ts. A certain amount of knowledge is required to perfectly master the sport, which opens up the magical world of marine life and coral reefs. There are several water bodies in India like the Andaman & Nicobar Island, Barracuda, Islands of Netrani and Goa that offer great underwater experiences and these destinations assure an amazing underwater exposure.

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Travel Tip While participating in the activities always follow the rules mentioned

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Paragliding

The tremendously popular aero-sports across the globe is Paragliding that involves a free-foot launched aircraft, where the pilot sits on a harness suspended from a glider. Mostly performed at a plain portion of a hill, the fabric glider forms on its own in the air, depending on the suspension lines hanging down the glider and the amount of air pressure. This recreational adventure sport fills one with an adequate amount of thrill, from where the view down is breath-taking.

While paragliding, the valleys and hills below offers a picturesque view. One can invest their time in paragliding at Bir, Stok Kangri, Kamshet, Darjeeling, Solang Valley and South Anjuna Beach in Goa while in India.

Hot Air Ballooning

Another famous air sports is Hot Air Ballooning, which offers the vastness of the sky and a stunning view of the land

below. The imagery down from the hot air balloon gives a bird-eye view which is very famous in the city of Jaipur, Pushkar and Ranthambore National Park.

Flyboarding

Must Try A challenging trail for bike riding in India can be found in Spiti Valley. In fact, the Hindustan-Tibet highway that leads into Spiti valley ensures that doze of thrill remain consistence all through for a rider. It is on this ride that you can approach the highest villages of the Asia, Kibber

When in Goa, do not miss the worldfamous adventure sport â&#x20AC;&#x153;Flyboardingâ&#x20AC;?.

It is another level of adventure where one is standing on a stable skating board attached to pipe that helps you elevate from the level of seawater. It is more of jumping with the waves of water. It is thrilling but at the same time requires a great amount of supervision. Delve into this crazy stint at Baina beach in Goa.

River Rafting

River rafting is another adventurous water sport that is widely popular in India. This heart-stopping and adventure-filled activity enables you to take a plunge in the wild waters, and fill yourself up with thrill and trepidation.

It can be undertaken by daredevils in

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1. Scuba Diver in Andaman Sea 2. Paragliding in Bir Billing

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Leap of faith

Paragliding has many times been referred to as the ultimate bird feeling.

As a basic overview, the pilot is supposed to sit in a harness, which is suspended from a wing-like structure and then you have just got to run off a cliff. Set in the backdrop of the beautiful Himachal Pradesh, the little village of Bir is practically the paragliding capital of India.

3. Bungee jumping in Rishikesh 4. River rafting amidst the currents

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The best part of river rafting is that it can be experienced in some of the most quaint destinations in India Zanskar, Manali, Rishikesh, Coorg among other tourist spots in the country. The best part of river rafting is that it can be experienced in some of the most quaint destinations in India and at the same time, the electrifying nature of the sport is the perfect foil for it.

Bungee Jumping

Bungee Jumping is an exciting water sport that is a must-try for people of all ages, but before you decide to immerse yourself in this act of bravery, this seems difficult for the faint-hearted. Surprisingly, a lot of people take the initiative to try it out

but most of them cannot muster the courage to actually jump. It involves jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord. The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane.

The thrill comes from the free-falling and the rebound. Rishikesh, Goa and Bengaluru are the popular Bungee Jumping hotspots in India.

Waterfall Rappelling

One of the most majestic creations of nature is waterfalls. It attracts legions of people towards its beauty and offers a chance to explore them a little further and deeper. The best and

the most adventurous way of doing it is via trying water rappelling. It is an adrenaline-pumping adventure on the waterfall down the rock and facing the extreme water torrent yourself.

Coorg in Karnataka and Vihigaon in Maharashtra offers a wonderful experience of waterfall rappelling in India.

Sky Diving

Sky Diving is an adventure activity that was created out of unrestrained gumption. It offers an experience to actually fly in the air with the birds.

This involves one diver to free-fall from an aircraft and is provided with the parachute to land safely on the ground.

This may sound and look easy but one needs immense courage to pull it off.

Dhana in Madhya Pradesh, Mysore in Karnataka, Deesa in Gujarat and Aamby Valley in Maharashtra are some of the popular Indian places for Sky Diving.

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Breathe culture

Foothills of The

Himalayas Wildlife-rich tropical forests, innumerable hill streams, low hills rising up from the riversâ&#x20AC;&#x201C; welcome to the gateway of Bhutan and Northeast India Words: Punita Malhotra

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way from the tourist throngs and selfie sticks, the alluvial floodplain of North Bengal clustered around the Himalayan foothills teems with a vast texture of treasures. Here majestic mountains soaring to the skies give birth to freespirited, frothing, ice-cold rivers that gush over rock-bedded rivers. Wildlifefilled forests, tea-leaf speckled terraces, wide patches of green grassland, striking blue skies and sweetest possible birdsong converge into a rich tapestry that makes the city-weary soul sigh with satisfaction. Dooars Valley (from the

word â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;dwaarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, literally, true to its name) is a gorgeous gateway to North Bengal, Sikkim and Bhutan, waiting to be reveal its magic to the intrepid traveller. About 100-odd kilometres from Bagdogra Airport simply zip by in a flash.

Jungle book story

Forest bathing or wildlife encounters, each agenda gets ticked off the wish list in the natural habitat of the Dooars.

From sightings of armour-plated rhino, to tiger, leopard, elephant, black bear, sloth, deer, python, golden cats, red pandas, Himalayan flying squirrel and civet cats, a jeep safari experience Seeing the Himalayan range from Dooars

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Breathe

A visit to Buxa National Park comes highly recommended for its varying landscape brings is every kind of reward. A visit to Buxa National Park, the 760 sq km wildlife zone in the eastern Dooars, bordering the Buxa hills of Bhutan, comes highly recommended, for its varying landscape. Savannah-like woodlands and tropical evergreen forests meet Himalayan deciduous trees at elevations as high as 5,000 ft, with Jayanti and Raidak rivers slicing through the verdant scene. A British post office and a small museum attached to the Buxa Fort, (a prison for freedom fighters during 1930s) makes an interesting historical diversion.

Western Dooars houses the 98 sq km Gorumara National Park, which, though smaller and denser, affords better chances of sightings. Day passes can be obtained at the nearby town of Lataguri. In this area, another alternative is Neora Valley National Park, located in the Kalimpong Hills, stretching from borders of Gorumara to the 10,340 ft high Rachela pass, leading to Sikkim and Bhutan. The Neora river and its tributary trickling through the 88 sq km national park can be explored with day passes issued at the hill station of Lava.

From bamboo and sal thickets to rhododendron, oak woods and orange orchards, tree lovers can reach heights of indulgence, trudging the solitudefilled trails. Eyes glued hypnotically to Raidhak, Murti, Torsha, Jaldhaka and other streams crashing down to the plains, as one traces the contours of smooth rocks with fingers crinkly from 2

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1. Rhino in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary 2. Wooden house at Buxa tiger reserve 3. Natural stream in Dooars

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how to reach The nearest airport is Bagdogra Airport, located west of Siliguri

Travel Tip Winters here are cold and foggy so keep your warm coats ready

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the icy, transparent waters. Warm sunbeams dance and timelessness has a new definition.

Tea-time tales

In this prime tea country, one we reach the time-warped destination of Malbazar, one can almost smell the whiff of old-world charm from a distance.

Colonial hints are everywhere, from the clock tower to tin-roofed factories, bougainvillea-draped bungalows and heritage buildings with enchanting views of gardens, hills and river beds. Cupping hot tea on sprawling lawns, (ideally with scones), one can try to imagine the bygone era when horse carriages would have transported sahibs to their Victorian quarters, right here to the upper, cool climes of North Bengal.

No hint of that British snobbery seems visible anymore, but there is still a forlorn leftover of magic in the crisp air. Evident in the rosy morning sunrises that shyly reveal the snow-clad peaks of Bhutan in the distance. Or the warm glow of the bonfire embers under a glittering starsspecked dark sky at night. The kind that only sincere seekers can find.

Folklore and fables

Shifting from natural treasures to heritage of a different kind, culture aficionados can seek enrichment by participating in the colourful rituals and unique lifestyles of Dooars' various ethnic communities, like Toto, Rava, Mech, Turi and Drukpaa. Attending a folk drama performance, especially chor chunni and dham gaan are experiences that have been gaining traction in the region lately.

Savouring an authentic meal of momos, dry fish pickle, and bamboo shoots, while attempting to decipher the meaning behind the Rajbangshi’s popular devotional and love songs is merely a small introduction to the deeply-rooted past of the region’s local tribes. Those keen on exploring further can visit during the East Himalayas Tourism Festival. An intriguing excursion can be planned to Rajabhatkhawa, named after a forest feast of rice between the king of Cooch Behar and the monarch of Bhutan) or to Totopara (for the unique Toto tribe, considered Mongoloid, which speaks a Tibeto-Burman script-less language).

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Palate

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AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

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Vibrant Plate

If you happen to be in the northern part of Karnataka, make sure you stop for a meal at a local khanavali, a place that serves traditional North Karnataka fare Words: Bindu Gopal Rao

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ith the area being dry and arid, the food of North Karnataka is mainly locally grown crops and vegetables and is wholesome, healthy, rich in antioxidants, fibre, protein and minerals. The main item on your plate is Jolada roti, a thin flat bread made from jowar flour, hand rolled and baked on an iron skillet or directly on fire. Usually a dollop of butter is added on the roti, which is highly recommended to cut the spicy flavours of the accompaniments.

Balanced Meal

1. Bowl of curry served with a bowl of raita and roti 1

This is eaten with Ennegai Palya, which is baby aubergine cooked with a typical dry stuffing of ground peanut, ground sesame, ginger, garlic, garam masala and salt and tossed with onions and other 59

Palate

Local desserts include Shenga unde – a laddu made with peanuts and Dharwad peda, a speciality of the region

spices and hesarukaal palya, a curry made with green gram. Accompaniments include the kempu khaara, fiery red chilli chutney that primarily has red chillis and garlic with spices.

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A typical meal also includes lentils, cooked with greens and sauteed with onions, ginger, garlic and jhunka, which is steamed gram flour cubes with sesame and coriander leaves. Peanut or sesame chutney, raita bajji made with yogurt, raw salad made of scallion, onion and methi leaves, plain rice, saaru or rasam, papadum and buttermilk complete a typical meal usually eaten on a banana leaf.

Local desserts include Shenga unde – a sweet made with peanuts and Dharwad peda, a speciality of the region. Do try the kardant, an edible gum mixed with dry fruits, fried bengal gram flour and jaggery when you are here. The dry fruit laddu is another must try. It is a mélange of mixed dry fruits, including pistachio, almonds, cashew, dates, figs with shredded dry coconut, jaggery and antu (edible gum). So get set to take your senses on a gastronomic journey in North Karnataka – it is a meal you will not forget in a hurry.

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Food Souvenirs

Pick up the famous byadgi chilli from the region. It is known for its fiery red colour and is not as pungent as its Guntur counterpart.

Buy the chutney pudis (powders) from here, the range includes shenga (groundnut), puttani (chana dal), agase (flax seed), yellu (sesame), and ucchelu (Niger seed).

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2. Dry fruit 'laddu' 3. Spicy chilli chutney

aaiofficial

ukSdjh fnykus ds >kals ls cpsa!

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/;ku j[ksa! ;g Hkh ns[kk x;k gS fd dqN vKkr osclkbVsa Hkk-fo-izk- esa fjDr inksa dk fLFkfr fn[kk jgh gaSA ge Li"V dj nsuk pkgrs gSa fd Hkk-fo-izk- dh vksj ls ,slh dksbZ Hkh osclkbV vFkok ,tsafl;ksa dks mudh osclkbV ij Hkk-fo-izk- ds fjDr inksa ij HkrhZ ds fy, vkf/kdkfjd :i ls fu;qDr ugha fd;k x;k gSA

pkSdl jgsa! ;g lwfpr fd;k tkrk gS fd lHkh fjDr inksa vFkok HkrhZ dsoy Hkk-fo-izk- dh vkf/kdkfjd osclkbV ij ;k fQ+j dHkh&dHkkj ,EIyks,esaV U;wt+@jkst+xkj lekpkj rFkk izeq[k Hkkjrh; lekpkj i=ksa esa gh vf/klwfpr fd;k tkrk gSA fjDr inksa ij vkosnu djus dk fyad dsoy Hkk-fo-izk- dh vkf/kdkfjd osclkbV www.aai.aero/en/careers/recruitment ij miyC/k gSA vkosnu ’kqYd vkWuykbu iathdj.k ds le; ns; gSA HkrhZ ds fdlh vU; pj.k esa fdlh izdkj dk Hkqxrku djus dks ugha dgk tkrk gSA bl uksfVl }kjk] lHkh lacaf/kr yksxksa ds laKku esa yk;k tk jgk gS fd os lko/kkuh cjrsa vkSj >wBs foKkiuksa ds cgdkos esa u vk,aA vlkekftd rÙoksa dh dk;Zokgh ls vxj fdlh O;fDr dks gkfu vFkok {kfr gqbZ gks rks mlds fy, Hkk-fo-izk- fdlh Hkh rjg ls ftEesnkj ugha gSA ;fn dksbZ ,sls fdlh Hkh vlkekftd rÙo@,tsafl;ksa ds laidZ esa vkrk gS rks d`i;k ut+nhdh iqfyl LVs'ku dks lwfpr djsa rkfd iqfyl vijk/kh dh igpku gks ldsA 61

tkudkjh

vfgalk ds uk;d

xka/khth us laiw.kZ fo’o dks vfgalk dk ikB i<+k;kA mudh f’k{kk vkt Hkh mruh gh lkFkZd gS] ftruh muds le; esa Fkh 1

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izLrqfr% iadt pkScs lkStU;% xka/kh Le`fr ,oa n'kZu lfefr

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t nqfu;k Hkj ds yksx xka/khth dh 150oha t;arh euk jgs gSaA ;g xka/khth ds O;fDrRo dk vkd"kZ.k gS fd mudh f’k{kk ,oa muds fl)kar vkt Hkh gesa muds crk, jkLrs ij pyus dks izsfjr djrs gSaA xka/khth dh dFkuh vkSj djuh esa dksbZ varj ugha fn[krk gSA og vkthou vius fl)karksa ls fMxs ughaA xka/khth us lR;] vfgalk vkSj çse dk jkLrk

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November 2019

viuk;kA bldk lans’k nqfu;k dks fn;kA xka/khth dh vfgalk O;kogkfjd gS] tks izR;sd O;fDr dks fuHkhZd cuus dks izsfjr djrh gSA xka/khth us vfgalk dks viuh laLd`fr ls xzg.k fd;k gSA Hkkjr dh izkphu laLd`fr eas vfgalk dks izeq[k LFkku fn;k x;k gSA vxj ge vfgalk dks viuh laLd`fr dh /kqjh ekusa] rks ;g mfpr gh gksxkA lcls igys egkHkkjr ds vuq’kklu ioZ esa vfgalk dk mYYks[k vkrk gSA tgka ^vfgalk ijeks /keZ%* dh ckr dg xbZ gSA njvly vfgalk lHkh /keksZa dk vk/kkj gSA tSu vkSj ckS) /keZ esa rks vfgalk dks lcls izcy ekuk x;k gSA

cnyrs ekuoh; ewY;

vkt geus viuh t+:jrksa dks c<+k fn;k gSA AAI_Official

blds ifj.kkeLo:i ge nwljksa ds gd dh pht+ksa ij dCt+k dj jgs gSaA lalk/ku dks tqVkus ds iz;kl esa geus viuk ewy ekuuh; LoHkko Hkqyk fn;k gSA vkt ge viuh vko’;drk iwjh djus ds fy, brus mxz gks x, gSa fd fdlh Hkh dher ij lalk/ku dks ikus ls ihNs ugha gVuk pkgrs gSaA bl izfØ;k esa izd`fr dks rks u"V dj gh jgs gSa] lkFk&lkFk euq"; ls Hkh ge mldh vko’;drk dk gd Hkh Nhurs tk jgs gSaA bl iwjh izfØ;k us O;fDr lekt] jk"Vª vkSj nqfu;k Hkj ds fy, izfrLi/kkZ dk ekgkSy cuk fn;k gSA bl izfrLi/kkZ ls ;q) tSlh fLFkfr mRiUu gks tkrh gSA xka/khth dgrs gSa] ^^O;fDr dh t+:jr ds fy, izd`fr ds ikl Ik;kZIr lalk/ku gSa] ysfdu mldh fyIlk dks izd`fr iwjh ugha dj ldrh gSA** vkt iwjh nqfu;k esa vkik/kkih dk ekgkSy ut+j vkrk gSA ;g ekgkSy lHkh jk"Vªksa us feydj cuk;k gS D;kasfd fodflr ns’k] viuh fLFkfr dks et+cwr djus ds fy, lkefjd n`f"V ls ,oa ckt+kj ds :i esa vius vki dks et+cwr djuk pkgrk gSA fodkl dh izfØ;k eas yxs vU; ns’k Hkh bl pØO;wg esa Qa+ls ut+j vkrs gSaA lHkh ns’k ’kkafr dks ut+jvankt+ rks ugha djrs ij mUgksaus pkgs&vupkgs vius fy, izfrLi/kkZ dk ekgkSy Lor% gh pqu fy;k gSA vfgalk dh ’kfDr loksZifj gSA xka/khth dgrs gSa] **vfgalk lcls Åaph Js.kh dk lfØ; cy gSA og vkRek dk cy gS] vFkok gekjs Hkhrj jgus okyk bZ’ojh; cy gSA viw.kZ ekuo ml fnO; cy dks iw.kZr;k le> ugha ldrk] og iw.kZ rst dks lgu djus esa leFkZ ugha gSA ijarq tc mldk v.kq ftruk Hkh vfrlw{e va’k Hkh gekjs Hkhrj lfØ; curk gS] rc og vk’p;Ztud ifj.kke ykrk gSA ge LoHkkor% vfgald gksrs gSaA euq"; vkSj Ik’kq dk ;g lcls cM+k varj gSA**

tuekul dh yM+kbZ

njvly xka/khth us laiw.kZ Lok/khurk vkanksyu esa tuekul dks yM+kbZ yM+us ds fy, rS;kj fd;kA xka/kh dk laiw.kZ Lok/khurk vkanksyu vfgald FkkA nf{k.k vÝhdk ls ysdj Hkkjr rd dh ;k=k esa xka/khth us vfgalk dks viuk lcls izeq[k ’kL= cuk;kA nqfu;k dks vfgalk dh ’kfDr ls ifjp; djok;kA nqfu;k dks ;g crk;k fd vfgalk dk;jksa dk ugha vfirq mPp uSfrd cy okys cgknqjksa dk dk;Z gSA 1 ebZ] 1947 ds gfjtu lsok ds vad esa xka/khth fy[krs gSa] **ryokj ds t+ksj ls vxj dksbZ vkneh dqN ys ysrk gS] rks mlls cM+h nwljh ryokj ls ;g Nhu fy;k tkrk gSA fgUnqLrku us nqfu;k dks u;k jkLrk crk;k gS] ;gh gekjh Lora=rk dk dkj.k gSA oSls rks nqfu;k esa ryokj dk

3

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;q) dk ladV

vkt ge pkjksa rjQ+ v.kq vkSj ijek.kq ce dh ppkZ lqurs gSaA v.kq&ijek.kq ce dk vlj Hkh geus fo’o ;q) eas ns[k fy;k gSA orZeku esa bldk [k+rjk vkSj c<+k gSA vkt lHkh dks bl tSls lagkjd vL= dh fucZyrk dks le>uk pkfg,A tks euq"; ds fy, [k+rjk gks] og lcls nqcZy pht+ gSA ,d vaxzst+ i=dkj us xka/khth ls loky fd;k] ^^v.kq ce ds ckjs esa vkidk D;k [;ky gS\** xka/khth dgrs gSa] ^^vksg! bl ekeys esa rks vki lkjh nqfu;k ds lkeus Mads dh pksV ij ,syku dj ldrs gSa fd esjs fopkj eas varj vkuk vlaHko gSA vknfe;ksa] vkSjrksa vkSj cPPkksa dk [kwu djus ds fy, v.kqce ds iz;ksx dks eSa foKku dk cgqr cM+k jk{klh iz;ksx le>rk gwaA** fQj i=dkj us iwNk] **rks fQ+j bldk bykt D;k gS\ D;k blus vfgalk dks [kRe ugha dj fn;k gSA** xka/khth dgrs gSa] ^^ugha mYVs vc rks ;gh nqvk gS fd ;gh ,d ,slh pht+ gS] ftls v.kqce [kRe ugha dj ldrkA fgjksf’kek ij v.kqce fxjus vkSj mlds cckZn gksus dh [k+cj ikdj eSa t+jk Hkh fopfyr ugha gqvkA mYVs eSaus vius eu esa ;gh dgk fd ;fn nqfu;k vc Hkh vfgalk dks ugha viukrh rks ekuo tkfr vkRegR;k ls ugha cpsxhA** ;q) dh dher ij ekuork dks ugha [k+jhnk tk ldrk gS vkSj fgalk

1- egkRek xka/kh dh lekf/k jkt?kkV( 2- ,oa 3- ckiw us leLr nqfu;k dks vfgalk }kjk leL;k,a gy djus dk ikB i<+k;k

fdlh leL;k dk lek/kku ugha gks ldrk gSA vxj ge ekuork] viuh lH;rk vkSj laL—fr dks cpkuk pkgrs gSa rks vfgalk ij vfHkeku djuk gh gksxkA vfgalk dh laL—fr gh nqfu;k dks lgh jkLrs ij ys tkus dk dke djsxhA xka/kh ds liuksa dh nqfu;k esa fgalk] }s"k vkSj vekuoh;rk tSls ’kCnksa ds fy, dksbZ LFkku ugha gSA ;g o"kZ ge lc ds fy, fo’ks"k gSA bl volj ij ge lc dks feydj fgalk eqDr nqfu;k ds fuekZ.k esa viuk ;ksxnku nsuk pkfg,A 63

fojklr

ns[krs jg tkvksxs jkuh dh oko okLrqdyk dk ,d uk;kc mnkgj.k gSA bldh lqanjrk vkSj vklikl QSyh gfj;kyh lHkh dks ea= eqX/k dj nsrh gS ys[k% lqeu cktis;h

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November 2019

AAI_Official

2 1- bldh okLrqdyk eueksg ysrh gS 2- LraHkksa ij ikSjkf.kd dFkk,a mdsjh xbZ gSa

rRdkyhu jktk oujkt pkoM+k }kjk fufeZr ;g iqjkru ,sfrgkfld ’kgj viuh mR—"V ,sfrgkfld lainkvksa vkSj çk—frd HkO;rk ds fy, çfl) gSA

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;gka rhl fdyksehVj yach lqjax Hkh gS] tks ikVu ds fl)iqj esa tkdj [kqyrh gSA ;q) ds le; jktk bldk mi;ksx djrs Fks fy, ^LVsiosy* ’kCn dk ç;ksx fd;k tkrk gSA xqtjkr dh ckofM+;ka ty laj{k.k dh vuks[kh felky gSaA bl HkO; ckoM+h dk fuekZ.k Hkhenso çFke ¼1022&1063 bZ½ dh jkuh mn;erh us 11oha ’krkCnh ds vafre Hkkx esa vius ifr dh Le`fr esa djk;k FkkA Hkhenso çFke vufgyokM+ ¼ikVu½ ds lksyadh oa’k ds laLFkkid ewyjkt ds mÙkjkf/kdkfj;ksa esa ls ,d FksA bl oko dh yackbZ 64 ehVj] pkSM+kbZ 20 ehVj vkSj xgjkbZ 27 ehVj gSA tSls&tSls uhps mrjrs gSa] rkieku de gksrk tkrk gSA

vuwBh nqfu;k

oko esa LraHk;qDr cgqeaft+yk eaMi] dqavk vkSj vfrfjDr ikuh bdëk djus gsrq ,d cM+k dqaM Hkh cuk gqvk gSA iwoZ&if’pe fn’kk esa fufeZr bl oko dk dqvka if’peh Nksj ij fLFkr gSA nhokjksa vkSj LraHkksa ij gqbZ lSdM+ksa uDdk’kh vkSj ewfrZ;ksa dks ns[k çkphu okLrqdyk vkSj dkjhxjksa dk vn~Hkqr dkS’ky tkuus dks feykA ;gka gj eaft+y ij [kqys vgkrs cus gq, gSa] tgka ;k=h vkdj Bgjk djrs FksA dqy feykdj ,sls lkr vgkrs gSaA 65

fojklr

dSls igqapsa ljnkj oYyHkHkkbZ iVsy varjjk"Vªh; gokbZ vM~Mk fudVre gokbZ vM~Mk gSA bldh nwjh yxHkx 129 fdyksehVj gSA

3- bl oko esa rkieku BaMk jgrk gS 3

;gka cus LraHk ikap rÙoksa ;kuh ty] i`Foh] vkdk’k] ok;q] vfXu ls fufeZr gSaA lkjh bekjr LVSaMLVksu ls cuh gS D;ksafd bl iRFkj esa dVko djuk vklku gksrk gSA jkuh dh oko Hkwfexr ty lalk/ku vkSj ty laxzg ç.kkyh dk ,d mR—"V mnkgj.k gSA ;g ty laxzg dh rduhd] ckjhfd;ksa vkSj vuqikrksa dh vR;ar lqanj dyk dks n’kkZrh gSA ty dh ifo=rk vkSj blds egÙo dks le>kus ds fy, bls vkSa/ks eafnj ds :i esa fMt+kbu fd;k x;k FkkA

i)fr dks n’kkZrh gSaA gekjs ’kjhj esa lkr pØ gksrs gSa vkSj mu pØksa ds ek/;e ls fpfdRld irk yxkrs Fks fd dgka chekjh gSA çs’kj ikWbaV~l dks os tkapk djrs Fks] ;gh ewfrZ;ksa esa Hkh ns[kk tk ldrk gSA jkuh m|erh dks vk/;kfRed Kku Fkk vkSj og pkgrh Fkha fd yksx bl fpfdRlk ls voxr gksaA

vkd"kZd ewfrZ;ka

lkr ryksa esa foHkkftr bl lh<+hnkj dq,a dks ,d eafnj Hkh dgk tk ldrk gS] D;ksafd blesa djhc 700 ewfrZ;ka gSa tks vf/kdka’kr% fo".kq] f’ko] fo".kq ds nl vorkjksa dh gSaA lkFk gh ,d gt+kj ls vf/kd NksVh ewfrZ;ka gSaA ckoM+h esa ukxdU;k vkSj ;ksfxuh tSlh lqanj vIljkvksa dh dyk—fr;ka Hkh cuh gqbZ gSaA bldk pkSFkk ry lcls xgjk gS] tks ,d 9-5 ehVj ls 9-4 ehVj ds vk;rkdkj VSad rd tkrk gSA lkr eaft+yk bl ckoM+h esa ikap fudkl }kj gSaA bl oko dk fuekZ.k ek:&xqtZjk okLrqf’kYi ’kSyh esa cgqr gh uk;kc o ;kstukc) <ax ls fd;k x;k gSA ;gka nhokjksa ij tks tkfy;ksa tSls fMt+kbu cus gSa] os ;gka dh iVksyk lkfM+;ksa esa Hkh ns[kus dks feyrs gSaA dVko o uDdk’kh ;gka dh LFkkiR; dyk esa dkQ+h leku gSA dqN ewfrZ;ka çk—frd fpfdRlk 66

November 2019

lgL=fyax rky

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infocus

A remarkable journey India exhibits at Frankfurt Book Fair

National Book Trust, India, which has the rare distinction of presenting as the Guest of Honour Country at the Fair twice, had a rich and engaging participation this year

T

he 2019 edition of Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest B2B book fair, came to an end on October 20, 2019. The Fair saw participation of nearly 7,500 exhibitors from 109 countries.

NBT, India had put up a Collective Exhibit of more than 200 titles of 32 Indian publishers and also had Vigyan Prasar as the co-exhibitor. The Collective Exhibit of books was also

enlivened with tastefully done panel size posters projecting 'Books on and by Mahatma Gandhi', 'Gandhi: The Writers' Writer', 'Reading Spaces in India: A Representative Chronology', 'New Delhi World Book Fair 2020', Guest Country Presentations of India in 201920 at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (UAE), Guadalajara International Book Fair (Mexico) and Paris Book Fair (France).

India delegation had interactions with nearly 45 delegates representing 25 countries at the fair The books of the Collective Exhibit were donated to the library of the

Consulate General of India, Frankfurt, after the fair for further use for the local readers.

NBT, India delegation had meetings and interactions with nearly 45 delegates representing 25 countries including Chief Executive Officers, Managing Directors and other senior professionals from publishing houses, International Book Fair Authorities, International Book Trade Journals, Rights Agencies, International Book Distributors besides authors, editors and readers for collaborations in the field of publishing through translations, copyright exchange, book fairs and book promotion.

The three-member delegation from NBT, India led by its Chairman, Prof Govind Prasad Sharma, included Shri Kumar Vikram, Editor & Project Head, and Shri Mayank Surolia, Deputy Director.

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nsrs gSaA LoHkko Hkh mudk _f"krqY; gh gSA muds Hkhrj dk lar gh njvly mu jkx&jkfxfu;ksa ls vuqjkxHkjk fj’rk cukrk gS] ftlds ek/;e ls ge vuqHkwfr;ksa dh vykSfddh esa vkoktkgh djus yxrs gSaA og lknxh ls Hkjs gq, gSaA czk;u eap ij fcuk gaxkes ds nks ’kCnksa ds I;kj Hkjs fuea=.k ij vk tkrs gSaA bl ckr dh dYiuk dh tk ldrh gS fd dSls ,d /kquh vkSj xq.kh l`td dh ;k=k la?k"kZ ls gksrs gq,] ;’k dks Nwrs gq, ijoku p<+rh gSA ge lc ns[kus] lquus okyksa dh fuxkg esa tc dksbZ ;’kL‍oh dykdkj vpfEHkr djrk gqvk fn[krk gS rks ge mlds vkt ls cgqr eksfgr gks tkrs gSaA njvly AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

egku dykdkjksa dk Lof.kZe vkSj pepekrk vkt] dy ds vusd Ågkiksg] ÅcM+&[kkcM+ iFkjhys jkLrs] vk’kk vkSj fujk’kk ds chp rjktw dh lqbZ dh rjg Mxexkrk eu vkSj vkRefo’okl cgqr cM+k dke djrs gSaA czk;u flyl dkuiqj ewy ds gSaA cpiu ls laxhr ds çfr ,d :ekuh vklfDr jgk djrh FkhA ifjos’k vkSj okrkoj.k esa cgqr dksbZ ,slk çksRlkgd le; ugha Fkk tks lrr pys ysfdu og lc rjg ds lktksa dk Li’kZ djus vkSj muds rkjksa vkSj cksMZ ij viuh maxfy;ksa ls Nwus dk vuwBk ftKklkHkjk dkS’ky j[krs FksA ,d rjg ls ns[kk tk, rks flrkj] fxVkj] fi;kuks lHkh lktksa ls mUgksaus FkksM+h&FkksM+h ckr dh] muds eeZ dks le>kA czk;u dgrs gSa fd lkt ds lkFk vkRek dk fj’rk gksrk gS] tks cukuk iM+rk gSA ;g cgqr laosnu’khy vkSj çse djus dh rjg var%LFky dks egdnkj cukrk gSA ;g tqM+uk gh lPpk tqM+uk gSA

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czk;u bUgha l`tukRed vo/kkj.kkvksa ls dkuiqj ls fnYyh pys vkSj mUgsa gksVy yh esfjfM;u esa fi;kuks ctkus dk volj feykA og fganh flusek esa laxhr ds e/kqjre ;qx] ml ;qx ds l`tdksa] laxhrdkjksa vkSj xk;dksa ds lkFk xhrdkjksa ds çfr Hkh cM+h J)k j[krs FksA ipkl ds n’kd ls mUgksaus xhr&laxhr esa :g rd mrj tkus okys] f’kjkvksa esa jDr ds lkFk vuqHkwfr;ka ysdj cgus okys xhrksa dks pqu&pqudj ctkuk vkjaHk fd;kA esfjfM;u esa rks czk;u dqN gh le; jgs ysfdu gksVy ekS;kZ esa tc og

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AAI Update

towards futuristic airports The Airports Authority of India’s stall wins Gold Award at the 22nd India International Security Expo-2019 Words: Corporate Commnications Team, CHQ, AAI

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he Airports Authority of India participated in the 22nd India International Security Expo (IISE) 2019, jointly organised by Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) & Defense & HLS Committee (PHDCCI). It was held from October 3 to 5, 2019 at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.

Safety, Traffic Management, Industrial Safety, Disaster Management and Information Security professionals from across the private and public sectors, allied organisations, partners and the industry’s leading solution-providers together for the most comprehensive security education and innovative technology in the nation.

IISE is India’s largest security show that brings Homeland Security, Fire

AAI's pavilion at IISE showcased various technologies in the pipeline

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1. Sh. Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI received the trophy from the ED, ITPO. 2. Ms. Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation at the stall. 3. Runway model at the stall. 4. AAI stall at the expo.

AAI also showcased the information with regard to UDAN - the prestigious regional connectivity scheme of the Government of India.

At the closing ceremony of the Expo, Sh. Anuj Aggarwal, Chairman, AAI was the Chief Guest. Sh. Rajesh Agrawal, Executive Director (ITPO) and Sh. Rajiv Bhatnagar, Chairman (PHDCCI) were also present during the ceremony.

4

AAI Stall was designed in such a way that every visitor witnessed simulation of security procedures a futuristic airport terminal through DigiYatra process

and procedures implemented in the field of aviation security like Facial Recognition-based access control of passengers called ‘DigiYatra’, which is under trial at various airports. The

futuristically designed stall was bestowed with Gold Award at the exhibition. Last

year, AAI stall received the Silver Award at the same event.

The various equipment and display panels showcased at AAI stall also appraised air travellers about the security requirements as per the Indian Civil Aviation Security Regulator – Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

This time, AAI Stall was designed in such a way that every visitor witnessed simulation of security procedures at a futuristic airport terminal through DigiYatra process.

DigiYatra- Future of airports AAI has always worked towards providing smoother travel and the concept of DigiYatra is a step forward.

AAI under the Ministry of Civil Aviation is in the process of adding a digital experience through DigiYatra, which will allow the passengers access to the terminal and other areas of the airport automatically based on facial recognition system at check points like entry point and security hold area. In addition to that, DigiYatra will contribute towards paperless travel and less clutter as it will help avoid identity check at multiple points.

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AAI Update

Happy flying from the

City of Joy 72

November 2019

Redefining passenger services, NSCBI, Kolkata Airport is all set to become an aviation hub of the region

AirportsAuthorityOfIndiaOfficial

K

olkata, formerly known as Calcutta, capital of West Bengal and former capital of British India is one of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest cities and one of its major ports. The city is centred on the east bank of the Hooghly river and is a thriving metropolis of eastern India. The vibrant city, also known as 'The City of Joy' has a penchant for art and culture and flaunts high level of intellectual vitality and political awareness.

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBI Airport), Kolkata, was originally known as Dum Dum Airport and was renamed in the honour of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in 1995. Spread in an area of 1641.34 acres of land, NSCBI Airport is the gateway to Eastern and Northeast part of India with an annual capacity of handling over 26 million passengers.

Kolkata Airport is the fifth busiest airport in the country after Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Bengaluru and has witnessed 26 per cent growth in passenger volume last financial year 2018-19. The airport is the largest in Eastern India having 24 international and 10 domestic airlines operating from Kolkata, there with huge prospects of the airport becoming an aviation hub of this region.

Brief History and Development 1

The erstwhile Dum Dum Airport was constructed in the open parade ground

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vacated by the Bengal Artillery. It was traditionally used as a stopover for European flights to Indo-China and Australia and in 1927, KLM began scheduling a stop for its AmsterdamBatavia (Jakarta) flight. In the same year, the first runway was also being extensively used by the Royal Air Force of England. The airport became a destination for the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first jetpowered passenger aircraft, the de Havilland Comet, on a British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) route to London. On February 28, 1932, Rabindranath Tagore took his first ever flight. In 1975, the airport opened the first dedicated cargo terminal in India.

Since then it has seen exponential growth in passenger as well as cargo movement and became major tourist destination that opened the gateway to Eastern & Northeast India. On January 20, 2013, the new terminal at the Kolkata Airport was officially inaugurated by Former President Shri. Pranab Mukherjee.

Connectivity

At present, Kolkata Airport is connected with more than 35 destinations in India and around 13 destinations globally.

With some more flights in the offing, the airport is emerging as a hub for Southeast and Far East Asian countries.

Recently, daily direct flight have commenced from Kolkata to Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and to Guangzhou in China.

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Passenger Traffic Analysis

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Celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, AAI has embarked on establishing 'Gandhi Gallery' at Kolkata Airport

2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

Passenger movement in the last five years

The New Integrated Terminal Building has a capacity of handling 26 million passengers annually with all state-ofthe-art passenger facilities. Kolkata Airport witnessed 10 per cent growth

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AAI Update

Kolkata Airport became the fifth airport in India to have CAT-III, second-most advanced instrument landing system plans include two new lines to the airport, one from Noapara connecting at Barasat, and the other from New Garia.

Cargo Growth 2

in passenger volume in the year 2018-19 with an approximate figure of 2,18,77,350 passengers.

Facilities

Kolkata Airport has 128 check-in counters facilitating CUTE (Common User Terminal Equipment) technology, 56 immigration counters, 18 aerobridges, nine remote boarding gates and 63 parking stands for aircraft. Besides, 18 escalators, 13 travellators and 31 elevators are there in the terminal building. A total of 16 baggage conveyor belts are also functional at arrival area and eight at departure level. The in-line baggage scanning system is also provided for international travellers and the same is being installed for the domestic area.

Adding another feather to its cap, Kolkata Airport became the fifth airport in India to have CAT-III landing system, which is the second-most advanced instrument landing system available and allows flights to operate till the visibility drops to 50 metres. It was commissioned on January 4, 2018.

New Initiatives Taken

• The construction of an Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower and a technical block has started with AAI getting all security and design approval of the project.

• Construction of three hangars with annex building at Narayanpur side of the airport is also in progress and is likely to be completed by mid-2020. For the convenience of transit passenger 74

November 2019

a separate domestic transfer facility is being developed.

• In line baggage inspection system is under testing phase. It is likely to be commissioned by December 2019.

• Construction of the Domestic Cargo Building has also been proposed in the existing expansion plan of the airport, which will allow more space and efficient movement of cargo from the airport.

•T he current Kolkata Metro expansion

The International Air Cargo Complex at Kolkata Airport was the first air cargo terminal in the country, which was commissioned on October 5, 1975.

Since August 11, 2016, a wholly owned subsidiary of AAI, AAI Cargo Logistics and Allied Services Company (AAICLAS) has taken over all cargo operations.

The cargo terminal has three wings for processing of export and import of cargo and unaccompanied baggage besides Disposal Unit for disposal of unclaimed and uncleared cargo. It connects six regions in the world that are enriched in the global market - South-Asian,

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Know your Airport Director

Southeast Asian countries, Western countries, Middle Eastern countries and Central Asia.

Local Artwork

The landscape concept and under roofing designs for the airport terminal are rooted with rich cultural heritage of Kolkata and Bengal, inspired by Shri Rabindranath Tagore. On the domestic departure level of the terminal building, 4

three standalone art pieces become the center of attraction for the passengers, a ‘Baul’ dance sculpture that gives a glimpse of the rich culture of Bengali folk songs, a figurine comprising of the masks worn during folk dance performances like Chau Dance masks etc. and the musical instruments of Bengal. Another remarkable artwork at the airport is in the security hold area of the domestic departure that flaunts the first 3D printed Durga idol of the world.

As part of the 150th Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, AAI, in association with Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, established ‘Gandhi Gallery ’ at different airports across the country to propagate his ideals & principles. In the Kolkata Airport gallery, one could see Gandhiji’s association with West Bengal, displayed in 24 panels.

Social Contribution

1. Interiors of Terminal Building at Kolkata Airport 2. Kolkata Airport roof carrying lines from Tagore's works 3. 3D printed installation at the airport 4. Facilities for specially-abled at Kolkata Airport

With the motto of Clean IndiaGreen India and to re-emphasise its commitment towards energy saving campaign, Kolkata Airport has incorporated solar powered electricity for the operation of its 2.4 lakh sq mtr terminal building. Latest energy efficient equipment like green chillers, VFDs, BMS & LED lighting were also adopted while designing NITB. Taking another step towards ‘Green India’, the airport has developed a 240 sq ft area green wall at the Departure Hall and two more green walls at the Arrival level.

An expert in Airport Management and Construction, Shri Kaushik Bhattacharjee is a B.Tech (Civil Engg.) from Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and a Graduate in Business Management from All India Management Association. He has got 30 years of experience & vast knowledge in the field of airport projects. He joined as Airport Director at Kolkata Airport in March, 2019.

Mr Bhattacharjee spearheaded the mega project of ‘Construction of New Integrated Terminal Building at Kolkata Airport with a project cost of `2,450 crores. Till date this is AAI’s highest value project.

The green wall is spread across four different locations. The indoor green wall provides insulation to keep the inside temperature of the buildings at a consistent level.

Kolkata Airport has also started its drive to make the airport plastic free by curtailing the use of single-use plastic and have introduced biodegradable environment friendly utility items.

Facilities for Diyangjan

In line with accessible India Campaign Kolkata airport is upgrading the infrastructure and facilities for Passengers with Reduced Mobility (PRM). In this series, PRM friendly retiring room, tactile studs at departure level, low height flight information display, fluorescent painting in staircases, wheelchair friendly Help desk have been provided for passengers with reduced mobility. a 75

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PowerShot G9 X Mark II

Stylish and lightweight at just 206g, this premium compact also packs a punch with its 20.1-megapixel 1.0 inch-type sensor and the powerful DIGIC 7 image processor. These ensure that the camera is not only a sleek, handy companion for all occasions formal and casual, but also provides superb image quality.

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Sesh- True Wireless Earbuds

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This wine coat is designed for a wine bag from a 31 Bag-in-Box. The opening fits all standard taps and it's easy to lift and carry by the broad, soft rubber belt. The size can be adjusted by rolling or folding the belt and it stands stably on a non-slip rubber base. If the wine is to be served chilled, there is room for a cold pack. Fill with any beverage you like when used with disposable Beverage Bag. Price: INR 3,937 77

in flight

let them shine Easy hair care tricks to avoid unnecessary frizz before your vacation

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here are days when our hair can act up and completely turn into being a mess. The unwanted frizz and flyways can completely ruin your look. These are nothing but the aftermath of the daily mistakes that we make in our hair care routine and it’s high time to tame them to ensure gorgeous and luscious locks and looks. Vacations are a time where you don’t want to take the baggage of frizzy and unhealthy hair. Thus, it becomes imperative that we keep a check on our hair health habits.

Towel Drying your Hair

Most of us dry our hair with a towel.

We tend to rigorously rub our hair with the towel, which eventually leads them to be excessively frizzy and static.

This process eventually makes the hair cuticles rough and even extracts its essential moisture thus, it is always advised to air dry your hair.

Not Enough Deep Conditioning

The unhealthy lifestyles, stress and intense environmental conditions trigger our hair to be extremely dry, brittle and frizzy. Thus, this makes it extremely necessary for us to deeply condition them and to nurture them with proper nutrition and hydration.

Using Wrong Products

Most of us use the products that are already lying in your house irrespective of the hair texture, type of scalp, hair concerns and hair needs. This is the most common practice and is very unhealthy. People must ensure and use products that suit their hair and scalp while fulfilling their shortfalls.

Missing out on Hair Protection

It is very important to protect your tresses. One must always use a heat

protecting spray on the hair before using the heat and styling tools. It is essential to cover your hair before stepping out of the house in summers to prevent the direct contact of hair from the sun.

Washing the Hair too often

It is fine to wash your hair twice or thrice in a week but washing your hair more than that can be a concern. Our hair are at their weakest when they are wet and are prone to greater breakage.

Therefore, we must restrict the number of hair washes to prevent breakage.

Using Products Wrongly

follow If you are travelling and decide to wash your hair, you should do it one day before.

Always wear hair accessories, so that your hair is not exposed to all the dirt and dryness that can damage your hair.

It is very essential to know the purpose of buying a hair product. Most of us use products wrongly. The Shampoo is for cleansing the hair thus, it must be used on the scalp to ensure that both hair and scalp are thoroughly cleansed. Whereas the conditioner is used for conditioning and taming the hair thus, it must be used on the hair ends.

These are a few tips that most of the people go wrong with. Imbibe these to get ready for your vacation with frizzfree and super manageable hair.

About the Author

Dr. Nivedita Dadu, Dermatologist and Founder, Dr. Nivedita Dadu’s Dermatology Clinic.

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November 2019

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