NEWS IN BRIEF

Kerala gets ‘Hall of Fame’ at National Tourism Awards

News Desk

Kerala was accorded the prestigious ‘Hall of Fame’ status for being the Best State in the category of ‘Comprehensive Development of Tourism’ for the fourth consecutive year at the National Tourism Awards 2018-19. Kozhikode’s District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) was adjudged the best in the category. The awards were presented by VicePresident Jagdeep Dhankar at an impressive function at Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi. Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy presided over the function. Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) Managing Director, V Vigneshwari received the awards on behalf of Kerala Tourism. The Hall of Fame status is given to a state/UT or an organisation, which has won the National Tourism Award in a particular category for the last three consecutive years and also wins it for the fourth time in the same category. However, the winner of this status is not eligible to apply for the same category for the next three years.

PM dedicates first phase of Mahakal Lok project to nation

News Desk

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated First Phase of the Mahakal Lok project to the nation at Shri Mahakal Lok in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh on October 11th. Phase I of the Mahakal Lok project will help in enriching the experience of pilgrims visiting the temple by providing them with world-class modern amenities. The project aims to decongest the entire area and also put special emphasis on the conservation and restoration of heritage structures. Under the project, the temple precinct will be expanded nearly seven times. The total cost of the entire project is around Rs 850 crores. The existing footfall of the temple, which is currently around 1.5 crore per annum, is expected to be doubled. The development of the project has been planned under two phases. The Mahakal Path contains 108 stambhs (pillars) which depict Anand Tandav Swaroop (Dance form) of Lord Shiva. Many religious sculptures depicting the life of Lord Shiva are installed along the Mahakal Path. The mural wall along the path is based on stories about the act of creation, the birth of Ganesha, story of Sati and Daksha among others from Shiva Purana. The area of plaza is spread over 2.5 hectares and is surrounded by a lotus pond which contains the statue of Shiva along with water fountains. The entire premise will be monitored 24x7 by Integrated Command and Control Centre with the help of artificial intelligence and surveillance cameras.

Luxury train ‘Palace on Wheels’ resumes operation

News Desk

The most renowned Luxury Tourist Train of Rajasthan Tourism ‘Palace on Wheels’ has resumed its operation almost after two years which was suspended in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic. The Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Ashok Gehlot flagged off the ‘Palace on Wheels’ at Gandhinagar Railway Station in Jaipur on October 08, 2022. Prior to its departure, the Chief Minister took stock of the facilities inside the train. He wished the passengers a happy journey and said it was a matter of pride for the government to re-operationalise the service. While speaking on the occasion, Ashok Gehlot said, “Royal train service has been enthralling tourists for the last 40 years and this is an example for the world. Its resumption indicates that tourism sector in the state is going to emerge stronger.” While elaborating on the initiative taken by the Gehlot Government to boost tourism sector the Chief Minister informed that his Government has accorded the ‘Industry’ status to the hospitality sector and that a sum of Rs 1,000 crore has been set aside in the 2022-23 budget. Under the joint aegis of the Railways and Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation (RTDC), modern furnishings and additional amenities have been included in the train.