BeypOre- De "UrU yard"

This historic port is about 10 kms from Kozhikode, at the port of Chaliyar River. Beypore was formerly known as VAYIPURA and VADAPARANPANADU. Tippu Sulthan named the town as “SULTHAN PATTANAM”. Beypore was once a globally renowned port for spice trade. Even though Beypore has lost much of its glory its still a lively fishing harbor.

Beypore for centuries (almost 1500 years) known as ship builders center is still famous for its country crafts called “URU” built by traditional ship builders known as “KHALASIS”. It is said that during centaury A.D., the CHERAMAN PERUMAL the then ruler of Kodungallur, Kerala had constructed ship from Beypore for his quest to Arabia.

Beypore is just 20 minutes drive from Kozhikode city. There is regular service to Lakshwadeep Islands from Beypore. One-hour boat ride through the Chaliyar River is conducted daily after 2.30pm by the district tourism promotion council.

Apple of Londoner's eyes-London Eye

Did you ever want to see Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, West Minister Abbey, Charing cross station, Cleopatra’s needle, Royal festival hall, Lambeth palace in 15 minutes?? Then BA London Eye, is the one for you. In just 30 minutes, have a eagle-eyed view of all “must see” places in town. The places mentioned above can be seen when the wheel ascends and when you come down slowly in the transparent capsules, soak in the magnificence of St James' Park and Buckingham Palace, Trafalgar Square, Covent Garden, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, the Millennium Dome and the Thames Barrier.

LOCATION
British Airways London Eye, formerly called as the Millennium wheel, is situated on South Bank of Thames River on the Jubilee gardens. It is situated between Westminster Bridge and Hunger ford Foot Bridge in Lambeth and adjacent to Old County Building. It stands opposite to Houses of parliament. The nearest train station is waterloo. If you fancy London’s underground rail network, Waterloo and Westminster are the nearest tube stations. Former is colored black in Tube maps as it is in Northern lines and latter in yellow color, code for Circle lines. Another good alternative would be to travel by Thames Clipper, water “bus” service providers in Thames River. They have a special package called London Eye to Tower of London express, which is currently suspended due to winter.

VISITING TIME
It is open to public daily, from June to September from 9 am to 10 pm and from 10 am to 8pm during the winter season of October to May. It is closed on Christmas and for maintenance from 3rd to 8th January 2006. The booking counter normally opens at 9:30am.


COST
It is advisable to book the tickets in advance to avoid the never-ending queues at the site especially during weekends. Children under five and disabled carers can enjoy the ride free of cost. For 2006, the tickets will cost £4.5 for Children between 5-15, £11.70 for those between 15 and 60 years. Seniors in 60+ category and disabled people can ride for £9.An entire capsule for 25 people can be booked for £380 and an additional £50 for a host. Bookings and enquiry can be done through + 44 (0) 870 5000 600.

HISTORY
It started with a vision of Architect couple David Marks and Julia Barfields, who had competed for millennium ideas contest conducted by Sunday Times, a British newspaper in 1993 to welcome year 2000 splendidly. Regrettably, the contest was scrapped, but the couple persisted with their dream project by forming a company for this undertaking, eventually grabbing the attention of Evening Standard, another British newspaper. British Airways after noticing this widely publicized article agreed to fund, foreseeing the vital contribution of this project to London’s skyline and it tourism, giving a spectacular view of this fascinating city that was otherwise not visible to the Londoners.

AN ENGINEERING FEAT
The entire construction resembles a gargantuan cycle wheel, albeit 200 times the normal cycle wheel with a whopping diameter of 135m(443 ft) and weighing 1700 tonnes of steel and 2000 tonnes at the foundation reaching almost 30m deep! It is the largest observation wheel built so far, making even Statue of Liberty ,Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, look up to it. It is the 4th highest structure (6th if you consider Canary’s three towers) in London. The Canary Towers, BT tower and Tower 42 are the higher three.
Spindles connected to an A-frame structure from one side in South Bank Center support the giant rim. Thirty Two Double curved laminated glass cubicles which can accommodate up to 25 people/cubicle, is mounted on top of the wheel, to give a unhindered view of the city. Each capsule is air-conditioned and has a Closed circuit Tele Vision (CCTV), radio and audio system which actually says “British Airways hopes you enjoy your flight”, a backup battery and computer in case of power failure. The wheel takes about 26 minutes for a revolution. With wheels moving at almost 0.26m per second you can actually step down at the base safely even without stopping the wheel, though it is occasionally stopped for elderly or physically disabled persons.

This mammoth structure was designed in parts in various countries, later fully assembled on Thames bank and erected into a single structure and was slated to be erected in almost one day! The supporting cables from Italy, glass capsule from France, Steel fabrication in Holland, Bearings from Germany, and Spindles from Czech Republic gave this project a truly European flavor. One of the world’s largest floating cranes were roped in during construction to move the massive parts of the rim onto eight temporary platforms built in Thames river and delivery of the material from different parts of the world had to be coordinated with tides of the Thames river to snake their way through innumerable bridges along the way. With sheer dedication of 1700 workers, this structure was realized in 16 months, just in time to welcome the millennium. Prime minister Tony Blair, inaugurated it on December 31st 1999 and a minor safety concern regarding clutching delayed its opening to public, which finally happened 3 months behind the schedule in March 2000.

ACCOLADES
Within a short span of five years, this £75 million beauty has captured the imagination of young and old alike. It is undeniably one of the major tourist attractions in Europe, carrying almost 15000 people a day and more than 18 million people have enjoyed the joy ride so far. It has earned the distinction of being the most popular attraction in London after British Museum and Tate Modern Gallery. It has been projected in movies too,like Bride and Prejudice, Thunderbirds, A knight’s tale etc. The popular American magician David Blaine stood on top of a glass capsule for one full revolution for a TV series in August 2003.The makers of London eye have won several prestigious architectural awards and the monument itself has won honors in tourism category.

CURRENT ISSUES
Recently it has been in the eye of the storm after South Bank Center, who own the land where the A-Frame and supporting masts are kept, have demanded a 1500 times rental increase from present £65,000 to £1 million. If a suitable settlement is not reached, the wheel might be forced to close down. The wheel is impossible to miss in the skyline, hence a soft target for protestors ranging from those against UN economic sanctions against Iraq, Spanish Environmental activist to Kurd and Turkish protestors against Prison riots in Turkey during December 2000. Despite these minor hiccups, the eye has enjoyed a smooth ride so far. Initially it was meant to be a temporary structure commissioned for 5 years. Its soaring popularity made authorities extend its permit for another two decades after which it has to be renewed again.

THINGS TO REMEMBER
To fully enjoy the panoramic view, which can extend up to 25-miles on a clear day, make sure you carry a binocular with you. Else it can be hired there for a nominal charge The official booklet “Essential Guide”, which costs around, £5 is highly recommended since it explains which building you are looking at during each stage of the ride with the help of fantastic illustrations. It also includes comprehensive coverage of the design, structure, engineering, awards and other achievements of the wheel. An equally good alternative would be a good guidebook about London. To help you out with your queries, there will be a staff member in every capsule who can also help out in case of any unlikely emergency situation.
Till date, the wheel is operated by Tussauds group and primarily financed by British Airways. So next time you visit London be sure not to miss this enthralling “flight” at any cost.

"PANDI-VADYAKKAR"

Oh.. its wonderful... yelled my little sister. I came out anxiously. There they are, two guys producing some very interesting music. It was "PANDI - VADYAKKAR" (Those people from South India who travel from place to place playing their musical instruments )

These two guys dressed in traditional dress were from Palakkad District of KERALA (Southern most state in peninsular India) As you can see in the photo, two of them are playing two totally different musical instruments - "NAGASWARAM" and "THAKIL" .

NAGASWARAM" is also known as "NADASWARAM" (see the pic below). It is a long tube like air musical instrument popular in South India, usually use for traditinal weddings and "KACHERIES" (Music shows of South India, traditional ones). Really do sound great (just listen to the clipping that i have attached)

Now coming to the other instrument, as seen in pic below it is played using sticks. "THAKIL" looks like a drum in structure which is usually hanged from neck and played by beating on the drum surface using two sticks. Generally this instrument is used to give background score for "NAGASWARAM"

Now lemme tell something about these people- the "PANDI-VADYAKKAR". These people goes from place to place, playing their music and earning for their livelyhood from the money they get as "REWARD". I bet whome so ever who get the rare chance to listen this will definitly pay them well just because of the warmth and richness of their pure and soft music. Its very natural kind of notes they play- truly wonderful......

Its really hard to express it in these little words. Experince it to feel the difference. Do EXCUSE for poor quality of the photos.

Follow dis link to hear Pandi vadhyam..

Snake Man

This pic was taken from a place called Sailasree vihar, Bhubhaneshwar, Orissa.

Snake MAnn!!!

If the name sounds interesting to you then the performance done by the snake man together with his sets of snakes will take your breath away. The guy in the pic has a flute like thing using which he makes the snakes to perform a so called "snake dance". Its very much interesting and one should be relly lucky to see such a performance these days..

Busy KOlkata -- KOlkata - West Bengal - India

Kolkata formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal and was capital of British India until 1912 .More than 300 years ago, Job Charnock, an English tradesman set up a trading post on the banks of the Ganga along the three-village nucleus. Gradually Europeans started setting up business and trade establishments . A grip which loosened only 250 years later when power was transferred from the British Empire to the Indians.Calcutta has grown, remains a city of contrasts, a mix-up of light and shade.

Climate
Kolkata has a subtropical climate, with summer monsoons. The annual mean temperature is 26.8 °C and monthly mean temperatures range from 20°C to 31°C and maximum temperatures in Kolkata often exceed 40°C during May-June.The lowest temperature hovers around 12°C - 14°C in the winter months of December and January.Winter is short- lasting - about 2 and a half months.

Places to visit

Victoria Memorial
The Victoria Memorial, located in Kolkata is a memorial of Queen Victoria of the United who also carried the title of Empress of India .The structure was designed by Sir William Emerson in an architectural style similar to Taj Mahal . It was built between 1906 and 1921. It is a majestic white marble building surrounded by a sprawling garden.

Indian Museum
The Indian Museum is a multi-disciplinary institution of national standing and is one of oldest museums in the world. This was the first museum of its kind in Asia. It exhibits among others: an Egyptian mummy, the Buddhist stupa , the Buddha' ashes, the Ashoka pillar, fossils, skeletons, mummies, Mughal paintings etc.

Marble Palace
Marble Palace is in North Kolkata and is still residence to a family. The entrance is free, but a ticket must be purchased in South Kolkata .

Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge, also known as the Rabindra Setu, is a bridge over the Hoogli River .The bridge was built between 1937 and 1943 to replace a bridge from 1874 ,and is said to be the busiest bridge in the world. It is 97 metres high and 705 metres long .


Other places
The Maidan , Indian Botanical Garden ,Central Park ,Rabindra Sarobar , and Millennium Park are some of the large parks. The Esplanade adjacent to the Maidan is an inland esplanade .
Dakshineswar Kali Temple ,Kalighat , Birla Temple, Belur Math , Tipu Sultan Mosque , Nakhoda Masjid , St. Paul's Cathedral are some of the notable religious centers of the city.

KaRachI Magic, Karachi - Pakistan (visited: Feb 2006)

About Karachi:

Karachi is the largest and the most populous city of Pakistan. It has an interesting and colorful combination of the old and new. The narrow twisting lanes and alleys of the old city throb with life alongside wide metalled road and elegant modern building. Within the city, talented artisans with age old produce handicrafts of exquisite beauty. Karachi offers a wide variety of pleasant attractions, wide sunny beaches, deep-sea fishing, yachting, golf and horse racing all year round. Its restaurants cater to a wide choice of Pakistani and western cuisines. Its markets and bazaars offer an endless variety of exciting shopping, including indigenous handicrafts. Particularly rugs and carpets of rare designs and beauty.

Jinnah Mausoleum

The white marble mausoleum with its curved Moorish arches and copper grills resets on an elevated 54 sq. meters platform. The cool inner sanctum reflects the green of a four-tiered crystal chandelier gifted by peoples Republic of China. This mausoleum is a prominent and impressive landmark of Karachi. Near by are the graves of Liaqat Ali Khan, the first prime minister of Pakistan and the Quaid’s sister, Mohtarma Fatima Jinna.

CLIFTON BEACH

Close to the popular seaside of the city is Clifton beach where Karachiites flocks on weekends and holidays. Scattered along the shore are numerous stalls selling handicrafts made from seashells. Clifton has an amusement park with a bowling alley and an aquarium.

FOOD

Pakistani cuisine is based on curry or masala (hot and spicy) sauces accompanying chicken, lamb, shrimps and a wide choice of vegetables. Specialties include brain masala, biryani (seasoned rice with mutton, chicken and yogurt), pilao (similar but less spicy) and sag gosht (spinach and lamb curry).. Western and Chinese foods are also widely available. One can try out the food from BARBE QUE, COPPER and KETTLE and USMANIA restaurant.

SHOPPING

Shopping in Karachi is a delight. There is the SARAFA BAZAAR, a typical oriental market in the city’s old quarter, which is the main market for gold and silver. Among the various colorful shopping areas offering a wide variety of local goods is the ZAINAB MARKET where cotton dresses and handicrafts are available. Shops in the Saddar Co-operative market have a wide collection of handicrafts made from wood and brass. Then there is the FORUM shopping mall. This one is a little expensive place with most of the International brands in. Next to it is the AASHIANA shopping bazaar. Here one can find wide variety of Pakistani Salwars (Traditional Pakistan dress). Do recommend shopping out there. Since prices are not fixed, bargaining is advised. Leather goods and ready made clothes usually have fixed prices but sell at a fraction of what they would cost overseas.

Sun Temple - Konark- Orissa- India

LOCATION: Konark is situated at comfortable distance from the famous religious and tourist centre of Puri (35 K.M.) and the capital city of Orissa, Bhubaneswar (65 K.M.)The nearest airport is Bhubaneswar. The nearest rail station is Puri.
Sun temple has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

History: Sun temple is probably constructed by Narashimhadev I in the mid-13th century. Konark was one of the earliest centres of Sun worshipping in India. It is also called as "Black Pagoda" to distinguish it from the "White temple"-the Jagannath Temple at Puri (a near by famous temple)

The Sun Temple:

Black Pagoda" is well known for its architectural magnificence with images of animals, foliage, men, warriors on horses and other interesting patterns. The entire temple has been conceived as a chariot of the sun god with 24 wheels, each about 10 feet in diameter. Seven horses drag the chariot with four horses in the left and three in the right.

The base part of the Chariot(Temple) is divided into 3 parts with estonishing piece of carvings.. the lowest section consists of images of horses, animals, dolls etc ... this section is meant for children. The middle section is fot the teen and young generation of people wid erotic type of carvings .. And finally the Upper part having sculptures of Gods and Goddesses is dedicated for the older people...

According to legend , Samba,son of Lord Krishna was cursed by Krishna with leprosy for entering the bathing chamber of Krishna´s wifes. It was decreed that he would be relieved of the curse by worshipping the sun God on the sea coast north east of Puri.

The Black Pagoda doesnot exist in its full structure now. According to the local people there, the temple once had a huge and strong magnet on top of the central structure which disturbed the navigation of the foreign ships sailing towards Calcutta. This made the sailors to destroy it. Because of that the inside part of the temple is totally damaged but still this is a place worth seeing