Sunday, May 18, 2008

Passage through India

By Sanath Weerasuriya

Holiday in Luxury', a popular outbound travel agent specialized in Indian destinations, is now offering three new tours to nature and adventure lovers in Sri Lanka. Gir National Park Tour, Delhi- Shimla- Manali Tour and religious tour to Velankanni are new on cards for 'Holiday in Luxury'.

Five nights - six days Gir National Park Tour covers Gir National Park safaris, Tribal Village Visit and few city tours. Gir is the only home in India for the Asiatic Lion of which there are nearly 300 in the park. The Gir National Park lies in the Gujarat peninsula in South-Western India. Within the sanctuary, there are numerous human settlements of cattle herders called Maldharis with an estimated 20,000 head of livestock (which, incidentally, forms a significant part of the Lion's diet).

There are also places of Hindu worship and pilgrimage and sulphur springs at Tulsi Shyam and Kankai Mata. The edges of the park have good population of Indian Gazelle, protected by religious sentiments of the local people.

Six nights / seven days Delhi- Shimla- Manali Tour mainly covers adventure sports and activities. Situated in the north-west Himalayas, Shimla is the capital of Himachal Pradesh.

Spread across 12 kms along a ridge that overlooks terraced hillsides and cultivations, Shimla is magnificently robed in dense forests of oak and pine, fur and rhododendron, and it is best to travel here on the slow train from Kalka. Shimla also is a convenient base for variety of adventure sports such as Skiing, Trekking, Fishing and Golfing.

'The tour to Velankanni is one of the most popular tour of India' said Ananda Cooray, the proprietor of 'Holiday in Luxury'. The main Velankanni Basilica is the white storied architecture and the most beautiful sight of all. Neatly paved stones surrounded the entire basilica.

The whole place was kept sparkling clean radiating rays of hope and piety. This was with the help of more than two hundred and twenty-five workers. The Shrine Basilica had three churches - the Main Church, Annex Basilica and the side Church. In addition there was the Chapel at the Lady's Tank

Source: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/080518/TV/tv-times00009.html

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