Crammed with hectic schedule and monotonous work pressure we sometimes yearn to find a rejuvenating escape. Throttled with piles of work load, we long for blue canopy overhead, sedate corner to relax and spending quality time with family members and friends. There are so many destinations around the globe but if you like to take a stroll along a sea beach or to soak in glittering moonlight and enjoy gorging on sea foods, Gopalpur may be the ideal destination for you. Being nestled in the state of Orissa, Gopalpur has a rich heritage to boast of. Dating back to pre-independence era, this wealthy town was one of the prominent sea ports involved in trading of silk and pearl with well-known ports like Sumatra, Java, Bali. This erstwhile trading centre has now transformed into a quaint tourist spot. The place got its name from a temple built in the 18th century in the honor of lord Gopal (Krishna). Gopalpur sea beach stretches over miles after mile. Dotted with coconut trees and casuarinas the place offers a picturesque natural beauty that will enthrall you. Several sand dunes of small and medium sizes are littered all over the golden sea beach. You may like to lounge about on the serene beach, listen to soft whisper of waves from a distance and feast your eyes on raging waves thrashing against the sea beach and softly kissing your feet. At night, the place becomes more beautiful. Surging waves scintillating like silver in full moon night presents a mind boggling scenic beauty that will be encased in your memory forever. Never miss out the opportunity of gorging on sea foods while enjoying the striking beauty of this charming sea town. For both amateur and professional photographers, this spot is worth getting pride of place into their reels as well as hearts.

Fondly referred to as ‘God’s own country’, landscape of Kerala is imbued with palettes of enchanting hues. Located in western tip of India, this beautiful place is cuddled with surging waves of Arabian Sea. Serenity of the place gives you relief from tight schedules and commotion of city lives.

Kerala offers breathtakingly picturesque tourist spots, each of which is two or three hours from here. Backwaters and lagoons weave through almost entire part of Kerala. Stretches of exotic beaches are always bustling with activities of tourists from home and abroad.

You can explore some beautiful places like Cochin and Trivandrum which are not far away from here. If you are a wildlife lover then Periyar sanctuary is a place you must drop a visit to. This is an exotic destination for ornithologists as well as ordinary tourists. Taking a tour of this place will surely mesmerize and exhilarate you.

Along with the tapestry of tranquil natural beauty dotted with line of coconut trees, Kerala is enriched with strong flavor of cultural heritage. Enchanting classical dance, scrumptious cuisine, colorful festivals await travelers with a welcoming message. You may drench yourself in revelries of thrilling and exciting rowing competition that is one of the main attractions of Kerala.

Busy schedule may have taken a toll upon your health. Rejuvenation therapy of Ayurved for which Kerala is famous, will do a magic to your health and mind too. Going through this ancient form of treatment will shake you of your tiredness and surely be a memorable experience of your life.

Mandarmani is an off-beat destination for the tourists who want to explore the new destinations. It is still a virgin spot as it does not reverberate with the scurrying feet and prattling of horde of tourists. The serenity of the place makes you forget the commotion of city place and a perfect destination for health recovery.

Laying at 180 km. distance from Kolkata it is beckoning the tourists with its pristine beauty mingled with the sound of lashing waves. At a full moon light when you saunter along the moonlit sea beaches and get your feet kissed by the crushing waves it will be a perfect solace for your mind. The nighttime sea looks spangled with white tiny spots of surging waves all over. The sunrise and sunshine are always two special attractions on sea beach and Mandarmani is no exception to that. As the beach is still free from the hustle and bustle, so feasting your eyes on nature’s sublime beauty will be much easier. You can freeze these precious moments in your camera.

At the end point of beach where the sea meets the river, you can watch the crawling red crabs all over. The waddle of the fishermen with nets in their hands and the row of jhau trees along one side of the river on the background of the picturesque beauty will be locked in your mind’s eye for ever.

Ms. Madhu Dubey
INDIATOURISM GUWAHATI ( Assam ) Amrawati Path, Christian Basti
G.S. Road ,Guwahati-781 005, Assam
Tel : 0361-2341603, Fax:2341598
E-mail : indtour@sancharnet.in

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Das
INDIATOURISM IMPHAL (Manipur)
Old Lambulane, Jail Road ,
Imphal-795 001, Manipur
Tel/fax : 03852-221131

Mr. S.S. Dev Barman,
Manager
INDIATOURISM SHILLONG (Meghalaya)
Tirot Singh Sylem Road , Police Bazar
Shillong-793001, Meghalaya
Tel/fax : 0364-225632
E-mail : indtour@shillong.meg.nic.in

Officer- in -Charge
INDIATOURISM NAHARLAGUN (Arunachal Pradesh)
C-Sector, Barapani Police Point,
Naharlagun-791110,
Arunachal Pradesh
Tel : 0360-2244328

Sources: http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Mr. D. Subhash,
Regional Director
INDIATOURISM CHENNAI (Tamil Nadu)
154, Anna Salai,
Chennai-600002, Tamil Nadu
Tel : 044-2846 1459,2846 0285
Fax: 044-2846 0193
E-mail : indtour@dataone.in

Airport Domestic Counter: 044-2256 0386

Mr. T.W. Sudhakar,
INDIATOUTRISM BANGALORE (Karnataka)
KFC Building , 48 Church Street,
Bangalore-560 001, Karnataka
Tel: 080-2558-3030/ 2532-1683
Fax: 080-2558 5417
E-mail : indtour@kar.nic.in

Ms. Sushila Tigga,
Manager
INDIATOURISM HYDERABAD (Andhra Pradesh) Netaji Bhawan, II floor, Liberty Road , Himayat Nagar,
Hyderabad-500029, Andhra Pradesh
Tel : 040- 2326 1360 /3, 23260770
Fax : 040-2326 1362
E-mail : indtourhyd_hyd@dataone.in

Shri Ashok Sharma ,
Manager
INDIATOURISM KOCHI (Kerala)
Willingdon Island ,
Kochi-682009, Kerala
Telfax : 0484-2668352 / 266 9125
E-mail : indtourismkochi@sify.com

Sources: http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Ms. Sujata Thakur ,
Regional Director
INDIATOURISM MUMBAI (Maharastra) 123, M Karve Road, Opp.Churchgate,
Mumbai-400 020, Maharashtra
Tel : 022-2203 3144 /45,2207 4333 /4
Fax: 022-2201 4496
E-mail : indiatourism@vsnl.com
Airport Domestic Counter: 022-2615 6920
Airport International Counter:022-2832 5331

Mr. Hari Singh,
Manager
INDIATOURISM KHAJURAHO (Madhya Pradesh)
Near Western Group of Temples ,
Khajuraho-471 606, Madhya Pradesh
Tel : 07686-242347
Fax: 07686-242348
E-mail : goito@sancharnet.in

Mr. R. Pattanaik,
Manager
INDIATOURISM PANAJI ( Goa )
Communidade Building ,
Church Square , Panaji-403001, Goa
Tel : 0832-222 3412
Fax: 0832-564 1653 Email:indiatourismgoa@sancharnet.in

Dr. Ramakant Bhoir,
Manager
INDIATOURISM AURANGABAD ( Maharashtra )
‘Krishna Vilas’, Station Road,
Aurangabad-431 005, Maharashtra
Tel: 0240- 236 4999
Fax : 0240-233 1217
E-mail : indiatourism@sancharnet.in

Sources: http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Regional Director
INDIATOURISM KOLKATA ( West Bengal )
‘Embassy’, 4 Shakespeare Sarani
Kolkata-700 071, West Bengal
Tel : 033-2282 1402, 282 1475
Fax: 033-2282 3521
E-mail : indtour@cal2.vsnl.net.in
Airport Domestic Counter: 033-25118299
International Airport Counter: 033-25130495

Mr. G.C Bhuyan,
Manager
INDIATOURISM BHUBANESWAR (Orissa)
B/21, B.J.B Nagar,
Bhubaneswar-751 014, Orissa
Tel: 0674-2432203, 2435487 Fax: 2432203, Exnt. 23
E-mail: itobbs@ori.nic.in

Manager
INDIATOURISM PORT BLAIR (Andaman & Nicobar)
VIP Road , 189, IInd Floor,
Junglighat, PO . Port Blair- 744103
Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Tel : 03192-236348
Fax: 03192-233006
E-mail: indiatourism_pb@hotmail.com

Sources: http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Shri M. Sadana,
Regional Director
INDIATOURISM NEW DELHI
88 Janpath, New Delhi-110 001
Tel : 011-2332 0342, 2332 0005/8
Fax: 011-2332 0109
E-mail : goitodelhi@nic.in
Domestic Airport Counter
Tel : 011-2567 5296
Intl Airport Counter Tel : 011-2569 1171

Mr. Sanjay Srivats,
Director
INDIATOURISM JAIPUR (Rajasthan)
State Hotel, Khasa Kothi,
Jaipur-302 001, Rajasthan
Tel/fax : 0141-2372200
E-mail : indtourjpr@raj.nic.in

Mr. Sudhir Kumar,
Manager
INDIATOURISM AGRA (Uttar Pradesh)
191, The Mall Agra 282 001
Tel : 0562-2226378
Telefax : 0562-2226368
E-mail : goitoagr@sancharnet.in

Shri R.K. Bhatti,
Manager
INDIATOURISM VARANASI (Uttar Pradesh)
15-B, The Mall Varanasi 221002
Uttar Pradesh
Tel/Fax: 0542- 2501784
E-mail :indiatourvns@sify.com

Sources: http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Cultural
• Agra Fort
• Ajanta Caves (1983)
• Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi (1989)
• Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park (2004)
• Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) (2004)
• Churches and Convents of Goa (1986)
• Elephanta Caves (1987)
• Ellora Caves (1983)
• Fatehpur Sikri (1986)
• Great Living Chola Temples (1987)
• Group of Monuments at Hampi (1986)
• Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram (1984)
• Group of Monuments at Pattadakal (1987)
• Humayun’s Tomb, Delhi (1993)
• Khajuraho Group of Monuments (1986)
• Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya (2002)
• Mountain Railways of India (1999)
• Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi (1993)
• Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka (2003)
• Sun Temple, Konârak (1984)
• Taj Mahal (1983)

Natural

• Kaziranga National Park (1985)
• Keoladeo National Park (1985)
• Manas Wildlife Sanctuary (1985)
• Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks (1988)
• Sundarbans National Park (1987)

Source: http://www.incredibleindia.org/heritage/index.htm and http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/in

Poush mela is a big festival in Shantiniketan in West Bengal. It happens in end of December. This festival is full of folk songs, baul songs, theatres and group dance. During this time the air in Shantiniketan is filled with colors, soft musics. People from all over India and outside India come here to rediscover India

On the first day the festival begins with community prayer or Brahmopasana written by Maharshi and Rabindranath. This followed by Tagore songs. Next comes the famous folk songs of West Bengal along with boul songs.

On the second day the university arrange a award ceremony for students who have completed graduation. At the fair, the centre stage never quietens – more bauls and kirtan singers perform ; jatras and folk theatres are held.

On the second evening, there is a celebration of fireworks, thoroughly enjoyed by everyone

By the third day the number of tourist reach to near about ten thousand ; at night some areas are flooded with neon lights, while at other corners, you cannot even discern your own big toe. Irrespective of their urban or rural roots, children happily pick up brightly coloured wooden toys while their mothers select palm-leaf trinkets

Usually, the three days include Christmas Day and everyone joins in the Krishtotsav, observed by the ashramites. Besides, there are cultural events and memorial lecture.

Although real estate is booming, still the place is comfortably swathed in green and with not much auto mobile traffic (walking or cycling is the common mode of commuting), Shantiniketan offers a welcome weekend getaway, any time throughout the year and specially during its festive days.