Khajuraho: A splendid visitors' paradise :::: Centre to encourage more 'tourism fests' in NE on pattern of Hornbill

I started writing this blog or thinking about penning these few lines as I got ready for a flight. The journey is to Khajuraho, the well known tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh.

But tourism is more often related to history and geography. At times history makes me wonder at the genius of the likes of Dominique Lapierre. He had enthralled us all with his typical anecdotes - and most of it from India's past.

Emulating Nagaland's much popular 'Hornbill Festival

Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh) : Taking Nagaland's much popular 'Hornbill Festival' as a cue, the Government of India is set to encourage similar local tourism bonanza in all other northeastern states, Secretary Union Tourism, Arvind Singh has said here.

Poster at display at Khajuraho Meet

"On the issue of festivals to attract tourists in northeastern states, we have a good suggestion. Like we have Hornbill Festival in Nagaland, we can encourage more such local state level festivals," Singh told reporters here on the sidelines of two-day long 'Meet in India' tourism conference held here on March 25 and 26. 

"We will take up this matter with stakeholders," he said. 

The Government of India is seriously striving to revive tourism especially post-Covid as the hospitality industry is also game changer in more ways than one.

Steps are also being taken to augment training programmes for youths from northeastern states to help them get employment in private sector in tourism industry.

Obviously, tourism can also provide jobs, help earn revenue and of course it can also deal with challenges posed by insurgency and related matters. 

Northeast of India as a bloc was last to be affected and first to recover from the affects of pandemic and hence officials say 

it would make a lot of sense to boost both domestic and international tourism in that region.

"First of all we are trying to convey the impression that it is safe to travel  (in the context of Covid19) to northeast. Our campaigns under webinar series and Dekho Apna Desh is aimed at showing that there is improvement in connectivity. Better rail and air connectivity will also happen," he said. 

Lot many north east tourism projects have been funded by the centre under Swadesh Darshan and Prashad schemes. 

The Golf Course in Mizoram capital Aizawl is an excellent example, the Secretary said.

To a question that true potentials of northeast tourism have not been exploited yet, he said, "As I said, slowly by word of mouth only things will improve. Improvement of infrastructures and improvement of connectivity are two things which will attract more people."

Moreover, he said there will be higher allocation for northeast in days to come.

He cited the instance of Arunachal Pradesh wherein for some spots, even private planes have landed with visitors.

"Why this is happening?  One, there is publicity, people know about the spot near Tawang. Secondly they know there is connectivity and people know they can land there," he said.

Ends (Nagaland Page, Dimapur) 

A glimpse of Hornbill Fest

Some snaps from Khajuraho: Nothing erotic about it !! A splendid visitors' paradise

Past is always accompanied with prejudices. It is more so when it comes to Hindu relics and history and Islamic sultanate was bent upon destroying the temples. The name Khajuraho would lead one to talk about Kama Sutra and offensive pornographic carvings. The truth is hardly 7-10 per cent of carvings would be erotic but visitors - from two tourism loving states West Bengal and Gujarat - seldom visit the place.

There were perhaps 85 temples in the region until the 12th century. Many temples were destroyed during the 13th century. Subsequently only 25 temples are still around now. But Khajuraho offers unique tourism atmosphere with lot many other things in and around the place. Konark Sun temple has some carvings but somehow the taboo is more with Khajuraho.

I started writing this blog or thinking about penning these few lines as I got ready for a flight. The journey is to Khajuraho, the well known tourist destination in Madhya Pradesh.

Wikipedia says, Khajuraho is a city of Group of Monuments and a hub with Hindu and Jain temples in Chhatarpur district. 

To start with, my memories go to January 30 of 2009. A cold Delhi evening no doubt, I was among a select audience. The celebrated writer Dominique Lapierre had enthralled us all with his typical anecdotes - and most of it from India's past. But he did not forget to remind the scribes and autograph hunters at the French embassy that Jan 30th 2009 was also the sixty first anniversary of Gandhiji's assassination.

Of course, Lapierre spoke in certain details about the past. The co-author of the magnificent 'Freedom at Midnight'recalled how Lt Colonel John Platt told Lapierre and Larry Collins how he (Colonel Platt) and his forces were given a farewellin 'Bombay'. "Whereon earth would be a sea shore where outgoing colonisers would be given a farewell with the poignant promise to meet again".

But as I keep thinking about past, history, life and future; I also remember an old Bengali song whose rough translation would mean - when we get to tomorrow, there would be another tomorrow! So true, but I am not sure whether the Bengali song got popular or not. All these took me to another wavelength or thought process. When we are to get to 'Tomorrow', there is a need to knockdown the 'yesterday'. True? But what would happen to something between yesterday and tomorrow?Hmmm, that's today, the present and hence the momentous moment.

History can be called celebration of 'present'; of course the historians should be in right tuning with the rulers !

At least the post-independent 'Indian history' strengthens my argument. Look at glorification of one dynasty. It suited all - perhaps including Lapierre. I still remember quizzing Lapierre - almost whispering as he signed his autograph on a book for me - "Sir, people say you glorified the colonisers". A senior colleague of mine - R C Rajamani had smiled.

Lapierre did not give up so easily, "Well, that's only a postmortem. But when we wrote the book and when it came out everyone said, history should be exactly written like the way we did".

I did not have any intention to argue. Memories, they rightly say, are like glasses - those grow fuzzier!

I pause for a while and then my journalistic instinct takes me back to the happening around West Bengal elections. Truly, it is mother of all elections and may be the state is waiting for a new Chief Minister.

Of course, politically speaking Mamata is still holding on to the ground. It is also true that she has grown nervous!So, when it comes to leadership qualities for a new would be Chief Minister, what will be few essentials?

Charm of a popular leader or Charishma, boldness, ruthlessness and decisiveness. All these need not be in that order of course! These traits might not be attractive in a friend or a relative; but they ought to be there in a leader especially one who is 'dreaming' to govern the state of West Bengal - which for 44 years has been under communists and 'super communists' Mamata's rule.