posted by Compuparv at
11:00 PM
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posted by Compuparv at
7:49 PM
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posted by Compuparv at
7:45 PM
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posted by Compuparv at
2:50 PM
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5:42 PM
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posted by Compuparv at
12:57 AM
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The pursuit of beauty through alteration of physical appearance is a growing trend especially in the west. But given the exhorbitant cost of cosmetic surgery there, the search for cheaper options is landing them at Indian shores, where doctors are offering the best quality facelifts at lower costs.
And all this makes sense for 46 million Americans who don't have insurance. A population based study in the US has shown that many Americans are dissatisfied with their physical appearance. In UK too, a study found that "concern about physical appearance is widespread among the general population and does not vary markedly by socio-economic status or standard of living."
The demand for cosmetic surgery is growing rapidly across most Western countries fuelled by increased societal perceptions of the ideal body image but as a result the rates there too have increased, says Dr Rashmi Taneja, a cosmetic surgeon at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital here. Liposuction, nose reshaping, breast augmentation, eyelid surgery and tummy tuck are the most common procedures for which these foreigners come here, she notes.
The procedures generally cost one-fifth of what they do in the United States, says Dr Ajay Kashyap, a cosmetic surgeon with Apollo Hospital, who has since last October done nearly 100 such procedures.
posted by Compuparv at
11:43 PM
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1 comments
Tea tourism is high on the West Bengal governments radar. It intends to upgrade accommodation, construct log-cabins, renovate heritage bungalows and undertake landscaping to give a boost to this sector. While the state is seeking funds from the central government state tourism minister Manab Mukherjee has asked Ambika Soni for Rs 8 crore for a tea tourism package it has received a host of proposals from the tea-estate owners, says Mukherjee.
Some tea-estate owners have already got tea tourism off ground. Among these are Rajah Banerjee of Makaibari Tea Estate, the Chamarias of Phaskowa and Anshuman Prakash of Glenburn Tea Estate. Glenburn, which was opened to tourists around three years ago, is a exclusive boutique hotel where guests put up at the Burra Bungalow, or the Glenburn Lodge on the banks of the Rangit. At Rs 8,000-10,000 per person per night, it is very high-end, and as much as 80 per cent of the clientele comprises foreigners. In Dibrugarh, Assam, the owners of Mancotta Tea Estate have taken a similar initiative to open up the heritage chang bungalow to visitors.
Tea-tourism at Makaibari, an initiative thats about a year old, is of a different kind. Visitors here have the choice to stay at the heritage Stone Lodge where the four suites have separate toilets and running hot-water, or they can stay in any of the 20-25 houses of tea-garden workers where they can be close to nature and the community.
Says Abhra Bhattacharjee of Help Tourism, which has been working with Banerjee to initiate tourism on Makaibari Tea Estate, The objective is to encourage tourism while also ensuring that the benefits reach the communities directly affected. In Makaibari, all activities are managed by locals through a group called Hum Tera, which stands for both we are for you and we 13.
posted by Compuparv at
3:25 PM
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4 comments
A country as large as the European continent and one of the world's oldest civilisation - INDIA. With a history that is forever alive. Wherever you are and whichever corner you turn, you find its myriad portrayals : ancient Hindu temples, Sikh gurudwaras, Muslim Mosques, Buddhist stupas, Mauryan pillars, Mughal forts, old palaces, colonial architecture, colourful life, multi languages, mouth watering food, ...
