Dehra Dun, Apr 29 (PTI) The portals of famous Himalayan shrine of Badrinath were reopened today amid snowfall, a day after Kedarnath was thrown open for Pilgrims. Amid blowing of conches and chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, the chief priest of Badrinath shrine opened the doors of the shrine at 04:00 hrs this morning. During the opening ceremony of the shrine, situated at a height of 3,133 meter in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, hundreds of devotees, including industrialist Anil Ambani and corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, were present outside the sanctum sanctorum braving snowfall and chilly winds. Badrinath and Kedarnath are among the four holy places visited by pilgrims during the ‘chaardham yatra’ in Uttarakhand. The two other places are Gangotri and Yamunotri. The chardhams nestling in dizzying heights of Garhwal Himalayas reopen for pilgrims in April-May every year after remaining closed for nearly six months during winters as the area remain snow-bound during the period.

Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/badrinath-shrine-reopens-for-pilgrims/992204.html

Odd Encounter

One of the early visitors to the Badrinath shrine in Uttarakhand, which was opened for pilgrims on Sunday, happened to be industrialist Anil Ambani. Incidentally, corporate lobbyist Niira Radia, whose telephone tapes led to the biggest political scandal in recent times, also happened to visit the shrine at the same time. Another VIP pilgrim, who was eye-witness to the chance encounter, saw the two exchange an uncomfortable glance and move on without saying anything to each other.

Food for Thought

The legal counsel for the Italian ship — detained by the Indian authorities after two of its marines on board allegedly gunned down two Indian fishermen — made an interesting argument before the Supreme Court to get the ship released. K K Venugopal said supplies on the ship were running short and tempers were running high amongst the crew. And apparently the shortage of supplies was due to the presence of the seven Kerala policemen on board. Venugopal claimed that the policemen were consuming 25 per cent of the food on the ship, leaving the crew little to eat for themselves.

Self before Service

Samajwadi Party MP Shailendra Kumar seemed to be speaking on behalf of many of his fellow parliamentarians when he proposed in the Lok Sabha on Monday that the flats in the Commonwealth Games Village, which are yet to find takers, be given to the MPs at the cost at which they were built. There was a loud thumping of desks by several MPs at this proposal. Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath, however, poured cold water on their hopes later in the evening, saying these flats were in the process of being auctioned in batches and could not be given to the MPs.

Spoken Threat

Trinamool Congress’s newly nominated Rajya Sabha member, senior Bengali journalist Kunal Ghosh, gave a taste of his aggressive pro-Mamata stance to his fellow RS member from CPM K N Balagopal on Monday. While delivering his maiden speech on the mass grave issue in Bengal, Ghosh was continuously interrupted by Balagopal who, along with other Left members, were seen taking exception to Ghosh’s speech. As a comeback, Ghosh cautioned that if Balagopal continued to disturb him in his maiden address, he would make sure that Balagopal is unable to speak through the next six years. Much to the amusement of the House, Ghosh was then able to complete his speech without much further interruptions.

Statistical Probability

The Chief Statistician of India T C A Anant — who also happens to be Secretary to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation — had decided not to move into his government accommodation at Moti Bagh after his appointment had been set aside by the Central Administrative Tribunal in October last year, within months of his taking over. However, with the government’s appeal still pending in High Court — the next date of hearing is said to be in October — Anant, who continues to be in office in the meanwhile, finally moved into the house recently. Incidentally, the grapevine has it that Anant, a highly-respected economist, is a strong contender for the post of the Chief Economic Advisor once incumbent Kaushik Basu’s term comes to an end in a few months time.

Dehra Dun: The portals of famous Himalayan shrine of Badrinath were reopened today amid snowfall, a day after Kedarnath was thrown open for Pilgrims.

Amid blowing of conches and chanting of vedic hymns and shlokas, the chief priest of Badrinath shrine opened the doors of the shrine at 04:00 hrs this morning.

During the opening ceremony of the shrine, situated at a height of 3,133 meter in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, hundreds of devotees, including industrialist Anil Ambani and corporate lobbyist Nira Radia, were present outside the sanctum sanctorum braving snowfall and chilly winds.

Badrinath and Kedarnath are among the four holy places visited by pilgrims during the ‘chaardham yatra’ in Uttarakhand. The two other places are Gangotri and Yamunotri.

The chardhams nestling in dizzying heights of Garhwal Himalayas reopen for pilgrims in April-May every year after remaining closed for nearly six months during winters as the area remain snow-bound during the period.

PTI

Source: http://zeenews.india.com/news/uttarakhand/badrinath-shrine-reopens-for-pilgrims_772394.html

Maoist rebels frequently target India’s paramilitary police

Indian security forces and Maoist rebels have clashed in eastern Jharkhand state.

One soldier was killed and two policemen were injured in the battle in Latehar district, late on Thursday.

Police said it appeared that the rebels had dragged away the bodies of six militants they believe were killed, but no bodies were recovered.

Maoist rebels have carved out strongholds in a number of states in the north, east and centre of India.

Last month, a landmine explosion blamed on the rebels killed at least 15 policemen in the western state of Maharashtra.

‘Fierce gunfight’

Jharkhand police spokesperson Raj Kumar Mallik said the security forces fought the rebels in the Karamdih forest after receiving information about the presence of top commanders of the outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) in the area.

“The state police along with the federal paramilitary soldiers surrounded the area,” said Mr Mallik.

“Soon there was a burst of fire from the rebels. The security forces also retaliated. There was a fierce gunfight. We are sure that there have been many casualties among the rebels,” he said.

He said the rebels dragged away the bodies of six of their men, who appeared to have died in the fighting.

A senior police official in Latehar told the BBC that during a combing operation that followed the incident, blood stains were seen in the forest.

Main areas of Maoist operations

In the neighbouring state of Chhattisgarh, security forces said they had entered an area considered to be a rebel stronghold.

This is the first time that security forces have been able to enter Abujhmaad area in Narayanpur district, home to the local rebel headquarters, says the BBC’s Salman Ravi in Raipur, the capital of Chattisgarh.

But a spokesman for the rebels, Gudsa Usendi, told the BBC that the security forces had ransacked villages and arrested “innocent” villagers in the area in the name of carrying out an operation against the Maoists.

‘Red corridor’

India’s Maoist insurgency began in West Bengal state in the late 1960s and has become, according to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the country’s “greatest internal security challenge”.

The Maoists control large areas of several states in a “red corridor” stretching from the north-east to central India.

They say they are fighting for communist rule and greater rights for tribal people and the rural poor.

Big military and police offensives in recent years have pushed the rebels back to their forest strongholds and levels of violence have fallen. But hit-and-run attacks are still common, killing hundreds of people every year.

Twelve policemen were killed in a landmine attack on 21 January in eastern Jharkhand state and, in June 2010, 26 police were killed in an ambush in the central state of Chhattisgarh.

In the biggest Maoist attack on security forces, 75 policemen and one driver were killed in April 2010 when the rebels ambushed a large group of paramilitary police returning from a patrol in the dense jungle of Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17635613

A doctor couple has been arrested in New Delhi for locking up and mistreating their 13-year-old maid. Existing laws against employing young children are often flouted in India.

Wednesday, April 4th 2012, 06:26 PM

Bethesda, MD — The Certified Wedding Planners at JW Marriott, Renaissance, and Marriott Hotels & Resorts plan thousands of weddings each year. These men and women are on the front lines of the wedding planning business and have identified some noticeable trends with regard to destination weddings. Most of the planners agree that one of the most notable trends is the addition of “afterglow parties” following the reception which are usually held in a different space and enable guests to party long after the reception is over.

Nedra Peterson, Senior Catering Sales Executive at The Lodge at Sonoma, a Renaissance Resort & Spa, notes that destination weddings tend to be smaller and more intimate, with about 50 to 70 guests total. “We are finding that the typical destination wedding client is often a couple who has a connection to the destination and who want to incorporate that into the story of their wedding.” Ms. Peterson notes that destination weddings often include the bride and groom’s thoughtfully arranged itinerary so that friends and family get to really experience the area with tours, biking, golf, etc. Typical destination wedding events include welcome receptions on the day of arrival, afterglow parties with drinks and snacks following the wedding, and a post-wedding brunch so that all guests can gather together one last time before departure.

Joe Ibarra, the Wedding Event Manager at the JW Marriott Ihilani Resort & Spa in Oahu notes a marked increase in Indian and Korean weddings as well as commitment ceremonies. “‘We are also seeing an increase in ‘afterglow parties’ to extend the socializing phase of the event,” notes Mr. Ibarra.

Tracy Flanagan of A Dream Wedding; Maui Style LLC who works at the Wailea Beach Marriott Resort & Spa notes that “The wedding itself becomes the ‘icing on the cake’ and the highlight of everyone’s trip, but it’s also about the fun activities they do as a group (e.g., whale watching, snorkeling, ziplining, golfing, etc.) that create those special memories that everyone is talking about for years to come.” Ms. Flanagan adds that couples who are shopping their destination wedding dollars are much more sophisticated and savvy these days with regard to what they are looking for and what they expect and they have also done a significant amount of research beforehand to educate themselves.

Amber Palmer, Senior Catering Sales Executive at the Coronado Island Marriott Resort & Spa sees an increase in more driveable destination weddings. “For our location in San Diego, we are seeing weddings from Los Angeles, Orange County, and even Arizona. We are close enough for their guests to drive, but yet they can still experience an island ambiance that makes attendees feel like they are on a tropical vacation.” Ms. Palmer notes that more and more couples are also opting for outdoor receptions versus in an indoor ballroom and afterglow parties that enable dancing, late night snacks, and drinks well into the wee hours of the morning.

Natalie Hall, Senior Catering Sales Executive at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa notes a significant increase in weddings booked on days other than a Saturday. “Many brides are selecting a Friday, Sunday, and in some cases even a Thursday to reduce overall costs. Also heavy reception stations (action, carving, sushi) are becoming more popular versus your standard sit-down dinner.” She also notes that 90% of the weddings held at the resort involve a non-denominational wedding in an outdoor setting as today’s bride wants something truly unique.

Alexis Castle, Catering & Events Manager at the Hutchinson Island Marriott in Florida, notes that a high percentage of today’s engaged couples are paying for all or most of their wedding reception and related expenses and therefore want the biggest bang for their buck. “One of the first things they will do away with is an open bar in favor of a cash bar. With 100 guests, that’s an estimated savings of $4,000.” She also notes that couples are choosing domestic locations that offer the “feel” of a destination weding without the expense of travel to another country. Ms. Castle adds that “second or third timers — regardless of age — typically want a less formal affiar and will host a brunch buffet or cocktail party with stations as opposed to butlered hors d’ouevres or a sit down dinner.”

Engaged couples who are looking for a great value on a destination wedding, should consider the Vow to Get Away at Marriott promotion, where they can earn up to 150,000 Marriott Rewards ® points – enough for a free honeymoon. Participating hotels include JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance Hotels in the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Florida, Hawaii, Arizona and California. For more information, visit www.marriott.com/vowtogetaway.