Nagpur: Gujarat Tourism hosted a promotional event in the city at a city hotel for its Saputara Monsoon Festival which is scheduled to be organised from August 16th to September 20,2015 in Saputara, Gujarat. Senior officials from Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL) were present at the event and interacted with tour operators & hoteliers present at the event.
Resident Manager, Mumbai Office of Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited Sanatan Pancholi introduced the festival through his presentation citing the rich cultural, wildlife/biodiversity heritage of Gujarat.
Sanatan Pancholi claimed that they are starting the promotional event from Nagpur and plan to go on to Pune, Nashik and other places in Maharashtra. He said that the Saputara Monsoon Festival is a month long event where variety of activities will be on offer for the tourists. Some of the events during this period would be Water games, adventure activities, laser show, photography exhibition, heritage walk, cultural evenings, food festival, contests, etc. The idea is that for the entire month, there should be some or other activity which will keep the tourists happily engaged.
Officials from TCGL also added, “Gujarat Tourism is investing heavily into the infrastructure of Saputara to develop this hill station into a major tourist destination”.
He claimed that this is an ideal tourist destination for the city citizens too since it is the border of Gujarat and Maharashtra. He claimed that the ideal would be a two days and three night’s package tour.
Marketing Manager of Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited M Pathan too elaborated about how each of the tourist places in Gujarat is exquisite and worth experiencing.
After the Power Point Presentations and videos of the tourist destinations promoted by their brand ambassador Amitabh Bachchan, a small dance was displayed by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited was shown to the media personnel.
About Saputara
At the Southern tip of Gujarat, folded into the densely wooded hills of the Sahayadris, in the picturesque Dang district lies the abode of serpents- Saputara. This is a hill station that is still pretty much the way God made it. Hindu Mythology states that Lord Rama spent 11 years of his exile in these very forests. Saputara being situated in a forest area within the Sahyadri Ranges has never experienced extreme temperature variations and thus makes it an ideal getaway for the sun-scorched souls of the plains. Gujarat Tourism plans to showcase this getaway monsoon destination to the nearby cities like Nagpur, Pune, Mumbai, Nasik in Maharashtra.
Other Upcoming Events by Gujarat Tourism:
The Tarnetar Fair (September 17 to 19, 2015)
Tarnetar Fair is held at the Temple of Shiva or Trinetreshwar (three-eyed god), popularly known as Tarnetar. Popular belief associates the village with the Swayamwar (marriage) of Draupadi after Arjun performed the Mastsyavedh, an unparalleled feat of archery. Villagers from all over the state, dressed in their brilliant traditional costumes and exquisite jewellery, flock to Tarnetar. A veritable feast for the eyes is the Rasada, the captivating folk dance performed by hundreds of women moving gracefully in a single circle, dancing gaily to the accompaniment of four drums and jodja pava (double flutes). Folk music and folk dances like Hudo, Ras and Garba played by the Kodi and Maldhari dancers is the major Attraction of the fair. Tribal folks dressed in their typical, embroidered garments, perfectly dance to the tune of the drumbeats, which further raises the spirit of the religious fair. The Tarnetar Mela covers a large part of the Tarnetar village with a huge number of stalls put up selling beautiful local handicrafts unavailable elsewhere along with ethnic jewellery, statues of deities and traditional mirror work attires.
Navratri Festival (October 13, 2015 to October 21, 2015)
Navratri meaning ‘nine nights’, is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Hindu festivals in many parts of India. Gujarat, however, is the only state that erupts into a nine- night dance festival, perhaps the longest in the world. Each night, all over the state, villages and cities alike, people gather in open spaces to celebrate feminine divinity, referred to as Shakti. After the puja begins the music; it is unmistakable to those who are familiar with the style and irresistible to many. People begin to dance in a circle, whirling away till late into the night. It is not uncommon to find dancers with swords or lit flames and other spectacles. The sight of people decked in their best, and the intense zest and festive spirit is such that one cannot forget it easily.
Overview on tourism in Gujarat State
Gujarat has immense potential to become a major tourist destination. The gross flow during the year 2013-14 was 287.88 lacs which is 13.30% higher than flow in 2012-13 ( 254.06 lacs). Recently Rani-Ki-Vav has been declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Government has put emphasis on event based tourism for attracting tourists to Gujarat. Navratri Festival, International Kite Festival, Rann Utsav and Tarnetar Fair is organised every year as a part of event based tourism.
