MAHARAJA FESTIVAL at the Art Gallery of Ontario. Procession of Raja Ram Singh II of Kota and his son at Kota, c.1850 ©V&A Images/Victoria and Albert Museum, London
Year of India
Maybe it’s because I am so attuned to India and news about India, but it does seem that everywhere I look these days I see a story about India or Indians. The economy continues to shine, Indian writers are winning awards and laurels, the Commonwealth Games were a success (in spite of a lambasting by the western media), the first INK Conference (in association with TED) was held in December near Mumbai, the Jaipur Literature Festival is attracting big names, yoga is constantly in the news … I could go on and on. In other words, people are beginning to catch on to India’s beauty and potential — and not just as a market.
IndiaTourism director Ronjon Lahiri, consul general of India Preeti Saran and Prof. Norm Archer at the Year of India press conference
I predict that this year, 2011, is going to be the biggest year for India yet — perhaps especially here in Canada. For one thing, this is the Year of India in Canada.
India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made this declaration mid-way through last year, and preparations have been underway for events to take place across Canada this year. Today I attended the press conference that announced the program, and I will be covering some of the events and activities on Breathedreamgo (more about the Year of India in Canada announcement below.)
Also upcoming is the Maharaja Festival at the Art Gallery of Ontario, scheduled to coincide with India’s Republic Day, which is celebrated with a grand parade in Delhi on January 26. And later in the year, the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) will be rolling into town.
Jai Dilli!
Speaking of Delhi, this year also marks the 100th anniversary of Delhi as capital of India. Celebrations will be happening all year in the capital and I hope I will get a chance to take part. I love Delhi, I think it’s a grand city. Even Lonely Planet loves Delhi — they put it on their top 10 cities of 2011.
Lonely Planet wrote: “The great metropolis of Delhi, encompassing Old and New Delhi and sprawling out for miles, has not looked this smart and sparkling in centuries.
Huge preparations for the Commonwealth Games, which took place in October 2010, improved the city’s infrastructure, cleaned up its streets and added to its accommodation options. Aside from, of course, a bounty of new or improved sporting facilities, there’s the marvelous artery of the Metro – an underground transport system that’s a futuristic, egalitarian world away from the sometimes chaotic, class-ridden situation above ground.
This year marks 100 years since New Delhi was founded in 1911. At least eight cities are known to have been founded on this spot. The commemoration of this anniversary is sure to be a colourful and lively affair.”
Lodhi Garden, Delhi
Tourism from Canada to India
At the Year of India in Canada announcement, Professor Norm Archer of McMaster University in Hamilton unveiled a Canadian tourism study that was conducted online last fall.
I found the results of the study very interesting — and was especially gratified to note that most foreign (Canadian) visitors to India reported they had enjoyed their visit and their experiences in India, they would visit again and they would recommend a visit to India to others. Mild concerns were expressed over the cleanliness of washrooms (!), roads, road signage and road side sellers.
Survey respondents were far more interested in visiting North India (74%) than any other region. The west and south tied at about 44%. And as for tourist activities in India, the top interests were reported as: 1) people 2) history and culture 3) sports and activities 4) religion, spirituality and yoga 5) cuisine 6) architecture.
Tourism to India is up, though it is not on Canadians’ top 10 list of destinations. Last year about a quarter of a million Canadians visited India; and the overall figure for 2010 is 5.58 million foreign tourists, which is 9.3% higher than the previous year.
Mariellen Ward is a freelance travel writer whose personal style is informed by a background in journalism, a dedication to yoga and a passion for sharing the beauty of India’s culture and wisdom with the world. She has traveled for about a year altogether in India and publishes an India travel blog, Breathedreamgo.com. Mariellen also writes for magazines and newspapers.
