World of Kites

AHMEDABAD: Sturm Rolf, a kite flyer from Germany, was busy making a new kite to suit the wind direction and speed - a kite that would fly high at the festival. While fixing his designer airplane-shaped kite, Rolf said, "I visit Rajkot, Bhuj, Vadodara, Jamnagar while I am here for the festival but flying kite at the riverfront is altogether novel experience. It is different due to the suddenly-changing wind direction. This is the fifth time I've come back to participate at this festival in Ahmedabad as I simply love flying kites at this venue."

The changing wind direction, relaxed flying zone times, enthusiastic crowds and tasty food, were the major attractions for many international kite flyers at the festival. With huge crowds of enthusiastic onlookers constantly cheering the kitist, there was a festive ambience at the venue. About 87 kite flyers from 24 countries, 70 from nine Indian states and about 200 domestic kite flyers from Gujarat participated by flying kites of different shapes, sizes and colours at the festival in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Kite flyers were from 24 countries including US, UK, New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Holland, France, Germany, Austria, Ukraine, Turkey, Cambodia, Japan and more. Many of the kite flyers who came, have attended Kite Festivals in many other countries including England, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Mexico and France. "The experience at the Indian Kite Flying Festival beats them all," said Gadis Robin, flyer from Singapore who is attending the event for the tenth time. A group of eight flyers from Austria chose to fly 'smile' kites. "I give nine points out of ten to this festival," said Loki Tes, a flyer from Austria, who flew a hand painted 'ankhedaar' kite. "My granny hand painted this Indian design kite especially for this festival," he said.

Proposal for nuclear plant at Bhava nagar

Jan. 10.

Talks can be expedited now between the government’s Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) and Westinghouse Electric for the proposed 6,000-Mw atomic power station at Mithi Virdi in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district.

NPC chairman and managing director S K Jain said: “The US nuclear safety regulator has given its certification for the AP1000 reactors of Westinghouse. This paves the way for NPC to pursue techno-commercial talks.”

US companies Westinghouse and GE are supposed to supply equipment for Mithi Virdi. Westinghouse had suggested these reactors.

Jain said the certification was crucial, in the wake of the safety review and tests across nuclear power generators after the Fukushima accident in Japan last year. Balendra Sutharshan, director, India Business Development of Westinghouse, had told this correspondent last year that the AP1000 reactors made the most sense for India, for diverse reasons.

“We are the leading supplier of commercial nuclear technology worldwide and nearly half the world’s 441 nuclear plants are based on our technology. Our AP1000 technology is the most modern and advanced anywhere. It is also a lot simpler to construct, which reduces the construction time and cost, not to mention less maintenance after the plant is up and producing electricity,” he’d said.

The US nuclear regulator has said the AP1000 design contains many features not found in current reactors. "A variety of engineering and operational improvements provide additional safety margins and address the Commission’s severe accident, safety goal, and standardisation policy statements,” it has said. Also, the facility is designed for a 60-year life, which exceeds the projected 40-year combined operating licence period.

Saurashtra panchayat poll draws voters from Mumbai

SURAT: Panchayat polls in around 10,000 villages of Saurashtra are drawing voters from places as far away as Surat and Mumbai. A large number of Saurashtrians headed to their native villages on Wednesday evening from Mumbai and Surat. An estimated 1,000 buses from Surat will leave for Saurashtra on Wednesday evening while around 500 buses will come from Mumbai.

Saurashtrians will leave on Wednesday night and reach their villages in the morning. All the buses were booked by the supporters of candidates to bring and drop the voters back to Surat or Mumbai. At their villages they are provided accommodation in a community hall or the temple. Voters avoid going home as that will mean arranging for food and water in a locked house.

All will be provided hot bath water and morning tea. "In breakfast we have arranged fafda, marcha and jalebi, favourite of all Saurashtrians. Similarly in lunch all the guests will be offered popular potato-brinjal vegetable with puri and sweets," said Mansukh Patel of Khopala village in Bhavnagar district. The afternoon time is leisure time for the group of voters to meet their relatives or rest at their home. At night the same bus again leave for Surat in which the voters will be brought back to the city.

"Through the arrangement we can assure voting as high as 90 per cent which would remain around 70 per cent otherwise," added Patel.

"This model of transport and voting is preferred by the voters as they don't want to stay out of their business or job soon after the Diwali vacation. That's why the arrangement has been done by the candidates to meet the requirements of the voters," said Jaysukh Parsana, a diamond broker in Varachha.

"There will be a partial affect on diamond business as large number of people going to Saurashtra. Due to relatives in villages people have to go to vote and minimum three buses to each village will go from the city," said Dinesh Navadiya, president of Surat Diamond Association (SDA).

Oshwal global meet held in Jamnagar

JAMNAGAR: Oshwal Shikshan & Rahat Sangh, Jamnagar, held a three-day global meet for the Oshwal community in the city. More than 1,000 NRI Oshwals participated in it.

The Oshwals are a business community and all of them have migrated from Saurashtra region. According to convenor Parag Shah, there are only 84,000 Oshwals and outside India, they live in eight countires -- Africa, Canada, UK, Australia, Tanzania, Kenya and the US.

During the meet, discussion was held on various issues like development of a city, social infrastructure, education and medical facilities. On January 3, chief minister Narendra Modi had a video conference with members of the community.

Oshwal Shikshan & Rahat Sangh have developed a sports complex, international school, heart hospital in Jamnagar and houses for the needy, hostels, dormitories and other basic infrastructure in various cities of India, sangh president Ashokbhai Maru said.

Hot air balloon crashes in Rann Utsav

RAJKOT: More than eight tourists were injured when a hot air balloon at the Rann Utsav organized by the state tourism department in Kutch crashed at 8.30 am on Sunday. Authorities said the balloon could not land properly in a dust storm and fell to the earth from a height of about 10 to 12 feet.

The injured have been identified as Dr Naresh Cheda, 52 (Mumbai), Nagin Parekh, 52, (Mumbai), Ramila Cheda, 46, (Mumbai), Deepa Ramchand, 43 (Mumbai) Arunaben, 43 (Mumbai), Ritu Yadav, 40 (the pilot) and Punita Yadav (40) (the co-pilot).

Sources say that more than eight tourists were injured. Some of them were given primary treatment and eight of them were taken to the government hospital in Bhuj. Pilot and co-pilot of the balloon are among the eight people who were injured and were hospitalized.

Kutch district collector M Thennarasan said none of the injured is serious. Asked if the balloon was overloaded, he said that it has a capacity of 16 people and there were 14 tourists in it when the incident occurred. "There was no issue of overloading but it could not land smoothly,'' he added.

The state government has been promoting Kutch's White Desert as a tourist place and organizes the 'Rann Utsav' every year to attract tourists to boost local economy.

Recently, CM Narendra Modi, during his Sadbhavna mission in Rajkot said that Kutch and Saurashtra region are only two regions that are getting the most benefit of tourism promoted by the state government.

Modi announces 3,500 cr package for Jamnagar

JAMNAGAR: Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced Rs 3,500 crore for the development of Jamnagar at his 13th Sadbhavana Mission fast held in the city. He said plans would be drawn for all round development of the district.

Energy minister Saurabh Patel said an additional 4,000 mega watt would be produced from Jamnagar within the next two years.

Many senior BJP ministers and leaders were present on the occasion. Among those were finance minister Vajubhai Vala, agriculture minister Dilip Sanghani, higher and technical education minister Vasuben Trivedi, Gujarat Pradesh BJP president R C Faldu, Parshottam Rupala and Vijay Rupani. Satrusalya Sinhji of Jamnagar royal family welcomed Modi. He described the chief minister as a promising leader of Gujarat.

Congress leaders did not hold any rival fast. However, some Youth Congress leaders showed black flags to Modi and at least 130 of them were detained by the police.

Seeking Buddha in Gujarat, Saurashtra

Known more for Hindu and Jain religious places, Gujarat is now hoping to play host to Buddhist pilgrims too.

While in January this year, Chief Minister Narendra Modi shared the dais with His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the International Seminar on Buddhist Heritage at Vadodara, the state's tourism department is now trying hard to promote the "Buddhist Footprints in Gujarat" through its website.

The earliest archeological evidence of Buddhism in Gujarat dates back to Emperor Ashoka's reign (269-232 BC). Saurashtra (known as Surashtra/ Saraostes/Syrastene in the past) finds a mention in early Buddhist literature such as the Indriya Jataka, Milinda Panha, Petavatthu, etc. In the sixth century, Bhattarkka, a general of the Gupta Emperors, established an independent principality around Valabhi (Vallabhipur). He was a devout Shaivite but the Maitraka rulers that followed him, though Hindus themselves were great patrons of Buddhism. On his visit to Gujarat in 640 AD, Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang noted the presence of 200 monasteries housing 10,000 monks at Bharuch, Atali, Kheta, Valabhi, Anandapura and Surashtra. Both Hinayana and Mahayana Buddhism were prevalent in Gujarat.

The following are some of the main Buddhist archeological sites in Gujarat:

Vadnagar, Mahesana
Nearly 128 km from Ahmedabad, the archeological site between River Banas and River Rupen, has a 12-cell structure that belonged to a Buddhist vihara or monastery and housed monks from the 2nd to 4th century AD. Hiuen Tsang, who visited Vadnagar (then known as Anandapur) in the 7th century, reported that the city had some 10 sangharams (resting places for Buddhist monks) with a 1,000 Buddhist monks. Archaeologists found around 2,000 artefacts including a Buddha idol, an amphora, figurines, a crucible, a grinding stone, seals, a terracotta head wearing a turban, shell bangles, necklace beads, copper and silver coins that are housed at the Museum of Archaeology at the Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara.

Perched atop the Taranga Hills nearby, is a shrine dedicated to Devi Taranmata. The idols of Taranmata and Dharanmata are of Buddhist Goddess Tara, the "Mother of all Buddhas," which usually refers to the enlightened wisdom of the Buddhas. In the Dharanmata Temple, over the halo behind the head of the marble sculpture of the Goddess Tara, is a lotus on which rests the Amitabh Buddha. The lower register of the sculpture also displays the symbolic representation of the Buddha in form of an elephant, a horse and a chakra.

Devnimori, Sabarkantha
Better known for its hotsprings, Devnimori located 132 km from Ahmedabad has a large Buddhist establishment that dates back to the period between 2nd and 7th centuries AD. King Ashoka is said to have erected as many as 80,000 stupas across India. He unearthed the ashes of Buddha from their original place and distributed them across the country, building stupas accordingly. One such stupa, from the 4th century was excavated in early 1960s at Devnimori. Close to the major trade routes of Mewar and Dungarpur, Devnimori was the site of an important Buddhist monastic centre 1,600 years ago. The mahastupa's still there but the relics including a casket containing Buddha's ashes and 17 terracotta statues of Buddha are now housed in the Department of Archaeology at The Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara.

Junagadh District
A prominent Buddhist centre since Ashoka's reign, Junagadh district is sprinkled with rock-cut-caves, monasteries and stupas at 15-odd sites such as the Ashokan rock edict at Girnar, Baba Pyara Caves, Khapra Kodia caves, Upparkot caves, Panheswer Caves, Mai Gadechi, Matri, structural monastery at Intawa, brick stupa at Bordevi and Vajrapanat, Sana caves, caves around Prabhas Patan, Mandor Caves and Savni-Gir.

Buddhist caves, about 2000 years old, are among the oldest monuments at Uparkot. Carved out of monolithic rock, these three-tiered caves are famous for their exquisite art.

Getting there:
Gujarat has one of the better developed road networks in India. State transport and private buses are the best and the cheapest modes of transport. Ahmedabad is well-connected to all major cities and towns by road, rail and air.