Category: Travel & Tourism

KARNATAKA: BIRD CONSERVATION: Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is Karnataka’s First Ramsar Site

Ranganathittu sanctuary also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society.

After a wait of over ten years, Karnataka got its first Ramsar site on Wednesday.

The ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEFCC) declared Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary in Mandya as a Ramsar site. With this, the forest department, local administration and tourism department will not just be able to ensure better conservation but also scale up its eco-tourism potential to international standards. Located in the mid-stream of the Cauvery river, Ranganathittu is an integral part of the wetland system and spreads across 517.70 hectares.

It also finds a place in the Important Bird Areas (IBA) list of 42 sites in Karnataka that are identified by the Bombay Natural History Society. Ranganthittu houses 188 species of plants, 225 species of birds, 69 species of fish, 13 species of frogs, 98 species of medicinal plants and 30 species of butterflies.

It is an important breeding site for around 20 species of water birds, 17 of which breed on trees growing on islands on the spot. It houses healthy populations of mugger crocodiles (Crocodylus palustris), smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata) and the endangered hump-backed mahseer fish (Tor remadevii).

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: KARNATAKA: SPORTS, SAILING : The Royal Mysuru Sailing Club (RMSC) hosts the ranking event ‘4th National Youth Championship 2022’

The National Youth Championship that concludes on August 4 is supported by the Yachting Association of India.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is hosting its 4th event on the KRS backwaters – the National Youth Championship – which was allotted to it by the National Federation- Yachting Association of India (YAI).

The event is a ranking event and will take place from July 29 to August 4.

The RMSC is also shortly launching a programme titled ‘Vision 2028 Olympics’ which is an endeavor directed towards producing Olympians from Karnataka, in line with the National Sports Policy launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a release here.

Following the ranking event, RMSC is organising a National Fun Regatta event from August 4 to 7 which will help bring participants and visitors from across the country to come together and explore Mysuru as a tourist destination. By elevating Mysuru’s presence as a metropolis city and a noteworthy vacation spot, the event will also aid in boosting the city’s tourism, the release stated.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is also taking the initiative in launching a campaign directed towards the growth of Mysuru as a city. The campaign is titled ‘City of Sails’ which refers to the significance of sailing as a sport and the importance of the KRS backwaters associated with Mysuru.

The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) is approved by the Karnataka State Sailing Association (KSSA) and the Mysore District Sailing Association (MDSA).

source/contents: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA: ARTS & CULTURE: New Book ‘Vasane’ by Indu Antony takes the Reader on an Olfactory Journey of Bengaluru Through the Nose.

City-based artist and author Indu Antony’s book Vasané, takes readers on an olfactory journey of Bengaluru.

You  must have heard that scents are more closely linked to our memories than pictures or sounds. The smell of the filter coffee you shared with your friends after an exhausting lecture, remembering the perfume your first love interest wore, or remembering home every time you smell your mother’s signature dish being cooked, all trigger memories. It’s not only our fondest memories that are drenched by smells, but so is our city.

In her book Vasané (smell in Kannada), artist and author Indu Antony captures the many smells that make up the city of Bengaluru.

“Every city has its distinct smell. Mumbai, Goa, all these cities have smells that characterise them, but with Bengaluru, there are so many smells that make up this city,” says Antony about her 70-page book. “Because of Covid, our sense of smell was lost. Not just by those who had it, but wearing masks also restricted our ability to smell things around us,” says the author.

According to Antony, this project published by Mazhi Books, connects with the city beyond the visual, about associating smells with the city. She collaborated with Avinandan, a perfumer whose family business, Sathyanarayana Traders, is a wholesale retailer of sandal, oud, and musk perfumes. Together, the duo created 12 unique smells in 1 ml bottles each, which readers get with the book, so that they can apply them to the pages and experience the city through the olfactory sense.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA FIRST: PARKS & GARDENS: State’s First Exclusive Park for Specially-Abled Children Inaugurated by Governor Gehlot at Bengaluru’s Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan (JBB), Cubbon Park

On Saturday, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot inaugurated the State’s first disabled-friendly park in Jawaharlal Bal Bhavan (JBB), Cubbon Park, built for children with disabilities by Mindtree and Bal Bhavan Society.

Built at a cost of ₹3 crore under the guidance of health and child development experts, the park provides a safe, inclusive, and physiotherapeutic place where children with multiple forms of special abilities can play uninhibited by their mobility aids or the risk of accidents, officials said.

Designed in the shape of a turtle, the park consists of different zones for a wide range of physical, mental, therapeutic, and touch and feel activities. The park has a specially designed sand table for children on wheelchairs and a special swing. Tactile pathways make it easier for visually-challenged children to navigate their way around the park. To mitigate injuries from falls, all playing surfaces are made of a synthetic, non-toxic, and skid-proof rubber called EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

SOUTH ASIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA, AVIATION & AIRPORTS: Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport Bags’ 2022 Best Regional Airport in India & South Asia Award’ by Skytrax World Airport Awards, Paris, France

Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport), on Friday said it has bagged the best regional airport in India and South Asia title in the 2022 Skytrax World Airport Awards.

The awards ceremony was held at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Paris, France, on June 16.

“The event is one of the most prestigious quality awards for the airport sector, with CEOs, Presidents, and senior management from airports across the world in attendance,” according to the statement.

source/content: deccanherald.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: NATURE & CONSERVATION: Karnataka’s First Wild Orchidarium to come up at Forest Department’s Kali Tiger Reserve in Uttara Kannada

In an effort to conserve the wild orchid varieties of Karnataka, the forest department is all set to establish an orchidarium in Kali Tiger Reserve (KTR) of Uttara Kannada district.

The orchidarium is being constructed at Nujji vilage of Joida (Supa) taluk of the district and soon, it will be open for nature enthusiasts and visitors.

The building work has been completed and about 40 varieties of wild orchids that are found in KTR are being grown in the orchidarium.

In the coming days, most of the orchid varieties found in the Western Ghats will be added, said Sachin Anil Punekar, Conservation Biologist and Founder of Biospheres-Ecosphere who has been helping the KRT set up the orchidarium project.

The Western Ghats is home for a rich orchid population and a majority of them are found in the Kali Tiger Reserve, especially in the Anshi region of Uttara Kannada district. “Out of 170 orchid species that are found in Karnataka, 80 species are from the Anashi region alone. Nearly 20 wild orchids are endemic to this region only. The orchidarium will act as a rescue and rehab site for wild orchids,” Punekar said.

source/contents: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INDIA RECORDS: KARNATAKA – TRAVEL & TOURISM: India’s First Sand Sculpture Museum in Mysore

The museum was conceptualised by the famous sand artist, MN Gowri. She took around four months to create the whole look.

Mysore (or Mysuru) is a historic city of Karnataka brimming with incredible attractions including Mysore Palace, Vrindavan Gardens and Mysore Zoo, among others. But did you know that Karnataka’s cultural hub is also home to a unique sand sculpture museum which has taken the country by surprise. It is also India’s first sand sculpture museum.

The museum was conceptualised by the famous sand artist, MN Gowri. She took around four months to create the whole look.


So, first of all, let’s talk about the location of the museum which is awesome. The museum is built close to Chamundi Hill and displays the rich cultural heritage of the city. The incredible museum is home to around 150 monoliths made using 115 truckloads of sand, water and a little glue!

source/content: timesofindia.indiatimes.com /timestravel

KARNATAKA RECORDS: HISTORY, ARTS & CULTURE: The 19th Century Saint Pant Maharaj’s Portrait finds a place in the Art Gallery of Sambra Airport, Belagavi

A portrait of Pant Maharaj, a 19 th century saint from Balekundri village, now adorns the art gallery at the Sambra Airport in Belagavi.

This is a tribute to the proponent of Avadhut Navanath philosophy who spoke of the need for love for all humans, in his books Datta Prema Lahari and Prema Tarang.

Apart from a brief biographical detail about the seer, the 64 sq ft image contains a road map and directions to Balekundri, that is just four kilometres away from the airport.

A contemporary of Swami Vivekananda, Pant Maharaj was a proponent of spiritualism devoid of strict rituals. People from various castes visit his Samadhi and temple at Balekundri. Thousands from across Karnataka and Maharashtra gather at the annual festival in December.

Pant Maharaj was born in 1855 and passed away in 1905. He worked as a teacher in Belagavi for some years, before becoming a monk. He considered Sri Balmukund and Sri Kallappa Maharaj as his Gurus.

Pant Maharaj chronicled his experiences of meditation in his books and essays.

He met Swami Vivekananda when the latter visited Belagavi in 1892.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS: AIRPORTS, TRAVEL & TOURISM: New World-Class Luxurious ‘080 Lounges’ Inaugurated to bring Luxury Back to Flying at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport (KIA)

Domestic and international flyers at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) can now relax at the luxurious ‘080 Lounges’, recently unveiled by Bengaluru International Airport Limited (BIAL).

All the aspects in the domestic and the international lounges, including art, artisans, and heritage, revolve around Bengaluru and even the name, 080 is attributed to the city’s trunk dial code.

While the first phase of the project is now open, once the second phase is also inaugurated, each lounge will occupy a space of over 2,000 square feet. 

VIDEO | THE NEW 080 LOUNGES AT BENGALURU AIRPORT IN JUNE 2022

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

KARNATAKA RECORDS : Bengaluru’s First Airport-like Railway Station modelled on the lines of an International Airport,the Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Terminal, Baiyappanahalli (SMVB Terminal) opens at Baiyappanahalli

Inaugural train chugs off from the Baiyappanahalli terminal to Ernakulam.

The railway terminal, modelled after the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru, have seven platforms, apart from eight stabling lines and three pit lines.

Commuters who boarded the first train from the Sir. M. Visvesvaraya Terminal, Baiyappanahalli (SMVB Terminal), on Monday evening were pleasantly surprised to finally use the swanky airport-like air-conditioned railway station. 

“It looks like an airport and it was hard to believe. I reached here using Google Maps, but was taken aback after I reached here. I asked the auto driver twice whether this was indeed the railway station I was supposed to be dropped at,” said Amal, a commuter who travelled to Ernakulam on the first train from the terminal. 

Most commuters were appreciative of the facilities and the state-of-the-art interiors of the railway station, one of its kind in the country.

“The facilities at the station are very good — escalators, air-conditioning, food court, the lounges — definitely much better than any station.

The terminal is definitely a great addition to a global city like Bengaluru,” said Sri Priya, another commuter. 

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)