(MARCH, 2003)

Foreigners Play Holi in Jodhpur
(March 16, 2003)

          JODHPUR: Dozens of foreign tourists visiting Jodhpur participated in the Holi festivities amidst a dazzling display of colours on Friday. The intense heat and arid conditions of the drought region, a deterrent for most Europeans, failed to dampen their enthusiasm as they danced for hours with local women and smeared each other with 'gulal'. The festival falls on March 19.

           "It's brilliant, it's great fun ... the colours are very bright ... there is a lot of throwing of colours ... We are enjoying ourselves," said Sarah, a tourist from London. Holi is the most widely celebrated festival in India.

           Falling during spring equinox (March), it signals the end of winter and the coming of spring. The festival also finds a place in Hindu mythology where it symbolises the victory of good over evil. People across the country, particularly north and western India, go around smearing one another with gulal while coloured water is sprayed from 'pichkaris', a traditional spray-pump.

           Though a national festival, Holi has a distinct regional flavour and is celebrated in varied ways. In Bikaner district of Rajasthan, it is played without colours and is only one of its kind. In Mathura town, holi is celebrated in a unique way as women chase away the menfolk beating them with sticks.

'Exhibition on Wheels' Moves to Jodhpur (Go to Top)
(March 15, 2003)

          JODHPUR: Indian Railways have organised an 'Exhibition on Wheels' to commemorate its 150 years. The mobile exhibition on rail is presently displayed in Jodhpur. The exhibition on wheels was flagged off from New Delhi on August 15 last year, coinciding with Independence Day. The 12-coach train reached Jodhpur on Wednesday after taking a nation-wide tour of nearly 80 junctions. Railway officials said that the exhibition is an attempt to show the history of the railways.

           The The Indian Railways began its first journey from Bombay to one of its suburbs, Thane, in 1852. One hundred and fifty years down the line, it is today the world's second-largest rail network with 14,322 trains ferrying more than 13 million passengers a day. Hundreds of people thronged Jodhpur railway station to see the unique show on wheels.

Six Bombs Defused at New Delhi Rly Station (Go to Top)
(March 14, 2003)

          NEW DELHI: Timely action by the railway police averted what could have been a major tragedy in the Capital on Friday. They defused as many as six untimed bombs kept in a plastic bag at the New Delhi Railway Station. The bombs detected by a passerby a little after 3.00 pm were defused without causing any damage.

           Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) RS told reporters that no timers were attached to the devices, which would have exploded due to heat. The passerby who informed the police about the bag was awarded five hundred rupees. The Capital has been on high alert since Thursday's bomb blast in a train at Mulund near Mumbai where at least 11 people died and many were injured. Particular attention is being given to security of vital installations and crowded places in the Capital, where terrorist threat looms large.

Gulmarg Has Fresh, Heavy Snowfall (Go to Top)
(March 11, 2003)

          GULMARG: Heavy snowfall lashed the picturesque Gulmarg region in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. Meteorologists said the snowfall was the heaviest since 1990. Revellers came out of their lodges, hotels and guest houses to enjoy the snowfall. While the locals preferred to stay indoors, tourists had a great time out in the snow.

           "We felt great after coming here. We liked the snowfall here, we like the weather here. It is very hot there (Rajasthan) and here it is really very cold, but we are enjoying over here," said Bhavna, a tourist from Rajasthan. But the snowfall also disrupted traffic as vehicles were stranded at several places. "Due to this snowfall the greatest problem that we are facing is of road blockades. We have seen worse snowfalls, but never did we experience the problems that we are facing now. The roads were never blocked for 2-3 days. The roads used to be clear in worst snowfalls," said a local.

          The 300-km road, the only surface link between the Kashmir Valley and the rest of the country, was also closed following fresh snowfall. Authorities had recently reopened the Jammu-Srinagar highway after snow was cleared.

 -ANI

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