Cultural Tourism

Tamilnadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) was incorporated in 1971 with the main object of promoting tourism in Tamilnadu by building tourism related infrastructure facilities on commercial basis. TTDC made a modest begining by taking over 5 Govt. bungalows and operated 2 coaches. It has made rapid strides since then and today it has earned the proud distinction of owning the longest chain of hotels in south India numbering 55. The fleet of coaches has increased to 20. TTDC is providing the following facilities for the benefit of the tourists covering all the major tourists destination in the state. Hotels Youth Hostels Restaurants Boat House Telescope Houses Lake park Petrol Bunk. TTDC is operating Youth Hostels, Wherein dormitory accommodation is provided to the budget tourists. This has helped the tourists to avail low cost accommodation even during the peak season in Ooty, Kodaikanal and Yercaud. HOTELS: Hotels of TTDC is at present having 78 outlets as indicated below: Hotels 54 Boat Houses 11 Restaurants 3 Snack Bar 3 Telescope Houses 4 Landscaping & Gardening 2 Tourists Service Centre 1 Total 78 Out of the 54 hotels under the control of TTDC, two hotel units have been handed over on long term lease of 30 years during the year 1995. The Government of Tamilnadu have already approved proposal of franchising 30 hotel units of TTDC and 7 Restaurants. Efforts are being taken to franchise these hotels on long term basis for 10 years in respect of small hotels with 5 rooms and 15 years in respect of other hotels. The Youth Hostels cater to the needs of budget tourists with very low tariff of Rs.50/- per bed. Franchising of the hotel units would improve the overall profitability of the hotels division and help TTDC to concentrate on the major hotels at Ooty, Kodaikanal, Yercaud, Madurai, Thanjavur, Coimbatore, Rameswaram, Kanniyakumari and Mamallapuram. Next

The company is headed by professionals who are in this trade for more than 14 years. The Tour Agency has been found under the urge of meeting the traveler's needs with diligence and integrity under one roof. And what better name could we give to a tourism agency other than “Southern Skies” for providing all travel related services in South India . The land, where culture echoes, traditions speak, beauty enthralls and diversity delights. This is India! Discover India's amazing diversity by customizing the itinerary based on your interests. We specialize ourselves in all travel related arrangements like customizing the tour itinerary, making Hotel Reservations, Air tickets, Corporate travel, Car / Coach rentals, multi- lingual guides etc… for the discerning traveler touring India. We value our customers; realize that each customer is unique and pay Individual Attention. We have healthy and harmonious relationship with all major hotel chains and individual hotel in all categories to make you feel at home away from home. We enjoy special negotiated rates with hotels and we believe in passing the benefit to the customer which result in cost effective packages. Infrastructure : A Team of skilled and dedicated employees of Southern Skies boasts of an infrastructure that sets an example for others. It is a company of dynamic people who are ready to offer you premium quality services round the clock. Our professionals possess a deep understanding of your requirements that enables us to offer you excellent services wrapped in traditional harmony. We are head – quartered in Chennai. We are well networked with offices in Kochi, Trivandrum, Bangalore, Madurai, Goa, Delhi, Rajasthan and Mumbai and through out India for smoother and efficient operation. Each office is well equipped with the most modern office and communication facilities. This aids the smooth flow of tasks and removes all obstacles in the way of your comfort, leisure and convenience. In other words, our people will be in constant touch with you to meet you and make your dreams come true. Our clients enjoy the services of our fleet of comfortable, luxurious and well-maintained cars with well- mannered and courteous chauffeurs to ensure safe journey. Our drivers are well aware of the routes as the back of their hand. They possess the valuable knowledge of roads and can also provide you useful tips to explore any particular destination. In case of emergencies, you can always be in touch with us as our chauffer's have a mobile. Leave all your travel-related worries on us and get ready to have a time of your life. Whatever might be your interest, just remember. There’s a friendly and service oriented Southern Skies to receive you. We provide professional touch with personalized services, at Value – for – money pricing. Our Services : We offer a spectrum of Customised services including: Leisure Tours Cultural Tours Honeymoon Tours Yoga & meditation Tours Pilgrimage Tours Hotel Reservations Incentive Travel Conventions & Conferences Corporate Travel Tribal & special Interest tours Car / Coach Rentals Our Clients : Our clients are from Europe, France, Germany, Italy, Canada, Caribbean Islands, USA, South Africa, Mauritius, Japan, Far East, etc. This rich experience has given us an in-depth understanding of the travel requirements of foreign tourists and has geared us in catering to them.

MADRAS TOURRISM CORPORATION -Professional travel and tour operators for excellent clientele service, conducting tours all over India. Established in the year 1994 by experienced people from the tourism industry. We offer Adventure tours, Culture tour, Heritage tour, Temples tour, Pilgrimage tour, Wildlife tours, Train tours, Beach holidays, Trekking tours, Tiger tour, North tour, Back Water Tour, South tour, Rajasthan tour, Tailor Made Tours, Hotel Reservation, Car Rentals & Airline Ticketing. and many holiday packages to explore. At MTC we have your comfort in mind. We do not compromise on quality and we give you the very best, because you deserve nothing less. To travel with us will be a unique experience. Come, Join our ever increasing clientele and let us share an exciting and memorable holiday together. Clientele: We have clients from Singapore, Mauritius, Malaysia, South Africa etc. We also serve several Corporate Companies, Educational Institutions etc.,

The growth of crafts in society is a sign of the cultivation of sensitivity and the stirring and mellowing of humanism. It stands for man's endeavour to bring grace and elegance into an otherwise harsh and drab human existence. Actually, man's elevation from gross animal existence is marked by his yearning for something beyond the satisfaction of mere needs and creature comforts. It is the yearning that found natural expression in crafts. - Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay Crafts do not grow in isolation. They are basically in the service of the society. Society's culture can be measured from the arts and crafts it lived with. Arts and crafts find unhindered patronage and wide appreciation in a society that has been elevated to great cultural heights. Such society establishes values and norms that give the guidelines of life to all its members, rich and poor. Artists and craftsmen in such society exist as an integral part of it and crave to achieve excellence and reach to perfection in their work. From the law-books, the Niti-Shastra, from the writings of Manu and Kautilya, we learn the responsibility of the state and the public to protect and patronize the artists and craftsmen. The system of taxation makes it compulsory for society to foster and support the artist and craftsmen Matsya Purana mentions that every home should have a door frame in carved wood as a sign of welcome to visitors. This tradition of carved wooden frames and carved wooden balconies supported by brackets of animals, birds, and human forms is a part of architectural design of homes, palaces and temples as well as other community places built all over India. There are many palaces, temples and private homes in Maharashtra, in which we see plenty of intricate and charming woodwork. In places like Pune, Wai, Satara, Nasik Chandwad, Palshi, Paithan there ar Wadas (havelis) full of excellent wood carvings. Several temples in Konkan (Sindhudurg), in places like Achre, Kunkeshwar, Sawantwadi, Aakeri have pillars and projected beams very intricately carved by the local craftsmen. Since our contemporary architecture is totally changed and has no place for any carvings or others crafts, the craft of wood carving gradually disappeared and with that vanished all our craftsmen. When we probe into the cultural history of Maharashtra of the last three hundred years, we come across very interesting accounts of our crafts and craftsmen which have been meticulously recorded in gazetteers and reports of various collectorates during the British rule. Our crafts were shown in several exhibitions in the Western counties and they were highly praised. George C. M. Birdwood published his book, 'The Arts of India' in 1880, in which he had given plenty of information about, the then prevailing crafts in Maharashtra. Several crafts mentioned by him are not being executed today. But some major which have survived or have been revived and handed down to the present generation of craftsmen were also going through a difficult period due to lack of patronage, because under the British rule, the lifestyle of patrons of arts and crafts was also undergoing a great change. George Birdwood had paid high tributes to the craftsmen of Maharashtra as he had given several examples of their crafts in great detail. It is very interesting to know that the Thakurs and Katharies of Matheran Hill were imaginative craftsmen who could design ornaments. Birdwood records. "Mr. W.G.S.V. Fitz Gerald sent to the Annual International Exhibition of 1872 a collection of grass ornaments worn by the wild Thakurs and Katharies of Matheran and the Western Ghats of Bombay, which had been made by Dr. T. Y. Smith, the accomplished Superintendent of that hill station, and by the side of these grass collars, necklaces, bracelets, anklets and girdles, were exhibited also examples of the gold jewellery of thick gold wire, twisted into girdles, bracelets, anklets, necklaces, and collars worn all over India and which are fashioned in gold exactly as the Matheran ornaments are fashioned in grass."

...be any less exotic than the famous temples? Madhya Pradesh is not called the "Heart of India" only because of its location in the centre of the country. It has been home to the cultural heritage of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam. Innumerable monuments, exquisitely carved temples, stupas, forts and palaces are dotted all over the State. The natural beauty of Madhya Pradesh is equally varied. Consisting largely of a plateau, the State has everything. Spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forests offering a unique and exciting panorama of wildlife in sylvan surroundings.

Travel made Easy with its Head office based in City of Lakes "Udaipur", Rajasthan is an online Travel consultancy company. All team members are professionally qualified and experienced to provide hassle free and excellent services with promptness. We offer a dynamic and modern approach to Travel and Destination Management. Through this office we are engaged in handling incoming tourist to all over India. We offer services related to all aspects of travel which includes Tour Planning, Hotel Booking, Taxi Booking, Air Ticketing i.e. Domestic and International, Train Ticketing, Bus Ticketing, Conferences, Incentives, MICE, Special events like award functions and film shooting package at exotic locations, Destination Weddings and 24X7 online travel support. Our travel agency has a team of dedicated Tours and Travel executives is the key to our exponential growth. With our own distribution channel in place, we are now working on the technology front to offer you more benefits in the coming future.