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Dubai Shopping Festival 2009
Posted on: April 16, 2009
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Dubai Shopping Festival
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) started on February 15, 1996 as a retail event intended to revitalise retail trade in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It has since been promoted as a tourist attraction. This yearly month long event is usually scheduled during the first quarter of the year, attracting about 3 million people to Dubai.[1]
During Dubai Shopping Festival, shops offer deep discounts on their merchandise, daily car raffles are drawn, and fireworks light Dubai’s night sky. Tourists from all around the world are lured not only for Dubai’s tax free shopping, but also for all of the events that take place during the festival. In 2005, the festival was cancelled due to the death of Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. In addition to Dubai Shopping Festival, Dubai also hosts Dubai Summer Surprises.
Pendants at Display – Dubai Shopping Festival 2009
Lord Ganesha in different styles
LORD BUDHA
Lord Ganesha
Lord Buddha
Lord Buddha
Lots of Bells
Lord Budha
Rajish with the Special Hat
Shells with special design.
Odissi Dancers at Shopping Festival
Dubai is sometimes called the ‘city of gold’.[2]. The city of gold concept was coined during one of the Dubai Shopping Festival awareness campaigns, In 1996, Dubai invited everyone from all around the world to a global annual festival which came to be named as the milestone “Dubai Shopping Festival” or DSF, they came up with the novel idea of a global village, a shopping village was conceived with all nations participating with their wares and styles in their traditional or cultural ways, the immigrant ex pat population and the fly in visitors rejoiced in the celebration that took place and the promise was given that from then on every year Dubai will host a festival for people from all around the world. The years that followed brought in more visitors more exhibitors and now the stage was set to build on the reputation of hospitality.
Rajish with Elephant
Masks at show
Bangles and Colors
Bangales and Colors
Pots and Decorations
Special Decorations at WALLS
Dubai shopping festival was segregated into many major attractions all with one purpose, to have as many ways of entertaining the guests to the city, and catering to each and every individual segment’s visiting from around the world, the loyalty of the local expatriate populations definitely finds a reason to become even more attached to the city that brings to them their own culture every year.
Dubai Shopping Festival plays a vital role in Dubai’s tourism industry. Apart from the direct impact it has on the tourism industry, Dubai Shopping Festival also contributes its share of importance into the nervous system of the emirate. With the rise of the number of visitors to Dubai for Dubai Shopping Festival, lots of potential immigrant talent and investment get to experience the luxury of Dubai.
Indian Pavilion at Festival City, Dubai.
Different Displays at Shopping Festival
Food Displays at Shopping Festival
Rajish with Friends
African Gallery
Near Pakistan Pavillion
Dolls at Display
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- In: Geographic | Just Pictures | Kerala | Places | Travel
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It was a great evening and I was hoping to go out to my nearby hill station which I was was n’t able to visit last time on my vacation. I was waiting for my sister to come back from her office to accompany me.
So around 5:50 we started our journey towards the hill. It was just 12 Mins on bike from my home and we parked the bike down the hill, and started climbing up as fast as we can. It was getting late and I knew this is the time to get some nice snaps, if missed then I may not be able to visit again this time.
So less photos of the climbing scene, this is the first photo of the route which guides straight to a Quarry, its not alive now and full of green “Payals”
The Quarry – There are actually 2 Quarries and both are in active presently. It filled with the green Payals
This rock stands in the middle and its there from the time I have been to this place.
Aleena near the First Quarry
This is the view of the First Quarry from the Top, Its deep covers a large area
This is known as “Mullanpazham” in our native and when its ready to eat it becomes black, its just fun chewing this, so we started plucking the same and I forgot for a while the intension of our trip.
While she was settling with the Mullanpazham, I walked to the other side to grab some snaps.
There are two Kilowatt Lines passing through this are, I think is the main lines which passes electricity through some of areas in Kerala, 110 KV and 220KV lines, there is a little “boom” sound some times.
She was carrying my tripod quickly to the top, as I was hurrying to take the SUNSET shots, saying ” Hey its going down so fasttt………..”
We took some quick shots and it was nice, the sun was really going down pretty fast.
How nice SUNSET.
Cool to be here and to shoot this in an evening which you will definitely hopes to happen so often.
Ho almost gone…..
The close views of the KV lines passing
Its almost getting dark after the sun is down.
Our tripod was on duty, while we took the side of a Rock
Me just jumped to the top of the rock, while my camera was struggling to get the press from my remote.
The Electric lines passes through this are and its near the Church and going over our Schools Play ground.
If looked closely you can see three objects in this frame, One Star, One Jet and a Flight going.
Its going to be dark soon, and we need to move down.
Ilaveezhapoonchira
Posted on: January 17, 2009
- In: Family | Kerala | Places | Travel
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It was on 03 JAN 2009 we planned a trip to Ilaveezhapoonchira, the place was unknown to most of our family members and even to the Bus people, I have done some search on Google and came to know about the place. The place is in Kottayam District of Kerala, around 17Km far from Thodupuzha.
The beautiful valley of Ilaveezhapoonchira spreads across thousands of acres in the district of Kottayam. Located at the foot of the hillocks of Mankunnu, Kudayathur Hill and Thonippara near Kanjar, Ilaveezhapoonchira has no trees, and is literally a place where leaves do not fall. This is because the valley fills up into a lake during the monsoons.The surrounding hillocks, each rising to about 3200 ft, make this place an ideal spot for trekking. During the monsoons the place has an entirely different ambience and offers gorgeous views of both sunrise and sunset.
For the sake of the tourists, a tourist bungalow with rooms and dormitory to accommodate 15 people has been constructed. The other tourist spots are Thommankuthu Falls, Kurisumala, Vagamon, Marumala and waterfalls of Pazhukkakanam.
Ilaveezhapoonchira is 55 km from Kottayam and 17 km from Thodupuzha. Buses ply from Pala and Erattupetta. A DTPC rest house in the vicinity offers comfortable accommodation. Kottayam Railway Station and Cochin International Airport are the nearest railway station and airport.
The Name : Ilaveezhapoonchira
According to a legend, the Pandavas had a sojourn here during their life incognito. Their wife, Draupadi, came to take a bath at a lake, which was here at that time. Some devas, bewitched by her beauty, tried to satisfy their voyeuristic itch. King of devas, Lord Indra, came to know about what was going on, and built screens or hills heaping flowers and prevented them from indulging in such a practice. And the pond thus became a dam isolated by floral hills. Since there were no trees around the bund it was always free of leaves and so it was called Ilaveezhapoonchira or the floral bund where the leaves never fall.
The main attractions are the Ride of 7 Km to top in 4wheel drive (Jeep), 3Km walk to the Hill Station, and the beautiful view from the top of the hill, which is 3200Ft high.
You can see 7 Districts in KERALA from here, and there is also a big cave which can accommodate around 50 people inside.
At the spot you can view four hillocks and between them a verdant valley. Atop of one of these hills, Kudayathoor Vindhyan, one can view large parts of Idukki, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Thrissur districts; it also offers excellent views of sunrise and sunset.
We started our tour around 6:45 from Chengaloor, my native in Thrissur Dist, and took NH47 straight to reached Angamaly, and took diversion on SH1 to Mattoor, around 8:25Am we reached Mattoor and from there our President of the Tour Mr. Anto K.C boarded the bus.
We took a small break at Perumbavoor for break fast around 8:45AM and resumed the Journey in 25Mins
This is the navigation sign on the main road pointing to ILAVEEZHAPOONCHIRA 7KM
Photo taken from Bus while taking the upwards route of 7KM to Ilaveezhapoonchira.
This is the last area where the buses can come, ahead there was some construction going and we have to stop the bus here and take the “NADARAJA” ie; we thought of walking the rest, as we were not sure how long was the top station.
We can only see the zigzag road ahead, boys started climbing instantly but we know that Moms and Aunts would n’t go much far. So we took…
Mr. President enquiring to local people regarding the possibilities of travel to top.
Oh just after 600Mtrs Climb they have started to rest for the time, so..
While we are down the valley we can see the beauty of the Mountain from here itself, it looked sooooooo far.
We took a Jeep 4Wheel which came across and asked him whether he can carry 21 People to the Top, he agreed and it was Sebastian Chettan’s vehicle, so we rushed in and started the upwards climb, as we 5 were hanging around the body just like monkeys, we really enjoyed.
We can see each turn and roads clear and look around, my brother was shooting even with one hand with his mobile while on the side of the vehicle, I was having trouble hanging with one hand to the Jeep and I held the metal bars with 2 hands and wasn’t able to even take the camera to my hand.
But the 7Km ride was fantastic and memorable for a long time.
Catholic church in the route.
This was our first Rock climb after we reached the top by Jeep and from here around 3 Km to top and we have to walk that distance.
We took another break after 1KM walk and this will be the point [BASE STATION] where some of the elder members will be staying as the rest of the climb is difficult for them so we took some snacks and kept one water jug with us for the rest of the journey and one was in this base.
Antony took a small break to a higher rock and was sitting there for sometime
Bijoy accompanying Antony on top
Sr. Rosemary distributing the snacks
Ready for the rest of the climb..
A great view from the base station
Lush Greenery of the Valleys
Princy Aunty Walking Alone
Greenery all around
You can see in this the highest peak which is around 3200Ft high from sea level
Almost on top of the mountain and we can see the beauty
Another Short break at one of the big rocks..
From this shot you can see the road is mostly made of the stone which are round in shape and very difficult even for the 4Wheels to travel.
On the right we found some Rubber Plantations
Libin just found some shade and it was a nice shot
Another 4Wheel passed us while we were on the climb.
Some of the local people collecting grass.
We are almost there..
After reaching the top we took the right way to the PEAK where it was the VIEW POINT of 7 Districts and a Govt. Wireless station stand. It was around 1.5Km walk, but we all were tired.
The views from here to any side is CLASSIC as its only us in the top and we can see everything from here..
Aunty saying “I’m tired please give a helping hand”
LONG VIEW
On the top, you can see the wireless towers on back
Oh great shot on the top of Ilaveezhapoonchira
WE STAND TOGETHER AT 3200FT
Bijoy helping Animol to reach the top
The view from here you can see the catchment area of DAM and the roads.
On the far you can see the PEAK and two building which is part of DTPC buildings
At Threseamma Chechi’s desk we took some Lemon water and we really enjoyed the Cool Water.
Threaseamma Chechi serving us cool water
Lunch break at base. Around 3:00PM we took the lunch.
All were hungry and lunch were ready at base.
As soon as lunch was served they disappeared to the near by Rubber Plantation to enjoy.
The UMMAMM FLOWER at the base station.
KALLAR RIVER
We were not able to visit the Great Cave (Muniyara) as it was little far and all were tired, so we kept it for next trip.
A PANORAMIC SHOT FROM THE TOP
GROTTO – ST.THOMAS CHURCH at Pulluvazhy
Photos taken by . Binoy Anto
Original Photos can be found here
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