Some of the Renowned Wildlife Sanctuaries around Kerala

Tropical hegemony of Kerala has always been a land of surprise and the typical atmospheric condition that supports the core of flora and fauna has made this Southern Territory a hub of vegetation and home of nature inhabitants. Owing to its organic environment almost 24% of the total land area is covered by the sway of forest and within the dense bushes of such area you would witness around 13 wildlife sanctuaries and 5 national parks which are assigned to protect and preserve the various character of natural world and its entity.

Through this article today we are going to talk about the diversity that lives within the orgasmic ambience of Kerala and would try to illustrate the importance by defining some of the sanctuaries and National parks of the state.

Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary 

PeriyarWildlife Sanctuary
Without a shoe of doubt the Periyar wildlife sanctuary which is located at the hilly area of Western Ghats is amongst the most designated wildlife sanctuary of India. The gesture of nature that sways along with the flow of river Periyar has blessed this animal shelter with all the essential amenities. The walks of the sanctuary which is dominated by the stands of Savannah grassland, evergreen forest and deciduous forest acts as an emulsifier where roughly 265 varieties of birds, 35 species of mammals and numerous varieties of flora nestles to decorate the site.

A walk here would be more than a journey because what you had witnessed in national geographic channel and discovery will come into real picture and those amazing species living at the verge of extinction would welcome you with its all arms of open to understand their origin and nature. Some of the renowned species of wildlife living within the dense vegetation of Periyar are langurs, sambars, wild elephants, boars, flying squirrels, etc.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

KumarakomBird Sanctuary

For bird watchers and ornithologist the walk of Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary would be more than just a dream because a soothing backwater that flows and nurtures the diversity of the Bird sanctuary allows traveler to view the audacity of migratory birds.  Sprawled over an area of around 14 acres the serenity that lives within the sanctuary is disturbed only by the flocks of various birds.

Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary for bird enthusiast is like heaven because an emerald brilliance of Vembanad Lake that flows around its surrounding allows traveler to take backwater trip which in turn would widen their opportunity to get more vivid view of the distinct bird living here.

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

ParambikulamWildlife Sanctuary

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary which is located at the Palakkad district is one of the most sought after wildlife destinations in Kerala. Those challenging hill ranges which is elevated at a height of around 300 to 1438 m above sea level allows traveler to view the surroundings which is lived by tranquility and sophistication. Sprawled over an area of around 285 square kilometer the sanctuary is renowned for its teak plantation and most of the traveler walks here to witness the oldest teak tree which is located within the vast area of the animal shelter.

Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary is amongst the protected wildlife sanctuary and here you would have an opportunity to view some of the renowned species of animals like spotted deers, jungle cats, wild dogs, leopards, sambars, Indian bisons etc.

Lush green environment which is complimented by the series of waterfalls makes this place a true bounty of nature and a journey here would not be tagged just to revere the wildlife but the eternal magnificent that surrounds the site acts as a driving element of the sanctuary.

Eravikulam National Park

EravikulamNational Park

Biodiversity living within this national park commands an elevation which in turn has balanced the ecosystem of the Eravikulam National Park. Nestled within the helms of Idduki district along with the Western Ghats the alluring fauna which is complimented by the Shola grassland has made this protected area the hub of tourist. The scenic location of the National park which is complimented by small tributaries acts as natural ingredients of the park beside that the park comprises the entity of rare species like NilgiriTahr, elephants, tigers, sambars, langurs, and many more.

Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary

PepparaWildlife Sanctuary

The panoramic relief of the wildlife sanctuary which is dominated by the stands of evergreen and deciduous forest makes the sanctuary one of the significant animal shelters of Kerala. The wildlife sanctuary of Peppara which is adorned by the catchment of Peppara dam provides drinking water to the people living within the Thiruvananthapuram city. 

Sprawled over an area of around 53 square kilometer the dense vegetation of the animal shelter is lived by various wildlife animals like tigers, gaurs, panthers, sambars, wild dogs, Malabar squirrels, Nilgiri langurs and many more.

Chenthuruni Wildlife Sanctuary

ChenthuruniWildlife Sanctuary

Chenthuruni Wildlife Sanctuary which is dominated by the transparency of the mountain and the Chenthuruni River are amongst the most scenic and designated wildlife sanctuaries of Kerala. An endowing stream that flows at either side of the sanctuary is surrounded by dense vegetation which in turn has made this animal shelter completely organic and natural.

Within here traveler would have an opportunity to view mild and numerous species of blossoms beside that the availability of scenic surroundings makes this sanctuary amazing and splendid. Walk here to view and understand the glory and behavior of wildlife species like that of tiger, elephants, deer and many more.

Mysterious Skeleton Lake of Roopkund

It was during the call of 1942 much before the draft of India Independence the forest guard of Roopkund discovered the frozen lake which was occupied by the skeletons of the human. He made this astounding discovery within the reach of sea level which measured around 16000 feet.  The horrible scene of skeletons got more intense when summer started melting the density of ice and when it all happened they reveal the skulls and bones of the human floating above the perennial of water.

The moment it punctured the mind of the people an instant postulation thought of remains being the core of the Japanese soldiers who eventually died during their effort to sneak through the border of India. The moment British colonial came to know about Japanese invasion they sent a team of investigator to examine the condition after the careful assessment they discovered that the bones were not of Japanese soldiers.

An examination revealed that the bones found within the edges of the Roopkund Lake were not fresh but rather it was old, hairy and fleshed. It is believed that the preservation of such was carried out by the fresh, dry and cold air.

Over the year researchers could not determine an actual identity of the bones more of all they really had no idea how 200 people were killed within the boundary of the small valley. To explain the cause of such horrible situation many theories were put forward but not of it actually justify the misery of Skeleton Lake.

It was during the call of 2004 the expedition to the site was carried by researchers and they seem to have finally solved the deadlocks related with the mystery of Skeleton Lake. According to their review and research they discovered the ruins of the humans belonged to the days of 850AD and the DNA verification specify that there were two sets of people namely tribal family and porters or guides. During their research they found spears, leather shoes, bamboo staves and rings and according to historians the respective group was heading to perform pilgrimage which evidentially resulted in chaos of lives.

It was shocking to understand that all the bodies were dead in similar fashion and the short deep cracks according to them were not a wounds caused by a weapons. While assessing the skulls and bones they witnessed the wounds were evident only in head and the shoulders.

According to Himalayan women the ancient traditional folk song describes the cause of such brutal and mass killing. They believed that the lyrics defines the outrage of goddess who rained death upon them by bestowing hailstorm which according to them was hard as iron. You would be shock to understand the actual consideration of 2004 research justifies the same cause that killed 200 people.

 It is said that all the 200 people were trapped within an open space and there they had no shelter or roof to prevent such massacre which ultimately resulted in their death. They believe that the hailstorm were of cricket ball sized and were harder than man could imagine it to be.

Degrading Situation of Vembanad Lake

The slender walkways which is very much occupied by those newly structured resorts around the lakes is walked by the women and the children and while carrying their babies around the hips those innocent eyes of a women stares at their fisherman as they light candles and place them perfectly at the wide leaves of Plantain and draws them over the water to celebrate an occasion of World Wetlands Day. 

Vembanad Lake which is considered as one of the most important lakes that supports the base of the ecosystem and drainage area of the three divisions of Kerala sprawls over an area of 200 square kilometer and measures the length of around 96 km.

Traveler must understand that the quest of splendid backwaters of Kerala is complimented by the silent flow of Vembanad as its tranquil flow supports and conserve the rich biodiversity of Kerala under the inter government Ramsar convention.

Its eternal flow is not just designated to enamel the course of nature but its very source recharges coastal aquifers, drives out the pollutants essentials and sedates the entire population that lives around the brilliance of Vembanad.

Those magical backwaters which are accompanied by lush green environment, luminous marine life and fringes of coconut palms relates the composite networks of inland flowing sea water, lagoons, marshes, lakes, rivers and canals that runs down to meet with an eternal flow of Arabian sea.

The waterways you will witness here speaks the glory of ancient times as those walks were the primary infield of the local and international traders but now its lying helpless and silent and only few houseboats cultivates the seeds of tourism which indeed carries the course of pollution.

If you will look at the core of Vembanad than it depicts discontentment as those silent waves hardly remembers the parallels of time. Within an estuary of the eastern bank close to Muhamma one of the houseboat operators named Dilip Kumar said everything is fine we are still scooping prawn from the shore of the lake.

Co-ordinator of Bangalore-based ATREE’s T.D Jojo said that rules on bio-toilet and waste disposal should be checked and monitored which has not been done yet.

To understand the problem first we need to understand the cause which started during the time of 1834 when retrieval of Bed Lake was put into picture to encourage paddy cultivation. During the time of independence people started exploiting the resource to meet their growing demands and by the end of 1984, magnanimous area of land surrounding the lake was exploited which resulted in shrink of lagoon depth by approximately 50% and the same incident caused drainage capacity which got shrink from 2.45 cubic km to just 0.6 cubic km.

Fisherman Ashoka while sharing his words said that before 8 years I used to collect huge numbers of calms within 2 or three hours but at present scenario I have to struggle whole day to collect the sufficient amount of calms. Traveler must understand today they have to search for lake bed to locate clams but there was a time when they used to dive in to scoop it out.

The declining course of Vembanad started when the Thanneermukkom barrage was established during the call of 1975. Barrage allowed local to cultivate paddy within the recovered site of the lake to do the same the shut the lines of Kuttanad from mid-December to end-March. Although this situation is causing problem to fisherman as they want the barrage to remain open to preserve fish breeding.

 Explaining the cause of barrage scientist Jojo explained that Barrage would pose a threat as eggs of the prawns within an estuary along with the baby shrimps are flushed forward by the inward force of the lake with the tidal sea waters. But the barrage has hampered those flows which in turn results in eggs and shrimps getting trapped.
A TREE with its noble cause has step up to help the villagers and they have ensured their plans in accordance to 13 lake protection forums. They are training local people to check the quality of water and to support the initiative 13 fish sanctuaries have come along to set up bamboo poles in circle within the tree branches in between. This process have helped local fishermen and fish to protect the lakes and during this course 13 lake protection forums have taken a direct hand to check the acidity level,  temperature and salinity of water.

They along with A TREE are checking the ratios of dissolved oxygen and total dissolved of solids within the lake to preserve the site.  With this initiative fisherman are now empowered with information which shows positive results.

K.M. Poovu, president of the Kuttanad Samyukta Samiti, said that now we have data and information to save fisherman and fish. The joint forums of farmers and fisherman have helped the people to negotiate with the situation and they have found a middle path to protect both barrage and seawater says farmer Muralidharan of the KSS.

Addressing the matter district collector N. Padmakumar said that our primary prospect is paddy cultivation and if you could see the ratio of farmer and fisherman than it is 10:1. He added by saying recently protest was raised by the locals for violating the course of barrage but such situation won’t help the course of breeding.

Talking about the perennials of Vembanad than it is still not free from chemical offsets which are carried by paddy fields, houseboat, over fishing and sand mining. What’s more interesting and astounding is each and every culprit is trying to escape the situation and blaming each other rather than working together to save the course.

While in Kainakary village which is located at a distance of around of 30 km from the Kuttanadu the president of the panchayat Sudhimotu spoke about lack of drinking water. Although river Pamba slows within the circle but the surrounding pollution have really made the source unhygienic.

Speaking in context of ongoing problem district collector sounded helpless and said I don’t have a magic wand the government should come up with an interest to save the ecological hub of Vembanad.

Velankanni Church and Its Historical Values

Vailankanni is one of the most of visited holy Centers in India. It is a town anchored on the shores of Bay of Bengal. This acclaimed Shrine Basilica of our Lady of Sorrow draws pilgrims from all over the world. Not only Christians but as well the humans of other faiths appear to this Church to adjure at the shrine of ‘Our Lady of health’. Knowing the accent of this town the Pope in the Vatican City has declared Vailankanni as a ‘Holy City’. This Roman Catholic Church has a continued Basilica, which has two floors where one can find the shrine of Jesus Christ.

The Gothic style of architectonics is a different affection of the Church. The church itself is an arty architectonics with alarming architecture. While the buildings have been corrective white roof of the church is fabricated by the tiles with arresting red in adverse to the color of the walls. The ambiance about the shrine is spick and span, radiating the rays of hope and piety.

There is as well a shrine of "Our Lady of Sorrow” where in the sorrowing Mother is depicted accustomed small Jesus in her hand. The building is anchored adverse to the Basilica has an actual wealthy array of exhibits. The adored offerings fabricated by the admirers are on affectation here. Biblical incidents are depicted on both side walls Timings 6.30am to 8.00pm. Festivals are acclaimed actuality with all affectation and animation every year on August 29th the spot of our lady commences with the hoisting. Of the banderole the 10th day ends on the 8th September afterwards the dismounting of the flag.

The devotee who come here and visits this exotic ancient church follows the Hindu tradition of tonsuring their heads and as well perform ear -boring ceremony.  This is a religious centre where Christian, Hindus and Muslims from entire India visit in large numbers and worship in harmony.

Velankanni is lovingly known as the ‘Lourdes of the East’ because like the Lourdes in France, millions of pilgrims visit the shrine, throughout the year, in order to pray ‘Our lady’ of numerous needs and thanking for the favors received through her mediation.

Customs recounts that Mother Mary appeared with the Infant Jesus in this small village at the end of 16^th or in the early 17^th century. Ever since this the small village of Velankanni has become vital destination and almost the fusion of entire Marian Sanctuaries for the pilgrims of the entire world. The masses of the pilgrims come here throughout the year regardless of creeds and languages. Our Lady of Velankanni devotions down through the centuries have proved the shrine to be of divine origin and have assumed international character. Mary, the prime of unity at Velankanni, is a clear evidence of international, religious harmony and multicultural. 

Velankanni

Every people in the entire world are very happy when they are in their best of health and spirit. But God created his pupil with a body and soul. While the body is mortal, the soul, which has been created in the image and likeness of God, is eternal. The very soul of the people is enhanced by God’s grace, which enables him to lead a holy life. Gods intimacy with is creator, by a life of grace, which causes him to enjoy peace and inner joy. There, are however hazards to wreck the joys and happiness along with the well being of peoples in all these three globe of life – his physical, spiritual and social.

Mary our Mother of good health reflects her intense concern for all her children who suffer from numerous kinds of diseases and obtains healing from them her Divine Son. Our Mother Mary places right such shattered relationships when her children approach her for help with total trust in her stronghold intercession. Innumerable are the favors acquired by her devotees, who access her, irrespective of their caste or creed. That is why she is revered in Velankanni as the Mother of Good Health.

Location of Velankanni

Velankanni, a village on the sandy shores of the Bay of Bengal, is amid 350 kilometers south of Chennai (Madras) and 12 kilometers south of Nagappatinam. Nagapattinam, a town on the bank of Bay of Bengal, was referred by first writers and the Portuguese as ‘the city of Coramandel’ (Imperial Gazetteer of India, XIX, 3). Vellayar River, a small branch of the river Cauvery, runs on the south of the village and flows into the sea.

Readers may be anxious to know as they learn that Velankanni, earlier was a Port City and there is much evidence to prove this. Historical notes reveal that people in this area earlier traded with Rome and Greece, the age old commercial centers of the western world. After some time, Nagapattinam expanded and this small commercial centre (Velankanni) slowly and steadily lost its important. 

The exceptional Growth of the Shrine

Renovation of the Shrine

In January 1961, a magnificent central altar, delicately fabricated in spotless white marble, was upright replacing the earlier one made up of concrete cement. The marble shrine adds grandeur to this holy place. The rare porcelain plates and fabrications adjacent the old altar of the chapel has been cautiously retained in their original state. 

The Appearance of the Extension Basilica

The aboriginal Shrine Basilica was unable to board the anytime growing amount of pilgrims. Hence the call arose to enhance the Shrine. A supplement behind the aboriginal Shrine Basilica (160ft by 55ft) was complete on August 18th, 1974. Later, an upper floor was added to the Addendum Basilica. The Addendum Basilica is about a replica of the village acclaimed Marian Shrine at Lourdes in France.

Progressive Growth of the Shrine

From 1963 onwards the Shrine witnessed an accelerated advance in its growth, abundantly due to the Zealous and dynamic priests appointed as Parish Priests or Rectors of the Shrine. In 1963 Very Rev. Fr. Maria Susai took allegation of the Parish of Velankanni. He was the first Tamil priest to do so. This dynamic priest toiled ceaselessly to advance the Shrine of Our Lady in thriving fields.

Some of the Major and Exceptional Constructions Here

·         Our Lady of Health Hospital

·         The Chapel At Our Lady’s Tank

·         The Laying of Granite Stones in the Area Around the Basilica

·         Holy Family Community Hall

·         The New Tonsure Hall

·         The extension of the Museum

·         St. Xavier’s Tourist Halls and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Halls for the Accommodation of Pilgrims

·         St. Luke’s Cottage, the extension of Little Flower

·         Construction of St. John’s Cottage

The Mass Timings of the Shrine

Daily Services

Mornings

05:40 AM Morning Prayer in the Main Shrine

06:00 AM Morning Mass in Tamil in the Main Shrine

07:00 AM Morning Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

08:00 AM Morning Mass in Telugu in the upper Basilica

09:00 AM Morning Mass in Malayalam in the Lower Basilica

10:00 AM Morning Mass in English in the Lower Basilica

11:00 AM Morning Mass in Hindi in the Upper Basilica

12:00 PM Noon Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

Every Evening

06.00 PM Evening Rosary, Litany and Novena Prayer in Tamil followed by Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

Some Prime Weekly Services at Velankanni

Every Saturday

07:00 AM Morning Mass in Tamil at Our Lady’s Tank

05:45 PM Evening Car Procession of Our Lady of Health is held around the Shrine, Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

Every Sunday Morning

07:30 AM Morning Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

Every Sunday Evening

05:00 PM Evening Mass in Tamil for the Parishioners of Velankanni in the Lower Basilica

06:00 PM Evening Rosary, Litany, Novena Prayer, Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica.

The Monthly Services

1^st Friday

06:00 PM Mass in Tamil, Eucharistic Procession around the Shrine, Sermon and Benediction from the front view of the Upper Basilica.

1^st Saturday

05:30 PM Evening A Car Procession of Our Lady of Health through the beach road Blessing of the Sick with the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction and Mass in Tamil in the Lower Basilica

09:00 PM Three-Hours Worship to the Blessed Sacrament in the Main Shrine

2^ND Saturday

09:00 Am Morning, A Fasting Prayer Service from 09:00 AM to 04:00 PM in the Velankanni Madha Retreat House

3^rd Saturday

07:00 AM Morning Intercessory Prayer after the end of the Mass in Our Lady’s Tank

4^th Saturday

06:30 AM Mass in Tamil in the Naduthittu Church

08:00 PM Children’s Good News Gathering in front of the Fathers’ House

Annual Festival of Our Lady of Health

The Annual Feast of Our Lady of Health is celebrated from 29th August to 8th September every year.

How to get Here

Getting here is not at all difficult task as the nearest airport is Tiruchirappali which can be reached by state bus at mere time of 4 hours only. The closest railway station is Nagapattinam which is located only 11 km from the Velankanni. Thus one can easily reach this holy place from any corner of the country.

Tips for a Charismatic and Unforgettable Honeymoon

Honeymoon is the next best thing that occurs in every human’s life after being married. Don’t think that it will be romantic because it’s your honeymoon, do whatever you can to make it more memorable. It is the beginning of new life and it is the time when you can know each other in a much proper way ending in a strong bond.

After the honeymooning period, who know that you may live the life happily or sadly, so here are some tips to make your honeymoon special and unforgettable.

Plan According to the Climatic Conditions: Whether you are visiting a summer hill retreat or a beach destination always make sure to plan according to the climatic conditions of that place. Carry your cloths and backpack according to the weather.   

Make Early Reservations: Reservation is a must before visiting any good place as it remains crowded and horded by numbers of honeymooners and vacationers. Therefore, it is best for you to book the hotel or any other attraction before you visit. 

Budget: We all know that wishes and desires are unlimited, so it’s always better to set a budget for your trip before venturing for your honeymoon if you don’t want to bother your friends with an early phone call which asks them about money. It will also help in managing the small fights between both of you. But make sure to discuss this thing when both of you and your partner being present. Saying all this, carry adequate money and separate some money for uncertain expenses and shopping.     

Dresses: Pack plenty amount of dresses; you can repeat the day dresses but don’t even think of repeating your night dresses. Carry lingerie and night dresses wisely and sumptuously. Carry your dresses according to the climatic conditions of the place you are about to visit for e.g. if the place remains moderate throughout the year then pack some light woolen in winter and light dresses in summer and if the place remains cold then pack some serious warm stuffs in winter and light woolen in summer.  

Activities: Activities are the boosters while on a honeymoon trip. So write down list and include some of the things that you want to relish without being separated with your partner. These include trekking, jungle safari, spa day etc.      

Backpack: The things that you should include in your backpack include nice pair of sunglasses, sun hats, sun block, comfortable shoes and slippers and a camera to capture the best moments of your life.

Surprise:  Women love surprises so does a guy, so if you want to add the extra bit of spice in your honeymooning trip then all you have to do is carry a little gift which meant a lot to your partner. Guy can arrange a candle light dinner in a beach side or on a roof top restaurant and a women can carry something special to surprise your partner.

Stay Happy: The most important of all the tips, stay happy and relish this time fully from the heart. Don’t complain and never let your partner complain by doing any wrong stuff. Be happy and make her/him happy.  

Some Useful Tips Before you Leave:

• Do make sure to carry umbrella and raincoat if you are visiting any place in rainy season, or you can just relish the rain by dancing with the rain.
• Carry all the travel documents
• Make sure to visit the place when you can enjoy the place at its best.
• For women, it is suggested to keep minimal makeover through.
• Dress according to the place you are visiting.

Bonus Tip: Always have an alternative option for staying, it’s better to keep a backup plan for hotels just in case if the booked hotel is not up to the mark which was guaranteed when you booked it.    
It is the time when a boy transforms in to a guy and a girl transforms in to a women, so go on and enjoy happily to make it the most memorable moment of your life. 

Shorten the Distance Between You, Your Girlfriend and Friends: Top 6 Picks

Is there anyone who hasn’t had to face this dilemma? Ok there may be someone who hasn’t had to face this problem but not all of you. There always comes a time in life of everybody when this thing happens.

You may feel sorry for your friends sometimes while on a couple venture or you may feel same thing for your girlfriend while with an outing with friends. Guess what! There are no remedies for this problem as one day or the other you have to come across this truth about life.

No one can provide the curative measures to solve this problem on a whole but here are my top 6 picks for shortening the distances between you, your girlfriend and friends and also making both of them happy so that you live your life happily.

Plan Things Together: Stop making your girlfriend suspicious and arrange an outing or small party where you could introduce your girlfriend to your friends. By doing so, she will be familiarize with your friends and next time if you ask her to get out of for a bachelor outing it’s for sure that she won’t say no if she loves you.

Pay Attention to Both of Them: Attention is a must in both love and friendship. Do not bring your friends while you are busy with your girlfriend and apply same formulae while you are with friends. Building relationship is a steady process and it does not come in a rapid way, you have to go slow and steady to win the race whether it is love or friendship.

Value her Rights: In a year there are many days when you can be with your friends but for a girlfriend some days are bigger than anything like your birthday, her birthday, your anniversary, Valentine’s Day, New Year etc. Ok you can go out on a New Year if your girl allows you to, but I don’t think so.    

Distribute Time: Distribute time or planning ahead of them can save you from possible riot. It is not as difficult and not as easy too, but just keep in mind that distributing time is directly going to improve your relationship with friends as well as girlfriend as it shows how much you care about them. 

Know Their Instincts: It is very important for a guy to know the instincts of both your friends and girlfriends. You know that your girlfriend would not have liked to go with you for watching a football game, it’s not with all the girls but let us consider it. Same goes on with your friends when you take your girlfriends in a Bachelor party every time. Know their nature and tackle with it. It is up to you to know when to take your girlfriend and when to not. 

Bond Them: Your girlfriend can be easy pick for your friends to choose their pair. Organize a party where both your friends and her friends meet. Then just, make them talk if they start talking freely then let them. Next day or the other, you will see both of them pairing which will make your problem easier as all of you can now go to movies or clubs with them.

Follow these simple tips and make your girlfriend and friends happy which will eventually make you happier.

Scheduled Shoot of Bang Bang Cancelled in Kashmir

The shooting of the Hrithik Roshan and Katrina Kaif starrer ‘Bang Bang’ which was scheduled to be shot in the snow flurried hill station of Gulmarg and Dal Lake has been abandoned after the crew members uttered nervousness about the security in the area owing to the consequences of the effecting of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The scheduled shoot was cancelled at the last moment on 15th of March and even the leading stars had have expressed apprehensions over the safety, according to the sources.     

The paradise is witnessing many events at a time including suicide attack after three years, month-long Street campaigning, and a recent attack on the CRPF on the highway linking the Srinagar airport with Gulmarg which can be the possible reasons for this big budget Bollywood biggie to have refused to shoot here. Assistant director for casting, Ashutosh was camping at the Gulmarg Heaven Resort to be joined by the cats and the director.   

The Meadow of Gold hill station which is placed at an expanse of 55 km north of Srinagar was the scheduled spot for filmmaker Siddharth Anand who was planning to shot from the 16th of March. According to a crew member who was camping in Gulmarg for the shooting, the rampant condition made Hrithik and Katrina along with other cast members to reject flying to Srinagar. The cast member told it to the Hindustan Times on the condition of secrecy.

Despite of the worries by the Fox Movies, once the conditions return to normal filmmaker Anand is very enthusiastic to go ahead for the shooting. 

According to the sources, 40% of the movie was scheduled to be shot in the valley including two songs in Pahalgam and Gulmarg and fighting series on the Dal Lake. The shooting was scheduled to be of 45 days for which 40 members from America were planned to aid in the fight series along with the local casts from Kashmir itself for which auditions was carried out in February.


According to Sharath Dhall, president of Online Yatra.com, the pre advance bookings was boosting highly but in the last few weeks the momentum has slowed down, if this continues then it is going to be a bad news for the summer tourism in the valley.  

In past four years, Kashmir was receiving tourists along with directors who were lining to shot their part of the movie in this paradise. The first to heal the wound was ‘Lamhaa’ which was directed by Rahul Dholakia, the entire movie was shot in the valley in 2009 along with the much hyped Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif starrer ‘Jab Tak Hai Jaan’ directed by Yash Chopra which was also shot here partly in 2012. Even director Imtiyaz Ali was glad to shoot a song of the famed Bollywood biggie ‘Rockstar’ starring Ranbir Kapoor in Pahalgam.

The link with Bollywood was proving good for the Kashmir Tourism magnetizing 10 lakh average tourists in a year along with half a dozen of Bollywood big production house visiting the valley last year but all went in vain after the hanging of Afzal Guru which has again started turmoil in the valley.   
 
Jehangeer Ahmad, manager of the hi-end hotel said, “Gulmarg is a premier winter destination and was doing very good business till the hanging, but after that booking went down”.We lost more than 250 night bookings since the hanging, he added.  

With the hanging of Afzal Guru, it was not just the movie shoot was cancelled, but the tourism of Kashmir along with other places within the periphery of state was affected, which led to big loss for tourism of the valley.