Category: Travel

** India to display relics of St. Ketevan

A part of them were gifted to Georgia on July 10; another part remains in Goa.

Almost 400 years after she was murdered in present day Iran, relics of St. Queen Ketevan that were found in Goa in 2005 are likely to be put on display in India as well as her native Georgia, according to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) officials.

Queen Ketevan was killed in 1624 in Shiraz for not converting to Islam and parts of her remains were brought to Goa by Augustinian monks. Revered as a martyr, her relics remained lost till 2005 as the St. Augustine Church collapsed in 1842, another official said. A DNA analysis by the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, confirmed their authenticity in 2013.

** Nitin Gadkari inaugurates 16 projects in Manipur

he projects include a ₹45-crore RCC bridge over the Makru river in Tamenglong district.

Mr. Gadkari read out some of the projects and said funds had been sanctioned.

Mr. Biren said the bridge over the Barak river would be completed by September and the third bridge over the Irung river was likely to be completed by December this year.

** Man climbs Mount Everest within 7 weeks of recovering from Covid-19

Neeraj Chaudhary tested positive for Covid-19 on the day he was to start from Kathmandu for Mount Everest.

But that did not deter the IIT Delhi alumnus who returned to the base camp within weeks of his recovery and ultimately managed to hoist the institution’s flag, besides the tricolour, atop the summit.

** Greeks bearing gifts: Understanding the history of Indo-Greek cuisine

Alexander the Great would be pleased with London-based Indian cuisine mogul Arjun Waney whose brand portfolio reads like the Debrett of fine dining—Zuma, Roka, La Petite Maison, The Arts Club, Il Baretto, Oblix at The Shard and Coya.

One of his vast global holdings is Meraki, a salute to Greek cooking in Fitzrovia, in the heart of London, which opened in 2017 and is still going strong.

** Telugu-origin Sirisha Bandla to join Richard Branson on Virgin Galactic’s next flight to space

Sirisha Bandla’s zeal to learn more about space led her to pursue Bachelors of Science degree in aeronautical/astronautical engineering from Purdue.

** 4,000-year-old settlement found during Odisha excavation

Archaeologists encounter distinct traces of three cultural phases at the excavation site at Durgadevi village

The Odisha Institute of Maritime and South East Asian Studies (OIMSEAS), an archaeological wing of the State government, has discovered a 4,000-year-old settlement and ancient artifacts in Balasore district.

After uncovering traces of fortified early historic sites near Balasore town, the OIMSEAS had sought permission from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to document the site at the Durgadevi village in Remuna tehsil.

** Comprehensive guide to South Indian wildlife launched

Naturalists Surya Ramachandran and David Raju talk about their latest book that covers 2,000-odd species endemic to South India

When David Raju shadowed dragonflies as a child in his hometown in Kottayam, Kerala, little did anyone realise his fascination for insects would become his profession.

“A wildlife enthusiast spoke at my college and I realised I knew so many species by sight even though I didn’t know their names. It piqued my interest and I began hanging around at Nature clubs to learn more,” says David Raju, 35, discussing his foray into the world of wild animals.

** Udupi cuisine becomes India’s weapon of choice to extend soft-power in Asia

Udupi cuisine is taking Hong Kong by storm as Asian residents in the gleaming metropolis and beyond bite into India’s spicy south Indian delicacies, which are extending India’s soft-power across the globe.

** Chandrayaan instrument helps unravel the mysteries of solar corona

An instrument on board India’s Chandrayaan-2 mission has provided outstanding science results on the solar corona and heliophysics, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said.

Though we have a fairly good understanding of the origin of energy and other various aspects of the Sun, several potentially life-changing phenomena still remain a mystery, notes the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency.