World Environment Day 2020: South Africa dehorns dozens of rhinos to prevent lockdown... June 04, 2020 at 07:40PM

As the world marks World Environment Day on Friday, the threat from humans to other species’ survival -- and ultimately our own -- is a growing concern to conservationists.

This cutting-edge technology is likely to make cruise travel safe again June 03, 2020 at 04:47PM

The cruise industry’s first phase of reopening is focusing on small, regional sailing, plying more rivers than oceans. But when the giant ships set sail again, with up to some 8,880 passengers and crew on board, they’ll have to be on the cutting edge of post-pandemic technology.

Chinese Spirits Brand Shede Wins the Three-star Superior Taste Award, a New Record in ITI’s 15-year History June 04, 2020 at 02:18AM

Out of Town Blog
Chinese Spirits Brand Shede Wins the Three-star Superior Taste Award, a New Record in ITI’s 15-year History

BRUSSELS, June 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — On June 2, 2020, the International Taste Institute (ITI, formerly ITQI) officially announced the awards for the evaluation of global food and beverages, one of the most prestigious awards in the industry. In the evaluation for 2020, food and beverages from over 800 producers worldwide were tasted and evaluated, of which only 325 were granted the world-renowned three-star Superior […]

Chinese Spirits Brand Shede Wins the Three-star Superior Taste Award, a New Record in ITI’s 15-year History
Melo Villareal

Australia to restart flights to New Zealand June 04, 2020 at 02:32AM

Canberra Airport opened a register for travelers interested in flying from the Australian capital to New Zealand on July 1 in a proposed resumption of international travel.

Inside Chennai’s Nawabi Bastion June 04, 2020 at 02:30AM

I love being a tourist in Chennai, where I was born, and have spent most of my life. Triplicane (the anglicised version) or Thiruvallikeni (which in Tamil means the sacred lily ponds), is one of the oldest localities in Chennai—a multicultural neighbourhood, with the sacred 8th-century Parthasarathy temple, as well as the Big Mosque, sharing space companionably. Today it’s a crowded quarter, famous for its many bookshops and mansions that offer cheap rooms for bachelors.

I am on a heritage walk led by local historian and documentary filmmaker Kombai S. Anwar, who starts by explaining the history of the area. “It all started with the siege of the Gingee Fort by Aurangzeb for six long years, in the war with the Marathas, when the Mughal Emperor appointed Zulfikar Ali, the first Nawab of the Carnatic in 1692,” he says. The Nawab established a camp in Arcot between the Krishna and Kaveri rivers. He was succeeded by six Nawabs, and this led to a power centre being formed in South India.

The most famous Nawab was Muhammad Ali Wallajah, a secular ruler who donated land to churches and temples and commissioned the Madrasa-E-Azam Islamic school in Anna Salai.

Since 1876, Amir Mahal has been the hereditary home of the Nawabs. Photo by: Kalpana Sunder

Anwar welcomes our group with a bottle of attar. He tells us how Chennai has Muslims who are ethnically very diverse and speak different languages other than Urdu, and that he is a Tamil-speaking Muslim. As we walk beside the crumbling walls of red-bricked buildings, he tells us about how Nawab Muhammad Ali Wallajah built the famous Chepauk Palace, over a sprawling 117 acres, where the River Cooum joined the Bay of Bengal, in 1764. When he built the palace, the neighbouring area of Triplicane developed into the residences of the nobles, and others working for the Nawab: as many as 20,000 North Indian Muslims, who spoke Urdu, moved here.

The palace was built out of lime mortar and red brick and designed by East India Company engineer Paul Benfield with two blocks, the southern block housing the private quarters called Kalas Mahal and the northern block with the Durbar Hall called Humayun Mahal. We walk past crumbling walls with plants sprouting out of bricks, intricate jharokha windows, wide arches, latticed balconies and cupolas.

The old quarter of Triplicane is crowded with bookstores and old mansions. Photo by: Dinodia Photo /The Image Bank Unreleased / Getty Images

From here we amble towards Wallajah Mosque on Triplicane High Road, also called the Big Mosque, built in the Mughal style. This is Chennai’s oldest mosque dating back to 1795, built completely out of granite. Inside the large hall, is a chronogram written in Persian, which helps in dating the year of construction of the mosque. From the mosque we see a stately building with blue window shutters and stained glass—this was once the Consulate of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, started by a family in the indigo trade. Today, the heritage building is the Broadlands hotel with old-fashioned rooms and age-old punkahs. After the death of the last Nawab, the British took over the ruling family’s properties as they were heavily in debt, and finally consented to give them the title of ‘Prince of Arcot.’ We walk through a tree-lined avenue with sleek Victorian cannons, to arrive at the stately Amir Mahal, the hereditary home of the Nawabs in Zam Bazaar area. The Nawabs moved here in 1876, and it’s been their home ever since. We walk through this time capsule, lined with sofas and glittering chandeliers, porcelain vases, memorabilia from large wooden howdahs and vintage palanquins, past a winding wooden staircase to the upstairs Durbar Hall, where huge oil paintings of the Nawabs grace the walls. We end our walk in Mylapore, today a predominantly Tamil Brahmin area with the famous Kapaleeshwarar Temple, and the water tank in front of it. However, not many know that the temple was influenced by Chennai’s former Muslim royalty. The land for the tank was donated to the temple by the Nawabs of Arcot. In return for that generosity, every year, on the 10th day of Muharram, Muslim faithfuls are allowed to dip their sacred symbol of the hand in the waters of the tank.

 

To read our archive of issues dating all the way back to 2012, head to Magzter or our new National Geographic Traveller India app here. 

European Union (EU) Family gives a cultural treat to Pinoy Youth this Weekend June 04, 2020 at 01:32AM

Out of Town Blog
European Union (EU) Family gives a cultural treat to Pinoy Youth this Weekend

Manila, Philippines — Pinoy children and youth are in for a special cultural treat this weekend on Friday 5 June at 10:30 a.m. and on Saturday 6 June at 8pm through the FB page of the EU Delegation to the Philippines. The European Union Delegation to the Philippines together with the Embassies of Czech Republic, […]

European Union (EU) Family gives a cultural treat to Pinoy Youth this Weekend
Melo Villareal

SEAT SALE ALERT: AirAsia returns to the skies with promo fares from as low as P538 June 04, 2020 at 01:20AM

Out of Town Blog
SEAT SALE ALERT: AirAsia returns to the skies with promo fares from as low as P538

MANILA, Philippines – AirAsia is once again offering its famous promo fares as it gradually resumes services in the Philippines beginning 5 June following the Philippine government’s directive of easing community quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila and several parts of the country. The resumption of services will initially be for key domestic routes with promotional […]

SEAT SALE ALERT: AirAsia returns to the skies with promo fares from as low as P538
Melo Villareal

Curate a truly exquisite wedding celebration at The St. Regis Macao June 03, 2020 at 11:54PM

Out of Town Blog
Curate a truly exquisite wedding celebration at The St. Regis Macao

MACAO, June 4, 2020,/PRNewswire/ — An exquisite wedding celebration awaits couples at The St. Regis Macao, Cotai Strip, with a selection of exclusive wedding packages and offers available at the 99th Hong Kong Wedding Fair Expo, incorporating Beauty & Fitness 2020. With The St. Regis Macao taking part in the Hong Kong Wedding Fair Expo […]

Curate a truly exquisite wedding celebration at The St. Regis Macao
Melo Villareal

After three months of Covid-19 lockdown, no crowds delight art lovers in Italy at... June 03, 2020 at 09:25PM

The Uffizi Galleries, the most-visited museum in Italy, is open after three months of COVID-19 lockdown, delighting art lovers who don’t have to jostle with throngs of tourists thanks to new social distancing rules.

Light Rail Manila Corporation rolls out thermal screening system at LRT-1 stations June 03, 2020 at 09:23PM

Out of Town Blog
Light Rail Manila Corporation rolls out thermal screening system at LRT-1 stations

Manila, PHILIPPINES – As part of its serious commitment to enforce health and safety measures against COVID-19, the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has deployed new thermal cameras at select high-traffic LRT-1 stations for use in entry screening. LRT-1 resumed its operations last 1 June 2020 after receiving the green light from the government under […]

Light Rail Manila Corporation rolls out thermal screening system at LRT-1 stations
Melo Villareal