may issue of sangamam times

8/14/2019 May Issue of Sangamam Times

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Mother is the most beautiful word on the lips of mankind, said Kahlil Gibran. Each one of us is fortunate to have a great

mother who relentlessly worked over time in mothering, pampering, spoiling, and loving unconditionally. According to Chi-nese belief, there is only one pretty child in the world and every mother has it. That statement encompasses the enormouslove that every mother feels for her offspring. When we think of our own mother, what is the first thought that occurs in our

mind? Her face, smile, gait or her food? As a baby, the first face that we see and the first touch that we begin to notice is of ourmother. Her days and nights were spent nursing, carrying and cleaning of our diapers. Cleaning diapers extended to toilettraining and nursing soon gave way to showing of the moon while feeding Pappu with tons of ghee. Our School started andshe experienced her first anxiety pangs.

Personally, Class 1 for me was a year of surprises. I saw my mother in two forms. One was an extremely worried mom when Ibroke my leg. The second was that of a relentless slave driver who made me study 24x7 even during summer vacation whileevery other kid played, for I failed class 1 because of lack of attendance. My mother Kameswari was so anxious that yourstruly would have to repeat class 1 (which in the Jandhyala family is unacceptable), that she visited all the temples that were inthe near vicinity. My summer holidays that year were a nightmare. It was all study and no play at all. Thanks to my mothersprayers, I passed my re-examination with flying colors and thus became the best daughter that any mother could have! Thank God! I passed that exam and was promoted to class 2! I owe my 1st class triumph truly to my amazing MOM!

Mothers change their expectations and roles as their kids grow. Their showers of love turn into pangs of anxiety. The examresults of their kids become the focal point of their lives. Comparisons with cousins and peers become their second nature.Mothers of teenagers know nothing and teenagers of course know everything. Mothers of college going kids become the un-paid police force of the family and very comfortably assume the duties of night watch women and phone monitors. Mothers of married children worry about sons losing weight because of their daughters-in-laws cooking. Those same mothers chew theirlips with tension while daughters are left behind in the sons-in-laws house. Mothers become grandmothers and soon self ap-point themselves to the advisory board of raising kids. To put it in a nutshell, Pears. S. Buck rightly said some are kissingmothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together.

A day honoring mothers celebrated in many places around the world is Mothers Day. Mothers often receive gifts on this day.It is interesting to note the origins of this holiday. In Ancient Greece, this day emerged from a custom of Mother Worship toRhea, Mother of Greek Gods. In Ancient Rome, this day was dedicated to Cybele, the earth mother. In the United States, it iscelebrated on the second Sunday of May. In 1907, Anna Jarvis started a crusade to found a Memorial Day for women. The firstsuch Mothers day was ce lebrated in Grafton, West Virginia, on 10 May 1908. In 1914, President Woodrow Wilson declaredthe First National Mothers Day. Mothers Day continues to this day to be one of the most commercially successful U.S. occa-

sions. In most countries including India, Mothers Day is a new concept copied fromwestern civilization. In Telugu this day is called Thalli Kosam. This yearMothers Day falls on 11 th of May.

While Mothers day is being celebrated on 11th

of May, in this issue, we have de-cided to throw light on our own unique mother of triplets - Niraja. Her delivery of triplets, her trials, her joy, and her triumph in raising three angels Akhila, Madhuri,and Pallavi. To all our mothers and to us (lady readers), we wish a Happy MothersDay!

The second unique feature is profiling Rajaram and Vijayas journey of love. Theyare the only ones amongst our classmates whove married a fellow Nirmala graduate.This issue includes Dr. Kavita, with her article on health, Prof. Sainath on overcom-ing hurdles, Ravis travelogue on Bangkok, and finally Haris wishes. We hopeSangamam Times truly captures your attention and inspires you all to attend thereunion in Vijayawada on 26 th & 27 th July, 08.

MATRU DEVO BHAVA - Vidya Tadanki

Contributors:

Vidya Tadanki

[email protected]

Ravi kumar.Bobba-

[email protected]

Niraja Dorbala-

[email protected]

Kavita Paruchuri-

[email protected]

Hari-

[email protected]

Rajaram and Vijaya-

[email protected]

Sainath-

[email protected]

Sangamam Times

May 2008Volume 1 Issue 2

Inside This Issue

A Milestone Called 2Motherhood

Health Watch 3-4

Against All Odds 5

Hearty Stuff 6

Life is Love Live It 7

About Thailand 8-11

Travelogue 11-12


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Ask any child and it will proudly declare: My mother knowseverything! And why not motherhood is perhaps a uniqueschool exclusively meant for women. It imparts an educationfor shaping a life and making afuture. Find out what our friendNiraja has to say about her own wonderful experience of beingthe proud mother of triplets.

'Having a baby is a step in anunending series of transforma-tions for women'. I cannot agreemore with this statement as itgoes to the heart of my ownprocess of experiencing mother-hood.

I am the proud mother of 3lovely girls. They are actually triplets. This is a rare phe-nomenon to most folks. But Iconsider myself blessed since Ihad to undergo the pangs of delivery only once. I am surethe curiosity bug has bitten youand you are wondering how Imanaged to do that. Actually, Ihad undergone a medical proc-ess called In Vitro Fertilization(IVF) treatment. The kids were born at 36 weeks weighing al-most 4 pounds each and they were in the ICU only for a day.They were so much like theirmother!

To tell the truth, we were notexpecting triplets. It was there-fore quite a shock to hear thenews and it took us a couple of months to get used to the ideaof managing three kids at onetime! We even visited the Neo-natal care to get ourselves pre-pared for preemies. I can writepages and pages regarding my experiences but I do not want to bore you all with those details.My lovely husband helped meout the first six months. Butlittle did I know that this wasgoing to last for 6 months only.(Ha ha ha)! As all the mothersknow, babies need feeding oncein about 3 hours in the begin-

ning. My husband would helpme with one feeding sessionduring the night. Each feed-ing session took about half anhour. So there was only maybe an hour for me to relax between the sessions, notforgetting the diaper changesrequired in between! Sounds busy . but I did not have aspare moment to think aboutall this at that time. My mother in-law was with us fora month so I was spared thechore of cooking for the fam-ily and could spend my timetaking care of the kids. Feed-ing and changing were doneat the same time for all thethree kids to ensure that I didnot miss any one!

Having ababy is a stepin an unend-ing series of

transforma-tions forwomen More credit has to go to my parents. My dad used to drop by almost every day from work for an hour and spendtime with the kids. That wasthe time I could truly relax. And on the weekends my mother was there cleaning thehouse and helping me with

the laundry.

In the first month I used to tiecolored ribbons on the wristsof the kids after feeding toremind me that they were fed. After that I got used to tellingthem apart which meant I didnot have to depend on col-oured bands anymore! Peo-ple tell me that it must beeasier now that they are

grown up. It is never easy forparents at any stage; every stage has its own tests andtribulations. We need toadapt and improvise. I gotused to feeding two kids at atime after a couple of months.So I used to put one of them(Pallavi) in the swing (whichshe loved) and after feedingthe other two (Akila and Mad-huri) I used to feed her. Atsix month they got used toholding the bottle and so Iused to just prop the bottle which was a further relief.Mixing the milk was a bigtask. I used to mix all themilk for feeding in the day-time at one go and another lotfor the night. There were 21 bottles (7 each) which neededto be boiled and dried out. It was like a factorys assembly line with all the bottles linedup, measured powder pouredin each, then water added andfinally the mixture stirred up.I was so happy when they turned one year because itmeant I did not have to do allthat any more.

I had and still have my ownshare of difficulties with 3kids. But I would not tradethe love and joy that they bring me for anything in this world. They are almost 12 years of age now and I hope I will be echoing the same sen-

timents in future. After you have a baby, youmay be surprised by the way you perceive the peoplearound you. You might find yourself becoming more in-terested in the community of women than you were in thepast. Motherhood does haveits moments!

A Milestone Called Motherhood Niraja Dorbala

Sangamam Times

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Health Watch Dr. Kavita Paruchuri

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Volume 1 Issue 2

I am a practicing Anesthesiologist; attached to a cor-

porate hospital in Hyderabad. I do a lot of Plastic sur-gical and orthopedic work. Being married to a PlasticSurgeon and having done a lot of cosmetic surgeries, Ithought something about cosmetic surgery would bemore interesting to you guys. When I said done a lotof surgeries what I actually meant was I administeredanesthesia to those patients and counsel them. (Believeme some patients are very tensed up before surgery)

What is anesthesia? This term was coined in the firstcentury AD to describe some numbing effects caused

by a plant. The Encyclopedia Britannica describes An-esthesia as a 'defect in sensation'.

The Encyclopedia Britannicadescribes Anesthesia as a'defect in sensation'It can be described as a sleeplike state that makes pos-sible painless surgery.Anesthetic practices date from ancient times, yet theevolution of the specialty began only in the mid nine-

teenth century and only became firmly established lessthan six decades ago.

Anesthesia has been included in general medical prac-tice only after William Morton publicly administeredether to Gilbert Abbott on 16 October 1846 at Massa-chusetts General Hospital Boston.16 October happensto be world anesthesia day.

Before anesthesia, surgery was a terrifying last resort,a final attempt to save life. Few operations were per-formed. Patients were held strapped down, somefainted, and many died.Anesthesia allowed surgeons to take more time to bemore accurate and under take more complex proce-dures to save lives.

Today anesthesiologists are highly trained and skilledphysicians who provide a wide range of patient care.

They often run high dependency ICUs. They are in-volved in abolishing pain during child birth andemergency medicine, resuscitation, major accidentcare etc.

Anesthesia is now very safe with almost nil mortal-ity. This credit goes to our biomedical engineerswho have brought out sophisticated monitoring tech-niques. With all these modern gadgets any complica-tions related to anesthesia are drastically broughtdown. But as we teach our juniors the best monitorin this world is the anesthesiologist.

Any patient coming in for surgery is carefully moni-tored by a competent person and never left alone. Iwill explain in brief few procedures of cosmetic sur-gery.

The branch of cosmetic surgery is one of the young-est surgical branches. For those of you on the otherside of the equator news about cosmetic surgerymust be fairly common. Hearing about Liposuction,Tummy tucks and nose jobs is not something new. Iwill briefly describe it in the Indian scenario.

Beauty & Wellness has been so much on everyonesmind now as it had never been before. We have beenpracticing for over a decade now and the number of patients coming in for cosmetic procedures has in-creased by about four times. Its like no body wantsto age.

The most commonly asked procedures in India areRhinoplasty or Nose jobLiposuctionTummy tuck Face lifts thank fully none of us is in that age

group)

I will give a brief description of Liposuction.

Liposuction is a procedure for men &women thatcan help sculpt the body by removing unwanted fatfrom specific areas like abdomen, hips, buttocks,thighs, calf, upper arms, chin, cheeks, and neck.


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Sangamam Times

THE SURGERY

Fat is removed through a small cannula (tube) insertedthrough one or more small incisions, placed near the area tobe suctioned. These incisions, which are about 4cm long, areplaced in such a way that they are hidden. The cannula isconnected to a suction device to aspirate excess fat in a pre-cise manner. Sometimes the fat is reinjected in other areas toimprove the contours. There are many refinements and varia-tions in liposuction. The surgeon chooses the best techniquesuited for a given patient.

BEST CANDIDATES

People with an almost normal weight with firm elastic skin,who have pockets of excess fat in certain areas and who areotherwise physically healthy, psychologically stable and re-alistic in their expectations. It may benefit marginally over-weight individuals, in reducing weight and motivating themto further reduce weight. But this is not a procedure forweight reduction.

ANAESTHESIA

Type of anesthesia depends upon the extent of liposuction.

For small volume liposuction, local anesthesia with sedationsuffices. It can be done as a day care procedure.

General anesthesia is required for large volume liposuction.A hospital stay of one or two days is required.

BEFORE SURGERY

It is necessary to discuss in detail the following issues:a) Combining other minor aesthetic procedures.b) Your complete medical historyc) Desire to further lose weight and to undergo other aes-thetic procedures like tummy tuck and liposuction of arms.

AFTER SURGERY

The following minor inconveniences may be experienced:#Pain, swelling, bruising, loss of sensation of that area,numbness.#you will be required to wear a pressure garment for about 3-4 weeks.#you will be advised to under take strenuous exercise afterabout 2 weeks.

DURATION OF RESULTS

Health Watch (Continued)During liposuction the surgeon removes fat tissue which has a numberof fat cells. The fat cell mass that was removed does not regenerate,so the results are permanent. However the remaining cells can con-tribute to increase in weight if not maintained by diet and exercise.

As I have already explained, Liposuction is not a procedure for weightreduction.We always ask our patients to get active and lose as much weight asthey can before they come for surgery. Definitely a high degree of motivation is required, but its your body and your life. So investingin just a pair of walking shoes is all that is required. Then give your-self 30min thrice a week before you seek a Plastic Surgeons services.

I hope I have given an insight into what actually happens in operationtheatres. I conclude and if any of you need any information regardingany surgeries or any advice regarding whom to approach please let meknow.


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Volume 1 Issue 2

Against All Odds Sainath A few months back, I had to visit the district headquarters at Anantapur,

Andhra Pradesh, on some personal work. I had just boarded the bus on

my return journey when I heard a voice ask me, "Excuse me, can I take

the seat next to you?" I looked up and saw that it was a young girl of

about 18 years. She was evidently going back home after college. I

moved over and she sat down. She recognized the ensign of my Univer-

sity and started grilling me about various matters related to the field of

education.

I then noticed that we had already passed the town and were way out-

side the outer limits. Unable to resist, I asked her where she was going

to disembark. She told me a village's name and I could not but help

feeling surprised. It was a clean 50 Km. from her college! A rough calcu-

lation showed me that she had to leave house almost at 6.00 A.M. every

morning, take the return bus at about 5.00 P.M. and would not be home

before 7.00 P.M in the evening!

How did she put up with the rough schedule? Did she not find it taxing

on her ability to study? "On the contrary," she told me. "I find the chal-

lenge to be a stimulant enough. You see, I want to make something out

of my life. I have seen how my parents have struggled to make me come

to this stage, how much they have supported me. I owe at least this

much to them."

I felt very humble sitting next to her. Often in life, we take so many things for granted. All the while, out there, there are people to whom life

is a constant saga of struggle and strife. In truth, who is really the victor

and who is the one who has lost? Contrary to what most people imagine,

our defeats are born from within us itself. Thomas Alva Edison was once

asked as to how he treated his failures. The famous reply was. There

are no failures only steps to the ultimate success.

Stories of success are invariably scripted by people who admit that ob-

stacles are a part and parcel of life and still plough on with what needs

to be done. Self motivation is the key that opens the doors to working

great miracles. I recollect one incident that took place when we were on

our annual Village service program. We had bounced along country tracks and non-existent roads on a trac-

tor that ruthlessly threw us around in space as we hung on for dear life,

before depositing us into a village - Siddapuram. As we coaxed our bat-

tered bodies back into a semblance of working condition, the revenue

official who accompanied us revealed something startling.

Sir, this village is totally liquor and tobacco free he announced.

What? we all exclaimed. How is that possible?

Just to give you all a feel of our astonishment here is what some rudimentary

research threw up. Tobacco consumers in India constitute almost 17% (about

180 millions) of the global consumers. In 1996, almost 800,000 people died

in India from tobacco related diseases; there were 150,000 cases of cancer,

4.2 million cardio-vascular diseases and 3.7 million chronic respiratory dis-

eases the same year (Yach and Derek; Tobacco consumption in India; Jour-

nal of Public Health Policy, 2003 ). It is also estimated that about 20% of

Indians consume liquor in some form. The number of people consuming

alcohol in India is about 1 in every 20 ( The Globe, Issues 3 & 4, 2001).

The official smilingly referred us to the village headman who explained the

details to us. Nobody in the village minded a bit of a swig of country liquor

once in a while. But there was one sod who drank like a fish and soon had to

kick the bucket with liver cirrhosis. Being a closely knit community, they saw

how his widow had to suffer with her children and decided that they would

no longer touch liquor or allow it to be entertained in their village. Later on,

when the damages of smoking and chewing tobacco were shown to them,

they added tobacco too to the list of banned items.

The beauty of the whole story was that this principle was totally self imposed

and conducted without anybody administering it. I asked them if it was not

difficult to follow it. It certainly is, replied the headman.

But ever since we gave up on liquor and tobacco, we are able to save much

money. Now we have built our own community hall and also have made our

own school building without depending on the government. We are waiting

for a teacher to teach our children. He further clarified that the saved money

clearly gave a better quality of living and the people were beginning to see the

difference in their lives. So they voluntarily kept away from this stuff.

The first victory, like the very first point in the charter of Alcoholics Anony-

mous (AA), is more of a moral victory and is accomplished by recognizing

what constitutes a debilitating influence in our lives or by recognizing what

can be a catalyst for a better quality of life. The great sportsman Michael

Jordan is known to have believed that the odds are always going to be

stacked against us when we set out to achieve something. Self control and

determination are perhaps the only weapons and tools that one needs to fight

against these odds, with oodles of patience and perseverance thrown in. Fal-

ling is an agreeable option, but accepting failure is not.

I find no better way to end this essay than by recollecting for all of us, the last

paragraph from an inspiring poem (The Winners Creed) which was hung in

the locker room of our University cricket team. It perhaps sums up the right

attitude to imbibe when facing the odds:

Lifes battles do not always goTo the fastest, fittest or strongest man.Sooner or later the one who wins isHe who says: Yes, I can.


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Hearty Stuff from HAR iT.

Page 6

Sangamam Times

Good Morning...!!!

Sweet things are easy 2 buy,But sweet people are difficult to find.Life ends when u stop dreaming, hope endswhen u stop believing,Love ends when u stop caring,Friendship ends when u stop sharing.So share this with whom ever u consider afriend.To love without condition... ......... .........To talk without intention... ......To give without reason...... ......

And to care without expectation. ......is theheart of a trueFriend.......


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I am reminded of a par-

ticular tender momentfrom the 1989 Hollywood

blockbuster comedy

When Harry met Sally.

The character of Harry

Burns meets Sally Albright

and declares, I came be-

cause when you realize

you want to spend the rest

of your life with some- body, you want the rest of

your life to start as soon

as possible. It always

sounded to me as one of

the most memorable thing

you can tell someone you

love.

Well, we are giving below an account of some real

candid and tender things a

lovely couple has to say

about each other. Rajaram

and Vijaya have been hap-

pily married for 14 years

now and are clearly bask-

ing in mutual admiration

for each other. SangamamTimes presented them

with a questionnaire con-

taining 14 questions one

for each anniversary they

celebrated together - and

requested them to re-

spond. Find out what they have

to say!

1) What is the single most thingthat you like about Vijaya/Rajaram?

V: Rajaram is funny and very easy going.

R: Vijaya is very straightforward and tells you what is ex-actly on her mind.

2) When did cupid strike you both?

No Idea....May be when we were in class ten.

3) When did you decide to getmarried?

When we did not have achoice....

4) What is Rajaram's strengthand Vijaya's strength?

Each Other....

5) For how long have you knowneach other before taking theplunge?

I cannot remember, Iguess it is Thaaat Loooong.....

6) The most memorable moment

When Nathan was born...

7) Give us your birthdays

Rajaram: 11/09/67..

Vijaya 10/10/68

8) Favorite destination for en-

joying a holiday

Haven't come across that place...Yet....

9) How do you relax after a stressful holiday?By taking one more holiday...:)))

10) Your marr iage date?

12/04/1994

11) Who chose your son's name?

We both did. We named him Nathan....

12) Who is the boss in the house?

I guess we both are...

13) What is the secret of your happiness?

Ignoring each other and yelling at eachother....

14) Any message to other married couples?

Life is toooo Short....Have fun & Understand

each other....

Life is Love Live It Rajaram & Vijaya

Page 7

Volume 1 Issue 2

The Happy Family


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Sangamam Times

I. Introduction to Thailand and Thai Culture

After working for 5 years in Abu Dhabi, I decided to shift to Bangkok. Bangkok has the reputation of being a bad place

for kids to grow up in. However, after staying here for 3 years, I can say with confidence that my decision to shift was not

that bad.

Let me start with briefly writing about Thailand. The country's official name was Siam and was later renamed as Thai-

land (Land of free) and officially called as Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok is the main centre and capital city of Thai-

land. Most of the Thais (except in Bangkok) will call their capital city Bangkok as Krung Thep (City of Angels).

Since the political reform of the absolute monarchy in 1932, the form of government has ranged from military dictator-

ship to electoral democracy; but all governments have acknowledged a hereditary monarch as the head of state. Currently it is His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej King Rama IX. Buddhism is the national religion of Thailand and a major-

ity of Thai citizens (95%) follow the same. However, there is absolute freedom for other religions including Muslim,

Christianity, Hinduism or Sikhism. For example one of the most famous temples is Wat Khaek Silom or Sri Mahamari-

amman Temple, dedicated to Goddess Uma, consort of Shiva. It was built around 1879 by a group of Indians and is

popular even with the Thais.

The Buddhist religion is considered sacred by Thais. Monks, temples, and Buddha images are everywhere and we should

treat them with great respect. One of the most distinctive Thai customs is the wai, which is similar to the Indian namaste

gesture. On the other hand, a notable social norm of touching someone on the head may be considered rude.

It is very difficult to survive without learning Thai in Thailand. However I have managed to survive by learning just a few

words. I have shared them below for your benefit!

II. Places to Visit in Ba ngkok

Wat Phra Kaew, Temple of the Emerald Buddha: This is Thailand's most important and sacred tem-ple. It houses the tiny (60 and 75 cm) Emerald Buddha, which is located high above the heads of

hello sawadee (krup/ka) you khun

how are you sabai dee mai (rising tone) he, she, they kao

im fine sa-bai dee us, we rao

thank you kharb khun what is your name khun chuu a-ra i

bye bye sawadee yes/no chai/mai chai

see you again pob gan mai (rising tone) youre welcome yin dee

excuse me / sorry khar toort welcome to yin dee tawn rap

I, me phom (male) dee chan (female) or simply chan never mind mai pen rai

About Thailand Ravi

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Volume 1 Issue 2

the worshippers and tourists. It's thought to have been made in the 15th century. The 'robe'adorning the Emerald Buddha is changed 3 times each year by the King himself, at the start of each season: A diamond encrusted gold robe during the hot season, a solid gold robe in the cool

season and a gilded monk's robe in the rainy season. Also in the compound is the Royal Pan-theon, housing statues of the first seven kings of the reigning Chakri dynasty (Rama I - Rama VII). The Pantheon is open only on April 6th, the anniversary of the founding of this dynasty. After exiting Wat Phra Kaew, one enters the adjoining Grand Palace .

The Grand Palace: Despite its proximity to Wat Phra Kaew, there is a distinct contrast in style between the two. TheGrand palace has more of a European inspired design with the roof being an exception. The Grand Palace is nowa-

days used only for occasional ceremonial purposes and is no longer the royal residence.

Wa t Pho: This place is mainly famous for the huge Reclining Buddha statue it houses. At 20 acres, it is the largest Wat

in Bangkok, and is technically the oldest too, as it was built around 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand's

capital. The highly impressive gold plated reclining Buddha is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and is designed toillustrate the passing of the Buddha into nirvana. The feet and the eyes are engraved with mother-of-pearl decora-

tion, and the feet also show the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha. The large grounds of Wat Pho

contain more than 1000 Buddha images in total, most from the ruins of the former capitals Ayuthaya and Sukhothai.

The grounds are split in two by Chetuphon road. The northern section is generally the only one most people go to,

and it includes a large bot (temple hall), enclosed by 394 bronze Buddha images. Outside the bot, there are 152 mar-

ble slabs depicting the second half of the epic Ramakian (our own Ramayana).

Thai Massage : Thai massage is quite famous all over the world. Wat Pho also houses Thailand's first university

and center for traditional Thai massage. If you want to experience traditional Thai massage, this is probably the

best place available and is highly recommended, though be aware that it's not exactly a gentle experience!

Floating Market: Totally chaotic, small canals are filled with flat boats piled with fresh fruits / vegetables each jockey-

ing for position and paddled by ladies ready to stop and bargain at a moments notice!

III. Places to Visit around B angkok

Pattaya: Pattaya is a popular resort 150 km south-east of Bangkok and most famous for beaches and for all kind of

sports. However, some of the beaches are lackluster and rampant over-development has long since destroyed any

natural charms they once held. Most are within a 2.5 hours drive from Bangkok and 1-2 nights stay is recommended

for sightseeing . Main places of attraction are Underwater world pattaya, Institute of Marine Science Aquarium & Mu-

seum, Alcazar show ( see photo attached), Oasis world, Elephant Village, Monkey Training Centre, InternationalSnake Show, Khao Kheow Open Zoo, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden (see photo attached), Bottle Art Museum, Rip-

leys Believe it or Not, Gems Gallery, Crocodile Farm, Beaches (Pattaya Bay, Jomtien), Flying, paragliding (see photo

attached) and Skydiving etc.

Sri Racha Zoo: Sriracha Tiger Zoo is located on the way to Pattayya, just an hours travel from Bangkok. Situated in an

area of 10 acres, the zoo consists of more than 200 Bengal tigers and 100,000 crocodiles. In addition to various kinds

of animals, it also provides many activities to enjoy. They have several shows like Amazing Circus, Crocodile

Show, Elephant Show etc.Page 9


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Kanchanaburi : A two day stay is recommended here. Khanchanaburi is most famous for the Bridge over the River

Kwai built during World War II along Thai Burma Railway line, JEATH War Museum, War memorial cemetery

and Water falls. JEATH stands for Japan, England, America, Australia, Thailand and Holland. It's an exact duplicateof the huts POWs and laborers were housed in during the process of building the famous bridge. The bridge was of-

ten attacked and destroyed by allied forces during the war. During one such attack the Japanese ordered the POW's

to stand along the bridge as deterrence to the allied fighters and bombers, but to no avail; the bridge was destroyed

along with the POW's. There is still a small tourist train that runs back and fourth across the bridge every fifteen

minutes or so. The Kanchanaburi War memorial cemetery is located on Saengchootoe Road, opposite the Railway

Station. It contains the remains of 6,982 war prisoners who lost their lives during the construction of the "Death

Railway."

Sai Yok Noi Waterfalls: They are located 2 km from Nam Tok station and about 62 km from Kanchanaburi. Its land-

scape is one of the most beautiful places in Thailand.

Phuket: Phuket is a popular beach resort. Domestic airlines operate several flights daily between Bangkok and

Phuket. We should plan at least 2 3 days to cover the place. Given below are some of the places one must see while

at Phuket.

F a n t a s e a : Phuket FantaSea bills itself as the ultimate cultural theme park. The theatre opens at 20:30 and

guests start filing through security. Cameras and storage devices of any kind are strictly not allowed inside.

In the magnificent Palace of Elephants - a state-of-the-art theater with wonderful acoustics and seating

3,000 persons - baby elephants and young tigers will pose for a photograph with you for a fee! Starting at

21:00 hours, the theater puts on a spellbinding show combining culture and illusion that is almost beyond

belief. While the eye is treated to modern effects like smoke, explosions, lasers, rain, soaring people, the

brain gets insights into Thai culture in the form of traditional dances from different regions of the country,

shadow puppets, and a fascinating wardrobe of traditional Thai dresses. The show also employs goats, roost-

ers, water buffalo, and doves in supporting roles to elephants!

P a t o n g B e a c h : Patong Beach is very famous with its white sands and clear waters.

P h i -P h i I s l a n d : Phi Phi is Thailands island-superstar and has also been seen in a lot of Indian movies. It is

reached through ferry service from Phuket. The calm beaches permit scuba diving. Sheer cliffs tower over-

head and suddenly give way to beach-fronted jungles. Phi Phi is affordable contrary to identical destinations

elsewhere which come with high expenses. You might be surprised that perfect beachfront room costs much

less than you expect!

Sangamam Times

Page 10


11/12

Volume 1 Issue 2

Travelogue Thailand

Page 11


12/12

Floating Market Crocodile Taking Class

Elephant Village Family Photo With Chimp

Sangamam Times

Travelogue Thailand (Continued)

Page 12

Memories are the threads that hold together the patchworkof friendship

may issue of sangamam times

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