Happy New Year!

Wishing you peace, love and joy in 2009.

Happy New Year and Happy Travels!

The Sodha Travel Family

Mumbai Attacks

We are deeply saddened and horrified by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai - no words, written or spoken, can even begin to describe the emotions we feel. It is an unfortunate reminder of how fundamentalists seek to destroy the beauty of life. Stay strong, India.

Alexander Sinh Sodha!

We are so excited to welcome the newest addition to the Sodha Travel family. Our son, Alexander Sinh Sodha, was born on November 5 at 8:34 am. Weighing 8 pounds 2 ounces, he has beautiful black hair and looks exactly like his Daddy!

Happy Diwali!!

Diwali is the Festival of Lights - a time when Indians worldwide light lamps to uplift spiritual darkness and signify good over evil in every human being. Traditionally observed by Hindus, Jains and Sikhs, Diwali is now considered a national holiday and enjoyed by most Indians, regardless of faith.

Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali!

SAWERA Fundraiser - a success!!

Thank you to all who participated in making this year's SAWERA fundraiser a success! We sold over 200 tickets and had an engaging live auction and donation call that resulted in the much needed support for the women and children. In these tough economic times, without the direct support of the community, non-profit organizations are the first to suffer a loss. We sincerely appreciate the generosity of all and look forward to the 3rd annual fundraiser in 2009! Until then, please continue to remember the women and children of SAWERA.

Delhi Bomb Blasts

On Saturday, September 13, multiple bomb blasts shook the city of Delhi. Unfortunately, extremists continue to terrorize the country in an effort to interrupt its vibrancy of life. The Indians, ever resilient, bounced back within 24 hours - a strong demonstration of their unwillingness to be affected by fear or violence.

At this time, we have made no changes to our tours or customized itineraries that include Delhi and its surrounding areas. Safety is our priority and no current information displays an additional threat of terrorist activity. We will continue to monitor the daily updates and make any changes, as necessary.

And to the residents of Delhi - we wish you a journey of healing and peace.

United States: Largest Number of India Tourists

Almost 800,000 American tourists visited India last year - more than any other country! In total, India had more than 5 million total tourists worldwide. Here is a breakdown:


USA - 799,000
UK - 796,000
Bangladesh - 480,000
Canada - 208,000
France - 204,000
Sri Lanka - 204,000
Germany - 184,000
Japan - 145,000
Australia - 135,000
Malaysia - 112,000
All Foreign Tourists - 5,080,000

We are so excited by these figures. Let's continue with sharing the love for India!

2nd Annual SAWERA Fundraiser - October 10, 2008

Travel Blogs

Here is another of our favorite pictures, taken in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, outside the Swaminarayan Temple - just one more poetic interaction between East and West:

Many of you have asked about a good place to start your travel blogs - not only to share your experiences but to gather information prior to your trip! Of course, we are happy to answer ANY questions you have about your experience, regarding currency, converters, culture and beyond. However, we understand and encourage you to network prior to your departure, as there is never any harm in feeling too prepared.

We love http://www.travelblog.org/ - a wonderful resource from travelers worldwide. This site usually highlights more info to and from backpackers and trekkers.

Also, http://www.indiamike.com/ is a non-commercial site that shares some fascinating tales about the cultural comedies that often occur during your Indian experience.

Please continue to send us your blogs and stories - we thoroughly enjoy each and every one!

Why We Travel to India

In last month's issue of Little India magazine, Shekhar Deshpande wrote a compelling article about why people travel to India. I encourage you to read his perspective on why immigrants and others return to the subcontinent:

http://www.littleindia.com/news/154/ARTICLE/2818/2008-05-10.html

We welcome your responses to the article!

Traveled to India? Wish to share your story?

We are now accepting introductory submissions for the following:

It Was Only Meant As A Vacation: INDIA

This is the first book in a proposed series that will highlight the powerful or even comedic stories of people who have traveled abroad and had a life-changing experience that triggered the way they view themselves and the world. This could be a series of events, one moment, a chance meeting, a conversation, or any other experience that significantly defines a personal transformation in everyday life.

This particular book focuses on the experiences of travelers in INDIA.

This is an open submission. Please forward this email and/or distribute this information to any person or persons who may have a powerful story to share about their experiences in India.
Submissions must adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Submissions are personal narratives and must be non-fiction.
2. Submissions must be written in first person.
3. Submissions must not exceed 500 words.
4. Submissions must state location in India and any other relative facts that pertain to the context of the story.
5. Submissions should clearly express the timeline of the experience and how it affected the life of the author. Be descriptive.
6. Submissions should be proofread for grammatical errors.
7. Submissions must include the following information: Author's Name, Mailing Address, Email Address, and Contact Number.

This is an introductory submission that allows us to get a feel for your story. If your story is selected for further review, you will be contacted and asked to write a full-length version of your experience.

To submit your story: Send an email to Allison Sodha at allison@sodhatravel.com by July 15, 2008 midnight PST. Submissions must be sent in the body of the email. If your story is sent as an attachment it will not be read!

Please note that due to the volume of submissions, we may be unable to personally respond to each email.

Thank you for contributing your story!

Indian Festivals and Resources

We apologize for the delay in recent blogs: April and May have been a focus of family in our office, both in the United States and India.

Many of our clients ask for an online resource to find all things Indian. We strongly recommend www.indogram.com - it lists Indian movies, groceries stores, events, community organizations, etc. Just click on your city and enjoy what Indian culture has to offer!

And don't forget, if you are located in or around Portland, Oregon, the India Festival will take place in Pioneer Square on August 17, 2008. For more information, visit www.ica.org

Thank you for your support of all things Indian!

Development vs.Tradition

It is exciting for us to watch the way India is transitioning into a global powerhouse. In just the last 5 years, each visit overwhelmingly shows the ways of the thriving economy and developing middle class. Many of our clients express surprise at the how the larger cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc - parallel the visions of the West.

Although we find this growth exciting, we also hope that India maintains its essence of traditionalism. Parth hesitates each time he visits his home, the place he was born and raised. Although he appreciates the economic developments, he also cherishes the heritage which makes India so special.

We look forward to our visits in 2008 and the visions of India's past, present and future. As always, we appreciate the stories our clients share about their experiences and perceptions in Mother India!

Engagement Announcement!

Sodha Travel is very excited to announce that Corrine and Satya are engaged! Corrine and Satya are the guides on our Yoga and Ayurveda tours in South India. They are also very dear friends and we share in their joy at this special time. The wedding date is TBD, but ceremonies in India and America are planned. We wish them a lifetime of bliss!

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction

I am very excited to announce that I am a contributing author to the upcoming book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons for Mastering the Law of Attraction. The story is a personal narrative that explores my journey of self discovery - a journey that started in India. The book is scheduled to release in early March and my story is entitled A Gradual Awakening. If we allow, India can certainly change our lives! Enjoy!

A Moment of Splendor

As the owner of Sodha Travel, I continually stress the importance of personalization. It is important for us to go beyond generic and tailor at least one aspect of each experience to be unique and extraordinary. Many of our clients tell such beautiful stories of what impacted their spirit during travel to India and Nepal - ones that travel to escape but instead find themselves. For sharing these moments of splendor, we thank you. This is why we love what we do.

With this being said, we recently had our own moment of splendor. My husband is Indian, born and raised in Delhi. In November, we returned to the country for our Indian wedding ceremony. Although already married, we felt it was a non-negotiable to also celebrate his culture and traditions. Besides, these traditions I have also adopted as my own.

And so, as so many of you have shared your memories with us, I wanted to share a couple photographs with you. Thank you for being a part of the Sodha Travel experience!