CONTESTS | INDIA PARADISE, WILDLIFE, YOGA

The Indian Ministry of Tourism is currently sponsoring 10 contests, for travel this summer. Among them: a "Walk with the Buddha" 3-night/4-day package in Taj Ganges-Benares/Taj Residency-Auragabad and a 7-day Ayurveda holiday, with business-class airfare, at Kalau Kovilakon in Krale. Compared to U.S. contests, details are slim. The deadlines aren’t obvious. Nor does The Ministry of Tourism post Official Rules, so it’s impossible to know what restrictions, if any, apply. Approximate Retail Value? No sign of that, either. No matter. For what it's worth (at a minimum: a chance to win), I entered the Incredible Yoga Contest, for a 7-day stay at the Ananda-in-the-Himalayas (www.anandaspa.com) and airfare on Air India business class. I also entered the Wildlife Contest, for a 4-day holiday at the Oberoi Vanyvilas in Rajasthan (www.oberoivanyavilas.com). I plan to enter more.

TO ENTER:
www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/incredible_contest.htm

Warning: There's a quiz to enter each contest. A pop-up quiz, in fact.

Here’s a question from the Wildlife Contest.

It takes 3 to 5 of this endangered species to make a single shahtoosh shawl, possibly the softest, warmest covering available, now banned by the Indian government.

- Chiru (Tibetan antelope)
- Nilgiri tahr
- Long-tailed macaque.

I didn't have a clue, but not answering correctly did not seem to disqualify me. I received a notice wishing me good luck. What I do know is that I will be studying the other eight contests in the morning. Who knows. Maybe I will enter all ten.

AGAIN, TO ENTER: www.incredibleindia.org/newsite/incredible_contest.htm

PHOTO CREDIT: Dario Diament / Ddiament /Dreamstime.com