#indecohotels

The Sri Vittal Rukmini Samsthan, located in Kumbakonam, was established on April 1998 by Brahmashri Vittaldas Jayakrishna Deekshithar, graced by Sri Haridhos Giri Swamigal and Paranur Mahathma Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal. The blog will attempt to throw some light on this less-known temple in Kumbakonam.

The primary objective of the Sri Vittal Rukmini Samsthan is the propagation of Bhakti cult through ‘Namasankeerthanam’, considered to be one of the effective ways to achieve ‘Moksha’ of the soul or liberation in the age of Kali.

The temple that is based on the Maharashtrian Hemandapanthi style ofarchitecture has Sri Pandurangan as the main deity and his consort RukminiDevi.

The shine that reverberates with peace and tranquillity is constructed on a slightly raised platform with its interior walls painted and adorned with stories of Sri Krishna, Saint Tukaram and several other prominent Marathi poets and saints.

Located in Govindapuram on the Kumbakonam Auduthurai Highways, it is separated by 2 km from Thiruvidaimarudur, 6 km from Kumbakonam and about a kilometer from Sri Bodhendral Adhishtaanam of Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra Saraswathi Swamigal.

Govindapuram is regarded by the Hindus as a holy land where the Samadhi (final resting place) of Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra Saraswathi Swamigal, the 59th Peetadhipathi of Kanchi Mutt is located.

The temple authorities also aim at building the largest temple in the world dedicated to Sri Krishna and Goddess Rukmini.

Surrounded by huge guard statues, the temple complex also has a large gaushala which tends to over a 100 cows.

The temple houses a colossal central hall that can put up close to 2000 people at a time.

The temple is well equipped with the latest technology and temple donations are also acceptable via card payments.

Govindapuram is also the place where Sri Bodhendral and his contemporaries such as Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval and Sri Sadasiva Bramhendra used to regularly meet and discuss spiritual matters.

Tamilnadu, the land of the rich Dravidian culture, though home to 76 million Tamizhians, with a documented history dating back to 2,000 years, is a highly pluralistic society espousing secular values.  As a result, it embraced diverse cultures irrespective of religion, race, creed and colour. This makes Tamilnadu indeed a special place for appreciating historical tourism—not surprisingly, the historic marvels of South India have stood the test of times fighting ideological differences, defeating invading forces and showing a brave face to the vagaries of nature. Tamilnadu, dominated by the Cheras, Cholas, Pandiyas and Pallava rulers, houses a splendid treasure of sculptures, artefacts, paintings and bronze castings belonging to different epochs.

Adding to the grandeur and splendour, there are heritage sites in the state that stand as a beacon to the world, the subtle, yet not-so-subtle expression, that Tamil culture is drenched in eternity and recorded for posterity, whether it be a historic monument, fort, mansion, haweli or bungalow.  These heritage sites have not only served as popular tourist destinations, but now have been transformed into hotels by popular hotel chains that are generating employment to the locales. Through the support of local sculptors, craftsmen, painters and artists, heritage hotels go through a facelift, though retaining the antique flavour and historical significance of a particular site and region.

Several state governments including Rajasthan, Madya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamilnadu and later Kerala took a keen interest in infusing a fresh lease of life into erstwhile forts, mansion, and havelis. Investment outlays were huge and maintaining them to their optimum level posed different challenges. The Tourism Department of India allocated funds to bring in such properties into their fold, and revive the opportunities lurking behind these properties. Heritage hotels, therefore, are divided into one of the following sub-segments: Heritage, Heritage Classic and Heritage Grand, each having its own norms and regulations.

Identifying the right heritage property can be daunting for hotel owners For instance, heritage properties with low room counts may lead to increased operational costs and less cash flow, the last thing any hotel investor would want, though the prospect of turning a heritage site into a modern luxury stay may seem exciting. In almost all cases, any one of the modes of operation apply, which again varies from property to property: managed properties, stand-alone properties, leases, joint ventures, branding and marketing and pure-marketing agreements. These are essentially management and ownership strategies even under a single chain that will be required to fit properly into the puzzle. 

Converting any property that is actually unused or a ruin, and making it viable is the most workable strategy that is also uncomplicated and comfortable. At the same time, the heritage values of the property are identified and made public. This said leisure tourism still needs to be packaged, marketed and sold as a concept.

Many consider heritage hotels as old wine in a new bottle. Rather, heritage hotels have reinvented the wheel to wed antiquity with the modern, the past with the present, and the heritage regale with the overly sophisticated. Transforming some of the oldest buildings including forts, mansions and havelis into luxury stays, whilst also preserving its historical and cultural significance presents its own challenges and opportunities too.

As such transformation is generally highly capital-intensive, only the major chain of hotels in India had the muscle to infuse sophistication into traditional spaces. However hotels owners, with the help of investors, were able to revive a few historically significant settings into experience-rich, luxury stays, as there exists a huge business potential in terms of the sheer market size of domestic and foreign tourism.

India holds cultural and traditional values very dear to her heart and this is evident in our everyday walk of life. Heritage hotels of India are built on strong traditional roots and cultural ethos binding on their food, drink, milieu and hospitality. This aspect makes heritage hotels special in many ways compared to regular hotels and luxury stays.

If a survey conducted in 2012 is anything to go by, there were about 200 properties—forts, palaces and havelis—waiting to be transformed into heritage hotels.

The previous blogs dealt with the challenges that the travel sector has to face head on post Coronavirus outbreak. But we, at Indeco Hotels, are gearing ourselves to serve our customers more effectively than before right after the lockout restrictions are revoked. 

Hygiene is at the top of our list. We are mulling over contactless service with all our guests as social distancing has been the ‘new’ normal. Maybe automation can play a huge role in creating contactless service. Other hotels may even develop their custom app for service the moment guests book their stay. Deep cleaning services can ensure increased guest safety. Reassure your guests of complete safety however small the challenge may be.

Food hygiene can come under greater scrutiny and surveillance than ever before. Automation of commercial kitchen equipment can ensure complete food hygiene. The primary material used to manufacture kitchen equipment should be Stainless Steel or SS which is completely hygienic, and also doesn’t leave any traces of use. 

The Government of India is also expected to invoke fresh regulations on the maintenance of hygiene in hotels and resorts, so as to prevent outbreak of any viral infections in the future. It is recommended to follow the modalities of local Governmental guidelines and best practices to reduce risks when it comes to the safety of the guests.

Advanced booking may be a thing of the past, as the uncertainty of COVID-19 may present new challenges in terms of travel bookings. Early Booker or Advanced Purchase rates wherever promoted online would be requested to be removed until the government relaxes travel restrictions. Hotels and resorts may be further advised to remain flexible with the booking rates. Also ensure that flexibility is a part of the marketing message and the same is followed throughout the booking process including the cancellation policy. Value-added services can go a long way in attracting customers and retaining them over the long haul.  

We will take every measure to be proactive and leave no stone unturned when it comes to the safety and satisfaction of our guests, and as responsible citizens, the staff at Indeco will be trained further to tackle the challenges of the future.

We have seen how the global travel and tourism industry has taken a knockout punch due to the outbreak of COVID-19 or Coronavirus. The World Travel & Tourism Council mentions in one of its reports that about 75 million people’s jobs will be in doldrums as international borders will be insulated in the coming months.

Most travel professionals and entrepreneurs opine that the deadly pandemic has stalled both inbound as well as outbound International travel, and that the industry requires immediate solutions to boost its activities in the next 6 months.

The COVID 19 attack has pushed many travel companies and agencies to revise their plans, reset targets and revamp current strategy and operation mechanism for the year 2020-2021. To sustain the segment, travel firms would require:

# Active government support.

# Financial perks, exclusion, job security and loan waivers for travel startups and SMEs.

# High medical programmes, precautionary and preventative measures and care to restore normalcy.

# COVID-19 medical certifications and standards.

# Central and state government should continue the routine checkups including temperature test undertaken at airports and railways for the continued safety and awareness of the public.

The Indian Government has been doing a commendable job in handling the rising Corona threat and containing it with continual lockdowns, mass testing and innovative care. While the government expects every citizen to exercise restraint in going outside, stay indoors and collectively fight against the virus, the government must ensure the travel sector is looked after well, its needs addressed properly and industry, as a whole, revived. It is the onus of the government to help the travel sector create a new and beautiful India post Corona crisis, and promote tourism through online, offline, social media and other marketing platforms.