India’s Mystery, Ireland’s Charm

“India, Land of Mystery and Mystique” (International Video Network, Video Visits, 55 minutes, 1988).

This well-photographed and well-narrated video concentrates mainly on northern India, offering intriguing glimpses of this huge, multicultural land--half the size of the United States, but teeming with a population three times as large.

While the narration provides background on India’s ancient history and religious and ethnic diversity, the film shows Varanasi (Banaras), a center for Hinduism along the Ganges River; Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon; the Bahai Temple in New Delhi; Taj Mahal; Agra Fort, and the hauntingly quiet ghost city of Fatehpu Sikri.

A visit to Kashmir and its capital of Srinigar, “the Venice of the East,” with its canals and bridges, includes views of peaceful Dal Lake and a tour of a luxurious houseboat. There are also scenes of carpet weavers in a traditional village, and a side trip to the alpine-like village resort of Gulmarg.

At Jaipur, the Pink City, the film covers the Palace of the Winds, colorful clothing and textile shops, and palaces in the nearby city of Amber.

There’s also a stop at Udaipur for views of its lovely lakes and palaces, including the Lake Palace Hotel, built on an island and accessible only by boat.

In west-central India there are the ancient caves of Ellora and Ajanta, which have been carved into the rocky hillsides. In the more than 30 caves of Ellora, pictured are exquisite carvings, paintings and huge sculptures. In Ajanta, which includes 25 monasteries and five temples, walls are adorned by frescoes and intricate designs, some 2,000 years old. Another stop is at Khajuaraho, with its 10th- and 11th-Century temples and their erotic sculptures.

A visit to Delhi, “the hub of Indian democracy” and the capital of India, includes scenes of the president’s palace and the 234-foot Qutub Minar Tower, built in 1200. The final stop is in Bombay, the fastest growing and most Westernized city in India, where the British influence is still apparent.

There are no travel tips or recommendations.

A tape is available from International Video Network, Video Visits, 2242 Camino Ramon, San Ramon, Calif. 94583, (415) 866-1121. Price: $24.95

“Song of Ireland” (Traveloguer Collection, 60 minutes, 1990).

There are times during this visit to Ireland when the viewer may be reminded of England, but not too often, for Ireland has a charm and beauty of its own.

Beginning in Dublin, the busy capital city straddling the Liffey River, scenes include the Bank of Ireland, Trinity College, the National Library, the Book of Kells, shopping areas and some of the more than 500 pubs in the city.

From Dublin, the film moves to Kilkenny Castle and Country Tipperary for trout fishing and the story of the shamrock. Here, also, is the Rock of Cashel, which rises dramatically, topped with the ruins of 12th-Century structures. In addition, a side trip takes visitors to the village of Ballyporeen, the ancestral home of former President Ronald Reagan.

In Cork, St. Anne’s church and Blarney Castle, with its famous kissing stone, are visited. Side trips include the port of Cobh, where emigres took off for America, and the charming seaside town of Kinsale.

In County Kerry, the video continues in the town of Killarney and visits Muckross estate and lake, ruins on Inisfallen Island, the Ring of Kerry and the lovely lakes of Killarney. There’s also a tour of the Dingle Peninsula with its prehistoric ruins.

North of Kerry is County Clare and its Shannon Airport and duty-free shop, Bunratty Castle and the Fold Park, a reconstructed village of 19th-Century cottages.

From the top of historic O’Brien’s Tower (1835), there’s a view of the spectacular Cliffs of Moher, five miles long and rising 700 feet from the sea. There’s a visit to the Aran Islands, the home of Irish sweaters, where thatched cottages and old farming methods can still be seen. On Inishmore Island are the ruins of one of the oldest forts in the world, 6,000-year-old Dun Aengus.

On the way to Galway, the video covers the town of Kilfenora and the Burren, an area that looks much as it has since the Ice Age.

In Galway city, scenes include Eyere Square, John F. Kennedy Memorial Park, St. Nicholas Church, the Spanish Arch and shops that make and sell the Claddagh Lovers’ ring.

There are no tips or travel recommendations.

A tape is available from Traveloguer Collection, 3301 W. Hampden Ave., Suite N., Englewood, Colo. 80110, (800) 521-5104. Price: $29.95, which includes a reference booklet with a map, history and related material.