By IANS
New Delhi : Enjoy the experience of travelling to diverse countries and understanding different cultures while sitting at home through Discovery channel’s new travel series ‘Discovery Atlas’ that was launched here Tuesday.
The new weekly programme will showcase the world’s greatest and unique nations through stunning imagery, cutting-edge special effects and narratives by celebrities.
“‘Discovery Atlas’ promises to inspire viewers through captivating photography, highest quality production values and compelling stories that strike at the heart of a country and its people,” Deepak Shourie, managing director of Discovery Networks in India, said at a press conference.
The series is to premiere on India’s Republic Day Saturday with the episode – ‘India Revealed’. The two-hour show, narrated by director Mira Nair, captures the Ganges at Varanasi, Indian weddings, the Sunderbans, Rishikesh, Jama Masjid, the Indian aerospace industry and outsourcing.
Subsequent weekly episodes on Saturday nights at nine feature six countries – Brazil, China, Italy, Australia, Mexico and South Africa.
But what is so special about these countries?
“We had to start somewhere! We were not looking for countries bigger or smaller. Our prime criteria was the diversity of culture, tradition, flora, fauna, geography and history that a country would have to offer,” Shourie explained.
“This series took almost three years of extensive research and production and covers both contemporary as well as the historic aspects of a country. I hope the viewers will share our exhilaration and enjoy the experience of being in another country without actually being there,” Shourie said.
“Our production team travelled to different locations within each country using all possible forms of transportation including hot air balloons, propeller planes and bamboo rafts!” he added.
Shourie said that episodes on Russia, France, Japan and Egypt were currently under production and would go on air later this year.