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• Shimla gears up for paragliding competition
• Jaipur's `Jal Mahal' lies in ruins
  
  
  

Shimla gears up for paragliding competition

       Bir/Shimla: The mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh is gearing up to host a paragliding pre-World Cup competition. The state's Bir valley in Kangra district, which has emerged as a paragliding destination over the years, has already started receiving participants for the competition beginning November 6. More than 90 adventure sports patrons from across Europe and the America will be competing for the top honours in this extremely difficult sport, featuring dare devil paragliding tasks such as out-and-return distance, gain of height and distance over a triangular course. A separate set of tasks has also been organised for amateurs to try their skills with professionals. Colin Iles, a participant from New Zealand, said the Bir valley with its gradient slopes and an extremely pleasent weather is amongst the best in the world for paragliding. "It is a privilege flying here. This will be the first time I will be flying in India because I am from New Zealand. I have only flown before that too briefly in Australia. Compared to New Zealand, we have a much better climate here," Iles said.

       The State's department of Tourism and Civil Aviation, the main organisers of the event, also plans to include more competitive tasks to attract both amateur and professional pilots. The tournament will also hold several attractions for tourists who can learn different aerobatics from veteran hobbyists and paragliders in the natural splendour of Himalayas. "The purpose is to boost tourism, to give an opportunity to the youth in our area and to give people adventure tourism. We want to develop this as another tourism destination," State Tourism Minister G.S. Bali told reporters. The Bir valley, in picturesque tourist resort of Manali, is only the second place in the country offering paragliding besides Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. But, with the latter being out of contention due to militancy, Bir is fast taking over as a dream destination in South Asia for paragliders from all over the world. Paragliding started in India in 1995, but it was only in 2001 that Himachal Pradesh decided to regularise the sport and exploit its tourist potential.
- Oct 22, 2004

Jaipur's `Jal Mahal' lies in ruins (Go To Top)

       Jaipur: In a shocking display of negligence, Jaipur's historic "Jal Mahal" today lies in ruins and bears no reflection to a once unique and pristine heritage. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Pratap Singh, the palace was an engineering marvel of its times, using full-scale artificial dams to block rain water between two hills. Standing amidst a massive lake, the beautiful palace was a leisure spot for the king and his queens with its reflection in the calm water on moonlit nights being a sight described in history books as divine. But over the past decade the intricate structure has literally crumbled, inhabited only by pigeons. The has been lake reduced to a slimy combination of algae and waste dumped by locals. People who visit the historic city, are appalled by the sad sight, which distinctly stands out when compared to other well maintained palaces and museums.

        "This is one place which attracts a lot of tourists. The Jaipur Muncipality should take good care of this place. They should clean this place and renovate it to attract tourists. There is no construction work despite promises made six months ago," said Manoj Kumar, a resident. "It is so incomparable to what Jaipur is famous about. I like the surroundings so much. It is so beautiful (the hilly part) from far, but once you come near the lake, you do not feel like standing. It is beautiful, if maintained properly, it could be a very good tourist resort," claims Ramesh Sharma, a tourist. The state authorities, however, say that they don't have the funds to renovate the site, but promise to do so in the near future. "For the overall development of the Jal Mahal, 1.25 billion rupees has been set aside for private investment. The planning is in the last stage. We also envisage to make it into a tourist complex," claims Manoj Sharma, an assistant director attached with Rajasthan's Department of Tourism.
- Oct 1, 2004

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