Barren hills of Bundelkhand to turn into adventure tourism hub
The barren hills of drought-hit Bundelkhand region will soon be transformed into paragliding hub to attract adventure loving tourists to this otherwise geographically adverse terrain.
The UP State Tourism Development Corporation has already launched this project on informal basis on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model.
In the first phase, the Kalinjar Hills near Kalinjar Fort in Banda district of Chitrakoot division have been developed into UP’s first centre of paragliding, said divisional tourism officer of Jhansi/Chitrakoot dham divisions, Dr Kalyan Singh. Allahabad-based Anil Paragliders & Co has been hired for the purpose. The rates would be fixed soon and is expected be between `1,000 and `1,500 per flight.
“The Kalinjar Hills were identified for paragliding after a yearlong search. It has ideal slopes with no trees. The air pressure is just right for taking paragliders to a certain height and then landing safely. These hills form a valley, which is quite suitable for this kind of recreational-cum-
The Kalinjar Hills were identified for paragliding after a year-long search. It has ideal slopes with no trees. The air pressure is just right for taking paragliders to a certain height and then landing safely. These hills form a valley, which is quite suitable for this kind of recreational-cum-competitive sport DR KALYAN SINGH, divisional tourism officer
competitive sport,” he said.
According to sources, local youth would also be trained in this sport so that they could get suitable employment.
“Furthermore, tourists from India and abroad will now have another reason to visit this area. Earlier, Neelkanth Mahadev temple was the only tourist attraction in this region because of its historic and religious significance. The other historic sites were destroyed during the Mughal and British rule. However, there are some remains of prominent historical monuments, forts and temples,” he added.
Dr Singh said they were now exploring the possibility of turning Devdari falls of Sonbhadra into a haven for paragliders.
Another senior manager of UP State Tourism Development Corporation, DP Singh, said they are planning to link this paragliding facility with the Allahabad division.
“We will make arrangements for foreign tourists who come to Allahabad to visit the Kalinjar Hills for paragliding,” he said.