To promote adventure tourism in Kashi, the second season of the Hot Air Balloon Festival began on Tuesday. Its test drive was done on Monday. Balloons were flown at 8 am from CHS ground and Domri Point located in Kamchha. Balloons flown at the same time from both the points crossed each other over the Ganges. During this, the pilot and instructor team of the balloon flying at a high altitude also took photographs of the thrilling panoramic view of Kashi. The expert aboard the balloon examined the movements in the air during the flight. Security arrangements were checked in the balloon. The pilots completed the flight at a safe altitude in time. The landing at Domri was also successful.
The hot air balloon which took off from CHS at 8 am reached the destination in the next 30 minutes. The balloon that took off from Domri at exactly the same time took a little longer to reach CHS. After everything was found OK in the trial, the pilot crew members were convinced. Points have been made at BHU, CHS and Domri for takeoff and landing of hot air balloons. A maximum of 100 people will fly daily. There will also be boat racing on the occasion of the SCO summit. This race will be from Dashashwamedh Ghat to Rajghat. There will be first, second and third prizes.
Tourists getting unique feeling
The tent city set up across the Ganges is giving tourists a sense of spiritual peace along with cultural experience. Everything has been taken care of in this tent city settlement that will take the tourists away from the urban noise and will not let them separate from them. On the second day, 22 tents were booked. At the same time, apart from Delhi, Rajasthan, about 50 people from South India came to live in tents.
Paras Bhai Patel of Ahmedabad has played a central role in giving shape to this whole concept so that life confined to the hands of the clock can be relaxed for some time in a free natural environment. He did not come here in physical form but the present form of the tent city is testimony to the range of his imagination.
Paras Bhai Patel, the founder of Praveg, a tent city setting up company, after receiving the first information related to the project, closely monitored the planning and started the work in December till its existence. While preparing the concept, he focused on every aspect in which Banaras was seen. He made all the aspects of the cultural Banaras full of spirituality a part of the tent city.
Praveg General Manager Corporate Ajay Pawar said, “The challenge in developing the tent city in Banaras was to focus it on religious tourism. For this, Paras Bhai very deeply incorporated the symbols, scenes and activities associated with Banaras’ worship lessons, Ganga Darshan, music, food and drink. To give a local touch to the food, a team of 20 Banarasi cooks was formed.
The attraction of the tent city is also attracting the elderly. On Monday, the elderly couple of Ramnagar’s Singh family reached Tent City with their grandson Yash. After reaching the selfie point centered on the Ghats of Kashi and Shri Ram Temple in Ayodhya, SP Singh could not stop himself from clicking selfies. His grandson Yash reached near the cutout of the boat. Grandma Vimla Devi kept capturing the fun of grandfather and grandson in her mobile.