Agra to offer a ride in hot air balloons over the Taj Mahal to visitors

Picture yourself on a hot air balloon, high in the air, admiring the Taj Mahal. This is about to become possible for visitors in Agra during the new tourism season that begins on Sunday.

The Taj Mahal and other sights in Agra will be visible from above thanks to hot air balloon rides that the city of Agra intends to provide from Shilp Gram, a cultural centre near the Taj Mahal. According to The Print, the hot air balloon trips are a component of the Taj Carnival, a cultural celebration that starts on Sunday at the Shilp Gram and runs until November 25.

The Taj Carnival

The 10-day Taj Mahotsav, which is held in February at the conclusion of the tourist season, is modelled after the Taj Carnival, according to Ritu Maheshwari, the divisional commissioner for Agra.

The Taj Carnival, in contrast to the Taj Mahotsav, which has an admission price, will be open to all guests’, noted Maheshwari.

The carnival will include food from a variety of Indian cuisines, including Brij, Rajasthani, Awadhi, Mughlai, Gujarati, and South Indian, as well as regional specialties from different Uttar Pradesh districts. The tourists’ appetites will be satisfied by more than 50 food vendors.

There will also be stalls selling pottery, wood carvings, handicrafts, and other items designed by regional artisans. The United Nations has declared 2023 the Year of Millet at the Government of India’s request to highlight the nutritional and environmental advantages of millet, thus a special stall devoted to millet products will also be set up.

Folk performances by artists from several states will also be featured at the funfair.

Vice-chairman of the Agra Development Authority Charchit Gaur stated that the administration was searching for organisations that consistently offer balloon rides in Agra. According to him, three offers have already been received, and a contract will be signed by the end of November.

Prahalad Agarwal, head of the Agra Tourist Welfare Chamber, said that Agra should make sure that events like the Taj Carnival, hot air balloon rides, and night bazaars are always accessible since they may encourage more visitors to spend the night around.

 

A bird’s-eye view of the Taj Mahal

Hot air balloon rides, which begin on October 17th, will be the carnival’s main attraction. The rides will initially be available for five days, but if demand merits them, that period may be extended.

After the contract is approved, travellers will be able to take a scenic flight on a 3.5-km loop that would pass close to the Taj Mahal but not over it because it is a no-fly zone, according to Gaur, who was speaking about making balloon rides in Agra a permanent fixture, as reported by The Print.

“The balloons will take off from the bank of the Yamuna, about 1 km away from the Taj Mahal, and fly past the Taj Mahal, Mehtab Bagh, and Agra Fort. The balloons will have a capacity of up to eight passengers at a time, depending on the weather conditions, and the price of the rides will be decided after the contract is awarded,” he noted.

Agarwal, who is pushing for these attractions to remain in Agra permanently, claimed that most visitors come for day trips to view the Taj Mahal, which is less advantageous for the city’s local tourism business.

“Only if tourists spend a night or more in Agra will they contribute to the growth of tourism,” he continued.

Although this is not the first time Agra has tried to provide visitors a bird’s-eye view of the Taj Mahal.

A commercial operator introduced tethered helium balloon tours in 2013 that carried visitors up to 250 metres above the earth and provided a singular view of the Taj Mahal from above. However, the project was shelved in 2014 when the balloon suffered storm damage.

Additionally, the Uttar Pradesh tourism department hosted Taj Balloon festivals in November 2015 and 2021, seeking hot air balloon pilots from all over the world to participate. The government, however, decided against sustaining these activities.

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