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Araku set to become ballooning, ‘glamping’ destination

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By Mohammed Shafeeq
Araku (Andhra Pradesh), Jan 25 (IANS) Experience the exhilaration of flying in a hot air balloon while enjoying the panoramic view of a picturesque valley, stay in luxurious camps, go on nature trails to waterfalls, coffee plantations and strawberry farms. All this and more is set to become a reality in the emerging eco-tourism destination of Araku in Andhra Pradesh.

After a successful second Araku Balloon Festival, the organisers are gearing up for a commercial rollout this year. On offer will be “glamping” or glamorous camping with resort-like facilities.

Sitting 3,000 feet above sea level in the eastern ghats and about 100 km from the port city of Visakhapatnam, the serene environs of Araku were abuzz last week as balloons of different shapes like ‘Happy Chicken’, ‘Flying Honey Bee’, ‘Baby Car’ and ‘Bruno Clown’ took to the skies, creating a riot of colours.

Organised by Sky Waltz Balloon Safari, a part of events management company E-factor, in association with Andhra Pradesh Tourism, the three-day festival saw participation by 21 ballooning teams from 15 countries, 70 camps, tethers and night glows, paramotoring displays, live music and excursions.

“This is a beautiful place to fly,” Wout Bakker of Thailand told IANS on board the balloon he was piloting. With 25 years of experience, he has flown balloons around the world, including a seven-hour ride flight Germany to Italy.

“This region has good potential. There will be many people to buy a balloon ride here. If you have something special, they will come,” said Sukhbir Singh Sekhon of Malaysia’s hot air ballooning company Glowing Intuition.

The organizers and state officials hope to start the commercial operations in November this year as they believe that Araku can have two ballooning seasons in a year.

“Araku will become an attraction for ballooning. People will specifically come here for this. We are not seeing it as casual weekend holiday. We see it as experiential holiday,” E-Factor Founder & CEO Samit Garg told IANS.

The interesting thing about Araku, according to Garg, is that sitting in a bowl, it has a micro-climate of its own. “Nowhere in the world do balloons take off at 9.30-10 am. Around the world balloon flights usually happen at sunrise and go on for two hours at the most. Thereafter, conditions are be not suitable for ballooning. From that perspective Araku offers a fantastic opportunity.”

A balloon ride of 45 to 65 minutes costs Rs.14,000. The company charges $280 from foreigners.

Talking about the packages on offer, Kaushik Mukherji, Principal Advisor to the Andhra Pradesh Ministry of Tourism, told IANS that 2,600 online enquiries have been received in the last 40 days. A ride will cost between Rs.30,000 and Rs.79,000 with the stay ranging from one night to three nights. For a couple, a one-night stay, a balloon ride, food and beverages will cost Rs.30,000.

According to him potential investors are ready to invest in India’s biggest ballooning and glamping product on the east coast.

“The revenue model could be profit sharing or fixed sum per month or per year basis,” said Kaushik.

(Mohammed Shafeeq visited Araku at the invitation of E-Factor. He can be contacted at [email protected] )

–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma

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World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.

Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.

During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.

On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”

Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.

It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.

Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.

Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”

On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”

The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.

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