Visits since 1 Apr 2024
6,175,355
Visits since 1 Jan 2007 48,036,944
|
Amidst a vibrant atmosphere filled with energy and excitement, the international paragliding festival in Vagamon, Idukki, reached new heights. The four-day event came to a close on March 17.
Inaugurated by Tourism Minister Mr. P. A. Mohamed Riyas and chaired by State Water Resources Minister Mr Roshy Augustine, the festival attracted both domestic and international participants. This prestigious event was jointly organized by the KATPS under the Department of Tourism and the Idukki District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), with technical support from the Paragliding Association of India.
The festival's objective was to showcase Kerala as the premier destination for adventure tourism, making it one of the largest aero festivals in the country. The event attracted 87 participants from various states including Delhi, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. Additionally, there were international participants hailing from countries such as Italy, Germany, France, Australia, the US, the UK and Nepal.
Sushanth Thakor from Himachal Pradesh clinched the top spot in the competition, earning a cash prize of ?1.5 lakhs, while Aman Thapa from Nepal received ?1 lakh for securing the second position, and Jobin Sebastian from Enthayar in Kerala won the third position, earning ?50,000. Mithun and Arun Kumar from Kerala secured the third, the sixth, and 11th positions respectively. Idukki Sub-Collector Arun S. Nair presented the prize money to the winners during a ceremony held at Vagamon on Sunday.
Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) CEO Mr Binu Kuriakose said that the paragliding festival that will be organized next year will have more features.
Kerala Tourism will be holding more adventure championships this year. It has already conducted the International Surfing Festival at Varkala. Additionally, KATPS will also organise the International Mountain Cycling Championship in Mananthavady, Wayanad in April and the Malabar River Festival at Kozhikode in July.
