New faces of recreation

Many new amusement parks are being planned across the country, discovers.

To begin with, I have a confession to make. I am not too fond of amusement parks and on the rare occasions when I have been forced to go to one, I have always been petrified "" it feels like one of the things (most likely a chain-looking thing) holding a ride might just snap.

So a visit to an amusement park, which the city of Delhi has on offer, was something I was not looking forward to at all. But without going into the details, let's just say things have changed for the better.

But it raised a question: were amusement parks a part of the Indian lifestyle at any point of time? Come to think of it, Appu Ghar in Delhi and Essel World in Mumbai are the two most well-known parks of the country. And both of them have been around for quite some time, yet one doesn't see people going crazy about going to them.

Unlike in the West, where Disneyland or other amusement parks of a similar kind are quite a rage, in India the situation is not too promising. But this trend seems to be changing now.

With Unitech's Adventure Island in Rohini already operational and getting a lot of footfalls, two more are being planned by the company: one in Chandigarh and the other in Noida. And several others are being planned across the country by other companies.

But is India ready for the amusement park culture? "Yes," says Sanjay Chandra, managing director, Unitech, "people want to experience good things in life and we are looking to offer the same through these parks."

Chandra feels that the standard of parks in the country at the moment just doesn't entice people into coming and spending a day out there. A view which is shared by Ravi Madan, director of International Recreation Parks, the company which specialises in providing rides and infrastructure for such parks. "A myth that these parks are meant for children only is something which needs to be dispelled".

Like other parks, where the sole attraction are the rides, here the idea is to provide amusement, literally but in different forms. So there is a water park, food court and even a shopping mall in the park.

And the rides too aren't something that one might just experience or see in the Diwali melas held in local areas as well! For instance, the Noida Entertainment Centre has more than 50 high thrill rides, shows and attractions apart from a full-fledged water park as well. The concepts and rides have been sourced from foreign companies like Switzerland-based Intramin.

The Unitech parks in Rohini and Noida have a tie-up with Cartoon Network and POGO and there are several characters from the various shows which provide entertainment for kids.

Unitech's park in Chandigarh would also reportedly have a wax museum along the lines of Madame Tussaud's in London. There are special zones for teens, as well as food courts. Chandra says that from time to time several performances and shows would be organised at the parks.

"When multiplexes came in, people were a bit sceptical of the concept, and the same is true of amusement parks," he adds. So he remains confident of the amusement park culture catching up in the country.

Unless people experience the whole thing, they might just continue to avoid going to one. The idea of having cars, where people go hysterical bumping into each other, too has become modernised and much better.

Madan feels that it is not that amusement parks weren't there earlier but the idea of having a shopping mall and food courts would hopefully provide a much better experience. The parks are divided into zones, one each for kids, teens and families, so that there is less chaos and are better management.

Down south too, there are a few amusement parks that are being planned. "They will attract footfalls for sure but whether they can sustain it in the long run is still doubtful," says a real estate analyst. But at least parks are coming up, and the people behind the idea seem confident of them becoming a part of the recreation culture.