An extravagant event will be organized to honor the inauguration of the new balloon festival in Hyderabad. The festival is scheduled for January 16-18 and will not only be the first in the city but also a significant attraction to the tourism calendar. Located at TGTDC, the Telangana Tourism Development Corporation (TGTDC) is the one who holds the festival and has already included wonderful early-morning balloon rides and breathtaking night glow shows in the package as part of its attractions.
Inside the event, TGTDC’s Managing Director Valluru Kranthi mentions that around 15 balloons that can be compared to the international standard will be present for the event. Pilots from Europe and other regions will be coming to India with their own hot air balloons that will be registered and the participating pilots have international licenses.
Morning rides that take the passengers a long distance approximately of around 8 to 10 kilometers clockwise will last about 30 to 40 minutes. The starting of the ride will be from one location and the ending at another. In case of wind direction and weather conditions the officials said that the exact points for the take-off cannot be predetermined.
The officials of the tourism department have earmarked three potential locations for sunrise flights the locations are: Hyderabad Golf Club close to Golconda Fort, Jalamandalii Park, and a site near Himayatsagar. The weather also has a big role to play in the taking off of the rides and that is the reason why morning rides will be limited to a maximum of 30 to 40 passengers each day.
The parade grounds in Secunderabad will be the venue for evening programs and they will be open to all. The sessions will offer light and music night glow presentations in which the balloons are kept on ground, the event will have a special balloon that is dipped in blue light and it will go off and on simultaneously with the other balloons. It is expected that nearly 100 to 120 visitors per night will take part in the event with a total of around 300 to 400 over the three days.
Ticket bookings are likely to go through online channels like BookMyShow or the District app. The uncertain cost for the evening excursions is around ₹500 per individual, wherease the daytime ride rates are still in the process of being decided and have not been approved yet.
The hot air balloon festival, along with its international fair and colorful shows, will certainly provide the locals and travelers in Hyderabad with a different aerial experience.
