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Journalism of Courage
Built on the model of the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer,the Delhi Eye is a first of its kind Ferris Wheel in the city
The river picks its way through the gorge like a serpent,until its flow is abruptly halted at the gates of the Okhla barrage. A blanket of green flanks either side of the river bank and in the distance,silhouettes of monuments like the Lotus Temple,India Gate and Akshardham Temple are outlined against the mid-day sun. At a speed of three kilometres per hour the view from a glass bubble suspended 50 metres above the ground,is certainly majestic if you do not suffer from acrophobia. Apart from a birds eye view of the city,one gets a different perspective of life, says Patrick Beck,of Bisswiss,Switzerland,as he focuses on rotating Delhi Eye. Beck is part of the Swiss firm which has installed the first Ferris wheel in one corner of the so-far-neglected Kalindi Kunj.
The wheel is built on the same lines as the London Eye,the Singapore flyer,and other such wheels across the globe. We have installed 20 such wheels around the world. The design for this is the same,only the height differs, adds Beck,who took three weeks to install it here.
The Delhi Eye is perched on a slight incline at Kalindi Kunj and occupies an area of one acre in a theme park called Delhi Rides. Set-up by Bangalore based entrepreneur Syed Salim,MD,iZara Entertainment,the ride is meant to offer recreational alternatives in the city. We wanted to offer an unique leisure opportunity. Delhi Eye fulfills that criteria, feels Salim.
Delhi Eye offers 36 luxurious air-conditioned semi-circular glass pods with comfortable sofas that can seat six to eight persons and are priced at Rs 250 per person. For senior citizens the price will be Rs 150. Some pods have a wooden table for optional eating arrangements. With music of your choice playing in the background,the pods will also have LCD screens for instructions.
The Eye is also operational at night,thanks to a battery of LED lights in the pods. Theres a VIP pod too,complete with a television and a DVD player,a cellphone and champagne cooler,priced at Rs 1500 per person. Each ride lasts about 20 minutes.
However,one huge disadvantage of the Delhi Eye is its rather dimunitive height,as compared to the 135 meter-high London Eye and the 165 meter tall Singapore Flyer. Smog resulting from high pollution levels also obscures the view sometimes.
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