 Explore,
investigate, endure, excavate, venture, adventure, words that
get the adrenalin pumping into the young at heart. And for urban
dwellers, who are stuck in a rut of 9 to 5 jobs, concrete
jungles and the boredom of an unchanging daily routine,
a little risk and danger can stir up a lot of excitement.
The National Geographic "Adventure One" Festival
did just that. People came in hordes to participate and enthusiasm
was sky high, literally. This unique carnival offered an array
of adventure activities like net crawling, scaling Burma Bridge,
hot air ballooning and stunt riding amongst others. The adventure
enthusiasts experienced a walk through cascading 'Amazon'
waterfalls, pushed themselves over the edge of the 'Grand
Canyon' and entered the 'Nat Geo Dome'.
This three-day mega event organized at the Palace Grounds
offered the real flavour of adventure, education and fun through
a multitude of daredevil, spectacular activities. This is part
of a series of adventure events that are being held in New
Delhi and Mumbai too. Instructors from their respective
fields were at hand to help people experience these sports.
In the Amazon Trail, Burma Bridges were built across
a w ide
chasm at a dizzy height of 35 feet, in exactly the same way
as was done by soldiers during World War II in Burma. Further
ahead, atop a tree, there was a 'Machaan' from which,
a long rope was tied to another tree far away. Participants
were tethered to the rope and slid down like Flying Foxes.
And then there was net crawling, rock climbing, obstacle
course, mountain bike ride and other games to challenge the
daring.
All the participants had been given a passport, which
had to be attested at every games spot, and the people who had
the maximum seals were given prizes. Youngsters were the most
enthusiastic, wanting to attempt all the games available, but
the winding queue at every spot disappointed reluctant adults.
The more exciting games like parasailing, hot air ballooning
and kayaking had the longest queues.
T o
top it all, there was a demonstration of live snakes at
the Nat Geo Dome and the audience thronged to see those
deadly reptiles. Srinath from the World Wildlife Fund
had brought many harmless snakes like common boas and also
deadly ones like the royal snake. He emphasized the fact that
every snake that enters our house might not be poisonous, and
even if it is, there is no reason to kill it. Snakes are a great
help to mankind as they are natural predators of rats,
which devour half the world's grain production.
Speaking to the organizers, it was found that the Palace
Grounds was the best location available in the entire country
to host such a huge festival. The dense canopy of trees, adjoining
lake and the matching wide-open space is tailor made for the
event. This the second time National Geographic Channel
is hosting the event since the 'Sahasotsav' held last
year.
This event enhances the viewership of National Geographic Channel,
which telecasts high caliber programmes on adventure, exploration,
natural history, science, wildlife and people. With a total
distribution of over 20 million homes across Asia, the channel
is currently received in over 16 million homes. So, let's hope
more such adventure events will continue to enthrall adventure
seekers in the city!
Text and pics by Levine Lawrence
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3:14:56 PM 
