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 The other day at about 4 p.m. I was sauntering leisurely near Gandhi Statue on the dull sands of the Marina. It was cloudy but there was a gentle breeze. At some distance I saw a small crowd gathering around something. Suddenly I saw a small girl going up in the air (of course, she was wearing a helmet and a parachute). The crowd cheered on. After flying in the air for sometime (a few seconds) she came down.
As I grew curious, I went near the crowd. The girl was fastened to a jeep with the help of a long rope of nearly 200 mts. length. She was getting ready with her
paraphernalia. The jeep started. Another show was on! And lo! As the jeep began to move, the tiny girl was lifted high into the air. As the jeep slowed down, she came down and made a safe landing on the sand.
 The conductor of the show, Mr. Roy, informed that this was being introduced to
chennaivasis for the first time. This sport is known as parasailing and is organised by the Tamil Nadu Tourist Development Corporation (TTDC) to commemorate the World Tourism Day - Sept. 27. The flier is towed by a jeep and lifted into the air to a height of 200 ft. Wind plays an important role in this activity. “If there is more wind even a heavy person can be lifted up,” confirmed Mr. Roy. “It is very safe. No need for any training. During the flight the flier does nothing except enjoy the view,“ adds Mr. Roy.
During World War II this technique was adopted by the western countries for the surveillance of enemy campus. Now, it has become an adventure sport.
Marina, the second longest and loveliest beach in the world, has seen only Thengai (coconut), Mangai (mango), Pattani & Sundal (peas & channa). Now, in the evenings, a few ice cream parlours have been set up. And it has become a ‘litter’ zone. This beach, which is stretching out for nearly 3 km, can be an ideal spot for this sport.
What
 will be the charges?” It is going to be very cheap. We will be just covering my operational cost,” chuckled Mr. Roy.
Mr. Roy is a franchisee of TTDC. TTDC is waiting for clearance for this project. Once this is through, it hopes to operate regular parasailing sessions on the Marina with the assistance of Mr. Roy.
Sounds interesting, isn’t? Come and enjoy the ride.
For details please
contact:
Chief Manager,
T.T.D.C. Complex,
Wallajah Road, (Next to Kalaivanar Arangam)
Chennai - 600005
Phone: 8547335, 8547346
V. Guhan
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