Hot Air Balloon Festival Takes Off Near Golconda Fort
Minister Jupally Krishna Rao inaugurates event, undertakes an aerial ride
Hyderabad: In the early hours of Friday, nearly 18 hot air balloons carrying seven to eight passengers moved into the air, marking the Hot Air Balloon Festival as it was launched near the Golconda Fort at the Golf Club premises.
Minister for Tourism and Culture Jupally Krishna Rao formally inaugurated the festival and later undertook a hot air balloon ride as part of the opening celebrations.
Around 50 people participated in the rides, including those who booked tickets and VIPs.This festival is ticketed at Rs 2000 plus GST, excluding VIPS and Media. The evening rides for shorter distances are scheduled at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad.
The participants were mesmerised and requested the Telangana government to conduct more such events.
The Minister spent nearly one-and-a-half hours in the air, covering a distance of about 13 kilometres. The ride began near the Golconda Golf Club and concluded at the outskirts of Appajiguda, offering sweeping aerial views of Hyderabad and its surrounding landscapes.
The Minister said that such festivals must be conducted frequently to promote Telangana and its historic culture.
“The balloons rising into the sky today symbolise Telangana tourism reaching new global heights,” Jupally Krishna Rao said, expressing confidence that such initiatives would help place the State among the country’s leading tourism destinations.
Inviting families, youth and children to take part in the festival, the Minister said the event was designed to offer lasting memories for visitors and encouraged the public to actively participate in the celebrations.
Telangana Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Kranthi Valluri and officials of the Tourism Department were present at the inaugural ceremony.
