DD India

Agra, famously known for the iconic Taj Mahal, will witness a new festival venture, ‘Taj Carnival’ from October 17 to November 10. The central attraction of this celebration will be a spectacular hot air balloon ride. which will offer visitors breathtaking views of the Taj Mahal and the historic city.

Agra has previously gained recognition for the ‘Taj Mahotsav’ held in February, a festival that honours art, crafts, and culture. In addition to the renowned Taj Mahotsav in February, Agra used to host the ‘Sharadotsav’ in October, marking the commencement of the tourist season, which typically spans from October to March each year. The revival of this October festival has been enthusiastically welcomed by the local tourism industry.

Taj Mahotsav, In an effort to encourage more people to participate, which charges an entry fee the Taj Carnival will be free for all visitors. The event will be held at Shilpgram and will boast 59 food stalls offering a delightful array of culinary experiences, featuring Braj, Rajasthani, Avadhi, Mughlai, Gujarati, and South Indian dishes to delight both tourists and locals attending the Taj carnival.

The primary attraction of the festival will be the five-day extravaganza of hot air balloon rides, commencing on October 17 and running daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The objective is to inspire tourists to prolong their stay in Agra and promote comprehensive tourism development.

This year, recognised as the International Year of Millets, The ‘Taj Carnival’ will also exhibit pottery, wood carving, indigenous handicrafts, and cultural performances, encompassing music and folk dances. The festivities will be enriched with a ‘Dandia’ dance performance at Zonal Park.

However, this is not the first time Agra has experimented with providing tourists with an aerial perspective of the Taj Mahal. In 2013, a private company launched tethered helium balloon rides that took tourists up to 250m above the ground, offering a unique glimpse of the Taj Mahal from above. However, the project was abandoned after a storm damaged the balloon in 2014.

The Uttar Pradesh tourism department also organised Taj Balloon festivals in November 2015 and 2021, inviting hot air balloon pilots from across the world to participate. However, the government did not continue these events.