Tourism boost: Mandu all set for major facelift

INDORE: Mandu, the tourist hotspot of Madhya Pradesh, is all set to get a makeover this August. A joint venture of Mandu Tourism Promotion Council and Dhar administration, the project entails provision of adventure sports, open air theatre, workshops for tourists and other amenities.
SDM of Dhar district, Neeraj Singh said, "Despite Mandu’s fame as an archaeological marvel, it is unable to attract an encouraging number of visitors throughout the year.
Hence, a decision was taken to upgrade tourism amenities and make visitors’ stay at Mandu more enjoyable."
Highlighting the project, he added that adventure sports would include paragliding, paramotor, parasailing, water tugging, banana rides, hiking, rappelling, rock climbing and a zipline across the valley of Kakdakho. Also, an entertainment zone would extend facilities like paint ball and machine ball cricket to tourists. "We have also decided to develop an open air theatre on top of Chhapan Mahal or in front of Jahaj Mahal, which would screen movies during the evenings. Films depicting heritage of Malwa and Mandu region and also the blockbusters shot in Mandu, will be screened."
Also, National Rural Livelihood Mission and local self-help groups (SHGs) from different fields will come together to hold workshops for tourists on local jewellery, pottery, local dances, turban tying and traditional cloth dyeing. Anup Shrivastav, an artist from Dhar, said, "Mandu is a treasure trove of scenic beauty. We can convey pulchritude of this archaeological marvel through our artworks."