Children clapped in glee as the trapeze artistes passed from end of the big top to the other swinging on horizontal bars and changed positions with amazing dexterity at the Great Bombay Circus, which opened at AU High School grounds here on Sunday.
A clown, who tried to swing across from one end to the other, but fell on the net below after his trouser came off, brought laughter among the audience. A performer juggling with five balls at the same time without allowing the balls to fall on the ground and blowing tennis balls with his mouth for quite a few minutes was a treat to watch.
The audience held their breath as a glamorous girl walking upside down on a horizontal bar, hung from the big top, after the net below was removed. The hanging girl used her feet to take one step after the other using the loops tied to the rod to walk upside down.
Seven young men effortlessly climbing two vertical steel poles using their hands and feet in different styles and showing different formations on the poles and a girl balancing herself precariously on a plank, kept on hollow tubes one above the other on a table, while juggling with rings were some of the other attractions.
Ban impact
The ban on performance of tigers and elephants seems to have had a devastating effect on the circuses. Nonetheless, macaws and other birds riding a chariot and playing on the see-saw and dogs performing feats brought cheer among the crowd.
A dog walked on its hind legs, balancing a small umbrella on its body and two other dogs went round the ring with one jumping over the other.
The Grand Bombay Circus was founded by Baburao Kadam in 1920. It was merged with White Way and Hind Lion Circuses and was renamed Great Bombay Circus in 1947, according to the partners K.M. Sanjeev and K.M. Dilipnath.
Timings
There will be three shows daily at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Earlier, the circus was formally inaugurated by Minister for HRD Ganta Srinivasa Rao in the presence of AU Vice-Chancellor G. Nageswara Rao, Registrar V. Umamaheswara Rao and MLA Peela Govind.
