Appu Ghar
{{Short description|Amusement park in New Delhi, India}}
{{for|the water park in Gurgaon|Appu Ghar (Gurgaon)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=June 2018}}
{{Infobox amusement park
| name = Appu Ghar
| image =
| caption =
| resort =
| location = New Delhi
| location2 = Delhi
| location3 = India
| coordinates = {{Coord|28.616813|N|77.243359|E|display=it}}
| theme = Animal, water, winter sports, Haunted house
| homepage =
| owner = International Amusement Limited
| general_manager = Gian Vijeshwar
| operator =
| opening_date = {{Start date|1984|11|19|df=yes}}
| closing_date = {{End date|2008|02|17|df=yes}}
| previous_names =
| season = Year-round
| area = {{convert|15.5|acre|m2}}
| slogan =
| footnotes =
| visitors = 1,825,000 (2006){{cite web |title=Official Site of Appu Ghar |url=http://www.appughar.com/about_appughar.htm |website=appughar.com |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060225205607/http://www.appughar.com/about_appughar.htm |archivedate=25 February 2006 |url-status=dead}}
}}
Appu Ghar was an amusement park operated by International Amusement Limited, located in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, India.{{cite news |title=Appu Ghar, the family entertainer, closes down |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/appu-ghar-the-family-entertainer-closes-down/articleshow/2790007.cms |publisher=The Economic Times |date=17 February 2008}} It was spread over {{convert|15.5|acre|m2}} and was India's first amusement park.{{cite news|date=17 June 2017|title=Delhi: Free rides for Class 10 toppers in park|publisher=The Asian Age|url=https://www.asianage.com/metros/delhi/170617/delhi-free-rides-for-class-10-toppers-in-park.html}} It was established in 1984 to commemorate the 1982 Asian Games, and was inaugurated on 19 November 1984 by then-Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi.{{cite news|last1=Pratap|first1=Rashmi|date=20 June 2014|title=For amusement parks in India, there is a lot of money riding on a young population that is determined to seek out entertainment & willing to spend on it|publisher=The Hindu Business Line|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/work/The-fun-has-just-begun/article20863774.ece}} The park closed down in 2008 after a legal ruling allocating the land for government use.
Name
History
India's first amusement park was inaugurated in 1984 by International Amusement Ltd. (IAL) headed by Suresh Chawla, who orchestrated the entire project of APPU GHAR with Trade Fair Authority of India (TFAI) rebranded now as India Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO), Narinder Malik, a Sweden-based NRI and Gian Vijeshwar, another Sweden-based NRI with an aim to provide free access to underprivileged children. It was inaugurated on 19 November 1984 by Rajiv Gandhi then Indian Prime Minister, after his mother Indira Gandhi's assassination on her birthday, this was his first public appearance.[http://www.hindustantimes.com/interactives/delhi-independence-day-timeline/ "Delhi in 70 years."], Hindustan Times, 15 August 2017. Appu Ghar quickly became a crowd puller for the residents of the Indian capital as well as those of neighbouring towns.{{fact|date=September 2024}}
It was formally opened under the aegis of International Amusement Ltd. (IAL), with its registered office at Gate No. 4, Pragati Maidan. The park was opened under a very tight schedule as planned on 14 November 1984.{{fact|date=September 2024}}
The India Trade Promotion Organization (ITPO), which owns Pragati Maidan, leased the land to IAL for three years in 1984 to run and operate Appu Ghar. subsequently, ITPO kept on tending the lease to IAL till November 1999, when it last expired.{{fact|date=September 2024}}
In 1999, ITPO asked IAL to vacate the land, at which point the private firm sought legal arbitration with ITPO to continue with Appu Ghar. Meanwhile, with the Supreme Court of India urgent needing land for extension along with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for construction of the Delhi Metro's Pragati Maidan metro station, the Government allocated the land to both the parties. In 2007, the Supreme Court finally ratified the Government's decision to hand over the land from IAL, paving the way for Appu Ghar's eventual closure on 17 February 2008.{{cite news |title=Appu Ghar, adieu |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080218/delhi.htm |publisher=Tribune India |date=18 February 2008}}
Appu Ghar Group
The Appu Ghar Group/International Amusement Ltd. also has a mix of amusement and commercial activities in Noida, The Great India Place and Worlds of Wonder; Adventure Island a similar project on a 62-acre parcel of land in Metro Walk, Rohini, Delhi. And finally Appu Ghar Jaipur, a 300-acre project currently under construction in Rajasthan.
Major attractions
The major attractions at Appu Ghar in Pragati Maidan{{cite news |last1=Kumar |first1=Rakesh |title=(Un)fair grounds |url=https://www.thestatesman.com/features/un-fair-grounds-1489003709.html |publisher=The Statesman |date=8 March 2017}}{{cite news |last1=Nair |first1=Harish |title=Supreme Court complex grows by 12 acres, 6 new blocks inaugurated |url=https://www.timesnownews.com/india/article/supreme-court-complex-grows-by-12-acres-new-6-blocks-inaugurated/455385 |publisher=Times Now News |date=17 July 2019}} were:
- Various rides for children
- Swinging Sensations - This part features several rides and games like the Big Splash, the Roller Coaster, the Columbus Jhoola, the Giant Wheel, My Fair Lady and others.
- Games on snow like skiing, sledding, ice boating and others
- A water park spread over an area of {{convert|3.5|acre|m2}}
- Swimming pool
- The Tower of Thrills
- Hi Waves
- Haunted House
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141215212627/http://www.appughar.com/|date=15 December 2014|title=Official website}}
{{Amusement Parks in India}}
Category:Buildings and structures in Delhi
Category:1984 establishments in Delhi
Category:2008 disestablishments in India
Category:Defunct amusement parks in India
Category:Tourist attractions in Delhi
Category:Amusement parks opened in 1984