A five-day international paragliding competition will begin on March 19 at Kolahalamedu in Vagamon, attracting 86 participants from 11 countries. The event is part of the International Paragliding Festival, held in the scenic Western Ghats.
The competition, which is a key part of the International Top Landing Accuracy Cup, will feature six categories.
The festival is officially recognized by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), the global governing body for air sports. Both the FAI and the Aero Club of India are providing technical support for the event, while local coordination is handled by Fly Vagamon.
The paragliding competitions will be held at the Vagamon Adventure Park in Kolahalamedu. The categories include Paragliding Accuracy (Overall), Paragliding Accuracy (Women), Paragliding Accuracy (Team), Paragliding Accuracy (Indian Overall), Paragliding Accuracy (Indian Women), and Paragliding Accuracy (Junior).
Organized by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS) under the State Tourism Department, in collaboration with Orange Life Paragliding School, the event will offer a prize pool of ₹1.5 lakh, ₹1 lakh, and ₹50,000 for the first, second, and third place winners in each category.
Over the past three years, Kerala has been harnessing its adventure tourism potential, with Vagamon emerging as an ideal destination for paragliding enthusiasts from around the world.
Kolahalamedu, situated 7 km from Vagamon in the Idukki district, is renowned for its favorable paragliding conditions.
Located at an altitude of 3,000 feet, it offers excellent take-off and landing spots. The cool climate, surrounded by tea plantations, grasslands, and wooded areas, further enhances the location’s appeal for paragliders.