Kerala is set to elevate Vagamon as India’s premier paragliding destination, aiming to attract adventure tourism enthusiasts from around the world.
PA Mohamed Riyas, Kerala’s Tourism and Public Works Minister, joined a skydiving session at the International Paragliding Festival at Kolahramedu Adventure Park. Speaking at the event, he revealed that the government plans to transform Vagamon, located in the Idukki district, into the country’s leading hub for paragliding.
The festival, held from March 19 to 23, was organized by the Kerala Tourism Department and the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society (KATPS). On the festival’s second-to-last day, Minister Riyas joined Mithun, a local paraglider pilot from Vagamon, in a thrilling flight that reached an impressive height of 3,500 feet.
Kerala is known for its diverse adventure offerings, including mountain biking in Wayanad, surfing in Varkala and Beypore, paragliding in Vagamon, and trekking through the scenic Western Ghats.
Sikha Surendran, Kerala Tourism Director, praised the department for introducing new adventure experiences that were once considered exotic in the region. She emphasized that the Vagamon International Paragliding Festival has firmly placed Kerala on the global adventure tourism map.
Key guests at the event included District Panchayat Chairman Rarichan Neeranakunnel, Tourism Department Joint Director Rajeev GL, Deputy Director KS Shine, KATPS CEO Binu Kuriakose, and various local leaders and politicians.
The festival featured paragliding competitions in 49 categories, with 15 competitors from 11 countries, including 1.5 international participants. The competition included events such as Paragliding Accuracy (Overall), Paragliding Accuracy (Women), Paragliding Accuracy (Team), and Paragliding Accuracy (Indian Overall), among others. Cash prizes of INR 1 lakh, INR 50,000, and INR 50,000 were awarded to the top three winners in each category.
Located just four kilometers from Vagamon, Kolahramedu, near Perumedu, is recognized as one of the best spots for paragliding. Positioned at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the area’s cool climate, tea plantations, meadows, and surrounding forests create the perfect conditions for paragliding take-offs and landings.