The two-day Kondaveedu Fort Festival filled with fun and adventure activities organised by the Palndau district administration concluded on February 11 (Sunday) with 40,000 people visiting the fort during the event.
Tourists participated in adventure activities. Hundreds of them, from all age groups, enjoyed the heli-ride. Though it was a paid service, the heli-riders said that it was a thrilling experience to have the bird’s eye view of the fort.
Many visitors took part in paragliding adventure event. As the visitors were paragliding, others watched them and took photos and selfies.
A student said apart from adventure sports such as heli-ride, horse riding, paragliding, kayaking, boating, archery, shooting, rock climbing, programmes such as flower show, food festival, children’s plays, photo exhibition, display of the history of the fort remained the other major attractions.
Palnadu Collector Siva Sankar Lotheti said that the huge turnout of visitors and the good response from the tourists were surprising though the Fort Festival was planned and organised on a short notice. Students from various districts took part in the festival. “The Kondaveedu Fort is a natural attraction for tourists across the country for its rich heritage and monumental values. This good response to the Fort Festival is encouraging. The district administration is contemplating organising this event on the second Saturday and Sunday in February every year,” he said.
Mr. Siva Sankar said certain adeventure activities would be available at the fort throughout the year. “For instance, two horses would be available at the fort for riding throughout the year. Adventure lovers have been enjoying rock climbing, trucking and others sports facilities, apart from nightstay in camps, for the last six months,” he said.
Around 15,000 visited the fort on the inaugural day of the festival while around 25,000 visited on the second day, taking the total footfall to 40,000 in two days, the Collector said, adding that the heli-ride facility would be available at the fort for one more day until February 12 as the visitors requested for it.
Ghat road inaugurated
Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare Vidadala Rajini inaugurated the ghat road laid from the foothills to the top of the Kondaveedu Fort at a cost of ₹5 crore.
