SINDHUPALCHOWK, March 11: Commercial paragliding has begun in Chautara, the district headquarters of Sindhupalchowk.

Mayor of Chautara Municipality Amansingh Tamang inaugurated the service amid a ceremony on Saturday.

The paragliding service is operated by Sindhupalchowk-Lamachaur Paragliding and Hang Gliding Association. The association launched commercial service after successful test flights in the last week of February.

Five pilots operated flights on Saturday. Flights took off from Lamachaur and landed at Siranchaur. The flight was about 25 minutes long. The promoters are charging Rs 2,500 per flight.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mayor Tamang said that beginning of paragliding service was a step forward toward developing Chautara as a tourist center in the district. "Now, we will promote homestay services in Chautara and surrounding areas to bring more visitors," he added.

The locals had collected Rs 2,000 to Rs 50,000 from each household to start paragliding service in Chautara.

"The flight offers gliders the opportunity to get bird's eye view of Bhotekoshi River and mountain peaks of Himalayan range," Milan Pakhrin, general secretary of the association, told Republica. "We will extend flight routes in the coming days."

Meanwhile, the association organized a competition among pilots on the inauguration day. Tufan Gharti Magar, Bishnu Karki, and Roshan Basnet grabbed first, second and third position, respectively. They were awarded cash price of Rs 15,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively.Paragliding is the latest activity to feature in the list of adventure activities offered in the district. Bungee jump over Bhotekoshi River is already popular among adventure junkies, while Bhotekoshi River is a popular destination among rafters. Similarly, canyoning is also available in different parts of the district.

 
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