BackPhoto Essay | An eye on Delhi
The recently opened Delhi Eye might not really be the best place to get a view of all that the Capital has to offer
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London has one, so do Melbourne, Yokohama and Dubai. Several other cities across the world also have giant wheels. Now New Delhi too has one.
Originally scheduled to be inaugurated in 2010, the Delhi Eye, a giant Ferris wheel with 36 “capsules" with tinted glasses, could not be opened to the public since this commercial activity in the vicinity of the Yamuna river did not have operating clearance. It finally opened on 2 October.
Built inside an amusement park in Kalindi Kunj on the Delhi-Noida border in the south-eastern part of the city, the observatory ride, open seven days a week from 11am-8pm, claims to provide a view of monuments like Humayun’s Tomb, Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, Akshardham temple and Red Fort.
But that’s not always possible. If you take the ride in the second half of the day, when the sun is setting, the sunlight makes it difficult to see these monuments. Even otherwise, the heavy smog on most days tends to come in the way. The black film, and occasional dust particles, on the capsule glass further obstruct the view.
“Worldwide, it (the giant wheel) is attracting a lot of people," says Henk Roodenburg, president, Dutch Wheels, a Netherlands-based giant-wheel manufacturer which has installed the Delhi Eye. Roodenburg agrees that the glasses need to be cleaned more often, adding, “It needs more work (like constant cleaning to keep away the dust and grime) to make it attractive." Syed Salim, managing director, Izara Entertainment Pvt. Ltd, the company which runs the wheel along with Khan and Sirohi Electro Mechanical Pvt. Ltd, says the black film will be taken off soon.
“I saw an advertisement in the papers this morning and since it is a holiday and I stay nearby, I decided to come and see what exactly it is," says Amit Chhajer, one of the many visitors who had come for a ride on the inaugural day. Chhajer’s wife and five children were with him—they were all looking forward to the ride.
The height of the wheel is 45m, says Roodenburg; all told, including the installation height, it is around 50m, says the company. It’s not the tallest in the world, but it’s not the shortest either. “The smallest one that we have installed is in Helsinki, which towers around 38m," says Roodenburg. The London Eye is 135m in height.
One of the capsules in the Delhi Eye is a VIP one, which costs ₹ 2,500. It has a television set and sofa seats, and can accommodate four people.
All the other capsules have a capacity to seat eight each, at an inaugural price of ₹ 250 per person. Roodenburg, however, recommends that only six adults should sit in a capsule for a comfortable viewing experience. “After all, it is a ride for observation and for that people need to be comfortable to look around," he adds.
Usually, the bigger wheels across the world take around 30 minutes for one round. The Delhi Eye takes four rounds, each lasting approximately 4 minutes. “This is a different concept. So even if you miss a sight in one circle, you come back again," says Roodenburg. This is also the first time that a giant wheel has been installed in an amusement park.
“Usually we go to cities and not amusement parks. This is an exception," says Roodenburg.
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