THE DELHI EYE: A SHORT GUIDE
Fashioned After the London Eye and the Singapore Flyer, Delhi also has a giant ferris wheel now called the Delhi Eye, which opened to the public in October 2014 after a lengthy delay. Now everyone can take a ride on the Eye and take in the breathtaking sights of the city from a bird’s point of view.
The Eye has only just begun life, but it has already had a troubled past. Vekoma Rides, a Dutch company that has installed twenty such wheels of varying heights around the world, only took three weeks to complete. However, despite being ready since 2010, it was forced to remain closed all this time because it was deemed illegal by a committee, formed by the Delhi High Court in 2005, to protect land near the Yamuna River from encroachment and commercial development.
The total capacity of the Delhi Eye is 288 passengers. It has 36 air-conditioned glass pods that can seat up to eight people in each. The pods have controls that enable passengers to select lighting and music, and vents in case anyone starts feeling claustrophobic. There’s also a VIP pod, with plush couches, a television and a DVD player, phone connected to the control room, and champagne cooler.
If you want to take a ride in the Eye and take in all the visual delights of Delhi, it will set you back by 250 rupees if you’re a ‘normal’ person. Senior citizens pay 150 rupees and a place in the VIP pod costs 1500 rupees.
