DEHRADUN : Matogi village , around 50 km from Dehradun city is emerging as a favorite spot for adventure and thrill seekers in paragliding. Since the past few weeks, the Paragliding Association of Uttarakhand (PAU) has been conducting paragliding sessions for tourists as well as training courses for enthusiasts here. Dehradun, which people have been looking up as stopover to move to other tourism destination as it has nothing to offer on its own has now one such destination for aero sports.Shankar Singh, secretary of Paragliding Association of Uttarkhand said, "This place is ideally suited for paragliding. The forest and river in the vicinity provide the right climate with moisture in the air. The site also gives full glimpse of Himalayan range as well as Shivalik hills ."He said, around 35 foreigners and some amateur pilots enjoyed the tandem (two-seater paraglide ride) which went for four hours covering stretch of 70 km at the elevation of 3500 meter in the air .Jatin Kumar, mechanical engineer from Delhi who had tandem ride in Matogi said, "I had one of the most memorable experience of flying in a paraglider at Matogi. The breathtaking views above Dehradun , beautiful town of Mussoorie , Tehri and Chinyalisaur in Uttarkashi were just out of the world. I would like to come here again and again with my friends."Shankar said that Bhadraj temple in the area has been selected as the take-off point for paragliding. "Matogi has great potential to promote paragliding in the state and attract tourists to Dehradun. We have done the ground work and now the state government must pitch in to provide the basic facilities such as waiting shed, small cafeteria and a good road in the area." Poonam Chand , joint director of Uttarakhand Tourism Development Board said that Matogi can emerge as one of the most promising tourism site for paragliding in the state for tourism, competition and as training site. "Youngsters from across the state can be facilitated training in the aero sports at Matogi by tourism department. PAU should submit a project about their suggestions to develop the place to tourism department, which will be positively considered," she said.

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