Bir Billing in Palampur, Himachal has quietly but surely become the para-gliding capital in the country. Over the years, the destination is a fair-weather friend for almost ten months of the year, for international and local enthusiasts and professionals alike, to come and try out this sport. In terms of adventure activities, para gliding is a different kind, say from golf, or the like, in that it requires a special type of terrain, the hills, valleys and the bright spots to take off. As in other sports, specialists look out for newer courses, with the idea that they have done them all. Palampur has carved a special niche for itself, thanks to the efforts of a few volunteers who have laboured in this sport over decades.
A report in The Indian Express, quotes Puran Chand, 71, a local chai shop owner, who has seen it all, who displays a near-encyclopaedic knowledge of the region’s paragliding history. And we quote:
“Neil Kinnear (England) and Keith Necols (the US) arrived here with their hang glider over 40 years ago. On their second trip in 1980, Kinnear, a teacher in a Dharamshala school encouraged me to open a tea stall on the hill for them. In 1984, the Hang-Gliding World Cup was held in Bir-Billing. Forty-three pilots from 13 countries participated in it. In 1986, Bruce Milles (New Zealand) brought paragliding to Billing. My father attended some paragliding expeditions with him,” says Puran, who ends up staying back in his shop on most nights.
While hang gliding didn’t succeed in Kangra district’s Bir-Billing “because it requires a large landing area to prevent injuries”, a wizened Puran says paragliding is still going strong.
This year, the second edition of the Paragliding World Cup Association Asian Tour 2024 was held in Bir-Billing last month. 94 paragliders from 26 countries, including 32 from India, participated.
Bir-Billing has made a name for itself as a “paraglider paradise” due to its strong stable air currents that help lift the structure easily and allow paragliders to fly over 50 km to Dharamshala and Manali. The area also holds the distinction of being one of Asia’s highest paragliding sites, we quote this report.
There is little else to this rural settlement, except home to para-gliding. It has become the first source of livelihood, especially for those who have preferred to stay in the village. With new investments promised by the state government, there is hope of improving upon the infrastructure that can be offered in the near future.
There is an overwhelming need for Himachal to nurture new products, as this effort has been somewhat dormant in recent years. Or, at least, not promoted enough, if it does exist. There is also the opportunity to develop Bir-Billing with top class accommodations with all creature comforts, but in local architecture and idiom, resembling in every detail what is local, in design, materials, and ambience. A detailed infrastructure development plan, to ensure integrated and a holistic, yet a local, experience for both enthusiasts and professionals awaits the destination.