May 21st, 2004

Incredible India Miniature Theme Park

email: asirvatham@gmail.com, asirvatham2005@dataone.in
488 Jalvayu Vihar, Kamanahalli Main Road, Bangalore – 560 043 .
Tel. res:91-80-25446147/ 25445496

Introduction

This is a concept note on a Theme Park showcasing India as a destination for both domestic and foreign tourists. It will provide information in a visually pleasing and dramatic presentation, while giving the visitor a unique cultural experience.

Background

India as a tourist destination requires a focus point which encapsulates the best of ancient and modern India from a tourist’s point of view: its art, its culture, its history, its present, its achievements.

Why build an Incredible India Miniature Theme Park?

It makes economic sense. Take a leaf out of successful miniature parks from around the world:

• The Jeju Miniature Theme Park in Korea lures about 1 million tourists with annual revenue of 4 to 5 billion won.

• Since its opening in 1993, the Beijing World Park, China has received 1.5 million visitors annually.

The scenario

Looking at what is available right now in India, we can see:

• “Pure culture” places like Dakshin Chitra in Chennai

• “Pure miniature” offerings like Shankar’s Dolls Museum in Delhi

• “Pure dance” places like Nrityagram in Bangalore for preservation of classical dance forms

• “Pure Crafts” like the Shilparamam Crafts Village in Hyderabad for preservation of traditional crafts

• There are also museums and aquariums, planetariums,. which draw crowds.

The need

There is a need for a place that blends all of these and offers them alongside the modern entertainment of shopping malls, food courts, funfairs, entertainment multiplexes, gardens, fountains, fairground rides and games.

Enter: The Incredible India Theme Park.

A bankable idea

The Incredible India Theme Park will

• showcase India creatively, displaying its rich diversity of cultures, its historic and modern side

• attract both domestic and foreign tourists, with a balanced mix of entertainment and educational interest

• educate people regarding the breadth and depth of Indian architecture, history, achievements, culture and cuisine

• create interest in places of cultural and historical significance in India, drawing tourist traffic to the actual locations where the original monuments are situated (eg a tourist seeing the miniature of the Gwalior Fort will want to travel to Gwalior to see the real thing.)

• provide a market for our talented artisans, craftsmen and women

• provide a platform for our folk dance and music

• create employment for many people right from the managerial level to the NGO sector and blue collar workers - for support personnel, craftsmen, artisans, performers, guides, presenters, restaurant owners, hoteliers, facility managers, personnel, blue-collar workers, writers, designers, communicators, etc.

• generate revenue for the country/state

• Once it is established and promoted, it will enhance and accelerate the growth of the tourist industry in India.

Incredible India Theme Park

The concept: The one-stop India Destination tourist -hotel-entertainment-culture-mall-funfair-exhibition-education-information platform that showcases historic and modern India creatively and holistically to domestic and foreign tourists.

The idea is to showcase India as a destination - with all its colour, history, grandeur, folk and traditional culture.

The Theme Park will be the visitor's "India Experience" in a nutshell.

It will include the following areas:

Section 1: Miniature India

Well- known monuments, ancient and modern, in exquisitely detailed miniature.

• World Heritage Sites

• Ancient Wonders

• Modern Marvels

• Sci-Tech India

Section 2: India Locomotion

a. Miniature/toy trains showcasing the luxury and toy trains of India

a.i. Luxury Trains

a.ii.Toy Trains

b. India on wheels

Land Transport - ancient and modern

c. Boats of India

Section 3: National Symbols and herbal garden

Section 4: Food Court featuring all the cuisines of India

India Smorgasbord

Section 5: Performing arts

• Dance (traditional, classical and folk)

• Music (traditional, classical and folk)

• Theatre (traditional, modern, folk)

• Martial arts

• Fusion

  
  

Section 6: Crafts Village

Vibrant India

Real-life village huts, folk performing arts, 3-D walkthroughs

Section 7: Pageantry of India

Larger-than-life Indian celebrations will be depicted in miniature along with audio-visual presentations

Section 8: India Hall of Fame

Dolls showing famous people of India (ancient and modern)

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Details on Incredible India Theme Park

Section 1:

Miniature India

At the core of the Theme park will be 40-50 of India's most celebrated monuments - from the world-famous Taj to the little-known but historic Pattadakal of Karnataka.

Each of these monuments will be a perfect replica of the original, in miniature.

Each monument will be displayed against natural scenery -a landscaped garden with hills and valleys, rivers and fountains and perhaps bonsai trees or small plants in proportion to the monuments.

Each miniature monument will have a description of its role in Indian history - well researched and well-written. A souvenir booklet will also be prepared to international standards of quality.

Dolls or mannequins to depict people will enhance the presentation. eg priests and devotees offering oblations at a temple, an Indian marriage taking place, showing a baraat in procession, Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan at the Taj Mahal/ Agra Fort etc.

Monuments to be showcased

World Heritage Sites

UNESCO has declared the following to be World Heritage Sites

• Ajanta Caves

• Ellora Caves

•  Agra Fort

•  Taj Mahal

•  Sun Temple, Konarak

•  Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram

•  Churches and Convents of Goa

•  Group of Monuments at Khajuraho

•  Group of Monuments at Hampi

•  Fatehpur Sikri

•  Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

•  Elephanta Caves

•  Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur

•  Buddhist Monastery at Sanchi

•  Humayun's Tomb

•  Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi

•   Darjeeling Himalayan Railway

•  Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya

•  Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka

• Meenakshi temple, Madurai

• Somnath temple

• Dilwara Jain Temple, Mount Abu
  Lingaraja Temple, Bhubaneshwar

• Temples at Belur and Halebid, Karnataka

• Jaiselmer Fort, Rajasthan

• Temples of Belur and Halebid, Karnataka

• Statue at Sravanabelagola

• Temple of Lord Jagannath, Puri

• Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

• Samode Palace, Jaipur

• Lake Palace, Udaipur

• Gwalior Fort, Gwalior

• Amber Fort, Jaipur

• Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur

• Jaigarh Fort, Jaipur

• Red Fort, Delhi

• Golconda Fort, Hyderabad

• Char Minar, Hyderabad

Modern Marvels

• Lotus Temple, Delhi

• Hall of Nations, Pragati Maidan, Delhi

• Hall of Industries, Pragati Maidan, Delhi

• Raj Path showing South Block, North Block, India Gate, Houses of Parliament, Delhi

• Rashtrapati Bhavan, Delhi

• Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore

• Birla Mandir, Delhi

• Sports Complexes of India – eg Kanteerva Indoor Stadium, Bangalore

• Indian Military Academy, Dehra Dun

Sci-tech India

This section would show the scientific and technological prowess of the country, centres of learning and research etc

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore

• All India Institute of Medical Sciences

• Sri Satya Sai Baba Institute of Higher Medical Sciences

• Tata Institute of Social Sciences

• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

• National Remote Sensing Agency

• ISRO

• Forest Research Institute, Dehra Dun

• And more

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Section 2: India Locomotion

Modes of Transport

This section of the park would showcase different modes of transport in India from ancient to modern times.

This would be a section on miniature Indian trains of old, including the mountain railway trains (toy trains) of Shimla, Ooty, Darjeeling and Matheran

http://www.luxury-train-travel-tours-india.com/the-toy-trains-of-india/

Miniature trains for riding around the park:

Replicas of the

• Palace on Wheels

• Deccan Odyssey

• Royal Orient Express

India on wheels

Miniature models of different modes of transport on land

• Tongas (horse or mule-driven carriages)

• Camel Carts

• Bullock Carts of different kinds from all over India

• Modern bullock carts with tyres

• Replicas of royal carriages from palaces of Mysore, Jaipur, Gwalior, etc.

• Rickshaws

• Cycle Rickshaws

• Auto Rickshaws

• Pattpattiyas (large autos)

• Tata Indica (indigenously designed and manufactured car)

• And more

Boats of India

• Snake boats of Kerala

• Coracles or basket boats

• Chinese fishing junks, Kerala

• Houseboats, Kerala

• Houseboats, Kashmir

• Shikaras, Kashmir

• Fishing boats, Goa

• Sailboats

• And more

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Section 3: National Symbols and herbal garden

At the centre of the park will be a map of India, created with colourful perennial plants and flowers, depicting all the states of India.

The Indian flag and national symbols, eg the Ashoka pillar, the tiger, the peacock etc will be depicted around a lotus pond (the national flower is the lotus). Brief descriptions of the national symbols will be displayed.

Banyan trees, Ashoka trees, pepal trees, neem, tamarind and other shady trees will be planted to showcase Indian flora and add to the beauty of the park. A herbal garden will also be created with indigenous plants and herbs of India.

The whole presentation and upkeep of the park would be world-class. No litter, everything impeccably maintained.

The idea is to give people a "whiff of India" so that they are attracted to visit other parts of India on their next visit.

The Theme Park would attract domestic tourists as well.

Around the Theme Park would spring up amenities for the tourist:

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Section 4: India Smorgasbord

This would be a Food Court featuring all the cuisines of India,from Mughlai and North Indian to South Indian to Gujarati and Bengali Food. Popular snacks like dosais, appams, vadais, chaat etc would also be served in a very hygienic environment.

The food would be of excellent quality and the service too. No old leftovers or waiting in long queues. There would be items to suit every budget.

Section 5: Performing arts

There would be a large amphitheatre (perhaps built on two floors to accommodate multiplexes on top) This would be the forum for the arts - for live performances of dance, music and theatre. Workshops could also be conducted here for school/college students during the holidays or as part of a school programme.

The arts to be performed are:

Dance (traditional dance like Bharat Natyam, Kathak,

Mohiniattam, Kuchipudi etc, and folk dance like the Garba, the Bhangra etc.)

Music - Classical Hindustani and Carnatic music, folk music

Martial arts - Kalaripayattu

There would be several performances going on side by side in the multiplexes.

A book store with tourist guides, maps, coffee table books on India, books by Indian

writers in several languages, would be part of the complex. Also a souvenir store.

A gallery showcasing fine art and folk art will be part of the multiplex.

The amphitheatre would also be a venue for MICE (Meetings, Conferences, Incentives, Events) both from the travel and tourism trade and the corporate sector.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Section 6: Crafts Village

A crafts village (life-size) constructed with typical village huts from different parts of India would show craftsmen at work - potters, weavers, artists, wood-carvers, sculptors, metal workers, jewellery makers etc.

There will be an entertainment section featuring folk performing arts - puppet shows, jugglers, (perhaps on an open-air stage),folk theatre, snake-charmers, elephant rides, camel rides, fortune-telling (parrot and cards), astrology, mehendi, etc. A presenter/compeer would add to the excitement and be trained to answer tourists' queries.

A Disney-style presentation like "it's a small world" will take the visitor on a 3-D walkthrough – a boat-ride/camel-ride/elephant-ride/train journey through the length and breadth of India, where mannequins dance to the music of their region, dressed appropriately. This is a three-dimensional experience as the viewers travel through a tunnel where the background would show the flora and fauna of the region they are passing through.

Note: The people behind the "Dash ki dhadkan" ad (Hero Honda) could perhaps sponsor this programme – or the one on Transport of India.

Section 7: Pageantry of India

Spectacular celebrations like the Republic Day Parade, Rath Yatra, the Kumbh Mela, the Pooram Festival and Snakeboat races of Kerala, the Camel Fair at Pushkar, the Goa Carnival etc would be depicted with dolls and miniature models at a permanent exhibition inside the multiplex area. Information about the Festivals of India would also be available in CD, book and booklet form.

There would be a separate section with dolls dressed in the costumes of different states/parts of India. These dolls will also be available for sale packaged in sets to show costumes of different states, or in pairs.

Visitors would also be able to press a button and listen to the language of a particular state.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………

Section 8: India Hall of Fame

This section would also be housed in the auditorium area for protection from the weather.

Doll-sized Indians who have left their mark on history would be depicted here – some would be contemporary Indians who are known to the world.

• Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam 
• Indira Gandhi
• Jawaharlal Nehru etc.

• Tipu Sultan
• Shivaji
  
• Chandragupta Maurya
  
• Emperor Ashok
  
• Vikramaditya
  
• Hakka & Bukka - Kingdom of Vijayanagar
  
• General Cariappa
• General Manekshaw

• Dr. Khurana  (Nobel prize winner)
• Jagdish Chandra Bose
• Kalpana Chawala (astronaut)
• JRD Tata – Industrialist
  
• Dhirubhai Ambani – Industrialist
• Sabeer Bhatia (inventor of Hotmail)
• Amitabh Bachchan
• Sachin Tendulkar

• Vishveshwariya
  
• Dr. Raja Ramanna
  
• Dr. C.V. Raman
• Vikarma Sarabhai
• Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha
  
• Dr Swaminathan - father of the Green Revolution

Social reformers, philosophers and philanthropists

• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
  
• Swami Vivekananda
  
• Sri Aurobindo
  
• Mother Theresa (not an Indian, but adopted by India)

• Rabindranath Tagore
  
• Satyajit Ray
  
• Chanakya
• Kabir
• Mirabai
• Tulsidas
• Kalidas
• Tenali Ramakrishna
• Maharshi Valmiki
• Lata Mangeshkar
  
• Pandit Ravi Shankar
  
• Ustad Amjad Ali Khan
  
• Dr. R.K. Narayan

• Mahatma Gandhi
• Sardar Patel
• Bal Gangadhar Tilak
• Bhagat Singh
• Tatia Tope
• Madame Cama
• Subhash Chandra Bose
• Maharani Lakshmibai

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Amenities

• Banks/extension counters/ATMs, Money Changers, credit card facilities

• Ticket counters

• Security

• Children’s play areas

• Parks, fountains

• Outdoor seating areas

• Toilets

• Garden

• Herbal garden with Indian herbs and Ayurvedic products

• Literature/information about India: books, CDs, cassettes, DVDs etc.

• Intranet and internet enabled facilities with network security, to enable online ticketing and reservations for hotels, school and college tours etc.

• Website with links to Incredible India website
  

Environment-friendly measures

• Waste management

• Rainwater harvesting

• Solar lighting for energy conservation

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Economics

The Incredible India Theme park would be a show-window for India to the world, attracting both foreign and domestic tourists and boosting the economy and creating jobs for support personnel, artisans, craftsmen, performers, etc.

• It is noteworthy that Jeju Miniature Theme Park lures about 1 million tourists with annual revenue of 4 to 5 billion won. http://www.jejutourguide.co.kr

• Since its opening in 1993, the Beijing World Park has received 1.5 million visitors annually. http://www.chinavista.com/travel/worldpark/enhead.html

If China can do it, why can’t India, with its rich culture, architecture and history, invest some effort in showcasing her treasures to the world?
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HOW TO DO IT

Location

Ideally there should be 5 Incredible India theme parks - in the North, South, East, West and Central India. This could be a long-term objective.

But we can begin with ONE - and start up others as the success of the first one is established. Learnings from this project would be valuable in the creation of other parks.

Where will the first park be located?

Delhi is the capital of India and the obvious location for the first park. However,

Delhi has its fair share of tourist attractions. This would be just one more.

Mumbai is the gateway of India and a travel hub, but land is very expensive and it is an extremely crowded city.

A project like this would need a substantial amount of land.

How about BANGALORE, the IT Capital of India, which attracts a large number of business travellers?

The Incredible India Theme Park could be located on the route to Mysore (most tourists manage a trip to the Mysore palace), not too far from Bangalore, so that domestic tourists or residents of Bangalore can also manage a day trip without much effort. This Park could also become a venue for the MICE Segment (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences Events) and corporates could plan weekend retreats for their employees.

Land Area

The section on Miniature India would need 100 acres to begin with.

The entire park when completed would cover 250 acres - for Theme park, multiplex, auditorium, stores, garden, herbal garden, parking, restaurants, hotels, entertainment section, amusement park, children's park, craft village, and a small township to accommodate the employees of the Theme park. Hotels, taxi services, gardens etc in the surrounding area would require an additional 100 acres or more.

Funding

The venture would be a public- private partnership (PPP)

Private investors (Indian and foreign) would be invited to invest in the project, with the Government as facilitator and catalyst.

Hotel and restaurant chains would be interested in the hospitality/F&B area

Corporate bodies could invest in and maintain a certain area of the theme park, in return for some visibility of their brand name.

Expertise and Execution

A company would have to be formed in which the Government will have majority shareholding. It would be a joint initiative of the central and state government/s and private investors.

Our suggestion is that the Central Government gifts the land for the project, with some investment from the State Governments, which will receive the benefit of publicity for the tourist attractions in their respective states. Alternatively, the government could acquire the land at low cost, along with some investment from each state government.

A detailed study of such parks and their construction, and a collaborative initiative involving the creators of the foreign parks would enable the swift and efficient development of the Incredible India Theme Park. One such company is Virtual World Inc which manufactures miniatures of world famous structures (Namdaemun, Gyeongbokgung palace, Eiffel Tower, Opera House, Statue of Liberty, The Great Wall etc.) and composites the theme parks. http://virtualwd.en.ec21.com

The creators of theme parks like Tivoli Gardens in Canada (which shows the Wonders of the World in miniature) and more recently, “Splendid China" in Schenzhen, China, as well as Disneyland in USA and other places in the world, would have the necessary knowhow to pull off such a big project.

For execution of the project, we have an abundance of exceptional talent in India.

The core team once identified could work in collaboration with the people/firms in foreign countries who have the knowhow, to develop the blueprint, architectural designs, landscaping, lighting etc for the project.

Business model

The PPP company formed to execute the project could do so on a Build Own Operate or Build Own Operate and Transfer model.

Once the theme park is ready, enterprises could sponsor whole sections of the site in return for brand visibility (Disneyland has followed this approach.) This would pay for the running costs of maintaining the site.

Marketing the idea

This will require a fleshed-out communication campaign and presentations to corporate bodies and investors both in India and abroad.

Trade bodies from the tourism industry and business community like the Hotel Association of India (HAI) Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Association of India (FHRAI), TAAI, IATO, CII, State Tourism Development Corporations, etc would be involved in organising meets to create awareness and interest in the project. They would also promote the concept through their in-house newsletters. The Incredible India website would have a separate section on the proposed Incredible India Theme park. Updates would be published in the Incredible India Newsletter and the idea would also be promoted through the media.

Concept selling

Audio visuals/ video films showing other theme parks like Tivoli, Splendid China and Disneyland, can create the ‘feel’ of the envisaged theme park. Concept drawings/ artists’ impressions of the look and feel of the Incredible India Theme Park would bring the idea to life. A model of the Theme park would be developed in order to sell the idea to prospective investors.

Timeline:

Phase 1:

• Study of foreign theme parks, establishing contact with their creators.
• Identifying partners and collaborating on the initiative in India.
• Identifying land and acquiring it between Bangalore and Mysore.
• This could be done in stages (100 acres first and later 150-200 acres)

Phase 1-A:

Formation of company

Phase 1-B:

Fund raising /inviting capital investment from domestic and foreign markets.

Phase 1-C: Inviting tenders for design and execution of project.

Phase 1 - D:

Awarding contract to engineering company

Artist’s impressions (concept illustrations), Landscaping, Model, Architect blueprints, engineering drawings, computer simulation etc to be developed.

Phase 1-E

Execution

The core of the project, ie the miniature monuments of India will be created first.

The landscaping of the garden will proceed in parallel. This aspect of the project will be completed in two years.

Parallel to this activity, the dolls/mannequins to be placed near some of the monuments will be created. Also the dolls for the Hall of Fame, the Costumes of India and Pageantry of India sections which will be housed in the multiplex.

Phase 2:

During Phase 1 above, interested parties will be identified for the following:

• Food Court

• Hotel

• Craft village

• Multiplex and auditorium

• Entertainment area

• 3-D walkthroughs featuring audio-animatronic characters as in Disney parks

• Stores

• Parking areas

• Accommodation for employees etc will be developed.

Construction of this aspect of the project will take 3 years to complete.

The entire project will take 4-5 years for completion.

Training

Service providers, dance troupes, artistes, chefs, maintenance staff will all need to be trained to provide world-class performance and service. They will also receive training on how to deal with foreign tourists, on answering frequently asked questions, etc. Guides would be well-educated and fluent in English and some foreign languages.

Information

As part of the initiative to heighten awareness of India’s attractions, maps, souvenirs, postcards, slides, CDs, photos and information on Incredible India Theme Park and on tourist centres in India will be freshly developed through agencies and provided here. This material would be of high quality.

( Note: It is shocking that large tourist attractions like the Mysore Palace have no material that the tourist can read about the rich history of the place. Giveaways and souvenirs relevant to the place are also sadly lacking. Plugging this gap could create jobs and be a source of revenue for artisans, craftsmen, printers, communication houses etc)

Cost

The cost of the Incredible India Miniature Theme Park would be around $100 million. This would require an investment of just $100 each from a million Indians!

• We are told that the Splendid China Florida was built at the cost of $100 million.

• Over $1 billion was invested in the miniature world of Tobu World Square in Japan .

which opened in 1993.

India has design engineers who are capable of model making and architects who are capable of executing this project, at lower costs than in a foreign country.

The investment is worth the returns: greater visibility for Brand India, more jobs and the desire to see and experience the real India up close and personal.

Trixie Asirvatham

I’m a conceptualiser, not an expert

I have no architectural background, but on my visits to places in different parts of the world over the years I kept thinking -  India has so much to share - yet most of our national treasures are hidden or unknown (even to Indians!) I don't really know how long a project like this will really take, how many acres it should actually cover and what it will cost - the numbers I have put down in the documents are estimates based on information about other world parks. Who knows? It could be located anywhere in the world!

It would be up to the experts to make the Incredible India Dream Park happen.

I hope this note will serve to catch somebody’s imagination – someone who will make it happen!

What next?

An idea is only an idea until is becomes reality. So I’m appealing to all Indians out there and those who love India - if you have the time, energy, money and execution capabilities to take this idea further and give it shape and form, I invite you to take this document, share it with like-minded people and make it the bankable idea that it really is in microcosm.

Godspeed!

Trixie Asirvatham has an MA in Psychology from the University of Delhi and a Diploma in Advertising from Xavier Institute of Communications, Bombay, India. She has 20+ years of experience in Advertising Copywriting and Creative Management at leading advertising agencies in Delhi and Bombay, from Hindustan Thompson Associates to Chaitra Leo Burnett, Ogilvy & Mather and MAA Bozell.

Trixie enjoys reading, singing, playing the piano and guitar, writing skits and organising family entertainment programmes. Presently she works as a freelance copywriter.