Looking for some yummy food, clean fun and frolic? It's all here.
The India Tourist and Industrial Fair has always been more of a carnival than an event that provides the State government an opportunity to show off its various service departments. On its 38th year, the trade fair — as it is popularly referred to — was inaugurated on January 3 at the Island Grounds, which hosts it every year.
Blaring cinema music and regional ad jingles set the perfect tone for the fair which charges an entrance fee of Rs. 15 for adults and Rs. 10 for children. Once inside, the sight is what you exactly imagined it to be — excited crowds, shops selling cheap and unique wares (curtains and toy sniper guns to scary masks and Rajasthani pickles), suave salesmen, colourful lights and plenty of food, fun and games.
For many, the fair is associated with “Delhi appalams”, cotton candy, ghost houses and cheap thrills, literally, what with rides like giant wheel, Torra Torra, and few new innovative ones charging just about Rs. 30 per person.
Haunted houses
The fair was started with a purpose to enlighten the public about what the government does in regard to education, health and hygiene, fire and safety and much more through stalls puts up by it various departments. They have demonstrations, models and awareness talks by representatives from the respective departments.
The attraction for us though would be the array of haunted houses with names ranging from “Vaa Arugil Vaa” (an old Tamil film number sung supposedly by the ghost of a female character), “Kolaveri Pai” and just plain “Death Room”. The scare factor in these set ups is the darkness, disturbingly mutilated mannequins and your anticipation of what might jump out of where. Instead, its just two kids in costume running in and out of the short cuts in the sets to jump before you with a “boo!” and a laughter packed with all the evilness they can muster. A while later into the Death Room, after making sure there's no one else nearby, the little creatures ask you for tea money. When asked if they go to school, they are already half-way through their disappearing act.
Melting man beckons
Then there's a show that has a man who does just that — he disappears before your very eyes, though the show beckons you to view the “Melting Man!” with graphic pictures of human face and skeleton melting like wax statues. House of mirrors, underwater show and world of science are also a few crowd-pullers.
There's also one particular stall that has been credited for a lot of beaming faces at the fair. Well, who wouldn't be if all you needed was Rs.100 for a picture with your favourite celeb and not the cardboard cut-out types, mind you. Technology is at play, so much so that if not for a crowded London or the sporty yellow car in the background you could pass it off for a real picture with Dhoni, Katrina Kaif, Vijay or Namitha.
The icing on the fair cake is the rides - some new and some the usual, yet all promising the same kind of excitement and adrenaline rush. Yes, giant wheels can give you that too, especially for the acrophobic. It's the best place to get an aerial view of the fair, the neighbouring golf course, Napier Bridge, the Cooum River; if you get over your acrophobia, that is.
No wonder the India Tourist and Industrial Fair has always been a much looked-forward-to event in the city's calendar. Come March 17 and the fair completes 70 days, and officials inform that discussions are underway to set a closing date.
