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Snow World is an amusement park located in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh
(India) within an area of about 2 acres (0.81 ha). Located beside Indira
Park and along the Hussain Sagar lake,
the park was inaugurated on 28 January 2004.
Background
Ocean Park Multitech Ltd. took the 2 acres (0.81 ha) plot on a 33-year
lease from the Government of Andhra Pradesh at the rate of 3.6 million
(US$58,000) per year. The lease amount was to go up by 5% every year.
Constructed at a cost of 20 million (US$320,000), the 17,000 square feet
(1,600 m2) facility was designed by Nitish Roy, a well-known Indian art
director, production designer and architect.
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The facility, which was built in collaboration with the local tourism
department, is India's first and the biggest in the world and was only
the third such snow park after the ones in Malaysia and Singapore.
On 28 January 2004, the then Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the facility. Though it was not intended
to be open for visitors on that day, some of them ventured into the
facility. They experienced giddiness for inhaling excess nitrogen in the
air, which is used to produce snow.
Facilities
Two-hundred tonnes of artificial snow was laid on the layered flooring
which was specially prepared to avoid seepage or melting. Every day, the
top layer of snow is cleaned and an additional two to three tonnes of
snow, which is generated within the facility, is used to top the snow
spread. The artificial snow is made using a patented technology from
Australia. The water used is filtered four times before utilising it to
make snow such that even if children consume it, they will not be
harmed.
The park can accommodate a total of 2,400 visitors in a day. Every
visitor gets acclimatized to lower temperatures in a step-wise manner,
20 °C (68 °F), then 0 °C, and then a sub zero temperature. This method
is approved internationally. In addition, visitors are given protective
clothing and a steaming cup of soup to help them acclimatize to the
temperature change. The internal area, also called as the Cryo Zone,
maintains a constant temperature of -5 °C. For 1 hour, a maximum of 300
visitors at a time can explore the different facilities such as kids
snow play area, snow wars, snow tube slide, sleigh slide, ice-bumping
cars, merry-go-round and an ice skating rink.
A few months after its inauguration, a snowfall feature was added. Said
to be the first of its kind at any show theme park or snow dome in the
world, the visitors are exposed to snowfall for ten minutes for every
hour. A 40,000 square feet (3,700 m2) kart racing, built at a cost of 25
million (US$400,000), was open to public. 300 workers took one year to
construct the thematic indoor go karting arena. The indoor resemble a
cave that was uniquely designed using plaster of paris. With an exhaust
system and a fresh air system to ensure uninterrupted supply of fresh
air, the facility sought certification from the Motor Sports Association
of India.
Getting There
The nearest airport
to this attraction is
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (IATA: HYD, ICAO: VOHS), also
known as Hyderabad International Airport, or simply RGIA.
It is an
international airport serving the metropolis of Hyderabad located at Shamshabad,
about 22 km (14 mi) south of Hyderabad.
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