First there was Ski Dubai, next year there’ll be Ski Egypt, and this month’s there’s the all new Ski India.
It’s not India’s first indoor snow centre – around half a dozen snow experience facilities have opened there in leading cities over the past five years – but it’s the biggest indoor snow park so far with a reported 9,300 square metres (100,000 square feet) of indoor snow space placing it in 20th place for size of the world’s 72 currently operational indoor snow centres.
The new centre, the world’s 101st indoor snow facility to be built, takes up the fifth and sixth floors at the new the DLF Mall of India in Noida, Delhi.
It has a capacity of 3,000 people and cost around €14m Euros ($16m US) to build.
In what’s believed to be a first for indoor snow centres the facility has a ‘sci fi’ theme with entry via an illuminating ‘wormhole portal’ intending to give the impression of entering a different planet.
Compared to Delhi’s heat there will certainly be some unworldliness and the complex includes a ski run, tubing slide, sledging and tobogganing, ice-skating rink and a children’s play area ‘cave’ where it doesn’t stop snowing.
Visits are limited to 1 hour 45 minutes at a cost of Rs 1200 per person (€16/$18 US) which includes rental of a pair of gloves, shoes, jackets and skates as well as the chance to try all or any of the attractions.
With another developer recently reporting plans to build five new indoor snow centres in India in the next few years it looks like the world’s two most populated nations are going head to head in indoor snow centre construction, China already has 10 facilities operating and at least five more under construction.
