The fourth edition of the Madhya Pradesh Skydiving Festival held in Ujjain will conclude on 9th February 2025. The three-month extravaganza that commenced in November 2024 witnessed a presence of thousands of adventure lovers coming to experience the thrill of flying in sky from a height of 10,000 feet and behold the magnificent view of the spiritual city of Ujjain.
Festival extravaganza
Taking inspiration from the enthusiastic response from tourists coming to Madhya Pradesh, the Skydiving Festival was initiated in 2021 as a unique opportunity to make Madhya Pradesh an Adventure Hub and new skydiving destination. Sheo Shekhar Shukla, Principal Secretary, Tourism and Culture Department & Managing Director-Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board sheds light on this. “The festival began in Bhopal in 2021 and expanded to Ujjain in 2022, and then to Ujjain and Khajuraho in 2023, running for a duration of 10 days each year. Given the overwhelming response from adventure lovers in the past editions, the fourth edition is hosted for an extended duration of three months wherein participants from across India are experiencing skydiving.”
The adventure enables adrenaline seekers to experience the unparalleled beauty of Madhya Pradesh from a whole new perspective. “It’s an incredible experience and everyone must do it. I’m sure you will pat your back after doing it,” says Vandana Rathore, a participant from New Delhi. Srinivas Raghupathruni, another participant from Vishkhapatnam adds. “I am multiple times happy for having done this once-in-a-lifetime experience. I enjoyed it tremendously. The next time I am going to try freefall.”
Up in the sky
The skydiving operations are conducted by Sky-high India, a company certified by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the United States Parachute Association (USPA). Safety being their priority, Sky-high India uses a specially modified Cessna 182P aircraft capable of carrying six people at a time for skydiving. At one time, two participants with two instructors are carried for the experience. The skydivers are trained and ensure a safe and unforgettable experience. Shukla affirms, “The skydiving professionals are highly skilled and certified by the United States Parachute Association (USPA). These experts possess vast experience, ensuring the highest safety standards and an exceptional experience for the participants.”
Krutika Shenoy Kesava from Karkala shares her experience, “I had a truly incredible experience. I have no words to describe it. I recommend it to everyone to do it to feel the rush – afterall, zindagi na milega dobara. So just jump. And Skyhigh did a great job with smooth jumping and smooth landing.” Jyoti Chouhan from Indore second her, “It is an amazing experience conducted by a superb team. I never felt the jitters while up in the sky. The trainers made it so easy.”
The tickets for the skydiving experience are available on the official MP Tourism Board website and partner platforms such as Skyhigh India’s website, and the prices start at `30,000/- for tandem jumps.
Skydiving destination
Following the phenomenal success of its previous editions, MP Tourism Board aims to expand the festival as a niche tourism activity and develop Ujjain as a skydiving destination. Plans to incorporate aero-sports activities such as hot air ballooning and paramotoring at a single location are in the pipeline. The expansion is expected to attract a larger audience, including international adventure enthusiasts.
The tourism board also plans to improve the state infrastructure to allow the influx of tourists attending the festival. “MP Tourism Board is focusing on enhancing air connectivity, improving road networks and upgrading accommodation facilities. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a permanent skydiving destination, which will extend tourism experiences and encourage longer stays by visitors,” explains Shukla.
The skydiving festival will position MP as a premier destination for experiential tourism by showcasing its diverse landscapes and unique cultural heritage alongside adventure offerings. “Madhya Pradesh is an offbeat destination and has set astounding tourist footfall records. The skydiving festival in the spiritual land of Ujjain offers thrill and entertainment to adventure lovers,” he adds.
Boosting adventure tourism
In its fourth edition, the skydiving festival has diversified tourism activities and sports programs to boost adventure tourism. “There are motorbiking activities—Riders in the wild (superbike adventures for men) and Queens on the Wheel (women-only biking events)—spanning over 1,500 km, promoting unique trails across the state. The cycling activities including cycling events in forest buffer zones—Madhai-Tawa Cycling (Satpura Tiger Reserve buffer), Tour de Satpura (Chhindwara to Pachmarhi), Tour de Mowgli and (Pench Tiger Reserve)—attract national and international participants. The motorsports activities range from Time-Speed-Distance (TSD) car rallies and motorsports events. They also conduct marathons such as the Pachmarhi Monsoon Marathon, Surya Half Marathon, and Mowgli Land Half Marathon. Besides these activities, we organise trekking in Pench Tiger Reserve, camping at various locations and water sports and wildlife safaris,” concludes Shukla.
