Fastening his seatbelt and gazing through the window, 12-year-old Eshwar Hugar found it difficult to believe his eyes. “This is something that I never even imagined; I never thought a person like me would be this fortunate,” he said with mixture of disbelief and surprise when he disembarked from the chopper.
Eshwar was among 38 orphans and children on single parents, who flew in a helicopter over the historic Vijayapura city here on Saturday.
This onceinalifetime opportunity was provided to them by district incharge Minister and chairman of Bijapur Liberal District Educational Association M.B. Patil, who bore the entire expenditure of the ride for these children.
Shankaramma Ainapur from the Government Bal Mandir for Girls said that she always thought only the rich could fly in a helicopter. “I have only seen famous people using helicopters. I never imagined that one day, I will also be able to fly in a helicopter like them,” she said and added that she felt like a bird.
Vinod Rathod, who also flew in the helicopter, said that he realised the vastness of Vijayapura city for the first time when he peered out of the helicopter. He said that though he was taken to visit ancient monuments in the city, a bird’s eye view of the same was one of the most memorable moments of his life.
The district administration has arranged the helicopter ride as part of the ongoing Navaraspur Utsav. It is charging Rs. 2,500 per person below 18 years age and Rs. 3,000 for adults to fly in the chopper for about ten minutes.
