Soon,a Ghar for Shera

When Appu Ghar — the first amusement park in India — was opened to the public in the Capital on November 19,1984,it was to commemorate the IX Asian Games that took place from November 19 to December 4 in 1982. The park was named after the mascot of the Asian Games — Appu,the baby elephant — which was the star of the event. Appu Ghar,however,was brought down to make space for the expansion of the Supreme Court at Pragati Maidan. But here’s some good news for folks who must be missing it.

By 2010,the city will get a Shera Ghar to commemorate the XIX Commonwealth Games (CWG). Shera,the playful tiger,is the mascot of the Games,which will kick off in the city in two weeks’ time and the Ghar (meaning house in Hindi) would be named after it. The amusement park,to be called Shera Ghar,will be built on the lines of Appu Ghar,CWG OC officials told Newsline. “There is a huge demand for a Shera Ghar from the public,” said Gaurav Thakur,director,Communications and Promotions,one of the functional areas of the OC. “There has been a tremendous response to Shera from the public. We will soon be making an elaborate plan to set up Shera Ghar,an amusement park similar to Appu Ghar.”

Apart from housing a wax statue of the mascot,Shera Ghar will accommodate photographs,newspaper clippings,Games merchandise and various attractions for children and adults alike. “Shera is proving to be more popular than Appu,the mascot of the IX Asian Games,” Thakur said.

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“The park will help us remember Shera,the star campaigner for the Games,long after the event is over. It will have jhoolas,swings,rides,etc. It will be a new landmark in the city.”

Once the Games are over after October 14,the proposal to set up a Shera Ghar will gather momentum. So where will this new landmark be situated in the city? “The Shera Ghar has to be majestic. It will need a lot of space. The plan will take shape only after the Games is over. We will finalise it then. The plan is only in the incipient stages right now.” He said that while Appu embodies the “spirit of sports”,Shera stands for “majesty,power,charisma,intelligence and grace.” Appu Ghar was opened under the aegis of the International Amusement Limited (IAL),a private firm. It was closed in 2008.