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Wonderla

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Wonderla
LocationKochi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar
ThemeAmusement Park
Owner
Operated byWonderla Holidays Limited
Opened
  • 2000; 24 years ago (2000) in Kochi
  • 2005; 19 years ago (2005) in Bengaluru
  • April 2016; 8 years ago (2016-04) in Hyderabad
2024; (2024;) In Bhubaneswar
Previous namesVeegaland at Kochi
Operating seasonAll year round
Visitors per annum25 million[citation needed]
Water slides72 water slides
Websitewww.wonderla.com

Wonderla is the largest chain of amusement parks in India. It is owned and operated by Wonderla Holidays Limited which is headquartered near Bidadi, 28 kilometres (17 mi) from Bengaluru, Karnataka. It operates 4 amusement parks in Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Bhubaneswar.[1]

Wonderla is promoted by Kochouseph Chittilappilly and his son Arun Chittilappilly. The first amusement park project Wonderla Kochi (then called Veegaland Amusement Park) was set up in 2000, followed by the second in Bengaluru in 2005, the third in Hyderabad was commissioned in April 2016, and finally the fourth in Bhubaneswar in May 2024.

History

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Kochouseph Chittilappilly

In the year 2000, Kochouseph Chittilappilly started the flagship amusement water theme park under the name Veegaland in Kochi, Kerala. ₹75 crore was invested in the construction and development of Veegaland. In 2005, with the overwhelming success of the Veegaland project, Kochouseph Chittilappilly and his son, Arun Chittilappily, launched another amusement park on a larger scale at a cost of around ₹105 crore in Bengaluru by the name Wonderla, spread over an area of 82 acres. A third amusement park, Wonderla Hyderabad, was commissioned in April 2016. Currently the company is run by Arun Chittilappilly as managing director.

Locations

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Wonderla Kochi
Wonderla Bangalore
Wonderla Amusement Park, Raviryal, Hyderabad

Kochi

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The Kochi park was re-branded in 2011.[2][3] This park is situated on the top of a hill at Pallikkara, 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the city center. The park was set up in 2000 and was designed by architect Joseph John.[4]

Wonderla Kochi is the first park in India to get ISO 14001 certificate for eco-friendliness and OHSAS 18001 certificate for safety.[5] The park is spread over 30 acres of landscaped space with more than 60 amusement rides.[5] In July 2018, Wonderla Kochi was ranked eleventh in the TripAdvisor 'Travellers' choice awards for amusement parks and water parks in Asia.[6]

Bangalore

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The park features a wide variety of attractions including 55 land and water rides, a musical fountain, laser shows, and a virtual reality show.[7] Wonderla Bangalore has a full-fledged dance floor with a twist, electronically controlled rain showers. Wonderla also has attractions specially designed for children, and these are gentle yet unusual like a kiddies free fall ride. It uses solar-heated water for all its pools during winter. It has conference facilities for up to 1,000 persons and features five restaurants with a total seating capacity of 1,150. It has locker rooms with over 2,350 lockers and restrooms and showers.[7] Wonderla Bangalore has been ranked 1st in India and 7th best in Asia by Tripadvisor for 2014, the highest for any Amusement park in India.[8]

Wonderla Holidays opened its first luxury resort, an 84-room hotel complex spread over 100,000 square feet and operational since 2012.[9] The resort features a dedicated children's play area as well as recreational and conferencing facilities.[10] The resort is located next to Wonderla Bangalore.[11]

Hyderabad

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Wonderla Hyderabad offers 28 land-based rides and 18 water-based attractions on 50 acres of land.[12] Wonderla Amusement Park is situated in Raviryal, which is 28 kms from Hyderabad City. Its most notable ride is Recoil, a reverse looping roller coaster. It was launched on January 20, 2018 by Managing Director Arun K Chittilappilly and Chief Executive Officer DS Sachdeva.[13]

Bhubaneswar

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Wonderla Holidays has set up an amusement park on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. The property is developed as one of the biggest parks in the country on a 50-acre patch of land at an investment of 115 crore. The company has signed an agreement with the State government for leasing of land for a period of 90 years for the amusement park on an asset-light business model at Kumbharbasta village in Bhubaneswar.[14] The park opened to the public on 24 May 2024.[15]

Chennai (under construction)

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Wonderla holidays is currently working on its 5th amusement park in Chennai and the park awaiting final approval from the Chennai Department of Town & Country Planning to commence its project.[16] Amusement park in Chennai will cost ₹3 billion (US$36 million), spread over 55 acres (220,000 m2) of land.[17]

IPO

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The initial public offering (IPO) of Wonderla Holidays for about ₹180 crores received overwhelming response. The IPO proceeds were to be used for its upcoming theme park project in Hyderabad.[18][19]

References

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  1. ^ "About Wonderla | Kochi, Bangalore and Hyderabad Amusement Parks | Bangalore Resort". www.wonderla.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Wonderla to expand presence in South India". Business Standard India. 24 February 2012. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Wonderla Kochi". AdvicesAcademy. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  4. ^ "Kochi : Veega Land|Hangouts in Kochi/Cochin - Kochiservnet". kochiservnet.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  5. ^ a b "Wonderla Amusement Park Kochi". wonderla.com. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  6. ^ "Ramoji Film City, Wonderla in top in Asia theme parks". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 29 July 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
  7. ^ a b Daniels, Christina. "Top 5 Water Parks in Bangalore - Hello Travel Buzz". www.hellotravel.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  8. ^ "Five amusement parks in India feature among top 25 in Asia". The Economic Times. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Wonderla Holidays plans to expand operations outside southern states: Report". MoneyWorks4Me. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  10. ^ Gupta, Jitendra Kumar (22 April 2014). "Wonderla: Worth the ride". Business Standard India.
  11. ^ "Wonderla Resort Bangalore | Resort in Bangalore | Hotel on Mysore Road". www.wonderla.com. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Wonderla Hyderabad Amusement Park". Telangana Tourism. Hyderabad. 8 May 2016. Archived from the original on 19 August 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2023.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  13. ^ Kumar, V. Rishi (22 March 2016). "Wonderla Holidays to open ₹250-cr facility in Hyderabad next month". @businessline. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  14. ^ "Wonderla Holidays to set up amusement park in Bhubaneswar, investment of Rs 115 crore". The New Indian Express. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
  15. ^ "Wonderla Bhubaneswar Announces Special Soft Launch Offer: Tickets Starting At Just Rs.649*". Orissa Diary. 6 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  16. ^ "Clearance awaited from Town & Country Planning dept: Wonderla Holidays on Chennai project". The Economic Times. PTI. 27 July 2020. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  17. ^ Ramalingam, Aparna (10 September 2015). "Global Investors Meet: Wonderla signs MoU with TN govt to set up amusement park in Chennai". The Times of India.
  18. ^ Wonderla Holidays IPO oversubscribed 38 times on last day LiveMint April 23, 2014
  19. ^ Krishnamoorthy, Suresh (28 February 2012). "Wonderla to set foot in Hyderabad with water theme park". The Hindu.

[1]

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wonderla, Bangalore.

Official website

  1. ^ "Upcoming Wonderla Amusement Park Bhubaneswar".
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