In 1984 India saw its first amusement park inaugurated by the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. The first of its kind, Appu Ghar Delhi shot to instant fame across India. The amusement park came into existence as a means to commemorate the 1982 ASIAN games. Appu Ghar as a successful amusement park was an added perk in New Delhi for tourists to have a reason to visit the capital.
Spread across 15.5 acres of land, Appu Ghar Delhi was located within the Pragathi Maidan grounds on Mathura road. The amusement park was incorporated in 1984 by MR.Gian Vijeswar a Swedish based NRI whose sole intention was to bring in the concept of amusement park to India. In 1984 after Appu Ghar Delhi came into being it housed 20 rides and a water park in its premises.
Water park
In the year 1998, Appu Ghar Delhi went big by introducing the water park “Oysters”. The water park comprised of a wave pool, rain dance, lazy river and several water slides. Over the years Oysters underwent several makeovers – it was converted from a water park to Snow Park, the water was heated to have continual tourist and visitors flow during the winter and the same would revert to normal temperature during summer season. Unlike several amusement parks that have mushroomed all over India but with little success, Appu Ghar Delhi managed to hold its fort stronger for over 2 decades. It was the well maintained standards and thoughtfulness of the entire management team of the park that led to the continuous success of the park.
Amusement park
Appugharhas a mix of things going on within. There is an amusement park, Water Park and commercial establishments that complete Appu Ghar Delhi. Appu Ghar’s fame increased to such high magnitude that Great India place and Worlds of wonder a similar amusement park project is being set up on a 62 acre land in Rohini.
Appu Ghar Delhi gets its name from the mascot “elephant”. The name of the elephant is Appu and the house is called ghar hence the name Appu Ghar Delhi. In reality Appu was a real elephant who became a star of the Asian games in 1982. The elephant stood as a symbol of happiness and childlike nature in everyone hence the very fact that it entertains and kids love it is why Appu stood as the right name for the amusement house.
In 2008 Appu Ghar Delhi was shut down after the amusement park faced Land lease extension issues with Pragati Maidan, the same eland required for Delhi’s metro and finally a shutdown of Appu Ghar Delhi.
The amusement park housed rides and games like swinging sensations comprising of big splash, roller coaster, Columbus jhoola, Giant wheel etc. The water park takes up nearly 3.5 acres of land. After thirty years of success, closure and complete shutdown, Appu Ghar Delhi made way again in the recent years as a landmark property in Gurgaon Delhi with OYSTERS unveiled as a water theme park. Presently Appu Ghar Delhi has an award winning design and houses The Great India place mall, worlds of wonder amusement park and Water Park, metro walk and adventure land.
