In India, paragliding is still a relatively new sport. It was introduced here as late as 1991-92 by some visiting foreign pilots in Kullu valley. The sport soon spread from the Himalayas to the Sahyadris and Nilgiris. The State has the maximum share with spots at Panchgani, Matheran, Raigad, Talegaon, Sinhagad, Panhala, Murud-Janjira, Satara, Kamshet, Bhandardhara, Ajinkyatara, Amboli, Ratnagiri, Ganpatipule.

Paragliding? The simplest form of human flight, a paraglider is``a foot launched textile wing canopy, designed to be flown and landed with no other energy requirements than the wind, gravity and the pilot's muscle power.'' The wing is inflated by its own movement through currents of air and is joined to a number of lines supporting the pilot's seat.

Paragliders fly by the same aerodynamic principles that keep Boeings in the sky. However, there is nothing of ``the unsophisticated truck'' in a paraglider -- a term that pilots use for their aircraft. While it is ridiculous to imagine yourself walking up a hill, pulling an aeroplane out of your bag and flying away, that is exactly what one does with a paraglider.Paragliding is distinctly different from both parachuting and skydiving since paragliders go up rather than down while the former two are designed for free fall. The basic advantage in paragliding is that launches are not ``committed''. This means that in case of a problem, the flight can be aborted before leaving the ground.

The sport stands at the crossroads oftradition an modernity. At one end of the spectrum is Icarus with his wax wings while modern commercial aeroplanes make the other. In India the sport might be relatively new, but in the picturesque valleys of Maharashtra, against the golden western sunsets, man's dream of touching the skies finally seems to be coming true.