Bungee jumping is probably one of the most extreme sports ever practiced, although I had previous experience. Still, it was an occasion to secrete additional adrenaline. This time I also went to Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, as on the previous occasion. This time I jumped from a 107-meter height, whereas my previous jump was from 83 meters high. It should be noted that bungee jumping is a must-do adventure activity in Rishikesh, along with river rafting. This time I preferred to jump from ‘Himalayan Bungy,’ the company which organizes India’s highest Bungee jumping center at present.
From Kolkata, I took a flight to Dehradun, and from there, I took a cab to reach my hotel at Tapovan in Rishikesh. My hotelier made my booking for the Bungee jump from ‘Himalayan Bungy’ company, and they assured me that I didn’t need to stand in a queue to enroll my name. The jumping location was around 10 km away from my hotel at Tapovan, and it took hardly 20 minutes to reach the place from my hotel in a cab.
This 20-minute journey very exciting for me because I was obsessed with my new venture. After I arrived at the office of the above-mentioned company, they assigned me my slot immediately after conducting some medical and psychological check-ups. They instructed me to fill out a health questionnaire and sign a liability and indemnity waiver form. It’s important to mention that a person can jump if they meet the following criteria:
- Body weight should be under 108 kg.
- Person with normal blood pressure.
- Person not suffering from any heart issues.
- Person not suffering from asthma.
- Person not suffering from osteoporosis.
- Person does not have high altitude phobia.
After receiving clearance to jump, they asked me to empty my pockets and remove all loose items, essentially anything I could lose while jumping. They wrote my weight on the back of my hand with a thick felt pen so that the bungee instructors at the bridge would know how to calculate the length of our bungee rope. I then headed to the bridge; I was the first jumper of that particular date. I sat down on the platform, facing my jump instructor. Then he fastened the rope really tightly with some sort of harness, which was later connected to the end of my bungy rope. My instructor tried a lot to motivate me, and he engaged me in a pleasant conversation.
Also Read: Mita Banerjee: From Childhood Memories to Legal Advocacy
I walked towards the edge of the ledge and gazed down at the land, which seemed miles away. Though I’m usually not scared of heights, jumping off the edge is another thing. Then, I took a deep breath and plunged when the instructor said Three—Two—One—Bungy!!! After a few bounces, the bridge crew lowered my bungy rope. A crew member approached me and asked me to grab the pole they were holding out while I was still tied to my rope upside down. They then removed the harnesses once I was lying on the ground.
It was indeed a magical experience that gives me memories for life. We then headed to the center to see the pictures and the video captured quickly and bought them straight away. They also gave me a certificate. All in all, I had an amazing experience. If you want to jump, then you can go to Rishikesh. To reach Rishikesh, you have to go to Dehradun either by train or flight. From Dehradun, you have several means of communication to reach Rishikesh. Every hotel can arrange your jump. In Rishikesh, there are many companies that arrange bungy jumps from different heights. The cost of jumping per person is around Rs 4500, and if you want video and photographs, you will have to pay an additional Rs 1500.
