'This side of Kota I had no idea existed': Anand Mahindra asks why Chambal Riverfront isn't better known

Mahindra Group chairman Anand Mahindra has praised Kota's Chambal Riverfront, saying he was surprised to discover the sprawling public space along the river.

"My first reaction on seeing this was: AI. My second reaction, after checking: Good grief. It’s real," Mahindra wrote in a post on Sunday. "This is the Chambal Riverfront in Kota."

Mahindra said Kota was usually associated with its huge coaching industry and the controversies around the intense pressure on students. But the riverfront showed him "a side of Kota I had absolutely no idea existed".

The Chambal Riverfront stretches 2.75 km along both banks of the Chambal River, from Kota Barrage to Nayapura Pulia, according to information available on the Kota Tourism website.

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"Ghats, promenades, fountains and some fairly spectacular public spaces," Mahindra wrote while describing the riverfront.

26 Ghats Along The River

The riverfront has 26 ghats on both sides, each developed around different themes, according to Kota Tourism.

The World Heritage Ghat features nine buildings and architectural works inspired by famous structures from around the world. These include the Red Fort, Gopuram Temple, Chinese Pagoda, History Park, Westminster, Tavy Fountain, Varam Temple, Mosque, and Louvre Museum.

The structures have been built across an area of about 240 metres.

The riverfront also has a fountain modelled on Barcelona's fountain, where visitors can watch shows featuring colourful lights and music.

Kota Tourism also says the site has the country’s first LED garden, where LED elements represent trees, plants, and birds. Zodiac ghats have also been developed in the eastern zone.

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'Why Haven't We Heard More About It?'

Mahindra said the riverfront was reportedly attracting only around 1,000 visitors a day.

"And apparently I'm not the only one who hasn’t discovered it," he wrote. "Why haven’t we heard more about it?"

He credited Shanti Dhariwal, who was Rajasthan’s urban development minister when the project was driven forward, along with the Kota Urban Improvement Trust and architect Anoop Bartaria.

"Judging from these images, it certainly deserves to be better known," Mahindra wrote, adding that "Kota just went on my Wanderer list."

He ended by asking people who had visited the riverfront whether the reality lived up to the pictures.