India, Made In Florida

This forest provides jobs for the people of Anandpur and encourages the local villagers to become guardians of wildlife. Our ancient traditions are centred on compassion for all living things, with a belief in the earth as a common responsibility and heritage for all," proclaims the boldly painted placard. The signboard directs visitors to the Maharaja Jungle Trek in the Kingdom of Anandpur. A jungle that was once the maharaja's hunting ground, and is now a preserve.    The trek winds past medieval fortresses on the ramparts of which tigers still gambol, water drips from moss-ridden crevices and weeds grow out of crannies.If this trek sounds exciting, don't bother to scour through the maps of Hindustan. Because Anandpur is in Disneyland. India's magic has become charming reality in Mickey's Mecca, in this Florida wonderland. Wading their way through fairytales and joyrides, happy visitors get to the Animal Park here; and to the kingdom of Anandpur. And later to the Millennium Village that houses a little India and is Disneyland's centrepiece for its 15-month long Millennium celebration.

Disney's master story-spinners take over from where Anandpur began, as a figment of imagination, on a storyboard. Signposts and brochures with fonts that imitate the Devnagri script announce the history of the fictional, and yet so real, royal forest. Even the vegetation is Indian. The fortresses which house the tigers so closely imitate the real that one could easily pass off photographs from there as taken in the Delhi zoo housed near Purana Qila.

The recreation of the small-town ambience is even more striking. Months of field research have obviously gone into making the replica of a little hotel's reception area that boasts a "fan in every room", "toilet paper for a little extra" and conveys the innkeeper's message on the counter saying he'll be back in a while. The finger-dial phone, an old typewriter and a truck outside with old tyres strewn around it have all been imported in. The water-fountains to quench thirst along the trek-trail promise, in familiar babu-lingo, Ôsafe public drinking water'.

And there's more water. In the Kali River Rapid Expedition ahead. Where simulated turbulence greets visitors with a frenzy. Crashing falls, high mists and water sprays make for an interesting rafting adventure arousing curiosity in the participants. Asks an American visitor: "Does India have this kind of rivers and sport? Must go there if this is really how it is!"

It's hyper-real and the experience is, therefore, probably more authentic than reality itself. Young Indians have been flown in and hired to guide people through the Anandpur trek. "There's no homesickness in this job," laughs 24-year-old Sarika, "Not only does Anandpur resemble India to its minutest detail, but thanks to the rush of Indian visitors here everyday I feel quite at home." Selected last year, Sarika claims that her presence makes a difference to the many desi visitors who go for the trek: "It bonds them to Disneyland even more. There are so many of them who come. In the past half-hour alone I have seen about 10 to 12 Indians come in. Even at its thinnest, there's a daily turnout of at least 30 Indians."

No surprise, considering that agencies like Travel Corporation of India already have reasonable tour packages to Florida's Disneyland on offer. Accommodation for three days and four nights is at $120 per adult. At $180 per adult and $145 a child, the package offers unlimited magic passes to all Disney theme parks and is already finding many takers.

It is this substantial flow of Indian tourists that has made Disney sit up and take notice as it plans, parties and plans its parties for the coming millennium. Hardly surprising then that India receives considerable attention among all the countries showcased in the Millennium Village. When the Village was opened to the public earlier this month, young Navneet Hayer mouthed her well-rehearsed Ôin India we celebrate our differences' piece for the World Press. Dressed in a mustard-yellow salwar-kameez with the government's Woman and Child programme illustrations as a backdrop, she made a pretty ambassador indeed for India.

But not everyone was impressed. An Indian diplomat, who had been flown in for the opening, complained: "They have got the map wrong. We should have better representation. Disney doesn't take us seriously."

The truth, however, seems way off the diplomat's allegations. Says Christopher M. Fruean, communications manager, Asia Pacific: "India is among our top 20 international markets and that's big for us. Large number of Indians work and live here and their families visit them. Besides, by themselves, Indians are avid US travellers. We'd like to have all of them over here." He says that plans are already afoot at Disney to get into travel, media and corporate partnerships in India.

The executive vice-president operations at Walt Disney World Company, Lee Cockerell, feels that the growth in number of Indian tourists who visit Disneyland will go hand in hand with the increase in special attractions for them. "The market adapts itself to the size of the buyers. Soon we might want to offer their own cuisine."

But the young Indians who are now a part of Disneyland say they've already discovered many restaurants that cater to the desi palate, nearby. There's one called Passage to India at a stone's throw. "But with such great food inside, who wants to eat out? Or go out?"

Yes, it's difficult to leave Wonderland. Especially with a little piece of India in it.