In order to promote tourism at Mysuru airport, BJP lawmaker, Prathap Simha skydived from 13,000 feet.
Last Monday, a young parliamentarian in Karnataka leapt 13,000 feet from an aircraft to make a point. Or two.
Prathap Simha wanted the world to know that the airport in Mysuru is functioning again, and it is offering skydiving for waiting passengers.
The BJP lawmaker told NDTV, "Recently, on September 3rd, we resumed the flight service between Bangalore and Mysore. For the last one month, we have been struggling to get more passengers. If we can have a permanent base in Mysore, the city can draw more tourists. To promote skydiving and to have a permanent base in Mysore, I took the plunge."
In photos and videos, Mr Simha, 39, looks excited.
"When I looked down 13,000 feet it was a bit scary. But when I took the jump I enjoyed a lot. All my life, I thought I missed something. Now I have got it," he shared.
"You fall at the speed of 200 km per hour but you don't feel it, you float like a bird. When the parachute finally opens, the speed goes down to 20km an hour, and then you feel it."
The lawmaker hopes that his efforts will pay off ahead of the Dasara festival in the state, and more tourists will be drawn by the offer of adventure sports in the city that has always been popular for its palaces.