Dragons, frogs, lizards – and even cubs! The whole animal kingdom seems to have descended the skies at the Sabarmati front in Ahmedabad.
On Sunday, 7 January, hundreds of kite enthusiasts from across the country and abroad made their way to the city in Gujarat to flaunt not only their kite-flying skills, but also their creativity in finding (and sometimes making) the most curious and colourful kites.
The ongoing International Kite Festival was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad. Governor OP Kohli was present too.
The state government-sponsored festival will culminate on 14 January – or the day the country celebrates Uttarayan (Makar Sankranti).
Around 150 delegates from 44 countries, including the UK, South Korea, New Zealand, China, Indonesia and Malaysia, are participating in the event. Nearly 100 kite enthusiasts from 18 Indian states – and hundreds of them from Ahmedabad – displayed their kite-flying skills on the occasion.
Chinese dragon kites and hundreds of kites tied to a single string hogged the limelight.
People from different countries have come here to fly kites. People from different states are also here. For around eight days, kite festivals will be celebrated in different cities across the state.Vijay Rupani
Rupani said the festival will give boost to the kite industry which employs around 3 lakh people.
The state Congress, however, criticised the government over spending money in organising the kite festival. The Opposition party said the BJP government should instead provide relief to thousands of families associated with the kite industry by removing the 5 percent GST imposed on the sector.
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