Vadodara Rejoices 31st International Kite Flying Festival
Kite flyers from India and abroad enjoyed with great enthusiasm
31st International Kite Flying festival was celebrated in Navalakhi Ground with great enthusiasm. The event was organised by Gujarat Tourism Department, Vadodara Municipal Corpation and District Administrative Department, where 169 kite flyers which includes 80 locals, 39 from other states and 50 enthusiasts of different countries participated. Rajendra Trivedi Speaker of Gujarat Legislative Assembly inaugurated the program by lighting the lamp and released balloons in tri colors.
39 Participants from 8 states of India like Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Sikkim, Kerala and others had participated in the kite flying festival. They flew their kites alongside 50 Participants from different countries like France, Nepal, Netherland, New Zeland, Russia, Singapore, UK, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and others.
The participants as well as the local public took part with great enthusiasm and excitement for flying kites as the sky is filled with colorful and artistic kites. The good part was breeze supported the kite flyers as they compete with each other in the open sky.
Bob C one of the international kite flyers from UK said, he is flying kites for last 30 years and has visited India 10 to 11 times for the kite flying festival since 2005. He uses material called RIPSTOP, made from nylon to prepare his kites. He laughed on sharing a fact that his wife says flying kite is not a passion or hobby but an addiction for Bob. Bob also believes that kite flying has helped him making friends in India from cities like Ahemdabad, Manglore, Mumbai and other countries of the World. Bob is a very optimistic kite flyer and believes that if one’s kite in not flying, its never the fault of the wind but the fault of the flyer. Bob’s passion for kite flying is itself proved when he says that flying kite is a stress relief for him.
A Russian couple name Anna and Dimitriv are participating in the kite flying festival since last 3 years and had visited Vadodara for the first time. They are also members of Russia’s kite flying club and said to have visited many other contries for flying kites as a part of their passion. They shared after visiting Ahemdabad they did not enjoyed flying kites there as the wind was not suitable there but they enjoyed the weather and environment there. Though they have not roamed Gujarat much, but they feel that it is a beautiful place.
They added that “This kite flying festival in Gujarat tend us to visit every now and then”. They also make use of nylon material for flying kites and showed their happiness to visit Vadodara and enjoyed kite flying here. They also make the kids happy by their small kites which can be launched with a slingshot.
Important to note the international kite flyers make their kites themselves and make use of different and environment amicable material for making it. They believe that kite is flied not for the cause of grudge or patch cutting, but for taking it higher and higher and make the sky as beautiful as it can be.
