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Multi-coloured kites of all shapes and sizes dotted the otherwise calm blue sky as they soared in the soft breeze on the sprawling Sabarmati riverfront at the 21st International Kite Festival here recently. Over 37 countries and eight Indian states participated in this year’s edition of the festival. "This is my 14th visit to the festival and it looks better every year. The excitement that we see at this festival is unmatched compared to any other kite flying festival in the world," says Raymonde Degraaf, a kitist from the Netherland. The kite fliers this year have experimented with everything they could — the string, kite shapes, sizes and materials that range from paper to khadi. The size of kites ranges from nine inches to a huge three feet. Kite enthusiasts keep
in mind the interests of the birds, which are often injured by the
twines.
"We used a different variety of manja (glass-dust coated twine) this year for safety of birds. It was not the usual one that is made up of plastic or synthetic material responsible for killing birds," says Dero Hu Jora, a kitist from Vietnam. "This is something we tried in this festival for the first time," adds Jora, who is on his second visit to the festival. The synthetic twine, responsible for injuring birds because of its iron and glass dust content, has been drawing criticism from animal lovers in the city. The Gujarat Forest and Environment Department had also appealed to the people to take adequate measures for the protection of birds and animals during the festival. Popularly known as the Uttarayan festival, the daylong kite festival is a boost to the tourism and kite industry of the coastal state. Months before the festival, homes in various cities in Gujarat turn into kite-producing factories with family members doing their bit in the seasonal cottage industry. According to figures of the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited , the kite industry has seen a spurt in its annual turnover — from Rs 35 crore to Rs 400 crore in the last three years. "It’s also about tradition because Uttarayan is meant to worship the sun. It marks the decline of winters," says Asghar Belim, a kite flier and president of the Jodhpur-based Suncity Kite Club. "Of course, it is accompanied by experimentation with kite sizes, materials, shapes, and other technicalities," adds Belim, who has been in the business of kite making for the past 20 years. Belim claims to have created special ‘Lord Kites’ as a tribute to gods. He is participating in the competition this year with unique khadi kites. "Gujarat is Mahatma Gandhi’s land. And nothing could have done better justice to the Father of the Nation than a khadi kite," adds Belim. — IANS
Strings
of love
Love soars like kites. And sure enough, tales of friendship and sweet reunion fill the air as kite flyers from across the world mingle at the 21st International Kite Festival in Gujarat’s principal city, Ahmedabad. For 29-year-old Sorotti Damaris of Spain, travelling with her husband to the festival is the best way to "express her love and care" for him as the two pursue their passion for kite-flying together. "My husband is a kite flyer and kite-flying is his first love. Coming to the Gujarat festival is my way of sharing my love for him. It has made me understand him better," says Damaris, who learnt the art after marriage. The festival was held between January 11 and January 14 in three different regions of Gujarat. A friend, who wants to understand the intricacies of expressing emotions through kite flying, also accompanied the Damaris couple on their third visit to Ahmedabad. "I am a music lover; so I have come to this festival with acrobat kites. They fly in the air on synchronised rhythm just like synchronised-acrobat sport," says Spanish team member Helena Molinero, 30, accompanying her friend Sorotti Damaris. "It is a way to evoke feelings of joy that come only when you see the kite dancing high in the sky," says Molinero, in a mix of Spanish and English with hand gestures. The saga of friendship doesn’t end here. Two old friends, located time zones away from each other, meet every year at the kite festival. They are Raymon Degraaf from The Netherlands and Greg Mountjay from South Africa, who met in an Indian Railways coach eight years ago on their way to the international kite festival in 2003. The friendship grew stronger and the two friends reunite once again at the 21st edition of the festival. "Degraaf and I make sure that we meet every year at this festival. The charm of Gujarat and kites manage to bring us together," Mountjay quips. Tales of friendship abound, say tourism authorities. "This year, we had it at three different venues — Rann of Kutch, Ahmedabad and the Mandwi beach," says Farooque Pathan, tourist officer with Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TCGL). "During this festival, we also saw marriages happening, inter-country relations changing and bonds growing stronger," adds Pathan, who has been guiding the tourists and kite flyers at the festival for the past eight years. — MS (IANS)
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