One of the most-awaited Indian festivals that attracts crowd from all over the world is the International Kite Festival of Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This year, the 9-day festival kicked off with much enthusiasm and of course with big, beautiful and unique kites. This gorgeous, vibrant, and exceptionally striking festival of Gujarat, and is recognised  globally for its uniqueness. Needless to mention, it makes for a spectacular spectacle.

The festival was inaugurated at Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, by the Governor OP Kohli on 6th December. As far as the history of this festival is concerned, Ahmedabad has been hosting this international kite festival since 1989; this grand event is a part of the celebrations for Makar Sankranti (also called Uttarayan) as well. Much before, kite-flying was an important source of entertainment for the kings and nawabs of  India.

A number of kite artists from across the globe have participated in the festival to showcase their skills. If you are visiting Gujarat during the Kite Festival, you’ll witness kites of all shapes and sizes taking over the sky in a friendly competition.

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History of the International Kite Festival

The art or hobby of kite flying was developed over the period of time in India and it was taken over as a major sport by kings and royalty and then by the Nawabs, who found it highly entertaining and as a means to compete and display their strength. As it grew, kite flying became a serious game with many different types of kites began to be made and with special strings to compete viciously. Expert kite makers and kite flyers from India and across the globe were invited or hired to show their skills and expertise in their art of kite flying and beat their competitors at any cost.

But precisely how and when the tradition of kite flying began is still obscure. Some sources suggest that they were introduced by Muslim traders who arrived from Persia while simultaneously Chinese traders and pilgrims also brought in the tradition coming in from Tibet. But nevertheless it seems that the practice already existed in India much before and there are sundry references to kite flying in historical bards, writings and other folklore. Since Gujarat has been a stop-over and center of much of the trading activity and an amazing place for the blending of Hindu and Muslim cultures, kite flying is taken and celebrated with much enthusiasm, which has now been taken as the observance of the Hindu Uttarayan festival.  

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Celebration of International Kite Festival

The International Kite Festival is one of the major day of festivity in Gujarat and is a much awaited event. As the day is also considered sacred according to Hindu tradition, preparations and celebrations begin early. People wake up early in the morning before sunrise and arrangements starts in the kitchen for the making of delectable Gujarati dishes like ladoo, undhyu or surati jamun which are ceremonially prepared and eaten on this day. Most of the children and male adults hop on to their rooftops to fly the kites and take advantage of the favorable morning breeze. People gather in small groups on theirs or on their friends’ rooftops to find optimum terrace for kite flying, making it a collective activity to celebrate together.

Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown and far from a friendly competition, for many, it becomes almost a battle mid-air. Many days before the festival, people find their favorite kite makers who prepare strong, resilient kites as well as specially prepared strings called Manjha, which is a combination of glue and glass over the fiber to make it as sharp as possible to cut other strings of rival kites. Production and supplies of kites begin as early as November and being to appear in different markets across Gujarat. But nowhere else the sale and purchase of kites is as intense as in the Patang Bazar, a specially appearing kite market in old city. It even remains open throughout 24 hours, about a week before the festival. Although, it is Ahmedabad which hosts the International Kite Festival, the occasion is especially celebrated with great zeal in the cities of Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Nadiad and also in the towns of other states like Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur etc.

The excitement does not get over even after the long day of celebration and as soon as the night falls, people attach lighted paper lanterns called tukkals to the kite strings which shine throughout the night looking truly spectacular. Over the period of time, many new innovations and additions in the festival were added with numerous different kinds of kites being flown and kite experts coming from many different countries as well as festival being celebrated in other countries as well. Some of the highlights of the festival that have delighted the visitors is the kite of a master kite maker Rasulbhai Rahimbhai of Ahmedabad whose 500 kites on a single string remains a top attraction. Almost every different type of kites from box kites to windsocs and from high speed sport kites to hand painted artistic kites can be seen flying over Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad.        

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International Kite Festival Dates

International Kite Festival is celebrated every year on 14th January, on the day of Makar Sakranti as it observed in North India or Uttarayan Gujarat. In Tamil Nadu, the day is celebrated as Pongal which is again a harvest festival and observed with great fervor in South India.

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How to Reach

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By Air

Sardar Vallabhai Patel international airport provides excellent air facilities for both domestic and international flights. Being a major destination, the airport is connected to all major destinations inside India like Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai etc. and there are numerous regular flights from these locations. Besides, there are direct flights to and from UK and USA operated by Air India.

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By Rail

Ahmedabad, being a major station is well-connected to other parts of the country through railway lines and there are regular trains from major cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore. The railway station is located about 6 kilometers from the city center and there are many buses, rickshaws and taxis to take you to the International Kite Festival.

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By Road

The roads are in and around Gujarat are in excellent condition and are well-maintained. The city of Ahmedabad, being the capital city is linked through impressive to vital towns and cities like Surat, Pune, Mumbai, Shirdi, Udaipur, Bhavnagar and Gandhinagar are well connected to Ahmedabad.

 

 

This year, if you see a cute tiger in the sky along with a banshee, don’t be scared as those are just some of the unique creations by the kite artists here. One of the very interesting kites seen during the inaugural function was one huge soccer ball-shaped kite that looked amazing.

Basic info

Dates: 7th January – 16th January, 2020
Location: Ahmedabad
Venue: Near Sabarmati Riverfront