International Kite Festival - Ahmedabad

Held on : 14th January

International Kite Festival of Ahemdabad, is one of the most colourful events in Gujarat. It is held at Ahmedabad on January 14th every year, to coincide with the festival of Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti. Makar Sankranti is a festival that heralds a change of season marking the movement of the sun into the northern hemisphere - a celebration to mark the end of winter. The skies are blue and clear, a cool breeze blows which is very conducive for Kite Flying. In Gujarat, Makar Sankranti is also celebrated as the Kite-Flying Day. Kite-flying day in Gujarat is an extraordinary day, unlike at other places. Ahmedabad, Gujarat's premier city, leads the way in the celebration of Uttarayani, and is the venue of the International Kite Festival. Kite-flying festival is also held in other important cities of Gujarat each year. The festival draws expert kite-makers and flyers not only from cities of India but also from around the world. Designer's Kites of infinite variety are displayed at the venue. This festival inculcates the spirit of brotherhood and togetherness among the common men.

History - In the year 1989, a new festival called the International Kite Festival was born. This event sought to take kite flying to the tourist by inviting participants from all over the world to competitions and displays of kites and kite-flying skills. January 13 was the day of the inauguration of the first International Kite Festival. A special Patang Nagar was created for the three-day festival and the 'city of kites' opened its doors to bazaars displaying hundreds of thousands of kites and 'reels' of infinite variety. Gifted craftsmen demonstrated age-old kite-making skills and how to prepare the thread used for kite flying. Little red paper-kites vied with those of the masters from Japan, USA, UK and other countries. As participants tied threads to their 'toys', excited spectators watched shapes such as eagles and snakes soar into the skies. Cloth, paper, fibreglass et al, are now being used to make kites.

The local Museum presents briefly and colourfully, the history of kites. For instance, one can learn that in 200 BC, Huen Tsang of China flew a kite at night to overawe the army of the Han dynasty. From 100 BC to AD 500, kites were used for sending signals and to measure the distance of enemy camps. In AD 930, the Japanese mentioned Shiroshi, meaning paper bird, for the first time. Between AD 960 and AD 1126, kite flying became a popular sport in China. The ninth day of the ninth month was a day when kites were flown to banish evil. In Indian literature, kites were mentioned for the first time in the work Madhumati by Manzan, and were called patang, which is the word still used today.

Events - Kite flying begins at dawn and continues without a pause throughout the day. Special mixtures of glue and ground glass cover the lines, which are dried and rolled onto rears known as firkees. These lines are so sharp that if one is not careful on can cut his own finger. Friends, neighbours and total strangers battle one another for supremacy and cries of triumph rend the air when someone cuts the line of a rival. A tremendous variety of kites are seen and experts specially prepare the lines with which the kites are flown on the great day.

• People of all ages gather on terraces or rooftops and engage in kite flying. The Gujarat State Tourism Corporation organizes an International Kite Festival every year and the venue of the event is either the Sardar Patel Stadium or the Police Stadium in Ahmedabad. This festival attracts international kite flyers and local champions as well, who demonstrate their skills in flying exotic kites. Come night and the illuminated kites known as tukals soar into the sky to compete with the stars.
• One of the sidelights of the festival is the Patang Bazaar, which is open 24 hours a day in the heart of Ahmedabad during the Makar Sankranti week. A visit to this bazaar in the middle of the night proves beyond all doubt that the entire population of the city is obsessed with patangs and they crowd the streets and buy their stocks while haggling and enjoying through the night.
• Special traditional food such as surati jaman, udhiyu, kathiawadi bhanu and others, typical of Gujarat, are served, usually in the open field or a park, or in the garden of one's home.
• Garba, a famous dance is also performed. The musicians and dancers regale the winners of competitions and uplifted the spirits of those who had lost.

Holiday Status - It is a Local Holiday.