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Home :: Festival tour :: International Kite Festival, Jodhpur
INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL, JODHPUR
FACTS & FIGURES
Time of the year - Mid January
Places to Visit - Jodhpur, Rajasthan
Duration - Two to three days
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 Kite Flying |
THE FESTIVAL
India holds a unique position in the world due to its various festivals
that are distinctive and attractive and each one is special in itself.
The kite festival of Jodhpur is one such festival, which is celebrated
with great zeal and zest. Started just a few years ago, the desert
kite festival is becoming more and more popular among kite fliers
all over the world. The best kite flyers from India and abroad take
part in this splendid celebration of the art of kite flying.
CELEBRATIONS
January 14 is celebrated in India as Makar Sankranti or the day
of transition of the sun into the northern hemisphere. It is also
a day inextricably related to kites in most parts of India. Children
from 6 to 60 can be seen concentrating on their colorful kites with
their heads turned to the sky. In cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad
kites practically blot out the sky. Everyone joins in this uncontrolled
celebration and shouts of " Woh Kata Hai" reverberate
from rooftops to the accompaniment of drums as adversaries' kites
are cut down. Here everyone's an adversary and every kite in the
sky, fair game. And it is better not to put up the Egos or Flexi
foils, or Sky Tigers, or Revolutions or any other fancy kites in
the midst of all the fighter kites.
The three-day festival starts with an inauguration at the Polo
Ground, which is the venue for some serious kite flying and fighting
for the three days of the festival. The festival includes two kinds
of celebrations. A massive extravaganza follows, with Air Force
helicopters releasing kites from the sky, and hundreds of schoolchildren
releasing balloons. Kites that look like wasps, exquisite stained
glass windows, graceful mythical birds soar in the sky and the sky
shimmers with magic.
Fighting kites beautifully choreographed by the wind look like
poetry in the skies, written by kite flyers from many nations. The
three days of the festival are divided into two sections. One is
the Fighter Kite Competition and the other is the more sober Display
Flying and there are prestigious trophies to be won in both categories.
Every evening participants are provided with dinner at an exotic
location.
On the final day the venue of the festival shifts to the exquisite
lawns of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the royal residence of the Maharaja
of Jodhpur. The finals of the Fighter Kite Competition and the final
judging of the Display Kites are followed by the prize distribution
ceremony, the valedictory function, and a farewell dinner with the
Maharaja. As the festival draws to an end, traditional Indian kite
craftsmen prepare to return to their humdrum lives, selling handcrafted
aerial art for mere pennies.
LEGENDS
Started just few years ago, this festival has got no mythological
connections or legends attached to it. Currently, this sport is
witnessing a major revival globally and India, with its ancient
tradition of kite flying, could benefit from becoming a part of
the international kite flying community.
PLACES TO VISIT
The recommended places to visit to witness the magnificent kite
flying festival would be Jodhpur, the desert city of Rajasthan and
Ahmedabad, the second largest city of Gujarat. In these two cities,
kites practically blot out the sky. In Delhi, the capital of India,
kites are flown in the sky to mark the celebration of the Independence
Day of India on August 15 every year.
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