Every year, on January 14th, thousands of kite flyers from around the world arrive in Ahmedabad to celebrate the International Kite Festival. Although the Kite festival is celebrated across India, Gujarat takes the celebration and grandeur to stratospheric levels. So if you have been planning a getaway trip to this beautiful destination, this will be a mighty good time!

Symbolically, its the day when the Gods wake up from their winter slumber but technically its the first day of the summer, according to the Indian calendar. Kite flying was first introduced in India by Persian traders and it soon gained popularity amongst Nawabs and Mughal kings who used it to display their dexterity and power. The sport was popular in the state for thousands of years but the first Kite Festival was held in 1989.

This year, Ahmedabad will play host to some of the best kite flyers from Italy, Japan, Israel, Switzerland, Indonesia, Spain, Germany, France and United States.

Here’s 5 reasons why you should definitely visit  this year’s International Kite Festival.

It’s a truly magical sight!

The thousands of kites that hover over the  skyline feels feels like a unified, massive sculpture which makes for a brilliant spectacle.

You get to see a zillion different type of kites!

Kites can be made in an almost infinite number of shapes and sizes and event showcases cool designs like giant banner kites, sculptural kites, flying Dragon kites and wau-balang kites.

Positive vibes everywhere!

The festival beautifully blurs all religious, political and social lines and brings out the best in every one! And you can’t help but be happy watching the kids gleefully sauntering about and flying their kites with a big smile on their face.

Test your kite flying skills

Never flown a kite? No problem! This is your chance to try your hand at this fun sport. Since the event attracts some of the best kite flyers, you can can learn tons of tips and tricks.

The stunning night sky!

As the sun sets on the second day of the festival, the kite flyers continue their fight for air supremacy with beautiful paper lanterns (known as Tukkals). This renders the perfect opportunity to just sit back, relax and watch the beautifully lit up and radiant night sky.

Learn how the ‘manja’ is made

Visit Gujarat a few days before the event and you can watch kite makers working with thread, dyes and powdered glass to make the ‘manja’ – the coloured, glass powder-coated string that is used to cut other kites. If not handled with care, they can cause serious injuries.

Gorge on Gujarati delicacies

The Kite Festival concludes with a Gujarati food festival and this is your chance to gorge on traditional delicacies like Undhiyu, Til Ladoo and Chikki.

Venue & Dates for the International Kite Festival  2017

Dates: 7th to 15th January 2016
Venue: Sabarmati River Front
Ashram Road, Ahmedabad – 380006

Dominic Machado

Someone once told me to keep an open mind....I tried it for a day and some jerk stole everything!