The International Kite Festival held in Ahmedabad every year draws kite experts and kite flyers from across the world. Apart from being a global fanfare aimed at the sheer fun of kite flying, the festival also has a religious connotation as it coincides with Makara Sankranti.It is therefore a festival of thanksgiving for all the blessings bestowed over the past year. It also marks the beginning of warm and sunny days of summer.

On the day of the Kite Festival, people start flying kites at dawn and it continues without a pause throughout the day. People of all ages gather on terraces or rooftops and engage in kite flying and also “kite cutting”. There is also a lot of competition but all in good humor. There is music in the air and traditional delicacies are especially prepared for this day. Special mixtures of glue and ground glass cover the lines with which the kites are flown. Experts specially prepare these lines the previous day and it is dried and rolled onto reels known as 'firkees'. The strings are sharp enough to cut a finger if they are not carefully used. The excitement of the Kite Festival does not end with nightfall. It is the time when the beautiful box kites called ‘tukals’ often strung in a row are launched into the sky, adding splendor to the night sky.

One of the sidelights of the festival is the Patang Bazaar in the heart of Ahmedabad, which is open 24 hours a day during the Makar Sankranti week. It will be amazing sight to see people haggling for kites in this bazaar even in the middle of the night .The Kite Festival is also the time when traditional sweets and delicacies of Gujarat like the delicious surati jaman, udhiyu, kathiawadi bhanu and so are made and served to friends and relatives, adding to the fun and frolic. The other delights of the festival are the performances of the traditional Garba dance and melodious music encouraging the winners and the losers alike. On the day of the festival devotees throng the temples of the city and distribute alms freely.



Visit www.Travel.mapsofindia.com for tour bookings and International Kite Festival travel packages to India. For more information or to book a tour, please fill up the form below.

International Kite Festival |  Celebration of International Kite Festival |  History of International Kite Festival |  Time of International Kite Festival