The magical three words that you will hear a lot during the Kite festival in Gujarat are – ‘Kai Po Che!’
The International Kite Festival is an annual event that attracts enthusiastic crowds from not only India but neighbouring countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand and Iraq. You will also see people getting their designer kites from the USA, Russia, and Germany among other countries. On a common ground, the participants compete to showcase their kite flying talent and there is a huge price waiting right around the corner for the winner.
On the other side, the locals have their personal kite competitions on the rooftops! The thrill of competing with the neighbours and seeing your kite soar much higher than your opponent’s is fantastic! While popping festive sweets into your mouths and seeing participants squinting their eyes to see how far their kite has gone, everything about the kite festival in Gujarat is an entertaining treat.
But is the International Kite Festival 2024 only about talent and competing to show kite flying skills? Absolutely not.
Read on to find out more about the infamous kite festival in Gujarat, its history, significance, the magnitude of celebrations and how you can witness this marvel in 2024!
Also Read: STEPWELLS IN GUJARAT: DISCOVER AND EXPLORE THE RICH ARCHITECTURAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
What is the Kite Festival in Gujarat?
The kite festival in Gujarat is celebrated during Uttarayan, which is also referred to as Makar Sankranti in most parts of the country. The International Kite Festival is organised by the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited and they have been doing this since 1989. Initially, it started as a way to introduce local culture to people in other states and the invites quickly started reaching other countries too!
On this day, people gather on the rooftops to fly kites together with their neighbours, friends and family members. The main kite festival in Gujarat is held in Ahmedabad, the capital city of the state. The event is not just about competitions though this is one of the most anticipated parts of the day. You will see kite parades of different foreign nations, local artisans displaying their craftsmanship, stalls that sell both national and international kites and traditional food stalls that will make your mouth water!
That’s not all!
The tourism department leaves no stone unturned to make the day special for everyone who visits Ahmedabad. In the morning, the event begins with a small prayer, Surya namaskars by students as a greeting to the Sun God, and Rishikumars come over to read the Aditya Stuti. Then begins the fun! You get to see kites flying throughout the day and the whole sky looks like a splendid kaleidoscope. On the other hand, visitors can also take part in adventure activities and games that are arranged near the venue. When the sun finally starts to set, different cultural activities and performances will be organised before wrapping up the significant day.
History of the International Kite Festival in India
The tradition of flying kites has been a part of Indian culture for a very long time. It is said that the ancient kings used to consider kite flying as a leisurely activity. However, things took a more serious turn. The royal rulers held kite flying competitions and invited the best masters who knew their way around the kites. They were instructed to defeat the neighbouring kingdom or opponent kingdom’s kite at any cost seeing how this was a matter of pride for them. There are accounts of Indian kings using vicious kite strings that were so sharp that they could cut throats in a snap!
The culture of flying kites slowly started to lose traction but the Persian Muslims who came to our country for trade reintroduced it. Also, the Chinese who arrived from Tibet brought colourful variations of kites in all shapes.
The kite festival in Gujarat honours the tradition of kite flying and also sees the day as a celebration to welcome a new season. Keep reading to know more about Uttarayan, the significance of the festival, and how kites come into the picture.
Significance of the Festive Day
Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti is the festival that marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the warm summers. According to Hindu mythology, this is the day when the sun starts to move toward the northern hemisphere in the celestial plane. Uttarayana or Uttarayan means a journey toward the north. This festival signifies that the days are going to be longer and the weather will now be warmer. Let’s not assume that on the very next day of Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan, the summer begins and people will be sweating bullets!
The festival only marks the transition day and you are sure to experience a mildly warmer temperature and record longer days than the peak winters.
So, why fly kites on Makar Sankranti? What is the need for the kite festival in Gujarat?
On Makar Sankranti, people thank the Sun God for his solar energy. It is one of the main resources that aids in the effective growth of crops, keeping the planet warm, and maintaining stable ecological and biological systems.
The sun rays on Uttarayan are stronger and are said to have healing properties. Staying in the cold and freezing temperatures of winter can make people susceptible to skin conditions and illnesses. The warm breeze and the bright sun rays of Uttarayan can reverse the damage and also boost the innate strength of the immune system. What is the most fun way to expose ourselves to the sun’s rays?
Of course, flying kites!
The kite festival in Gujarat was introduced as a way to boost tourism but the culture of flying kites has been around even before 1989.
The Vibrant Celebrations of Kite Festival in Gujarat
Decorations
The venue of the International Kite Festival 2024 will be decorated with eye-catching colours and banners. The place will be lined with the national flags of all the attending countries, the ground will be carpeted, and kite-themed decor will be found everywhere. On the opposite side of the flags, you will find stalls selling local food and attractive kites. The open ground that is carpeted serves as the field from where the master kite flyers will fly their creations.
The locals also decorate their streets with kite-themed banners, and shining lights, and place colourful flowers on their doorsteps. People of Gujarat and Rajasthan also decorate their rooftops seeing how this is the battlefield from where they compete with their opponents!
The Food Preparations
To fly kites all day you need energy. The Gujarati ladies have you covered!
The females of the house wake up in the morning to make the most delectable sweets and savoury snacks for the day. While the men step out to fetch the kites, strings, and pooja items, the women work their magic in the kitchen.
You will find the same sweets and snacks in the traditional food stalls of the kite festival in Gujarat. All the attendees will be served with chikki, a sweet snack made with peanuts and jaggery. Also, you will get to taste til papdi, undhiyu, gajak, ladoo, halwa, and khichdo, a sweet dish made with the fresh harvest of wheat.
Colourful Kites
On the occasion of the annual kite festival in Gujarat, you will see kites of various sizes, shapes, and designs. You can expect the people to fetch their kites and go to the rooftop a day prior! The shops bring the stocks of the best kites from November. The hunt for the strongest and the most resilient kites begins at least three months before Uttarayan and the markets always have eager customers. A week before the festival day, the famous kite shops of Ahmedabad are open 24/7! On the day of the kite festival, the locals frequent the shops and markets throughout the day to buy more new kites. This may be because they lost a kite to the opponent or they want to stock up the best ones so that they can fly them at a later day.
The grounds of the International Kite Festival 2024 offer kite makers from across the world to share their designs and kite-making techniques. It is the perfect opportunity to improve cross-border business and establish a cordial relationship with foreign kite makers. In 2024, we will be celebrating the 33rd edition of this eventful festival and the theme for the year is going to be – “One Earth, One Family, One Future”.
The tourism department also conducts workshops to teach people the art of kite making and their exhibitions and displays show the skilful craftsmanship of kite makers from across the world. You can always buy a kite or two if you like them.
Lanterns after Sunset
Don’t think that the celebrations wrap up when the sun goes down! During the kite festival in Gujarat, cultural programs and activities that shed light on the ethnic history of Gujarat are organised in the evening from 7 PM to 9 PM. Beautiful lanterns are released into the sky not just from the festive grounds but also from the rooftops of houses. While the mornings are all about kites, the nights invite the serene tranquillity of the glimmering lights.
Dates and Venue of Kite Festival in Gujarat
The International Kite Festival 2024 is going to be held on the peaceful Sabarmati Riverfront near Vallabh Sadan. We can expect to see more than 50 countries take part in this event which will begin on the 8th of January and last until the 14th of January. The inauguration of the festival will be done by Governor Acharya Devrat and the festivities will start to pick up pace immediately after that.
How to Reach Ahmedabad
The annual kite festival is centred in Ahmedabad but over the years, the tourism department started parallel celebrations in other Gujarat states like Vadnagar, Kevadiya, Vadodara, Dwarka, Surat, Rajkot, and Kutch. You can visit any of these places but the main exhilaration of the festival can be best experienced in the capital city – Ahmedabad.
By Air
Sardar Vallabhai Patel International Airport is the main hub for air travel in Ahmedabad city. It receives both national and international flights daily. You can easily take a flight from other main metropolitan cities like Jaipur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Goa, and Kozhikode. Direct flights are operating between the airport and the USA and UK.
By Rail
Ahmedabad railway station is well-connected with other cities and you can find regular trains that come from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Bangalore. From other cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, and Kolkata, you will find trains that run weekly. There are frequent trains from neighbouring cities of Gujarat like Vadodara, Dwarka, Rajkot, and Surat.
By Road
The National Highway 48 connects Ahmedabad with Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have to find their way to NH48 and then it’s a piece of cake to reach Gujarat. The national highway also connects Ahmedabad with the other cities in Gujarat state.
Once you reach Ahmedabad, book your stay at the most comfortableHotels in Ahmedabad. You can freshen up after your journey, relax or take a nap for a few hours, and head out to enjoy the thrill of the kite festival in Gujarat. Even if you are arriving a day or two earlier, you can expect to see bustling markets, waves of laughter, and the bond of friendships on the street.
The International Kite Festival brings together a lot of people and creates a sense of unification not just within the country but also with other countries. What started as an attempt to show the diverse culture of Gujarat to the world now stands as the most anticipated event for sharing love and affection. Attend the kite festival in Gujarat in 2024 and we are sure you won’t be disappointed!
