Nationals from 45 countries take part in Gujarat Kite festival

Nationals of 45 countries and people from 13 states within the country Sunday participated in a kite festival in Gujarat's Ahmedabad. Gujarat Governor OP Kohli and state Chief Minister Vijay Rupani inaugurated the event on the Sabarmati Riverfront.

Organisers said 151 participants included nationals of the United States, United Kingdom, Cambodia, and Nepal.

Rupani, speaking at the event, said the festival had become an integral brand of Gujarat, adding that it was helping the poor who were making these kites. Governor Kohli said the festival inspires healthy competition and a spirit of brotherhood among different communities.

In Gujarat, kites are flown during the Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti which falls on January 14.

Incidentally, most of the kites are made by Muslims. This year, the Gujarat government has also decided to organise a kite festival at Kevadia, the site of the Statue of Unity, a memorial to Sardar Patel and the also the world's tallest statue.

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