Goa dresses up for kite festival

The third three-day international kite festival, a carnival of colour will be held at Miramar beach near Panaji from December 10 to 12.

“Light is in the East, come fly in it,” is the global message and “One Sky One World” is the theme of the kite festival,” says Ajay Prakash, trustee of Nomad Heritage Trust and CEO, Nomad Travels.

Described as a grand finale to the IFFI, the kite festival is being conceptualised and organised by Nomad Travels & Nomad Heritage Trust in association with Goa Tourism Department.

Nomad Travels have been organising international kite festivals for the last seven years in places like Jodhpur, Jaipur, Jaisalmer, Agra, Lucknow apart from Goan beaches.

“We bring together people from all over the world to fly from forts, palaces, sand-dunes, the historical Taj Mahal and the sun-kissed beaches of Goa,” said Mr Prakash.

The festival embodies the sentiment expressed by Tal Streeter, author of A Kite Journey Through India, “Kites are like eyes, flying in the free sky, they regard everyone on the earth equally, there are no rich or poor, great or small ,everybody is equal.”

The idea was initially mooted to sustain and nurture the traditional skill of kite and manjha making, giving a boost to this flagging cottage industry.

The carnival atmosphere of the festival ensures a turn out of thousands of people including a large number of tourists.

Apart from a number of desi Kite flyers, kite flyers from various countries like USA, UK, France, Holland and Far East are expected to participate in the festival.

Huge western kites made of rip-stop nylon and carbon graphite spars in all kinds of shapes, designs and colour will fill the Goan skies.

Pre-historic creatures, birds, bees, aeroplanes, human-forms, modern geometric designs in vibrant colours will make a great spectacle, promise the organisers.

For the kids, the show promises of stunts by the power kiters including kite surfing, kite-ballet, kite skating, flying stacks of kites in one go, flying 200 kites on a single line and flying with four lines, etc.

The kite ballet ie synchronised flying to music by the French Grez twins is sure to be a thriller as the kites swoop and dance and perform incredible turns with perfect timing.

Drachen Foundation based in Seattle, USA devoted to the preservation and dissemination of kite knowledge throughout the world will exhibit exotic kites.

A kite making workshop is scheduled with the students of Goa College of Art and the Goa college of architecture during the festival period.

The workshop will be conducted by Scott Skinner, president, Drachen Foundation, who is also a kite maker.

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