Hyderabad hosts International Kite Festival

Tribune News Service
Hyderabad, January 14

The fourth International Kite Festival is underway here with 42 international professional kite flyers from 20 countries turning the skies into vibrant colours with kites of different shapes and sizes fluttering all over.

Along with the kite festival, the Telangana Government has also organised an international sweets festival with around 1,200 varieties of home-made sweets, all representing different cultures, on display.

Separate spots have been arranged for professional kite-flyers and residents to exhibit their skills.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will preside over the closing ceremony tomorrow on the occasion of the Sakranthi festival. State Home Minister Mahmood Ali will honour the participants.

For the sweet festival, around 2,500 women from India and 22 different countries have put up stalls with local delicacies.

Around 1,200 varieties of sweets are on sale. The tourism department has marked domestic and international sweets in separate arenas. The three-day festival starts around 11 every day and goes on till 10 pm.

On the occasion, cultural programmes are being held after sunset in which artists from around 25 states are participating.

The festival is expected to bring around 10 lakh visitors. Last year, the festival brought eight lakh visitors, according to Burra Venkatesham, Secretary Tourism, Telangana Government.

He said “This festival celebrates the cosmopolitan nature of Hyderabad while boosting tourism in the city.”

Meanwhile, the local police has restricted kite-flying in religious places and thoroughfares from January 14 to 15.

Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said, “In order to maintain law & order, peace and tranquillity and to prevent incidents of breach of peace and accidents that are likely to occur unless kite-flying is regulated during the celebration of Sankranthi festival in Hyderabad city from January 14 to January 15...”