Excitement & Fun Fill the Air at Tannirbavi Beach as Day & Night Intl Kite Fest Begins
Mangaluru: Airfoil kites, stunt kites, train kites and various other kites adorn the sky at Tannirbhavi Beach on Feb 10 and 11 as part of the ONGC-MRPL International Kite Festival-2024 organised by Team Mangalore. Prashanth Upadyaya and Sarvesh Rao of Team Mangalore speaking to Team Mnagalorean said that night flying of kites on Feb 10, tonight is yet another attraction of the festival. “Night flying of kites consists of flying kites with LED light suspensions on the kite arranged in different forms and shapes and some of the kites with reflex yet active tapes on it to glow during the night. Kites of various shapes and sizes will be flown by young and old enthusiasts during the festival.
Around 40 kite flyers, including 13 foreign flyers from eight countries, are taking part in the festival. Flyers from Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana and Kerala are already here. Team Mangalore will fly its speciality kites like Kathakali, Yaksha, Gajendra, Bhoota Kola, Garuda, Pushpaka Vimana and Vibhishana during the two-day festival, Kites of various sizes, shapes and colours will be available for sale at the venue for children and adults who are interested in flying their kites. Stalls selling fruits, mineral water, ice cream, soft drinks and food, including seafood, will be opened on the beach as part of a food festival organised as part of the kite festival.
Deputy commissioner Mullai Muhilan has permitted food festival till midnight on both days “All safety measures will be arranged, and local swimmers will provide lifeguard service on the beach. A separate lost/ found centre will be opened at the venue to help parents find their missing children. Emergency medical aid, ambulance services, and fire tenders will also be available at the venue,” he said, adding that special bus services will also be available to the venue during the festival. No manja kites Sarvesh Rao said manja kites will not be allowed. “Manja kites with glass powder and glue applied to their thread is dangerous as they may cause injuries to flyers, especially children. It will also cause damage to kites of guest flyers and bring a bad name for Mangaluru,” he said. Team Mangalore, a hobby group operating not for profit but for fun, has been conducting free kite workshops to popularize the creative sport. Their giant kite, Kathakali, holds the biggest kite in India award conferred by the Limca Book of Records
Police officer Fadzil Ali from Malaysia will be flying an Incredible Hulk and five other kites made of reflective material. Alex from Ukraine of Thailand, represents Cat Kites, with the flat cat kite, which will be among 10 kites that the couple will be flying. The 74-year-old Abdul Rauf’s butterfly and Batman train kites will be an attraction., Team Mangalore’s Kathakali and Cat Kite team’s inflatable kites on cats and other animals will be among the kites that will soar during the Fest. Rauf from Mumbai, who is known in kite flying circles as a ‘train kite’ specialist, and that his team will display ‘101 butterfly’ train kites. He will also display his ‘70 Batman’ and ‘35 Star Train’ kites. A special thread will hold the 101 butterfly train kite and it will be worn around the waist of Rauf’s, a veteran in the international kite festival circuit
Prashanth Upadhya, a member of Team Mangalore, said the team will display its oldest and biggest kathakali kite, which was recently recreated. The team will also display its other art kites namely Yaksha, Gajendra, Bhoota Kola, Garuda, Pushpaka Vimana and Vibhishana. Alex of Ukraine and Nee from Thailand from Cat Kites said they have brought 3m and 6m inflatable kites that feature cats. They will also showcase their popular flat cat kite and 10 other kites featuring different animals. A formal inauguration of the event was held this evening. The festival organised by Team Mangalore in association with the district administration and support from ONGC MRPL, provides a platform for stage shows and photography opportunities thereby facilitating a confluence of creative talents rooted in cultural tradition.
The last festival held in January 2020 drew a record crowd of more than a lakh people. This year’s festival is planned for two days to ease the pressure of crowds. The International kite festival is being held for the fifth time in the city. Founded by Sarvesh Rao in 1998, Team Mangalore has 12 kite flyers eligible to participate in the International kite festival organised by the department of tourism, Union government and Gujarat Tourism Development Corporation in January every year. The kites of the team are designed exclusively by Dinesh Holla, an artist and kite flyer.
The other team members are VK Sanil, Prashant Upadhya, Giridhar Kamath, Nitin J Shetty, Subhash Pai, Pran Hegde, Satish Rao, Gurudath Baliga, Shashank Shetty and Janardhan Rao. To popularise this creative sport, they have been holding free kite workshops The sky of TANNIRBHAVI beach is coloured by 13 kite flyers from 8 countries viz, From THAILAND -MS. PALAWAN SUKANLAYA; UKRAINE OLESKI SHRAMKO; GREECE -KONSTANTIN RATSOS; ESTONIA -ANDRESS SOKK MS.LIA RIDALI; SWEDEN -ANDRES AGREN; INDONESIA -MS.SARI SABDA BHAKTI; MADZID TINTON PRIANGGORO MS.LINAWATI LIE, WENAS ONGKOWINOTO; MALAYSIA – MOHD FADZIL BIN ALI,.WAN AHMAD ALLWI BIN WAN HUSSEIN; VIETNAM -DONG THANH; INDIA-.ASHOK SHAH FLY 360 KITE CLUB, DAHANU ,ABDUL RAUF & TEAM, MUMBAI-.ASHOK KUMAR M, KOHINOOR KITE CLUB, HYDERABAD, MAHESH CHAVDA ANAND KITE CLUB, RAJKOT, .NITESH LAKUM & Team, SURAT -.RAJESH NAIR & Team.
Today there is an urgent need to bring back childhood to our children. The vicious circle of school, tuition and T.V. has curtailed their innocent childhood plays. There is a need to bring them outdoors to feel the joy of being with nature. Children; some open space and kites, you can see their creative skills soar. This is the sole event where caste, creed, religion and age is no bar for this festival. Let the younger generation be inspired. Let there be group efforts to make kites and fly them together. Let us spread the message ONE SKY, ONE EARTH, ONE FAMILY!
