Ganga diara come alive with colourful kites

Patna: Over 3,000 kite-lovers from across the city and even neighbouring districts and hailing from various walks of life gathered at Ganga diara on Saturday on the occasion of Makar Sankranti as the state tourism development corporation organized its fifth five-day Patna Kite Festival. The festival was inaugurated by state tourism minister Anita Devi.
Sun shone brightly as kite enthusiasts were seen enjoying the gentle breeze and pulling strings to make their colourful kites soar in the sky. Tourism minister Anita Devi, while inaugurating the festival, said, “The festival has elicited an encouraging response and every year the number of participants is increasing. The festival also has a motto to generate awareness about making the Ganga pollution-free.”
“The kite festival is also a unique way to draw tourists and it will definitely help to develop the diara as a tourist spot,” said the minister.
Motorboats of state tourism department and over 50 private boats continuously ferried the visitors from Gandhi ghat to diara, across the Ganga, where the festival was organized.
Professional kite flyers were an added attraction at the festival. Mehul Kumar Pathak, a professional kite flyer from Gujarat, participated at the fest for the fifth consecutive year. He got a 20-metre kite, named Sponge Bob, up in the sky. His other special kites resembled an octopus and a bee.
Pathak, who has participated in several kite-flying competitions in Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia and Indonesia, among other places, said: “It is exciting that the Bihar government has taken the initiative to organize such a colourful and vibrant festival here on the pattern of Gujarat.”
A number of visitors were given complimentary kites and spools on the spot. “The fest would be held between 11am and 4pm on rest of the four days,” said Gajendra Singh, PRO, Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation. Snacks huts were also set up at the diara. “Snacks were available at the food courts. Special cleanliness drive was also carried out at the diara prior to the festival,” Singh said.
“I have been flying kites since my childhood. I think Sabbalpur diara is the best place in the city for flying kites as it offers a large open space,” said Amit Rana, a businessman. “I have made two spools of manja (kite string) for myself and hope to have loads of fun,” he said.
People crossing the Ganga on boats were seen splashing water and many even enjoyed a dip in the river. A kite flyer from Vaishali district, Amitabh Sahu, who was at the diara with his family to enjoy the occasion, said, “This kite festival has given a boost to the kite-making industry in the state as well.”
Meanwhile, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti, a large number of people took a holy dip in the Ganga on Friday morning. A huge rush of people was seen at the river ghats in the city.