Kite Travel FAQ
Ever Dream of
Going to India?
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India is as exotic as they come. Huge battle scarred forts, mighty rivers, pristine snow capped peaks, quaint villages, dense forests, balmy beaches, bustling cities � and of course elephants, snake charmers and fakirs ! January 14 is celebrated in India as Makar Sankranti - heralding the transition of the sun into the Southern hemisphere. It is also a big kite day in most parts of India when children of all ages can be seen with their heads turned to the sky !. In cities like Jaipur and Ahmedabad kites virtually blot out the sky. |
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Everyone joins in this riotouscelebration and shouts of " woh kata hai !" reverberate from rooftops as adversaries' kites are cut down. And everyone's an adversary! Any kite in the sky is fair game - you better not put up your Edos or Flexifoils, or Skytigers, or Revolutions or any other kites you love and cherish in the midst of all those fighter kites !!
But Jodhpur's different. For 2 years now they've held the Desert Kite Festival in Jodhpur to coincide with Makar Sankranti - safely. No one's lost a kite, yet! The three day Festival starts with an Inauguration at the Polo Ground which is the venue of the event for the next two days. The Festival includes two sections - the Fighter Kite Competition and Display Flying - with trophies in both categories. Every evening participants meet for dinner at an exotic location. On the final day the Festival shifts to the exquisite lawns of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the royal residence of the Maharaja ofJodhpur. The finals of the Fighter Kite Competition and the final judging of the Display Kites is followed by the prize giving and closing ceremony and a farewell dinner with the Maharaja. Then we move on to Jaipur to experience the incredible "Kite Frenzy" that transforms this town - millions of kites fill the sky and everyone seems to be caught up in the kite fever that takes over the city ! For more information, travel costs, and photos, click here. |