Canberra’s first Indian kite festival

touched 65 km/hour, it was the Wind God that won the day over the Sun God.

More than 400 Canberrans participated, and came out to air their kites – to whatever level the high winds permitted! Of course they first attended a workshop to learn how to tie the strings. No doubt it was a ‘refresher course’ for many Indians present too, but soon it all came back to them, with many even ‘cutting’ each other’s kites in mock warfare, much to the enjoyment of all.

It was not quite Ahmedabad, but there was Gujarat in the air at Canberra’s Belconnen Arts Centre on the bank of Lake Ginninderra.

The Gujarati Samaj of ACT celebrated in mid January its first ever kite flying festival to mark Makar Sankranti, an important Hindu festival.

While Hindus across India mark the date in their own way, the funloving Gujjus take to their terraces to put their single-string paperand-bamboo kites to the winds.

Every year Ahmedabad hosts the International Kite festival on Makar Sankrati, 14 January. People from all over the world visit the city to witness this event where millions of colourful kites fill the sky.

The Canberra skies may not have seen as many kites this year, but surely the trend has now started.

The idea behind the event was to promote Gujarati culture and traditions among kids raised here, as well as to acquaint the wider mainstream with some aspects of our way of life.

Makar Sankranti marks the start of the turn of the seasons, as winter recedes and the earth begins to turn towards the sun in the northern hemisphere. The kites are a symbolic way of welcoming the summer sun after it hides away in the colder months.

As revellers look up in the sky manipulating the kite strings in their hands, they seem to be saying, may you go higher and higher, more and more towards light (which of course is the symbol for knowledge, wisdom and spiritual awakening).

Preparations for the event began five months ago by GSA volunteers and Belconnen Art Centre officials. A thousand colourful kites and 300 rolls of string were imported from India. But no prior preparation could have helped with the winds, sadly too strong on the day. As they

And when the winds grew stronger, revellers moved indoors for a cultural program including kite painting competition for kids, Bollywood dances and songs.

Refat Bita’s Hindi and Bengali songs, Vishwa Joshi and Shanya Bhojani’s dances, and a special poetry recital by Harish Joshi were highlights of the day. The food counter serving traditional Indian vegetarian cuisine and buttermilk attracted many visitors.

The event was supported by Belconnen Arts Centre and sponsored by Commonwealth Bank of Australia.

Prakash Mehta