International Kite Festival culminates with jam pack ground

Hyderabad: Sankranti and Lohri festivities in the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad touched new heights with 40 kite fliers from 12 countries and 50 national fliers with jam pack
audience on Sunday and Monday.

Carrying the age old tradition of Kite flying, the three-day International fest culminates off at Parade Grounds on Monday. Apart from International kite fliers 100s of local people came to fly
kites in the company of kite fliers from different parts of the world. It was a sight to behold as kites of every shape and size filled up the skies of the parade ground, the attraction of this year
was illuminated kites flying at night and drone kites with laser beams.

It is said that India created the tradition of kite flying due to the kings and Royalties later followed by Nawabs who found the sport entertaining and as a way to display their skills and power. It
began as being a sport for kings, but over time, as the sport became popular, it began to reach the masses. Inaugurated by Telangana Assembly Speaker S Madhusudan Chary, the fest
looked like a cauldron of several cultures and sub-cultures. "Our objective was to create a cross-culture platform for the people of different communities living in the city and showcase the
cosmopolitan nature of Hyderabad,” he said.

“This is better than our expectation. The footfall of about eight lakh is overwhelming," said B. Venkatesham, Secretary, Tourism and Culture.