Surtis fly high with foreign kites

More than 100 kite flyers participated in the International Kite Festival in Surat on Monday. Along with international kite flyers, Surtis too participated in large numbers.

The festival, held at Joganinagar ground at Honey-park road in Adajan, was organised by Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Limited (TGCL) along with Surat Municipal Corporation. 28 participants from 13 countries, including Brazil, Australia, Japan, Canada, France, Nigeria, USA and others, took part in the festival. They were accompanied by participants from Surat and nearby areas.

"We want to promote Uttarayan, which is one of the most popular festivals in Gujarat along with Navratri and Diwali. Such events give an identity to the state and foreign participants get a chance to learn about Indian culture," said Kamlesh Patel, chairman of TGCL.

According to Patel, all international kite flyers will participate in the kite festival in Ahmedabad on January 10, 2012.