Kites from far and wide fly in Belgaum skies

On blue canvas

Penguin and fish glided in tandem, while pop icon Michael Jackson performed his popular moonwalk in the air.

Sea horse, octopus, delta fish and other beings flew high, even as spiderman and vultures obeyed wind directions. The two-day second International Kite Festival organised by Parivartan Parivar, headed by Belgaum South MLA Abhay Patil, took off to a colourful start at Nanawadi ground here on Sunday, with participants from 22 countries and from different parts of India participating in the gala event.

Tiny to giant-sized kites in various shapes dotted the clear skies in the city, providing a visual delight to the thousands of spectators, children in particular, assembled at the venue from different parts of the district. People from neighbouring districts and the states of Maharashtra and Goa too made it to the festival.

Participants from Turkey, Ukraine, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Lebanon, Lithuania, Italy, Singapore, Netherlands, Cambodia, France, South Korea and other countries, along with fliers from Bangalore, Mysore, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Doddaballapur, Navasari, Mandya and other places, displayed their kiting skills at the fest.

The winter breeze provided the ideal environs for the fliers and in no time the huge kites made of different materials made it to the skies.

From France
Kite-flier Nicholas from France, a veteran of many of international kite festivals, flew a huge rowing boat-shaped kite, attached with a remote controlled camera. The camera took aerial pictures of the fest, both still and video.

Members of the Ladies Kite Club made it to the fest here with more confidence, after winning two awards at the Ahmedabad International Kite Festival.  Team leader Poornima said, after flying kites with formation of 100 and more in a sequence, they would be displaying more kites as time progresses at the two-day event.

Some of the fliers even trained children assembled at the venue on the art of making kites of different sizes and flying them.  Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited Chairpeson Kalakappa Bandi inaugurated the fest. MLA Abhay Patil, Parivartan Parivar President Santosh Patil, Belgaum Urban Development Authority Chairperson Balasaheb Kangralkar and other dignitaries were present.