Ahmedabad, DeshGujarat

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel inaugurated the 27th International Kite Festival in presence of Governor O.P. Kohli at the Sabarmati Riverfront here today.

The event began with Surya Namashkar by students of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation primary schools, reciting hymns in praise of the Sun, a cultural programme and march past by 378 ‘kitists’ from 29 countries and 10 states of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Kohli said the Uttaran-Makar Sankranti combines our cultural heritage, literally reflecting our attempt to go up in life and communicate with the sky. He lauded the government’s effort to attract foreigners to participate in Indian festivals, true to the spirit of global family of vasudhaiva-kutumbakam’.

Mrs. Patel said that the popularity of festivals in the state vindicate good governance taking everybody along as per the government’s policy of ‘sauna sath; sauna vikas’. Like a kite, she said, sky is the limit is for Gujarat’s development despite the state’s adversaries trying to put spanner in the spoke.

She said the Rs.500-crore kite industry provides livelihood to over 30,000 families belonging to the poorest section of the society. The industry has also included womenfolk under ‘Mission Mangalam’. It has reached this stage after decades’ efforts to spread peace, harmony and bonhomie.

In his welcome address, Gujarat’s Tourism Minister Saurabh Patel said that promotion of kite festival, rann utsav and navratri have helped increase the tourists footfall to 287-lakh.

Those present on the occasion included Ministers, Ahmedabad Mayor Meenaxiben Patel, MP Kiritbhai, and Tourism Corporation Chairman Kamleshbhai, MLAs, office-bearers, guests and public.

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