Published By : Admin |
January 9, 2011 | 09:01 IST
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The sky over the Sabarmati riverfront in Ahmedabad came alive with spectacular kites on Sunday morning after the three-day Vibrant Gujarat international kite festival kicked off. Kite-flying enthusiasts from 36 countries are participating in the event, one of the biggest shows of its kind on earth. This year's festival is the 21st in a row to be organised jointly by the state tourism corporation.
Borne on favourable winds, hundreds of kites of all sizes and designs took to the sky. Many enthusiasts were flying kites that looked like tigers, octopuses and some other animals. These kite-flyers said they had chosen to fly those kites to raise awareness about certain species that are threatened with extinction.
As many as 93 people from foreign countries such as the US, UK and Spain, among others, and 150 kite-flyers from 10 Indian states, including Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra, are participating in the event.
"The weather was favourable and so was the wind," said James, a middle-aged man who had come all the way from Philippines to take part in the festival. "To fly a Trilobite Kite, you need both good weather and favourable wind. I am happy that I have flown a kite in Ahmedabad and stayed in India." His giant kite, called the Trilobite, was among the biggest at the festival on Sunday. James said it had cost him $5,000.
There were dozens of other attractive kites but one of the cutest was flown by a couple from Spain. It was called Acrobatic Kite, though such kites are also known as stunt kites. Then there were kites shaped like carious animals, all of which delighted the hundreds of kite lovers who had thronged the riverfront for the event.
Officials said five different kinds of competition had been introduced this year and on Tuesday, chief minister Narendra Modi will announce the winners.
According to officials, the kite festival will also be held in Kutch and Mandvi on January 12 and 13.
Prime Minister today addressed a large gathering of Indian community members in Muscat. The audience included more than 700 students from various Indian schools. This year holds special significance for Indian schools in Oman, as they celebrate 50 years of their establishment in the country.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister conveyed greetings to the community from families and friends in India. He thanked them for their very warm and colorful welcome. He stated that he was delighted to meet people from various parts of India settled in Oman, and noted that diversity is the foundation of Indian culture - a value which helps them assimilate in any society they form a part of. Speaking of how well Indian community is regarded in Oman, Prime Minister underlined that co-existence and cooperation have been a hallmark of Indian diaspora.
Prime Minister noted that India and Oman enjoy age-old connections, from Mandvi to Muscat, which today is being nurtured by the diaspora through hard work and togetherness. He appreciated the community participating in the Bharat ko Janiye quiz in large numbers. Emphasizing that knowledge has been at the center of India-Oman ties, he congratulated them on the completion of 50 years of Indian schools in the country. Prime Minister also thanked His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik for his support for welfare of the community.
Prime Minister spoke about India’s transformational growth and development, of its speed and scale of change, and the strength of its economy as reflected by the more than 8 percent growth in the last quarter. Alluding to the achievements of the Government in the last 11 years, he noted that there have been transformational changes in the country in the fields of infrastructure development, manufacturing, healthcare, green growth, and women empowerment. He further stated that India was preparing itself for the 21st century through developing world-class innovation, startup, and Digital Public Infrastructure ecosystem. Prime Minister stated that India’s UPI – which accounts for about 50% of all digital payments made globally – was a matter of pride and achievement. He highlighted recent stellar achievements of India in the Space sector, from landing on the moon to the planned Gaganyaan human space mission. He also noted that space was an important part of collaboration between India and Oman and invited the students to participate in ISRO’s YUVIKA program, meant for the youth. Prime Minister underscored that India was not just a market, but a model for the world – from goods and services to digital solutions.
Prime Minister conveyed India’s deep commitment for welfare of the diaspora, highlighting that whenever and wherever our people are in need of help, the Government is there to hold their hand.
Prime Minister affirmed that India-Oman partnership was making itself future-ready through AI collaboration, digital learning, innovation partnership, and entrepreneurship exchange. He called upon the youth to dream big, learn deep, and innovate bold, so that they can contribute meaningfully to humanity.
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