Rajasthan Kite Festival

About the festival
14 January is celebrated all over India as Makar Sankranti marking the transition of the sun into the Northern hemisphere. This day is also celebrated as the kite day in most parts of India when people from all age groups can be seen flying kites the whole day long. In Jaipur during the Kite festival the entire sky is filled with kites when everyone joins in this riotous celebration. People shouts of "joy and thrill" accompanied by drums as opponent's kites are cut down.

The three-day festival starts with an inauguration at the Polo Ground, which is the venue for kite flying. A great celebration is followed by Air Force helicopters releasing kites from the sky, and innumerable schoolchildren releasing balloons. The sky transforms into some magical canvas as kites resembling wasps, exquisite stained glass windows, mesmerising mythical birds soar in the sky.

The festival is divided into two events namely the Fighter Kite Competition and the Display Kites and there are extraordinary prizes to be won in both categories. Moreover, every evening the participants are given dinner at an exotic location.

Lawns of the Umaid Bhawan Palace, the royal residence of the Maharaja of Jodhpur form the venue for the final day of the festival. The finals of the Fighter Kite Competition and the final judging of the Display Kites are followed by the prize distribution ceremony, the valedictory function, and a farewell dinner with the Maharaja.

Major events of the festival
Fighter Kite Competition and the Display Flying
» Duration : Three days
» Time : 14th January
» Venue : The main celebrations take place in Jaipur and Jodhpur