CHENNAI: Before the 70 km journey from Chennai to Mahabalipuram, the kite festival was just an idea for me some colorful kites flying overhead and children enjoying the view. Little did I know it would be nothing like I had ever imagined. The first Tamil Nadu International Kite Festival (TNIK) from August 13-15, organized by Global Media Box in collaboration with the state tourism department, was a gathering of people from different parts of the world displaying their passion resulting in a colorful wave of patterns. and images in the blue sky. Benedict Savio, founder of Global Media Box, said,
“The plan was to organize a family carnival with inflatable spectacle kites, not combat ones. We found the best teams from four countries – India, Malaysia, Thailand and USA to fly their kites.”
Varieties on display
About 100 kites were on display from all six Indian teams and four foreign teams. K Srinivas of the Hyderabad team representing the Kohinoor Kite Club described his collection of kites as “ones that represent history, technology and innovation”. Being proud of India, they displayed kites of Bhagat Singh and Swami Vivekananda. His collection also included LEDs, Trilobites (a small version of the Megabite, the largest kite), spinner and ring kites.
Diganti Joshi of Vadodara Kite Club, Gujarat, left the kids mesmerized with his long list of cartoon characters in the sky Chhota Bheem, Dholu, Bholu, Chutki and Bal Ganesh. The highlight of his collection, however, was the map of Hogwarts from Harry Potter, painted on a flat kite designed by his daughter and architect, Pavani Joshi. He also displayed his rocket model created by his company Aerosports Association. With a total collection of 17 kites, he performed wonders in the sky.
While most kite flyers designed their own kites, they did not forget to reflect on the art and culture of the country they came from. Shriniketh Rao representing Team Mangalore brought traditional South Indian Kites incorporating symbols of Kathakali and Pushpaka Vimana. “We take our inspiration from Hindu mythology. Kites representing characters like Vibhishana, Gajaraja and Garuda will also give insight into our culture to anyone who comes and visits the festival,” he said.
Sandesh Kaddi High Flyers Belgaum is also a strong believer in portraying art through kites. He specializes in flying kites of various geometric shapes taking roots from the Chittara folk painting of Karnataka. Besides, he also exhibited inflatable kites of lion, tiger and cartoon character Mario for children.
Bringing fun from foreign land, kites from other countries were colorful conglomerations of birds, dolphins and dragons and geckos. Mal Brooks from the US, who has been flying kites for more than 20 years, shared that since his only goal is to make people smile wherever they see his kites, his kites have no meaning. special. He and his wife Pirawan from Thailand splashed warm colors into the clear sky with their trilobites.
After miracles
From Ashok Shah making kites from scratch to participate in international festivals representing India to Mal Brooks who travels the world collecting kites, the kites bonded over their mutual love of kites. Sharing the challenges they faced while starting their kite journey, Ashok said, “Earlier, India did not have any fancy kites other than war kites. It was difficult for us to even research how to make an inflatable kite as there was no material available. After researching from the basics using Indian and imported books, learning from other kite makers, experimenting a lot and trying materials from paper to nylon, we have now managed to create the best kites in the world.”
The kites are made from ripstop nylon, a similar material used for parachutes, which Ashok says is easy to cut and sew. Additional materials such as fiberglass rods, carbon rods or bamboo are preferred for support as they are light and durable. Ranging in height from 1 foot to 200 feet, these kites cost between Rs 25,000 and Rs 5 lakh. “The costs are high because we only use high-tech materials. When we bundle different kits together, the price can go up to `80 lakh. Since people use these types of kites the most, we don’t mind spending money to curate the best experience,” he shared, pointing to the vibrant ring kites arranged horizontally.
As the day ended, Benedict summed up: “Having witnessed the huge rush of entries, we hope to develop the event next year as a 10-day carnival with even more kites.”
A creative way to say thanks
To thank the Tamil Nadu government and people, Ashok Shah from Maharashtra of Fly 360, customized poet Thiruvalluvar’s kite. He also brought his collections of a flat box, mini, 3D, ton, four lines, inflatable kite and rings. The event which had more than 5000 entries will be back next year with even more fun.
