Participants at the kite festival at Gandhi Maidan in Patna. Picture by Nagendra Kumar Singh

Patna, Jan. 15: The young and the old today let their spirits and kites soar high over the Gandhi Maidan sky in Patna on Makar Sankranti.

Organised by art, culture and sports department, thousands of colourful kites kissed the sky, with even some international kite flyers attending the Patang Utsav, here. Some of the most beautiful kites from across the state in different sizes and colours provided a visual treat for all at the festival.

Inaugurating the festival, art, culture and sports minister Sukdha Pandey said the kite festival was very significant in terms of brotherhood.

She said: “Kites flying high are a symbol of a developed state, just as Bihar is soaring. It is a way to evoke feelings of joy that come only when you see the kite in the sky. It has become an internationally known event as the state government has organised this festival for the first time in Patna but from next year onwards, we will organise kite flying competition.”

The minister enjoyed flying a kite prepared by a group from Uttar Pradesh. Many had come from other states to take part in the festival.

Around 400 people have officially registered their names to take part in the festival and 150 kites were brought from Gujarat, especially for the festival.

Muradabad Kite Flying Association (a group from Uttar Pradesh) secretary Mahesh Chandra said: “We go to different states to take part in such festivals, people fly kite just on Makar Sankranti but we fly them the whole year. We train people regarding different aspects of kite flying. This is the first time we have visited Patna on the request of the Bihar government and we feel very fortunate to be here.”

A kite flyer of the association, Julfikar Hussain, flew around 25 kites. He also flew kites with different sizes and shaped like dragons, eagles and butterflies.

Hussain said: “I can fly 100 kites in one string but I was unable to perform that as the wind force was much less than what is required for flying kites. When the kites are heavy, then you need ample wind pressure.”

Later, the festival turned into a competition with people competing against each other by indulging in kite fights. Many people, along with their family members, had come to watch kite flying. Shobha Devi, a resident of Rajendra Nagar, said: “I don’t know how to fly a kite but I love seeing them in the sky. For sometime, it seems that the sky has turned colourful.”

The birds, the worst affected by the city’s kite-flying frenzy were forced to remain in their shelters. The sharp thread, manja, used to fly kites becomes a threat for the birds during Sankranti. The Chinese manja, which is glass coated, has increased threat to human lives.