Sabbalpur Diara came alive on Friday - the opening day of the sixth Patna Kite Festival. Residents flew kites with gusto as Kai po che from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam blared from loudspeakers set up on the sandbar in Patna. When not busy with colourful kites, the people spent their time taking a stroll and savouring homemade delicacies. Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation has organised the five-day festival as the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. Tourism minister Anita Kumari inaugurated this year's edition. The tourism corporation will give 50 kites to revellers every day with free spindles. Professional kite-flyer from Gujarat Mehul Pathak will be around, regaling visitors with his skills in flying huge kites of various shapes. Piyush Kumar Tripathi brings a ready reckoner for those planning to visit the sandbar in the next four days

What's new

Camel ride: Youngsters can have a good time with the "ship of the desert" on the sandbar. One ride costs Rs 50 a person

Volleyball: Burn some calories playing "beach" volleyball on the sandy court. It was a major draw on Friday

Sand art: Artists from College of Arts and Crafts, Patna, have prepared a sand carving of chief minister Nitish Kumar's face, the Gangetic dolphin, Lord Buddha and the Maner Sharif mausoleum

What to find

♦ 15 canopies (with umbrellas) with six chairs each

♦ Four canopies (straw huts) for 10 people in each

♦ Two snacks counters

♦ Four watchtowers for aerial view

♦ New handpumps for drinking water

Fly off

Normal-sized kites are being distributed for free by the tourism corporation. Professional kite-flyers are bringing their own inflatable kites, measuring between 8 and 50m

Security

Adequate security arrangements were in place on the first day of the Patna Kite Festival. Around 50 constables and private security agency guards were on duty on the sandbar. Sources claimed plainclothes police officers are keeping watch on possible troublemakers and mischief mongers

Weather watch

Professional kite-flyers from Gujarat said they had a tough time flying big kites on Friday. The skies were hazy and the average wind speed was 7-8kmph. The weathermen attributed the hazy skies to the double whammy of a western disturbance over north India and an anti-cyclonic circulation over Madhya Pradesh. Senior meteorologist at Patna meteorological centre R.K. Giri said: "The weather conditions would remain like this over the weekend with shallow fog in the morning and hazy skies in the evening. Partly cloudy skies are expected on Monday and Tuesday with possibility of light rainfall."

How to reach

The Sabbalpur Diara is around 2km diagonally opposite from Gandhi Ghat and Kali Ghat. Residents can reach:

From Vessel Fare

Kali Ghat Country-made boats Rs 30-50 a person

Mahendru Ghat Country-made boats Rs 30-50 a person

Gandhi Ghat Six-seater speed boat Rs 100 a person

Gandhi Ghat Country-made boats Rs 30-50 a person

Know the Patna Kite Festival

Chief minister Nitish Kumar in 2010 suggested the idea to organise kite flying on Makar Sankranti as a festival. The bonus was to promote the Sabbalpur Diara as a popular hotspot for the residents. The first kite festival in Patna (2011) was a two-day event from January 14. The next two years, the two-day festival continued but in 2014 it was held for only a day, on January 15. Like the 2015 edition, this time too is a five-day event