The ONGC MRPL International Kite Festival, spanning over two days, is scheduled to take place at Tannirbhavi beach.
The International Kite Festival, organized by ONGC MRPL, will showcase a variety of kites including Abdul Rauf’s butterfly and Batman train kites, Team Mangalore’s Kathakali kites, and the Cat Kite team’s inflatable kites featuring cats and other animals. This two-day event will take place on February 10 and 11, Saturday and Sunday, at Tannirbhavi Beach.
During a press conference in Mangaluru on Friday, Mr. Rauf, a renowned kite flyer from Mumbai, shared exciting news about his upcoming display. He revealed that his team will be showcasing the impressive ‘101 butterfly’ train kite, along with his other remarkable creations such as the ’70 batman’ and ’35 star train’ kites. To ensure the safety and control of the 101 butterfly train kite, a special thread will be fastened around the waist of one of our group members. Mr. Rauf, an experienced participant in international kite festivals, expressed his enthusiasm for this event.
Prashanth Upadhya, a member of Team Mangalore, announced that the team will be showcasing their recently recreated oldest and largest kathakali kite. Additionally, the team will be exhibiting their collection of other art kites including Yaksha, Gajendra, Bhoota Kola, Garuda, Pushpaka Vimana, and Vibhishana.
Alex and Nee, hailing from Ukraine and Thailand respectively, have proudly introduced their collection of inflatable kites. Among their impressive assortment are the 3m and 6m kites, both adorned with delightful cat designs. Additionally, they will be presenting their renowned flat cat kite, along with an array of 10 other kites showcasing various animals.
Police officer Fadzil Ali from Malaysia said he has brought a set of six kites using reflective material that features popular comic character ‘Incredible Hulk’, a leopard and few other characters.
Sarvesh Rao, the founding member of Team Mangalore and the organizer of the event, announced that a total of 40 kite flyers, including 13 from eight foreign countries, will be participating in the event. The event is scheduled to commence at 2.30 p.m. on Saturday, with a formal inauguration taking place at 5 p.m. Additionally, there will be a night flying session for kites between 6.30 p.m. and 8 p.m. On Sunday, there will be flying of kites in the afternoon, but no night flying. It is important to note that ‘Manja’ kites will not be permitted to fly during the event, as specified by Mr. Rao.