Stephan Kayyar

Daijiworld Media Network – Kasargod (EP)

Kasargod, May 6: The sky over Bekal Fort was filled with beautiful multi-coloured kites of different shapes on Friday May 5. The first international kite festival commenced on Friday May 5 and will end on May 7.

More than 100 kites including Kerala’s Mahabali, Kathakkali, Tiger, Theyyam, Gujarath’s Gajaveera, Indonesia’s Butterfly will dot the sky on the three days from 3pm to 9 pm.

The giant 110 foot wide kite, said to be the biggest in the world will be the main attraction of the festival. A new Indian kite, Tiger is 35 feet wide. Several kites from foreign teams will fly here for the first time.

The Tiger kite was flown at the kite festival in Beijing, China. Visitors to the kite festival will also be entertained by Kerala’s art forms Singarimela, Kathakali, Tiruvadira, Oppana Margankali, Kolata and much more. Popular TV show musicians will present a musical.

Jeep driving and motor bike riding will also be performed by adventurous stunt loving youth. The beach riding competition is held under the leadership of Moosa Sharif who has participated in several competitions within and outside the country.

The international kite festival is held here after the encouraging response it received from the previous year's kite festival.

The festival held at Lions Club, Bekal Fort, Bekal Beach Park was inaugurated by deputy commissioner K Jeevan Babu.

Lions Club president, Khalid C Paleki presided over the programme. District SP K G Simon, tourism corporation director T K Mansoor, C A Shivaprasad, panchayat president Indira, P K Abdulla, Laxman Kumble, U K Yousuf, Abdul Naser, Anwar Hassan and others were present.