International Kite festival gets underway

The 20th International Kite Festival was inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati riverfront on Monday. The four-day event will witness over 109 participants from 34 countries. While more than 120 participants from 20 states across India are attending the festival held in Ahmedabad, Porbandar and Surat districts, where kite-flying and kite-making competitions will be held. Opening the festival, Modi said that Gujarat had become a tourism hub due to such events, attracting visitors from across the globe. Modi said Gujarat's economic growth and development are increasingly being recognised in the country as well as abroad and these festivals will boost tourism potential in the state. Earlier, more than 7,000 school children from municipal run schools performed 'Suryanamaskar' and yoga at the venue.