Ahmedabad: The 20th International Kite
Festival was today inaugurated by Gujarat Chief Minister
Narendra Modi at the Sabarmati riverfront here.
The four-day event will witness over 109 participants
from 34 countries and about 120 participants from 20 states
across India will be 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.
Gujarat's economic growth and development are
increasingly being recognised in the country as well as abroad
and these festivals will boost tourist potential, he said.
Gujarat Governor Dr Kamala, who was scheduled to
preside over the function, could not attend it as she was out
of station, Rajbhavan sources said.
Over 7,000 school children from municipal run schools
performed 'Suryanamaskar' and yoga at the venue on the
occasion.
A theme pavilion on 'Swarnim Gujarat' and the crafts
of the state has also been organised with the festival.
PTI
First Published: Monday, January 11, 2010, 22:33