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Daman has a unique Kite festival Daman | January 21, 2006 3:10:07 PM IST People in Daman had a wonderful time recently when they got a chance to witness the serpents, Chinese dragons and many mythological characters flying in the sky. Well, there was nothing to get scared, and they were just watching paper and nylon kites, in a gamut of colours, flying on the beaches. Christened Kite Festival 2006, the festival elicited the participation of more than 40 professional kite fliers from across India. "I have made this kite with a special message. As everybody knows, India stands for peace and does not want war. This is a peace kite and the dove on the kite is a symbol of peace. The "Tiranga" or, Triocolour ,symbolizing the national flag, is at the top of the kite. It reflects that India stands for peace," said Dilip Kapadia, a kite flier from Mumbai. Organised by the department of tourism, the festival attracted hundreds of natives and foreign tourists to the this enclave, which became part of the Indian union in 1961. It was hoped that the Kite festival would put Daman on the kite-flying map of the country. "The tradition of kites in India is very old. And by organizing this festival, an effort is being made to popularise it in this part of the country. Also, at the same time, we hope to attract tourists to Daman," said R. Dharmendra, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Daman. The festival was organized to coincide with similar festivals in Gujarat and Mumbai, where kite flying is as favourite as Cricket in the rest of the Country. The kite festival concluded on January 19. (ANI) -- Cheers, Gabe Menezes. London, England
