Jaipur : Kite Festival was celebrated with great enthusiasm on the rooftop of Sabha Niwas at City Palace. During the festival, renowned Bollywood fashion and celebrity photographer, Dabboo Ratnani along with his family enjoyed the city's famous kite flying tradition. Domestic and foreign tourists, visitors also flew kites and learned about the history of kite flying in the city. Free kites and ‘charkhis’ were arranged for the tourists at the festival.
HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh flew kites from the Mukut Mahal of Chandra Mahal.
It is noteworthy that the Kite Festival is organised every year by the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum Trust, in which all the domestic and foreign tourists coming to the City Palace get the opportunity to enjoy the kite flying tradition. The objective is to maintain the ancient tradition and culture of kite flying and to introduce the tourists visiting the city to Indian culture.
Traditional Rajasthani songs were presented by Rajasthani folk singers during the festival. Tourists and visitors enjoyed kite flying as well as traditional dishes like ‘pakoras’ and ‘til ke ladoos’. Executive Trustee of MSMS II Museum, Rama Datt and OSD, City Palace, Department of Art and Culture, Ramu Ramdev were present on the occasion.
'Tukkal', a large butterfly-shaped kite with different types of ‘charkhis’ from the time of Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II (1835-1880) was also displayed at Sarvatobhadra Chowk of City Palace.
Ramu Ramdev informed that 'Tukkal' kite is a special type of fighter-kite, which has been popular since the time of HH Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II. He said that the specialty of that time was that the former kings and maharajas used to fly kites made of velvet and threads made of cotton. To make the kites more attractive, gold and silver ‘ghunagharus’ were also added to it. Wherever these kites were found, horsemen were sent to bring them back. Whichever horseman brought the kite back was rewarded, he said.