Ever witnessed a rose soaring through the sky alongside a cobra and a shark? If not, look up at the sky for such an enthralling sight during the third edition of the Tamil Nadu International Kite Festival, which will be held from August 15 to 18 at the Thiruvidanthai Beach, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram.
The festival is organised by the Global Media Box, in collaboration with the Department of Tourism Tamil Nadu.
“Featuring 40 kite flyers from over eight countries and 200+ unique-shaped kites... this event has just grown bigger. The Tamil Nadu team will fly a special Jallikattu kite,” said B. Chandra Mohan, Tamil Nadu Tourism Secretary. “Through this event, we want to position Tamil Nadu as the kiting destination of India,” he pointed out.
The third edition of the Tamil Nadu International Kite Festival will be held from August 15 to 18 at the Thiruvidanthai Beach, East Coast Road, Mamallapuram.
“These are professional kites, with average prices starting at ₹50,000 and up to over ₹2 lakh. These kites are owned by passionate kite flyers who participate in such events across the globe,” said Benedict Savio, Director of Global Media Box. The average height of these kites are 50 foot.
One of the key highlights of this year’s festival is the Cobra kite, which is the largest in the world within its category. “We wanted to introduce a kite that holds significance to Tamil Nadu, and that’s how the idea for a Jallikattu kite came up,” Mr. Savio said.
Last year, approximately 150 kites were featured at the event. This year, the number has increased to 250. Around 40 kite flyers from countries including France, Germany, Thailand, Malaysia, Switzerland, and Vietnam are participating in this year’s event. And there are eight women kite flyers too. In 2023, over 25,000 people attended the kite festival.
