January 12, 2012 at 8:00 am · Filed under india, international travel, tourism, travel and tagged: kite festival, kite flying, makar sankranti, travel writing
By Linda Tancs
The transition of the sun into the Northern Hemisphere has heads turning skyward in India on 14 January. On that day, Indians celebrate this celestial occurrence with a festival called Makar Sankranti, the annual kite festival. The kite flying event is particularly popular in Jaipur, where Air Force helicopters release kites resembling wasps, stained glass windows and birds, among other things. The three-day festival ends with the crowning of winners for the display kite and fighter kite competitions.