NewKerala.com

Delhi's Kite Festival Soars with 15,000+ Visitors, Delights LG Saxena

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena expressed great satisfaction with the public's enthusiastic turnout at the third International Kite Festival held at the Baansera grasslands. The festival, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, saw visitor numbers surge from 3,000 to over 15,000 across three days. Saxena highlighted that the venue itself was his idea, inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for restoring degraded land. The DDA's restoration project transformed a polluted stretch along the Yamuna into a green recreational space featuring thousands of bamboo trees.

Key Points: Delhi Kite Festival Draws Massive Crowds, LG Saxena Elated

  • Over 15,000 visitors on third day
  • Festival inaugurated by Amit Shah
  • Held at restored Baansera grasslands
  • Part of vision for land restoration
2 min read

'Enthusiastic response': Delhi L-G V.K. Saxena overjoyed by kite festival's popularity

Delhi's International Kite Festival at Baansera sees over 15,000 visitors, with LG V.K. Saxena celebrating its success and the area's ecological restoration.

"The International Kite Festival... seems to be emerging as a popular destination on the national capital's event calendar. - V.K. Saxena"

New Delhi, Jan 18

Delhi Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, on Sunday, expressed joy and contentment over the "enthusiastic response" of public to the Third International Kite Festival of the Delhi Development Authority at Baansera grasslands near the Yamuna.

What gave him additional satisfaction was the fact that the venue and the event are both his ideas.

In a message on social media platform X, the L-G said, "The International Kite Festival, inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, at DDA's Baansera on January 16 seems to be emerging as a popular destination on the national capital's event calendar."

"On its opening day, starting at 1 p.m., it had 3,000 visitors, 9,000 on the second day and more than 15,000, till 4 p.m. today. The 11th International Dance and Music Festival being organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), simultaneously at the venue is similarly getting enthusiastic response," he wrote.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had inaugurated the three-day International Kite Festival on Friday.

DDA Vice-Chairman N. Saravana Kumar said the inauguration ceremony took place at Birsa Munda Chowk in Baansera.

Earlier, the DDA threw open and invited citizens to visit the restored grasslands on Yamuna floodplains at Baansera near Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi in August 2024.

On the eve of the start of the kite festival, in an X post, the L-G attached a short video capturing the images of transformation of the area and captioned "Baansera -- From Degradation to restoration as a green oasis".

"Inspired by PM Narendra Modi Ji's towering vision of restoring 2.6 crore hectares of country's degraded land by 2030, we took a baby step in Delhi on May 28, 2022, right after I took over as L-G," he added.

"On a visit to a heavily degraded and polluted stretch along the Yamuna, opposite Sarai Kale Khan on the Ring Road, Baansera -- abode of bamboos, was conceived. What followed was not only restoration, but reclamation and transformation, within a short span of 18 months, thanks to the painstaking efforts of Delhi Development Authority @official_dda," L-G Saxena said in a post on X.

Describing the DDA as the custodian of the Yamuna floodplains in Delhi, the L-G said, "Today, with about 30,000 bamboo trees that stand more than 30-feet-tall, amid other indigenous trees and rolling landscape of green grass, flowers and water bodies, Baansera has emerged as a unique new recreational destination and an ecological wonder in Delhi."

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Great to see the Yamuna floodplains being restored. But I hope this is not just a one-off event for publicity. The real test is maintaining this 'green oasis' and ensuring the Yamuna itself gets cleaner. The focus should be on long-term ecological health, not just festivals.
A
Aman W
15,000 visitors is impressive! It shows people are craving good, clean public spaces. The combo of kite flying with dance and music is brilliant. Hope they keep it free or very affordable so everyone can enjoy.
S
Sarah B
As someone new to Delhi, it's fantastic to discover spaces like this. The before-and-after transformation mentioned is remarkable. It's a positive step for the city's environment and gives families a great outing option.
V
Vikram M
While I appreciate the effort, the article reads like a press release for the L-G. What about the actual challenges? Traffic management? Waste disposal during the festival? Let's celebrate but also be realistic about the logistics of such large events.
K
Kavya N
Makar Sankranti just passed and a kite festival is the perfect way to extend the celebrations! 🪁 Glad to see our traditions being promoted in such a beautiful setting. Hope they involve local kite-makers and artists more next time.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50