3-day International Kite & Sweet Festival begins tomorrow

Hyderabad: Coinciding with the Sankranti festival, the 7th edition of the International Kite and Sweet Festival will be held at Parade Grounds in Secunderabad from January 13 to 15.

The poster of the event was launched by Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao here on Saturday.

Speaking at the event, the Minister said that the department of Tourism has designed the event to reflect Telangana’s rich heritage and culture.

This event, he said, will also boost the brand image of the City at the international level as Hyderabad is considered as the melting pot of India’s diverse culture. He emphasised the cosmopolitan nature of the City and felt that the City has always welcomed people not only from other States, but also from other nations, as their new home.

In this event, nearly 47 international kite flyers from 16 countries and 60 members of a kite club from 14 States would fly kites. Also, sweets from various States, countries and Telangana’s traditional sweets would be available at the stalls set up especially for the event. With free entry, visitors will have a chance to enjoy cultural programmes and to buy handlooms and handicraft products which will be on display.

Jupally who earlier made a visit to the Parade Grounds to review the arrangements, urged the tourists to also visit key tourist spots including historical structures, heritage monuments and ancient temples. While assuring that the Tourism department was now equipped with all the needed support to the tourists, the Minister felt that the increased footfall of tourists would not only help the visitors gain knowledge about their past, but also help the locals with increased employment opportunities.

The three-day Kite and Sweet Festival is expected to have 15 lakh visitors and the authorities are making all the arrangements to make this event a success. Tourism Secretary, Smitha Sabarwal described the event as the one of its kind not only in India but at global level.