The International Kite Festival, also known as Uttarayan, is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in Gujarat, India. The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when according to Indian Calendar, winter begins to turn into summer.

For the farmers, it signals that the sun is back and that the harvest season, Makara Sankranti, is fast approaching. This day is considered to be one of the most significant harvest days in India. A large number of cities in Gujarat organize a kite flying competition for their citizens to compete in. Uttarayan is such a big celebration that it has become a two-day public holiday in the country. During the festival, local delicacies such as Undhiyu (a mixed vegetable preparation including yams and beans), sesame seed brittle, and jalebi is served to the spectators. In 2012, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat states that the International Kite Festival was attempting to enter the Guinness Book of World Records, as 42 countries were participating in the festival that year. 

The best place to get absorbed into the frenzy of the festival is the Sabarmati Riverfront (the riverbank has a holding capacity of over 500,000 people) or the Ahmedabad Police Station, where people can lie down and enjoy a sky full of kites- in every colour imaginable. The heart of Ahmedabad holds the Patang Bazaar, which during the festive week remains open 24 hours a day, with buyers and sellers negotiating and buying in bulk. Also, many families start making and selling kites from their own homes.  There is also a Kite Museum, in Sanskar Kendra in Paldi area of Ahmedabad. Established in 1985, it houses a unique collection of various kites. In addition to Gujarat, states like Telangana, Rajasthan, and Delhi. In Delhi, kites are flown on 15th August, to commemorate Independence Day. Likewise, most districts of Bihar fly kites on 14th April because they prepare new crop wheat. The symbolism of this festival is to portray the awakening of Gods from their deep sleep.

Though the genesis of flying kites to celebrate Uttarayan, can be traced back to Muslims from Persia, today regardless of your beliefs or background, you can take pleasure in competing or simply flying your kite in the festival. A major chunk of the crowd is from the host state, Gujarat itself, with people from nearby states gathering in large numbers to become a part of the festivities. In major cities of Gujarat, the kite flying competition can begin from, as early as 5 AM and goes on until midnight. Approximately 8-10 million people partake in the celebration. 

However, many visitors are from around the globe, with countries such as Japan, Italy, UK, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, the USA, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, France, and China, taking part in the celebration. The Kite Festival has been greatly influenced by its international visitors, for instance:

Malaysia brought Wau-Balang kites

Indonesia brought Ilayang-Ilayanghave

The USA brought giant banner kites

Japan brought Rokkaku Fighting Kites

Italy brought Italian Sculpture kites

China brought Flying Dragon Kites

During the event, kite markets are set up alongside food stalls and performers. The kites are usually made with materials such as plastic, leaves, wood, metal, nylon and other scrap materials but the ones for Uttarayan are made of light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with a central spine and a single bow. Dye and paint are also added to increase the glamour of the kite. The lines are covered with mixtures of glue and ground glass which when dried, rolled up and attached to the rear, also known as firkees, become sharp enough to cut skin. These types of sharp lines are used on fighter kites known in India as patangs to cut down other kites during various kite fighting events. During the night, on the second day of the festival, illuminated kites filled with lights and candles known as tukals or tukkals are launched creating a spectacle in the dark sky. In Gujarat, kites are made up of two types of paper that are:- simple paper kites and butter paper kites.