The 27^th International Kite Festival, locally known as Uttarayan, is currently underway in Ahmedabad (India) through January 15. I was lucky enough to be there for last year’s event and can only urge anyone that is in the neighborhood to please go and have a look!

Formal festivities take place on the riverfront where master kite flyers from around the world strut their stuff. But the real fun happens on the old town’s rooftops. Here young and old battle with their neighbours to bring down their adversary’s kite.  This is done by cutting each other’s kite with special kite strings that are covered with a mixture of glue and glass.

As night falls, families gather to light colourful lanterns and let them go to float across the evening sky. Pink, blue, yellow, green – hundreds of mini hot air balloons create a magical sight. Paired with fireworks and the night is one to remember!

Accomodation
House of MG (beautiful, heritage, boutique)
www.houseofmg.com

Radisson Blu (new, excellent value, central)
http://www.radissonblu.com/hotel-ahmedabad

Food
Next to Radisson Blue (left when coming out of the hotel) is a great place serving typical Gujarati street food. Also closeby is the Turquoise Villa, which positions itself as a ‘world cafe’. It has a nice outdoor lounge area and the mezze platter was pretty decent: https://www.facebook.com/turquoisevilla