The Kitist

The Kitist
Around the world with kites©

Saturday, 23 May 2015

A breath taking experience @ Kalipara Neyyar Dam Trivandrum

a breath taking and mesmerising kite flying expereince. It was a validating experience that raised my basic instinct and kites in my life which has proven a yet another endeavour of my activities in the field of kite flying. Flying infact begun after a kite workshop which i was invited to conduct for the youth and kids alike. The event was a commemaration of a theme " Nature, Life & Culture " an education camp cum District Kite Fest organised by Yuva Kala Kayika Cultural Forum and Kalipara Shri Lokambika Temple Trust in association with KiteLife Foundation and Youth Affairs Welfare Board, Govt of Kerala. I always believed that kite play an important part of my life since inception. It gives really a height of experience and thats true in its fullest sense and to validate this my recent workshop on kiteKraft™ proved the worthiness of that belief. Today I had an overwhelming experience by inducting into an unduped effort by putting myself an unexpected main course of the subject had nothing less than the xtraminded effort, the height is the experience. Kalipara, a 2000+ feet from sea level is a rock mountain situated in the scenic beauty of Neyyar Dam seen in the down hill when atop. The gods own country gathered around lush green thick forest seperated by the neyyar river flowing east to west looked like an island in between preserving a lion park by the forest dept a widely lured tourist spot. Kalipara, conventionally a rock mountain has a temple where diety Godess Lokambika worshiped in two days a week. Temple festival is an opportunity for the people leaving nearby to pay darshan and shrine become most visited during those days. Organisers have chosen the site of temple to fly kites after the workshop. The workshop attended by more than 100 students from different ages between 8-15 had a different experience in the session. They were given 'DoItYourself' model by giving materials of their choice to be able to give dimension to their shape of kites. They quickly made it and some of them had marker pens and drew the theme of the day. After the lunch few sung songs and that soothed the ears. Soon after we were ready to climb to the site where planned to fly the kites. And my god! that was an experience cant be described. Other than me few participants were also new in the activity. However, with a pray in mind I begun my journey up. First few minutes it was okay because as a thrill. I noticed children and the organisers minus few of us have had a practice since they are residing nearby and scope of going up and down quiet often.I had cleared half a way by the time it feel realy a pressure to the body. some places there were slippery due to recent rain fall and it must give you a full alert! any chance of your unattentiveness then you are gone to the life! on to you right was a dearth that takes your life in 12 pieces may be more!. But what ever it is i had a will to move forward and i moved with very care and cautiously. But i had guts to stop myself and take pictures of the brilliant scenery that I snapped into my mobile phone. It happens on every stop over of trip up. We reached at the bottom side of the Temple where we need to remove footwears. And we continued our expedition upward to reach the final location. Going up with out footwear yet in the rock base is some what an accupunture to the foot, i must say. Another 15 minutes to the temple site. I made sure to pick ever snap that will download and cherish memmories later am sure! Atlast we are in atop. i looked back I cant belive thru my own eyes you cannot look back because you cannot count the steps you had. And looking down will only give you a cold feeted legs. I learned one thing here as a lesson! The view from atop is unbelievable. You could see certain parts Karnataka in one side and TamilNadu on to your left. And centre Kerala covered by Mountain of misty Sahya. I prayed before temple from outside before embarking to my flying. Participants by the time had begun their flying. Perhaps the space atop for flying was very less therefore the kids flown kites have tangled with other kites but then they did not have any grevience on that. Some time later few of them flown kites to far extend that requires more thread. I gave them. But here i realise another fact of wind. The wind speed was 15 MPH but seldom found unstable due to expected rain. Many of us fly kites from ground and see the kites fly almost 90 degree above. Here i could see the kites is almost 40degree up which is other wise can little above 8-10 feet above your height limit that was indeed a wonderful seen, which means if you are taking picture with kites this can come on the same frame on a stand still!! thats indeed awesum!!! some of the pictures will speak and self explanatory. I am keen to come here again.

Sunday, 15 March 2015

Kite Festival in Kenya 15 March 2015

Now am in Nairobi while writing this blog. Its first time am in this continent Africa. East Africa has cultural heritage. Many indian i fiund they migrated n four generation. Its nice t meet them but above my friends in Kenya they are the best and enjoyed meeting them and flying my kites for them. The cultural formation i like and cusine i had was delicious. Roads in kenya gave me feeling that am in India traffic seemed equally jammed like in India.Buses ply almost are private owned and they goes with their own selection.I seen buses has numbers like in delhi mumbai like. Kenya has also have good wooden furnitures they make and sell. It looks realy good and worksmanship with artistic skill is exceedingly great. Its in their genes i think. I have good soveniers i bought for my memmory like masai culture showing tribal ancestory. Kite flying gaining popularity in Kenya lot of people gathered from far and wide. This indians. the day seen turbulant wind some of kites damaged now its an herculian task to fix it. However i managed to fly my kites abd entertain the audiebce its the first time any body frm India getting an opportunity to come to this part of Africa.i loved it any how. The concept i liked the way it ooerated its wholesum occassion for people to gather around like a picnic. Children flying kites in one side with stall for craft work everbody enjoy. Sumptous delicacies in other stalls added flaviur of music abd deejay with MC moving around taking bites in rhe vast and sprawling Nairobi Polo Club ground, i like it immensly and aporeciate tge work they do no doubt it has lot potential. Thnks for all the support and hospitality. Here are some of the pictures

Saturday, 14 February 2015

Kite Workshop in Sharjha in Feb 2015 No 510th in the series

Soon after belguam it was my workshop in UAE. This time it was Sharjha for about 500 participants. The event went on the aegis of Sharjha Vice President primarily to raise and support of children in Syria. I was happy part of the event as i finished my 510th kite workshop in the last four years such nce i topk up the propogation of kite making for enthusiasts abd flying.

A new craze found in kites by kids in Green Park, Aluva, Kochi 23 April 2019

Neighbourhood kids play with kites The kid brigade found a craze in the flying sport when they were gifted few units of kites by Rajesh. ...