kites into a more aerodynamic shape at the first-of-its-kind kite-flying and family picnic event in the Lower Mainland on Sunday, July 17, held at Aldergrove Bowl Park by the Canadian Desi Arts and Culture Club. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Event Center.” loading=”lazy” data-srcset=”https://1wbfk6etuey21ue8l2nt0w83-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/29811545_web1_220718-LAT-DF-kite-flying-event-draws-crowd-bending_1.jpg 1200w, https://1wbfk6etuey21ue8l2nt0w83-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/29811545_web1_220718-LAT-DF-kite-flying-event-draws-crowd-bending_1-300×200.jpg 300w, https://1wbfk6etuey21ue8l2nt0w83-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/29811545_web1_220718-LAT-DF-kite-flying-event-draws-crowd-bending_1-1024×683.jpg 1024w, https://1wbfk6etuey21ue8l2nt0w83-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/29811545_web1_220718-LAT-DF-kite-flying-event-draws-crowd-bending_1-768×512.jpg 768w, https://1wbfk6etuey21ue8l2nt0w83-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/29811545_web1_220718-LAT-DF-kite-flying-event-draws-crowd-bending_1-640×427.jpg 640w” sizes=”(max-width: 320px) 70vw,(max-width: 639px) 85vw, (max-width: 1023px) 55vw, 640px”/>
Amar Darjit had fun fighting kites.
“I lost two and got one.” Darjit said, smiling as he paused to pick up a fresh kite, then returned to the battle.
Darjit was among more than 300 people of all ages who attended the kite and family picnic at Aldergrove Bowl Park on Sunday July 17.
Organized by the Canadian Desi Arts and Culture Club, the event handed out kites and kite strings imported from India to attendees.
Dipak Gandevia, one of the sponsors of the event, explained that the event was the first time the Indian tradition of kite flying was held in the Lower Mainland.
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Most people in the park have fond memories of flying kites, Gandevia explained.
“They were missing that kind of event.”
In kite fighting, the goal is to use the sandpaper-like texture of special kite lines to cut a line of rivals and knock down their kite.
It wasn’t all fights on Sunday, with some retreating to a field away from the main space to send the brightly colored kites soaring peacefully into the sky.
Another sponsor, Yatin Wadhwani, said the event commemorates the harvest season with family fun.
“It’s usually done in January,” Wadhwani told the Langley Advance Times.
“It’s really, really, really big in northern and western India.”
Wadhwani said the event was also a welcome change after pandemic restrictions limiting public gatherings were lifted.
Over 300 people attended the first-of-its-kind family picnic and kite event in the Lower Mainland on Sunday, July 17, hosted at Aldergrove Bowl Park by the Canadian Desi Arts and Culture Club. (Dan Ferguson/Langley Event Center.
The Aldergrove event was organized by former Edmonton resident Ajay Rana, who thought it would be a good thing to bring to BC
Rana said he was “1,000% ‘delighted with the participation’ and surprised too”.
Another sponsor, Suhas Kulkarni summarized: “People get together and fly kites. It is a beautiful program with the community and society.
More photos from the day can be viewed online on the Langley Advance Times Facebook page.
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