Saturday, September 11, 2010

Ahmedabad Kite Museum

Are you a kite enthusiast? Do you love flying kites? Are you enthralled by kites of various shapes, colors, and sizes? If yes then a visit to Kite Museum in Ahmedabad is a must. Located in Sanskar Kendra Kite Museum is one of the most unique museums in Ahmedabad and houses an extraordinary collection of rare kites built over in five decades.

Established in 1985, the museum is a brainchild of Bhanubhai Shah, who carefully treasured these uniquely crafted kites for more than fifty years that were not only meant to adorn the azure skies but also stood out as examples of rare collectibles.

From kites that have been crafted from 400 pieces of paper to the kites of unique colours, the Kite Museum, Ahmedabad is one of the major tourist attractions of Ahmedabad.

According to the history one Mr Shah was very fond of not only flying kites but also collecting them. Collecting rare and unique kites was his hobby and acting on that hobby he planned to open a space where he and other kite enthusiasts could display their collection.

The museum has a collection ranging from huge kites which are 22 by 16 feet to some of the smallest kites.

Crafted from different materials including but not limited to polythene, nylon, cotton and paper, the kites in the museum attracts thousands of visitors every year which includes families, and kite enthusiasts from all over the world.

Paying tribute to our very own Lord Krishna are the kites with miniature paintings of Radha Krishna. Moving on the museum has kites displaying intricately crafted sequences of garba - a dance form unique to the state of Gujarat - performed in the reverence of Goddess Durga during the Navratras, which literally translated means nine nights. The kites also display the unique mirror work and block prints forming a major attraction for tourists.

Apart from the traditional Indian designs, the museum also houses one of the most lavishly designed and decorated kites -- hexagonal Rokoku which are beautiful Japanese kites.

In addition to all the kites displayed at the museum one can even find snippets and information on them; hence a visit to the museum is a must for an enriching experience as kite flying is one of the oldest sports of India.

The adjacent part to the museum has a theatre, which on various occasions is a venue of various cultural activities.

Kite Museum is open from 10:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 18:00 hrs on all days except Mondays.

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