National Kite Festival ‘Nil Ahase Wasanthaya’ to take flight in September

From left: Rainco Head of Sales and Marketing Manjula Rodrigo, Nehemiah Consultants Managing Director Sanura Gunawardana, Kite Sri Lanka Secretary Thejitha Edirisinghe, Kite Sri Lanka Chairman Prasanna Atulugama, Sirius Academy Managing Director Bernadine Jayasinghe

Kite enthusiasts at last year’s event

Popular actress Pooja Umashankar with a local kite artisan and representatives of sponsor organisations

Unique kites from last year’s event

The National Kite Festival 2015 titled ‘Nil Ahase Wasanthaya’ will take place for the seventh time on 12 and 13 September at Galle

Face Green. Organised by Kite Sri Lanka, this year’s competition will feature over 500 kite enthusiasts from around Sri Lanka. Several international competitors are also expected to participate in the two-day event. The event creates a platform for thousands of local and foreign kite lovers to enjoy kite flying by participating in a number of kite related events and competitions. 

The event is being co-sponsored by Demak, Sirius Academy, Rainco and Lumala while the Dr. Neville Fernando Teaching Hospital, Zeon Hybrid Lanka, Music.lk, Kalabara News, Sirisara, FlyAds, Neth Creations, Focus Entertainment and Nehemiah Consultants will support the event. The Presidential Task Force on Drug Prevention will also join hands with the event.

The National Kite Festival was first organised in Negombo in 2009 and was followed by the festival in Matara in 2010. Subsequently the International Kite Festival was held in Negombo once again in 2011. Meanwhile Kite Sri Lanka has also participated in international kiting events held in India, South Korea, Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, Turkey, France and most recently in Italy.

Commenting on this year’s event Kite Sri Lanka Secretary Thejitha Saubhagya Edirisinghe noted, “The National Kite Festival is not just an event where hundreds of thousands of kites take to the skies. What began as a gathering of kite enthusiasts has today evolved in to an iconic festival that brings together Sri Lankan creativity, hospitality and beautiful locations on our paradise isle. Kite Sri Lanka is happy to bring the festival this year to the commercial capital Colombo. This event will showcase that Colombo is not just a bustling city but also an oasis for all kinds of activity.”

The kite competition will be open for both children (under 14) and open groups under the categories of the Most Creative Kite, The Kite of National Heredity and there will be an open category named The Best Fighting Kite (kites should be not less than 1 1/2 feet and made into ‘Combuwa’ or ‘Waula’ style).

Kite Sri Lanka is the most prominent kite association in the country which was established in 2009 in Negombo with a view of popularising kite flying as a sport island wide. It is the first ever attempt of creating a national club for kiting which has eventually grown into a kite organisation. The organisation works in bringing forth peace and harmony within and beyond Sri Lanka through a means of kites ensuring our culture, arts, traditions and national heredity.

While enhancing the creativity and skills of kite lovers in the context of the sport ‘kite flying’, they support kite fans to feel free and empower them to see the opportunities beyond the boundaries like a kite in the high sky. The organisation wants to make everyone’s flying dreams come true through flying their own kites.  

The National Kite Festival and Competition, ‘Nil Ahase Wasanthaya’ is a mega event organised by the Kite Sri Lanka Organisation during the kite season each year. The event creates a platform for thousands of local and foreign kite lovers from all age groups, ethnicities and economic backgrounds to enjoy kite flying by participating in a number of kite related events and competitions. The association has been able to take Sri Lanka to the international arena by actively participating in a number of International Kite Festivals representing our heredity of kites wrapped up with creativity. 

In achieving their worthy endeavour, they organise Kite Making Workshops, Children’s Kite Camps, Kite Fashion Shows, Local Kite festivals, and Sand Castle Competitions island-wide. They also organise kiting events for the Government and Corporate sectors, Societies and Personal needs. 

For more details visit the Kite Sri Lanka website www.kitesrilanka.com and FB fan page.