BERHAMPUR: The blue backdrop of sea and sky at Gopalpur-on-Sea was filled with kites of various hues, heralding the arrival of Sankranti. A two-day kite festival, being organised by Berhampur Development Authority (BDA), began on Gopalpuron- sea on Saturday, marking the Makar Sankranti celebrations.
The festival was inaugurated by Amitabh Thakur, IG (southern range) and Ganjam Collector Prem Chandra Chaudhury. Unlike other Hindu festivals which follow the lunar motion, Makar Sankranti follows the movement of the sun and the major attraction of this festival is ‘kite flying’. As a part of the festival, a special Sankranti food festival is also being organised at the venue.
In the evening, musical band, Vighnanz, performed. Sources said the BDA, in its endeavour to promote prime tourist destinations within its jurisdiction, is organising the kite festival as a part of its three-month long beach festival - ‘Gopalpur Eco Retreat Festival 2017’. The upcoming sea festival would be a confluence of nature, music, arts and culture. Colourful kites dot Gopalpur skyline