The Kite Museum is located in the Indian state of Gujarat. More specifically, this museum is situated in the Paldi area of Ahmedabad. The Kite Flying Festival, also known as Uttarayan or Makar Sankranti is one of the festivals in India, which is valued in Gujarat to a significant extent. People eagerly wait for the arrival of this festival to celebrate it. So, it is not subjected to amazement that an entire museum has been dedicated to kites in the city of Ahmedabad. This museum is considered to be the first Kite museum in the country and the second in the world. Amdavad Municipal Corporation is known to be the managing body of this museum. This museum is an ideal place for those who are very enthusiastic to know about the history of kites.
History of Kite Museum
Kite Museum was established in the year 1985 and was inaugurated on 27th February, 1986. This museum is known to have been conceived by Mr. Bhanu Shah. He donated his own collection of rare kites to Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. He is known to have collected kites over a period of fifty years. Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation then took the initiative to provide a home to the collection of kites in the cellar of Sanskar Kendra. This Kendra is known to be a famous building and was designed by the father of modern architecture, Le Corbusier in the year 1954. It was recognized as the cultural centre of Ahmedabad.
Collection of Kite Museum
The Kite Museum is a home to some of the rarest kites in the world. Post the donation made by Mr. Bhanu Shah, the collection of the museum expanded gradually in range and repertoire. This museum provides shelter to over 100 kites from all over India. They are displayed in the museum along with interesting illustrations and photographs. They are known to have been created using different materials like polythene, nylon, cotton and paper. These kites vary in terms of patterns and designs used to decorate them. More specifically, they range from geometric designs to designs of trees, fruits, animals, birds and human beings on them. It is important to note that these designs have not been painted but are made using tiny pieces of paper, which are glued together. The most noteworthy kite of the museum is a kite that has been crafted using 400 pieces of paper. The other different kinds of kites in the museum are a hexagonal Japanese kites known by the name of Rokoku, huge kites that measure around 22 by 16feet, kites with block prints, kites with mirror-work on them, kites with garba dance sequences illustrated on them and the Radha-Krishna kites.
Visiting Information
The period between the months of October to March is generally considered to be the best time to plan a tour to the Kite Museum. During this period it is advised to plan a tour in the month of January. This is because apart from the collection of the Kite museum, one would also be able to witness the popular Kite Festival. This festival is celebrated on the 14th of January every year in entire Gujarat.
Since the Kite Museum is located in Ahmedabad, its transport system is of relevance to it. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport provides domestic and international flight services. It is well-connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, London, Frankfurt, Singapore and few destinations in USA and Middle East. This airport is located at a distance of about 12 km from the city centre. Ahmedabad railway station is located in Kalupur area. This railway station is located at a distance of over 6 km from the city centre. Gujarat is known to have very good and well maintained road network, especially the roads leading to and away from Ahmedabad. By road, Ahmedabad is connected to many important cities like Surat, Mumbai, Pune, Udaipur, Shirdi, Bhavnagar and Gandhinagar.
Related Articles:
Indian State Museums
Museums of Gujarat
Museums Of Tamil Nadu
Museums of Karnataka
Museums of Kerala
Museums of Goa
