Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], January 10 (ANI): With Makar Sankranti just a few days away, Gujarat is gearing up for the International Kite Festival, one of the biggest highlights of the state's Uttarayan celebrations.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the International Kite Festival in Ahmedabad on January 12. The three-day festival will run till January 14 and will see participation from 135 international kite enthusiasts representing 50 countries. Alongside them, 65 flyers from across India and 871 local participants from Gujarat will take part in the event.

Ahead of the main inauguration, kite-flying activities began on January 10 in cities including Rajkot, Surat and Dholavira. People were seen gathering in large numbers on terraces and open grounds, flying kites and celebrating the festive atmosphere.

The Rann of Kutch also witnessed early celebrations, with kite flyers setting up against the vast landscape. The atmosphere in the region was lively as colourful kites filled the sky and drew attention from both locals and tourists.

Anup Nair, a member of the Force India Kite Team representing Kerala, said he was happy to be part of the festival once again. Speaking to ANI, he said, 'I have come to represent Kerala on behalf of the Force India Kite Team and participate in Gujarat's International Kite Festival. Today, we are in the Rann of Kutch, which is a very beautiful place. More than 150 kite flyers from India and abroad are participating in this festival. This festival makes the sky colourful and fills people with excitement.'

Similar scenes were witnessed in Rajkot, where both locals and visitors joined the celebrations. Emma, a tourist who travelled to India to attend the festival, shared her experience on the first day. 'This is the first day and already I'm having so much fun. I've been visiting the festival for the last two years. I've been excited for this for months. The weather is good and the wind is picking up, so we're hoping to fly our biggest kite, which is about 30 metres long,' she said.

The International Kite Festival will also be held at Shivrajpur near the Statue of Unity and Ekta Nagar on January 11. Events are scheduled in Ahmedabad from January 12 to 14, while Vadodara will host celebrations on January 13. (ANI)