Up,
up in the sky
National Kite Festival Nil Ahase Wasanthaya on
September 12, 13:
The National Kite Festival 2015 titled Nil Ahase Wasanthaya will take
place for the 7th time on September 12 and 13 at Galle Face Green.
Organized by Kite Sri Lanka, this year’s competition will feature over
five hundred kite enthusiasts from around Sri Lanka. Several
international competitors are also expected to participate in the
two-day event.That 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 organized in
Negombo in 2009 and was followed by the festival in Matara in 2010.
Subsequently the International Kite Festival was held in Negombo 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.
A unique kite from last year’s event |
Commenting on this year’s event Thejitha Saubhagya Edirisinghe,
secretary of Kite Sri Lanka 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 popularizing
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 organization.
Kite enthusiasts at last year’s event |
The Organization works in bringing forth peace and harmony within and
beyond Sri Lanka through the means of kites, ensuring 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 organization
wants to make everyone’s flying dreams come true through flying their
own kites.
The National Kite Festival & Competition, ‘Nil AhaseWasanthaya’ is a
mega event organized by the Kite Sri Lanka Organization 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 organize Kite Making
Workshops, Children’s Kite Camps, Kite Fashion Shows, Local Kite
festivals, and Sand Castle Competitions island wide. They also organize
kiting events for the Government and Corporate sectors, Societies and
Personal needs.
(For more details visit the Kite Sri Lanka website
www.kitesrilanka.comand FB fan page)
Left to right: Manjula Rodrigo (Head of Sales and Marketing
– Rainco), Sanura Gunawardana (Managing Director – Nehemiah
Consultants), Thejitha Edirisinghe (Secretary – Kite Sri
Lanka), Prasanna Atulugama (Chairman – Kite Sri Lanka),
Bernadine Jayasinghe (Managing Director – Sirius Academy) |
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