Amit Shah Calls for Making Delhi Kite Festival a National Cultural Showcase

The Home Minister highlighted Baansera Park, with its unique bamboo landscape sourced from across India, as an emerging tourist and cultural attraction in Delhi.

Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah today called for transforming the Delhi International Kite Festival into a flagship national and global cultural event, highlighting its potential to unite the country through shared traditions and public participation. He was addressing the International Kite Festival 2026 in New Delhi, in the presence of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta.

Extending greetings to citizens across the country—especially farmers—on the occasions of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu and Uttarayan, the Home Minister said these festivals, celebrated under different names across India, reflect the nation’s deep civilisational connection with nature and the Sun, the eternal source of energy.

Quoting the great poet Kalidasa—“Utsavapriyāḥ khalu manuṣyāḥ”—Shri Shah said Indians have always been a people who celebrate life through festivals, using them as instruments to strengthen social unity and collective progress. Uttarayan, he said, is a powerful expression of that spirit.

Towards a National Kite Festival Identity

Emphasising the need for sustained efforts to popularise the kite festival, Shri Amit Shah suggested the formation of a dedicated committee to expand the festival’s reach across Delhi and the country, with the Delhi Kite Festival as its focal point. He said the next editions should be planned in a manner that positions Delhi among the leading kite festival destinations in India and the world, encouraging greater public participation and international engagement.

“The kite festival has the potential to connect every region of the country with Delhi and emerge as a truly national celebration,” he said.

Baansera Park as a Cultural and Tourism Hub

The Home Minister highlighted Baansera Park, with its unique bamboo landscape sourced from across India, as an emerging tourist and cultural attraction in Delhi. Calling it a testament to determined governance and execution, he urged the Delhi Government to organise high-quality cultural events at the park to increase public engagement.

He noted that the park’s pavilions showcase the history of kite flying, including its role in India’s freedom movement. Recalling a historic episode, Shri Shah said that the largest nationwide protest against the Simon Commission took place on Uttarayan, when Indians filled the skies with kites bearing the slogan “Simon Go Back”, turning a festival into a powerful symbol of resistance.

Kite Festival as Symbol of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’

Shri Amit Shah described Makar Sankranti as a living embodiment of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’, celebrated across regions as Lohri, Pongal, Magh Bihu, Paush Sankranti, Uttarayan and Khichdi Sankranti. He said the Delhi kite festival is an effort to bring all these regional traditions together on one platform.

In the coming years, he added, the festival will provide opportunities for kite flyers from across India and abroad to showcase their skills in the national capital, strengthening cultural exchange and tourism.

Linking Cultural Pride with National Resolve

Referring to the recently held Somnath Swabhiman Parv in Gujarat, the Home Minister said it marked 1,000 years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple, and noted that the Government has announced the observance of Somnath Swabhiman Varsh across the country.

He said the Somnath Jyotirlinga—destroyed multiple times by invaders—stands today as a magnificent symbol of India’s resilience and cultural continuity. Recalling the role of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Jam Saheb of Jamnagar, K.M. Munshi and Dr. Rajendra Prasad in rebuilding the temple after Independence, Shri Shah said Somnath demonstrates that the power of creation is far greater than the power of destruction.

“Those who tried to destroy it have vanished from history, but Somnath stands tall before the world,” he said, describing it as a symbol of the eternal strength of Sanatan Dharma and Indian civilisation.

Call to Action: Culture as a Unifying Force

Concluding his address, Shri Amit Shah said initiatives like the International Kite Festival and Somnath Swabhiman Varsh offer every Indian an opportunity to reaffirm faith in the nation’s culture, unity and resilience. He called upon governments, institutions and citizens to actively participate in strengthening India’s cultural foundations and passing them on, stronger and more vibrant, to future generations.