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Colours of freedom

Nawaid Anjum

It was a carnival that saw the participants revel in the spirit of freedom. A three-day fest, Indi Fun Carnival, organised in association with the Citibank at the Epicentre, Gurgaon, from August 14-16, it gave a platform to the city dwellers to indulge in fun activities.

Celebrating Janamashtmi and Independence Day, the fest, which had a string of activities like kite flying, movie screenings, plays, exhibitions, flea market, painting competitions and tarot card readings, attracted a cross-section of people.

Bhai Mian, the octogenarian master kite-maker from the Walled City, along with his son Jamal Ahmed, taught the participants how to make kites and also, the nuances of flying kites. Bhai Mian, who also deals with silver jewellery and his five sons helping him in his business, says he learnt the art of flying kites from his father. Bhai Mian has been a part of many such activities organised by the Delhi Tourism.

"Flying kites is all about mastering the art of thumkas. You need to perfect the art of pulling strings which is very crucial to flying kites. In the kite-making workshop, I taught the participants, many of whom were kids, the technical things of this art," says Bhai Mian. The kite-maker, who made it to the Limca Book Of Records for flying 150 kites on one string, says the kite designs which are very popular these days include snake, fish and ship kites.

The fest also saw a host of schools in Gurgaon like Blue Bells Model School, Chiranjiv Bharti School, Pathways World School, Ryan International School, Scottish High International School and Summerfields School, present cultural performances.

Vidyun Singh, director, programmes, Old World Hospitality, said, "We tried to infuse some of the traditional elements of celebration associated with the occasion without diluting the fun element of the carnival."