Adorned with kites, skies over Panambur beach flirt with eyes

[email protected] (CD Network, Photos by Ahmed Anwar )
January 21, 2012

kite

Mangalore, January 21: The skies on Saturday afternoon literally flirted with the eyes of thousands of people who thronged Panambur beach, as the two-day international kite festival got off to a flying start.

The kite flyers from various parts of the nation and seven foreign nations like United Kingdom, France, Lebanon, Kuwait, Holland, Lebanon and Indonesia, were seen busy flying various types of kites.

The inaugural function was conducted in a different fashion as all the participating countries came together near the stage. The chief guest of the event was Seemanth Kumar Singh, Commissioner of Police, Mangalore City. After a brief photo session and invocation the Commisioner was guided to a central stage. Along with the organizers led by chief organizer Giridhar Kamath, Seemanth Kumar Singh flew a special kite dedicated to the Police Commissionerate.

Expressing his joy Mr Singh said, “This festival is a symbol of peace and Mangalore City must benefit out of it in terms of tourism. I hope the numbers will increase next year and the foreigners have been kind enough to participate in this unique event. I am grateful to the organizers for having made a kite in the name of our department.” Also present on this occasion was ACP Puttamadhayya. As a symbol of respect a 1 minute silence was observed in memory of the labourers who died at the MRPL blast.

The foreign participants were more than delighted to fly their kites. The French couple of Marco and Saundarine showcased a Revolution kite. Marco said, “We have been to other festivals as well like Ahmedabad and Mumbai, but this one is very well organised. This place is nice for a festival.”

Another participating country Lebanon had two flyers come in. Rami Ilaha said, “We have been to Ahmedabad, Belgaum and the skeleton of our kite is made from carbon graphite and hence it is light in weight. Our kite is in the shape of a duck and it is our favourite hobby.”

Another interesting team was the one from Kuwait: Tariq and Mohammed Salem. Both had very interesting facts about their kites. They said, “Our kite is already in the Guinness book of world records and our kite is the symbol of our national flag. Its strings weigh around 100 kg and it needs three tractors to fly it. We also have another kite called the Monta-Ray which is bigger than this one, but it is unofficial and still not entered the record books.”

Local hit Team Mangalore also had its kite flying high with pride. This team already has been to eight countries till now.

Mr Giridhar Kamath said that they have sponsored some of the foreign teams and they have enjoyed the hospitality of Team Mangalore.

A major attraction was the techno savvy Prithiviraj, an assistant professor at NITK, Surahtkal who had fixed his indigenously built remote controlled camera attached to a kite which showed the ground below on a screen in his hand.

KT_F21Jan_1

KT_F21Jan_2

KT_F21Jan_3

KT_F21Jan_4

KT_F21Jan_5

KT_F21Jan_6

KT_F21Jan_7

KT_F21Jan_8

KT_F21Jan_9

KT_F21Jan_10

KT_F21Jan_11

KT_F21Jan_12

KT_F21Jan_13

KT_F21Jan_14

KT_F21Jan_15

KT_F21Jan_16

KT_F21Jan_17

KT_F21Jan_18

KT_F21Jan_19

KT_F21Jan_20

ALBUM

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 18,2025

Sullia, Jan 18: In a shocking incident, a man shot his wife dead during a fit of rage over a minor argument and later took his own life by consuming poison. The heartbreaking event unfolded late Friday night in Kodimajalu in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

The accused, identified as Ramachandra Gowda alias Chandra (53), used his licensed firearm to commit the crime. His wife, Vinoda (43), tragically lost her life in the incident.

On the fateful night, Ramachandra reportedly started an argument with his family after dinner over a trivial matter. The heated exchange escalated, and in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he allegedly aimed his firearm at his elder son, Prashanth. Vinoda intervened to prevent the attack, attempting to wrest the gun from Ramachandra.

However, enraged by her intervention, Ramachandra turned the gun on Vinoda and shot her, leaving her dead on the spot. Overwhelmed by the gravity of his actions, he consumed acid, commonly used for rubber processing, to end his own life.

Based on Prashanth’s statement, a case has been registered at the Sullia police station. The tragic sequence of events has left the village in shock and mourning, raising concerns about the unchecked escalation of domestic disputes.

This devastating incident underscores the importance of addressing domestic tensions before they spiral into irreversible tragedies.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 13,2025

Mangaluru: Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in Singapore remain determined to establish direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore despite setbacks. This follows Air India Express' (AIE) recent decision to postpone its planned direct flight service on this route, disappointing many expats.

In response, NRIs have proposed an alternative solution: extending IndiGo's existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru. Currently, the Singapore-Bengaluru flight lands at Kempegowda International Airport at 7:40 AM, but passengers cannot board the 9:00 AM Bengaluru-Mangaluru connection due to insufficient transit time. Extending the Singapore-Bengaluru flight to Mangaluru would address this issue and benefit travelers.

Rajesh H. Acharya, director of HQ Connections in Singapore and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community, expressed disappointment over AIE's handling of the situation. "We’ve been advocating for this route since 2017, and it was close to becoming a reality. However, the sudden postponement and lack of stakeholder support have delayed our efforts," he said.

A petition has been submitted to IndiGo Airlines requesting the introduction of a direct Mangaluru-Singapore flight. Alternatively, it suggests extending IndiGo’s existing Singapore-Bengaluru flight to include Mangaluru. Expats have also approached Scoot Airlines in Singapore for direct connectivity. However, the lack of 'Point of Call' status for Mangaluru Airport remains a significant hurdle for international flights.

Despite the challenges, NRIs continue their efforts to make direct air connectivity between Mangaluru and Singapore a reality.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 14,2025

ashokavijayendra.jpg

Bengaluru: The BJP on Tuesday accused the police of "framing" an innocent person in the cow attack case in Chamarajapet here and demanded a fair investigation into the incident.

Sheikh Nasru (30), a native of Champaran in Bihar, has been arrested for allegedly slashing the udders of three cows on Sunday.

The matter escalated into a communal controversy after the saffron party threatened to observe 'Black Sankranti' if the culprits were not arrested before the festival.

The party has since emphasised that the actual perpetrators must be apprehended.

Addressing media here, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said, "There are claims that an innocent man has been falsely implicated and is being projected as the culprit."

Leader of Opposition R Ashoka also raised doubts about the investigation, questioning how a mentally unstable man could work at the firm for a decade.

Ashoka noted that the incident occurred at the veterinary hospital, which spans four acres.

He alleged that the hospital was recently declared Waqf property and claimed that Karna, the owner of the injured cattle, had opposed the Waqf Board’s decision, suggesting this opposition might have led to the incident.

The party leaders led by Vijayendra and Ashoka celebrated 'Sankranti' by offering special prayers to cows at the spot where the attack took place.

Meanwhile, state Home Minister G Parameshwara dismissed the opposition charges and said the police were investigating the case without any bias.

"If the investigation reveals the involvement of more people, then police will not spare them," he told reporters here.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.