Houston Kite Festival Brings the Community Closer

Makar Sankranti marks the transition of the Sun from Dhanu rashi (Sagittarius) to Makar rashi (Capricorn) and announces the beginning of the harvest season. This is celebrated as the Kite Festival in Houston and as the festival falls in the middle of January every year it is celebrated with many outdoor cultural activities, one of the most popular of which is by flying a kite.

The celebrations were organized this year by Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America, Gujarati Samaj of Houston, Hindus of Greater Houston, Shri Shirdi Sai Jalaram Mandir, Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation of USA, and Maheshwari Mahasabha of North America. It is one of the biggest community celebrations in Houston, as we witnessed kites flying high on a pleasant sunny day, as thousands of people gathered at George Bush Park.

Nisha Mirani informed that volunteers sold over 2,400 plates of khichdi (a traditional rice dish) this year, and Ekal Vidyalaya volunteers provided free masala tea to visitors, which has been a tradition now for many years.

Overall a great day for family gathering, community involvement, yoga, and the best part – leaning to fly a kite.