Mangaluru : The two-day ONGC-MRPL Mangaluru International Kite Festival Organised by Team Mangalore began on Saturday at Tannirbhavi beach.

Kites in the shapes of animals, birds, reptiles, flowers, comic characters and the like attracted many visitors.

The stunt kites of Greece could be heard making sounds. “These kites have a fibre rod that helps create the sound,” The “Aerofoil kites are mainly made and flown in European countries,”

Speaking at Kite festival Guilherme Linares, a kite flyer from Italy, said he was taking part in the festival in Mangaluru for the first time. “The wind speed in Mangaluru is conducive and ideal for flying kites,” he said, and added that he landed in Mangaluru through contacts in the network of international kite flyers. Appreciating the organisers for barricading the kite-flying area, he said the barricades allowed participants to fly kites without any intervention. “We feel safe in the flying area,” he said.

Flyers Cliiai and Tive from Octoposse Kite Team of England said they were attending the festival in Mangaluru for the first time. “This time we did not take part in the Gujarat Kite Festival. We came directly to Mangaluru via Bengaluru. We love India and Mangaluru and the people of the country,” they said.

Team Mangaluru flew its popular Kathakkali kite. This 36 ft. high and 12 ft. wide kite had entered the Limca Book of Records in 2006. “It has 18 sutras. It took a month to prepare the kite as every piece had to be joined. It is an appliqué work product,” said Mr. Holla.