Kite festival begins on a grand note

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, February 2

The district administration on Saturday organised Bathinda Kite Festival and Fete-2019 at the Multipurpose Sports Stadium here. A large number of schoolchildren and local residents took part in various competitions organised during the festival.

Wife of the Bathinda Deputy Commissioner and Red Cross chairperson Anita Bhardwaj and Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Sakshi Sawhney jointly inaugurated the kite festival.

Various competitions like kite flying, colouring, live painting, finding treasure collage, making waste products, etc, were held. Later, Deputy Commissioner Praneet Bhardwaj visited the festival and took stock of all the activities going on there. He went to the students participating in various competitions and encouraged them.

The Deputy Commissioner was impressed with the artworks produced by the children of Mahant Gurbanta Das Deaf and Dumb School. He talked to the special children and appreciated their work.

During an interaction with mediapersons, Praneet said on the last day of the festival (on February 3), Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal would distribute prizes to the winners here. He said Punjabi folk singer Amrit Mann would sing his popular songs on Sunday evening. In addition to bhangra and giddha, Delhi’s famous live DJ musical band Ronak and artistes from different states would also perform.

He appealed to all the district residents to participate in large numbers in all the events on the final day of the festival and enjoy various cultural programmes.

To keep the young generation abreast with the rich heritage of Punjab, the district administration in cooperation with the District Olympic Association and the Malwa Heritage Society has organised the kite festival for the first time. On the last day of the festival, tambola and a baby show will be organised.

A “Master Chef Bathinda” competition was also organised at the Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition at the Industrial Growth Area. It was inaugurated by Anita Bhardwaj and Sakshi Sawhney. In the competition, the contestants tried to prove their prowess by making different dishes.

Assistant Commissioner Babandeep Singh Walia, District Sports Officer Vijay Kumar, Assistant Education Officer Gurpreet Singh, Red Cross secretary Darshan Kumar and Placement Officer Karanjiv Singh were also present.