On a windy Sunday, 14th January 2008, a fun family event- Kite Flying was held at the Swaminarayan School between 12noon and 3:30pm. The event was dedicated to one of our Hindu festivals, Uttaryan and all with their parents and families were encouraged to attend. Kites were sold, delicious food consumed and generally everyone enjoyed themselves.

Kite Flying has been organised annually in the past, however it has always been exclusive to the Sunday School bal-balikas. This year we decided to change the trend and make it open for all to attend as we didn’t want anyone to miss out on the fun. Accordingly the event was held on a larger scale and nearly 7000 kites were ordered! Local centres up and down the country were also encouraged to hold their own Kite Flying event.

Lots more people, both kids and parents attended the event this year; approximately 650 people joined in the fun in London, making the event a big success. Along with families, a large number of other fun-seeking individuals also attended and thoroughly enjoyed themselves, commenting to our karyakars that the event was well organised and that it reminded them of their experiences in India.

Although the event was for fun and enjoyment, there was a strong, subtle message behind it. The string used in flying the kite represented niyams, whilst the kite itself represented God and our Satpurush. If we break our niyams then we will lose our connection with God!

Other centres such as South East London, Luton, Birmingham, Ashton and Preston also held their own kite flying events, and all the bal-balikas enjoyed themselves there greatly as well!

Overall, over 1000 people nationwide enjoyed the samaiyo and had good time with their children