A participant is silhouette as he tries to fly his kite at the 2nd Kite Festival organized by Ao Baptist Church Youth Ministry at Dimapur on April 5. (Photo by Caisii Mao)
DIMAPUR, APRIL 5 (MExN): The sky above the Dimapur stadium was filled with colorful kites of all shapes and sizes on Friday evening. This was the second edition of the Kite Festival organized by the Dimapur Ao Baptist Youth Ministry (DABAYM), Duncan fellowship.
The President of the Duncan Youth Fellowship, Wabang, while talking to The Morung Express stated that this was an endeavor to bring together “believers and unbelievers” through a common event. While stating that not everyone could be persuaded to attend a formal service, he expressed hope that the festival would act as a common meeting ground for all.
The festival was organized under the theme “Flying High for Christ.” A short programme was conducted before the actual kite flying commenced. Jongshimanen, the Associate Youth Director for DABA Youth Ministry used the kite as a metaphor for one’s life. He urged the gathering to soar high in communion with God. Songs were presented by Amenla from the Duncan Fellowship and Ajungla from Lengrijan fellowship. A total of eight fellowships from across the town took part in the event. Kite fliers were all smiles as they tried their best to maneuver the kites. The state stadium bore a jubilant look as young people came in throngs to watch the event.
However, the participants were not limited to only young people. A considerable number of parents also joined in on the act by throwing caution to the wind and having a ball.
The windy conditions of the day helped most kites to soar up high into the sky. However, there were also a few kites that refused to lift off. Despite the disappointed faces, it did not dampen the participant’s moods and everyone was seen to be in good spirits. The festival also included a contest for the best kite. The judgment was based on factors like height achieved, design etc. Limanungdang was adjudged as the winner of the competition.
Thirty four kites were registered for the competition; however, the President of the Duncan fellowship stated that there were scores of other unregistered kites who took part in the festival.
The festival concluded at around 4:30 pm with refreshments served to everyone at the event. One participant exclaimed that it was a “joyous occasion” and that he had “tremendous fun.” This was an admirable endeavor by the DABAYM, where people from different parts of the town, regardless of social distinctions celebrated a shared camaraderie.
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