Famous Amritsar kite-maker ready with I-Day collection

A famous kite-maker from Amritsar has created special kites with images of freedom fighters and top leaders to mark the country's 72nd Independence Day tomorrow.

Jagmohan Kanojia (52), who is known for his vast collection, said today that he has designed special kites with images of freedom fighters such as Bhagat Singh, Subhas Chandra Bose, Chandra Sekhar Azad, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Rajguru and Udham Singh.

Some kites also bear pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Besides, some kites also have pictures of all the presidents and prime ministers of the country till date.

He said while some of his kites are as small as 2-4 inches long and are showpieces, others are as big as 4-6 feet wide.

Some of his kites for Independence Day also resemble the Tricolour, he said.

For Kanojia, it all began as a hobby in the early 1990s after watching a kite-flying competition on TV.

He claims that he has made a record 10,000 kites of different designs.

Kanojia said that some kites from his collection will dot the skyline this Independence Day with inspiring messages written on them.

"For past several years, I have been making special kites just for the Independence Day. I feel that our youths need to be made more aware about the sacrifices which our freedom fighters made to see a free India," he said.

"Most of my kites carry pictures of freedom fighters and national leaders. They also carry small messages that we should always remember the sacrifices made by our freedom fighters and value the freedom we attained after a long struggle," Kanojia told PTI over phone today.

"This time I have made 72 different kinds of kites to celebrate the 72nd Independence Day. I have been making kites for about a month for the occasion," he said.

Kanojia said a few kites in his collection are dedicated to his late father, who was born on August 15, 1938 in Lahore and passed away in 1989.