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People from across the kingdom enjoyed a fun-filled, family Friday at Al Areen Palace & Spa as they welcomed the season of spring in festival style with colourful kites.
The five-star resort staged a Basant Kite Festival outside its Keizo restaurant for families and friends to dine on Indian fare, shop for handmade goods and watch the high-flying display.
The Basant Kite Festival is a traditional event that signifies the coming of spring and it is marked by the famous Basant Panchami Festival in the Punjab region of India and in neighbouring Pakistan.
While it is celebrated in various ways depending on the area, many tend to mark the occasion by wearing yellow clothes and eating yellow rice to emulate the yellow mustard flower fields that flourish at this time … as well as flying kites.
The hotel was decorated with yellow flowers and visitors walked around in yellow and mustard-hued attire.
Kausar Iqbal, chief executive officer of Lasting Impressions which markets and organises events and exhibitions for artisans from Pakistan, said: “Basant is the call for spring when the flowers begin to bloom and it signifies growth and new things to come.”
“A dozen vendors set up at this lovely festival to raise awareness about their products and give families of different backgrounds a chance to come together and celebrate. The beauty of every culture is that each has its own flavour.
“My stall represents the many underprivileged artisan men and women who make handmade goods in Pakistan from shawls to jewellery.”
Other items on display included handmade shoes, flats and sandals, crystal trees, handbags.
Teacher Nasreen Yousif Mohammed, 33, from Hamad Town, said: “The festival was fun with many activities for the whole family to enjoy. There was also a variety of food and it’s great to see everyone coming together.”
Al Areen’s chefs set up various food stations at the resort featuring Indian street food favourites such as chicken kathi roll, halwa poori and dahi wada as a troupe of drummers dressed in traditional attire entertained guests.
