New Delhi, Delhi, 16th of January, 2026 : Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the International Kite Festival 2026 in New Delhi today. On this occasion, several dignitaries were present, including Delhi Lieutenant Governor Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena and Chief Minister Smt. Rekha Gupta.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, while extending greetings to all the people across the country—especially farmers—on the occasions of Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Lohri, Magh Bihu and Uttarayan, said that the festival of Uttarayan is celebrated across the country under different names. He said this festival is a celebration of joy because our seasonal cycle and our lives depend on the infinite source of energy, Lord Sun God. He said that the great poet Kalidas ji had described the people of India as — ‘Utsavapriyāḥ khalu manuṣyāḥ’, meaning the people of India are fond of festivals. He said that celebrations are organized in different parts of the country in every season. Through festivals, we seek to unite the entire society and move forward together, and Uttarayan is a part of that spirit.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that there is a need to make the kite festival more popular through sustained efforts. He said that the kite festival will connect the people of the country with Delhi and, in the future, it can become a festival of the entire nation. He suggested that a committee should be constituted to expand the kite festival in Delhi and across the country, and to make the Delhi kite festival its focal point, working on aspects such as popularizing the event and increasing public participation. He said that the next kite festival should be organized in such a way that it secures a leading position among the major kite festivals of the country and the world.
Shri Amit Shah said that in Delhi, the beautiful natural site Baansera, adorned with various types of bamboos from different parts of the country, is emerging as a centre of attraction for tourists. He said that the park is a testament to how remarkable results can be achieved when a person is firmly determined to translate their resolve into action on the ground. He said that to increase the use of Baansera Park and to attract the people of Delhi to it, the Delhi Government needs to organize good events here. He said that there are three pavilions here, which display the history of kites as well as their wartime use. He said that when the Simon Commission came to the country, it faced strong opposition nationwide. The slogan “Simon Go Back” became a resounding echo of the freedom movement. However, the largest protest against the Simon Commission across the country was carried out on the day of Uttarayan by flying kites bearing the slogan “Simon Go Back.” Indians filled the entire sky with kites and demonstrated their strength to the British.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that the festival of Makar Sankranti has become a living example of ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat’. He said that Lord Surya is changing his direction, and this change is welcomed across the entire world. In Punjab and Haryana, we celebrate it as Lohri; in Tamil Nadu as Pongal; in Assam as Magh Bihu; in West Bengal as Paush Sankranti; in Gujarat and Maharashtra as Uttarayan; and in Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar, it is traditionally celebrated in the name of Khichdi or Sankranti Khichdi. He said that this kite festival is an effort to connect all these states with Delhi. Shri Shah said that in the coming days, the kite festival will establish a special place for itself in Delhi and will provide an opportunity for kite flyers from across the country, as well as international kite flyers, to come here and showcase their art.
Shri Amit Shah said that recently, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi participated in the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ held in Gujarat from 8 January to 11 January. The ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ was celebrated to mark the completion of 1000 years since the first attack on the Somnath Temple. He said that the Government of India, along with several other governments, has announced the celebration of ‘Somnath Swabhiman Varsh’ across the country. He said that the Somnath Jyotirlinga is the foremost among the Jyotirlingas. This sacred place of Lord Shiva, situated on the shores of the ‘Som Samudra’ (Arabian Sea), was targeted for destruction 16 times. Although the invaders succeeded in demolishing it, every time it was destroyed, it was rebuilt with equal determination.
Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said that after independence, the country’s Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the Maharaja of Jamnagar Jam Saheb, Kanhaiyalal Maneklal Munshi, and Dr. Rajendra Prasad resolved that a grand and magnificent Shri Somnath Temple would be rebuilt here. Today, a splendid and magnificent Somnath Temple stands at that very place, with its flag touching the skies. He stated that this is a clear indication that the power of those who construct is far greater than the power of those who destroy. Those who demolished it—Mahmud of Ghazni, Mahmud Begada, Alauddin Khilji—are nowhere to be seen on the world map today, while the Somnath Temple stands proudly and with dignity at the same location before the entire world. This is a symbol of the eternal and immortal nature of Sanatan Dharma and the immortality of the core elements of Indian culture. He said that the ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’ and ‘Somnath Swabhiman Varsh’ provide an opportunity for all Indians to once again reaffirm their resolve to make their culture unshakeable, steadfast, and immortal.
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