Friends of India hosts colorful, festive party

Vibrant colors filling the sky paled in comparison to those covering the attendees themselves Saturday at the sixth annual Color and Kite Festival.The event, sponsored by Friends of India Society and held at Buena Vista Camping Park, brought to life two celebrated Indian traditions with origins dating thousands of years.The first tradition at the biggest local Indian party of the year got under way as groups of attendees sent thousands of brightly colored Indian-made paper kites skyward.

Is Southeast Asia the New Garment-Sweatshop Capital of the World?A gentle but steady breeze and a backdrop of a clear blue sky made for perfect kite-flying conditions.Recent Temple University graduate Jay Shukla of Mays Landing explained how intense kite flying can get in his home country, as he taught his younger relatives to how to fly the kites.In India, he said, “some write the last name of their family on the kites and fight them with others from terraced apartments. The fiberglass string they use cut others’ strings, and it can get really serious.”

All the kite flying Saturday remained peaceful, however. In India, a huge kite festival is observed each Jan. 14 when the wind is right and the days start growing longer.After the kites were reeled in, there were friendly games of cricket, traditional and Bollywood-style dances, and awards.The Friends of India Society honored Latish Menghani of Vineland with its Person of the Year Award for his “enthusiastic help and availability” and presented a Special Recognition Award to Dr. Bhavna Patel of Vineland for her “leadership and contributions” to the Sanskaar Youth Grou