‘Udi udi jaye, udi udi jaye, dil ki patang dekho udi udi jaye,’ seemed to be the refrain on 14 January 2026, when Carmel College and Higher Secondary students gave it their all to fly their kites on the college grounds. Around 60 students and staff celebrated Makar Sankranti by partaking in the traditional kite-flying ritual to the sound of a specially created playlist of songs by Ashwini Kumar on kites in Bollywood movies. Students were encouraged to write stories, poems, reflections on kites, create memes, and read the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. The event titled ‘Kite Stories’ was organized by the Department of English.
In his opening remarks Dr. Brian Mendonça, curator of the event, threw light on the significance of the festival which marks the end of Winter and the onset of Summer. The festival is celebrated across India, he said, and binds us together as one nation. Dr. Aldina Braganza e Gomes, Officiating Principal, lauded the effort to put the event together saying that Makar Sankranti embodies the Indian Knowledge System (IKS) by uniting astronomy (transition of the sun), agriculture (harvest), and Ayurveda (seasonal health). Sr. Marinelle A.C., Principal of Carmel Higher Secondary School, declared the event open. Ms. Synora Picardo, Director of the Department of Sports. and her team supported the event and helped students to use the college ground effectively.
Festival snacks like gajak, til ladoos, chikki and revdi were distributed on the occasion. Enthused by the upbeat mood in the winter morning sky, students burst into dance. Students and staff had the time of their lives, reliving their childhood, making reels, and taking photos – all the while shrieking with delight as their kites took to the skies. Ms. Ashwini Kumar, faculty of the Department of English proposed the vote of thanks and brough the event to a close.