The West Bengal tourism department has lined up a series of programmes to make Puja and the coming winter more exciting in Kolkata — beginning with a mega kite festival as per a report in TOI. Tourism minister Rachpal Singh on Friday said that an international kite festival will begin on September 17 with a programme at Sobhabazar Natmandir showcasing Kolkata's long association with the passion of kite flying.

On the morning of September 18, the kite flying programme will be inaugurated at Hedua followed by a 'kite rally' in the evening. The kite festival will be held in three phases. In Phase II, on Mahalaya (September 27), a mega kite flying programme will be held on Brigade Parade Ground. National and international kite fliers, who participated at the kite flying competition in Ahmedabad, will be here on that day. There will be kite flying and kite making workshops too. In Phase III, there will be an international kite flying festival in Kolkata.

Mahalaya — which heralds the coming of the Durga Puja — will also see several other celebratory programmes in the city. Since it coincides with World Tourism Day, a huge rally will be taken out in front of Victoria Memorial to mark the occasion. The morning will be packed with kite flying events, and the evening with river sports on the Hooghly (at the Millennium Park). A hundred boats with diyas will flow along the river. There will be nearly 30 launches to herald the coming of Devi Durga through sirens.

The tourism department will launch three 'trails' on that day — on Vivekananda, Sutanuti (old Kolkata) and Knowledge. During the Pujas, there will be a lighting extravaganza on display at Metro channel at Esplanade showcasing the best of works of Chandanagar artisans. Heritage buildings in Dalhousie will be illuminated during the Pujas. From October 1, you can take one of 10 Volvo rides to see the best pujas in town. It will cost Rs500 per person, including food. The tourism department will launch its new website that day.