People from all walks of life turn up for kite carnival

Spirits soared even if the kites did not on Saturday evening as the young and old, IT employees and restaurant workers got together to bring back the cheer on the bustling Church Street.

People from all walks of life turned up for ‘Church Street Kite Carnival’ to express solidarity less than two weeks after a low-intensity blast on the road left one person dead.

While policemen stood vigil on the road, enthusiastic citizens streamed in to fly kites on the roofs of at least six popular buildings.

IT employees Diganth Rai and Nithin Shet were seen trying to polish their rusty kite-flying skills.

We hang out here almost every weekend. Kites symbolise freedom and peace and this is our way of showing that acts of terror will not deter us, they said.

Sabeesh Kunnath, a resort owner from Kerala, had come down just for the event. “I’m a frequent visitor to the city, especially to Church Street, with my wife and children. When I got to know of the event, I had to participate,” he said.

Shruti Kedia, one of the organising members from ‘Bengaluru Needs You’, said they had bought ‘kite kits’ and nearly 250 kites to be distributed.

“The response has been very encouraging. Building owners, including Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, offered their terraces. Some establishments offered their employees’ participation. The area was very tense after the blast and we wanted to lift the mood of the people,” she said.