Lucknow, Oct 21 (IANS) While the nation and countrymen celebrated the festival of lights with full fervour and gaiety, the city’s skies were ablaze with patriotic colours and kites on Monday, thereby adding to the festive cheer and Diwali celebrations.

The tale of two cities – Ayodhya and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, grabbed the headlines for their uniqueness, on the auspicious occasion of Diwali. The birthplace of Lord Ram scripted a new record in diya lighting, while the capital city’s brush with Operation Sindoor came under the spotlight.

In Lucknow, a stream of kites laced with a patriotic pitch hit the markets and elicited the support of the local populace. Many residents thronged these sops to buy the swadeshi kites, reflecting the valour of the Armed Forces and celebrating the successful military strikes against Pakistani terror hideouts under Operation Sindoor.

These kites sought to showcase the valour of the Indian Army and Air Force in Operation Sindoor and also displayed photos of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to celebrate the festival.

Pictures of Colonel Sophia and Wing Commander Vyomika Singh – the heroes of Operation Sindoor were also inscribed on the hot-selling kites.

Traders and shopkeepers said that these kites found strong support from the residents as they were seen buying them in large numbers.

Salman Ansari, a kite maker cum shopkeeper, told IANS, “India’s strength and confidence have grown under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, and to reflect that sentiment, he infused his kites with patriotic colours.”

He said that this was an opportunity for people to show their patriotic spirit in the skies and therefore found a connection with people of all ages.

Adding that this was his family-run business for a long time, he informed that there is a huge demand for Op Sindoor-themed kites, and he is running out of stock.

“Approximately 5,000 kites were made, based on the Operation Sindoor theme. The stock has been sold out, only a few kites remain,” he added.

–IANS

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