States in India
Busy Mom says “go fly the kite” to her over excited son to keep him busy and occupied! And you might be thinking how the boy reacted; the little kid picked up his kite and ran into the filed happily with a million dollar smile in his face!
Kite flying, since the very invention of the kites, has gone a long way! Motorized and fiberglass kites came up to give competition to the paper kites. The kite flying tradition in India has however, not changed. Whether it is the Makar Sankranti or the Basant, people from all background and ages, every year engage in flying kites. Many try their hands out in this very skilled form of art that is flying the colorful ‘patangs’. Be it from the open fields and gardens or the rooftops and the terraces in cities and towns and cities, one thing that remains common on this day is the flying of gorgeous kites in the sky.
In the state of Gujarat, Kite Flying Day is celebrated on the day of Makar Sankranti. It is generally celebrated on 13th or 14th of January. Almost all the cities in Gujarat can be seen participating in the kite flying festival. In the city of Ahmedabad, the International Kite Festival takes place on 14th of January. It corresponds with the Uttarayan festival or the Makar Sankranti. The festival serves as a major crowd puller from not only within the country but all across the globe. You can also have a view of the numerous designer kites that would never fail to lure you!
History and Legends
Flying the beautiful, colorful kites up in the air, has fascinated men since immemorial. The imagination and true spirit of human beings ultimately witnessed the invention of kites. One can have an understanding of the history of the kites and the varied celebrations in the Kite Museum located in Ahmedabad.
- 200 BC: A kite was flown by Huein Tsang during the night to frighten the army of China’s Liu Pang of Han dynasty.
- 100 BC to 500 AD: Army generals used the kites for sending signals and measuring distances of the enemy camps.
- 930 AD: We find the first mention of the word “Shiroshi”. In the Japanese literature ‘Shi’ means paper while ‘Roshi’ depicts a Chinese bird.
- 960 to 1126 AD: Flying the kites came to gain popularity in China, as a recreational activity. People celebrated with kites on the ninth day of the 9th month. It was a day that signified the banishment of the wrong doings and evil by way of flying kites
- 1542 AD: We find the first mention of the word ‘ Patang’ in the Indian literature. The word was also used in ‘Madhumalti’ by Manzan. Here flying of kite was associated by the poet to the loved ones.
- 1752 AD: A kite was lofted by Benjamin Franklin in order to prove the fact that the electric matter that constitutes lightning was of the same kind that was used for generating electricity.
- 1870 AD: Lawrence Hargrave, an Australian inventor designed some box-kites the stability of which inspired many to make aero planes driven by power.
- 1896 AD: Alexander Graham Bell made ‘ tetra’ through the combination of the lightweight sticks. He flew one 256 cell ‘Frost King” kite and improvised it to have about 1300 cells. It was further extended to 3393 cells. During this period, several experiments were also carried out by Samuel Cody with man who carried diplane gliders.
- 1902 AD: Wright brothers got success in getting airborne. Thus the age of aviation commences.
In India, in the year 1989, people saw the birth of a new festival, the International Kite Festival. On this occasion people from all across the globe were invited to participate in kite flying and enjoy the colorful displays of kites and also get tips on the various skills for successful kite flying. The 1st International Kite Festival was inaugurated on 13th of January. On this festival, which continued for 3 days, a special Patang Nagar was made while the ‘city of kites’ opened up the doors for the display of bazaars having numerous kites and reels of diverse types.
Rituals
Special mixtures are made out ground glass and of glue, which are then dried and rolled to make rears called firkees. At night illuminated box kites in a series of strung, are launched in the sky. These are known as tukals that adds splendor to the sky. Traditional delicacies are made and eaten in open space such as fields, parks or gardens. Devotees are seen gathering at the temples where they distribute alms.
Celebrations
Kite flying commences during the dawn and goes on throughout the whole day till the night. Neighbors, friends and even the strangers battle each other in cutting down the kites and attain supremacy. And when someone is successful in cutting the line of the rival, everyone is seen cheering while roars of applauds tear apart the sky. Different varieties of colorful kites can be seen flying high up in the sky.
People from different background and ages gather on the rooftops and terraces and involve in the kite flying ceremony. Different types of traditional and mouthwatering delicacies are prepared on this occasion. The International Kite Festival is organized by the Gujarat State Tourism Corporation every year. The venue for the event is either the Sardar Patel Stadium or the Police Stadium in the city of Ahmedabad. Local champions and kite flyers from all across the world are attracted to this International Kite Festival. In the night illuminated kites called tukals are seen soaring up in the sky and giving competition to the twinkling stars.
One of the must visit places in the region, during the kite festival happens to be the Patang Bazaar in Ahmedabad that is open 24 hours every day at the time of Makar Sankranti. A visit to the Patang Bazaar, during the Kite festival acts as an evidence to the fact that people in the city goes crazy on this occasion. Being truly obsessed by patangs, the crowd enjoys on the streets throughout the night.
Regions like Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi etc. also celebrate and enjoy the kite festival with immense fervor and joy. The Kite Festival in Rajasthan bears a special significance, as the state is thronged by numerous tourists who come down to participate in this beautiful festival and watch out for the colorful state at its best!
Places to Visit
The best place that is a must visit for you if you want to witness and be a part of the celebration of the Kite Festival is Ahmedabad in the state of Gujarat. Although almost all the states in North India, yet Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana and Gujarat are few regions in India that puts on a completely different look on the eve of the Kite Festival and people participate and celebrate with great pomp and enthusiasm.
