International Events.qxd

CULTURE
Flying high: International Kite Festival, Gujarat
Brisk breeze lifting colourful kites aloft in the sky, splashing the most vibrant colours possible…
this is the International Kite Festival to enjoy the ‘high-life’ at Gujarat on 14 January, 2011
Celebrated on 14 January every year in the
Kutch region of Gujarat, the International
Kite Festival is organized on the day of
Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan by the State
Tourism Department of Gujarat. This unique
festival is celebrated by kite fighters enthusiastically.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to the
beautiful Kutch region to showcase their kites and skills.
Onlookers, children and adults alike, have some great time
watching the kites and the adrenalin rush during the fights
of those kites. The sky over the Sardar Patel Stadium in
Ahmedabad gives space to unique and intriguing kites from
box kites, high-speed sport kites to windsocs and spinsocs.
According to the Hindu calendar, Uttarayan is the time
of year when the sun moves into the makar rashi or
Capricorn. This marks the onset of a new season, i.e. spring,
as the days become warmer with a soft breeze. This season
is also celebrated as the new harvest season in many parts of
the country by different names and rituals.
The sky is filled with kites of various shapes, sizes and
colours, and competitions on local level are a common
sight. Kites of all shapes and sizes compete to cut strings
of the nearby kites and bring them down. Kite flying and
kite fighting are both skills of high order. Kites with
28 | YATRA | JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2011
resilient structure and body with flexible bamboo frames
with right tension is favoured. The kites are then attached
to a spool (firki) with manja, special strings that are coated
with a mixture of glue and glass are used. This makes
the strings sharp to cut easily strings of rival kites. This is
still a skill of high order!
The making of kites in Patang Bazaar on the streets of
old Ahmedabad is also a great sight. The production starts
way before in the month of November to meet the demand.
For the week prior to the festival, this bazaar is open 24
hours a day. The city of Ahmedabad has been hosting the
International Kite Festival since 1989, as part of the official
celebration of Uttarayan. It has always been an attraction
for master kite makers and flyers from all over the world
who demonstrate their unique kites.
Some of the most interesting creations are the waubalang
kites from Malaysia, llayang-llayanghave from
Indonesia, giant banner kites from the USA, Japanese
rokkaku fighting kites, Italian sculptural kites and Chinese
flying dragons. The latest are the high-tech modern wonders.
One of the most famous master kite makers and kite
flyers is Rasulbhai Rahimbhai of Ahmedabad who trains
up to 500 kites on a single string! ❖
Source: An Indian Journey – A DDP Publication January 2011
The High Commission of India in Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain