Kite Flying is Passion for Life

St. Pete Beach, Tampa Bay, Florida

Holiday season is now over in America. We are back at home after long holidays and celebrating the New Year. It is another sunny weekend here in Florida. My husband and I were walking along the beach at sunset. We notice a bunch of kite surfers and stopped to appreciate their acrobatics. It took me back to my memories of Jaipur. We were celebrating kite festival this time of the year.

                                           

Usually right after Diwali festival, you begin seeing kites in the sky. From the winter break until now, it is unbelievable to see how the sky is full of colorful kites, and the terraces full of people. Some people fly kites, some enjoy watching them. Women make delicious snacks such as Pakoras, Gajar Halwa and Til Laddus. I remember in our childhood, how we were looking forward to winter vacations. In India we have joint-family system (Grandparents, Parents and Grandchildren live in one house). Grandparents teach the children to fly the kites, and how to cut the opponent’s kite down. When we cut the other kite’s string, we screamed “Woh Kata!!!” This means “I have cut a kite”. Every year we try to cut more kites down then the previous years, always having competition among brothers, sisters and cousins. Cutting opponent’s kite is the fun part, and often you don’t know whose kite it is you are cutting.

Every festival has its own special food and sweets to celebrate with. As this festival is celebrated in mid-winter, the food, prepared for this festival, is such that it warms the body and gives a boost in energy. In Jaipur, Rajasthan we have Til Laddu (made with Jaggery and sesames seeds) which is a specialty of the festival. Many more varieties of sesames seeds and Jaggary sweets like Gajak(world famous Jaipur's Sesame Brittle), Rewadi and Til papdi. Feeni is another sweet vermicelli delicacy mainly served on this day. Pakoras, deep fried hot dumplings made of vegetables and lentil paste area also a crowd favorite.

Many kite competitions are organized during the month of January by various Kite Clubs. The state government organizes "International Kite Festival" in Jaipur for three days in which kite lovers participate, from all over the world.

Everyone in my family is very passionate about kites. My grandfather has taught us to fly kites and shares stories of how his father had inspired him. His father used to organize events at his terrace on kite flying day. He invited all his friends, relatives and their children to enjoy. They were having competition among children to see who could cut the most number of kites, and to see who wins. My grandfather explained how this became passion for him and he started participating in kite completions in Jaipur, Luckhnow and Kanpur and won lots of trophies. He now has a large joint family, where four generations live together in one house. He tries to give same opportunities to his grand and great-grandchildren to preserve our traditions, heritage and culture.

I am now married into an American family, and was astounded to know that my father-in-law also loved kite flying. My father-in-law is from an Indian Parsi family. He lived in Mumbai and used to enjoy kite flying from his balcony as a teenager.  He also shared something very special in that he made his own special string (Manjha) to cut opponent’s kite, because when he was young, everything was self-made. Two years ago, he was in Jaipur during the kite flying festival with his friends and family from America. Even after 60 years, he was still thrilled to fly kites and especially to cut other’s kites down. Enthusiasm for Kite flying is a passion for life.  

India is the second biggest nation in population with diversity of geography, faith, culture, climate, and where they celebrate lots of festivals and fairs. Makar Sankranti is one of them. It is also known as Kite Flying Festival. India’s multiplicity gives reason to celebrate Makar Sankranti in different ways in different regions. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India as well as regarded as the beginning of an auspicious annual phase in Indian culture.

Makar Sankranti : Makar stands for Capricorn in Zodiac. Sankranti describes the transition of the Sun. Therefore Makar Sankranti means the transition of Sun into Makar rashi through its celestial path. It is the only festival celebrated on a fixed date, January 14th.The traditional Indian Calendar is based on lunar positions. This is the reason why the dates of all Hindu festivals keep changing in the Gregorian calendar. Makar Sankranti is a solar event, and therefore remains constant. It is the festival of the Sun God who is regarded as a symbol divinity and wisdom. Millions of people take a dip in holy rivers such as; Ganges, Yamuna, etc., to bathe and pray to the Sun God for enlightenment, peace, prosperity and happiness.

On this day, every year, the sky above India resembles a kaleidoscope all day long. As customary with many days of festivities, the day ends with fireworks into the late night.