International Kite Festival

Our final day in Ahmedabad is Uttarayan- the  Kite Flying Festival.  Actually there are two festivals-an International one which goes on for four days along the Sabarmati Rivefront and displays impressive kites from countries around the world, and the local one which is celebrated on January 14  by every Amdavadi, young and old, rich and poor alike.

Schools are closed, shops and banks are shuttered, and the whole city comes to a standstill and flies kites during Uttarayan. Streets are empty  of rickshaws and traffic (thank god) and  the action is centered around the kite markets. Sellers of string are on the street with vats of dyes in vibrant colors.  These are not ordinary kites as we know them.  They are made out of small pieces of colored tissue paper and cost only a few cents each and are meant for one time use only. Families buy fifty or sixty of them, depending on their finances.  The strings are coated with crushed glass and the goal is to cut other peoples kites and see how long you can keep yours up in the air.  Of course this makes the whole event not only fun, but dangerous as well.  The number of people and birds injured each year by having their necks and throats cut by the strings is well documented in the local papers.  The govenment tried to ban the sale of these “Chinese strings”, with no luck. Days before the actual festival children are on the rooftops of buildings, and kites can be seen caught in the trees.

Kite string sellers

Dyeing the strings

Virren, the director of Manav Sadhna, has invited the staff and volunteers to the rooftop of his home for a kite flying party. “Come sometime after 10:30 in the morning”. When we arrive at 11:00 a.m. (the first guests) he is up on the roof, dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt.  “ I’ve been here flying kites since 7:00 a.m.”. He is 52 years old, lived in the USA for 26 years, and is now permanently settled in his hometown of Ahmedabad.  Dancing around like an excited little boy, he moves with precise steps to and fro, manoevering the flow of his kite. Throughout the afternoon  more and more guests arrive- Indians, Westerners, NRIs ( non resident Indians)-and each tries his/her hand at kite flying. In the corner is a stack of more than fifty kites of all colors and sizes. There is very little wind, so his valiant efforts at trying to teach me how to fly a kite is hopeless.

With a leather cowboy hat to protect his head from the blazing sun, Virren doesn’t give up on his own kites  Each time another kite is “cut” he whoops and hollers with his friends.  One person holds the spool of string, judging when to wind or unwind, while the kite flyer pulls the string up or down depending on the direction of the wind. Every rooftop is filled with people, flying kites, eating and drinking, having fun.  Many have loudspeakers with Gujarati Bollywood music blaring.  After all, what’s an Indian party without lots of noise! A food table has been set up, buffet style, with special treats like “jalebies”- a flour dough shaped like a pretzel and fried,with lots of sugar.

We decide to take a short break and check out the kite market around the corner. The scene is hectic with a carnival-like atmosphere.  Hawkers are walking around with balloons of varying shapes and sizes attached to a long pole-  Bollywood stars, parrots,hawks and crocodiles.  We choose a parrot and a hawk,  and watch the brisk sales as cars pull up to buy balloons and kites. And then we go back to the party.

Balloon extravaganza

Brisk balloon sales

As night settles in, the mood changes. Paper lanterns with flames inside(yet another illegal, dangerous activity) float through the sky.  It looks like stars and moon beams-hundreds of them- accompanied by bursts of fireworks. All this we  see from the large panoramic window of our hotel room. The day has been a wonderful ending to our time at Manav Sadhna.  For a short while, nothing else matters and all is well is the world.

Everybody loves to party at Virren-bai