International Kite Festival in Gujarat – Uttarayan


Every year, Gujarat celebrates more than 200 festivals. The International Kite Festival is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to manufacture kites for the festival.
The festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter begins to turn into summer, according to the Indian calendar. It is the sign for farmers that the sun is back and that harvest season is approaching which is called Makara Sankranti/Mahasankranti. This day is considered to be one of the most important harvest day in India as It also marks the termination of the Winter season and the beginning of a new harvest season. Many cities in Gujarat organize kite competition between their citizens where the people all compete with each other. In this region of Gujarat and many other states, Uttarayan is such a huge celebration that it has become a public holiday in India for two days. During the festival, local food such as Undhiyu, sesame seed brittle and Jalebi is served to the crowds. Days before the festival, the market is filled with participants buying their supplies. In 2012, the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat mentioned that the International Kite Festival in Gujarat was attempting to enter the Guinness World Records book due to the participation of 42 countries in it that year.

Location

The International Kite Festival takes place in specially in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. The festival is called . The festival is celebrated in many cities of Gujarat, Telangana and Rajasthan like Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, Hyderabad, Nadiad, Dakor. However, the International Kite Event takes place in Ahmedabad which accommodates visitors from many international destinations.
The best place to enjoy this festival is the Sabarmati Riverfront or the Ahmedabad Police Stadium, where people lay down to see the sky filled with thousands of kites
During the festival week the markets are flooded with kite buyers and sellers. In the heart of Ahmedabad, there is one of the most famous Kite markets - Patang Bazaar, which during the festive week opens 24 hours a day with buyers and sellers negotiating and buying in bulk.
Moreover, many families in Ahmadabad start making kites at home and setup small shops in their own homes.
There is also a Kite Museum, located at Sanskar Kendra in Paldi area of Ahmedabad. Established in 1985, it contains a collection of unique kites.
Other parts of India also celebrate kite festival. In Delhi on 15 August and most of Bihar's districts on 14 April. It is said because they just prepare new crop wheat. People offer prayers, eat Sattu and new mangoes.

Dates

The festival takes place on 14 January of each year during the Makar Sankranti and continues until 15 January. This date marks the end of winter and the return of a more clement weather for farmers of the Gujarat region. These days have also become a public holiday within the Gujarat state of India so that everyone can take part in the celebration. 15 January is known as ' Vasi Uttarayan '.

History

The symbolism of this festival is to show the awakening of the Gods from their deep sleep. Through India's history, it is said that India created the tradition of kite flying due to the kings and Royalties later followed by Nawabs who found the sport entertaining and as a way to display their skills and power. It began as being a sport for kings, but over time, as the sport became popular, it began to reach the masses. Kite flying has been a regional event in Gujarat for several years. However the first International Festival was celebrated in 1989 when people from all across the globe participated and showcased their innovative kites.
In the recent 2012 event, The International Kite Festival was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the presence of Governor Dr. Kamla.

Participants

The mention of this festival is in the Rigveda which dates more than 5000 years. The day marks the beginning of the auspicious six-month period known as Uttarayana., today regardless of your background or beliefs, you are welcome to fly kites with everyone else in Gujarat in January. Most visitors arrive from around India, from Gujarat itself or another state. In major cities of Gujarat, kite flying starts as early as 5 am and goes until late night where approximately 8-10 million people participate in the whole festival.
However, many visitors are international who come from around the world, such as Japan, Italy, UK, Canada, Brazil, Indonesia, Australia, the USA, Malaysia, Singapore, France, China, and many more to take part in the celebration.
The kite festival has been strongly influenced by its international participants, in the recent events, for instance:
At the same time, the festival is the occasion for many public entities such as famous dancers, singers, actors or politicians who make an appearance and entertain the population. In 2004, for example, the Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla was part of the celebration and performed a Garba which is very popular in India.

Types of kites

During the event, kite markets are set up alongside food stalls and performers. The kites are usually made with materials such as plastic, leaves, wood, metal, nylon and other scrap materials but the ones for Uttarayan are made of light-weight paper and bamboo and are mostly rhombus shaped with central spine and a single bow. Dye and paint are also added to increase the glamour of the kite. The lines are covered with mixtures of glue and ground glass which when dried, rolled up and attached to the rear, also known as firkees, become sharp enough to cut skin. These types of sharp lines are used on fighter kites known in India as patangs to cut down other kites during various kite fighting events. During the night, on the second day of the festival, illuminated kites filled with lights and candles known as tukals or tukkals are launched creating a spectacle in the dark sky.
In Gujarat kites are made up of two types of paper that is :-
1.Simple paper kites &
2.Butter paper ki
tes.

List of Other Kite Festivals

Kites are a real part of the culture in Asia, which is why most of the kite festivals around the world take place in those areas. Here are the Most Popular Kites Festival of the World: