Hawa se baatein

Last Wednesday the harvest festival of sub-continent celeberated with its glory. We call this Makar Sankranti , Pongal or Uttarayan. It marks the northern movement of the sun bringing increase of the duration of the day. Specifics about the traditions, rituals and history behind should be left to wikipedia. For me this festival is important for two reasons, sweets made out of 'til' (sesame seeds) and kite flying.

Both the things I miss now, but thats ok I have good memories of both. Also I can fly kites here, although kite flying is more fun in India. Why kite flying is fun? There are so many reasons to it, but few that comes to my mind immediately are, its an art, its beyond someone's age, it brings the whole family or community together, its cheap, and a spiritual level uplifting your spirits.

Its an art, atleast what I have experienced. You have to know little about kites, what makes a kite fly-able and what will make it crash in its first flight :). Paper kites are like that, its more enjoyable to have that experience instead of plastic one that pretty much you know will fly if there is wind. You need to know what will make it go left or right when air borne. Then comes the thread or manja as we say it in hindi. There are glass coated thread for kite fighting and there are simpler ones just for kite flying no fighting. When I used to fly kites, we used to start with the glass coated thread for like 100 metres, followed by normal thread as usually when you fight it happens at kite level rather than ground level.

Anyone can fly kite, you don't have to be great athelete to fly kites, you dont have to a six-pack body to flight kite. You don't have to be young to fly kites. This makes kite flying really a sport open for anyone, young, old, male, female, people on wheelchair can also fly kites.

The best part of kite flying is the family part of it, a family of 5-6 climbed up on terrace and enjoying every moment of it. There will be just one person flying the kite, someone will be holding the firki (thread spindle) to roll back the excess thread, few people eyeing on other flights in vicinity like watch guards and few cheering during fights. Its that collaboration and bringing together the whole family makes kite flying so unique and enjoyable.

I can go on and on about each technical aspect of kite flying but I think I am rambling now, just would add the last aspect of kite flying/fighting is kite running. Its like that precious award that shows how quick, smart, intutive, calculative you were to grab that kite before anyone else. To me when I used to do that I felt that I have all the happiness in the world. I used to carry the kite very proudly showing off my prize possesion and the next evening I used to fly that kite making others envy. Although being skinny and not of great physical built I was often pushed aside at the very last moment just before grabbing the free kite......

I lost many kites, some during fights and some when the thread snaps...i used to feel miserable and dejected. But someone rightly said not all the things that you love or care about, have to be with you all the time...let them go...make them free and then you will see there true potential...