Kite flying hotspots in Noida today

NEW DELHI: While the lazybones are sad that August 15 is on a weekend, depriving them of an extra chhutti, the enthusiastic lot in the city is looking forward to celebrating I-Day by listening to the PM’s speech, hoisting the national flag at their homes and flying kites on the terrace. Kite-flying on I-Day might have lost a bit of its sheen over the years, but there are many who have held on to the tradition.We spoke to some ardent kite lovers about the most popular places in the city where you can indulge in patang-baazi. So, get your tricolour kite, give dheel to the manjha, and get your patang soaring in Noida’s skies!
Noida Stadium and Sector 80
Ajay Singh, a professor who lives in Sector 130, says, “I’ll be heading to the Noida Stadium today. You can peacefully fly kites there without having to worry about speeding vehicles. The fact that many kite-flying enthusiasts come there adds to the whole I-Day feel. There are a few parks near my colony where I’m planning to go for a picnic with my family after my kite-flying session. Some of my friends are going to the open space in Sector 80, which is essentially a vast green expanse with many buildings still under construction. You can easily park your car in the vicinity and fly kites all day.”
Mohan Saxena, a software engineer who lives in Sector 23, says, “I have been flying kites on Independence Day since I was 10. It’s an important tradition for me. I go to Noida Stadium with my friends and have a picnic there. We love the pench ladana and have our own small competition. This is followed by a heavy breakfast. It’s the ideal way to spend I-Day!”
Botanical Garden
Soham Gupta, an accountant who lives in Sector 19, says, “I have bought 30 kites and will be going to Botanical Garden. I think it’s a great place for flying kites and with so many kite-fliers around, you are bound to feel patriotic too. The Metro speeding past, the beautiful garden and the huge buildings in the background make for the perfect kite-flying experience. My gang of boys and I will be going there early in the morning and spend half the day doing some serious patang-baazi. As it’s a closed space, there is no chance of any car coming by. A few years ago, there was a guard deployed in the area who asked us to leave the place. I hope they don’t barricade the area again this time.”
Areas around GIP
Nitesh Dwivedi, a businessman who lives in Sector 19, says, “When I was a kid, I used to fly kites at a stadium near my house in Delhi. But ever since I relocated to Noida, I’ve been on the lookout for a good place to fly kites. The stretch outside GIP Mall is quite khaali in the mornings, especially on holidays. So, my friends and I will be driving to GIP, park our cars inside and fly kites in that area. Let’s see if they allow us to fly kites in their open parking lot. That would be great.”
Outside Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal
Utpal Srivastava, a blogger who lives in Sector 11, says, “I created a WhatsApp group and have invited everyone on my contact list for kite-flying. I even updated my status on Facebook. So, six-seven of us will be spending Independence Day flying kites outside the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal. Last year, we flew the kites inside the park, but this year they aren’t allowing us to do the same. So, we are planning to fly kites outside the park. It’s a long stretch of road with no buildings around, and so it’s convenient. The area is also an ideal place to click I-Day selfies!”
Will fly kites in parks with street kids
“Independence day is for everyone,” says Rohit Pasricha, who works with an NGO and lives in Sector 27, adding, “I’ll be flying kites with street kids in local parks. Their kite-flying skills are out of the world. Some of them taught me how to cut the manjha of others’ kites in one swift move. They know so many ways of releasing the kites so that they soar in the sky, and know the right technique of tying the manjha. Every year, my wife prepares some snacks for these kids and we call them to our place. After breakfast, I teach them some facts about Independence Day and then we head to the nearby parks to fly kites.”