Kite enthusiasts gear up for events, competitions

PATNA: Makeshift shops, selling colourful kites of all shapes and sizes, have come up across the city in view of Makar Sankranti celebrations next week. The harvest festival, which marks the arrival of spring, is synonymous to the practice of flying kites.
Everyone — from kids and youngsters to adults and elderly people — follows the tradition with utmost fervour. Hence, all types of kites are being sold in the city.
Some sellers claimed that kites with cartoon characters like Doraemon, Shin Chan and Chhota Bheem were in high demand. “I do not have plain kites because children, who visit my shop, buy ones with their favourite cartoon characters printed on them,” Shankar Gupta, a kite seller in Bakarganj, told this newspaper.
Another seller, Pankaj, said, “Kites are available in the range of Rs 3 to Rs 30 per piece. While a plain paper kite is priced at Rs 3, a fancy one is sold at Rs 30.”
Since kites are cheap, many people usually buy a large number of them before Makar Sankranti. Mahesh Shrivastava, a kite dealer in Boring Road area, claimed, “Kites are delicate and can be torn easily if not handled with care. Hence, kite lovers prefer buying approximately 100 pieces at a time.”
Meanwhile, Patnaites are excited to participate in kite-flying competitions on Makar Sankranti. “My friends and I organize a contest every year where we fly kites and eat lots of ‘tilkuts’ and sweets,” Saguna Mor resident Amit Sinha said.
To Aastha Kanika, a resident of Boring Canal Road, kite-flying is an age-old tradition, which should be kept alive.
There are some, who make their own kites, instead of buying one. “I have ordered bamboo sticks and thin, colourful sheets from an online store so that I can make kites at home,” said Sheila Tiwari, a kite enthusiast.