According to Indian traditional beliefs, the day of Uttarayan signifies the northward travel of the Sun which assures restart in the farming activities here. The occasion is also known as Makar Sankranti and is celebrated on 14^th and 15^th January of every year. One of the prime ways in which Uttarayan is observed in Gujarat is by flying kites. Each and every household in Gujarat participate in kite flying activity so much so that the festival has got paramount importance and started to be called as International Kite Festival hosted in India.

Not only the Gujaratis, people from all parts of India, but kite enthusiasts from countries like China, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and USA also gather in Gujarat to fly kites and fill up the blue sky above with spectacular show of colors.

Preparation of the Uttarayan festival:

The Gujaratis start preparing for the kite festival much ahead of the original day. They make kites from plain kite papers, butter kite papers or Australian papers. The kites are given different shapes but the most common shape given to a kite while making is that of a rhombus. The kite pulling thread is also prepared separately. Shards of glass are glued with the pulling thread to sharpen the thread so that it cuts through a kite while being pulled. This thread is known as ‘Manjha’. The ‘Manjha’ is rolled in a ‘Firki’ or a spindle holding the kite pulling thread.

Not only the households, but the kites also flood the shops in all the markets. The selling and buying of Kites and ‘Manjha’ go on till the wee hours of the morning of the Uttarayan.

On the days of Uttarayan and VasiUttarayan:

The day of Uttarayan and the next day, i.e., VasiUttarayan, the skylines of Gujarat witness an extravagant show of colorful show of the beautiful kites. The show goes on from dawn to dusk. The air around reverberates with ecstatic shouts of ‘Kai Po Che’ and ‘Wo Katta’ when the kites of the opponents are successfully cut through. The excitement soars high among the kite runners too who run around collecting the fallen kites.

Traditional food items like ‘Undhiyu’, ‘Jalebi’, ‘Surati Jamun’ and ‘Laddoos’ are eaten and distributed to all the participants alike.

Venues:

The International Kite Festival during Uttarayan can be best viewed from Sabarmati River Front, Kutch, Mandvi Beach, and Ahmedabad Police Stadium. The atmosphere turns electric during the days of the event.

International Participants:

Chinese participants bring in flying dragon kites, the USA flies giant banner kites, the Malaysian, Japanese and Indonesian participants flies Wau-balang, Rokkaku, and Ilayang-Ilayanghave kites respectively.

When the dusk sets in, illuminated kites are flown across the sky of Gujarat. The sky appears illuminated by ethereal lights. The rooftops abuzz with ‘Kai Po Che’ goes silent slowly and all head towards home. The experience of observing this kite festival remains an unmatched experience of the beholders.