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Kite-flying festival is being held in important cities
of Gujarat each year. The festival draws expert kite-makers
and flyers not only from cities of India but also from
around the world. Designer's Kites of infinite variety
are displayed at the venue.
THE BELIEF:
The festival is a time of thanksgiving for the religious,
since it marks the awakening of the gods from their
long slumber. The gods who are believed to have slumbered
for six long months are now awake and the portals of
heaven are thrown open. It is also a signal for merry-making.
The temples are thronged with visitors and alms are
distributed freely.
KITES OF ALL HUES:
From dawn to dusk, people of all ages fly kites rejoicing
in the spirit of the day. The blue January sky is enlivened
by kites of different colours and hues. Kites soar in
the sky, their lines moving as if alive. Crowded rooftops,
fun-loving rivalry to outdo each other, and delicious
Gujarati feast are the hall-marks of the day.
A tremendous variety of kites are seen with friends,
neighbours and total strangers indulging in kite fights.
The nights see the arrival of the illuminated box kites,
often in a series strung on one line, to be launched
into the sky. Known as Tukkals, these kites add a touch
of splendour to the dark sky.
THE EXPERT TOUCH:
The festival draws expert kite-makers and flyers not
only from cities of India but also from around the world.
Special mixtures of glue and ground glass cover the
lines with which the kites are flown. Experts specially
prepare these lines before the great day. They are dried
and rolled onto reels known as 'firkees'. Unless used
carefully the strings are sharp enough to cut a finger.
HISTORY OF KITE FLYING:
In fact, kite flying has a fascinating history; man
had the desire to fly since time immemorial. It was
the spirit of man and his imagination that ultimately
saw the invention of kites. Their fascinating history
is depicted in the Kite Museum of Ahmedabad.
200 BC: Huein Tsang flew a kite at night to overawe the
army of Liu Pang of Han dynasty in china.
100 BC to 500 AD: Kites were used by the army generals
to send signals and to measure the distance of enemy
camps.
930 AD: The earliest mention of "Shiroshi"
in Japanese literature where 'Shi' means paper and 'Roshi'
stands for the Chinese bird.
960 to 1126 AD: Flying kites became a popular activity
of recreation in China. People celebrated the 9th day
of the ninth month, a day signifying the banishment
of evil, by flying kites.
1542 AD: For the first time the word ' Patang' finds
mention in Indian literature. It was used by Manzan
in 'Madhumalti', where the flight of a kite is associated
with the loved one by a poet.
Marathi poets Eknath and Tukaram also described kites
in their verses, where the word ' Vavdi' has been used.
1752 AD: Benjamin Franklin lofted a kite to prove that
lightning was of the same electric matter as the one
that generated electricity.
Wooden sticks were affixed to four corners of a square
silk handkerchief and a projecting metal wire with sharp
edge was attached to it. When an electrified cloud passed
over the kite, lightning was drawn down through the
pointed wire.
1870 AD: Australian inventor Lawrence Hargrave designed
box-kites whose stability inspired others to create
power driven aeroplanes.
1896 AD: Alexander Graham Bell designed ' tetra' by
combining lightweight sticks. He flew 'Frost King"
kite of 256 cells and improvised it to have 1300, and
later 3393 cells.
At this time, Samuel Cody carried out experiments with
man carrying diplane gliders.
1902 AD: Cody's contemporary, the Wright brothers,
were successful in becoming airborne, age of aviation
begins.
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