D - Kite Flying

January 17, 2004.

'Makar Sankranti' reminds me of kite flying. This year Makar Sankranti
was celebrated on January 15. People take a holy dip in Ganga, in the
early hours of the morning on Makar Sankranti day. It is a religious
act. Pilgrims grab this opportunity to take a dip in the waters of
Triveni Sangam in Allahabad. A large number of pilgrims throng the
Sagar Islands (in the Bay of Bengal) for a dip in the deep waters on
this auspicious day.

Special sweet meats are prepared in homes. Nature plays an important
role on this day. The wind is favourable for kite flying. But people
have lost interest in kite flying. Adults disdain them, and children
prefer to spend their time indoors, playing video games or computer
games. Moreover, there are not many open spaces left for the flying of
kites. The city has swallowed up the open grasslands and now stands the
tall buildings. After Makar Sankranti the wind is not favourable for
kite flying.

I remember those days: Our winter vacations began in the second week of
December. We enjoyed our holidays till the third week of January. Under
the pleasant warmth of the sun, we spent hours outdoors, flying kites.
The terrace was the best place for this sport. The sky, sprayed with
kites of different colours, some had long tails, a spectacular sight to
catch. There were the big ones and the small ones. The small ones were
not afraid of the big ones and fought with them high up in the sky.
Even grown up men flew kites, and great battle were fought, the kites
swerving and swooping in the sky, tangling with each other until the
string of one was severed. Then the defeated but liberated kite would
float away into the blue unknown.

Now everyone is in a hurry with high hopes, and delicate things like
the kite is like a daydream. After a few years children will simply
read about kites. This is a changing and competitive world. No place
for an outdoor sport like kite flying. In Gujarat, the kite flying
competition is held annually at this time of the year. It is an
international event. It is no longer a common outdoor sport, a sport of
the interested few.

I bought a small number of terracotta decorative pieces. I need to
spend some time on my interior decoration. I can do it on Sunday.

I had a wonderful day. With thanks and prayer, I end my day. Off to
bed, to have the benefit of sleep.