Makar Sankranti: The Kite Flying Festival of India

 When: 14 January, 2017

What: Makar Sankranti

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Come winter, people engross in kite flying, loud music and food on their roof tops. However, this is a festivity that usually refers to ‘Makar Sankranti’, a kite flying festival that scientifically marks the beginning of warmer and longer days. While the festival itself is on January 14th, the kite flying season goes strong through November to February when the wind and the weather are ideal.

 'Makar Sankranti', or the Sun’s Northward journey, is the day of this festival and it is only fair you spend it outdoors right under the benevolent sun. With hundreds of kites and aerial wars fought over rooftops and cries of 'woh kaata', a tiny sliver of the Indian spirit resides in the 'patang' and kite flying is an absolute must do on this day. The usually crowded lanes and bazaars of the cities remain empty as families crowd their rooftops to fly their kites and engage in animated, complex aerial wars, in keeping with the spirit of kite-flying on this day. People celebrate the kite festival with such enthusiasm that you’ll find it tough not to get a little tipsy with excitement yourself. To see how one whole city can drop everything just to be able to tug at the 'manjha' (special thread used for kite flying) and cut their opponent’s kite, just climb on to the terrace and watch the war of the Kites for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you even know your adversary; that flying kite, sailing proudly in the windy sky is just asking for a skirmish.