Uttarayan

Uttarayan is a Hindu festival celebrated primarily in Gujarat, India, marking the days when winter begins turning to summer, known as Makar Sankranti[5][1]. The festival is a uniquely Gujarati phenomenon, when the skies over most cities of the state fill with kites from before dawn until well after dark[1].

Historical Origins and Cultural Significance

Kites are believed to have first arrived in India either through Muslim traders coming eastward through Persia or Buddhist pilgrims coming from China in search of sacred texts[1][3]. A 1000-year-old composition by Santnambe, a composer, makes mention of kites, and numerous classic paintings emerging from ancient Gujarat portray images of kite flyers[3].

Since Gujarat is at the westernmost edge of India, it is one of the regions where Muslim and Hindu cultures have blended to a great degree in many aspects, hence the development of using kites, probably brought by Muslims, to celebrate Uttarayan, a Hindu festival[1]. Though Uttarayan is originally a special day of the Hindu calendar, it is said that the idea of flying kites to celebrate the date was a concept that arrived with Muslims from Persia, and it has now transcended all religious boundaries[1].

Festival Dates and Celebrations

Uttarayan has grown into such a big celebration that it has become a public state holiday every 14 January, celebrated in Gujarat since 1989 with world's master kite flyers and creators[7][2]. Uttarayan 2026 will be celebrated across Gujarat from 10th to 14th January, beginning in Rajkot, Surat and Dholavira on 10th January, followed by events in Shivrajpur, Statue of Unity, Ektanagar and Vadnagar on 11th January, with Ahmedabad hosting the grand festivities from 12th to 14th January at the Sabarmati Riverfront[1].

On what is usually a bright warm sunny day with brisk breezes to lift the kites aloft, across the state almost all normal activity is shut down and everyone takes to the rooftops and roadways to fly kites and compete with their neighbors[1]. In major cities of Gujarat, kite flying starts as early as 5 am and goes until late night where approximately 8 – 10 million people participate in the whole festival[5].

Fighting Kites and Competition

Kite Types and Construction

The kites flown during Uttarayan are typically rhombus-shaped, made of paper and bamboo, and beautified with colourful paint or dye[2]. The kites used in kite battles are called patangs in Hindi and have special, fortified strings called manjha that are made of a mixture of glue and ground glass which becomes sharp enough to cut the strings of rival fighter kites[2].

For this, people find their favored kite-makers who prepare strong resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension[1]. The kites are attached to a spool (or firkin) of manja, special kite-string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be as sharp as possible for cutting strings of rival kites[1].

Kite Fighting Techniques and Terminology

Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown, and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites[1]. Kite flyers compete with each other with the sole goal of bringing down the kite of their contenders, and it is a sight to behold when you see passionate kite flyers engrossed in flying their kites high up and applying all sorts of tricks to severe the strings attached to their rival kites[3].

Patangbaazi is the terminology used for the art of getting in the act of kite fighting, and "Kai Po Che" is a celebratory phrase used when you cut someone's kite, which merely means "I have a cut"[12]. During battles, terms like "dheel de" (give slack) and "khainch" (pull) are used when two kites are in a pech (entanglement) with each other, with khainch being used when you pull to cause friction and cut the opponent's kite[12].

Preparation and Equipment

Preparations for the kite flying competitions start many days ahead of the Uttarayan day and people who take part in the contest will apply a mix of glass dust and glue referred to as 'manja' to their kite strings, making the strings sharp and crisp so they can easily cut through the kite strings of rival kites[3]. Well before the festival, participants seek out their favourite kite maker to prepare for them the most resilient kites with the sharpest string[2].

During a typical day of kite flying, a participant can lose up to a hundred kites during bouts of kite fighting, with a kite costing pennies[2]. Kite flyers and the 'reel handlers' – a companion who handles the kite's string – show off their skills while family and friends watch and enjoy special locally-made snacks and sweet coffee[2].

International Kite Festival

As an official celebration of the Uttarayan festival, the International Kite festival is organized in the Ahmedabad city each year since 1989, where master kite flyers and master kite craftsmen gather and showcase their unique skills, taking the stature of a big global meet of kite flyers, enthusiastic audiences and kite craftsmen coming from different corners of the country and globe[3].

In past years, kites from nook and corner of the world have adorned the skyline of Gujarat - Malaysia have brought their wau-balang kites, llayang-llayang have come from Indonesia, kite innovators from the USA brought with them giant banner kites, and Japanese rokkaku fighting kites have shared the space with Italian sculptural kites and Chinese flying dragons[7].

Market Culture and Preparation

The selling and buying of kites doesn't get more intense than at the famous Patang Bazaar of Dilli Diwaraja in the heart of Ahmedabad, Gujarat's largest city, and during the week leading up to the festival, this market remains open 24 hours[2]. Production of kites and kite supplies can be seen on the streets of Ahmedabad beginning in November to get ready for Uttarayan, and nowhere more so than in Patang Bazaar, the special kite market that appears in the old city, which is open 24 hours a day for the week preceding the festival[1].

Cultural and Agricultural Significance

Uttarayan also has a significant relationship with the agricultural economy of the state, as by this time, the Kharif crops are ready and are brought home, making Uttarayan a harvest festival in the true sense of the term[4]. In Gujarat grain from the new harvest is used to cook 'khichdo', and typical food like Undiya, sugar cane juice and local sweets are served to celebrate the day[4].

People forget and forgive ill will, and for this, they ritually offer each other food balls made of sesame seed and jaggery[4]. The term Uttarayan is derived from two different Sanskrit words "Uttara" (North) and "ayana" (Movement) thus indicating the northward movement of the Sun on the celestial sphere, which begins to occur a day after the winter solstice in December and continues for a six-month period through to the summer solstice around June 21[5].

Night Celebrations

While during the day the colourful kites grace the skies as far as the eye can see, at night white-coloured kites – which are more visible in the dark – simply continue with the fun, and night-time also sees special illuminated kites lift magic into the sky with their attached paper lanterns or tukkals[2]. At night, kite fighters send up bright white kites to be seen in the darkness, and skilled flyers will send aloft their tukkals with strings of brightly lit lanterns in a long line leading back down to the rooftop[1].