Go Fly a Kite – Festivals in India
Original post: Another World Adventures
For #Adventure365 today we’re looking to the skies and at Festivals in India for adventures. Every year on the 14th and 15th of January the skies over most cities in the Indian state of Gujarat appear to be filled with dancing jewels.
From dawn until well after dusk thousands of kite fliers celebrate the festival of Uttarayan which marks the days of the Hindu calendar that sees summer coming in after winter.
Crowds from across India and more and more international visitors are usually blessed with a bright warm sunny day and just the right amount of breeze to raise the kites aloft. Everything shuts down as people set up base camps on rooftops and along roadways to compete with their neighbours.
Kite flying is a serious business. The week leading up to the festival sees the popular Patang Bazaar – a dedicated kite market in the old city – open for 24 hours a day to service the needs of kit lovers and their friends.
Want to feel like an A-lister? Learn to be a kite-maker. A session with the most popular and respected kite-makers is the hottest-ticket in town if you’re to slay your rival kites down and reign champion. But remember, if you want to get noticed you’re going to have to work hard. Master kite maker and famous kite flyer Rasulbhai Rahimbhai flies trains of up to 500 kits on a single string!
The atmosphere of the festival is as colourful and festive as the many shapes and sizes of the kites themselves. It’s one big party – big enough for lots of local people often referring to time in “Uttarayans” when meeting up with friends … “I met you two Uttarayans ago right?”.
If you’re inspired to experience a festival in India how about the Ardh Kumbh Mela on a Ganges festival journey.
In March 2016 a 15 day small group adventure will have you experiencing one of the most important Hindu festivals in India, navigating the world’s largest railway system, visiting beautiful temples, exploring the Sunderbans tiger reserve and enjoying the vibrancy of this spectacular country.
You’ll travel from the foothills of the Himalayas to the teeming banks of the Ganges and through the largest delta system on Earth. You could pack your own kite and fly it whenever you feel like it. I’m sure you’ll have some local friends joining in in no time. Your kite might come home in shreds but your memories will be treasured forever.
