Salutations to the Sun

Uttarayan & the Kite Festival

Folk/Seasonal Festival
January 14–15
Across Gujarat

The Hindu festival of Makar Sankranti marks the day the sun begins its northward journey, signifying both the end of winter and the onset of the harvest season. An auspicious time of the year throughout India, Makar Sankranti is celebrated with great festivities, prayers to the sun god, feasts, and fairs.

In Gujarat, it is called Uttarayan. Uttarayan is a two-day festival with kite-flying at the core of its celebration.

Come Uttarayan, the skies of Gujarat are engulfed by a blaze of colourful kites from dawn until dusk. Across the state, almost all normal activity comes to a standstill and everyone takes to the rooftops and streets to fly kites. A mosaic of kites, of different shapes and sizes, traditional and fantastical, all jostle for space; and ‘competitors’ battle each other as they try to cut their opponents’ strings and bring down their kites. This is serious business!

For this excellent sport, kite-makers prepare the finest: strong, resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension. The kites (patang) are then attached to a spool (firki) of manjha, a special kite-string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be sharp enough to cut the strings of rival kites. For a memorable experience, visit Patang Bazaar, the 24-hour kite market in Ahmedabad’s Old City.

The atmosphere is wonderfully festive as entire families gather on the rooftop; special foods and sweet dishes are prepared; friends and neighbours congregate on the rooftops and terraces that offer the best vantage points to watch and fly kites.

After sunset, special paper lanterns called tukkal are attached to the kites and set adrift in the skies, illuminating the cityscape.

Since 1989, Ahmedabad, a UNESCO World Heritage City, has hosted the International Kite Festival in January as part of the official celebration of Uttarayan, gathering master kite makers and flyers from all over the world.

The Sabarmati Riverfront is a superb vantage point. From here, see thousands of spectacular and unusual kites – from box kites to high-speed sport kites to hand-painted kites – painting the skies.

The celebration of Uttarayan in the historic city of Ahmedabad is a collective social practice that exemplifies communal harmony. For this is an immersive cultural experience, a true celebration, one without borders, beliefs, and faiths.