Kites still make spirits soar in Chandni Chowk

Pankhoori Sinha / TNN / Feb 4, 2006, 01:18 IST

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For those who think kite-flying is a mere hobby for people caught in a time warp, a visit to Chandni Chowk is a must.

Kites still make spirits soar in Chandni Chowk

NEW DELHI: For those who think kite-flying is a mere hobby for people caught in a time warp, a visit to Chandni Chowk is a must for reality check.
The confusing alleys of the area house numerous connoisseurs of the art. Though, a majority of them are today busy breathing life into this dying sport.
According to Firoz Bakht Ahmed, author and educationist: "Kite-flying is an age-old tradition in Delhi, especially in the Walled City.It is one of the biggest centres of kite-flying in the country. This sport became even more popular after Independence."
The Kite Festival, to be inaugurated by actress Mahima Chaudhary at India Gate on Saturday, has made kite lovers nostalgic.

"A kite festival would be wonderful," said 80-year-old Bhai Mian, often referred to as the "godfather" of kite-flying in the area. "Kite-flying used to be one of the most popular sports.
In fact, we used to have serious competitions," he said. "My abba even said that kite-flying would improve our eyesight."
Kites were put to an even more imaginative use. "People would use kites to send messages to their beloved. We used to find it quite amusing," said Ahmed.

However, for Bhai Mian and his ilk, the only regret is that kite-flying has been reduced to a pastime now. "With games like cricket, football and even computers, kite-flying has almost become a thing of the past," said 55-year-old Naseem, a resident of Chandni Chowk.
"During Independence Day, there are about 100 shops selling kites in this very bylane. Otherwise, there are hardly four to five shops that sell kites round-the-year," said Nitin Gupta, owner of the oldest kite shop in Lal Kuan area.
Dying sport it may be, but that hasn't stopped the Chinese dragon from trying to make inroads. Said Gupta: "Chinese kites are bigger, they come in a variety of shapes �� from eagles to butterflies.
They are also costlier, found in the range of Rs 15-300." But Chinese kites are not very popular. Said Gupta: "They are so huge, they require really strong winds to fly. People find Chinese kites fascinating, but they don't want to buy them."

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