Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Entertainment | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

Passions soar with kites

The skyline was dotted with colourful kites that resembled the crowded streets of the city as the dashing colours of the paper birds filled the vast azure space

Photo:K.R.Deepak

GIVING A TOUGH COMPETITION Youngsters flying their kites at the festival

"Elsewhere the sky is the roof of the world; but here the earth was the floor of the sky. The landscape one longed for when one was away, the thing all about one, the world one actually lived in, was the sky, the sky!"---Willa Cather

`Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky.' No, we are not talking about stars on a clear night. What were shining as bright as stars on a sunny Sunday morning were kites of different hues and shapes. And they soared high - some unique, some ordinary, but still exotic enough to capture the hearts of thousands gathered at the beach.

The skyline was dotted with colourful kites that resembled the crowded streets of the city as the dashing colours of the paper birds filled the vast azure space. This was the kite festival organised by Bala Vikas Foundation under the aegis of MGM Selvee World in association with the Visakhapatnam Flying Kite Association. As many as 75 persons participated in the festival that was characterised by great bonhomie and fierce competition.

It began as a friendly contest but soon passions got roused to a feverish pitch in the battle of tangled threads. The heads gazed at the blue sky above that soon seemed like a battleground of some sorts.Very soon rival and friendly `camps' were formed with the sole intent of getting one's kite to stay up while leaving the others floating about with sliced strings.

Someone once remarked: `Imagination is the highest kite one can fly.' And with imagination, the participants transformed the pieces of paper into lurid shapes that instantly caught the eye. The kites were worth a look for their size and the different innovative designs - there was a kite in the form of a grand ship that sailed in the blue backdrop of the sky, an elephant with its young ones and another that looked like a demon carrying a shield.

Kite-flying once used to be as popular as cricket in the country. "I still remember the days when we would meet on a roof-top and spend the entire day flying kites. We used to get so engrossed that we would even forget to have our food," says Rana Singhvi. But over the years, the number of participants has dwindled and so has the duration of kite flying, he laments.

For the youngsters, events like these are the only opportunity to unite once again and enjoy the fun. "It's impossible to take out time and buy the best of the paraphernalia. Moreover, one needs to have a companion. Who's got the time today?" asks Vikram, a software professional.

While passionate kite-fliers have become a rare breed now, 70-year-old Kishenlal Jain is not only proficient at flying kites but also loves passing his famed expertise to adolescents. Even in his twilight years, he has a young heart and an enthusiasm that beats even the youngsters. "Ever since I was a 10-year-old, I have been flying kites," he says. Through his penchant for kite flying, he hopes that the youngsters will get initiated in the sport that can become an international game.

Kites in history

Kites first made their appearance over 3,000 years ago, in China. Here, bamboo was used for the frame and silk for the sail. Later it was experimented as a science instrument for various researches.

American statesman and scientist Benjamin Franklin experimented with kites to investigate atmospheric electricity. Kite studies were also made by the American physicist and inventor Alexander Graham Bell.

On November 12, 1894, Lawrence Hargrave was lifted from the ground by a train of four of his cellular kites. He developed several styles of kites and gliders, refined and developed the concept of curved surface wings, and also invented the rotary engine.

On November 7 1903, Samuel Franklin Cody actually crossed the English Channel aboard a vessel towed by kites. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, kites were used for lifting military observers to heights from which they could observe the disposition of enemy forces.

During World War II (1939-1945), kites were also used as gunnery targets.

French Military kites have been popular with kitefliers since long. Their lifting power and stability make them ideal for high altitude flying.

Nivedita Ganguly

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail