Patang - Kites - Tangling

Wynkin

I have never been the same since visiting India.

I love the place the food and Indian kites are there any other tanglers on the forum?

I live in Framce at the moment and Indian kites are almost unknown here and there are probably less than 20 people that fly them.

They are impossible to buy here so I have to make my own.

I dream of India and flying from the roof tops.

Hal

I spent a very pleasant Sunday afternoon on the roof of a hotel in Old Delhi watching the kite fights over the old city. I felt like I was in the book The Kite Runner.

amdtraveller

Hi Wynkin,

Come to Ahmedabad from 10-15 January any year and "tangle" to your hearts content. 14 and 15 Jan are "Uttarayan" and "Vasi-Uttarayan" days and the urban areas of Gujarat go into kite frenzy. ( In Gujarati, its called "Uttaran"). The state government also organises an International Kite Festival around the 12th.But the non-tangling kind.

On these days, you will find 20 "tanglers" per sq. m , so to speak.

And yes, I am one of them.

This is one festival that truly unites the whole city. There are no religious,caste,gender, social differences. And the fireworks which start in the evening are great.

Incidently, "tangling" goes on even in the darkness, with people relying on instinct and their ears to judge where their opponenets are.

Don't miss it.

saumil98

I am sure you must know about January 14th being celebrated as Kite Flying Day in state of Gujarat.

You should plant to vist India - Ahmedabad particularly between January 10 to January 15. There's an internation kite festival running from Jan 10 to Jan 12 every year. And on Jan 14th & 15th you can fly kites with locals.

Wynkin

By coinicident I was born in Toronto and I have just finished reading The Kite Runner.

A good book but I do not think the author had ever tangled himself there are some glaring errors with the way he describes the use of the cutting line and launching the kites.

There is also no mention that kids only run after cut kites that have not been stolen by the kite that cut them. The person that cuts his opponents line flies in circles after the cut kites line and catches the line by wrapping his line around it thus capturing the other kite.

It's a bit like conkers in the sky.

Trouble is bringing in two kites on one line is difficult as both kites are unlikely to fly in the same way. You are very likely in this situation for another flier to cut your line and try and steal the two kites. This flier then has increasing difficult trying to bring in three kites and again can be cut by another flier who steals four kites!

The most I saw was six kites on one line.

Even more annoying is the book cover that shows two Afghan kites and in the sky are some obviously computer generated images of western looking kites.


There is an Indian Kite Club in Toronto.

Wynkin

I went to Lucknow at Divali when they all fly kites from the roofs and I also met the Kite Club flying the larger kites by the Gumpti.

They were a bit surprised to get westerners arriving to tangle and we were on TV and met the Deputy Minister for Sport.

I have to make my own Indian style kites as none are available her and ecause it is more humid and wet in europe we do not use tissue paper we use polypropylene a very thin light plastic material stronger and water repellant.

My main problem is getting good knot free bamboo for making spars - I am trying to find which species of bamboo is used in India. I also am searching for a supplier of bamboo spars. I have read that a lot come from Bangladesh.

It is also near impossible to buy manga and cotton line in europe.

Beleive it or not there is a French Championship and they have twelve contestants - they say I can enter but I am not allowed to win!

You are so lucky to have local suppliers of kites!

As one of the few European fliers of Indian Kites I have been invited to Cervia in Italy at the end of the month to demonstrate Indian kite flying techniques - should be fun.

lovish

each 15th aug and teej i go to our terrace at 4 am and fly kites till 6-7 pm...

__________________
True Indian BLood will Never think twise before giving his Life to save his Motherland INDIA- Lovish

Wynkin

Does anyone here make their own kites?

If so do you fashion your own spars from bamboo yourself or can you buy the spars locally?

Gametotravel

As kids we did try making kites and used coconut leaf centre for spars. Coconut brooms should be available in some Indian stores there.

Otherwise you should try sourcing graphite spars but then having your kite cut would not be fun!

Wynkin

That's an interesting idea using coconut leaf centres for spars.

Graphite or carbon fibre just don't give the same performance as bamboo and are near impossible to make the ends of the spar bend a little more than the centre.

Indian kites are amazing the way they have developed of centuries and are still so simple yet so perfect and have such incredible performance - they have even spread to South America via Spanish missionaries..

When I was in India I saw a collection of antique and old kites.

One said on it 'Go Home Simon' when I asked the owner of the kites why he was embarassed to tell me at first - it turned out Simon was what they called all British people and the kites were flown before Partition telling the British to leave India.