HUNDREDS OF colourful kites are ready to fight for supremacy in the city sky on Jamghat. People celebrate the day after Diwali flying kites. While most people are busy preparing for various festivities, there is a hard-core group that waits keenly for ‘Jamghat’.
A festival that started as a hobby when the city was ruled by nawabs over a century ago, has now become a tradition, that has many keen followers. It is a festival where people of all communities gather in their respective mohallas to celebrate the festival and enjoy the kite flying. Nadwa Grounds is a prominent hub on the occasion.
Owner of Doctor Kite Centre at Hussainganj, Salim, says, “Our business has been ticking for a while now. People are busy buying kites and the paraphernalia for the D-Day. We have to be well equipped with kites long before Jamghat. On an estimate, around 5 lakh kites are sold exclusively for Jamghat in Lucknow.”
“The craze for kite flying, however, is dying among youth. People used to enjoy it once but now the charm is waning. Now, the young have become lazy and do not want to indulge in such activities. Initially, our sale was double of what it is right now,” added Salim.
The kites are priced from Re 1-Rs 5 a piece and the charkhi (spindle) is priced at Rs 10-50. “It’s the fun day for us. I fly kite only once a year and that is on Jamghat. The day is whole-heartedly devoted to kite flying. All my friends gather at one place and enjoy the day amidst food and sweetmeats. I buy kites for children of the entire colony because it’s fun to be with them for this festival,” said Abbas.
{{/usCountry}}The kites are priced from Re 1-Rs 5 a piece and the charkhi (spindle) is priced at Rs 10-50. “It’s the fun day for us. I fly kite only once a year and that is on Jamghat. The day is whole-heartedly devoted to kite flying. All my friends gather at one place and enjoy the day amidst food and sweetmeats. I buy kites for children of the entire colony because it’s fun to be with them for this festival,” said Abbas.
{{/usCountry}}Rizwan (15), however, does not like flying kite. He said, “Kite flying is a dangerous game, so I don’t like it. I feel that there are better games to play after Diwali. I like spending time with my family or meet up with friends.”
Meanwhile, the patang is ready for it’s flight, and all it needs is a ‘chhudaiyya’ from a fellow flier. Before long, one will again hear ‘Woh Kata!’.