As per the Indian calendar, the festival of Uttarayan marks the day when winter is over, and it is time to welcome summer. It is a call-sign for farmers that the harvest season is approaching which is called Makar Sankranti. Makar Sankranti is a festival celebrated in almost all parts of India and Nepal in a myriad of cultural forms. This day is one of the most important harvest days in India and celebrated as a harvest festival.

However Every year, Uttarayan is also celebrated as ‘Kite Flying Festival’ in India. The kite festival is a concept wherein communities gather and engage in kite flying competitions. It is most awaited celebration Kite flying is a fun way of celebrating this festival for people all around Gujarat. Months before the festival, homes in Gujarat begin to prepare kites for the festival.

The event ‘International Kite Festival’ hosted at Ahmadabad is one of the most awaited celebrations in Gujarat, India which is regarded as one of the biggest festivals celebrated across the western coast as it draws a lot of domestic as well as foreign tourists

Kite Festival of Gujarat is a must do thing on every traveler’s bucket list, Even if you are not able to visit Gujarat to enjoy kite flying due to some constraints, you can create the kite flying event at your own place and celebrate a memorable kite festival with your loved ones. Impersonating these things can ensure that you celebrate this harvest festival the same way as it would be – being celebrated in Gujarat during the International Kite Festival:

Make your own Kite and Manja

Making a kite and manja for kite fighting is very easy and simple task. You should make glue using just three things available at home. You should boil water and flour and add a cup of sticky rice or sago (Sabudana). This glue can be used to colour & strengthen the kite string. The kite string is also known as ‘Manja.’ (the thread with which the kite is flown) Making a kite is very easy too and can be done using old newspapers. Contribute your bit towards a greener earth by making sure to reuse those old newspapers and comic strips to make your designer kite. Color them up and keep your pile of colored kites ready to welcome the Uttarayan festival. You could also take help from the search engines to make designer kites.

Cook traditional Gujarati delicacies like Jalebi and Undhiyu

During the morning of this harvest festival, gorge into freshly made Fafda and Jalebi. You could also cook the traditional Gujarati delicacy, Undhiyo. Undhiyo is a Gujarati winter delicacy prepared with root vegetables. Undhiyo is a mixed vegetable casserole that is traditionally cooked upside down in an earthen pot. It is savoured with Puri and jalebi. You can also add Mathiyas and keep it is a finger food for your family members and friends to enjoy while flying kites throughout the day.

Make kite flying a family sport

Teach your kids the art of flying a kite. Kids enjoy the kiting sport and can get busy the entire day playing this sport and watching others showcase their skills. Kite flying is a sport that helps you bond with your family too. It encourages family bonding by involving them into this fun filled activity. Your child will acquaint himself with the knowledge of this festivity when your family is around and the elderly will narrate their amazing stories with the little ones. Your child is not the only one who will benefit from participating in such team sports. Your entire family will enjoy this stress busting activity and you are sure to get carried away with this addictive sport.

Invite your friends and relatives to compete

Make this sport more interesting by competing with your colleagues, friends and relatives. Invite your loved ones, savour the regional delicacy of Undhiyo and jalebi and share the joy and merriment with your folks. Fortunately, this year’s Uttarayan falls on Saturday, January 14. Plan to make the most out of this Saturday and surely this day would be one of the most memorable days of your life. You can also organize a kite craft competition for the little ones to showcase their creativity and talent.

Find your own play field

Kite flying can be best enjoyed in an atmosphere where there is wind and it requires space to move around while playing this sport. Most of our modern-day homes do not have terraces and the timid balconies do not serve the purpose. There is no sufficient wind too as all we can see is pollution and smog. However, if this concerns and makes you worried then the best option would be countryside or visit farmstay to enjoy the windy open sky & have fun with the locals. Kite flying is an outdoor activity and farmstays provide you with a huge play area to enjoy this activity with your family. As Uttarayan is also a call-sign for the farmers, you could gain knowledge about the farming practices too.

Due to our busy lives, most of us cannot make it to Ahmedabad to witness this year’s International Kite Festival. But, I think you can create your own kite flying event for friends and family surrounded by lush greenery and where there is ample of wind blowing to support your kite scale new heights and give a tough time to the competitors.