Indian Festivals are related to health and wealth and the Kite festival is not an exception. Both Makar Sankranti (Uttarayan) and Basant Panchami comes in winter season. Makar Sankranti (Utran) comes on a fixed date of January and heartily celebrated in the South and Ahmedabad host a kite festival as well. Sun rays are very good for health in winter season. Indian sub-continent is a hot weather country and winter is not very long here. Sun rays are harmful during summer. Hence, Indian people can take sun bath in winter only. Kite flying is a good way to get direct sun rays.
Kite festivals encourage people to go to the roof tops or to the open grounds to take sun bath. People involved in kite festival keep their back to the sun. This saves their eyes and face from direct sun rays. All of us know that direct contact of sun rays to our eyes is harmful and dangerous. Kite flying in Patang utsav also strengthens arm muscles. It is also a good exercise for legs and eyes. People keep their eyes on the flying kite (Patang) continually. It enhances their vision and strengthens their eyes. All these have a positive effect on health.
Kite festival is not only an entertainment but also a competition in Gujarat. There are psychological reasons behind celebrating the festival. People have to keep their eyes on flying kites (Patang or Guddi). They have to keep their eyes up! This effects them psychologically. Keeping eyes up boosts confidence. It is a natural remedy of nervousness and depression and to think high. Confidence of a kite flier sky rockets as it moves up in the sky. It also enhances concentration of the kite flier. People also let their kites fight with each other which is called “Pench ladana”. It is a friendly battle. One needs higher level of skill to cut others Patang. Manjha (special kind of thread) plays a great role in cutting others Patang. One should have the knack of rolling over the thread when the fight is on in the air. Some people fly their kites with a tail, mostly made of cloth or paper and it wags in the air.
The kite that is cut, flies randomly with the wind before reaching the earth. People keep constant eyes on those kites and try to get those. Again this boosts their abilities to grab the opportunities. Do you think that this kite festival can bring people out from the depression of economic crisis, recession and global slow down. It helps people to come out of global crisis by preparing them mentally for any eventuality. Kites have different sizes, colours and qualities. It looks very nice and pleasant when kites of various colours fly in the sky which is really colourful. Even trees are looked ornamented with kites fallen over these trees. These scenes fill the mind with joy and happiness on the Makar Sankranti day.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
