MAKAR SANKRANTI – A KITE FLYING FESTIVAL
DURING THE WINTER PERIOD AND ACCORDING TO HINDUS CALENDAR , MAKAR SANKRANTI IS THE MAIN FESTIVAL WHICH IS CELEBRATED
EVERY YEAR IN OUR COUNTRY IN THE MONTH
OF JANUARY. IT IS A SEASONAL AS WELL AS RELIGIOUS CELEBRATION CELEBRATED BY
ALMOST EVERY HINDU FAMILY. DATE FOR THE SAKRANTI IS SAME AS EVERY YEAR’S DATE
I.E. 14TH JANUARY BUT THE
DATE MAY DIFFER SOMETIMES TO 15TH JANUARY. IT’S TOTALLY A FUN FILLED
CELEBRATION IN WHICH EACH PERSON WETHER A MAN , WOMAN OR CHILDREN EVERYONE
PARTICIPATES EQUALLY. THIS FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED IN MANY STATES OF OUR COUNTRY
BUT MAJORLY IT HAS A SIGNIFICANCE IN
RAJASTHAN…..
SANKRANTI IS A KITE FLYING FESTIVAL AND MAJORLY IT IS
CELEBRATED IN RAJASTHAN IN WHICH PEOPLE GET
THE KITES OF DIFFERENT SHADES AND VARIETIES AND THE MANJHA AND SADDA DAY BEFORE
SAKRANTI…. SOME OF THE KITES ARE NAMED AS PATTIDARA , GLASSDARA ETC ARE MADE UP
OF PAPER AND PANNI..KITES- IT MEANS PATANG… WE NORMALLY CALL KITES AS PATANG….MANJHA
IS BASICALLY MANUFACTURED FROM BAREILLY AS IT IS THE MAIN CENTRE FOR THE
MANUFACTURING OF MANJHAS…..CITY OF JAIPUR IS THE MAIN CENTRE FOR GETTING THE
KITES AND MANJHAS FOR THE FESTIVE SEASON….. ON THIS DAY EVERY FAMILY HAS A FOOD
WHICH INCLUDES KHICHDI-AMTI , TIL K LADDOO , FEENI IN SWEETS …… IN THE MORNING
WOMEN OF THE HOUSE FOLLOW ALL THE RITUALS BY DOING POOJA AND GIVE AWAY THE OBJECTS TO 13 WOMEN THEY CAN BE
MARRIED AND UNMARRIED AS WELL WHICH THEY HAVE CHOSEN AND THIS IS CALLED AS
KALAPNA….
ON THE DAY OF SANKRANTI PEOPLE GETS UP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND GOES TO THE
TERRACE TO FLY THE KITES… BEFORE FLYING IT IS NECESSARY TO TIE THE KITES WITH
THE MANJHAS OR SADDAS WHICH IS COMMONLY KNOWN AS TANG DAALNA….EVEN AFTER THIS
PEOPLE LOVE AND ENJOYS FLYING THE KITES WHICH ARE CUTTED AND HAVE FLAYED….USUALLY MOST OF THE FAMILIES PUT
A SETUP OF MUSIC SYSTEM WITH BIG SPEAKERS…. WHILE FLYING THEY ALL HAVE LUNCH
THERE ONLY….
WOMEN ALSO JOIN THEM IN FLYING KITES…. EVERY SINGLE MEMBER
OF THE FAMILY IS AVAILABLE THERE ON THE TERRACE GOSSIPING SHOUTING ENJOYING THE
FESTIVAL…..FOR KIDS SADDA IS PREFFERED TO FLY THE KITES AS IT DOESNOT HARM THE
CHILDREN AND DON’T PROVIDE WITH ANY CUTS WITHIN THE FINGERS…. WO KATA , PENCH
LADANA ARE SOME OF THE WORDS WHICH ARE USED WHILE FLYING KITES…WHILE FLYING
KITE AND WITH THE USE OF MANJHA WE USUALLY GET THE CUT WITHIN FINGERS… AND USE
WHITE TAPES TO COVER IT…. EARLIER WHEN THE KITES WERE TORED OR ARE RIPPED
PEOPLE USED POTATO TO STICK THEM AGAIN BUT NOW WHITE OR COLOURED TAPES ARE
AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET TO STICK IT AGAIN…
AS SOON AS THE DAY IS
COMING TO AN END , IN EVENING PEOPLE SETS UP A BONFIRE ALONG WITH CRACKERS ,
MUSIC SYSTEMS AND ENJOYS BY DANCING SINGING….. NOWADAYS SOME MORE NEW AND
EXCITING THINGS ARE ADDED TO IT LIKE USE OF LANTERNS… IF WE LOOK UP AT THE SKY
WE CAN SEE THAT THE SKY IS FULL OF STARS IN FORM OF LANTERNS….
AND EVERY
HOUSE MEMBER IS PERFORMING THIS ACTIVITY
SO GRACEFULLY THAT IT MAKES IT MORE BEAUTIFUL AND FANTABULOUS…. AT THE END
FAMILIES GO OUT FOR DINNERS WITH THEIR LOVED ONES,THEIR SIBLINGS OR COUSINS… THIS
IS THE WHOLE DAY ENJOYMENT WHICH WE DO BUT SOME PEOPLE ARE SO INTRESTED IN THIS
FESTIVAL THAT THEY STARTS FLYING OR FLAYING THE KITES ONE OR TWO MONTHS BEFORE
THE SANKRANTI..
MAKAR SANKRANTI IS A FESTIVAL FULL OF CELEBRATIONS AND
ENJOYMENT IN THE FORM OF FLYING THE KITES , ENJOYING MUSIC , WATCHING OTHERS
FLYING AND HAVING A FIGHT BETWEEN DIFFERENT KITES… EVERYONE WITH THE SAME
EXCITEMENT SHOUTS WO KAATA….. IT’S A FUN FILLED FESTIVAL WHICH CAN BE ENJOYED
BY EACH AND EVERY PERSON OF THE FAMILY….ALONG WITH THIS WE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF
ONE THING WHICH IS MAJORLY AFFECTED AT THE TIME OF THIS FESTIVAL I.E. BIRDS…
BECAUSE OF THIS MANJHA AND KITES , BIRDS ARE REALLY AFFECTED AND HARMED… WE
SHOULD ONLY USE SIMPLE SADDA AND MANJHA , NO USE OF CHINESE MANJHA SHOULD BE
THERE….. IT’S NOT ONLY ABOUT BIRDS BUT IT CAN HARM HUMAN BEINGS ALSO WHO ARE
TRAVELLING OR RIDING BIKES OR SCOOTERS.
