Changa chait!
For many, Dashain means kites and skies, and of course kite-duels. Raju Upreti catches up with local kite champs and fans as they soar with their personal kite stories and recall memories of victories and defeats
With the arrival of Dashain the blue sky can be seen dotted with some colourful kites. Some kite enthusiasts are seen on their rooftops holding unto their lattai (spool) and letting their kites take wings. Some are keen for changa chait — to snap the strings of other’s kites as those around sprint to celebrate other’s defeat. Besides kite flying having a cultural aspect to Bada Dashain, it is also about relaxing, celebrating victory and making friends, and memories.
Getting high
There is no record of when the kite-flying practice in Nepal began. According to Dev Kumar Khadgi, an owner of the kite shop, Maitidevi, “Flying kites sends a message to Indra, God of Rains, requesting him to stop rains as the rice fields have had enough water. Also the kite guides the recently released soul to the heaven.”
Khadgi has been selling kites for more than 33 years and he says there has been tremendous decline in the number of kite flyers. “The rate has declined by more than 70 per cent,” he claims citing sales at his shop.
“These days everyone is busy with their mobile phones and laptops,” he says is probably the reason for this drop. “Earlier there was no such technology and
kite flying was taken as a joyful recreation activity; now things have changed.”
The decline in the numbers of kite-flyers, as per Bal Krishna is due to their failure to “pass it on to the new generation, and we never bothered to make them aware about kite-flying reflecting its importance”.
Though the number of kites in the sky has declined over the years, some institutions and local organisations have been organising kite festivals to preserve the tradition of kite-flying.
Rotaract Club is one such organisation and as per Anish Manandhar, President of Rotaract Club of Sainbu, Bhaisepati, they organise kite flying festival to “preserve and promote this tradition” every year now.
“This is the tradition that represents Dashain celebration — everyone must be concerned regarding its preservation and pass it onto the next generation for its successful growth,” he opines.
