The festival of Uttarayan is a uniquely Gujarati phenomenon when the skies over most cities of the state fill with kites from before dawn until well after dark. The festival marks the days in the Hindu calendar when winter begins turning to summer known as Makar Sankranti or Uttarayan. On what is usually a bright warm sunny day with brisk breezes to lift the kites aloft across the state almost all normal activity is shut down and everyone takes to the rooftops and roadways to fly kites and compete with their neighbors.
Kites of all shapes and sizes are flown and the main competition is to battle nearby kite-flyers to cut their strings and bring down their kites. For this people find their favored kite-makers who prepare strong resilient kite bodies with springy bamboo frames and kite-paper stretched to exactly the right tension. Lastly the kites are attached to a spool (or firkin) of manja special kite-string coated with a mixture of glue and glass to be as sharp as possible for cutting strings of rival kites.
Event Details:
Itinerary:
11th January 2025- Inauguration at Ahmedabad
12th January 2025 - Ahmedabad, Kevadiya, Rajkot & Vadodara
13th January 2025 - Ahmedabad, Shivrajpur, Dhordo & Surat
14th January 2025 - Kite Flying at Ahmedabad
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Sabarmati Riverfront, Ahmedabad, India
