Santosh Kumar couldn't stop grinning as he wielded his 4kg latai (spindle for flying kites) as the sun shone brightly over Gandhi Maidan on Thursday afternoon.
The businessman had attacked and slashed around 15 kites at Patang Umang 2016, the kite-flying festival at Gandhi Maidan to welcome Makar Sankranti, organised by the Sri Krishna Smarak Vikas Samiti - a body under the office of the Patna divisional commissioner.
"As far as kite flying is concerned, I am still a child," said Santosh (44). "It is hard to resist the temptation to cut the kites of others. I have come here with my children to show them how kites are flown. The load of studies is so much on them that they have no knowledge of such things."
His teenaged sons waited eagerly for their turn.
Kite enthusiasts from across the city assembled at the 62-acre venue for the festival. Many middle-aged men, full of enthusiasm, flew the kites while their families turned into supporters and spectators. Many had come in their cars, loaded with kites, manjha or thread sharpened with a concoction of powdered glass mixed in glue.
Kumar Saurav, a jeweller in his late 40s, was there with his family, busy threading his square paper-kite in a special way so that it could soar high. All the while, he kept teaching to his children the nuances of kite flying. "Kite flying is a good exercise for arms, neck, eyes and brain," Saurav said. "It is part of our tradition and should be continued."
The organisers had invited a team of three expert kite-fliers from Gujarat to introduce newbies to the colourful world of kites. Vibrant Kite Club from Ahmedabad had brought 23 kites - right from plain ones to inflatable ones - of made of synthetic cloth.
"The biggest that we have brought is designed as a komodo dragon that is 60ft long," said Pankaj Paneria, a member of the kite flying team from Gujarat. "The others are in the shape of cobra, fish, Sponge Bob, tiger and other animals. We include principles of aerodynamics while making these kites and their costs span from a few thousand rupees to Rs 2 lakh."
The Gujarati team refrained from exhibiting their costlier kites because the local fliers constantly manoeuvred their kites to attack and cut them.
Gujarati businessmen settled in Patna, like Jitendra Kothari, also came to watch the special kites despite it being a working day. "Makar Sankranti is celebrated in a big way in Gujarat and we thought to come here to celebrate it with kites from there," Kothari said.
Patna divisional commissioner Anand Kishor said: "This is just the beginning. The kite fest will become bigger and better from the next year."
The district administration distributed 500 kites and spindles to enthusiasts. The department of posts also chipped in and distributed 2,000 kites bearing slogans extolling girl child safety and education.
"The interest in this sport is almost gone," said Mamata Kumari, whose family has been selling kites, threads and spindles for the last 70 years at a shop in the Kadamkuan area. "Earlier, the demand for kites in the city was throughout the year except the rainy season. Now people come only around Makar Sankranti."
The kites available in Patna are simple rectangular or square ones made of plain paper or plastic. They are created mostly by people employed by wholesalers located in Paschim Darwaza and Chowk areas of the city.
