Click to play videoAhmedabad: As Uttarayan or the festival of kites draws close, Hanif Ghanchi of Ahmedabad, is brushing up his kite flying skills. From letting the kite soar higher, to pulling the strings and intercepting another kite, he is a pro at it.
In fact, he does not even take his eyes off the kite as he boasts of being one of the best in the business.
"The fun is in pulling away until the other person's kite gets cut. I want only my kite to be in the air. I cut at least ten kites with a single kite," says he.
Hanif's craze for the kite festival reflects in markets too. Kites and its accessories are the biggest selling items this time of the year, which translates into brisk business for kite makers, kite sellers and manja (string) makers.
Take for example, manja maker Ustaad Javed Mirza, who has been colouring and sharpening thread at the same spot in Ahmedabad for the past 20 years. There are about 500 manja makers in Ahmedabad alone, but Mirza says he has a secret formula for a perfect manja and it has stood the test of time.
"It's a mixture of rice, glass, soap and colour. Five kilograms of rice will have about two kilograms of glass," he explains.
And that's not all. Kite experts are also offering free advice. Mukesh Dave, who sells kites and manja never hesitates to explain to buyers how the string should be properly tied to a kite and how to get the kinya (knot) just right .
"The kinya is the heart of a kite. The expert level is where the lower length is longer. It gives a power-steering effect to the kite," says Dave.
How best you use the glass coated thread will all depend on whether you are the last man standing in the battle for the sky. And enthusiasts will go any length to get things right.
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