l

The Benefits of Kite Flying

       There's an old saying in China - "those who fly a kite can have a long life."

       

         It means that kite flying on a regular basis can lead to longevity. Meanwhile, the making of a gorgeous and novel kite is a creating process. When you look at your kite flying in the vast clear sky, your concentrated, gratified and relaxed mind strengthens the regulating function of higher nervous activity, boosting the health of the body and internal organs. Focusing your eyes on the kite flying among white clouds in the sky serves the same purpose as that of health-preserving ongoing  and the effect is in line with mind cultivation in traditional Chinese medicine.

                   Kite flying is a traditional sports game widely popular among the Indian people. The kite, dubbed the earliest flying object of man kind, originated from China over 2,000 years ago ...

How to make an traditional indian kite.

Teach your little one to make a kite

It is Sankrant season and your child wants to fly a kite. While you want the little one to enjoy kite-flying, make the most of the opportunity by teaching how to make and decorate a kite. For all you know, the kite-making procedure might become a wonderful family occasion. 

Basic requirement

1. 2 thin sticks (one stick should be three feet long, the other two feet long) 

1. 1 roll of strong thread 

1. 1 pair of paper-cutting scissors 

1. glue 

1. 1 big sheet of coloured paper 

The kite frame
 First, make a cross with the sticks, placing them in such a way that the shorter stick is one-third of the way down the longer stick. Join the two sticks by tying a string tightly around the joint. Knot the string and cut it. Put glue on the string and let it dry. Notch the ends of the sticks with a knife. Slot the string into the notches and pull it tight, all the way around. Knot the two ends of the string together. 

Body of the kite
Put the frame of the kite on the coloured paper. Cut the paper in a shape larger that the size of the  of the frame all the way around. Cut away the corners. Bend the edges of the paper, cover over the string and the frame. Stick them with glue.

 The bridle
Now cut a piece of the string up to the length of two sides of the kite (that's one short side and one long side). Tie one end of the string around the top of the spine. Make a loop one-third of the way down the string and knot it. Tie the other end of the string to the bottom of the spine. Cut off any extra string. 

Tail the kite
Measure and cut a string that is five times as long as the kite. Cut more paper into little strips, measuring 2x3 inches. Tie the strips onto the string, 8 inches apart. Tie one end of the tail to the bottom of the kite. Now tie the kite line to the loop. The kite is ready to fly! 

  Decorate the kite
Allow your children to decorate your kite whichever way they want. Either use paint or crayons or colored paper. You can cut the coloured paper into the shape of a butterfly or anything else that your children like and paste it with glue on the kite body. Add as many colours as possible to make the kite stand out. 

Go, fly the kite!!
If you are flying the kite alone, face the direction opposite to that of the wind. With one hand, hold your kite in the air by the lower corner. With your other hand, hold the winder. When the wind blows, let go of the kite, giving it a little push. Move backward and let out the line.  If you're with a partner, have him/her hold the kite in the air, with his/her face to the wind. Walk backward against the wind, letting out the string as you walk. When the wind tugs at the kite, your partner should let it go. As the kite goes up, keep walking backward, letting out more line.  

Uttarayan

               One of the most celebrated festivals of Gujarat, INDIA. In the month of January, people in large numbers gather on terraces to fly kites of various colors to celebrate Uttrayana, the welcome to the sun after the cold winter months. The atmosphere at the festival is electrifying-glass strengthened threads of the Indian fighter kites are matched against each other in the air, and the kite fighter who cuts the other thread is the victor.

Lohri marks the end of a long winter with the return of the sun to the Northern Hemisphere and hence the name Uttarayan. It is celebrated all over Gujarat but the excitement runs highest at Ahmedabad, Surat (known particularly for the strong string which is made by applying glass powder on the row thread to provide it a cutting edge) Nadiad and Vadodara. To be in any one of these places during this festival is to feel the heart and pulse of Gujarat and its people. 

The day of Uttarayan has special importance and is regarded as very auspicious. It is also believed that the Gods sleep for six months closing the doors of heaven, which open at the entrance of the sun in northern zone, i.e. in the orbit of Makara , when the Gods awake from a long slumber.

Uttarayan also has a significant relationship with the agricultural economy of the state. By this time, the Kharif crops are ready and are brought home. In an economy which is purely agricultural, domestic animals are not forgotten and grass is freely distributed to the village cattle. Uttarayan, thus, becomes a harvest festival in the true sense of the term.

For more on kites visit: Ashok Designer kites

History of kites.

          No one knows exactly who flew the first kites or where they were first created, but historians believe that kites developed almost simultaneously and independently in both China and Malaysia approximately 3000 years ago. The inhabitants of the South Sea Islands used kites for many purposes, including communicating with the gods, divination, and funerals.

             One of the main uses, however, was for fishing. Bait was tied to the tail and the kite was equipped with a net to capture the hapless fish. In China, legends and stories about kites also date back about 3000 years. Stories are told of the Chinese military using kites as a distraction and a weapon to confound their enemies. The soldiers are said to have used kites to fly explosives and fireworks over their enemies' heads, causing them to believe that evil spirits were attacking. The frightened enemy troops quickly retreated. Another Chinese story tells of a general who had difficulty with his own troops after they had seen a shooting star and were frightened by it. They felt the fire falling from the sky was an evil omen and were leaving the battlefield. The general used a kite to carry a flame back up into the sky and out of sight. The soldiers were convinced that the star had been returned to the sky and that the evil omen had been reversed. They went on to win their battle.

            There is also a story from Japan about a famous robber named Kakinoki Kinsuke, who was supposed to have used a person-lifting kite to raise himself up to the roof of a castle where the were statues of dolphins made of gold. He was able to steal some of the scales from the dolphins and hid them. He did not escape the authorities, though, and came to a rather fatal end by execution.

As time went on, kites were incorporated into local customs in Asia. In Korea, it is a tradition to write the names and birth dates of male children on the kites and then to fly them. The line is then cut to ensure a good year by taking all the bad spirits with it.

           In India, kites have had a major place in the culture for centuries. The world's largest kite festival called uttrayan is held in Ahmedabad every January fourteenth and boasts over 100,000 kites in the sky at once. Kite fighting, a sport where kite flyers attempt to knock other kites from the sky, is a popular pastime. Kites are so important in this culture that the Hindi language has over 100 words for kites.

For more about kites visit : Ashok Designer kites