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When the Indian tri-colour (Indian National Flag) unfurls at the Red Fort in Delhi on August 15 (Indian Independence Day) to the accompaniment of jana, gana, mana (Indian National Anthem) and music from the military band, thousands of tiny, colourful dots will splatter the morning sky!
The tiny colourful dots are actually kites! Somehow, kites have come to symbolize freedom. It has become an integral part of the Independence Day celebrations in India. Independence Day in India is almost like kite flying festival. But, it is not organized. It is spontaneous. It celebrates the spirit of freedom!
You find kites of a hundred hues vying for space in the overcrowded sky. Red, yellow, blue, green…you name the colour and it is there. You also find bi-coloured kites which are actually a combination of two colours. And, then, you have tri-coloured and multi-coloured kites. You even have designer kites. And, some of them even have tails tied to them!
However, it is the tri-coloured kites that dominate the sky on the Independence Day. That is because it represents the tri-colour—the Indian National Flag.
The kite flying contest is an open contest. There is no bar. Anybody can participate in the contest.
Armed with a stock of kites, twine and a spool, the contestants climb on to their rooftops and fly kites. Usually, it is a team of two. One of them holds the spool while the other one flies the kite. They use two types of twines. One is of the thick variety and the other one belongs to the thin variety.
The contestants who use the thick variety of twine start pulling the kite the moment it gets entangled with another kite. The ones with the thin variety of twine on the other hand release the twine from the spool at a great speed till on of the kites gets severed. Either way, their actions are mechanical and are fun to watch.
It is a battle of wits. It is animated. The participants compete passionately. Although there are thousands of kites in the sky, it is always a one to one fight. That is the beauty of it.
The one who manages to keep his kite flying after the fight, is the winner. The one whose kite gets severed, is the loser. But, that brings us to a very important question…
I told you just now that the kite symbolizes freedom. But, which kite symbolizes freedom in the real sense of the word? The kite of the loser which gets severed and is absolutely free from the spool but is bound to fall? Or, the kite of the winner which is still tied to the spool but is sure to soar into the sky?
