Mumbai Gears Up for Vibrant Makar Sankranti With Colorful Kites

Mumbai's Western Suburbs is all set to paint the sky in distinct hues ahead of the Makar Sankranti festival with vibrantly colored kites adorning shops and markets. The variety of designs, shapes and sizes is dazzling, ranging from cartoon faces to trendy themes like Chandrayaan and army prints, adding to the festive spirit. Traditional sesame sweets and black sarees and dresses complete the scene.

 
 Ajay Sawant, who works with RK Kites, a seasonal festive shopkeeper in Malad says, . "We have 30 to 40 types of kites in distinct shapes, sizes, patterns and designs. The best-selling has been the Pokemon face kites and the army print kites. We have sold approximately 20K kites in the past month." Another Kite Shopkeeper, Mansukhlal Shah from Borivali West said, "The shiny and huge ones have more demand. People are crazy for big kites, especially the people who are hosting parties in their respective societies. This indicates the competitive spirit and enthusiasm surrounding the kite-flying tradition." Interestingly, kite sellers in Malad, Kandivali, Borivali and Goregaon source their kites and manjha from Surat, highlighting the influence of Gujarati culture in these regions. 

Residents say buying kites made in Gujarat strengthens the festive atmosphere. "Makar Sankranti in Gujarat is unmatched, but buying these kites brings a bit of that spirit here," said Borivali West resident Nitin Shah. Malad West resident Rani Purohit added, "Buying kites is usually my kid's thing, but it's a way for us to bond. We have our own little ritual of parents vs. kids kite-flying competition. 

People are choosy with their kites, as is the case with manjha. Good quality manjha means, already the winner. Kite seller Shah said, "People see how tough is the manjha, many ask for glass-coated thread, but we are not selling it. We only have cotton thread manjha." Shah and Sawant both claim that police inspect the shops to ensure compliance with the ban on nylon manjha. They affirm that these inspections are successfully cleared, highlighting their adherence to the regulations set by the authorities. Despite the 2023 ban on nylon manjha and Chinese thread rolls by Mumbai police, some shops continue to sell them. Violators face charges under section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobeying the law. The order aims to protect wildlife and the environment, and prevent potential harm from synthetic threads.