With Makar Sankranti around the corner, local markets and residents are busy gearing up for the kite festival to mark the occasion.
Talking to , Shweta, a resident, said: "So many colourful kites are available in the market and during the festival, kite flying is one of the major aspects of the celebration. However, I appeal to the people not to use glass-coated manja as it is harmful to the birds."
Echoing her opinion, Akash, a student of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM), said: "Though the spirit of celebrating all the festivals are decreasing year-by-year due to various reasons, festivals like Makar Sankranti should be celebrated with great favour."
"This is the time when families, communities and others come together and it is altogether a different experience," he added.
Javed, who runs a kite shop in a local market in Bhopal, said that there is a decline in the number of customers who come to buy kites this year.
"Wide variety of kites have come in the market. In the past years, the demand was higher. However, the business has gone down. Earlier, people used to come in large numbers to buy kites, however, more switched to online shopping and children aren't taking much interest in outdoor activities," Javed said.
From surviving the cold winters to moving towards the livelier season of spring, Makar Sankranti is celebrated in various parts of India with great fervour.
( With inputs from ANI )