A Peek Into the Kite Making Industry in Gujarat
Read on as Sindhu Murthy explores the bylanes of one of the oldest kite markets in India.
This is the time of the year when the skies of Gujarat get filled with a plethora of kites of all sizes. The festival of Uttarayan which marks the decline of winter chills and the onset of spring is the favorite time for people to fly kites.  Thanks to the International Kite Festival promoted by the Gujarat Government, the tradition of Kite Flying has earned the attention of people from across the globe.  One industry which has been immensely benefited from the popularity of International Kite Festival is the kite making industry in Gujarat. Of late, the tradition of kite flying has been spread to many states across India and people have started to fly kites on many more occasions like Independence day and  Holi.
The kite making is a pretty old industry in Gujarat, as old as the tradition of kite flying itself. Â The artisan craft which mostly remained unorganized and unnoticed till a few decades back has now boomed into a 700 crore cottage industry. Jamalpur, a small area in the old city of Ahmedabad is considered as a hub of kite making and is the largest kite market in India. There are over a 1200 families living in Jamalpur who have been making kites for many generations.
As we walked through the narrow alleys of Jamalpur, Â we were welcomed by colorful kites put on display for sale. Walking further, we see the lane extend endlessly with many kite shops on either side- All filled with kites of different sizes, designs, and colors. Â There were spools or firkees of colorful manja beautifully stacked in heaps(Manja is the line used to fly kites, usually coated with marble or glass powder to make it more resilient and abrasive so as to cut other kites in the kite flying competition).
It needs special skill to make kites which fly well. We were told that it involves the efforts of many people to make a kite, each person specialized in a different aspect of kite making. While one person is an expert in designing the patterns for kites, one is good in cutting the designs, Â another person more versed in sticking the patterns and someone else in sticking the bamboo. To improve the quality of kites, thin tissue paper is used as the sail while the bamboo for ribs is sourced from Assam. Â Tassels and frills are added to the kite which will help in making the kite stable during flight while also adding elegance to the kite.
Raw material used for making kites
Tassels used in Kites
Colorful tissue paper used in making kites
It was not just the kites that caught our attention. We were also fascinated by the centuries-old houses which have stood testimony to the growth of the kite making industry in the Jamalpur area. Not much seems to have changed with the buildings since they were constructed many decades ago. The artisans have been making kites in the same buildings for many generations. If only the walls could speak, we would have heard many interesting stories of how the industry has evolved between those dusty lanes. The gray walls, green doors, old scooters, broken windows contrasting with the colorful kites made the market even more intriguing.
It is interesting how the tradition of kite flying has brought together all the sects of the society barring religion, caste, creed and economic status. While the majority of the artisans who make kites are Muslims the consumers are mostly Hindus. It is the reciprocal practices as such that nurture the communal harmony in the society.
Besides the plethora of kite shops, there are many more shops which sell accessories such as goggles, protective gloves, caps and sun shades which are used while flying kites. Grasping the popularity of the kite flying tradition, some brands have started getting their advertisements printed on the kites.
All is not well at the kite market this year. Call it the effect of demonetization or some other factor, the streets of the kite bazaar which usually would be full of customers bear a deserted look. The shopkeepers wait with a hope that the sales would increase soon as it is just an intermittent glitch and this too would pass soon.
Related Posts
Sanganer, Rajasthan
The Diminishing Art of Hand Block Printing in India
Odisha, India
Raghurajpura, Pipli and Dandashahi : Craft Villages of Odisha
Rajasthan, India
A Complete Guide for Buying Souvenirs in Rajasthan
Wow the kites are incredible. The coloured textile looks great on photos
I would have to bring an extra suitcase just for these gorgeous textiles and kites! I always had wondered how much effort was put into kite making but this was more than I even expected. I especially found it intriguing that the line used to fly them is coated with a powder to cut other kites.
Hope something changes and they make some sales. Really interesting background on how these kites are made. Such a beautiful tradition. I’d love to see a kite flying competition there.
Lovely information and beautiful pictures. I had attended a kite festival earlier last year. But if it wouldn’t have been for Jamalpur and the information shared here, I would have never understood the painstaking efforts involved in making a kite. 🙂
The pictures are so beautiful and colorful Sindhu. Even if I don’t read the write up, the pictures take me through the journey.
The pics are competing with the beauty of kites…
Wish your blog bring new life to effort of art n craft behind the scene n nourish the artisons
Great post! Love the photos!
This was such an interesting read!
Thank you for making me discover this part of the world. I would love to wonder those streets and capture those pretty colors!
Your photos are so lively. I have seen those kites before, they truly look amazing. I am sure it is even more amazing when you are there.
Oh my gosh this is so cool!! What a unique blog! I’m obsessed with your pictures, everything is so colorful and pretty 🙂
I love reading about new cultures! Really nice to know more about this kite tradition. I loved the photos as well, so colourful!
The photos of the kites and materials are stunning and so vivid! I hope this practice carries on for generations to come – it’s incredibly unique and artistic.
What a great story about the kite making industry. Hope the market improves soon and keeps the locals at work and the traditions alive. What brilliant and amazing colors. Great article!
This is so beautiful. A story I would never have known! Thanks so much for sharing (and making me want one of these kites!!)
What a cool article! I loved learning about the kite crafting industry, I knew next to nothing about it before. Your photos are absolutely incredible too, all the vibrant colors of the kites really make them pop.
I used to fly kite when I was a kid and I just simply enjoy it, and I do not know there is so much effort involved in making a great kite and the interesting history in the kite making industry. I wish the kite market will be improved in the future to keep the joy, the art and the harmony together. And I really like the different patterns and design of kite, they looks like an art to me!
Interesting article. The kites look beautiful and everything is so colorful.. A clear contrast with the surroundings. Nice photos!
i liked what you said that the kite industry was brought together different religions and casts, this sounds amazing. i also enjoy the colours of the kites from your photos, are full of life. i would love to visit this place honestly.
A lot of my travel blogger friends visited the international kite festival in Ahmedabad, Gujarat in January this year. I noticed such workshops across Ahmedabad some years ago. I hope to catch the kite festival the next year. Great blog.
Hey. Thanks for dropping by Abhinav. we did meet your friend from Bangalore during the trip. Hope to cross path with you some day 🙂
Wow, what an amazing tradition that is making a comeback. I didn’t realize so many people would be involved in making one kite. Must be quite a sight to be in town for the festival.
Gorgeous colours and love that the craft is still alive. This reminds me of ‘Wau’ (Malay kites) back in Kelantan, Malaysia. It’s a dying art!
Wow, what a colorful post! I’m sure more travelers will visit Gujarat thanks to your post – perhaps the locals could start kite-making workshops?
Thank Brooke. There are indeed some kite making workshops held during the International Kite festival organized every year.
Your post re=kindled old memories and old passions. Kite flying was something we reveled in
during our childhood in Ahmedabad. On the day of the Uttarayan festival, the atmosphere would be surcharged with excitement and joy. A great experience, want to go back to hear the sounds of Kaipo Chhe!
i need a person who can show how to make a kite ..big kite used in festival..we are planning a trip to ahmedabad for school childern..and we need that .plz mention name of person with mobile no..we can pay him for his service.
Hey, First of all, thank you so much for sharing this Amazing information about kite making industry of gujarat and Its really helpful for me Once again Thank You very much:)