Kite sales decrease as fewer kids seem keen

Bengaluru: One of the most anticipated festivals is Makar Sankranti, the harvest festival, which includes kite flying, preparing sweets, Ellu Bella and enjoying the mouthwatering festive delicacies. The Sankranti holiday is much more than just a time for worship and sweets.

One of the major attractions of the Sankranti festival is kite flying, which has numerous health benefits. Though kite flying is currently seen as a sport, this has not always been the case. Due to the prolonged exposure to sunlight, it was once thought to be an activity associated with good health.

However, following the demonetisation and now as a result of the pandemic, kite sales have plummeted. Some kite manufacturers claim that sales have decreased by at least 50 per cent.

"When my father first started this business, nobody in the city, at least not in this neighbourhood, had any experience flying kites. There weren't many sellers on this route, and there weren't many houses nearby. It took him around ten years to stabilise the business after he taught the locals how to fly kites. He persisted in his fight without giving up. He had a great interest in making and flying kites," said Shabir, owner of Barkath Kite Center, Shivajinagar.

When the business first began, his father solely conducted business in Bangalore. At the moment, Shabir also sells his kites to retailers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Beyond the Bengaluru city, we sell kites to dealers in Hassan, Shivamogga, Davangere, and Mysuru in the state of Karnataka. The business has been severely impacted by Covid as it has decreased by 70 per cent," he added.

According to Shabir, the demand for kites has decreased over time mostly due to smartphones. "Kite sales had exploded in the early 2000s, but once smartphones became widely used, the number of kids buying kites went down and has progressively been declining since then," he explained.

Due to the pandemic, Shabir and other kite sellers in Bengaluru are experiencing a sharp decline in demand. During the lockdown, many people took up kite flying as a hobby, but the vendors claim it hasn't really helped.

"The business has experienced a 50% decline. I typically have five to seven customers each day at this time of the year. But these days, I barely have three. Due to lack of awareness, the majority of today's children would not even have had the opportunity to fly a kite," said the owner of M.N Kites.

"With the materials at our disposal, we would make and fly kites. These kites would be sold in stores during the festival season as well, so we would buy them and compete in kite flying amongst ourselves. We would have a pretty great time," said Prajwal, a 34-year-old Graphic Designer.

"However, kite flying has decreased since most children don't know about it and it isn't addressed in our educational system, which is why such age-old hobbies are being lost to time. Additionally, the majority of cartoon programmes do not reflect the tradition of flying kites. Instead of forgetting these traditional games, keep them in mind and practice them," he added.