Indian kites no longer soar high

Nylon parachute cloth Chinese kites are set to invade the skies, leaving the paper kites grounded

Indian made paper kites seem to be stuck on the ground ever since the Chinese kites started gliding into India a few years ago. With each passing year, stock loads of Chinese kites and Tangoos manga, imported from China, Taiwan and Indonesia make their way into shops. And with every New Year, the popularity of traditional Indian kites takes a nose dive.

With just a fortnight away from Sankranti, the festival of kites, the Chinese invasion has started. Mohammed Riyaz of Purani Haveli in the Old City, whose family has been in the business of kite making for over 50 years, also succumbed to kites of the neighbouring country. “Kite flying is slowly dying. Thanks to the regular clientele from Nanded, Nirmal, Nizambad and Karimnagar, we are still in the business. Else we would have closed shop. We have reduced production by 50% in the last two years,” says Mohammed Riyaz.

The story is the same in several kite making centres in the city such as Gulzar Houz, Hussainialam, Dhoolpet and Puranapul. Ram Singh of Dhoolpet who has been in the business for the last 20 years says, “Chinese kites come in different shapes and sizes. From shapes of eagles, owls, fighter jets, birds and superheroes. The traditional Indian paper kites such as the dapan langot and chand tara have no takers.”

The price of Chinese made kites range between Rs 10-300 depending on the size.

Nylon thread wins over manja

It is not just the kites but Chinese manja too has made inroads into the market. The use of gum, glass and rice to make manja is fading away. From almost 800 families who used to make manja there are just a handful left in the city. Tangoos reaches Mumbai, Delhi and other centres in North India from Taiwan, Indonesia and China before it reaches Hyderabad. Devnarayan Das, a vendor says, “There was a time when we were flooded with orders for our manja but now people want the Chinese variety. But let me tell you, they are no match to the Indian manja.”

The old wooden charkas too are making way for plastic ones. ‘The winds are truly blowing the other way. All traditional methods and tools are biting the dust,” says Rizwan a die-hard kite flyer from Rasoolpura.

Many families who depended on making manja have either gone out of business or are on the verge of closing down. Mangesh Singh in Dhoolpet, an expert in making manja says, “I am just carrying on the business as we have a loyal clientele not only in the city but from nearby districts. But I do not know how long this will last.”

Tangoos comes in nine colours and is priced Rs 60 per geeti. (One geeti is about 50 yards) The kites too come in affordable prices ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 150 depending on the size, shape and pattern.

From kites to manja to chakri, the three most important items for kite flying being imported, this Sankranti it is going to be a Chinese invasion of the Indian skies.