The three-day festival marking the arrival of spring starts in Lahore on Friday
A large number of people are buying kites in connection with the upcoming Basant festival in the provincial capital. PHOTO: APP
On a cold, misty morning, hundreds of kite-flying enthusiasts queued at Mochi Gate in Lahore’s Walled City, waiting for their turn to buy kites ahead of this week’s Basant festival, which returns after a one-year hiatus.
Hundreds of others thronged the adjacent streets as kite sales began at about 300 designated locations and vendors across the city.
A frenzied energy flowed through the crowd as everyone scrambled for a dragon, and every time a lucky few managed to catch one, the air was filled with jubilant cheers and clapping.
The three-day festival, traditionally celebrated with the arrival of spring, starts on Friday.
“My friends and I came here six hours before the shop opened,” said Kashif Shah, a hang-gliding enthusiast. Anatolia.
“We have been waiting for years for this moment and to see Lahore’s skies filled with kites again.”
Shah has organized a rooftop party at his home on the first day of the festival.
Old Lahore, or the walled city, is the epicenter of Basant, with residents even renting out their rooftops for kite flying.
Meanwhile, several streets and squares in the north, or what some call the new Lahore – home to high-end locales and glitzy skyscrapers – have been decorated with fancy lights for the festival.
Huge billboards and models have been erected in several places to highlight the festival’s theme: cultural revival with responsibility.
“I see this kind of festivity after a long time. It reminds me of the good old days when Basant was actually celebrated,” said Javed Malik, another kite lover, in his 60s.
“It will also be a great opportunity for Gen Z to learn about Basant, which was once an integral part of Lahore’s culture.”
Safety restrictions to avoid injury
Kite flying is the centerpiece of Basant, a festival traditionally celebrated in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab to welcome spring.
Music, barbecue and traditional dhol beats or drums were also the highlights of the event which began at night and lasted throughout the day.
However, the festival saw a number of bans over the past two decades due to deaths caused by sharp glass or metal-coated strings used to untie kites during competitive kite fights.
The dual temptation of money and praise makes children and young boys run after the wandering dragons, which sometimes turns out to be a dangerous pursuit.
Apart from fatal traffic accidents and stampedes during the run, there have been bloody clashes between groups claiming the rights to land kites.
Basant was first banned in Pakistan in 2007 following several deaths and injuries caused by kite strings.
The ban was briefly lifted in 2018, but was immediately reinstated after dozens of victims.
However, successive governments failed to fully implement the ban, prompting the police to hunt down and arrest violators.
This year, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has allowed the festival to be celebrated only in Lahore.
The provincial government has issued a set of restrictions to avoid casualties, including a complete ban on unsafe strings and the use of safety bars on motorcycles, while each kite and string will have a unique QR code.
There will also be a complete ban on the display of weapons or shooting from the air. An offender can be sent to jail for up to five years or face a fine of up to Rs 5 million.
Skyrocketing prices dampen enthusiasm
Basant was taken to its peak by former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, who made it an international event in the early 2000s.
It promoted Lahore as the cultural capital and was popular to the point that citizens rented out the roofs of their houses for events during the month.
The more kites you bring down, the more praise they get from colleagues, and the “looted” kites are often bought by revelers at a good price.
However, soaring kite and line prices have dampened the enthusiasm of many.
Kite prices fluctuate between Rs400 and Rs700, while a “pinna” – ball of kite string – sells for Rs12,000 to Rs16,000.
“Kite prices are reasonable but the ‘pinna’ cost is unbearable. We can’t afford that,” said Rana Saim, a member of a local kite flying group. Anatolia.
Owners, he added, also demand between Rs200,000 and Rs1 million to rent out their rooftops, depending on the size and location.
“There must be a price check by the government, otherwise low and middle income groups will not be able to enjoy the festival,” Saim said.
Entertainment and finance
For Zohaib Saleem Butt, a television host and writer who often writes about Lahore’s culture, Basant has long been the city’s identity.
Apart from entertainment, he said, it also generates huge economic activity which benefits several sections of society.
“Dro sellers, caterers, tailors and others have huge orders for Basant. Dhol players are booked and hotels are making extra guests,” Butt said Anatolia.
Yellow roses and marigolds, which symbolize the arrival of spring, are also in high demand.
However, some remain skeptical and warn that kite flying could once again cause harm.
“No festival or economy is more important than human life. It is a bloody sport that has killed hundreds of people, including children and women,” said Qaiser Sharif, a Lahore-based writer and political activist.
speaks to AnatoliaSharif said that stray kite strings have killed and injured several people across Punjab over the past few months.
“Governments have failed to prevent deaths and injuries in the past with their so-called restrictions, so how are they going to do it now?” he said.
It will be impossible for the government to implement safety protocols in a city above 14m, Sharif claimed, suggesting that kite flying could be allowed in open grounds to avoid casualties.
“If there are any deaths or injuries, Maryam Nawaz should be held responsible,” he asserted.
Butt agreed with the concerns and urged revelers to strictly follow safety protocols to avoid incidents that could lead to another ban.
However, CM Maryam insists that her government’s preventive actions and citizens’ cooperation will help restore Lahore’s cultural image. “Let’s celebrate a safe Basant,” she said in her message.
