The uttarayan festival is one of the most colourful and exciting festivals in India, and attracts people from across the globe. During this time, kites of all sizes and shapes are flown from rooftops and fields to adorn the sky in brilliant shades of colour.
The celebrations are held on 14 January, which marks the transition of the sun from its waning zodiac sign of Sagittarius into Capricorn. This is a very auspicious astrological event, and it also has religious significance.
It is a time to celebrate the new beginnings of spring and to welcome the season with love, devotion and delicacies. Sweets are distributed among relatives, friends and neighbours and people try to forget the past misunderstandings and make their resolutions for the year ahead on a happy note.
Kites are an important part of this holiday, with families buying rhombus-shaped kites or making their own – often from thin paper stretched over bamboo struts. They are then decorated with colorful paint or dye, and have special fortified strings called manjha that have been coated with ground glass particles.
This makes them strong and durable enough to withstand any rival fighter kite. This is an essential part of the kite flying competitions during Uttarayan.
In Gujarat, this tradition has grown into a huge kite festival that attracts scores of kite enthusiasts from all over the world. It’s a big business for a local kite maker, who can prepare up to a thousand of these spectacular creations months in advance.
The festival is a great opportunity to practice your kite-flying skills, as well as take some wonderful photos of the dazzling array of kites that float in the air. The best time to capture the action is in the early morning when the sun is catching up with the kites on the horizon and lighting them up with bright hues.
During this time, it is very easy to get some high contrast shots with good colors and perfect blue skies! It is a good time to shoot portraits or full body shots as well.
A traditional and delicious feast accompanies the festivities as well, with a popular dish called Undhiyu made from winter vegetables. It is served at pop-up stalls all over the city. Another popular treat is Jalebi, which is a deep-fried dough that is coated with a sticky syrup.
The uttarayan festival, which marks the start of the new year, is celebrated in many parts of the country with different traditions. It is a time to fly kites, meet with loved ones and share sweets and other delicacies.
It is also a time to seek blessings from the Lord of Light, Surya. This is a very important day in the Hindu calendar.
There are many rituals to perform during this festival, such as observing fasts and taking holy dip in rivers. It is also a time to seek God’s blessings and pray for peace and prosperity in the coming year.
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