The three-day festival marking the arrival of spring is scheduled to begin on Friday in Lahore.
A large number of people are buying kites on the occasion of the upcoming Basant festival in the provincial capital. PHOTO: APPLICATION
On a cold and foggy morning, hundreds of kite enthusiasts lined up at Mochi Gate in the walled city of Lahore, waiting their turn to buy kites ahead of this week’s Basant festival, which returns after a year-long hiatus.
Hundreds more people filled the side streets as kite sales began at some 300 designated locations and vendors across the city.
A frenzied energy surged through the crowd as everyone rushed for a kite, and every time a lucky few managed to catch one, the air filled with jubilant cheers and applause.
The three-day festival, traditionally celebrated with the arrival of spring, is scheduled to begin on Friday.
“My friends and I came here six hours before the store opened,” said Kashif Shah, an avid kite flyer. Anadolu.
“We have waited years for this moment to see the sky of Lahore filled with kites again.”
Shah threw a party on the roof of his house on the first day of the festival.
Old Lahore, or the Walled City, is the epicenter of Basant, where residents even rent out their rooftops to fly kites.
Meanwhile, in the north, or what some call the new Lahore – home to upscale localities and glitzy skyscrapers – several streets and squares have been decorated with fancy lights for the festival.
Giant advertising panels and models were erected in several places to highlight the festival’s theme: responsible cultural renewal.
“I have been seeing these kinds of festivities for a long time. It reminds me of the good old days, when Basant was actually celebrated,” said Javed Malik, another kite enthusiast, in his 60s.
“It will also be a good opportunity for Gen Z to learn more about Basant, which was once an integral part of the culture of Lahore.”
Safety restrictions to avoid casualties
The kite is the centerpiece of Basant, a festival traditionally celebrated in Indian and Pakistani Punjab to welcome spring.
Music, barbecue and traditional rhythms of dhol, or drums, were also highlights of the event which started at night and lasted throughout the day.
The festival, however, has seen a series of bans over the past two decades due to deaths caused by sharp glass or metal ropes used to untie kites during competitive kite fights.
The dual temptation of money and praise drives children and young boys to chase after lost kites, which sometimes proves to be a dangerous pursuit.
In addition to fatal road accidents and stampedes during the race, bloody clashes took place between groups claiming the right 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 reimposed after dozens of victims.
Successive governments, however, have failed to fully implement this ban, prompting police to pursue and arrest violators.
This year, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz allowed the festival to be celebrated only in Lahore.
The provincial government has issued a set of restrictions to prevent casualties, including a complete ban on dangerous ropes and the use of safety bars on motorcycles, while each kite and rope will have a unique QR code.
There will also be a total ban on the display of weapons or aerial firing. A violator could be sentenced to a prison term of up to five years or fined up to Rs 5 million.
Soaring prices dampen enthusiasm
Basant was brought to its peak by former military ruler General Pervez Musharraf, who made it an international event in the early 2000s.
It made Lahore the cultural capital and was popular to the point that citizens rented out the roofs of their houses for events throughout the month.
The more kites are shot down, the more praise they receive from their colleagues, and “looted” kites are often bought by revelers at a good price.
The soaring prices of kites and strings, however, have dampened the enthusiasm of many.
Kite prices fluctuate between 400 and 700 rupees, while a “pavilion” – a ball of kite string – is sold for between 12,000 and 16,000 rupees.
“The prices of the kites are reasonable, but the cost of the pavilion is unbearable. We cannot afford it,” said Rana Saim, a member of a local kite flying group. Anadolu.
Landlords, he added, also charge between Rs 200,000 and Rs 1 million for renting their rooftops, depending on the size and location.
“The government must control prices, otherwise low and middle income groups will not be able to enjoy the festival,” Saim said.
Entertainment and economy
For Zohaib Saleem Butt, a television host and writer who frequently writes about Lahore culture, Basant has long represented the city’s identity.
Apart from entertainment, he explained, it also generates enormous economic activity, benefiting several segments of society.
“Kite sellers, caterers, tailors and others have huge orders for Basant. Dhol players are fully booked and hotels are making arrangements to accommodate additional guests,” Butt said. Anadolu.
Yellow roses and marigolds, which symbolize the arrival of spring, are also in great demand.
Some, however, remain skeptical, warning that kite flying could cause damage again.
“No festival or economy is more important than human lives. It is a blood sport that has killed hundreds of people, including children and women,” said Qaiser Sharif, a writer and political activist based in Lahore.
Talk to AnadoluSharif said misplaced kite strings had killed and injured several people across Punjab in the past few months.
“Governments have failed to prevent deaths and injuries with their so-called restrictions in the past, so how will they do it now?” he said.
It will be impossible for the government to implement safety protocols in a city above 14m, Sharif argued, suggesting that kite flying could be allowed on open grounds to avoid casualties.
“If there are deaths or injuries, Maryam Nawaz should be held responsible,” he argued.
Agreeing with the apprehensions, Butt urged revelers to strictly follow safety protocols to avoid any incidents that could lead to another ban.
CM Maryam, however, insists that her government’s preventive actions and citizens’ cooperation will help restore the cultural image of Lahore. “Let’s celebrate a safe Basant,” she said in her post.
