Afroz Alam sahil for BeyondHeadlines
Colors are often used as metaphors for moods, scientists say, but Delhiites spread different color of kites, along with unfurling of tricolor on the sky of Delhi to express happiness, Joy, and patriotism on 15th August, the Independence Day of India. The colorful kites snatch your eyeball from the sun and stars and fill your hearts and mind with patriotism.
Kites and Delhi share a relation that goes back to centuries when Delhi was known as Indraprastha, at the age when Lord Krishna enjoys the company of Gopi and used to fly kites with them.
In fact, kite flying has a fascinating history; man had the desire to fly since time immemorial. It was the spirit of man and his imagination that ultimately saw the invention of kites. Flying of kites has a history of 3000 years old with China as its place of origin but the Kite flyers feels that Hakeem Jalinoos, created first kite to treat a paralyzed prince. Through Korea and Japan Kites reached India where it has a different history. In the Mughal period, even the Kings, Prince and Jagirdars used to fly kites for themselves and Bahadur Shah Zafar was leading it from the front. Wajid Ali Shah was mad after kites he used to come to Delhi every year to compete.
In 1927, Indian used the kites to protest against the Simon commission after writing “Go Back” on the kites and flied it in the sky. On the Independence Day people flies kites to express their feelings of happiness and Independence.
Kites were also used by the army generals to send signals and to measure the distance of enemy camps. Kites were used as observation devices during both the first and second world wars. They were used as a means of increasing the range of visibility by German submarines during both of these wars. At water level an observer might be able to see 8 kilometers, but by using a kite to lift that observer to a height of 400 feet, visibility could be increased to 40 kilometers. Kites had played a big role in the Korean revolt in the regime of Sill Dynasty around one thousand and eight hundred years ago. The General of the Army Gym Yu-sin was ordered to attack and diminish the rebels.
Wright brothers who invented Airplane flight in 1903 used kites for their experiments. In 1752 Franklyn called kites as electricity and Marconi in 1814 send first radio signal from the kites. Alexander Graham Bell, Lawrence Hawgrob and Franklyn Kodi also used kites for their experiments.
Kites flying has become a costly game and spread not only in Delhi and Gujarat but all over the country. In Delhi only, there are 140 Registered and 250 Non-Registered Kites club where the kite flyers are trained for the kite fighting.
Delhi also has a distinction of having Masters of Kite flying that are famous not only in India but world over. Sayed Mohiuddin alias Bhai Mia, the Septuagenarian and a resident of Matiya Mahal old Delhi is very famous for his flying and fighting skills. In Noida, he cut 1184 kites with one kite that he repeated in the Dubai Kite Festival.
Living an unknown life Bhai Miya believes that Kites flying must be included in Olympic since it’s a game and closely associated with our culture. He also recommends that Government must also intervene to promote Kite Flying.
