Hello everybody, my name is Ananya Sathya. I am going to talk about Uttarayan and the famous kite festival which they celebrate in Gujarat. Uttarayan marks the days in the hindu calendar when winter turns to summer. It is also known as Makar Sankranthi In some parts of India. In Tamilnadu it is celebrated as Pongal.
In Gujarat during Uttarayan they combine a famous kite festival where the skies are filled with kites from before dawn till well after dark. The people in Gujarat usually fly kites and compete with their neighbors and all the normal activity is shut down. People from all over India and all over the world will come for the kite festival.
From the year of 1989 the city of Ahmedabad which is the capital of Gujarat has hosted the kite festival as part of the official celebration of Uttarayan. This brings master kite makers and flyers from all around the world to demonstrate their unique creations. It is usually celebrated every year on the 14th of January to the 15th of January.
Uttarayan is mainly celebrated across Gujarat. The main deity for Uttarayan is Surya (sun god). Suriya is the main god for the harvest. The symbolism of this festival is to show the awakening of the gods from their deep sleep. Through India’s history it is said that India created the tradition of kite flying. Due to the Kings and royalties, it became a sport and lateron it began to reach the masses.
The mention of this festival is in the Rigveda which dates more than 5000 years back. The day marks the beginning of the auspicious six-month period known as Uttarayana. In modern days people from all over India regardless of background or beliefs celebrate the kite festival. People from Malaysia, Indonesia, USA, Japan, Italy and China participate in the event. More than 8 to 10 million people participate in the kite festival.
I hope you enjoy my video blog about Uttarayan and the kite festival.