Kite Flyers on Juhu Beach

After looking downwards so much for yesterday's post about Mumbai pavements, I thought it would be appropriate to look a bit more upwards today. In fact, right up to the sky for the Makar Sankranti kite flying festival.  Well try to at least....I wasn't so successful!

   

Makar Sankranti is another auspicious day for Hindus (there seem to be so many!) and in the western Indian state of Gujarat, these celebrations are the biggest. People offer thousands of their colorful oblations to the sun in the form of beautiful kites. The kite flying is a metaphor for reaching up to their beloved God - the one who represents the 'best' and it is also to honour, worship and pay respect to Saraswati (the Goddess of Knowledge).

Today, we went to check out Juhu Beach - a good stretch of open space near to a large Gujurati community in Vile Parle (pronounced Villa Parlay!) where we were assured of a magnificent display of kite flying.  However, I am not sure if it was because we went at the wrong time of day (likely) or if it was just not happening - but we didn't see too much of a kite flying spectacle.  Instead, there were just a handful of families and a few groups of youngsters playing with their kites. But it was such a lovely day on Juhu beach, that there were still plenty of colourful sights to see.

Here we go:

 



All the kites are made from a simple square of upcycled plastic, a couple of bendy rods and a very very long piece of string.

 



Girl and her father trying to get their kite air-borne



A group of young boys getting their kites together

 

This lady walked out of the sea in her beautiful red sari like some sort of mermaid

 

This group of older ladies were sitting in the sea watching the waves - clothed in full saris!

 

Their husbands....more appropriately dressed for a dip in the sea.

 



Old rice bags filled with sand to make steps up to a snack stall.

 

Finally...a kite up in the sky! This is the only picture I could get.
I was hoping that the sky was going to be filled with the sight of many beautiful fluttering kites!

 

The above kite belonged to this boy and his father.  Dad seems to be enjoying it more....

He now seems disgusted that his father has let this homeless child have a go.....

 

Deep concentration as this boy tries to thread his kite with string

 

 

The guy sitting on the sand - because he has no legs - is the one in control of this kite.

 

 

 

Colourful juice bottles

 

Food stalls on Juhu Beach

 

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