Kite-flying turns a damp squib

Hyderabad, Jan 12: A spurt in the Easterlies is good news. But certainly not at this time of the year when there were rains in Andhra, Telangana and Rayalaseema regions which also brought down the chillness prior to Makara Sankranthi. The snow-cast clouds in these parts have dampened the Pongal spirit of the students and the youth.Recently, Hyderabadis cut X-mas cakes just after the Winter Solstice. One cannot think of Sankranthi sans kites. The kite sellers in Hyderabad are a disgusted lot these days with many cursing the fall in sales before the Sakranti festival.

The turmoil created over the demand for a separate Telangana state is also affecting the kite sales in particular.Many shops are decked with colourful kites of various shapes and hues, but they have failed to make any impact on the sales.“Sales are dwindling this year. The political situation in the State over the demand for Telangana state has cut down the sales. People are buying half of what they used to buy earlier,” says a shopkeeper.

The sale of kites, which are very popular with kids and adults alike, picks up at the Sakranthi time, which is a harvest festival that is celebrated in the state for three days.People dress themselves up in new clothes and indulge in different activities. In Vijayawada, people were seen participating in cock fights and in gambling in the villages despite the ban on them. The bull race using the stout Ongole bulls in Krishna and Ongole districts is certainly a Sankranthi entertainer.