50 Comments

  1. Terrific piece….nostalgia galore! Remembering the umpteen supply of tea and snacks to the terrace – just to keep the energy up! I used to love the little rub of the kite on the head before the fly! What the actual scientific purpose of rub was I still do not have an idea! And who drew the Baksu picture? Excellent!

  2. I left India (Calcutta) in 1962 and this blog brought back SOOOO many memories of my brother and his friends flying their kites when they were young boys! I just happened upon your blog and I can’t get enough of all the various subjects you write about. Keep up the good work!

  3. Blessed was he to have said,”the pen is mightier than the sword.” Ironically, pens can’t write blogs, because technology has really advanced in leaps and bounds. Unfortunately, the Xboxes and ipads have filled the lacuna in the palms of the youth which used to once hold the lathai (spindle). The narration has brought tears to my eyes and ‘it laments the heart to think what man has made of man.’ Kothai hariye gelo sonali bikel, kothai hariye gelo moyurponkhi, chadiyal, petkati r bogga 🙁

  4. I m also a kite lover from konnagar. I m confused so much. Can u suggest me that which thread is more effective between nylon and cotton manza????

  5. I am also an IT professional but somehow I am still addicted to flying kites on 15th Aug and Bishwakarma Puja every year and I find it much more attractive and effective than spending time with ipads or other gadgets. However must admit, staying in AC rooms for most part of the day makes me tired quickly on a ‘Bhadro’ sunny day if I happen to fly it for long…..

  6. Hi, My name is Aubrey Webber.We used to live on Elliott road.I live in Australia now .Have been for the last 40 odd years.Kite flying was my passion.I hope to return for a holiday next year.If there is one thing I must do,it is to fly kites.Do nay of the hotels in Kolkata have entry to roof tops..?

    Hope you can be of help .

    Regards Aubrey.

    1. Really? I lived at 71 Wellesley st Cal 70016 and flew kites almost every day in the late 70s and 80s.
      The kites had names according to the design such as Char koner, page kutta, Ghayla. There was a famous kite flyer called Babu who flew a purple or black kite with 2 eyes and he would cut the thread of other kites from miles away. Never knew who he was.

    2. Really? I lived at 71 Wellesley st Cal 70016 and flew kites almost every day in the late 70s and 80s.
      The kites had names according to the design such as Char koner, page kutta, Ghayla. There was a famous kite flyer called Babu who flew a purple or black kite with 2 eyes and he would cut the thread of other kites from miles away. Never knew who he was.

  7. Very beautifully written dada. You reminded me of my childhood where I also used to hold the “Latai” when my father used to fly the kite. Love the story about “Baksu”, without knowing him I felt bad about his last day through your writing. Thank you for taking me to the journey of an era which is fading away in time

  8. Yet again another Biswakarma 17.9.17 ! I read your nicely penned piece once again. To re-live the nostalgia I went out last night around 10.30, went to a small pandal where there was a puja being celebrated. The lone organiser threw a strange look at this lungi clad intruder. Coming out saw an idle taxi parked, decorated with flowers- now dried up, and, lo behold a nice colourful kite dangling on its mud-guard !
    During the day went out several times to look for any one running with a kite ! NO,none. Things have changed surely. And then it was a joy when I saw you going out with a bundle of kites and latai ! Happpy, that you were able to actually fly one this year, after seven annual failed attempts !

  9. I want to buy a good quality manjha suta . Plz tell me which type of manjha suta I will bought. For kite flying tournament. All type of cotton thread allowed

  10. Now that you have stated the problem, i would urge you to think of a solution to this. There are many out there trying to solve this problem individually, but by forming a community of kite-runners, all of you can relive the sport.

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