The kite runners of Jaipur

I spent Makar Sankranti  last January at the house of a friend in Jaipur.  This was the first time I saw a paper lantern in the night sky. The first time I was part of a mohalla kite fight. We spent a greater part of the day flying kites. I should perhaps say I did this platonically, since a novice like me is no match for the veterans who mean business as far as kite flying is concerned.  But to my credit, I didn’t let it swoop low whenever it was generously passed on to my hands :D  

All around on the rooftops and the roads, in the scorching midday sun schoolboys, girls and old men flew their kites with so much glee that you could see it was their own soul that was soaring and not just the kites. 

We went near hawa mahal for a bit of sightseeing in the evening. To know why Jaipur is called ‘the pink city’ you must go out in the evening a few hours before sundown.   The rosy pink of the evening light and the earthy pink and reds of most of Jaipur’s beautiful buildings bring out a warm overtone. It is a feast for the eyes. The heat of the day makes way to the cooler evening around this time.  And I was lucky enough to have been there during the kite festival. Come night time and you begin to see them – the paper lanterns in the faraway distance, shimmering like fireflies.

I am grateful to my friend and his lovely family for sharing with me an experience so special that it will remain one of my most treasured memories.