Broadsheet: Spring Is Near, but the Traditional Welcoming Kites of Lahore Are Grounded

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self. - Cyril Connolly

Monday, March 13, 2006

Spring Is Near, but the Traditional Welcoming Kites of Lahore Are Grounded

I've always been fascinated by the Kite Festival of Lahore. Kind of like the running of the bulls in Pamploma, or the Tomato Festival in Spain, it is a centuries old tradition unique to Lahore. Not this year apparently.

But adults and children love to indulge in kite duels, and that is where the danger lies. For duels, the kites are flown on a thin wire or on a thick string coated with glass or chemicals, to better attack opponent's kites.

Stray kites can and do drag their strings unpredictably, tangling around a human neck or limb and cutting it.

After a spate of injuries and deaths, including those of some small children, the famous Kite Festival of Lahore has been cancelled.

posted by Broadsheet @ 8:59 AM