Makar Sankranti: Why This Kite Festival Has Become An Example Of Hindu Muslim Unity

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With Makar Sankranti in the corner and country to celebrate it in different ways, the Hindu festival is one of the biggest and popularly celebrated in Gujarat. Uttarayan is the phase when the sun travels towards the north on the celestial sphere. The starting of Uttarayan is what is called Makar Sankranti.

It is popularly called as the kite festival where people from diverse communities participate. During Uttarayan innumerable colourful kites in different shapes and sizes dot the sky in Gujarat. People fly kites from open terraces and spaces amidst festivities and music.

Unity in diversity plays an important part with the Muslim community chiefly into the making of the kites in different hues and sizes. The Gujaratis believe that there is much more to the festival than just flying kites in the way of Hindu, Muslim harmony.

A huge number of Muslims are into the making of the kites and feel proud to be a part of the business. The festivals gets both the kite makers as well as the kite flyers busy to get started with the it

Jamalpur Kite market in Ahmedabad is an excellent example of communal harmony. The Muslim-dominated market has been making a variety of kites for decades for kite flyers.

Umar Bhai, a Muslim kite maker, has been into the kite making trade for more than 35 years. He feels glad to be a part of the "Uttarayan" festival. According to him "Uttarayan is a festival of communal harmony. We feel proud that we make kites for our Hindu friends. Here, every kite maker is a Muslim and the buyers are Hindus. But this divide (on religious lines) has never affected the affection and love among us," says Umar Bhai. He also adds: "This year the kite festival will help us forget recession and the Mumbai terror attacks. Nobody can create a divide between our two religions; we are like brothers. Hindu brothers come to this side to purchase kites and we welcome them."

The Hindu kite buyers on their part feel that that Muslim kite makers are skilful and innovative in making the kites.

However, kite traders feel that the demand for kites has dipped this year. "Though there is a recession in the market and terror attacks have ruined the festive atmosphere we still want people to be one and work together 'said Mukhtaar Ahmed Sheikh, another kite maker.

Unity in diversity that makes One India.

Input from news agencies.