Rajasthan: People celebrate Kite Festival in Jaipur

Jaipur (Rajasthan) [India], January 14 (ANI): As the entire country gears up to celebrate the auspicious festival of Makar Sankranti, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma on Sunday participated in the kite festival organised in Jaipur.
Markets are thronged with bundles of kites and people from every age group are readily buying them to celebrate the city's kite festival.
The Jaipur Kite Festival is a major celebration that invites people of all ethnicities and regions to the city of Jaipur. The kite flying festival is celebrated on the 14th of January before Makar Sankranti.

The kite festival in Jaipur, Rajasthan also includes several cultural performances that showcase with exhilaration the numerous colours of the state's folk and culture. From local singers exalting the virtues and braveries of times long gone to dancers exhibiting their finesse at local customary dances that capture the splendour of Rajasthan, the kite festival is the embodiment of the state's cultural background.
The kite festival has become one of the standout events of the city of Jaipur and is attended by visitors from all over the world. The kite war and the friendly kite flying at the festival are the main two attractions of the days around Makar Sankranti. The locals take this celebration quite seriously as can be witnessed on the full roofs of the homes all across town.
The beginning of this festival finds its roots in the belief that winters are over and spending prolonged hours in the sunlight is supposed to be good for everyone. Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of summer which is greeted by the population spending the day on their roofs, flying kites, and trying to cut each other's strings. Steadily, the Kite Festival in Jaipur was born, and today, people fly kites throughout the day as the startling blue of the sky gets dotted with a million colours, transforming it into a sight to behold.
The kite festival is observed on Uttarayanwhich marks the transition of the sun to Makara rashi (Capricorn) from the dhanu rashi (Sagittarius). It is said that the northward journey of the sun (Uttarayan) begins on this day, making the celebrations quite auspicious.
In Jaipur, Makar Sankranti is a government holiday where all shops, banks, and offices are closed, adding to the merriment of celebration, as people indulge in fun-loving rivalry, and try to outdo each other in the numerous kite flying activities held across the city. (ANI)