The festival of Makar Sankranti is almost here to welcome the arrival of the spring season with joy and fervor across the country. Although we all know that the festival is celebrated by flying colorful kites and competing with each other, the true essence of Makar Sankranti is not just limited to kites rather it’s a festival of harvest. The term Sankranti means ‘good movement’ which signifies the movement of the sun from one zodiac to another.
The festival is enjoyed with kite flying, dancing, loud music, and social gatherings but lately, it has become more of a trouble because of the glass coated kite strings that people use while flying kites. It’s not only a life hazard for birds but also leads to fatal accidents for people commuting on the roads.
As people are gearing up to prep for the festival of Makar Sankranti, here are some nature-friendly ways to enjoy the occasion:
DIY paper kites:
Sankranti is not just about flying kites, one can also enjoy the occasion by making beautiful and decorative kites. It won’t take much effort and will also help your creativity to come out. There are even some LED kites which can be ideally used as a decorative piece for your living room.
There are several tutorials available on the internet from where you can learn how to make easy paper kites and then hang them in your room. It’s a great way for kids to learn the craft and brush up their skills.
Given below is a short video on how to make an easy decorative kite:
Video Courtesy: Crunchy and Crafty
Food:
No matter which part of the country you reside in, there are numerous options for the kinds of sweet dishes you can arrange or cook. Snacks like kachoris, chikkis, gajak, ghevar, til-laddoo are commonly prepared and eaten at the festival. If you are a food fanatic, you may also browse through some tutorials on the web and prepare something unusual and new for the snacks. Given below is a clip explaining how to prepare til chikkis with brown sugar:
Video Courtesy: CookingShooking
Bonfire:
Image Source: Firenewsfeed.com
While you will be busy meeting people, preparing dishes and flying kites during the day, night time can be used to relish the occasion by inviting your closed ones for a bonfire get-together. By Indulging in chit-chat with your friends and family, while enjoying snacks around a bonfire, and some singing and dancing can be a lot more fun, especially for city people who don’t have enough space on the terrace to enjoy kite flying.
Safety tips
Image Source: Mid-Day
Even if you wish to fly kites, there are safety tips and guidelines that can be followed to ensure that your joy for kite flying doesn’t ruin someone else’s day. The first and foremost rule is not to use Chinese maanjha (string) for the kites as it’s really sharp and dangerous for the birds. Secondly, the duration of kite flying should be fixed between 9 am and 5 pm.
Besides, people commuting two-wheelers should be extra cautious on the road. For those who are flying the kite, it’s advisable not to do it in congested areas where there are too many electric poles or vehicles or anything that they can trip over. Also, keep cardboard boxes handy for b the rd in case you spot an injured one so that it can be given first aid on the spot.
