‘Magical atmosphere’: Kite fever lights up Lahore as Basant boosts economy

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Lahore, Pakistan – Hasnain Khalid, 17, has never flown a kite.

Over the past week, though, Khalid and his 27-year-old cousin, Noman Tariq, have bought 200 kites. They’re preparing for festivities that have long been a central facet of life in Lahore, but were banned in 2007.

Now, Basant, as the three-day festival is called, is returning, starting on Friday. The historic Mochi Gate, one of old Lahore’s 13 gates that date back to the Mughal era, is bustling once again with shops selling kites along narrow, dimly lit streets.

For the past six days, thousands of people have poured in to buy kites and related paraphernalia. Historically rooted in Vasant Panchami, Basant marks the arrival of spring on the fifth day of the month of Magh in the Hindu lunar calendar. Across Punjab, in both India and Pakistan, people celebrate with singing, dancing and — historically — with kite flying.

But for 18 years, the festival was not allowed. Several deaths linked to accidents while retrieving kites and to the use of chemical-coated kite strings caused public outrage. Despite attempts by successive governments, Basant remained shelved until now.

Its return has triggered a surge in business, boosting the local economy. Kite sellers report sales nearing one billion rupees ($3.5m) for kites and string alone.

Khalid and his cousin were among the buyers.

“We have spent a total of at least 500,000 rupees ($1,780) in the last one week on kites and strings,” he said exuberantly, clutching his prized purchases as passersby asked about their price.

Mohammad Amir Rafique Sheikh, spokesperson for the All Pakistan Kite Flying Association, said the decision to allow Basant had given local industries a much-needed lift. He predicted that total economic activity generated by the three-day festival would run into several billion Pakistani rupees, speaking between phone calls.

“Once it ends on February 8, only after that we will be able to put together a comprehensive analysis of the kind of money that was generated, but with [the hotel] business, catering business, public excitement to celebrate, all of that has contributed massively,” he added, praising the government’s decision to allow the return of the festival.

Ban to boom

Basant has long been a shared legacy of subcontinental Punjab. After partition in 1947, it continued in Lahore, especially within Androon Lahore, the Walled City.

From the 1980s onward, the festival grew in popularity, reaching its peak in the mid to late 1990s. A one-day celebration at the time, it featured daytime and nighttime kite flying from rooftops and open grounds.

Prime rooftops overlooking the Badshahi Mosque, Lahore Fort and surrounding areas commanded hefty rents, running into hundreds of thousands of rupees.

This year, rents have soared further. Some prime rooftops are reportedly going for between 1.5 million ($5,300) and 2.5 million rupees ($8,900) for three days.

A senior official at a local bank in Lahore, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said his bank paid nearly three million rupees to secure a rooftop near Heera Mandi.

“The roof we have managed to acquire would be able to accommodate around 150 to 200 people or so, and it would oversee the Lahore Fort. We have arranged for food stalls, music performances and kite flying for our staff for three days,” he told Al Jazeera.

Marriyum Aurangzeb, senior minister in the Punjab government and a close aide to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, told Al Jazeera that authorities spent nearly five months preparing to ensure Basant’s safe return.

Measures included enforcing a strict regulatory framework, including “revised Basant Act 2025 legislation, detailed transport and operational planning, and pre, during and post-festival arrangements”.

“Technology is at the centre of enforcement,” she said. Surveillance, she added, would be carried out through cameras, “thermal drones, and district administration monitoring systems.

“The city is draped in Basant themes, rooftops are booked and decorated, and the tallest kite ever stands proudly at the heart of the city. The atmosphere is magical, festive, and almost unreal, combining tradition, celebration and safety in a way never seen before,” she said.

Supply meets demand

Mochi Gate remains the epicentre of Basant-related activity. Business gathers pace after midday, when shops open, and continues until midnight.

Thousands stream through the congested lanes. Those fortunate enough to secure kites carry them carefully above their heads to avoid damage.

Among the crowd on Thursday were two young women — a rarity in the male-dominated bazaar — accompanied by their brother.

“We actually took a day off from our office to be able to come here and buy kites, but so far we are not happy with the quality of kites available, plus the prices are just exorbitant,” said Amina Farooq, 26, who works in a local factory.

Farooq said her father and uncles were avid kite flyers. Watching social media buzz and hearing friends talk about Basant made her want to take part.

“I don’t know how to fly a kite or anything about it, to be honest,” she confessed, adding, “but it is about being able to participate in the joyous festivities, that is what matters,” she told Al Jazeera.

Complaints about quality and pricing were widespread. Buyers accused shopkeepers of exploiting high demand and selling substandard products.

With the government allowing only three specific kite sizes, the production cost should not exceed 100 to 150 rupees per kite — less than a dollar — depending on materials, said Ustad Javed Bhatti, a former kitemaker with nearly four decades in the trade.

“What we are seeing right now in the market is completely fraud, with shopkeepers charging margins which are 5 to 10 times more than the cost,” he said.

On February 1, a small kite sold for 120 rupees ($0.40). By February 4, the price had risen to 300 rupees ($1). The most popular medium-sized kite climbed from 200 ($0.7) to 600 rupees ($2). The largest size, initially priced between 400 ($1.4) and 500 rupees ($1.8), was selling for between 1,200 ($4.2) and 1,400 ($5) rupees when Al Jazeera visited Mochi Gate.

Ammad Ali, a wholesaler, said he ordered more than 600,000 kites in January, supplying 500,000 to retailers and keeping 100,000 for his own shop.

“We have sold out the medium and large-sized kite completely, while we still have around a few hundred left of the small-sized kites,” he said.

“Thank God, the business has been incredible,” he added with a smile.

But many prospective buyers remained frustrated. Some accused traders of hoarding and said the government had failed to regulate prices.

Ali Ahmad, a 19-year-old mobile repair technician, said he had visited the market for three days without buying anything.

Kite string isn’t available in the regular market any more, he said. “What is still available is being sold in black, and is very substandard quality,” he said.

He added that a set of two one-kilometre string rolls was selling for more than 14,000 rupees ($50), compared with a typical price of about 4,000 rupees ($14).

Sheikh, from the kite-flying association, blamed the shortage on what he described as the government’s “abundance of caution”, saying manufacturing was permitted only in January.

“We have been in the conversation with the government for months, but they decided that since it is returning after almost two decades, they allowed manufacturing only last month. Naturally, the producers in Lahore were unable to meet the demand,” he said.

Authorities said strict oversight was essential. They issued licences to 350 manufacturers in Lahore, along with 536 sellers and 127 trader groups.

The aim, officials said, was close monitoring of production and sales to prevent accidents.

Aurangzeb said the government ran extensive awareness campaigns. Traffic police installed more than 1.4 million safety rods on motorcycles to reduce the risk posed by kite strings. The idea: as a rider drives forward, a string sagging dangerously low hits the rod, instead of the driver.

“The aim is simple celebrate Basant safely, responsibly and within the law,” she said.

Future of Basant

As Lahore witnesses a cultural revival, hotels report occupancy rates nearing 95 percent, with remaining rooms priced at three to four times their usual rates.

Airfares have also surged. Return tickets from Karachi to Lahore, typically between 40,000 ($143) and 50,000 rupees ($178), climbed to more than 110,000 rupees ($392) in early February.

Amjad Parvez, a former Punjab University professor and veteran kite flyer who has written extensively on Basant’s history and kite design, praised the government for reviving the festival but urged it to preserve its essence.

“This festival was all about joy for everybody, regardless of their class or social status. Kite flying, in fact, was a great equaliser because of the skill that was required to be able to fly the kite well, and this should be the most important thing,” he said.

Abdul Mustaqeem, 30, who works in the transport sector, echoed the concern. He said the “gentrification and commodification” of Basant had dampened his enthusiasm.

“I have been a big kite flyer, but look at the way it is being promoted, as if this is meant for the elites of the society, and not us. They are now trying to rent our roofs and come to our side of town just because they want to be seen participating in Basant, which was our thing, but because of this, the prices have shot up,” he said.

Still, Mustaqeem acknowledged the government’s move as positive. If the festival passes without incident, he hopes it could pave the way for year-round kite flying.

“This was a sport, and it was affordable to us. But keeping it to only Basant will make it accessible to only the rich people, not us,” he said.

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