Killer Kites: Is Makar Sankranti a Placid Festival?

Bhagya Prakash K

The beginning of longer days and cerulean sky, marking the passing of the winter solstice. With this also comes one of the most awaited festivals Makar Sankranti. It is celebrated differently in various cultures but the common practice on the day of Makar Sankranti is flying colourful kites which fills the sky with a virtual cottage industry of Artificial Birds to an extent that we forget about the scuffle the real birds have to go through . 

Sankranti is an auspicious festival of joy, but for the original residents of the sky it is a death trap. These creatures, clueless of the threads of kites are led to the death bed, their bodies Tangled and their feathers which can never take a leap again. Around 150 birds are killed and more than 1500 birds are injured every year during this one day festival .

This festival holds a great significance for Indian culture but it can be equally pleasing and gratifying with some consideration towards the Birds. The first step is spreading awareness , making people know the adverse effects of their actions , followed by little steps like using Cotton strings which could cause less harm and flying kites at the time when the birds are less active. 

These little changes will go ahead and shape the mindset of our future , and allow the Birds to have a flight of freedom .In the similar way we don’t have any right to snatch their right of living their lives for just a one day festival or for some time fun and society must think upon this topic and a revolution can be made on this serious issue . Defending their existence is going to give wings to ours.


Pratik Khodke

Pratik Khodke

Pratik is an enthusiastic student studying Electronics and telecommunication engineering from KK Wagh Institute of Engineering Education and Research, Nashik. He is passionate about writing, poetry, sketching, singing and dancing. Since school, he has valued experiential learning. He was criticized by his friends for choosing to work with an NGO but he didn’t quit and kept at it. 

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