A tale of patangbaazi

When he was a child, he used to watch intently while his father flew kites. For Syed Mohiuddin alias Bhai Mian, kite-flying was not only a profession but a passion. Sure enough, Bhai Mian came to be dubbed the “godfather” of patangbaazi.

Among the city’s many kite clubs, ‘Diamond Kite Club’, one of Delhi’s oldest, was started by him in 1970. He holds a record of flying 1,187 kites on a single string.

Carrying forward the late patangbaaz’s legacy for the last two decades, his elder son Jamaluddin says kite-flying is in his blood.

“Every evening, my father’s friends gathered at our place. Together they used to fly kites. I used to stand next to my father and watch the intriguing sight of colourful kites high in the open sky,” he recalls.

This, of course, was in a mohalla (neighbourhood) of Delhi-6, Matia Mahal. The Jama Masjid and the whole Chandni Chowk area is visible from his terrace.

It was also from his father that he learnt the precision, detailing and perfection that is needed to make kites. Now, his kites are in huge demand. Many companies and organisations approach Jamal for promotional purposes.

“We use kites as a marketing tool by carrying out advertisements for brands, companies or events. Like we have done for Lays, Delhi Daredevils and Commonwealth Games,” he says. Apart from that, demonstration of kites is done during special occasions like Independence Day, Makar Sakranti, Lohri and others, he adds.

But what is of utmost importance is how kite-flying as a sport has been flourishing due to the efforts of people like Jamal. He has taken part in many kite-flying festivals, both in India and abroad.

“I’ve attended kite festivals in Dubai, Switzerland, Maldives, Bangladesh and other parts of the world,” he informs, saying that the kite festivals of today are much different from those of the earlier days.

“Nowadays it’s more of a demonstration of kites. Earlier, competitions were held in these events,” he recalls. “Recently I was called to the ‘Island Tourism Festival’ at Andaman and Nicobar Islands to conduct a workshop on kite-flying and kite-making. It was a wonderful experience”.

Indian kites are called ‘fighter kites’, says Jamal. “Owing to their light weight, they have high mobility, which helps a kite-flyer tame the kites without hindrance during a game,” he adds. This explains the name given to it. But, he also draws attention to the shortcomings of Indian kites.

“In India, kites are made of paper or plastic, which make them fragile. But abroad, they make kites using cloth, which is quite sturdy and lasting,” he explains. That hasn’t stopped him from acquiring immense recognition and success, though.

Irrespective of the rich history of patangbaazi in Delhi, it is often considered a dying sport. Jamal holds the same view. The reason, according to him, is the lack of interest among young people.

“Young kids are always engrossed in their mobile phones. They hardly step out of their homes these days, let alone participate actively in any sport,” a disappointed Jamal says. Another dampener he mentions is lack of availability of open spaces.

“Kite-flying should be given the same status as any other sport in the country,” he recommends. “In recent times, kabaddi came into the limelight. Kite-flying should also be publicised and brought to the forefront.” But what can be done to implement such a change? “The government should support the sport. Only then will a change in scenario take place,” he suggests.

Jamal strongly recommends that the government set up institutions or training centres which would teach kite-flying. “There should be separate training grounds, dedicated solely to kite-flying. And, it is a sport like any other, and requires proper teaching and training. For that, setting up of institutions is necessary,” Jamal elaborates.

He dreams of a day when patangbaazi, like other sports, will be given its deserved position and status. “There should be live screening of kite-flying, just like cricket, kabaddi, football. Then only will it reach a wider audience, awaken interest among the youngsters and be given due respect,” he says, hopefully. He points out that kite-flying is great exercise for the body and mind. This fact is often overlooked. It is a game of balance, requires healthy sight and immense concentration.

Jamaluddin, in his long career, has achieved a lot. But what still holds a special place in his heart is how hundreds and hundreds gather to watch their kite-flying demonstration during the Delhi haat festival.

“It really motivates us, gives us moral support to continue our work,” he says. But when asked what he thinks is the future of kite-flying, a humble Jamal says: “Ek alag modh, ek alag shakal miley patangbaazi ko, yehi chahiye” (that kite-flying should get a new direction, a new face in society is all I want).

This article was first published in the Patriot.