Festivals and events like these are known throughout the world. It is also known to be family oriented, keeps the family bonded and creates interpersonal relationships. These kinds of events include small local events, traditional festivals that can be traced way back and major international festivals which bring kites and kite fliers from overseas to display their unique art kites and show their cultural designs and demonstrate the latest techniques in flying complex kites today.
In Asian countries, kite flying is a very popular event, especially when the festival houses a kite fight. Kite fighting are flying kites which participants try to snag each others kites and try to cut down each other down. These fighter kites are usually small and flat; they are usually diamond-shaped and are made of paper and bamboo, or any other similar materials that are light and well-built for such kind of game. You might ask, why paper and bamboo? Kites should pretty much be light and since it is played up in the sky, it is always possible for the kite line to be entangled with others kite lines or even in electrical wires. This is why kite fliers use materials that are easy to find and cheaper than silk and fiberglass. Though there are still avid fliers’ that use silk and more expensive kinds of materials, these are played in wide plains and are especially played during festivals and kite events.
In Afghanistan, kite fighting is also known as Gudiparan Bazi. Some kite fighters pass their strings through powders with broken glasses that and crushed into small pieces and glue to ensure that their lines are very abrasive and can severe the opponents strings easier. These abrasive strings are really dangerous and can always injure people as well. This is evident when Taliban rule in Afghanistan kite fliers was banned with other various recreations due to such dangerous acts by some kite fliers that use these tactics to win in kite fighting events.
There are also other stories such as in Vietnam, kites are flown, instead of tails, with small flutes glued and tied allowing the wind to whistle. It creates a musical hum that makes the viewers more in to the game or event. These types are called sound-making kites; others prefer to call them whistling kites. In Bali, they attach large bows to the spars of their kites to create low drum-like sounds. In Malaysia, they make theirs just like the Vietnamese prefer whistles. They use gourds and attached sound-making instruments such as flutes, and even harmonica-like instruments to produce different kinds of whistling sounds.
There are also countries that do not use sounds, but prefer kite fighting. Actually, they place these kite fighting events as their main events and one of which is in India. Just like in India, Pakistan is also one that has embraced these kites as their traditional practice. Flying kites have been a ritual during their spring festivals known as Basant. But again, flying kites were also banned due to, just like what the people of Afghanistan do, the fliers coating their strings with glue and finely crushed glasses. It was banned because of the danger that it cause when the kites flies back down and lands near people. It can endanger lives since kite flying events are popularly known and a lot of locals and even tourists go and watch these events.
