A hi-tech LED kite
Kolkata: The kite may still be made of paper and bamboo, but the business of keeping it airborne is getting a 21st-century makeover. With rooftop kite-flying no longer the mass pastime it once was, sellers across Kolkata and Bengal are experimenting with electric ‘charkhis’, LED-lit kites, colourful strings and even remote-controlled, stringless models to draw a new generation back to the skies this Vishwakarma Puja.
They come in the range of Rs 1,200 to Rs 2,500,” said Subhajit Garai of Santu Kite shop in Hatibagan. They are priced at anything between Rs 800 to Rs 1,200,” said Ravi Agarwal, a wholesale kite seller from Delhi. But with children increasingly occupied with smartphones, gaming and other forms of entertainment, kite sellers say the traditional pastime has steadily lost ground. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Kolkata | Silver Rate in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata | Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Petrol Price in Kolkata | Diesel Price in Kolkata | CNG Price in Kolkata | LPG Price in Kolkata Stay updated with the latest Kolkata news.
“We are selling much safer white threads with natural and biodegradable coatings, using rice, flour, wood powder, gums and other plant-based materials,” said Kartik Mondal, a kite seller near Dunlop. For generations, Vishwakarma Puja has meant more than worship of the deity of machines and craftsmanship in Bengal. It has also been one of the occasions when neighbourhood rooftops came alive with kites. Their response: make the kite itself more exciting, easier to fly and, increasingly, safer. The most visible change is the electric ‘charkhi. What was once a hand-operated spool requiring hours of winding has evolved into rechargeable, one-touch devices that can wind back hundreds or thousands of metres of thread with little physical effort. Newer models are designed to layer the string evenly, reducing the tangles that can turn the post-fight ritual of lapet into a frustrating chore. “The next generation of these spools comes with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, making them portable and eliminating the need for continuous manual operation. It is a product that combines the nostalgia of kite-flying with the convenience of a gadget. But the more eye-catching innovations are taking the kite beyond daylight and even beyond the traditional idea of a kite needing a string. LED kites, fitted with lightweight strips and small batteries, allow revellers to take the pastime into the evening. “These kites also come with set fittings from Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Then there are remote-controlled, stringless kites — hybrid drone-kite creations developed by innovators in Gujarat. The technology also addresses the problems of dangerous synthetic and glass-coated strings. Download the TOI App.