'Modi' kites still rule the skies, Yogi makes debut

PUNE: Among the several kites featuring superheroes like Spiderman and Superman at Heena Tamboli's kite depot in Raviwar Peth, are kites with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's photo. Labelling him as 'Mahanayak' with a tagline Achchhe din aa gaye hai, Modi is ruling the kite fashion this year too.
On the eve of Makar Sankranti, markets were flooded with colourful kites of vibrant hues and various sizes. While kites with cartoon characters like Chota Bheem, Motu Patlu, Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse dominate the market, kites featuring Modi stand out.

In one set, Modi is seen with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath with the tagline " Modi ke yugme, Yogi ka raj".

"Kites with Modi photos have been around from the last year. However, the ones with Yogi and the tagline ' Beti bachao, beti padhao' are new this year," said Tamboli.

Akbar Menon runs the 90-year-old Royal Patang Depot. From paper kites to plastic ones, and from kaccha manja (cotton manja) to nylon manja coated with powdered glass and back to the cotton manja, Menon has seen it all.

"I was hardly 10 when I started accompanying my father to the shop. I have seen times when kites were sold at three paise and the maximum it could go was 50 paise. Today, it starts from Rs5 and goes up to Rs800," he said.

Pointing at a kite with prints of Spiderman, Menon said, " This one costs Rs800. First, because of its size, which is twice the size of a normal kite, and it is made of cloth which makes it washable and reusable," he added.

When asked by a customer if the banned nylon manja was still available, he directs him to a laminated newspaper cutting which speaks of the ban.

"We stopped keeping nylon manja right after the announcement. Most of the shops do not keep it as the police are frequently making random checks at shops to see if they are selling the banned manja," said Menon.

Cashing in on the increased demand for kites, several traders have started selling them. Ahmed Shaikh is a roadside vendor who started selling kites.

"My brother has been involved in the kite business for many years. The profits he makes encouraged me to enter this market. I'm selling these for almost Rs2 higher than what the wholesalers are selling," said Shaikh.