Amritsar: Small businesses of ‘dor da adda’ — the hub of thread — which once thrived on making traditional kite-flying string known in local parlance as ‘dor da pinna’ or ‘charakhri dor’ are now struggling to stay afloat.
Reason: kite flyers have overwhelmingly shifted to China dor, also known as ‘gattu’ for its “superior qualities” despite safety hazards.
Despite govt crackdowns on the illegal trade of China dor, it continues to remain available in the market, albeit clandestinely.
This persistence is largely driven by the string's superior strength, durability, and sharpness, which make it highly effective in cutting rivals’ kites during ‘patangbazi (kite flying)’, which fuels the enthusiasm of the kite flyers and keeps the demand of China dor alive.
“A few years ago, there used to be fifty to sixty dor da addas (traditional kite string-making hubs with wooden posts on both sides) in the city, but now only one or two remain,” Ustad Krishan Chand Dor Wala, who runs a dor da adda at Beri Gate, said. “And those too are run by people like me, for whom making and selling traditional dor is in the blood. We can't leave it as long as we're alive," Ustad adds.
While showing the kite string made by him, Krishan Chand said, “The rise of China dor has led to the end of an era for traditional kite string manufacturing. We once took great pride in producing the best kite strings, as kite flying enthusiasts from different cities would converge here to purchase our strings.”
“We even had bookings and waiting lists for our cotton strings, made by hand with materials like glass powder and glue. But now, all of that is gone, replaced by China dor,” he rues, sadness writ large on his face.
Despite accidents …
Accidents caused by China dor have become a serious concern. Motorcyclists and scooter riders suffered severe neck injuries after their throats were accidentally cut by the sharp, glass-coated string. Even birds often get entangled in the string.
Young kite flyer Arun (name changed) said that China dor is better than traditional string due to its cutting power and durability, which allows people to use the same thread for a longer time and proves to be much cheaper.