DO YOU KNOW WHY WE FLY KITES IN DASHAIN??
There was a time when kites were flown all round the year in Kathmandu, so the story goes. Whenever people of the Valley had time to spare, they would go to the fields with their lattai and start flying their kites. They would not think much about the inconvenience the birds of the Valley were facing.
Every day, a number of birds got entangled in the manjha and others suffered cuts. This ruffled their feathers (literally).
A delegation of birds met the king and demanded that the people be stopped from flying kites. The king and the birds then reached a deal, which came to be known as the Treaty of Kathmandu.
The treaty says kites cannot be flown during the winter, the spring, and the summer. It can only be flown when the monsoon ends and the afternoon westerly winds starts to blow–exactly when Dashain sets in.
THE REASONS WHY WE FLY KITES IN DASHAIN FESTIVAL
- Kites send a message to Indra, the god of rains, to stop the rain as the rice fields do not need more water. Legend has it that Dashain was originally celebrated during the Nepali month of Chaitra. But because farmers were busy in the fields during Chaitra, it was decided that the festival would be celebrated after the rainy season when the farmers would be free.
2. Kite flying brings prosperity to the family. Legends say that flying kites brings good fortune to the family. When you fly kites, you are welcoming the forces of good and piety, and this of course brings you good luck.
3. When you fly kites, you are contacting and honoring your ancestors. When you fly kites, your ancestors in heaven see the colorful objects and feel that you are remembering them.
4. Kites guide recently released souls to heaven. It is believed that the souls of people and animals that die on earth find a way towards heaven when you fly kites. The kites join the sky with the earth, something that no other object does.
5. There’s not much to do during Dashain. Well, all said and done Dashain is a holiday for everyone. This includes the staffers at your favorite restaurant and your favorite shopping malls. So, flying kites is the best thing you can do during Dashain!
In fact, people fly kites with a purpose. Through flying kites, they want to send a reminder to the god not to provide any more rain. That’s mainly because people have had enough rain and they have plenty of water to get their work done. Having more rain can lead them towards a lot of issues, such as floods in the long run. As a result, people send this kind of reminder to the God by flying kites.
The youngsters in Nepal get busy during Dashain with making kites. They use lokta paper to prepare these kites. After preparing the kites, they are not just interested in flying the kites. The youngsters also prefer to cut out the kites flown by their friends.
