KITE making in Lal Kuan Kites history Kites were invented in China, where materials ideal for kite building were readily available: silk fabric for sail material; fine, high-tensile-strength silk for flying line; and resilient bamboo for a strong, lightweight framework. The kite has been claimed as the invention of the 5th-century BC Chinese philosophers Mozi and Lu Ban . By AD 549 paper kites were certainly being flown, as it was recorded that in that year, a paper kite was used as a message for a rescue mission. Ancient and medieval Chinese sources describe kites being used for measuring distances, testing the wind, lifting men, signaling, and communication for military operations. The earliest known Chinese kites were flat (not bowed) and often rectangular. Later, tailless kites incorporated a stabilizing bowline. Kites were decorated with mythological motifs and legendary figures; some were fitted with strings and whistles to make musical sounds while flying. After its introduction into India, the kite further evolved into the fighter kite, known as the ‘patang’ in India, where thousands are flown every year on festivals such as Makar Sankranti and ‘tiranga’ on Independence day. Kites were also instrumental in the research of the Wright brothers when developing the first airplane in the late 1800s. Kites started to be used for scientific purposes, especially in meteorology, aeronautics, wireless communications and photography; many different designs of man-lifting kite were developed as well as power kites. Study of Kite making Primarily, there are 2 kinds of kites made in India. 1. Paper kites 2. PVC kites(poly vinyl Chloride or plastic sheets) There are 2 supporting sticks used in making a kite. 1. ‘Kaman’ or the tilted stick which runs across the kite 2. ‘Thadda’ or the straight stick that runs from top to bottom of the kite. These supporting sticks are brought to Delhi from Calcutta. They are made out of Bamboo wood. The Bamboo wood has to be cut and shred so as to make them useable in making a kite. They come in bundles of 1000 each. 10 bundles constitute a packet that makes a total of 10000 sticks. These sticks are stuck to the kites using adhesives that are either made at home i.e ‘Maidai ki layi’(paste of Refined Flour or Maida) and ‘Salochan’, an indigenous adhesive. Paper Kites The paper kites are mostly manufactured in Delhi in Chawri Bazaar as the raw material is easily available. Its used in the form of sheets which are then cut into required sizes for making the kites. PVC Kites The PVC kites or the Poly Vinyl Chloride kites are made in Delhi in Lal Kuan at ‘Mandir Waali Gali’. The raw material used is procured from Sadar Bazaar. In the market, PVC is made available in form of rolls which come from Mumbai. The PVC costs Rs. 200 per kilogram. Kite Making The paper or the PVC is cut into required sizes using a ‘Farman’ (cardboard cutout of the shape of a kite). A ‘chimti’ is used to stabilize the paper or the PVC on the ‘farman’. Then the paper/PVC is cut by using scissors. All the work that goes into making a kite is done manually. The Paper/PVC is wound around the ‘farman’ 50 times and then cut. This gives 50 pieces of the kites design. After the design has been cut, the ‘Salochan’ or the indigenous adhesive is applied to the ‘Thadda’ first which is then stuck to the kite. After the ‘Thadda’ has been stuck to the body, ‘Salochan’ is put on the other 2 sides of the kite. Another Bamboo stick is then used which is bent at an angle and stuck to the 2 sides of the kite. This stick is known as the ‘Kaman’. After the ‘Thadda’ and the ‘Kaman’ are put in place, adhesive tape is used at 5 places to keep the kite intact. The kite maker whom we studied makes approximately 2000 kites in a day and sells it to a wholesaler in the Lal Kuan market at a cost of Rs 2.50 per kite. The approximate cost that the kite maker incurs in making a kite is Rs 2.00 per kite. The Salochan used for making kites costs Rs 130 per litre and around 2000 kites can be made using a 1 litre can. The work has to be done in a hot place so that the Salochan does not dry. If the sticking is outsourced a mere 1000-1500 kites can be made using the same quantity of Salochan. The kite maker takes bulk orders from Jaipur and other wholesalers. The kites are sent outside Delhi by train, the expense being borne by the kite maker. Approximately 5000 kites weigh 30 kilograms. There are kites that are made outside Delhi also, the cheapest ones being from Calcutta and the most expensive ones from Bareilly. There is cost difference because the quality of paper used differs from place to place. The kites made in places outside Delhi are made by daily labourers on a ‘Dihadi’(paid according to per unit manufactured per day) or ‘Theka’(sum total given for a defined number of kites made) basis. Name of Kites The kites are named according to their sizes- 1. ‘Pauna’ 2. ‘Taava’ 3. ‘Manjola’ 4. ‘Bamchi’ 5. ‘Addhi’ 6. ‘Dhai’ 7. ‘Ikka’ The biggest kite that is manufactured in Delhi is the ‘Ikka’. Thread or ‘Manja’ The thread that is used to fly kites is called the ‘Manja’. It is made in Sadar Bazaar. The ‘manja’ is basically reels of thread that are wound on a ‘charkhi. The thread is made either from cotton or plastic. Plastic threads are called Chinese threads and are manufactured in Bangalore. The cotton thread is covered by hand with glass powder and rice. The glass powder helps one kite flyer to cut others thread and the rice provides smoothness to the thread. Each reel of the thread has 6000 yards of thread, roughly around 900 feet or 300 metres. Each ‘charkhi’ has 3 reels of thread wound around it making it roughly 1000 metres. The price of ‘charkhi’ ranges from Rs 75-Rs 1000 depending on the strength and the quality of the thread used in making it. Glass tubes mainly Tube lights are crushed and made into a powder. They are then along with an adhesive and rice, coated on the thread manually. This is also made in Bareilly and Rampur.
Posted on: Sun, 31 Aug 2014 08:52:15 +0000
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