Kites...

                      It was the morning of 14^th January, the festival of Maker Sankranti, when one of my friends, who is Gujarati, wished me Happy Uttarayan. And it was then when I came to know that Maker Sankranti is also known as Uttarayan. Many people all over the country enjoy it as a festival of Kites. As far as you can see, the sky is full of kites of different colours. What a lovely sight!

                     So how could I resist my temptation to fly a kite myself? Though I am not good at it, but I know that my papa has flown it for many years when he himself was a child. So I thought that he would happily teach me.

                     Hence I rushed at once to him with a request to buy me some kites. But his reply totally amazed me, “No....no kites at all. Go and just sit to study. It’s time for you to concentrate on your studies only ... leave kite flying for stray children. ”

                    I was shocked. How could papa say this! Was this the same father who uses to tell tales of his monopoly in flying kites in his locality? How proudly he often told me and mom the whole description of how he defeated other children in a kite flying competition.

                     I kept on pleading, but his reply remained unchanged, “What is the use of kite flying?” Suddenly an idea struck my mind and I said, “What if kite flying increases my knowledge?”  Now it was Papa’s turn to be amazed. I had read about kites sometimes back in an encyclopaedia, which I still remembered. I poured everything before him and he was so impressed that my wish was immediately fulfilled.
                 

I think you would also be interested to know what I told him...so here I go- Kites are said to be invented in China approximately 3000years back. They were used for various purposes. Even too big kites were used to carry warriors with bows and arrows to attack enemies from above.From china, it had been carried away to various Asian countries like Japan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia and India. Kites were introduced in Europe by Marco Polo in the 13th century. In India, kite is popularly known as PATANG.Previously kites were used for mere amusement and was also related to some religious and mythological beliefs, but later on in the 17th and 18th century , it was also being used for scientific research and experiments, military purposes, photography etc. Besides this, investigation has been made for the use of kites in power generation.Some other countries where too kite flying is very popular are-Afghanistan, Pakistan, Vietnam, Greece, Cyprus, Chile, Colombia and Guyana. In India, every year an international kite festival is organised in Ahmadabad and Jaipur, where kite lovers are gathered from all over the world.



                                INTERNATIONAL KITE FESTIVAL,2011 AT AHMADABAD

                    

CUTE ANIMALS, HOW COULD ONE BE SO CRUEL TO THEM...

Hi friends, have you ever watched Animal Planet or Discovery channels? What do you mostly like to see in those documentaries? Animals? Have you ever noticed how they look like? Don’t you feel they seem so cute even if they are wild beasts as per our definitions?

Recently I have come across some news of killing of leopards and elephants by the villagers when they entered the village. What was their fault? Only that they had no sufficient place left to live in and not enough food to eat.

I was wondering that how humans can be so cruel to animals. People not only kill or misbehave wild animals, but also I have seen some people neglecting their pets. Animals are cute and are made to be loved, not for such cruel and neglected behavior. We never try to understand that animals too have got feelings. They are innocent. We don’t even feel that when we misbehave animals, their feelings also get hurt. Many examples can be seen in our surroundings where people throw away their pets, especially DOGS, when they grow old, simply because an old dog cannot guard as the young one do. Such people treat animals for their personal benefits only, either for money making or for safety.  Many animals are killed for different purposes. Beautiful, harmless little creature like SQUIRRELS are killed for making brushes from their hair. Many RABBITS lose their lives for the manufacturing of shampoo. ELEPHANTS are killed for their teeth and TIGERS, LEOPARDS etc for their skin. They are sold in the black market for a very high price.  We all are aware that how brutally animals are treated in circus and for what…? Just for entertainment, they are deprived of their natural habitat, far from their family. Can’t we feel ourselves how they feel at such moments?

Just take a while to sit quietly among the nature, feel the rhythm of flowing water, chirping birds…and the song which only your heart can hear…feel only once the soft and warm touch of your non-demanding friends, hold them in your arms, let them lick your face and then with closed eyes and your hands on your heart, think honestly-CAN YOU REALLY LIVE WITHOUT THEM?  

                            Some photographs taken by me