Kite markets in Hyderabad bustle with activity ahead of Sankranti

Kite markets at Gulzar Houz, Hussainialam and Dhoolpet are witnessing hectic activity ahead of Sankranthi, with shops stocking colourful kites and accessories. Traders say demand has improved this year, helped by the clampdown on Chinese manja

Hyderabad: With city folks getting ready for Sankranti festivities, the kite markets at Gulzar Houz, Hussainialam and Dhoolpet are bustling with hectic activity.

Scores of shops have come up in the three popular markets in the run-up to the harvest festival, which is more popular for kite flying in the city.

Most of the kite shops have stocked colourful kites, bobbins and threads to cater to the huge rush of customers. “Customers start coming to the shops from afternoon, with students arriving first, followed by office goers in the evening,” said Manoj Singh, a kite seller at Jummerat Bazaar Road.

Paper kites have huge demand in the market, with a dozen kites costing between Rs 50 and Rs 600 depending upon the size. Flying lanterns are another attraction at the shops, with each costing Rs 100.

With the authorities clamping down on the sale of China-made manja, the sale of local manja has increased several fold. Traders are obtaining the local variety of manja from Uttar Pradesh, while some families in the city, who are into the manja-making vocation and are settled in Dabeerpura, Mangalhat and Dhoolpet, are supplying the manja to the shops. “Compared to previous years, this is a good season for us. The clampdown on Chinese manja is helping us and the business is slowly reviving,” said Dilavar, a manja maker at Dabeerpura.