The transition of the Sun into Makar(Capricorn) is the time when we celebrate the festival Uttrayan or Makar-Sankranti. It is commonly known as the kite flying festival.
Celebrated widely and enthusiastically in Gujarat, the Gujaratis have some unique ways of enjoying the festival. Of what I have noticed, there are some really interesting things which every Gujarati can be seen doing during Uttrayan. Here are a few of them –
1. There has to be a guy/girl acting as the DJ on the terrace.
2. Most of the ladies of the house are busy cooking Undhiyu.
3. People invite friends and relatives to their terraces for the celebration. All the terraces can be seen full of people celebrating and enjoying.
4. Some extremely delicious sweets – Chikki are eaten along with jalebis
5. Most of the people can be seen fighting and arguing on the terrace regarding this one context – “tu maari firki pakad!” :D
6. Even if the hand starts bleeding due to the sharp threads, people cover it with band aids and tapes and continue flying kites.
7. When a kite goes from above the terrace, people leave everything to go catch it. This may include leaving the already flying kite as well!
8. Not a single person can be seen without shades/goggles/sunglasses/aviators. Some of these are of horrific bright colors.
9. The ladies of neighboring terraces can be seen gossiping and collecting random threads and knitting them at the same time.
10. There is always that one guy on the terrace who will look out for girls to flirt in the nearby terraces.
11. Most of the houses have irritating vuvuzelas (peepudi, as referred to, in Gujarati) to make noise when they cut someone’s kite
12. People start flying Gubbare or air balloons in the evenings, so much so that the sky becomes a pretty, pretty sight!
13. As the sun sets, people start dancing on the tunes of music on the terraces!
14. By dancing, most of the people mean playing Garba
15. This is followed by firecrackers
16. Most of them prefer to have dinner on the terrace itself
17. People sit on the terraces till late nights and have fun
How do you celebrate your Uttarayan? Let me know in the comments section below!
Meanwhile, happy Makar Sankranti :)
