Kites of countless colors and designs are lined up in rows on the shelves of ‘Padang’ shops in the traditional market of the city
Post Date – 11:59 PM, Monday – 1/9/23
People buy kites at a store in Hyderabad on Monday. Photo: Surya Sridhar.
Hyderabad: With just a week left until Sankranti, a festival synonymous with ‘Patangbazi’ in Hyderabad, the ancient city’s traditional wholesale markets including Gulzar Houz, Mangalhat, Moosa Bowli and Dhoolpet see bustling business activity.
Kites of countless colors and designs line the shelves of ‘Padang’ shops in the city’s traditional markets. “As Sankranti approaches, we expect to do more business this year. Currently, many retail kite vendors are coming to our store to buy. However, in the next few days, young people who are indulging in Patang Bazi during Sankranti will start The shops are crowded,” said Arvind Singh, a businessman in Dhoolpet.
The kite business in Hyderabad has been hit hard in the last three years due to the Covid pandemic. With everyone getting through the Covid pandemic, traders are now looking forward to a bumper year.
“There was no business at the peak of Covid. As a result, in the last two or three years, almost all traders involved in kiting have reported significant financial losses. Everything is normal now and we are looking forward to a booming business,” another trader Mohit Singh said.
Many families living in Dhoolpet earn a living by making paper kites, and some varieties are imported from elsewhere. The paper and bamboo sticks are provided by the vendors to the artisans who make the kites at home, and the finished products are delivered to the vendors.
In Gulzar Houz, traders stock up on traditional kites including Dulhan patang, Ek kalam, Doh kalam, Anda patang, Zebiya and others. “Kites are usually named according to the design. So a kite with two egg-shaped papers pasted on it is called ‘Anda Patang’, while a beautifully decorated kite is usually called Dulhan Patang etc.,” explained Shoieb, a trader in Gulzar Houz. Traders pointed out that there is not much difference in the price of kites.
