on January 14 Gujarat celebrates the turn of the season with the Uttarayan festival. The sun moves from the south to the north (the word for north in Indian language is Uttar, so, the movement is called Uttarayan) into the zodiac of Capricorn, and the days become longer from this day onwards. Because the sun moves into the zodiac of Capricornthis day is called Makar Sankranti - makar being the Hindu word for Capricorn, sankranti means the movement of the sun from one zodiac to another.

Usually this period is marked with the harvest of new crops, hence most households are full of new harvest of grains and vegetables, the end of winter, and clear skies and pleasant sunny afternoons. So celebration means eating undiyo - a dish made of eighteen vegetables, khitchdi (a dish made of pulses and rice), sweets like peetha, chikki, and especially in Gujara, where I am now, with the kite flying festival.

Entire families including grandmothers, grandfathers, babies, hudbands, wives, children gather on the terrace to fly kites all day and all night! 

 The Lonely Flyer in the Deserted Roof Early Morning

Stringing the Kite in the Right Way is Important

 In the dark skies, the white kite looks lovely and gazing at it makes one's spirit soar...it is an amzing experience. 

They Have Baby Kites and Baby Firkis Too! But Baby is More interested in what's up there in the Sky :)

The DJ -

Music is Very Important Part of the Festivities and the Stereo is on at Full Blast while Kites are Flying

After sundown they tie little lamps to the kites and that is called tukkal, later on when it is really dark, the gas balloons go up -  and that's how it looked from where I stood on the terrace.

Hope you are all well - wish you all a very happy year ahead, :)