For the first time in 43 years, Shrikant Deshpande, a humanresource manager with a multinational company in Pune, flew a kite. Deshpande’stryst with this ‘sporting’ event came during his visit to Baramati on August 15this year. “I had actually gone there on official work, but since it was aholiday I decided to visit the ‘Patang Jatra’ that had been advertised in thelocal newspapers and it certainly made my day,” he says. The ‘Patang Jatra’ wasorganised by the Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation (MTDC) and theAgri Tourism Development Company (ATDC) for the first time ever in a bid tomake kite-flying a unique event on the lines of such festivals organised inKerala and Gujarat.
Strange though it may have seemed, the month of August waschosen with a particular reason. “We timed the festival from August 15 to 20because traditionally the kites are flown in this season in Maharashtra. Duringthe month of Shravan, an important festival of farmers called ‘Bail Pola’ takesplace which is when kites come into vogue,” informs Pandurang Taware, CEO,ATDC. In Gujarat and other northern states, the kite festival takes place inJanuary around the Makar Sankranti time. In Maharashtra, Bail Pola iscelebrated on the new moon day (Amavasya) of the month of Shravan to payrespect to bulls.
The Baramati festival, however, included more than kites.Along with a competition for making the best kites and impromptu workshops bythe organisers to teach kite-making, it also provided an insight into rurallifestyles. It offered, for example, bullock cart rides, tractor rides, aguided tour of rainwater harvesting projects, plantation of trees and saplings,local cuisine and traditional games.
The festival also offered a chance to buy grains and pulsesdirectly from the farmers. With an impressive turnout and the accommodationfacilities booked for all the five days at village Palashi, the organisers arenow keen on making this a permanent annual event. “Eventually we would likepeople from outside Maharashtra to come here too,” Taware states.
