‘A safe Basant’: Lahore revives iconic kite festival after yearslong ban

On a cold, hazy morning, hundreds of kite-flying enthusiasts lined up at Mochi Gate in Lahore's Walled City, waiting for their turn to buy kites ahead of this week's Basant festival, which is returning after a year-long hiatus.

Hundreds of others swarmed the adjoining streets as kite sales commenced at some 300 designated places and vendors across the city.

A frantic energy surged through the crowd as everyone scrambled for a kite, and whenever a lucky few managed to snag one, the air filled with jubilant cheers and claps.

The three-day festival, traditionally celebrated with the advent of spring, is set to kick off on Friday.

"My friends and I came here six hours before the shop opened," Kashif Shah, a kite-flying enthusiast, told Anadolu.

"We've waited years for this moment and to see Lahore's skies filled with kites again."

Shah has arranged a rooftop party at his house on the first day of the festival.

Old Lahore, or the Walled City, is the epicentre of Basant, where residents even rent out their rooftops for kite flying.

Meanwhile, in northern, or what some call the new Lahore — home to high-end localities and glitzy skyscrapers — several streets and squares have been decorated with fancy lights for the festival.

Giant billboards and models have been erected at several points to highlight the festival's theme: cultural revival with responsibility.

"I am seeing this kind of festivity after a long time. It reminds me of the good old days, when Basant was actually celebrated," said Javed Malik, another kite lover, in his 60s.

"It will also be a good opportunity for Gen Z to learn about Basant, which was once an integral part of Lahore's culture."

Safety restrictions to avert casualties

Kite flying is the centrepiece of Basant, a festival traditionally celebrated in both Indian and Pakistani Punjab to welcome spring.

Music, barbecue, and traditional dhol beats, or drums, were also highlights of the event that began at night and lasted through the whole day.

The festival, however, saw a series of bans over the past two decades due to deaths caused by sharp glass or metal-coated strings used to detach kites during competitive kite fights.

The dual temptation of money and praise propels children and young boys to run after the stray kites, which sometimes turns out to be a dangerous pursuit.

Apart from fatal road accidents and stampedes during the run, there have been bloody clashes between groups claiming rights to landing kites.

Basant was first banned in Pakistan in 2007 following multiple deaths and injuries caused by kite strings.

The ban was briefly lifted in 2018, but was immediately reimposed following dozens of casualties.

Successive governments, however, failed to fully implement the ban, prompting police to chase and arrest violators.

This year, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has allowed the festival to be celebrated in Lahore only.

The provincial government has issued a set of restrictions to avert casualties, including a complete ban on unsafe strings and the use of safety rods on motorbikes, while each kite and string will have a unique QR code.

There will also be a complete ban on the display of arms or aerial firing. A violator could be sent to jail for up to five years or face a fine of up to Rs5 million.

Soaring prices dampen enthusiasm

Basant was taken to its zenith by former military ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who made it an international event in the early 2000s.

It promoted Lahore as the cultural capital and was popular to the point that citizens would rent out the roofs of their houses for events throughout the month.

The more kites one downs, the more praise they get from colleagues, and the “looted” kites are often bought by revellers at a good price.

Soaring kite and string prices, however, have dampened enthusiasm among many.

Kite prices fluctuate between Rs400 and Rs700, while a "pinna" — ball of kite string — is being sold for Rs12,000 to Rs16,000.

"Kite prices are fair, but the 'pinna' cost is unbearable. We can't afford that," Rana Saim, a member of a local kite-flying group, told Anadolu.

Owners, he added, are also demanding between Rs200,000 and Rs1 million for renting out their rooftops, depending on size and location.

"There must be a price check by the government, otherwise lower- and middle-income groups won't be able to enjoy the festival," Saim said.

Entertainment and economy

For Zohaib Saleem Butt, a TV host and writer who frequently writes on Lahore's culture, Basant has long been the city's identity.

Apart from entertainment, he said, it also generates huge economic activity, benefitting several segments of society.

"Kite sellers, caterers, tailors, and others have huge orders for Basant. Dhol players are booked and hotels are making arrangements for extra guests," Butt told Anadolu.

Yellow roses and marigolds, which symbolise the arrival of spring, are also in high demand.

Some, however, are still sceptical, warning that kite flying may again cause harm.

"No festival or economy is more important than human lives. It's a bloody sport that has killed hundreds of people, including children and women," said Qaiser Sharif, a Lahore-based writer and political activist.

Speaking to Anadolu, Sharif said stray kite strings have killed and injured several people across Punjab over the past few months.

"Governments have failed to prevent deaths and injuries with their so-called restrictions in the past, so how are they going to do it now?" he said.

It will be impossible for the government to implement safety protocols in a city of over 14m, Sharif argued, suggesting that kite flying could be allowed in open grounds in order to avoid casualties.

"If there are any deaths or injuries, Maryam Nawaz should be held responsible," he contended.

Agreeing with the apprehensions, Butt urged revellers to strictly follow safety protocols to avoid any incidents that could lead to another ban.

CM Maryam, however, insists that her government's preemptive actions and citizens' cooperation will help restore Lahore's cultural image. "Let's celebrate a safe Basant," she said in her message.