Residents revel in Basant Panchami festivities

Tribune News Service

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Bathinda, January 29

Residents of the city revelled in the Basant Panchami festivities here on Wednesday. The sky remained adorned with kites of varied colours throughout the day. From early in the morning, residents were spotted flying kites from terraces and playgrounds in the city. By afternoon, the sky was dotted with kites, providing a picturesque view. There was a lot of excitement among kite flyers to cut their opponents’ thread with their string.

Many residents had even installed music systems on their terraces and danced on Punjabi and Hindi tracks during the day. Residents were also seen enjoying delicacies with their family members and near and dear ones.

Meanwhile, balloon sellers did brisk business by selling a sizeable number of balloons during the day. Balloon sellers were spotted in different markets and busy junctions across the city, selling a single balloon for Rs 20. While buyers were not quite satisfied with the price at which balloons were sold, the sellers said on routine days people barely bought balloons from them and that on such festivals, they got to sell them in large numbers. “Moreover, as the prices of everything have increased and we need to subsist and provide two squares meals to our families members as well. A sum of Rs 20 for a single balloon is a reasonable price,” said Jiwan Kumar, a balloon seller near the Rose Garden. The kites of different colours, themes and shapes were major attractions.

Meanwhile, despite tall claims of the district police to deter the use of Chinese string during the festival, kite flyers in large numbers flagrantly violated the ban. A number of kite flyers were spotted using Chinese strings to fly kites on their terraces. Notably, more than 100 spools of Chinese strings were seized in the district on Tuesday by the police. The police stated that strict action would be taken against those using Chinese strings on Basant Panchami. Despite various attempts, DSP GS Romana did not respond.

Kite flying contest

To celebrate Basant Panchmi, students of DAV College, Bathinda, flew kites of varied hues and shapes when the student welfare department of the college organised a kite flying competition on Wednesday. Many students and staff members flew colourful kites in the sky.

Principal Sanjeev Sharma extended warm wishes of Basant Panchmi and congratulated the winners. The principal said, “The competition has been organized to revive the practice of kite flying, thus drawing our younger generation closer to traditional forms of sports, developing a love for open spaces and keeping them away from the world of gadgets.”