T-Stir takes toll on kites sale in Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Jan 11 (INN): The usual buzz at the largest 'Patang' (kite) market at Gulzar Houz, just a few days before the Sankranti festival, is glaringly missing, with shopkeepers lamenting that the usual buyers from across the state failing to turn up. A kite-maker Fayyaz, whose family has been making kites for generations, told INN that his business has plummeted to about 40 per cent compared to last year.

Fayyaz says that the buyers from outside the city, particularly from places like Mahabubnagar, Siddipet, Vikarabad, Warangal etc are conspicuous by their absence. This has led to the kite industry reeling. The shops at the oldest kites market at 'Gulzar House', while displaying kites in many new and attractive designs and shapes, like the aeroplanes patang, butterfly patang, kabootar patang, and the favourite Bombay patang, not to mention the Hyderabadi Dulhan, wait for customers.

According to shopkeepers, the sales have been hit by the rising costs of raw material resulting in the kites becoming expensive and the frequent Bandh calls, affecting public transport. The Telangana stir has also had the affect of keeping the buyers, mostly resellers, at bay, the kitemakers say. A kite-maker Aqeel says, 'The Telangana agitations have led to uncertainty among resellers from other towns about the public transport. This is the main reason for them to avoid coming to the city, for fear of being forced to stay back and spend money on lodging.'

Another trader Venugopal says that with about four days to go, the sales would have touched over 70 per cent at this time of the year, but shockingly, only 30 per cent of their annual target has been completed. He too blamed the Telangana agitation for the shockingly low sales. Like Venugopal, Fayyaz and Aqeel too pinned their hopes on the last four days before the Sankranti festival for customers to throng their shops.

For Fayyaz, whose only vocation is making kites and 'manja', the specially coated thread, the lack of sales have been particularly harsh. Meanwhile, the shops display the kites manufactured locally as well as what are now called as Chinese kites. Though made by local artisans, the Chinese kites are so called because of the designs being inspired by the kites manufactured in the neighbouring country.

Among the few buyers who have thronged the market, a teenager Aziz said that he has chosen a new design of the kite, 'the 3 idiots'. His pick was from the butterflies, Bombay kites, Hyderabadi Dulhan, and many more in vivid colours and types. For Fayyaz, a lot more customers like Aziz can go a long way in providing him solace and give him a ray of hope towards economic ease.