Jaipur: The Pink City`s skyline is all set to be dotted with images of Anna Hazare with kites bearing his pictures being a hit with lovers of the paper wonders ahead of the Makarsankranti festival.
Kite markets in the city are a riot of colour with kites of all shapes and sizes adorning the bylanes. "Normally, enthusiastic kite-lovers purchase fancy kites which have multiple designs or pictures of film stars. This year, we are observing, that many people are buying fancy kites just because they have Anna`s picture on them," Abdul Hameed, an old kite trader in Haldiyon Ka Rasta, a popular market here, said. Kite manufacturers have also prepared kites bearing Anna`s image in large numbers as the Gandhian has been in the news for the last few months.
Makarsankranti is celebrated as kite flying day in many parts of the country.
"Fancy kites are made up of plastic and have prints of different icons like politicians and film stars. This year, Anna is a hot favourite," he said, adding the rate of such fancy kites starts from Rs 10.
Hameed said that a few groups of people have ordered for fancy kites bearing different pictures of Anna in bulk.
Prices of kites and glass laced thread (manjha) are high as compared to last year but it has not dampened the enthusiasm of kite lovers.
"Rates of kites and manjhas have gone up by 20-40 percent and there is shortage of stock in markets but despite this, we hope for a good business because schools are closed due to cold and children are free. Moreover, Makarsakranti is falling over the weekend, and weather conditions are favourable," kite trader Prakash Panwar said.
PTI