# buildwith · International Kite Festival / Uttarayan: sources

Row #1 of `experiences_v1.csv` (research pass 3 Oct 2026, IST). Dates and deadlines come from `cal.py` (date check 4 Oct 2026, IST), which is the source of truth for dates, with the 4 Oct 2026 source-rule audit applied. The page deliberately shows **no prices** and no contact emails; see the official site.

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Name, place (Ahmedabad (Sabarmati Riverfront) + other Gujarat cities, India), continent | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| Usual timing: January (Makar Sankranti, 14 Jan) | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| What you build / use: USE locally made patang kites & firki reels; fly from rooftops during Uttarayan | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| How a traveller takes part: Buy kites/reels at Raipur Darwaja Patang Bazaar, join a local family/homestay rooftop on 14-15 Jan; watch invited international kite makers at the IKF riverfront ground | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| Participation level: Use (open to all); IKF flying slots are for invited flyers | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| Entry requirements / deadline: None for visitors; IKF flyers are invited via Gujarat Tourism | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html (primary) · https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html (secondary) |
| Verification note (research pass): 2026 dates verified on official site. Avoid nylon/'Chinese' manja (unsafe/restricted). 2027 dates unverified. | experiences_v1.csv |
| Date: Jan 2027 · date TBC: International Kite Festival 2027, Gujarat (official schedule TBC). 2026 ran 10-14 Jan; 2027 dates not announced. | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html |
| Date: 14 Jan 2027: Uttarayan / Makar Sankranti, Ahmedabad (kite-flying day). Makar Sankranti is 14 Jan 2027 (Government of India 2027 holiday list). The official International Kite Festival 2027 dates are NOT announced. Build/use: Fly kites made by local makers (Patang Bazaar) from rooftops. How to join: Buy kites and reels locally and join a rooftop; free IKF ground. | https://sromarol.esic.gov.in/attachments/circularfile/Holidays_to_be_observed_in_Central_Government_Offices_during_the_year_2027_reg_1786507084.pdf |
| Take-part route "Fly locally made kites from a rooftop" (Use local gear): Buy patang kites and firki reels from the makers at the Raipur Darwaja Patang Bazaar, then join a local family or homestay rooftop on 14–15 Jan and fly. | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Take-part route "Watch the International Kite Festival" (Watch & buy local): Invited international kite makers fly at the IKF riverfront ground on the Sabarmati. Entry for visitors is free; flying slots at the IKF are for invited flyers only (invitations go through Gujarat Tourism). | Re-worded from the CSV row and the dated items above |
| Check note: Use plain cotton thread. India's National Green Tribunal (judgment of 11 Jul 2017) dealt with nylon, synthetic and glass-coated 'Chinese' manja; its directions prohibit nylon thread and thread coated with glass or other harmful substances. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Check note: CONFLICT: the official International Kite Festival 'About' page still describes traditional glass-coated manja. That conflicts with the glass-manja ban, so we advise against glass-coated manja. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Check note: The official International Kite Festival 2027 dates are NOT announced yet; 14 Jan 2027 is Makar Sankranti in the Government of India's 2027 holiday list. | CSV verification notes / dated items above |
| Extra link: Manja safety: National Green Tribunal judgment, 11 Jul 2017 (copy on a Puducherry government site) | http://dste.py.gov.in/ppcc/pdf/Legal/Hon%E2%80%99ble%20NGT%20Orders/384%20of%202016%20dt.%2011.07.2017.pdf |
| Extra link: Conflict: the official IKF About page (describes glass-coated manja) | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/about.html |

## Skills you'll need (section 03)

| Fact used | Source |
|---|---|
| Skills (this experience): Flying a patang (Indian fighter kite) from a rooftop: launching, steering by tug-and-release, letting out line; Working the firki (reel) with a partner and handling manja without cutting yourself; Rooftop, street and bird safety during Uttarayan | Skills research, checked 2026-10-04 (IST) |
| Difficulty (our estimate): Beginner (flying a patang well takes some practice); prep time (our estimate): 1 hour reading plus 2–4 short practice sessions on open ground. Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures. | Curiosta editorial estimate |
| Refresher, practice and safety steps: A patang has no tail and is steered actively: short tugs make it dart or climb, slackening the line lets it drift and rise. Practise small, calm inputs before trying anything fast. / Launch with your back to the wind; let the kite catch the breeze, then give short pulls so it climbs above the rooftop turbulence into steadier wind. / Fly as a pair: one person flies, the other holds the firki and winds or unwinds smoothly so the line never piles up and tangles. / Kite 'fights' (cutting a rival's line) are the heart of Uttarayan; as a first-timer focus on keeping control and enjoy watching the pech battles before joining in. / Buy plain cotton thread. Avoid nylon or synthetic 'Chinese' manja and glass-coated thread: they injure riders, pedestrians and birds, and India's National Green Tribunal directions (2017) prohibit them. / Tape your fingertips or wear finger guards or gloves: a running line can cut or burn skin. / Never stand on parapets or unrailed edges, never chase a falling kite across roofs or roads, and if a kite tangles in power lines, let it go. / Expect birds in the sky at dawn and dusk; fly gently and report any injured bird to a local bird-rescue helpline. / Fly any cheap patang on an open ground or beach in India in the weeks before (they are sold widely around Makar Sankranti); practise tug-and-release steering at ground level, not on a roof. / Practise winding and unwinding a firki with a friend so hand-overs are smooth. / Try a simple single-line kite first if you have never flown one, using the AKA launch steps, then move to a patang. / Make finger guards from medical tape and practise letting line run through gloved fingers. / Use plain cotton thread only; no nylon, synthetic or glass-coated manja. / Protect fingers from line cuts; wear gloves or tape. / Stay off parapets and roof edges; never chase falling kites into traffic. / Keep clear of power lines; abandon a tangled kite. / Fly gently around birds; report injured birds to a local bird-rescue helpline. | Our summary of the resources below |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Gujarat Tourism (Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd)): International Kite Festival – official site: Official IKF dates, background and contacts for the festival in Ahmedabad. | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/index.html |
| Resource (Official; publisher: Gujarat Tourism (Government of Gujarat)): International Kite Festival – Gujarat Tourism: Explains Uttarayan rooftop culture, kite markets and the riverfront festival. | https://gujarattourism.com/fair-and-festival/international-kite-festival.html |
| Resource (Official; publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association): How To Fly A Kite: Plain-language launching, wind and line-handling basics that carry over to a patang. | https://www.kite.org/about-kites/how-to-fly-a-kite/ |
| Resource (Official; publisher: American Kitefliers Association (AKA), US national kite association): Kite Safety: Line burns, gloves, power lines and courtesy rules from a national kite body. | https://www.kite.org/about-kites/kite-safety/ |
| Resource (Official; publisher: National Green Tribunal (India); PDF hosted by the Department of Science, Technology & Environment, Government of Puducherry): National Green Tribunal judgment on nylon, synthetic and glass-coated manja (OA 384/2016, 11 Jul 2017): The 2017 NGT judgment on 'Chinese' manja: its directions prohibit nylon and synthetic kite thread and thread coated with glass or other harmful substances. Copy hosted by a Puducherry government department. | http://dste.py.gov.in/ppcc/pdf/Legal/Hon%E2%80%99ble%20NGT%20Orders/384%20of%202016%20dt.%2011.07.2017.pdf |
| Also consulted for the skills section | https://ikf.gujarattourism.com/about.html |
| No official resource yet: No official resource yet for patang technique or manja handling. CONFLICT: the official IKF About page describes glass-coated manja, which conflicts with the glass-manja ban: we advise against glass-coated manja; use plain cotton thread. | Skills research (gap recorded) |

See also: skills guide `skills/kite-basics/`

## Source audit (4 Oct 2026, IST)

Official sources first; non-official sources only if the event community widely accepts them, with evidence. Links removed or replaced on this page (old links are shown as plain text, not linked):

- Old: `panchang (Makar Sankranti 14 Jan 2027, no link)` → New: https://sromarol.esic.gov.in/attachments/circularfile/Holidays_to_be_observed_in_Central_Government_Offices_during_the_year_2027_reg_1786507084.pdf. Why: Date now sourced from the Government of India (DoPT) 2027 holiday list.

## Check notes shown on the page

- Use plain cotton thread. India's National Green Tribunal (judgment of 11 Jul 2017) dealt with nylon, synthetic and glass-coated 'Chinese' manja; its directions prohibit nylon thread and thread coated with glass or other harmful substances.
- CONFLICT: the official International Kite Festival 'About' page still describes traditional glass-coated manja. That conflicts with the glass-manja ban, so we advise against glass-coated manja.
- The official International Kite Festival 2027 dates are NOT announced yet; 14 Jan 2027 is Makar Sankranti in the Government of India's 2027 holiday list.

## Our grouping

- Levels shown: Use local gear, Watch & buy local (our grouping of the CSV participation level "Use (open to all); IKF flying slots are for invited flyers").
- Usual months used by the month filter: Jan.