The wintry sky was gloomy as the day did not witness the sun even for a moment but when the kite lovers started flying numerous kites of various sizes and shapes from the rooftops of buildings it wore a colourful look. At one stage, it seemed that multi-coloured butterflies laid siege to the sky of Old Dhaka.

The residents of the old part of the capital celebrated Shakrain, also known as Poush Sankranti, on Sunday flying kites and sky lanterns and displaying fireworks, reports The Daily Sun.

Mushfiqus Saleheen, a resident of Kasaituli of Naya Bazar, said, “From the eldest members of our family to the youngest ones celebrate Shakrain together. This is something very close to our hearts.”

People of all ages from various parts of the capital joined the Old Dhaka residents to experience an event that is unlike any other.

Shaika Aziz, who came to enjoy the Shakrain festival from Uttara, said, “People from different areas of Dhaka come here to enjoy the festival and have a good time. I also come here every year to take part in the most colourful tradition of Old Dhaka. This is superb.”

Different traditional food items were prepared and served from time to time during the festival.

Besides, loud music, especially the old and new super-hit numbers, was played from the digital sound boxes and audio mixers of Disk Jockeys set up on the rooftops.

People also sang and danced together making the whole neighbourhood a joint party floor.
Earlier, the main festivity of the day started with the kite flying. In the morning, people of Old Dhaka, especially youths, went to their rooftops to fly kites all day long.

They flew kites of different names based on their shapes, sizes and designs. Among all kites chokhdar, maladar, vomra, ghayel, chataidar, choshmadar, pongkhidar, chandar, tebaj, rumaldar, dobaj, and kauthadar were most popular among the kite lovers this year for their effectiveness.

However, this was not all about flying kites. From each rooftop, a competition ensued. In the kite fight, the aim was to slice the other kite flier’s string with their own, sending the defeated kite teetering to the ground. When a kite got down from the sky, the winning group flaunted their victory to the opponents.

This is the reason why the pattern of yarn of the kites is very crucial. Sunday’s kite flying showed that apart from preparing beautiful kites and making spools for them, the kite lovers have taken special care of the yarn.
Bakhtiar Aslam Khan, a teenager of Dinnath Sen Road at Gendaria, said, “I took long preparations for the day. Using a resin made of barley (glue) and finely crushed glass, I made my kite string strong and sharp. Therefore, I succeeded in cutting around 12 kites today.”

The daylong kite flying came to an end when the kite lovers burnt their kites in the evening. After the sunset, the second episode of the festivity kicked off. Paper lanterns were flown and incredible fireworks began on every rooftop making the people spellbound.

The young daredevils gathered on the rooftops to entertain everyone with their risky skills of fireworks. The glittering blaze of flamboyant fire illuminated the night sky providing it a look like a sea of colours. Digital laser light shows added exceptional joy to the festivity.

Shakrain is celebrated on two consecutive days by the people in Old Dhaka depending on their locality.
Residents of Narinda, Wari, Faridabad, Sutrapur, Lalbagh and some other areas celebrated the event this year on Sunday according to the Bangla Academy calendar, while the inhabitants of Shakhari Bazar, Tanti Bazar, Goalnagar, RajarDeuri and Judge Court area will observe the day today following the Panjika date.

Bd-pratidin English/Lutful Hoque