The colourful kites have hit the markets ahead of the Makar Sankranti festival in Hyderabad and the sellers are hopeful of doing good business this year despite the surge in COVID-19 cases.
Ahead of the Makar Sankranti, shops in Dhoolpet have been decorated with kites of different colours, Manjha and sky lantern to fly in the night.
A shopkeeper said that they are positive about doing a good business, though the prices of kites have increased due to the increase in raw material. But the people in large numbers are coming to buy the kites.
Parents are purchasing extra kites to restrict their children from going out of the house amid the threat of COVID, said another shopkeeper.
Speaking to ANI, Anil Singh, a kite manufacturer in Dhoolpet said, "The kites here are very famous, not only kite but Ganesh idols, Rakhis are very famous. Gujarat kites made of plastic paper are exported from Gujrat and Pune. Here in Hyderabad only paper kites are made, this time the cost of paper and sticks used in making kites is very high, that's why the kite prices are also high. The kites made here are of best in quality and best designs are printed on it."
He said that people from other states also come here to buy the kites in Hyderabad's Dhoolpet.
"The manjha is also very famous here and since the government had advised banning the Chinese manjha and we are also cooperating to that as birds get killed due manjha. The manjha is made of thread and we are selling it," said Singh.
Singh further the stick used in the making of kite comes from Indore and as the transport has increased the cost of kites are also increased.
Kanhaiya Singh, a shopkeeper in the Dhoolpet area in Hyderabad, said, "Sankranthi is a seasonal festival and the kite that we are selling is made in Dhoolpet. The difference between Jaipur and Dhoolpet kites is that the kites made here has a thread and do not get torn easily and Jaipur kites are ruff and tuff. A Jaipur pound kite is 150 for dozen and a Dhoolpet kite is 180 for dozen and every year there is a shortage of Dhoolpet kites. Every year nearly 20 new kite shops are opened."
He further said that because of Omicron the sales are high as everyone is at home and to restrict their children to the home, parents are buying extra kites.
Omprakash Namdev, a native of Madhya Pradesh said that he had come here to buy kites and they will celebrate the festival in Hyderabad with pomp and splendour.
"The best kites in Hyderabad are made here in Dhoolpet, so we buy kites from here. The Prices are medium not so high," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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