Makar Sankranti 2023: How this Bandra institution is keeping the kite-flying tradition alive

The shop boasts of a vast collection of kites and manjhas from across India. Pics/Anurag Ahire

If the words, ‘kai po che', mean anything to you, and you're brave enough to ignore the delicious aromas wafting around the landmark Lucky Restaurant on Bandra's buzzing SV Road, slip into the lane adjacent to it. Thousands of kites - diamond, fighter, rocket, bowed, delta and more - hang out of shops to form a colourful canopy over the narrow, bustling street. A number of shops in this kite paradise owe much of their collection to Lucky Bharat Kite, tucked away at the far end of the street. Nearly seven decades old, and weighed down by 50,000-odd kites that occupy every inch of its corners, the shop is one of the oldest wholesalers and retailers in the area.

Third-generation owner Ahmed Hussain Kazi sits in a corner of the store-cum-office, quietly watching over the consistent buzz of customers flitting in and out. Uttarayan and Makar Sankranti are just days away and it's the season for sales to fly. The business these days, however, is a far cry from the time Kazi's grandfather Maqbool Hussain started making and selling kites. His wife, Nasim, recalls how in their heyday, karigars would trudge all the way from Kolkata to handcraft kites under the sharp eyes of Maqbool, and later, his son Zahid, at their Bunderwadi facility. Kazi followed his father Zahid into the business when he was about 11. "Back in the day, I would design, cut and prepare the kites myself," he shares.

His nephew, Ashfaque, explains that making a kite requires space, the attention of as many as 10 karigars for each piece, and the assemblage of raw materials from different corners of the country. This renders the making of kites unsustainable in Mumbai, and so they currently source their vast variety of kites and manjhas from Punjab, Jaipur and Bareilly. "The four or five months leading up to Makar Sankranti is when the sales are the highest," reveals Nasim. During the rest of the year, they cater to wholesale orders, kite festivals in other parts of India, apart from the handful of orders from their dwindling young clientele.

Nasim and Ahmed Kazi show off a decorative kite

Citing the example of his own kids, Ashfaque points out how children are increasingly losing interest in flying kites. There was a time when parents would have to drag kids home from the playground. Now, they are busy trying to push children outdoors, away from phone screens. "Legend has it that kite-flying was started when there was no treatment for heart ailments. A hakim was once treating a patient who complained of restlessness in his heart. The hakim recommended him to fly kites - it helps with hand-eye coordination; it keeps you engaged and refreshes your mind," Ashfaque regales us. The trio are worried if the next generation will take over the mantle. "Our ancestors started this business out of their shauk [passion]. We do not want to give it up; kites are our identity," he signs off.

At: Lucky Bharat Kite, MRS Road, Bandra West
Call: 9892187373

Fly high

The Guide's top picks (priced between Rs 10 and Rs 300) that are perfect for the festive season:

Kite with Punjabi design

Kite with Jaipuri design