To the sky and beyond

If you looked at Old Dhaka's sky yesterday, your eyes would surely get blinded by the sheer amount of colours, with thousands of kites flying in motion. Kites were flown from every rooftop of the area. The sky might be the limit for these kites, but the joy was beyond any such limits.

Yesterday was the first day of the Bangla month of Magh, marking the day of the age-old Shakrain festival on the occasion of Makar Sankranti. Shakrain, the kite-flying festival, dates back to the Nawabi period. Fast-forward to twenty-first century's Dhaka, the festival has only become bigger.

This correspondent visited Old Dhaka's Shankharibazar, Laxmibazar, Nayabazar, Sutrapur, Dayaganj, Gandaria, Narinda, Banglabazar, Sadarghat areas yesterday. The traditional Shakrain festival started with a riot of colours in the sky, accompanied by fireworks, music and delicious food.

The main attraction of the festival are the kite fights. Kites are flown with the help of a "manja" yarn. A kite can be cut any time with the help of the yarn. 'Vokatta!' cheers everyone as soon as someone cuts another's kite.

The kites also come in different names and shapes. Chokhadar, Pandar, Kathadar, Maladar, Pankhiraj, Chalandar, Petidar, Pandar, Prajapati, Dapas, Batur, Chil, names as majestic as the sight they create.

The doors to Old Dhaka are open to thousands of people from outside the old town, who come to join and witness the celebrations themselves.

Dipok Dev, a service-holder and resident of Modhubagh area, talked to this correspondent about his experience with the festival this year. "I've never seen so many kites together in my entire life," he said.

"I'll attend the festival next year as well. And I'll share my experience with my friends."

The festival, in recent years, is attended by many foreign nationals as well.

"I had no idea about Shakrain before coming here. It was great to come here and see the kites and fireworks," said Raija, who came all the way from Finland.

Literary editor Mohammad Nasiruddin's house is one of the most famous establishments of Narinda. His great-granddaughter, Priota Iftekhar, arranged festivities on the rooftop, in association with organisations The Flag Girl and Dutch Club.

"We arrange this festival every year to brand Bangladesh's traditional cultural events. When we were children, we celebrated these festivals with our families. Now the expats living in Dhaka will get to enjoy them too," Priota told The Daily Star.

European Union Ambassador Charles Whiteley, Dutch Ambassador Anne van Leeuwen and Turkish Ambassador Mustafa Osman Turan were also present at the festival as guests.

The bonus of the festival is undoubtedly the traditional old-town food served at every household on the day of the festival. With the passage of time, concerts and DJ parties also made their way into the celebrations.

As the day comes to an end with the setting of the sun, not an ounce of darkness can be spotted in the heart of the old town. Shakrain, a hundred-year-old festival, keeps illuminating the area with fireworks, lanterns and above all, joy and hope.