Stories, Songs, & Kite-themed Activities to Celebrate an Eco-friendly Sankranti

Known by different names across different regions, Sankranti is one of India’s most famous winter festivals, marking the harvest season. Traditionally, this day marks the transition of the sun into Capricorn, fondly known as Makara Sankranti. Through a bountiful harvest and longer days ahead, it is meant to herald prosperity. For Indian culture that is deeply rooted in its agrarian heritage, Sankranti sees families coming together to celebrate the bounty of nature and to pay respects for sustaining us. Even in urban areas, Sankranti is celebrated with the same love and enthusiasm. Homes are lit up with lamps, rangoli preparations, feasts, and, of course, a sky filled with colorful kites, symbolizing freedom and victory.

Regional Celebrations Across India

Sankranti's beauty lies in its diversity, adapting to each region's customs while retaining its harvest essence.

In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is celebrated across 4 days. The first day called Bhogi is celebrated with a bonfire where old items are burned and replaced with new ones, signifying renewal. The next day is Surya Pongal where fresh Pongal (a delicacy made with rice and lentils) is cooked in clay pots and offered to the sun god. The third day or Mattu Pongal is when cattle receive ceremonial baths and are decked up. Kannum Pongal is the last day when families go out for picnics and engage in kite-flying, bringing the festivities to a close.

Tamil Nadu has the same 4-day extravaganza but also includes an ancient sport called Jallikattu or bull taming. Celebrated across the state but more in the rural areas, the sport is known as a test of valor among men. However, it is now regulated due to safety concerns.

The state of Gujarat transforms into a kite paradise during this time. Rooftop patang battles see rivals slicing each other's kites with glass-coated strings called manja. The winners can be seen shouting the famous line, "Kai Po Che!" (You've won the hand!). Undhiyu is a famous vegetable dish seen at all tables on this day with chikkis (peanuts sweetened and hardened with jaggery) served for dessert.

Punjab and Haryana kickstart Sankranti with a popular festival called Lohri. One can see bonfires, bhangra dances, and sesame-jaggery laddoos everywhere, marking a farewell to winter.

Maharashtra's Sankranti is also famous for til (sesame and jaggery) laddoos. People fly kites and engage in heated rangoli competitions to welcome the festivities.

Karnataka indulges in sugarcane feasts and bird-feeding rituals, while Bengal's Makar Sankranti features colorful chhata fairs and date palm sweets. Even in the northeast, like Assam's Magh Bihu, community feasts and buffalo races echo the joy.

Celebrating Sankranti with Stories and Songs 

Sankranti's spirit comes alive through folk songs, blending melodies with tradition. In Gujarat, the song "Rudi No Ghagra Re" encourages ladies to adorn swirling skirts and dance in unison. "Makara Sankranti Aavi Re" is another popular number that praises the sun's arrival with rhythmic claps. 

Telugu regions hum the "Pongal Song" with variants like "Bangaru Pongal," invoking prosperity. Tamil Nadu's famous "Pongalo Pongal" is a sincere chant during cooking that urges the pot to overflow with abundance.

Punjabi Lohri hits, popularized by Hindi cinema, include "Sundar Mundriye," which is sung around bonfires. These songs are often accompanied by dhol drums and folk instruments bringing generations together in dance and camaraderie, invoking pride in our culture and traditions.

The Sky-high Significance of Kites 

Kites, or patangs, are a symbol of Sankranti. Every year, Gujarat hosts the International Kite Festival, attracting kite enthusiasts from around the world to enjoy a colorful display in the sky. In the past, kites were flown to signal victory in battles or to celebrate a large harvest. Today, however, they represent shared joy and community spirit.

While kites in the sky might look simple enough, the art of flying them and cutting your rivals' kites is not for the untrained. Crafted from paper, bamboo, and manja strings, kite flying requires practice, patience, and precision. Children often start by holding the manja roll and gently unfolding it as per the adult’s instructions and then graduating to flying kites. Kite flying is a skill and a community event that brings the neighborhood together in cheers and happiness. Today, we have eco-kites made from cotton and natural dyes that comfortably blend tradition with sustainable practices, making it the ideal choice for future kite-flyers.

Kite-themed Sankranti Activities for Children 

Now that we know a bit about the history and significance of the festival, let’s look at how we can engage our toddlers and preschoolers in fun kite-themed activities to spark their interest in this unique activity and get them to fully participate in the festivities.

• DIY Paper Kites: This easy and fun activity for children requires colored paper, thread, and straws. Help them cut diamond shapes from the colored paper, use paper straws to create the frame for the kites, and add thread to the bottom, so it extends as long as they want it to be. Let them decorate the kites with stickers, paint, or other art materials to make it unique. Children can then run around and proudly fly their biodegradable kites. 

• Kite Storytelling: Have children sit around in a circle and start by telling them one of your kite-flying stories. It could be a funny story from your childhood or one detailing safety guidelines while flying kites. Then, encourage each child to narrate a story of their own. If someone has no story related to kites, ask them to make up a story from their imagination, so it is interesting and funny for everyone else. This session engages their imagination, social skills, and communication abilities.  

• Rangoli Kites: Distribute chalk to all participating children. Ask them to draw kites on the floor in assorted colors to represent what they see in the sky during Sankranti. Ensure that the floor is free to use and can be cleaned later. Other than that, allow the children to channelize the artists within and enjoy their masterpieces. This activity elicits their natural creativity. 

• Kite Relay Races: Just like a typical relay race, divide the young ones into 2 groups. Instead of a baton or other item, hand them a kite. The challenge is to ensure that the kite remains intact while they finish the race. Tell them that yummy til laddoos will be waiting for them at the finish line. These hands-on games build motor skills and cultural pride safely.

  
  

This festive season, we wish the entire Dibber family a celebration filled with soaring kites, delicious feasts, and unbreakable bonds. 

Happy Sankranti!