The Festival of Basant Launches a Thousand Kites

Not too many Americans know what the festival of Basant is, but it is one of the most colorful festivals I have ever seen celebrated.

Basant (also known as Jashan-e Baharaan) is one the most celebrated festivals of Lahore,Pakistan.

Basant is celebrated on February 24 by flying colorful kites in the air, from rooftops, from fields, and from any open place they can get to. It is celebrated to ring in the warmer spring weather, and say farewell to the winter.

In other cities, the festival lasts only 1 day, but in Lahore, the festival lasts 3 days.

Participants dress in elaborate yellow and/or green clothes, and even more recently started wearing floral prints representing spring and the flowers that bloom. Participants also take advantage of great food, wonderfully cheap baazars where items are sold as inexpensive as 10 rupees, and listen to great music.

Although Basant is a fun time for the most part, kite flying on the festival of Basant has had it's share of protests and conflicts in the past, due to the rise of accidental deaths that occur on this day from kite flyers falling off roofs, or bicyclists being cut from unseen string as they pass by someone flying a kite. Some people even have gone as far as to tie glass and metal to their strings as they participate in "kite fights" which ultimately ruined some Basant holidays.

Pakistani government banned kite flying in 2005, and kite flying is prohibited on all other days except on the Basant festival days due to the dangers kite flying normally has in such a congested city of millions like Lahore.

The main truth is that for the majority of law abiding Pakistanis, this is a time for celebration, family, and using strong caution. Most Pakistanis do adhere to safety rules established by the Pakistani police and stay safe during what is supposed to be the most colorful festivals of the year.