Vadodara / Anand: This Uttarayan is a mixed bag for kite makers at the Hub Making Traditional Gujarat – Khambhat.
Although craftsmen and traders here have not seen a total recovery, the gloom that has surrounded this unmaved sector last year because the pandemic induced by Covid-19 seems to have ended this year.
What started as a Nawabs hobby, which once ruled this coastal city, has become a business with a turnover of Rs 50 Crore involving more than 1,000 families to make kites.
Unlike last year when production here dropped to less than 50%, with demand picking ahead of this year’s kite festival, domestic production has recovered to almost 80%, which is related to the kite business.
“Our kites are different from the usual ones because of the quality of paper butter (gelatin), the bamboo stems that we use are superior to others, especially China prepared with Triveni paper.
Last year, this business was completely destroyed because they were involved in Business has suffered a big loss.
This year, with the convenience of limits compared to last year, his request was high, “Chunara’s dipper said, which deals with a special ‘Pan Hat’ kite.
The kites prepared from Khambhat have flooded the market throughout Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Letters, Vadodara, Rajkot, Valsad, Vapi, Bharuch, Nadiad and Saurashtra.
Kites Khambhati has flooded this year’s letter market, said Bipinchandra Chunara, added that around 70 lakh kites have reached a letter.
“By Uttarayan, this number must reach Crore,” he said.
About 7,000 people, with more than half of them women, have made nearly 7 crore kites this year to support their family’s livelihoods.
To attract more customers, kite makers here also come out with various kites including those shaped like sun, rockets, eagles and fairies.
This year has seen more production ‘cold’, ‘Gansia’, ‘Varieties of Centu’.
“Our kites are in demand because they can fly even if the wind is strong while the paper quality used in other kites is cheap and crying if the wind is strong,” said Nagin Chunara.
But the increase in labor costs act as detrimental to traders.
“Raw materials to make kites become expensive with every year passed.
Also, the craftsman wages have increased to Rs 150-Hospital 200,” said a peak, adding that some craftsmen also shifted to the unit ‘agate’ which had increased labor costs.