Sankranthi,manja,patang,looting etc.,

[Sunand Gajala X1169]

For all those who lived in or around Paradise (particularly near Jawahar/Lalbahadur/VenkatRao/Sindhi colonies) during the 1970's and early eighties, this would be what they were seeing/ enjoying/complaining. For small kids without much pocket money(actually no pocket money) it was very difficult to fly NEW kites. But that was no problem as there were a lot of kites that we can get hold of when other kites get 'Hafaa or 'kaaaat'. If we were lucky, we could get the 'patang's with a lot of 'manja' but sometimes we had to resort to 'manja loot' to get hold of some manja. We were shrewd enough as not to loot the manja from any kite-flyer but only from those guys who 'kaated' a lot of 'patangs'.This way, we were assured of the best manja available in the neighborhood. There were different styles of 'looting' the manja. One was the style of giving the impression that the manja got stuck in a pole. For this, you need to hold the manja and stay still and let the other guy think that it got stcuk and give a couple of tugs before snapping it off. If you are lucky, it will snap off right from near his hand and you will end up getting all his manja. Then the other style was getting stuck to a tree, where you will do the 'pull and push' trick. For this, when the other guy pulls, you leave some manja, then hold tight. He will think that the manja is getting unstuck and try some more andfinally snap it. This takes more time but pays off. We had a 'gang' in our colony that would not let anyone from other colonies to come and get the 'kaated patangs' in our colony. (actually, this our gang would not let any romoeos also to try and woo the females in our colony.We protected them that way. And of course we used to distribute these girls and have a girlfriend for each of us, not that we even talked to them.) We had this 'patang' bank where all of us will pool the 'looted patangs'. One of us (it was usually me) would be flying a kite (not for 'peinches' but to 'laptao' the loose 'patangs'). I , along with another cousin of mine were considered EXPERTS in this 'laptao' business. The way we would usually catch a loose(kaated) patang was that as soon someone says 'hatJao', then it wa assumed that some one either had the 'dor' or 'kite' in his grasp. It was dangerous sometimes when all of us will be looking at the kite and some stupid motorcyclist would try and collide with the big crowd running for the kites. We even used to install road-blocks on our roads so that the traffic would be cautious when they come into our colony. The best part was, no parent would complain and some of them would encourage and even participate. Some of our uncles would make us 'kantas' the big bamboo sticks with some thorns at the top end. We used to cheat in so many ways (from looting manjas to looting patangs). When everyone is running after the kites, one of us would say 'HatJao' and everyone would think that we caught the kite and move away, when we would catch the patang. Nearing 'sankranthi' we would have had close to 100 kites that we would distribute among ourselves as well as different manjas which we will label according to how good it was. One manja was the 'janak janak' which was a multi-color manja made from the left over 'luddhi' from different manjas.We used to make 'laksha'(the eight like form of storing manja) from all these manjas and I was the guy who had this technique of making the biggest 'laksha'. We used to refer to the big kites as 'Thattedar'. Some of the names that I can recollect are 1. Langot 2. Muchidaar 3. Topidaar 4. Muchhi langot 5. Guddidaar 6. Guddi Langot 7. Laalamdaar 8. DobiDaar 9. DobiLangot 10. TopiLangot 11. BudBungaladaar And so on.. Then my cousin was an expert in tying the 'kannas' (the thread that we need to tie between the 'baddhas' to make it fly. He was such an expert that for starting us off, we used to buy kites with 1 n.p. (YES, 1 n.p.) and my cousin would make those kites fly. This 1 n.p. , we used to get from our grandfather who used give us 40 n.p. to buy him a CharMinar Cigarettes (which was 38 n.p.) During Non-patang days, we would buy the DK biscuits (they were 3 for 1 n.p.) and would come back from the shop relishing those DK biscuits.As you may understand, there was competition as to who should go to get the cigarets. Finally, after sankranthi, we would fly the 'light patang' for a couple of days and then we would break off our patang with all the 'manja' as a closing-in ceremony until next year. sunand Gajjala (for all those who were there flying the kites with/against me, this is GOPI wishing you all a HAPPY PONGAL and SANKRANTHI)

[Prasad Erabelli]

Sunand Gopal writes:

>We used to refer to the big kites as 'Thattedar'. Some of the
>names that I can recollect are
>1. Langot 2. Muchidaar 3. Topidaar
>4. Muchhi langot 5. Guddidaar 6. Guddi Langot
>7. Laalamdaar 8. DobiDaar 9. DobiLangot
>10. TopiLangot 11. BudBungaladaar
>And so on ..

Adding to the list: Jeeba (Naamam), Ek Kondolu (One Eyed), Do Kondolu
(Two Eyed). Actually, some patangs go by different names. For e.g., Ek Kondolu
is same as Guddidar.

Another thing is that, people used to play songs (records ) real loud
and even use loud speakers to intimidate the fellow kite fliers.

And also, it is the season for ganna (sugar cane), regu pallu
(plums), jaama kaayalu (guava), and ghegulu/ghengulu (out of palm tree). I miss
them. On and off, I see some of them in grocery stores. But, lousy ones.
I guess, they are mostly tropical.

- Prasad

[Nachiketa Tiwari]

In Jaipur, we clsssify "patangs" as:

On the basis of shape and size:

1. Guddi 2. Dhaal 3. Kaovaa 4. Langdi 5. Dhobin

On the basis of designs:

1. Maangal-dara 2. Kaincheedara 3. Pariyal 4. Patti-dara
5. Chand-dara 6. Tirangi 7. Chaupat dara 8. Chakori
9. Chaupatdara 10. Hariyal 11. Rangilee

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Then there are several types of chords:

1. Manjhaa: It is classified on the basis of plies (soots) it has. This
thing has a cutting edge.

2. Saddhaa: It is normally behind manjhaa. It is stronger than the former,
but has no cutting edge.
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THE KITE-FIGHT:

Normally, when kites fight, we call it as: "painch lad gaye". Broadly,
there are tow strategies to cut the other kite.

1. Dheel: You put your chord on top of the other's chord. Now, keep on
loosening the chord.

2. Kheench: You place your chord below other's chord. Then you pull your
strings at a high speed. If the kheench is tirchee, then you cut others
chord.
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Nachiketa