Uttarayan festival

If you are planning an impromptu holiday this week, do the unusual—stay clear off the hills, the sands and the beaches, and hop onto the next
train or flight to Ahmedabad. The weather in the city is quite pleasant around this time of the year. The shopping district is buzzing with activity as many NRIs are still home shopping with their dollars and this is the season for some delectable traditional Gujarati khana like Undhiyo (a rich gravy preparation of farm fresh vegetables) and Panaki (savory rice flour pancakes cooked between two banana leaves served with yoghurt). If there is one time of the year you should be in the Land of the Mahatma—other than the Navaratras, that is—this is it.

Gujaratis are fun-loving people, and it is apparent from the nature of their festivals. Just the way almost the entire state is dancing to the tunes of the Dandiya during the nine-days of Navaratras, the whole city is literally on rooftops flying kites during the Uttarayan festival. This year, Sankranti (Uttarayan) will be celebrated on January 14. The International Kite Festival will also be held in Ahmedabad from January 10.

One can visit the newly-built Sabarmati riverfront to participate in the international festival where kite lovers from around the world come in droves every year with a variety of kites—brightly coloured and differently shaped—and join the festivities and the competition.

You also have the liberty to fly kites, from dawn till dusk, from rooftops. Enjoy the hooting and jubilatory sounds from different rooftops as a deft kite-flier makes a swing at some other kite and one of the kites makes it way to ground. The craze doesn’t end with sunset. People start flying candle-lit kites! Akin to the sky lanterns released during the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

Gujarat is a foodies’ delight. One should book oneself in advance to a ‘Undhiyu’ feast with theplas or puris. Hot fafda jalebis is a must-eat during the festival.

There’s more to do. Ahmedabad is the city where the Mahatma made his base and from where he began the Dandi March. A visit to the Sabarmati Ashram, where Gandhiji lived is a must—you get a glimpse of his life and the freedom movement and come back humbler.