Basant Festival

Bassant

With the advent of spring Basant Festival is celebrated with pomp and show in mid February every year in Lahore. In other words this is the spring festival. Alleging that kite flying is a Hindu event is also sheer ignorance. The sport originated in China about 5000 years ago, when Hinduism was in non existent. Why single out kite-flying then, especially when it is a source of joy for the old and the young men and women? The simple reason is that Hindu at Basant Festival fly kites for enjoying Basant. With times Muslims who were living together with Hindus in the sub-continent also join them in kite-flying. Since then Muslims are taking participation in just kite-flying at the time of Basant connotating it as Pala Urant. Now a days people of Lahore enjoy it by kite flying competition and by visiting the shrine of saint Madho Lal Hussein, where they assemble to pay their benediction. Lahore is becoming the main focal point for the celebration of this festival in Pakistan. People traditionally fly kites on the roofs of their buildings. It is commonly observed that rest houses, hotels and house of relatives of the participants are fully packed with guests from all over the country. Moreover some five star hotels also arrange this function on their roof top for foreigners and other high class gentry. They also arrange variety of dishes with musical concert. Sometimes Lahorities on this occasion become emotional and in this state create law and order problems for the administration. Some of them use metal thread for kite-flying. Their such a deed oftenly imposes, besides life threat, a serious problem for WAPDA when the thread touches the live wires. Inspite of the fact Basant Festival which has no links with the Muslim culture is becoming very popular and being celebrated in Lahore regularly every year with zeal and fervent.

Source: http://www.travel-culture.com/festivals.shtml

Don't spill blood on Basant festival

LAHORE - Basant or kite-flying is a spring festival, which adds colours in the sky and on the faces of the people. It makes people happy and brings them out from their daily hectic routine. But excess of everything is bad as violation of rules while celebrating any festival spoils its pleasure. Violation of rules and regulations turn this auspicious occasion into mourning when people play with innocent lives by using chemical thread to add their joys. Basant across Pakistan and particularly in Lahore could be described as a mega festival in the past, however, now the situation has changed remarkably. The biggest festival of all it was the centre of attention for people of all ages, young and old. Basant alone was grandeur than any other festival celebrated in the country. But after the Supreme Court took note of massive killing of the innocent citizens from this sport, the people began to accept it a hazardous game. The government particularly the Provincial Government of Punjab has imposed complete ban on the manufacturing of strings and kites-flying. This however has irked a section of die-hard kite-flyers who are ready to take every risk in order to celebrate Basant. They feel it a way to relax themselves from all the worries and anxieties of the day. These Basant lovers wait whole year for advent of spring as kite flying manifolds their joys of the seasons. They feel disappointed by the decision of the Punjab Government however a large number of people feel comfortable without Basant celebrations. Talking to The Nation, Mrs Salman, a housewife said that Basant should be celebrated in the country without violating the rules. She further said that Pakistan was going through certain security and political crisis and such festivals bring smiles on the faces of the public and bring them out from the tense atmosphere. Mrs Raheela Shakeel said Basant is a cultural activity, which gathered people and give them a chance to have fun with one another.

Source: http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Regional/Lahore/18-Feb-2010/Dont-spill-blood-on-Basant-festival