“When we say Dashain,” filmmaker Sikuma Rhiannon Rai explains, referencing “the grandest, longest and most auspicious festival” in Nepal, “one of the things you think of is kite. But kite is not something you use just for decoration. It should be flown in the sky.”
Get into “the Dashain mood” with Rai’s Kite Flying 101 video for The Kathmandu Post. Subtitles translate.
Celebrated in the months of September or October, Dashain or Baḍadashain (बडादशैँ) is a Hindu festival and public holiday filled with get-togethers, food, and traditions. The events are rooted in the story of the Hindu goddess Durga. A very brief summary from Wikipedia:
“Traditionally, the festival is celebrated over 15 days, the first nine-day are spent by the faithful by remembering Durga and her ideas, the tenth day marks Durga’s victory over Mahisura, and the last five days celebrate the victory of good over evil.”
According to TibetTravel.org, “Kite-flying is regarded as an important way to remind the gods not to rain anymore. During Dashain Festival, you’ll see people of all ages flying kites everywhere.”
Rai’s video focuses on how to make and fly a kite like a pro.
Watch this next: Understanding tether dynamics through kite flying.
Plus: Performing at the annual windless kite flying festival & competition.
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