Its Basant..!!

Basant or the kite flying festival is celebrated in Lahore in early March to mark the advent of the spring season. It has nothing to do with religion and is not new to the area either. For centuries this has been a ritual to welcome spring.

Basant is mostly celebrated in Lahore with much pomp and show and vigor than in any other part of the Pakistan. It would not be wrong to say that basant is truly celebrated in Lahore only. People from adjoining cities go to Lahore to take part in the festivities The Basant fever catches up from the month of February. The skilled kite makers prepare colorful kites and strings. People buy lots of kites to take part in the festival. Yellow is the dominant color and ladies, get special clothes stitched for this occasion.

On Basant day, people gather on the rooftops to fly kites. Kite flying competitions are held, the air is thick with tension and drummers beat drums to encourage the kite fliers. The cries of “Bo kata” fill the air whenever a kite goes down. Special dishes are prepared for the occasion and kite flying continues well after dark. At night dinners, musical concerts and plain old family gatherings complete the day.

Some Islamic fundamentalists term basant as non-Islamic, however, for a lively Lahorite, it is a form of entertainment and a healthy activity.

Guru Nanak’s Birthday

Guru Nanak was born in 1469 in Nankana a small village some 40 miles from Lahore the provincial capital of Punjab, Pakistan. Although according to the Hindu calendar his birthday falls on 14th April, it is celebrated in November in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

Sikhism is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak and the 9 other gurus that followed him. The Sikh festivals mostly revolve around the birth celebrations of its gurus and are known as GurPurabs. Basically the birthdays of all the Gurus are celebrated in the same way only the hymns are different. These birth celebrations last for three days.

Millions of Sikhs all over the world celebrate the GurPurab with religious fervor. The celebrations begin with Akhand Path the continuous recitation of Guru Granth the Sikh Holy Book. The recitation occurs without break for 48 hours. A team of men and women carry out the recitations for 2-3 hours each and so the process continues for till the dawn of the birthday itself. A day prior to the birthday, a procession is taken out in which the Guru Granth is carried over a float bedecked with flowers. Five men representing the Panj Piaray (the five beloved) lead the procession carrying the Sikh flag the Nishan Sahib. They are accompanied by musicians and singers singing religious songs. During the festivals the worship places of the Sikhs the Gurdwaras are illuminated and adorned with flowers, flags and banners. The big day commences with the sinning of the morning hymns known as the Asadi Var. These are followed by the Keertas the musical recital of the hymns from Guru Granth. In the end lectures on Sikhism called Kathas are delivered and poems praising Guru Nanak are also recited.

A lunch organized by volunteers is served in the afternoon. The recitation of hymns continues till evening and the festivities usually end with a display of fireworks.

Five Popular Sports Festivals

Various sports festivals are celebrated throughout the world but only five are considered popular to many people. Among these are the Kite Festival in Pakistan, the Tour de France Festival in France, the Tibet Horse Festival in Tibet, the Nadaam Festival in Mongolia, and the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in the USA.

The Kite Festival in Lahore, Pakistan is celebrated during spring season. In this festival, people stayed on their rooftops for the traditional kite flying. The festival is celebrated for five days as thousands of kites litter the skies. It is participated by various kite fighters both amateur and professional. During the event, kite fighters try to cut and snag each other’s kites down.

The Tour de France is a festival celebrated throughout France. It is a 23-day tour that starts from the borders of the country and finishes in Paris. This festival is not only one of the popular sports festivals in the world but also the hardest one. Its tour usually covers more than 3,500 kilometers of the most grueling terrains and mountainous areas in the country. The tour is divided in segments or stages for the participants.

The Tibet Horse Festival is held every August in Tibet. In this festival, thousands of herdsmen participate in an archery and horse race contests as they dress themselves in outfits as well as their horses in fineries.

The Nadaam Festival in Mongolia takes place in July. It is an annual celebration held across the country reminiscing the manly sports of horseback racing, archery, and wrestling. It is a three-day event with traditional dancing and parades prior the beginning of the sports event.

The Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in USA is a colorful hot air balloon festival held every October during fall season. It is a nine-day even where more than 750 balloons are flown to the skies. It is also the most photographed and largest event in the world.