Believe it or not, even as the COVID pandemic has had a huge adverse impact on every sector, for the kite traders it was a silver lining of sorts!
Traders involved with the kite business say that sales-wise 2020 and 2021 were the best years in a decade. With the ‘onslaught’ of video games and tuitions, teenagers and children had drifted away from the habit and passion of flying kites. The subsequent lockdowns had given them enough time to explore this forgotten passion.
“However, with the COVID era gone and people returning to their regular routines, a pall of gloom has descended on our trade. During the lockdowns, parents had started taking interest in flying kites and were teaching their children the same,” said Kunal Das, a kite-seller from Behala Chowrasta.
After two years of massive growth, the kite industry has taken a nosedive this year before the Vishwakarma Puja. With schools, colleges and offices reopening, the sales figures have dropped drastically compared to last year.
Rain plays spoilsport
The untimely rain has also proved to be a spoilsport for the kite business. From the first week of September, Kolkata has been witnessing several depressions resulting in heavy rainfall. The downpour has also brought down the sales.
Dull sales
Swapan Hazra, a wholesaler-cum-retailer at Bhawanipore, said that compared to last year, the sales figures have gone down by half. “Last year, my per day sale during the season was Rs 4,000. This year, I am struggling to make Rs 2,000 per day,” he said, refusing to quote the exact figure.
In certain parts of Kolkata, kites are extremely popular. To add to the low sales woes at Kidderpore, Shyambazar, Rajabazar and Bhawanipore, there aren’t many new customers. “The old customers return every year. The season for kites starts in August and peaks in September. In the last two years, we had seen several new customers coming in with their children. But this year, it has all gone back to square one,” said Ghulam Parvez, from Kidderpore.
From the archives
As the demand for kites increased during the pandemic, kite-makers pulled out several designs from the flashback era like the Machiyal and Mayurpankhi to make the trade more lively.
These kites were sold between Rs 10 and Rs 15 depending on the size and demand. The sellers said that most buyers are seeking Ek tel (a unit of kite size) kites rather than its smaller and larger versions.