Kite runners have free run amid Lohri fervour

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 13

Exchange as well as consumption of groundnuts, jaggery-made products, etc. coupled with kite fighting and kite running throughout the day marked the Lohri celebrations in the city on Sunday. Kite flying, aimed at snapping those of others, amid dhol beats and DJs on their rooftops with youngsters cheering for one another was a common sight.

The day for motorists was a tough one. Kids were seen running on the roads and footpaths to catch the snapped kites, known as ‘guddi luttna’ in local parlance, much to the chagrin of commuters who had to apply breaks every now and then to avoid mishaps. The kids seemed oblivious to danger on the road. Kite flying is a joyous act and kite running, too, entails a considerable feeling of thrill, said a city youth, Keshav Sharma. Elevated roads and even railway tracks weren’t spared.

Meanwhile, a minor accident was witnessed on a road in the city when a biker applied brakes abruptly to save a child running after a kite and was hit from the rear side by a car.

Sugarcane juice was sold at high prices as it was in great demand. It is used to cook ‘Rauh di kheer’ to celebrate Lohri. Rice is boiled in sugarcane juice and left to cool for consumption. It marks the start of summers as per the Punjabi calendar. The sugarcane juice was sold for as high as Rs 50 per litre. However, in the early morning hours it was sold for Rs 20 per litre.