Threads of Colour: Stunning Photos Show How Gujarat’s Kite Makers Prepare for Uttarayan

In the lanes of Ahmedabad’s Old City, long before the skies burst into colour, a quieter, meticulous spectacle unfolds. Preparation for Uttarayan 2026 are already in full swing, as kite makers and workers craft the very lifelines of the festival—the manja, the special kite thread that turns the skies into a battlefield of colour and skill.

Stunning photos emerging from Ahmedabad capture artisans hunched over spools of cotton thread, dipping and coating each line by hand in a mixture of glue and crushed glass. Vibrant pigments stain their fingers as they twist, stretch, and dry the threads, turning ordinary cotton into a sharp, shimmering string that can cut rivals’ kites mid-flight.

“The process is delicate,” says one craftsman, adjusting the tension on a line. “Each spool must be perfect. One weak thread can ruin hours of flying.”

The images reveal the beauty in the labour: rows of brightly coated threads drying under the sun, hands moving with practiced precision, and faces focused with the quiet pride of artisans keeping a centuries-old tradition alive.

Kite makers also assemble intricate kite bodies, stretching paper over flexible bamboo frames and painting them in vivid colors. Each kite is tailored for the high-stakes competitions that define Uttarayan, where skill, patience, and preparation determine which kite will soar and which will fall.

While Uttarayan is celebrated across Gujarat with family gatherings and rooftop rivalries, it begins in these workshops. The labor of hands, the rhythm of coating, twisting, and winding threads, and the careful construction of every kite form the backbone of the festival’s joy and color.

Photos from this pre-festival preparation tell a story of craftsmanship, patience, and artistry—a reminder that for every kite soaring in the Ahmedabad sky, dozens of unseen hands made it possible.

As January 14 approaches, these spools of manja and colorful kites will rise above rooftops, transforming the city into a living mosaic of tradition, skill, and celebration. But for now, the city’s soul is captured in the quiet, intricate dance of threads, pigments, and hands working tirelessly in the Old City workshops.