After nearly two decades, Lahore’s skies have lit up with colorful kites. Once banned over safety concerns, Basant has once again brought youth to celebrate the advent of spring and revived the cycle of businesses that includes making kites, spools and strings.
At Mochi Gate, kite sellers and thread makers say work has finally resumed. Markets are crowded, rooftops are booked and the spirit of celebration is back.
But the joy comes at a cost. Kites and strings are far more expensive than before, forcing many buyers to rethink their budgets. What was once an affordable pastime has now become a costly hobby. It is a reminder of how inflation has risen in the last two decades as people’s incomes fail to match rising costs and the kite makers are determined to make a profit.
Still, as night falls and illuminated kites rise into the sky, Basant makes Lahore’s night skies pulsate and adds to the joy of the evenings..
