Hyderabad Artist Makes Miniature Kites, Face Masks Out of Gold and Silver for Makar Sankranti

An artist from Hyderabad has made miniature versions of face masks and kites out of silver and gold ahead of the Makara Sankranti festival.

Makar Sankranti is celebrated across the country in different ways and the cultural significance of the festival varies geographically as we move from one state to another, with every state celebrating and welcoming the new season of harvest in their own indigenous manner. It is one of the major Indian harvest festivals celebrated on 14th of January of every year.

“Every year, I create miniature silver or gold kite and Manjha to offer to Lord Venkateswara in Tirupati after the festival. Kite and Manjha weigh 2.58 grams,” Anand Reddy, the artist, told ANI.

The kite made by Reddy resembles a real kite and is complete with string and holder – all of it is made with real gold. The mask, which symbolises the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, is a new addition this year.

“This year, due to the ongoing coronavirus, I have also created a miniature face mask out of silver to create an awareness among people,” Reddy told ANI. He also urged people to celebrate the festival by following the coronavirus protocols to avoid outbreaks.

In Gujarat too, preparations are underway for the festival.

The Uttarayan festival or Makar Sankranti is all set to be celebrated on January 14 and the preparations for it are in full swing everywhere although the states will be seeing scaled down celebrations. Keeping up with the traditions, even as kite makers and enthusiasts are gearing up for celebrations after adhering to the Gujarat High Court’s order, market in Rajkot have been decked up with kites with a variety of themes, including coronavirus, PM Modi and actors and cricketers.

Like every year, the kite makers banked upon some of the most common themes and used them on the kites. The kites feature several funky messages on them. Some of the popular ones include the very common slogan of the BJP party “Modi hai toh mumkin hai”. Whereas some are also about the various precautions one can follow during the pandemic such as wearing masks or santiising. Each of these messages have been shown in a funny, quirky manner. There also have been kites featuring photos of actress Anushka Sharma and cricketer Virat Kohli, superhero characters among others.

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