by : Samarjit Guha

Come Uttarayan and the Gujarat skies are not blue any more. Colourful kites rule the heavens.

The fascinating stories of kites began somewhere in the Far East and travelled all across the globe. But January 14 is a day when Gujaratis celebrate this sport in earnest. And one man who considers kites his passion is Ashok Himmatlal Shah.

37-year-old Shah runs a electronic shop at Dahnu Road in Maharashtra but come Uttaryan, and his presence is felt in the Gujarat firmament. The reason: he makes exclusive colourful kites that are often seen in films and books.

Shah's workshop is his home where one can find him cocooned with threads, plastic, pins and scissors. Says Shah, "The idea to make fancy kites such as a Mickey Mouse with a long tail or a Taj Mahal came to me when my seven-year-old son Nisarg challenged me. I went around looking for such kites all around Maharashtra but failed to find one.

"To satisfy him, I took to making such kites at home and today it has become a passion with me."

The kites Shah makes are soft kites (parafoil), stunt kites (delta winged) or sled kites. Shah's skills can conjure a space ship, a bird, Superman and many such imaginative kites within a couple of hours.

Just making a kite does not become the end product for Shah. "In air, the kite is heavier. So one has to guess the correct angle to the wind by setting the ring accurately on the bridle. Accordingly I design my kites so that they fast reach a efficient flying position," says Shah giving finishing touches to a dragon kite which will be used to carry a message.

In a rather unique move. Shah has decided to use the kite as a carrier for messages in AIDS or national integration. Shah also organised kite competitions in his hometown and collected a record fund for Asha Kiran, a school for the physically challenged.

Shah has taken part in major kite festivals all over the country and won the second prize at National Fancy Kite Competition in Bangalore and Mysore and won the third prize at the International Kite Festival organised by Maharashtra Rural Games Association.

With much pride he says, "I am the only one to have been included as a member from India for International Friends of Small Kites, a kite club in Holland."

Shah does not sell his kites. The price ranges between Rs 3,000 to 4,000. Showing off a huge 8 ft by 10 ft yellow giant kite, he says it cost him around Rs 8,000.

What does he get out of it? "I do not need money. I run a thriving electronic goods shop which takes care of my basic needs. I make kites to nurture a passion of making flying objects.

"When I was small, I used to be so possessive about them that I took them to school lest my younger brother touched them. I am that touchy about kites."