Types of Indian kites
India is a land of immense diversity, with many different traditions and customs followed by its people throughout. In the matter of kites, there are several regions where kiting or kite flying is a passion.

From Ahmedabad and Mumbai in the west to Lucknow, Amritsar in the north, to Hyderabad, Bengaluru in the south one finds a faithful following. Kite flying in India is characterized by a variety of local customs, based on regional history, geography, and culture. But the part that is surprising is that the kites throughout the country are more or less similar in shape with a few exceptions, and the popularity is uniform!

Another interesting fact about the Indian kite is that it is popularly known as the “fighter kite”! This name stems from the large-scale practice of competitive flying of the Indian kite to cut down as many opponents during its flight. This is one of the reasons why kites are sold in extremely large numbers in areas where kite flying is a serious pastime.

Types of kites
The most common shape of the Indian kite is the “diamond” shape or shaped like a rhombus. Though kites are made in different shapes, the diamond-shaped ones are sold in larger numbers. Also, kites in other shapes are made only for specific purposes.


Simple diamond shaped kite

Some kites, though have the basic diamond shape, can have some fancy cutwork on the bottom two sides, or have two tails with two vertical supports instead of one. Many such variations to the basic shape are created in the case of fancy kites, which are more expensive than the basic diamond shaped kite.


A fancy, green foil kite with extra bamboo stick supports and tassels

In Hyderabad, there are many types of kites available. The kites that are bordered with a thread are called Doredaars. The Doredaar kite is designed to protect the paper from tearing.

Sometimes based on the patterns or the designs used on the kites, kites are called as Jibia, Dukkan, and Sada etc.