Kite flying

It is on Naga Panchami, a Nepalese religious day named after the serpent god of the Hindus, that the kite flying season officially begins. Kite flying is associated with one of the biggest festivals in Nepal: the Dasain festival. At this time of year all the roofs of Kathmandu are full with children and their kites. Kites have flown in Nepal from its earliest history. This tradition incorporates several beliefs: kites remind the gods to send no more rain and kites connect with heaven, by guiding recently-released souls there or contacting and honoring ancestors. But for the kids in Nepal the greatest fun of kite flying is cutting another kite's string. With its coating of adhesive paste and ground glass, the string is as sharp and abrasive as sandpaper on your opponent's line. The technique is to touch your rival's string and immediately reel out line at high speed.

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