Kite Flyers Lament Loss of Open Grounds in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Several grounds in Hyderabad that once hosted kite flying during Sankranti have been converted into posh commercial spaces, leaving citizens with few safe places to enjoy the festival.

People’s Plaza on Necklace Road, which earlier hosted the International Kite and Sweet Festival, has now been repurposed for exhibitions and fairs. Kite enthusiasts expressed displeasure that public spaces were being rented out for private events, particularly during festive seasons.

“Nowadays, people are forced to fly kites only on terraces, which is dangerous. Earlier, we used to fly in open grounds without trees or power cables,” said S. Rajashekar, a kite enthusiast.

Another enthusiast, Ch. Madhu, noted that the festival has shifted to Parade Ground in Secunderabad, where professional flyers dominate. “Now, people are not allowed to fly kites along the lakeside either,” he said.

Enthusiasts pointed out that the lack of public spaces, coupled with rising smartphone usage, has reduced interest in kite flying among youngsters.

While the government has developed Bathukamma Kunta and organised kite flying programmes around revived lakes, citizens urged that People’s Plaza be kept exclusively as an open ground during Sankranti. “It should remain a venue for kite flying,” said Prashanth of Chikkadpally.

S. Ganesh from the Old City recalled that Goshamahal ground, once popular for kite flying, is now being used for the construction of Osmania General Hospital.