Residents gather on a street in the old town to buy kites and strings for Basant. Sunday was the first day of permitted sales of items for the holiday scheduled for February 6-8. PHOTO: NNI
LAHORE:
Basant preparations in Lahore have gained further momentum, with the sale of kites and strings crossing Rs 1.5 billion on the fifth day of trading, reflecting both rising demand and rising prices as the city gears up for the much-awaited festival.
According to lawyer Malik Faizan Ahmed, legal advisor of the Kite Flying Association, more than one million kites were sold in Lahore markets on the fourth day alone, while more than 20,000 spools of thread (panna) changed hands, keeping wholesale and retail centers busy throughout the day.
He said kite sales and availability remained strong despite price increases. On the fourth day, a one-and-a-half-size tawa kite was sold for Rs 700, a one-tawa kite for Rs 400 and a pauna tawa kite for Rs 300, while a two-piece spool of thread was priced between Rs 12,000 and Rs 15,000, depending on the length and quality.
Malik Faizan Ahmed said the trade volume increased steadily each day, reaching Rs 160 million on the first day, Rs 180 million on the second, Rs 200 million on the third, before rising to Rs 680 million on the fourth day, pushing cumulative sales beyond Rs 1,500 million on the fifth day.
He added that the kite trade was still active in major trading areas, including inside Mochi Gate, Islampura, Sanda, Samanabad, Nonarian and Ichhra, as well as in several adjoining neighborhoods, where both buyers and sellers continued to record good business despite rising costs.
