Sri Lanka: Where Kite Flying Traditions, Culture And Coastal Breezes Take Flight

Kite Flying in Sri Lanka | Seventy-eight-year-old Charith De Silva looks up at the sky through narrowed eyes as his nine-year-old grandson expertly navigates a two-foot-wide kite soaring high over the Galle Sea Face. De Silva is happy his grandson enjoys flying kites as much as he did as a child. “With smartphones and video games, most children no longer enjoy such small pleasures,” rues the retired bank employee who has lived through Sri Lanka’s turbulent past.  

Kite flying in Sri Lanka is a vibrant tradition that spans centuries, deeply rooted in the island nation’s cultural heritage. Not only is it a lot of fun but is also a symbol of good fortune and prosperity. Kites are believed to carry prayers for blessings and success. What also makes it unique are the shapes and sizes of the kites, with creativity soaring as high as the kites themselves. Bats, snakes, fish, birds, tigers, all take flight, some spanning several feet.   

Since a gust of wind ensures your beautiful kite soars high, the Galle Sea Face is Colombo’s chosen kite flying destination. Go for a stroll in the morning or early evening and you are likely to find several kites in the sky, with both young and old, boys and girls, men and women manoeuvring them expertly.   

Nalin Perera and his three friends spend Sunday mornings flying kites and competing with each other. “We love showing off our talents in steering large kites,” says the 28-year-old lawyer who learnt to fly a kite from his father. Friendly competitions become intense during the Sinhala and Tamil New Year celebrations in April with grand prizes to be won. Aluth Avurudda is a time for families to come together and engage in various festive activities, with kite flying standing out as a cherished pastime.  

Meeting A Kite Maker in Sri Lanka

The colourful kites are handcrafted from bamboo, cloth and paper. Twenty-two-year-old Kavishka Gayashantha has been making them since childhood and is a fourth-generation kite maker. His great grandfather crafted the iconic Wawula kite which is in the shape of a bat and is extremely popular in Sri Lanka. Today, his family of nine are all involved in the kite making process and they sell them at Galle Sea Face for between 400 and 1,500 Sri Lankan rupees. That’s not much when you consider that it takes two-three hours to make a beautiful kite. “Making kites is both a profession and a passion for us. It’s all we know,” says Kavishka. Seeing his mesmerising creations, Sri Lankan artist Kumkum Fernando commissioned him to make 2,000 kites for an installation called "Meeting in the Sky" at the newly opened Cinnamon Life Hotel at City of Dreams, a couple of months back. 

Where Art Soars

The 687-room hotel, South Asia’s largest integrated resort, is the latest addition to Colombo’s hospitality industry which is slowly recovering from the country’s political and economic upheaval. The extraordinary installation was a tribute to the generational crafts of Sri Lankan kite artists and displayed 72 traditional shapes including butterflies, bugs, snakes, bats, turtles, etc. with Kavishka’s family making 2,000 kites over eight months. It was an attempt by Cinnamon Life to capture Sri Lanka’s wildlife through art. “Colombo is the only wetland capital of the world and home to many unique species of wildlife, including insects, snakes, and birds which inspired us to host this event and speak about these species through kites. Imagine if these kites were to come to life and have a conference in the sky,” smiles Radiesha Daluwatte- Director of Marketing, Cinnamon Life. The hotel that has over 1,000 pieces of art by local artists, hopes to give its guests a glimpse of Sri Lanka’s art and culture through more such exhibitions and installations. 

As I see Kavishka expertly making a kite, I try my hand at it too, only to realise how skilful an art it is. Back home in Delhi, I fly it from my terrace. As the gust of wind and a tug at the string gives wings to my snake-shaped kite, I am exported back to the large expanse of the Galle Sea Face and can almost hear De Silva’s soft voice saying “ihala ihala [higher higher]” to his grandson.