Basant Panchmi in Hindustan and Basant in Pakistan

Many years ago I got to visit Pakistan, Lahore to be precise. I remember distinctly that it was the Lahore Book Fair that got me there. The festival of Basant was posted in Pakistan and what struck me was a sense of familiarity about it all. The roots of Pakistani Punjab stem from India. They have given up on many things and as one Pakistani said "We are different..." The truth is there is no denying the similarity.

That triggered this thought on Basant Panchmi 2026. I couldn't help but reminisce about the importance of this festival in my life. I have seen its hues across India. This morning the phone greeted me with messages from friends to whom Maa Saraswati is the Goddess to be revered today. In Pakistan Basant is all about Kite Flying another Hindu tradition celebrated on Makar Sankranti. Basant doesn't exist in Islam since this is a clearly South Asian tradition.

The other point about this festival that stands out to me is the fear of being decapitated by "Manja" the thread that flies the kite. There was an interesting fix that two-wheeler riders had devised. They took a semi-rigid metal rod and tied it from the tail-light to the head-light in an arch high enough to rise above the head of the rider. The result was a thin metallic barrier that protected the rider, the kite-thread simply slid over the metal wire protecting the rider. I haven't seen anything similar here.

There are other incidents from my past that remind of this festival. It's an important festival for all, but memorable for a few...