![]() ![]() when fighting, sometimes they even tie on more line while they are flying. Because of the kite’s size, the line is usually 9 lbs or more, and they think nothing of using all 1000 ft. Most of the flyers make their own Tar, each with his own secret recipe of glue and ground glass. The Afghan kites are always flown on glass coated "cutting" line called Tar in the Afghan language. The wing span on an average Afghan fighter kite is 3.5 feet long, some even up to a 5 foot wing span, where most Indian kites run around 1.5 feet on the small kites to 2.5 feet on the large ones. The biggest difference is that they are much larger than the typical Indian fighters. Afghan fighter kites are similar to the Indian Fighters in that they are made from tissue paper and bamboo. Large kites are handeled by the most experienced fighters. For children no bigger then a magazine 100,00 afghanis less than $2. Kites cost from 2,000 afghanis just a few cents. People have been flying kites in Afghanistan for more than 100 years. Interestingly enough, in 1994 the emerging Taliban regime banned kite flying and an assortment of other activities offering at best a graveyard peace to a conflict-ridden society. This is symbolic to the 1992 event in Afghanistan when ethno-religious warlords looted and pillaged Kabul and other cities in a race to see who can amass the most booty. When the opponent's kite has been downed, then the real battle turns into a race, the kite run, to see who retrieves the fallen kite. The object is to use the wire of your kite to cut the wire of your opponents kite and set it free. During the fight or “jang” two kites are flown close to one another, often at great heights. In Afghanistan where ever there are kites there is kite fighting. From 1996 to 2004 kite fighting was banned by the Taliban government for being unislamic. The second person called the “gudiapran baz” or kite flyer actually controls the movement of the kite in the air. Kite fighting is a symbolic freedom to escape from hardships wihin their country. Members even dream of Olympic kite fighting. One person the “char gir”, holds the wooden spool around which the wire or tar” is wound. Many Afghans have returned to the pastime with a vengeance. The fall of the Taliban in the capital one year ago mean that Afghans could fly kites without punishment. If you flew a kite, the Taliban would beat you up and tear the kite up. During the Taliban kite flying was not allowed. Afghans have elevated kite flying or “ gudiparan bazi” to an art form, and id one of its chief attractions kite fighting. In some situations the sport was seriously competitive and it was an honour to compete against the very. Kite fighting quickly became a sport and to most it became an art. Before the Afghan war, kite fighting (also known as Gudiparan bazi) was a very popular hobby among many of the Afghan people. Banned by the Taliban because it is said to be un-Islamic, kite flying has now hit new heights of popularity in the country. Afghan Kite Fighting: A Sport, An Art, A Crime. The pastime was originated in Afghanistan. The streets of the capital, Kabul are filled with shops selling kite-flying equipment, and the skies above are decorated each day. Kite running and flying is much more than a pastime in Afghanistan. ![]()
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