I will gorge on chikkis on set: Shrenu Parikh
Uttarayan is one of my favourite festivals and I miss flying kites with friends in Vadodara. I think Uttarayan is best celebrated in the old city in Vadodara and I have very fond memories of celebrating it in Mandvi. Spending the entire day on the terrace and relishing undhiyu, chikki and jalebis is a feeling that nothing can match. I feel grateful that my new TV show has just begun, and I believe doing quality work is the best way to celebrate. While I will be missing out on the celebrations as I will be shooting, I will gorge on chikkis on set.
Looking forward to good food and music, quality time with friends: Manasi Parekh
Parthiv and I totally love Uttarayan. In Mumbai, we see kite-flying only in select neighbourhoods, so we host a terrace party, especially for our non-Gujarati friends. Parthiv is amazing with flying kites; I hold the firki and then hold the string when the kite is steady. We get loads of fafda, jalebis, chikkis and fruits for our party. Good music is a must too. While it is fun to celebrate Uttarayan in Mumbai, we love the magical vibe of Ahmedabad and we always try to plan a trip to the city during that time. This year, we’d a wonderful time at the International Kite Festival at the Sabarmati Riverfront. I remember going to the pol and the sheer enthusiasm that people in Ahmedabad have to fly kites is on another level.
Nothing can match the Surti josh during Uttarayan: Jayesh More
I am Marathi by birth but a Gujarati at heart, and like any other Gujarati, Uttarayan is one of my favourite festivals. Enjoying the two days on terrace has been a ritual for me since I was a child. Even as I got busy professionally, I’d make sure to spend Uttarayan at home in Surat. Surat’s undhiyu, manja and kites are the best, and nothing can match the Surti josh during the festival. As per Marathi rituals, we make til keladdoo, share them with family and friends, seek blessings at the temple and share food with the underprivileged, before heading to the terrace to fly kites. This year, I will try to indulge in some kite-flying time on set.
We will fly kites in between shots on set: Karuna Pandey
I am from Uttarakhand and it is a lovely time to be with family. We make those delicious sweets made using jaggery, ghee and atta called ghughute. Kite-flying is not an important part of the celebrations, but many do fly kites in our region. I used to fly kites as a kid but as I grew older, I stopped because I am an ardent animal lover. I wish I could have visited Ahmedabad during the International Kite Festival; it’d have been a visual treat. However, my co-actors and crew might fly kites in between shots, and I will be cheering them on.
It will be a fun kite-flying time with friends this Uttarayan: Harsh Rajput
The day of Makar Sankranti fills me with a lot of positive energy and enthusiasm. This time, I don’t have any shoots and so, I plan to catch up with friends and fly kites with them at the terrace. I have some fond memories of celebrating Uttarayan in my hometown Navsari. As a child, I used to eagerly wait for Uttarayan, and we would fly kites from early morning till late evening. Everything else used to take a backseat and we would also roam around the city to gorge on street food. We were quite competitive while flying kites and it was a lot of fun. I loved eating laddoos and other sweets throughout the day, visiting my friends’ houses, neighbours, and relatives. There can’t be a better way to start the year and I hope that everyone has a fun-filled and safe Uttarayan this time.
I really miss Uttarayan celebrations of Vadodara: Manav Gohil
I last celebrated Uttarayan in Vadodara in 2016. This time, I am sending Zahra (his daughter) and her friend to Vadodara and she is excited. Since she was there with me last time, she knows that it is one big party. She has been calling up her grandfather and telling him about the specific types of kites she wants. During my student days, since there would be exams just after Uttarayan, we used to start flying kites in December itself! There was a time when I was a champion at flying kites but now, I am out of practice. Last time, when I tried my hands at kite-flying, kab mera patang kat gaya, pata hi nahi chala! I really miss that great energy and sense of belonging which I feel in Vadodara during Uttarayan.
