Kite festival brings back childhood memories

Kite festival brings back childhood memories

By Irawati Wisnumurti

JAKARTA (JP): What is so fascinating about kites? Why do
people of all ages never tire of these flying objects?

You would have found out had you gone to the Jakarta
International Kite Festival at Monas park earlier this week.
There, you would have seen a colorful array of material flapping
in the wind. People stood staring at the sky with spools of yarn
in their hands.

You might wonder what the big deal was. Why do people come
from miles away from other provinces or even countries to fly
kites? Some might vaguely remember their childhood days when they
flew small kites near their homes. This may now be just a dim
memory. Yet, if you stood and watched a while, you would have
realized that there was so much more to a kite, and everyone has
their own perception and reasons for finding kites so intriguing.

"I still fly a kite because it is exciting. In Southeast
Sulawesi, kite-flying is for recreation, sport, and also to keep
animals away from the fields and gardens because kites are built
with strings weaving all over them which make humming noises that
scare away the animals. Thus, kites have many purposes," said
Laode Kadjibu, a 48-year-old father of two, at the festival.

Laode, a Kendari Tourism Agency official, has participated in
many kite festivals in Indonesia and in France. His children also
love kites, and his older son often enters competitions with him.

Traditional kites from Laode's area in Muna subdistrict are
made out of natural materials and are not painted. These kaghati
kites are made from dried, creeping, edible, tuber leaves, the
frames are rattan and the string used to sew the leaves together
is made from finely-cut bamboo. The kite's yarn is made from
pineapple fibers, which has been peeled carefully and dried.

Laode Ongga, a 52-year-old local from Muna, believes that
kites also have spiritual meaning.

"There is a belief in our area, that flying a kite will
provide an umbrella which protects us from the heat of the sun in
the afterworld. The afterworld is high up, close to the sun. This
is one of the old animistic beliefs which prevailed before Islam
came to our area. Today, some of the beliefs have mingled with
Islamic values, and thus, some rituals have remained," Laode
Ongga said.

"The kite is flown for seven days and seven nights, and it can
even withstand the rain," he said.

Kompas reported on Sept. 25, 1993, that kite-makers were told
to fast while kites were being made, which usually took one or
two days. If the fast was broken before the kite was finished,
locals believed that the kite would not fly very high.

In another part of Southeast Sulawesi, in Buton regency, Wanci
subdistrict, kites are made from the stems of banana trees.
Similar kites are found in West Nusa Tenggara, the province's
goang kites are flown after harvests when local kite competitions
take place. Locals there believe that flying goang kites before
harvests is forbidden because it would stop rice crops ripening.

Bali

Bali has many types of traditional kite, such as the jangga
which is built by an entire banjar (neighborhood) of about 30
people. These kites are massive and require several people to
carry them. The kites are considered spiritual, and must be
handled carefully. Prayers and religious ceremonies are performed
before one of the kites is flown.

Another kite, the bebean, from Bali has 10 sides, symbolizing
the ten points of the compass, according to local belief.

In Lampung, kites have a different function. They are for
fishing. Basically, a fisherman places a wire with a ring at the
tip in the water by the boat above the water level. A small fish
is placed in the ring and a kite is attached near the ring so
that as the boat floats on the water and the kite flies in the
sky the ring will bob up and down. The large local condro fish
then try to jump out of the water to catch the small fish in the
ring. The condro's head is too large for the ring and it gets
stuck, so the fisherman makes his catch!

"Indeed, kites have many functions. And the presence of these
traditional kites show that kites have been very much part of our
culture and history for a long, long time. There are experts on
kites who share the view that kites may have originated from
Indonesia," said Eka Janwarsih, a member of the festival's
organizing committee.

Modern

Besides traditional kites, there were many modern kites on
show. They have elaborate designs and come in all shapes, colors
and sizes.

Dodi Dharmadi, a creative, energetic daredevil in a bandana
and black heavy-metal T-shirt, said: "I love the challenges of
kite flying."

He has been involved with kites for four years, and has
attended many kite festivals in Indonesia and abroad.
And he has learned from many overseas kite enthusiasts, whose
passion for kites has rubbed off on him.

There are many types of kites created and designed in Europe,
Japan and the United States. These kites are more performance-
oriented, such as stunt kites which are known for their speed.
Not everyone can handle a stunt kite, for it could seriously hurt
someone as it makes 90 degree turns and sharp maneuvers.

Another kite is the revolution, which is now Dodi's favorite.
It has four reigns, and is very difficult to maneuver. It took
him a month of practicing four to five hours a day to master.

During the festival, Dodi broke the Indonesian record for
flying a kite non-stop for six hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. "I
wanted to prove that I am still strong enough," the 30-year-old
said.

Dodi, who designs kites and T-shirts for a company in Bandung,
plans to master riding a boogie (three-wheel motorbike) while
maneuvering a quadrifoil parachute (a parachute-like kite). A
virtually impossible feat.

Lily, a sixteen-year-old volunteer who helped festival
contestants, said: "I love their colorfulness. And it is a lot of
fun."

Her views were shared by Radityo Puspoyo, one of the youngest
contestants, representing Jakarta. The seven year-old, who
handles a stunt kite like a professional, said that he had been
flying kites for two years.

"Flying kites is indeed for all ages. I happen to know someone
who is 78 years old, and he is still flying kites!" said Arjan
Rooyens, a 22-year-old student on the Netherlands team at the
festival.

The annual kite festival, organized by the Jakarta tourism
agency, had contestants from 17 provinces and 10 countries:
Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Malaysia,
Brunai Darussalam, Thailand, Singapore, the Philippines. All
these countries exhibited kites.

The festival opened again in Pangandaran yesterday and will
close today. It will continue in Bali from July 12 to July 13.