NASHIK: Makarsankranti, the festival of kites, will be celebrated on Tuesday across the city. But Nashikites, known for their passion for kite flying, have already started the celebrations.Shops selling kites and threads were seen decked up by Sunday morning. Crowds of kite flyers could be seen across terraces of homes, apartments, and open spaces by noon. Enthusiasm was more in the old city area with several teams of youngsters turning up along the Godavari Ghats amidst the festive rush.The celebration will be at its peak on Tuesday, Sankranti Day, but kite-lovers are set to continue festivities well into the rest of the week.“Kites are now available across localities of Nashik . But here in old city, a kite can be bought for as low as Rs 200,” said Naresh Tidke, a kite enthusiast. He added that waiting until Tuesday to buy a kite would be an unwise move. “By Tuesday, there will be a huge rush at the shops. Only the early birds will land the best kite designs.”Kites sporting photos of local politicians, movie stars and cricketers continue to be in demand, shopkeepers said. “Kites with photos of prime minister Narendra Modi and Congress' Rahul Gandhi have been hits this season. Then, we have photos of celebrity newlyweds - Priyanka Chopra and Nick Johnas; and Deepika Padukone and Ranvir Singh,” said Rajendra Kadam, who has been selling kites in old city for the past 20 years. Prices of kites too have been stable this year.“Only new types of designs that have been inspired by the Gujarat kite-flying festivals are expensive. However, Nashikites still prefer traditional kite shapes or sizes,” Kadam added.However, what remains a worry is the continuing sale of Chinese manja, despite strict vigilance by police and several awareness campaigns. “Many buyers still asking for nylon threads and some sellers have made them available,” claimed Syed Shahnawaz, a prominent kite seller in the Trimbak Darwaza area of Old City. “Nobody keeps these illegal threads on display, but I'm sure they are available under the counter,” he said.According to him, youngsters were even placing orders for illegal nylon thread on Whatsapp. Deliveries, Shahnawaz said, were direct to homes.The Kite Festival in Yeola, near Nashik, is set to be a big hit this year too. Thousands of people from all over the Maharashtra are set to travel to Yeola to be part of the kite festival. Major festivities are set to start on January 14. Special temporary terraces called dhabas were being installed at various places across town.

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