Manja Kite Results in the Death of a Surat Village Woman

Manja kites are a type of fighter kite. They use a special abrasive cotton string coated in powdered glass. Fighter kites are a popular sport in Afghanistan, Chile, Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Pakistan.

On Wednesday, January 5, 2012 a woman in Surat Village fell victim to a Manja. Sita Ishwar Patel was driving a scooter going to pick up her children from school. She came into contact with the glass-coated kite-flying string and this resulted in her throat being slit. She began to bleed profusely. She ultimately died as a result of this accident after being rushed to New Civil Hospital where they tried to treat her, reports Indian Express.

Regular kites come with their own set of dangers, such as ankle injuries and electrocution, but these fighter kites can be particularly dangerous due to their strings being intensely sharp.

During a fighter kite competition, two people will entangle the strings of their kites. They will then fly their kites and pull the strings to try and cut each other's strings. The competition is won when one kite is set free and one is still flying in the hands of a competitor. The person still holding the kite wins.

The loser's kite will then fly into the wind as it is cut completely free. Once fully free, children (and sometimes also, or only, adults) will chase down the free kite and attempt to catch it once it hits the ground. This is referred to as kite running.

In the Indian subcontinent, kite fighters will generally do battle from house rooftops. This also poses danger because fighters have been known to fall and become either seriously injured or die.

Many kite runners also lose their lives each year. Kite runners are often very fixated on the kite that they are chasing. This has resulted in them being hit by trains and vehicles, falling off of buildings or falling out of trees.

Of course, there are also dangers like the one that Sita Ishwar Patel experienced. This is obviously a rather extreme accident, but it is very real and can happen. Those participating in kite fighting or kite running are at risk for this. As evidenced in the news story above, innocent bystanders are also at risk.

While kites may seem like a harmless sport, they can pose a danger, especially when their components are altered. Those participating in this sport should take all possible precautions, and those around when it is taking place should also tread with extreme caution.