December and January is the month of soft breeze from the north and it is getting colder in Cambodia. I guess since I love cold season, this is the best season of all in Cambodia. After harvesting season every year (December and January, they celebrate the Kite Flying Season. They named it as ខ្លែងឯក [Kleng Ek or Mono Kite].
The kite is huge and it is learnt through generations of Kite makers. This kite is not just any kite or the kite the kid makes in their childhood. It is very special and it used to win in the competition in the past. Normally the kite’s size is 1.6m and over. It needs correct technique to do, which is not easy.
First, they need the best quality of bamboo which in a clump of bamboo has only one bamboo stem that is suitable to make this kite.
After they find this bamboo, they have to cut and dry it for 20-30days.
Then, they have to soak the bamboo in the water for one week.
Then, it needs to dry in the wind for 15 days.
After this, they can bring the dried bamboo to make the kite’s bone. They have to scale the bamboo for the same weight, if one side is heavier than another side, the kite won’t fly correctly. The way to scale the bamboo is using the tip of the knife (I don’t know how they do it!
Kleng Ek flies very high ( I can’t say how high) and also makes a sound depends on maker. They could put the horn or anything and they call it “Kite’s tongue” which makes sound. If you fly the kite at night, the sound can scare people or entertain people.
To win the competition, the kite has to fly higher than others, makes beautiful sounds and a great design too.
Some video and photos to check out
I have not been to any of the Mono kite events, but I used to fly the kite with my brother when were kids. Since we lived in countryside, it is spacious to just fly the kite.
Thanks for sharing this nice post @Sophia_Cambodia . Unfortunately, I do not see any actual kites in your post, for this reason, I am sharing some photos from my collection for you. I took all these photos in my village. I hope you will like them Regards.
The photos of your kite are really awesome. I have never flown this kind of kite and I have no experience in making this kind of kite but I have seen some people around me who fly this kind of kite sometime.
You know very well that this type of kite flies very rarely in Dhaka. But even after coming to Barisal, I don’t see such big kites of different shapes flying. People of this region also like to fly small kites and play কাটাকাটি
@Sophia_Cambodia This festival and its kite flying creation is fascinating. To think that it takes so long to make a kite worthy of being the champion kite. Gotta time one’s visit to Cambodia next time see these kites in operation.
Kite flying is deeply embedded in the Indian culture and the official Kite Flying festival is on 14 Jan every year - also coincides with Makar Sankranthi.
I have been making and flying kites passionately since childhood.
We normally used to fly kites on building terraces since there is plenty of wind and no obstructions like hanging wires from electric poles which is common at the ground level. I have fallen at least 3 times from such terraces during my childhood when flying the kites and each time admitted to the hospital with stitches on my forehead. This happens commonly to kids out there. but the spirit of kite flying never dies.
There are numerous kite festivals organized in India during this season. I had also written a post on Connect about kite flying and the various types of kites in use. We have names for each type of kite depending on the design, though mostly square kites are commonly used.
Thank you dear @TusharSuradkar that’s very interesting and I did not see that post of yours before. Sorry for replying late too.
I don’t know how to do it but I saw my brother and cousins did it and flew it after harvesting. Good memory as a child. The kite let you run freely, no worries.
Hey, it is not wise to run over the terrace, you only look above, not below so naturally you fail. Luckily, you are alive!
Thank you dear @KamalHossenR and sorry for replying late.
Well, this kite is not any kid’s kite making. It needs expertise. That’s why it is called Kleng Ek (Unique or Mono kite), it is also huge - need good materials and technique to produce. It is not anyone toy. It did not only win the competitions in Cambodia but it also won in the competition abroad, I just don’t remember when and where exactly.
