Each year from January to February the clear blue skies over the city of Lahore Pakistan, come alive with the splendour and colour of paper kites – in all shapes, sizes colors and patterns, celebrating the coming of spring.

The onset of spring is announced by the yellow of mustard flowers, the first color to be sighted after the difficult winters of the north. This season and its festivities are famously known as Basant, a festival which had its beginnings as a Hindu celebration but became more secular as different religions came to India and participated in the joy of the occasion. The season is synonymous with the word ‘party’.

The festivities spread far beyond Lahore, to many parts of Pakistan and India.
Across Punjab, kite flying is a rooftop sport. As Basant approaches, these rooftops literally transform into arenas of kite flying competitions. In Lahore it is a 24-hour spectacle with night kite flying using strong beams and white kites. In fact Lahore prides itself in being the official kite flying capital of Pakistan. It is where Basant is celebrated with unmatched passion and zeal. The streets, parks and the roof tops especially are alive with cries and cheers of "Vo Kata" or Kite down, followed by drums rolls.

Although kite flying is still the mainstay of Basant, in recent years, fueled by an economic boom and a relative loosening of social mores, Basant has blossomed into a more high-flying event for Lahore's elite, who spend their weekends flocking from musical concerts to fashion shows, from fancy-dress balls to all-night parties.