The Kites in Bali
Kite Flying is a very popular pastime in Bali. Its not unusual to find huge kites secured by large guage strings and wire. They are also the cause of numerous power outages and believe it or not constitute a threat to aviation as well. So much so that Air Bali helicopters have had to make emergency landings when their blades were entangled with kite strings.
The Kites of Bali are not your usual kites- not what we fly when we go fly a kite here in the United States. The Kites of Bali are not simply big but HUGE! They can be up to 30 feet long or longer with tails stretching out for over 400 feet. Some of them seem more like air sculptures than kites! There is a religious background to kite flying in Bali. The god Indra is supposed to have amused himself with this pastime during his leisure as well as teaching others the sport.
Bali kites cover the gamut from red vampires, fish, reptiles, to multicolored aircraft, motorcycles, or monsters and literally anything and everything in between. Building one of their huge kites is complex enough to require not simply one or two people but an entire village. Everyone becomes involved as a kite builder, or perhaps launching engineer, a specialist in transportation taking care of materials etc., or as cheerleaders on the sidelines. A priest may be included to aid in determining the best launch date; but there are also blessing rituals involved. Typically the frame is bamboo with plastic and cotton for the skin. The skin is literally sewn together.
The kites of Bali, once airborne, make strange humming sounds… but here is an unexpected treat from another site on the Bali Kite Festival. At the bottom of the page you can “… click on the frog paw and hear the sounds of the night chorus of frogs from the Ayung River valley north of Ubud…”
Where else but in Bali could kites bring helicopters to the ground for repairs!?