Basant (festival)
Basant is a spring-time Punjabi festival primarily associated with flying kites. According to the Punjabi calendar, it is held on the fifth day of Magh marking the start of spring. Basant is celebrated throughout the Punjab, in both Pakistan and India; and among the Punjabi diaspora.
Central/Majha Punjab
Amritsar, Lahore, and Kasur are the traditional areas where kite flying festivals are held. A popular Basant Mela is held in Lahore. However, the festival has also been traditionally celebrated in areas such as Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gurdaspur.Historically, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held an annual Basant fair and introduced kite flying as a regular feature of the fairs held during the 19th century which included holding fairs at Sufi shrines. Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his queen Moran would dress in yellow and fly kites on Basant. The association of kite flying with Basant soon became a Punjabi tradition with the centre in Lahore which remains the regional hub of the festival throughout the Punjab region. Indeed, Maharaja Ranjit Singh held a darbar or court in Lahore on Basant which lasted ten days. During this time soldiers would dress in yellow and show their military prowess. Other traditions of the Basant in Lahore included women swaying on swings and singing.
Malwa, Punjab, India
The festival of Basant is celebrated across Malwa, Punjab where people organize gatherings to fly kites. In areas such as Firozpur, children generally fly kites to mark the auspicious occasion. A large fair is organised on the day of Basant Panchmi in the Shiva temple of Bansari and Gudri which is located in Dhuri, Sangrur district. The fair includes swings, rides and food.Punjab, Pakistan
In the Punjab province of Pakistan, Basant is considered to be a seasonal festival and is celebrated as a spring festival of kites. The festival marks the commencement of the spring season. In the Punjab region, Basant Panchami has been a long established tradition of flying kites and holding fairs. On the Pothohar Plateau in northern Punjab, Basant is celebrated with the flying of kites, with one of the largest kite-flying events held annually in Rawalpindi. Despite the ban on flying kites, kite enthusiasts still continue to celebrate the festival. According to The Express Tribune "in spite of a ban, kites of all sorts, spindles, twines are available freely in the old city area" of Rawalpindi in 2020. People also light fireworks and play loud music.Ban
While the date of Basant Panchami is traditionally set by a Hindu calendar, the date of the Basant kite festival in Punjab, Pakistan until 2007 was determined by the authorities using the Punjabi calendar, always on a Sunday and usually at the end of February or the beginning of March. In 2007, the festival was banned, primarily because of an increasing number of deaths and serious injuries. These had various causes related to the festival, including:Another reason cited for the ban was the cost to the electricity power transmission system related to
In 2004, Nawa-i-Waqt, a Pakistani daily opposed Basant Panchami celebrations in Pakistan, arguing that the festival celebrated Haqiqat Rai's insult of Muhammad.
One major reason for the ban; a lawyer from Lahore challenged the Basant in the Lahore High Court on religious grounds. To persuade the court, the lawyer asserted that Basant was a solely Hindu celebration, and he also mentioned the loss of life and electronic goods as a result of the Basant. As a result, Basant was outlawed in the city in 2005. But upon the province-wide lift on the ban in 2025, the Punjab government rejected the claim of the festival being a solely 'Hindu' one; and cited it being a solely 'Punjabi' festival.
Revival
Although it was widely reported in Pakistan since 2017 that the ban would be lifted, it was not until December 2025 that the Government of Punjab lifted the ban, but keeping some restrictions, citing the importance of the festival in Punjabi culture.The celebration to take place in February 2026 will be limited to Lahore only. The observance will be strictly monitored and kite sales and flying will be subject to compliance with strict rules and regulations.