New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS) It was the perfect weather for kite flying in the national capital Friday, what with the breeze blowing just strong enough for a sport that has become a ritual for many on Independence Day. Many in the capital feared it would rain Friday considering the thundershowers the previous evening, and even the met department predicted wet weather.

However, as the Independence Day dawned, except a light drizzle early in the morning there was nothing to dampen the spirits of the people who were out on the open roads and balconies with multi-hued kites in tow.

Raju Jain, a 12-year-old school student, was one of the many who was waiting eagerly to fly kites on this day.

“Flying kites is like an Independence Day ritual. Two-three days preceding this day my friends and I, even my father, brother, sister and other relatives, go on a kite buying spree. And we couldn’t have asked for a better weather than this to enjoy ourselves,” the resident of north Delhi told IANS.

“We even have competitions to see whose kite flies the highest,” he added.

Like Jain, Abhinav Das, an artist, loves flying kites on this day.

“My son, who is just four, is fascinated with these bright colourful things flying in the sky. To add to his excitement, I bought various kites in the shape of cartoon carachters like Spiderman and Batman,” Das said.

However, among all the shapes, sizes and colours, the most noticebale of the kites dotting the grey skies were the tri-coloured ones.

Since this national holiday fell on a Friday and gave way to an extended weekend, many people also organised parties with Independence Day as the theme.

“Strictly Indian traditional attire, Indian food and only Hindi patriotic songs from the classic Bollywood movies. Since it’s an I-Day themed dinner party, the get together will be dotted with tri-coloured flavours,” said Shivani Rao, a teacher in south Delhi.

And of course there were those who decided to take things easy and enjoy a lazy day watching TV.

“There are a lot of interesting programmes on various channels. I am planning to watch a movie,” said Aarushi Mehra, a student.