The Banished Spring: Basant in Gujranwala

Abstract

Basant, a festival that is grounded in the tradition of kite flying, represents a rich and important cultural tradition in Gujranwala, Punjab. This paper explores the socio-cultural importance of Basant, its current status, and the key factors that have led to its downfall. Basant, traced back to its roots in the subcontinent, with Gujranwala being an important hub, is marked by its social and communal nature, traditional clothes, music, and food. Using a mixed-methods approach, which includes the use of primary survey data, the results show that a large number of people in Gujranwala consider Basant to be an important cultural event, and there is a general consensus on its rapid decline. The key factor that has led to this decline is identified to be the ban imposed by the government due to safety concerns over dangerous materials and accidents, followed by religious myths that have distorted the origins of the festival. This paper argues that these two factors combined have led to the suppression of an important cultural tradition that is non-sectarian in nature. The paper ends with recommendations for policy intervention, which include banning dangerous materials and creating safe zones, along with public awareness campaigns to separate the cultural significance of the festival from religious disputes, which could lead to a possible regulated revival.