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Home Patients' Zone Festival Eye Care Uttarayan Kite Festival Eye Safety

Uttarayan Kite Festival Eye Safety

Manja cuts, sun glare and terrace safety on Makar Sankranti

In Ahmedabad and across Gujarat, Uttarayan means two days on the terrace with eyes fixed on the sky. Sharp manja, hours of sun glare and crowded rooftops all put the eyes at risk. These simple steps help you enjoy the festival safely. ગુજરાતીમાં વાંચો (Read in Gujarati).

Main risks to the eyes

  • Manja cuts: sharp string can cut the eyelids, the face and even the eyeball, especially when a loose string sweeps across a road or terrace. Riders on two-wheelers are at high risk.
  • Sun glare and UV light: looking up for hours causes watering, headache and, in some people, painful sunburn of the cornea (photokeratitis). Never look directly at the sun to follow a kite.
  • Direct hits from a kite's bamboo stick, the spool (firki) or a falling kite.
  • Dust and dryness from wind and dry winter air.
  • Falls from terraces, which can cause head and eye injuries.

Safety tips

  • Use cotton thread. Nylon, synthetic and glass-coated "Chinese" manja was banned across India by the National Green Tribunal in 2017; it does not break and cuts deeply.
  • Wear wraparound sunglasses with 100% UV protection (UV400) and a cap with a brim.
  • Wear gloves or finger guards when handling manja, and keep children away from the edges of terraces.
  • On two-wheelers, wear a full-face helmet or use a neck guard and a wire guard on the handlebar, and ride slowly near kite-flying areas.
  • Do not chase falling kites on roads or across roofs.
  • Use lubricating drops if the eyes feel dry, and take breaks indoors.

First aid for an eye injury

Do

  • If only powder, colour, smoke or dust went in and the eye is not cut: rinse gently with plenty of clean running water for 15–20 minutes, holding the lids open.
  • If there is a cut, bleeding, an object stuck in the eye, or the eye looks misshapen: cover it loosely with a clean paper cup or the cut-off bottom of a plastic bottle, and go straight to an eye hospital or emergency department.
  • Keep the person sitting up and calm, and take them to hospital even if the pain settles.

Don't

  • Don't rub or press on the eye.
  • Don't try to remove anything stuck in the eye.
  • Don't rinse an eye that may be cut or punctured.
  • Don't put in ointment, home remedies, rose water, honey, ghee or breast milk.
  • Don't take aspirin or ibuprofen for the pain before you are seen: they can increase bleeding inside the eye.

See an eye doctor the same day if

  • Vision is blurred or reduced and does not clear with blinking.
  • Pain, redness or watering continues after rinsing, or the eye cannot be opened.
  • There is a cut on the eye or eyelid, blood in the eye, or something stuck in it.
  • A chemical, cracker powder or lime (chuna) went into the eye.
  • Light hurts the eye, or you see flashes, floaters or a shadow.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if manja cuts near the eye?

Cover the eye loosely without pressing, control bleeding from the skin with gentle pressure away from the eyeball, and go to an eye hospital at once. Eyelid cuts often need stitching by an eye surgeon.

Why do my eyes hurt after a day of kite flying?

Hours of sun glare and wind dry and irritate the eyes, and UV light can burn the cornea. Rest, lubricating drops and cold compresses help; see a doctor if pain is severe or vision is blurred.

Are sunglasses useful while flying kites?

Yes. Wraparound sunglasses with UV400 protection cut glare, block UV light and give some protection from dust and string.

Related: Eye injury and emergency treatment, Holi Eye Care, Navratri and Garba Eye Care.

Eye problem after a festival?

Sadbhaav Eye & Dental Clinic, Motera, Ahmedabad. Message us on WhatsApp or call. Clinic hours: Monday to Saturday, 10 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 8 pm. For a serious injury outside clinic hours, go to the nearest eye hospital or emergency department.

+91 70169 12180

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