Guides · Bans and tela
Kite bamboo: bans, tela and the sticks inside a Lahori kite
A Lahori kite's frame is peeled bamboo (bans, بانس): a straight spine (ThaDDa, ٹھڈا) and a curved bow (kaanp, کانپ). Tela most likely means ready-peeled kite sticks. Makers say kite bamboo is imported, recently from Bangladesh, and in October 2026 one said a stack had jumped to Rs 25,000–28,000.
Basant 2027 at a glance
Short answers from our facts table. Each one links to its source and shows when we last checked it.
Where does kite bamboo come from?
Mostly imported
Lahori kite frames are made of peeled bamboo (bans).
reported (one source)Details and source
Lahori kite frames are made of peeled bamboo (bans). In 2026 a Lahore manufacturer said kite bamboo is imported from Bangladesh and was hard to find; 2018 research with Lahore kite makers said it came from local growers or from India, Japan, Brazil and Thailand, and that pre-cut kite bamboo is sold at Bansanwala Bazaar in Lahore. Bamboo is also grown on farms in Punjab.
reported (one source)Source: Dawn
What do materials cost?
Rs 7,000–14,000 a rim
Kite paper, up from Rs 3,200–3,800: one manufacturer's figures, not our prices.
reported (one source)Details and source
In October 2026 a licensed Lahore kite and twine manufacturer told Dawn that raw-material costs had jumped after the Basant 2027 date change: a 480-sheet ream of kite paper from Rs 3,200–3,800 to Rs 7,000–14,000, a stack of kite bamboo imported from Bangladesh from Rs 12,000–15,000 to Rs 25,000–28,000, and twine from Rs 2,800 to Rs 4,800–6,500 depending on the brand, while labour costs doubled. These are one manufacturer's figures, not a market survey and not our prices.
reported (one source)Source: Dawn
What does a kite cost to make?
Rs 100–150 a kite
A veteran Lahore kite maker's estimate for a legal-size kite at Basant 2026.
reported (one source)Details and source
A Lahore kite maker with nearly four decades in the trade estimated that a legal-size kite should cost Rs 100–150 to make at Basant 2026, depending on materials, while Mochi Gate retail prices roughly tripled in the first four days of sales.
reported (one source)Source: Al Jazeera
On this page
Which parts of a Lahori kite are bamboo?
Two kinds of stick: the straight spine, called ThaDDa (ٹھڈا) or gaz by Lahore kite makers, and the curved bow, the kaanp (کانپ) or kamaan, with a thinner lower bow on a patang.
| Part | Names | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Spine | ThaDDa (ٹھڈا), gaz (گز) | The straight stick from top to bottom; thicker and usually round |
| Bow | Kaanp (کانپ), kamaan or kamani joda | The curved stick across the top that gives the kite its width; bent over a flame |
| Lower bow | Paindi kaman | A thinner curved stick that shapes the lower half of a patang |
| Thin strip | Teeli (تیلی) | Any thin strip of cut bamboo; dictionaries define both the spine and the bow as a teeli |
Where the bow crosses the spine is the kite's widest point, which is where the legal width is measured: a patang may be at most 35 inches wide and a gudda at most 40 inches. Check a kite with the kite size checker, and see how to balance a kite for what a bent bow does in the air.
What is tela in kite making?
Tela or teela (plural tele) most likely means ready-peeled bamboo kite sticks, sold as matched spines and bows; teeli (تیلی) is the thin strip itself. We have not found a Lahore source that confirms the trade meaning or a rate.
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Urdu dictionaries define a teeli as a properly cut thin strip of bamboo, and describe both the kite's spine and its bow as one. Across the border, kite-stick sellers list peeled bamboo spine-and-bow sets as "patang ki teelay", which fits the way Lahore buyers ask for tela. Until a Lahore supplier confirms it, treat this as the likely meaning, not a definition.
Know the Lahore meaning?
If you trade in kite sticks at Mochi Gate or Bansanwala Bazaar and use the word differently, tell us on WhatsApp and we will correct this page with your name if you want it.
Where does kite bamboo come from?
Mostly from imports: a Lahore manufacturer said in 2026 that kite bamboo comes from Bangladesh and was hard to find, while earlier research named local growers and India, Japan, Brazil and Thailand.
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Bamboo does grow in Pakistan, on farms in Punjab, but kite makers want straight, fine-grained canes that split and bend evenly, and they say most of that grade is imported. Pre-cut kite bamboo has long been sold at Bansanwala Bazaar in Lahore, and the finished kites are traded at Mochi Gate and the city's other kite markets.
Mochi Gate in the Walled City is Lahore's main kite and string market, described by Reuters as Pakistan's biggest. At Basant 2026 kites were also traded in Islampura, Samanabad, Sanda, Nonarian and Ichhra, and Liberty Chowk became a new focal point for sales.
confirmedSource: Reuters (via bdnews24)
How much does kite bamboo cost in 2026?
The only published figure is per stack: in October 2026 a manufacturer said a stack of imported kite bamboo had gone from Rs 12,000–15,000 to Rs 25,000–28,000.
| Item | Reported cost | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| Stack of kite bamboo, before the date change | Rs 12,000–15,000 | One manufacturer, Dawn, October 2026 |
| Stack of kite bamboo, after | Rs 25,000–28,000 | Same report |
| Twine, before and after | Rs 2,800 to Rs 4,800–6,500 | Same report; unit not stated |
| Cost to make one legal-size kite | Rs 100–150 | A veteran kite maker, Al Jazeera, Basant 2026 |
Nobody has published how many sticks a stack holds, a price per stick, or a reliable count of sticks per kilo, so we don't give one. For what finished kites sell for, see the price tracker; those are market observations too, and we don't sell bamboo.
How do kite makers prepare the bamboo?
They peel the cane into flat or round sticks, heat each one over a lamp flame to straighten it and set its bend points, then bind and glue the frame before the paper goes on.
Peel and cut
The cane is peeled with a knife into flat sticks for the bow and round ones for the spine, then cut to the kite's size.
Heat over a flame
A traditional lamp strengthens the stick at set points, straightens it and marks where the bow will bend; the small black marks it leaves are kept as decoration.
Bend the bow
The bow is curved evenly on both sides of the spine, because an uneven bow makes a kite pull to one side.
Glue and bind
Lahori makers glue with laiwi (لیوی), a paste of wheat flour, salt, sugar and water mixed to suit the weather, and bind the joints with fine cotton thread.
What is happening in the kite bamboo market?
Supply is tight: makers reported bamboo shortages and doubled prices in October 2026, while more than 5,200 licensed makers prepare for Basant 2027 and police raid unlicensed workshops.
- Shortage: a licensed manufacturer told Dawn kite bamboo was "not readily available" after the dates moved to a January plan; the festival is now back in March (12–14 March 2027).
- Licences: 5,200 or more kite and string makers were licensed by 10 October 2026, roughly four times the 1,337 of last year.
- Raids: police in Lahore have seized ready kites and raw materials from workshops without a licence; making kites for sale without one is an offence.
- Sales calendar: finished kites reach the public only through registered sellers, 10 February – 14 March 2027, from registered sellers only.
Where we stand
Seller registration in progress. Sales open only after our Punjab seller certificate is issued.
Join the WhatsApp waitlistFrequently asked questions
Is bamboo available in Pakistan?
Yes, bamboo is grown on farms in Punjab, but kite makers say most kite-grade bamboo is imported, recently from Bangladesh.
What is kaanp in a kite?
The kaanp (کانپ) is the curved bamboo bow across the top of a kite; Lahore makers also call it the kamaan. The straight stick it crosses is the spine, the ThaDDa (ٹھڈا) or gaz.
How many bamboo sticks are in one kilo?
There is no reliable published figure for Lahore: sticks vary with the kite size and how thin they are peeled. Ask the supplier how many spines and bows a bundle holds.
What glue is used to make kites in Lahore?
Traditionally laiwi (لیوی), a paste of wheat flour, salt, sugar and water; makers change the salt and sugar to suit the weather.
What did a stack of kite bamboo cost in 2026?
In October 2026 one manufacturer said Rs 25,000–28,000, up from Rs 12,000–15,000. That is a market report, not our price.
Sources (26)
- Dawn — Stakeholders see January Basant schedule unfeasible (6 Oct 2026)
- Amjad Parvaiz — Patang: The Fighter Kite of Punjab, Pakistan: Material, Structure and Making (Khoj, University of the Punjab, 2018)
- FAO — World bamboo resources (2007): bamboo farming in Punjab
- Wikipedia — Units of paper quantity (the 480-sheet 'short' ream used for tissue paper)
- Al Jazeera — 'Magical atmosphere': Kite fever lights up Lahore as Basant boosts economy (6 Feb 2026)
- Reuters (via bdnews24) — Kite festival returns to Lahore after long ban (7 Feb 2026)
- INP — Basant fever: kite sales cross Rs1.50 billion in Lahore (6 Feb 2026)
- Pakistan Today — Bo kata echoes across Lahore as Basant revives colour, commerce and caution (6 Feb 2026)
- The Nation — Over 5,200 kite manufacturers licensed for Basant 2027 (12 Oct 2026)
- City42 — بسنت 2027: مینوفیکچررز کو لائسنس کا اجراء جاری، درخواستوں کا انبار لگ گیا (10 Oct 2026)
- The News (APP) — Over 5,200 kite makers issued licences for Basant 2027 (12 Oct 2026)
- Punjab Police — Punjab Police continue operations against violations of the Anti-Kite Flying Act (handout No. 551) (19 Oct 2026)
- The News — 11,397 arrested over violation of Anti-Kite Flying Act this year (20 Oct 2026)
- Punjab Basant portal (official) — Safety rules (15 Oct 2026)
- Dawn — Lahore DC gives formal go-ahead for 3-day Basant festivities in March 2027, outlines conditions and restrictions (23 Oct 2026)
- Dawn — Punjab reverts to three-day Basant fest in March (24 Oct 2026)
- Pakistan Today — Lahore fixes Basant 2027 for March 12-14, imposing strict kite-flying rules (24 Oct 2026)
- Express News — لاہور؛ بسنت کیلئے نوٹیفکیشن جاری کردیا گیا (23 Oct 2026)
- The Express Tribune — Punjab govt reschedules Basant 2027 in Lahore for second time, sets March dates (20 Oct 2026)
- Dawn — Lahore to celebrate 10-day Basant festival from Jan 29 to Feb 7 next year (withdrawn plan) (30 Sept 2026)
- The Nation — Basant 2027 to be celebrated in Lahore from March 12 to 14 (August announcement) (18 Aug 2026)
- WE News — لاہور میں 12 سے 14 مارچ 2027 تک بسنت منانے کی باضابطہ اجازت، شرائط اور پابندیاں عائد (23 Oct 2026)
- Rekhta Dictionary — kaanp (کانپ): the curved rib of a paper kite
- Rekhta Dictionary — ThaDDaa (ٹھڈا): the spine of a paper kite
- Rekhta Dictionary — tiilii (تیلی): a thin strip of cut bamboo
- Daily Pakistan — DC Lahore proposes March 12–14 dates for Basant 2027 (material costs) (17 Oct 2026)