Make Manja for Kite Fighting

Kite fighting is a popular game in countries all over the world, including the countries of India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Japan, Korea and Nepal. There are even kite fighting festivals in many of these countries. The point of kite fighting is to either cut the thread of your competitor's kite or pull down their kite. Manja is a substance made from glass that coats a kite's string to make it sharp and strong.

Steps

Making the Glass Powder

1. Gather the materials that you'll need. You'll need glass to make your glass powder, a large bowl or bucket to crush your glass in, a heavy and sturdy object to crush the glass with, a sifter to separate the powdered glass from the shards of glass, and safety wear for your hands and eyes. For safety wear, you should wear thick safety gloves and goggles.
   • Choose glass that will be easy for you to crush – stay away from thick types of glass. It's easiest to make glass powder out of extremely thin types of glass, such as tube lights, light bulbs, and fluorescent lights.
2. Create your own glass crusher at home with basic household supplies. Use a bucket or a deep metal or plastic bowl to place your uncrushed glass in. Use a hammer or another heavy, sturdy object to crush the glass with. Use a sifter to separate the shards of glass from the powder.
3. Crush glass into a fine powder. Slowly, but firmly, crush the glass with your hammer. Continue crushing the pieces of glass until you've broken it up into powder. Once you've crashed the glass as finely as you possible can, pour it into your sifter to separate the shards of glass from the powder.
   • You'll need eye protection and a face mask so that the glass powder does not enter your nose, mouth, or eyes. You should also were gloves.
   • Add food coloring to your glass powder to give your string a unique color. This part is optional, but serves a great way to distinguish your kite string from your competitor's.
   • You can also buy powdered glass if you are having problems with crushing your own. Powdered glass can usually be purchased at home supply or craft stores.
4. Store your powdered glass in a safe container. Once you've separated your powdered glass, pour it into a jar that can be tightly sealed. Make sure that you store your jar of powdered glass in a safe place, and keep it away from children.

Making the Glue

1. Gather your materials to make your glue. You'll need a pot to boil your mixture in, and your main ingredients will be water and flour. Some people add additional jelly-like substances as well, such as aloe vera gel, sticky rice, or sago pudding. This is the glue that will attach the powdered glass to your kite string.
   • You can use commercial glue if you do not feel comfortable making your own. However, this homemade glue mixture is the traditional method of making manja.
2. Make your glue mixture in a medium sized pot. Take your pot and fill it with 1/2 cup of water. Then add {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} flour, and stir until it is completely mixed together. Lastly, add 2-3 table spoons of your sticky substance (rice, sago pudding, or aloe vera gel). Stir the mixture until all ingredients are evenly mixed together.
3. Heat the glue mixture on a stovetop. It is important that you use a stovetop and not a microwave. Turn the stovetop on medium-high heat, and stir the mixture continuously. Stir the mixture for about 5 minutes, or until bubbles begin to appear. Let the mixture cool completely.

Applying Your Manja

1. Purchase thread from your nearby craft stores. There are some threads made especially for kite flying, but if you can't find them, you can always use cotton threads. You should get thicker and sturdier thread to prevent it from breaking while you are kite fighting.
   • The most popular types of thread used for kite flying are cotton, twisted nylon, and twisted polyester. These threads are very strong and durable, making them the ideal choice for kite flying.
2. Roll your thread through the glue mixture that you've made. Once your glue has cooled off, run your thread through the glue mixture so that it is coated in a thin layer. You can leave the glue mixture in the pot and swirl the string around so that it gets coated in glue.
3. Coat your thread with the powdered glass. Pour your powdered glass on a flat surface so that you can easily roll your thread in it. Cover the flat surface with newspaper (or something similar) to keep the powdered glass from getting into the surfaces of your home. Roll your thread in the powdered mixture so that it has a complete coat around it. Lie the string flat overnight for it to dry completely. Once it is dry, you can roll it back onto a string spool.
   • Wear gloves so that the powdered glass does not cut your hands.
4. Fly your kite! Once you've made your manja, you are ready to fly your kite and cut the threads of other kite fighters!

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make a Kite
• Make Chinese Kites
• Make a Kite Out of a Plastic Bag
• Make a Plastic Bag Parachute
• Fly a Kite
• Make an Easy Kite
• Make a Diamond Kite
• Make a Fast Kite with One Sheet of Paper
• Take Aerial Photos Using a Kite