Some of the pictures of the enigmatic kodaikanal.
Hills never fail to surprise and engage travellers. One of the scenic locations in Tamil nadu, Kodaikanal.
A hill top tourist destination in South India
A school on the hilltop
In a small village near Kolar, Karnataka in India there lived Shravan with his parents. Shravan was enthusiastic every morning as soon as the bells in the main temple in the village rung as part of routine prayers.
For the little lad, it was time for him to leave home to go to school. Shravan’s school was on a hilltop in the village and the only way to reach the school was to climb uneven broken steps, a steep climb for the little boy of 7 years. He had counted the steps multiple times in the past one year since he had started going to school. It was 104 steps.
Many years ago, a wealthy merchant abandoned his house on the hilltop and since then a retired teacher who was living in the city had come to the village and thought of converting it into a school. All the villagers were very happy that a school was ready for their children. So right from young children to older ones, all were taught by the teacher in one classroom. So right from young students to older children everyone learnt one subject and individually they were given class work according to their caliber and age.
“It’s school time again, time for me to learn a new concept today by the teacher thought Shravan as he was climbing the 73rd step.” There were others of course tagging behind him. The student who reached early had the responsibility to organize a mini assembly like a prayer time. Shravan was hoping no one else had reached before him. Children between 6 and 14 were coming to the school to learn whatever the single teacher taught. Math, Geography, History, English, Kannada and one of the favorites of children Moral Science were taught to the children.
He once overheard a city boy who had come to the village for his summer holidays say how children in cities would be ferried in vans, buses and many times by their parent’s morning and evenings in jazzy cars and scooters. Shravan had laughed loudly on hearing the idea, his parents or any child’s parents hardly bothered if the child had reached the school. They were all too busy working in the fields. Farming was the livelihood. The only thing that the parents in the village collectively agreed was to send the children to the school and not make them work in the fields until they are at least 16 years.
That morning huffing and puffing, finally Shravan reached the last step. The teacher had arrived and the only security guard who was also the helper, assistant, and the cleaner named Siddhu.
Children were scared of Siddhu as much as they were scared of the teacher Mr. Muniyappa. But both were quite protective of the children and took all the care they could for them. Due to heavy rains, dusty winds and scorching temperatures in the region even on the hilltop, the house where the school was situated had started to look weathered out over the years.
“Aha, Shravan, you have come first today to the school. Ok, you get to be the leader today for the morning prayer and get the attendance register”, said Mr. Muniyappa. As the children gathered, the beautiful morning sun shone like a bright star on the hilltop. About 30 children had come to the school.
After the morning prayers everyone tagged behind the teacher and as they were seated there was a huge creek sound as the tallest child opened the window. Amidst giggles and discussions by the children Shravan seemed to be staring constantly at the classroom ceiling.
Something looked different that morning. It appeared to him as though the fan had come down a bit from the ceiling. Just then the teacher said “Not feeling too good here. Feeling stuffy, let’s do one thing children, today we will be having our class outside in the courtyard as we will be learning about nature.” Everyone stepped out and managed to settle down in the courtyard. The teacher was about to leave the classroom right under the fan, when Shravan pushed him. Startled, Muniyappa screamed and then realized Shravan had actually saved him from getting injured from the falling fan.
After he composed himself, Muniyappa gave a sad expression and said aloud, “I can only teach, but for the school to be in reasonable good condition I need funds to get many things repaired. Hearing the scream, Siddhu and a few older children came running to the class.
They helped Muniyappa get up and praised Shravan for his presence of mind. Later after the class Shravan went to the teacher and said “Sir I have come to know of a noble person who is educated and generous with his money for schools. Apparently, he stays approximately 50 kms from here and I heard my father talk about him a week ago. My father got to know about him from radio. If we can get his address, why don’t we approach him to help our school and the children for better facilities?
After six months, Shravan was again climbing happily the 85th step on a Tuesday morning. The broken steps have been renovated and yes do you know, Shravan and his teacher found out where the noble soul lived. The generous person visited the village and the school and agreed to fund all the expenses regarding the school for better infrastructure. Now Shravan’s school has a board too saying “Sharada Vidhyalaya” and it is repainted, mended and the children have also got uniforms and some textbooks as ordered by the teacher.
And you know something…..
Sharada Vidhyalaya was featured in the Kannada daily too with Shravan’s picture in the article alongside the building’s picture in the article. Shravan had all the reasons to be happy going to school again day after day.
For children 6- 9 years. BY RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA
Why a leisure holiday is worth your time in Candolim beach, North Goa, India? Read more to find out
A long pending post that was waiting to be posted on to this space..
It was a holiday in 2014 to Candolim, North Goa that literally made sure that we lost track of time. We were two couples travelling with two kids and were hopeful of a holiday to remember especially with small children hovering around us.
Candolim is less than an hour’s journey by car from Vasco-da-gama railway station. We had reached around 7am by an overnight train journey from Bangalore and reached Candolim in about 50 minutes.
However we did notice that there are enough options of not just resorts, but guesthouses at Candolim where you can stay if there is enough planning made for the stay. After checking into the guest house, we had two reasons to directly go to the beach. There was a taxi driver’s strike and the temperature was rising. So it was wise to hit the waters before making any other plan.
Nevertheless post our inaugural breakfast session that was to commence our holiday, we decided to be on the beach for the next two hours. While the men and the kids jumped into the water, the women, that is myself and a fellow woman companion had a good glance at on the fashion quotient on the beach. Obviously we were overdressed for the beach. Thankfully even the local residents give you the comfort level attitude that it is fine with whatever you want to be dressed as to be at the beach.
During our earlier visits, we have had vegetarian cuisines but those were limited ones. This time again, we read the boards that prominently read sea food, but we were optimistic of accessing good vegetarian options. Rightfully we were not disappointed.
For a shopoholic, there are plenty of options to shop –goods that either would be useful during the stay or as a memento. Hats, caps, beachwear for all shapes and sizes, sarongs, skirts, shorts, tees, Indian brass gift items, kashmiri shawls, were some of the items that were seen across displayed at several stores along the main road. There are options of massage centres for those who wanted to de-stress through a massage.
Time flies, when you watch the sunset at the Candolim beach or at the Fort Aguada that is adjoining Sinquerim–Candolim beach. Walking along the pathway leading to the fort and the wall of the Taj at Fort Aguada during sunrise or sunset is a worth a visit. Make sure you take your digital tool to capture the picturesque scenes.
Something that struck us blatantly on our faces in Candolim was that there were several boards that were trying to lure customers to Ayurvedic massage centres, restaurants, but were written in English and Cyrillic, thanks to high Russian tourist population at Candolim.
Lastly like the earlier visits at Candolim, we were greeted by fellow International tourists who want to say a hello to you and smile at you even though you are a stranger. This gives the feel-good factor of being in a place that is a friendly destination. At the end of stay all of us had just one thing on our minds- Wish we could stay longer at Candolim to feel the leisurely Goan holiday much more.
List of suggested activities when in Candolim:
Soak yourself in the sun at Candolim like most of International tourists like to do it at Candolim. If you are not in favor of sun tan, you have the ready option of getting into relatively clean waters. The stretch is less populated and people are on their own so you can be assured of your own ‘me time’.
- If you do not mind on the budget go for at least one water sport like para-sailing, water bike ride or the banana ride on Candolim beach.
- Visit a restaurant that has a prominent beach view. It is sheer pleasure to look at the sea during late evening hours. Ideal for a romantic date or a family evening where the kids can have fun on the artificial sand dunes.
- Make sure you visit a restaurant that offers live band music. There are enough of such dining spots across Candolim beach and also at the by lanes joining the beach coast. You will get to listen to live music right from 7pm onwards with songs in English, Hindi and a few Goan numbers.
Lastly when in Candolim, discover a good holiday in India.
BY RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA
I love kitchen toys and I am not a girl
Harsh is a young boy studying in class I, in a city in India. There have been many changes that Harsh has seen when it comes to choosing his toys. Whenever he goes to the jazzy lit malls in his city with his Mama or Papa he is generally directed to the toys section by the shop assistants. And there are good number of toys almost clearly demarcated for young boys and little girls.
One such evening, Harsh’s mom wanted to pick a toy for his classmate’s birthday which was scheduled for the coming Saturday evening at her residence. Harsh was quite excited to look at the toys and wondered if he would be ridiculed for holding a Barbie doll. As soon as he picked one toy on kitchen utilities, the shop assistant rushed to harsh and showed him to look for the cars and puzzles. ” I have those already, I just wanted to see if I can take home a Barbie doll or a kitchen toy tonight.”
The assistant’s smile was not encouraging, yet Harsh took the toy to his mom who was going through some labelled ‘girlie’ toys. ” Mama, Purvi likes to play with cars and bikes. Maybe you should pick that for her if possible ” said Harsh to his mom. When his mom looked at Harsh with a kitchen toy, she smiled and said ” We are here to buy for Purvi. I can get you what you want next month.” Is that fine with you?”.
Harsh wanted an optimistic answer, ” Even a barbie doll or kitchen toy is fine with you?” asked Harsh. ” Yes of course, cooking is a life-skill dear not just to be learnt by girls. Big boys ought to know cooking if they want to be independent in life. And you can take this toy next month.”
“But Barbie” said Harsh.
” It is not a problem.” But can I ask you why do you want a Barbie doll asked his mom.
” I just like her just as I like Ben 10.”
“Yes of course, dear,” said his mom making harsh feel it was perfect for him to choose toys that he wanted than what was labelled around.
Finally his mom picked a small car for Purvi and Harsh went back to the shop assistant with his mom to say that they are coming back to pick the kitchen toy and the Barbie doll for him next month.
Story for 5-7 years old.
BY RESHMA KRISHNAMURTHY SHARMA
Portrayal of women in hindi movies
A movie that I watched recently made me admire the director’s ability to show how people need not be dark and transparent characters always and there is always room for the dark hearted souls to change and the good ones to be alert not to be misled.
But in the movie Badlapur, I was again very disturbed by the portrayal of women. Women were shown to be treated ruthlessly or objects that exist in this world to be able to satisfy the male gender.
I do feel it is high time wise directors show sense in directing movies that have a huge mass appeal in a country like India to portray women as they should be. With respect.
The hero seemed to take great pride in taking so called revenge in the movie if he was able to convince the woman from the enemy camp (as perceived by the hero) to sleep with him.
It’s really time that India wakes up and understands that women want to be treated equal. Treat women as men and that is as HUMANS=PEOPLE Not as objects.
The white painted ant
Rikkie was a small red ant living in a city. He was taught to be ferocious as his parents always felt that was what was expected of a red ant. As he was growing up, he would bite many people who ever he felt would be a nuisance to him. Rikkie realized that humans feared red ants than black ants.
One day after breakfast as he was passing by a construction building, a bucket of white paint fell on the ground by a worker from the third floor. A drop of paint fell on Rikkie too and he felt quite uncomfortable getting drenched in paint. He thought he should rush home and have a bath. He did so but the paint failed to get off from his body. Rikkie was very concerned. Soon kids playing near the park saw him and screamed ” Such a cute ant”. He hated such words.
He always wanted to fear people but not be loved or admired as “cute”. uhhh….
Rikkie slowly felt as days passed that nobody was scared of him. his parents tried convincing him that his new color on his body was fine and it didn’t matter really in life. But Rikkie was very upset.
Then something drastically changed.
One evening it rained heavily in the city. It thundered and showered like never before. Everyone was trying to take shelter to save themselves from the fiery rain. Rikkie too took shelter under a big leaf. Finally after many hours, when the rain stopped, Rikkie saw that his artificial white color had gone from his body. He was red again as he was meant to be. Rikkie danced gleefully and went home.
His mom was very worried where he had been in the rain but she too was happy that he was glad to have his original color. Next day when he was going by the park, the children got scared of him and started screaming ” Oh no, that red ant that was missing is back. God knows what happened to our calm little white ant!”.
Rikkie tried explaining to the children, that it was him both as the white ant and now back as the red ant. But they did not seem to understand his language. They were really scared of him. Earlier Rikkie liked causing that fear. But now he was used to being liked and he didn’t like the feeling of being hated again. Thoughts started rambling in his mind if he should color himself white again somehow to be liked. But no. He had to find a way to make children like him even if he was red.
So from the next day he would be where the children were playing and if they required help in pushing the marbles or small paper boats he would use his strength to push it towards them. The children realized that the ant wanted to be friendly and not bite them anymore. Soon he started getting used to comments like , ” Look the beautiful red ant is here.”
Rikkie realized that it didn’t matter what color one is but it did matter a lot if one was friendly or not to be accepted by people around us. Rikkie was very happy. He had many more people in the world who liked him.
It really didn’t require him to be ferocious unnecessarily. Even his parents understood that it is wiser to be friendlier and as a good person in the world than being a disliked red ant.
(For kids aged between 4-7 years. By Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma)
Beauty and the Wise
A beautiful yellow butterfly came to the most popular garden in the city. The butterfly came and seated herself on a huge red rose.
Lots of visitors everyday thronged the garden and clicked pictures of the flowers and of the neatly laid out lawns. Today it was time for people clicking pictures of the butterfly.
A crow was sitting on a tall tree top and he saw this butterfly and thought to himself ‘ How I wish I was good looking too. People would admire me too.”
The butterfly happened to glance at the crow and murmured ” I wish, God had made me look little more sober. At least I would have got little bit of privacy. I hate when these humans rover around me when I eat my food, when I sleep or even when I want to be alone.”
A wise pigeon who was present on another branch of the tree, looked at the crow and at the butterfly. Soon she called out to both of them to come near her saying ” I have something very important to tell you both.” When both came to her to listen to her, the pigeon further continued, ” We are all made differently and it is wise not to compare with others. ”
“Come to think of it, you really from the bottom of your heart wouldn’t want to be a disliked butterfly just because of your looks and you wouldn’t want to be a handsome crow, or else you would have been captive somewhere. ”
Both the butterfly and the crow realized that it is better to work around our limitations and plus points rather than cribbing about it.
By Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma
In the midst of conversion
It is Christmas celebrations everywhere in Bangalore with streamers, colourful lights, bells, stars lined up in stores waiting to be bought and decorated in home. On the other hand, the national headlines seem to indicate the row on conversions from one religion to another, tagging along the christmas date of bringing forgotten hindus back to Hinduism.
When I have put up a Christmas tree and a star and of course decor related to x’mas celebrations this 2014, my little one is most excited with me to imagine and hope that Santa will come to our home and give us some goodies along with blessings.
As much as I decorated and relished traditional delicacies whether it was for other festivals like onam, diwali or for christmas, it is the openness of these festivals that makes people like me to enjoy these festivities and relish some fun moments at home.
Religion and practicing a particular faith is purely a personal matter, according to me I hope people will understand that celebrating a festival or practicing a particular religion doesn’t make them or strip them of their identity of who they really are.
Tiger in the city
It was going to be dawn on a Friday morning in a crowded city in India. Suddenly it appeared that there was a huge commotion in the busy market area. A rumour had spread that a tiger was spotted in the city. People were cautious to step out of their homes and go to offices. Parents did not want to send their kids to school. News channels were constantly beaming images of where the tiger was last spotted by a passerby.
Most in the city didn’t know if there was really a wild tiger roaming in the city or it was a prank by some mischief mongers. In a deserted building which was still under construction, Chulbul the witty mouse was creating some sounds in the underground basement. There was one small flickering bulb and no else was present in the basement. He was enjoying his catch, a leftover pizza loaded with cheese. He suddenly shivered as he saw a huge shadow near him. He rubbed his eyes to see if he was seeing a tiger. A huge tiger emerged slowly from the shadows.
The tiger said, “Hey mouse, can you tell me where I can get some food.” Chulbul had to gulp down the pizza piece quickly. He offered the pizza to the tiger. The tiger Sherkhan, said “ I don’t know what is this food?. I want to eat something like a deer or a rabbit or even a mouse will do.” Chulbul had to react quickly. He said, “Listen tiger”. “My name is Sherkhan,” said the tiger.
“Well..Sherkhan, I have another interesting food for you. He dragged a watermelon fruit behind a tin sheet and gave it to the tiger. Sherkhan threw a fit. “Do you think I can eat vegetarian food like these fruits. I want my kind of food. First of all I got lost today from the jungle and entered this noisy city. I want to go back to the jungle but I think I will either be killed by these humans or I will be dragged to a zoo.”
“Calm down” said Chulbul. For now you have to either eat this dish. It’s called pizza or you have to eat the watermelon. And yes I have a way out for you to reach the jungle. The tiger ate a piece of watermelon hesitantly and said this was not his food. He was almost to tears. The rat said “I think it is better if you reach the jungle quickly before the city residents spot you.”
Chulbul then took the tiger to another corner of the deserted building and that led to an underground canal. He said “You can try your luck and swim for a while before you can reach the jungle. I had heard from some other animals that there is a forest close to the city. Maybe this underground water canal will reach to the closest destination like a far-off highway road and from there you can find your way out. Also hopefully you might find something in these waters like fishes.”
Sherkhan seemed hopeful and thanked Chulbul. He also mentioned to the mouse that he is most welcome to visit him in the jungle if at all he ever thinks of a jungle trip.
Sherkhan started to swim and soon disappeared from chulbul’s sight. Chulbul prayed for a moment and thanked his stars that he was able to help someone, but more importantly he saved himself from being someone else’s breakfast.
By evening Chulbul got to know from his friends that a tiger had been caught across a water canal by some people but it was soon taken to the jungle and set free.
Chulbul went to bed with a memorable experience of his lifetime.
The 5 brave girls- Story by Reshma Krishnamurthy Sharma (for 4-6 year olds)
The school bell had rung and it was time for all the children to go home. The children hurriedly packed their bags as the teacher said with a smile” Time to go home safely”. Lots of children came to the school from far off distances and it was a quite a task for many of them to reach back home on time.
As the gates opened the children in the little village in tamilnadu, selvi and her friends made a group of five before they could head back home. The school was 6kms away from her house and it was a walk selvi and her friends did everyday to reach school.
As her parents were uneducated and worked at the tea plantations faraway, they knew to get a better life one required to study and do well in professional life. They always wanted selvi to study and be able to look after herself well in life, hopefully with a good job and sound education.
There was however one stretch that ran close to the jungle border and there was the possibility of a wild animal coming in front of the little girls. Yet selvi and her friends had always decided to be brave and use presence of mind to save each other from any untoward incident.
It was an everyday game, each girl would pick three to five sticks from the road, and keep herself guarded as long as they were crossing the interior jungle stretch. Soon when they came closer to the village, they would put the sticks to one side together and go back home.
This evening, a long snake came in front of the girls. The five girls panicked and were thinking whether they should hit the snake or run from there. Selvi immediately whispered to others. “Stand still, do not panic or hit it. It will not harm us.” Two girls started crying out of fear. The snake hissed and left on a different route. All of them hugged selvi and said, “We must run home”.
Soon they reached home and within a few minutes selvi’s parents came from work after a long day. As her mother was getting about household chores, selvi told her mom and dad about the unpleasant encounter in the evening. Her father patted her for being brave and said that it is the right thing that the children didn’t provoke the animal unnecessarily.
Selvi went off to sleep after dinner and waited for the morning to come by. After all she had a story to share with her teacher and other classmates, “The 5 brave girls.”