...and some more

Independence Day has always been one of Hrit Naisha's favourite festivals. They love the flag hoisting and the singing of the National anthem. What's more there are tricoloured balloons and chakris as well as saffron, white and green clothes to dress up in.

However since we moved to Pune things got a bit dull. Our housing society is not exactly the most happening one when it comes to celebrations. Oh we do have the mandatory flag hoisting; throw in a few speeches and maybe a desh-bhakti poem to go along and we're done. By afternoon the flag is taken down, folded and kept away till January.

One is expected to sit quietly, sing the anthem, sit some more and go away in a quiet dignified manner... things Hrit and Naisha are certainly not capable of. After being almost chased away the first year, last time we kept ourselves happy watching the flag hoisting of a neighbouring society from our balcony.

This time we decided to have a drawing contest for the kids. By the time we could convince the chairman to open the clubhouse for us (not possible, it's a holiday, it's illegal to open 'establishments' on National holidays... aaaarrrrgh.. you get the picture) it was too late to inform everyone and if each society member wasn't informed permission couldn't be given, so said the chairman. Finally, we gave up and decided to have it at home.

We wrote out the notices, rustled up some tricoloured badges, cleared up the living room and we were set.



So it was that at 11 O clock kids trooped in to draw "India". And what super fun it turned out to be.
The kids were excited as were the mums. Some even sent across small gifts and chocolates for the participants in honour of I-Day, some dropped in just to watch the kids and click pictures. Almost all said they'd thought of doing something for a long time but never got around to it.


The kids at work. Some shy ones refused to let me click their drawings, others, Naisha included, were only too happy to pose... and still others were oblivious to the cameras. They did come up with some great ideas.
The response was so heartening that we've grown ambitious and are planning a Children's Day do for which we'll start looking for permissions a month in advance. Even if it doesn't come through we know we can still have fun.

One last thing.. we rounded off the day with tricolour puris... take a look.



Edited to add: Linking this to Shruti's Artsy Craftsy Challenge .
 

 

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