The Peacock Feather

I woke up that day with tears in my eyes.

I dont know how I was going to spend the day when I woke up. That was the first time I was away from home on a festival day. It was Ganesh chathurthi, festival that we never would like to miss, festival of our beloved "Bojja Ganapati", lord of studies and lord against hurdles.

If I was at home I would have woke up early, get ready in a traditional dress, help my mom in either getting the pooja setup ready or in preparing the prashadh, fill up all my book pads with the traditional "pasupu kumkuma" (turmeric and saffron) believing that doing so helps us in studies, now and then going out of the house to watch the street mandap getting ready.

But that day I was in my hostel, miles away from home. I had an internal exam the next day which was a compulsory, I already bunked one leaving behind no more bunking options. I woke up early in the morning, didn't want to change the routine. My classmate called me up to visit her home for the pooja. So I thought I would atleast go there and so got ready. I went to her house, helped her like the way I would do at home and we performed the pooja soon.

I need to attend one more pooja later. I started from my friends home alone on my bicycle, confused with the way to reach, searched for some time and finally reached "Praja Vidyalayam".

Praja Vidyalayam or Peoples Public School (PPS) is a small school in a small slum in Kakinada. It was established by Mrs.Sushila in MadhuraNagar, Kakinada to provide the kids living in that slum with free education and other help. I was associated with that school for eight months then, visiting the school on every weekend with my friends helping them in whatever way I could.

The day before we had a great time in PPS. We split into different groups, with each one of us and a group of kinds in one group. Our task was to help the kids make their own ganesh idol. We aimed at eco friendly Ganesh Chathurthi. The kids got all the stuff needed to make idols, clay, coal, hay, water, etc. That was the first time I interacted much with Tejaswi, a kid from 3rd standard. I knew her from the very first time I went to that school but that was the first time I talked much with her.

Tejaswi told me that she likes me the best out of all our gang who visit the school. I thanked her but did'nt mind it much coz I thought that it is kids mentality to say I like you the best to whoever is there with them at that moment. I helped her and other kids with making Ganesh idols. Later the kids left for the day but our gang stayed back in the school to make the big idol for the school as a whole.

We divided the task of making the idol, sang songs throughout to cheer ourselves up and soon trunk, legs, hands, body, crown and head of our beloved Ganesha was ready. We gave the final finishing touches using turmeric, color papers, etc and left for the day hoping for a superb festival the next day.

By the time I reached PPS, the initial mantras of the pooja started. The idol looked much better than the prevoius day with flowers and leaves added up for more decoration. It reminded me of my childhood when once I made small Ganesh idol with clay and performed pooja to that idol on the terrace of my grandmas house. While I was thinking about that besides listening to the pooja, Tejaswi came up to me and took me aside.

She invited me to attend pooja at her house. Actually she was waiting for me to come so that she could take me home. I insisted in staying at school to continue with the pooja but she said that other "akkalu and annayalu" (sisters and brothers - that is how kids at PPS call our gang) were there to take care of pooja at school and asked me to go with her.

I left with Tejaswi to her home. It is few yards from PPS in a corner of the slum beside a small canal. We went through thin muddy lanes and shortcut paths to reach there. It was a cute home with a single room and veranda like most other homes in that area. In that small house, Tejaswi was staying with her mom, dad, youger brother, aunt, grandma and uncle.

Tejaswi's mom, aunt, grandma and brother were present at home and they welcomed me with a smile. After washing my legs, I went in to see in a corner of the bedroom cum living room a cute pink Ganesh placed on a small peeta (platform). So our efforts to make the festival eco friendly didn't reach all the parents in the area who were habituated in performing pooja to a colorful idol every year and were reluctant to change the routine. But still the idol made by Tejaswi was placed beside the colorful Ganesha.

Tejaswi's mom lighted a "diya"at the pooja place, placed few flowers at both the idols, lighted aarthi, ringing a small bell moved the aarthi up and down infront of the idol, placed the aarthi there, folded her hands, placed a spoonful of prashadh and offered it to the lord. Later everyone there followed the same process and asked me to do the same. After finishing the process, Tejaswi's mom distributed prashadh to all of us.

That was it, the pooja was finished. I didn't understand what exactly was finished. Coz back at home pooja comprises the beginning Ganesh mantra, initial mantras, mantras to welcome the lord, a story about the life of lord Ganesha and his attributes, a small song of Ganesha that kids usually will love and finally an aarthi song. We used to wait all the time for the pooja to end for the prashadh and to go to grandmas house. While pooja then was so simple yet its complete. Its complete with the devotion in all their hearts. None there know how to read all the mantras and story book of lord Ganesha but still they are the devotees with a very unique respect towards the lord.

I felt so happy for being there, sharing my joy with new yet intimate people, as a part of their family. I felt home at that moment of innocence, happiness, love and affection. I had my belly full of tasty prashadh that reminded me of the one my mom makes. What more could I expect from them. My heart, brain and belly were too full to expect more.

While I was about to leave thinking that was the best moment of my life, something better than the best happened. Tejaswi gifted me with a peacock feather she had been treasuring with her for many days. That might seem a small gift to many but a peacock feather from a kid like her was priceless.

I slept that day with tears in my eyes, tears of happiness, tears that made me feel so overwhelmed and special.

That peacock feather always reminds me of the best love I ever felt. My parents, sister, brother, family and friends love me a lot. But this is simply special, special in its own ways and I will always treasure the most priceless thing I ever had.

Sometimes I question myself - Is what I taught to the little girl, Tejaswi greater than what she taught me??

Some links related to PrajaVidyalayam:
http://www.mail-archive.com/tomakeadifference@yahoogroups.com/msg09861.html
http://batonrouge.aidindia.org/kakinadaproject.htm
http://batonrouge.aidindia.org/kakinada/index.htm

What counts more in life is what you do to others

Parivartana means a positive change. This is an apt name for the “Home for street children and child labor”. It is situated in a calm and quiet place of Kakinada (Pensioneers Paradise) in Andhra Pradhesh.
I feel lucky for having associated with the kids there. It is actually an orphanage but once one enters the home and associates with the kids staying there, one can understand what it really means. If I am asked to tell what it is, I say that it is a “Home for happiness”, home of peace, innocence, smiles and so on.

I got to visit the home once by chance and kids there are so affectionate, I visited it often on weekends, holidays, festivals and so on. I visited many such homes but Parivartana is unique. Kids there are guided towards their own goals with freedom to choose their own path and are trained in the fields they are interested in, without a trace of compulsion.
Besides providing the basic needs like food, shelter and clothes to the kids, the home also provides good education, encouragement and confidence to the kids. There are kids who study very well, sing well, paint well, etc. A pinch of love and smile is what I gave to the kids and loads and loads of love and smiles is what I got from them.

After a hectic week at college with lectures, seminars, projects and labs once when I enter the premises of Parivartana the smile and a big hai from the kids refreshes a lot. That smile is priceless and matters a lot. That smile reminds me the proverb, “What counts more in life is what you do to others”.

I wish that I will be able to associate with Parivartana though I am away from it and that Parivartana will be able to flourish to accommodate even more kids.