Kids return home for holidays!

PUNE, May 24: They were homeless till they found a home. For the orphans from Mamata Bal Sadan, Saswad, the orphanage was the only home t...

PUNE, May 24: They were homeless till they found a home. For the orphans from Mamata Bal Sadan, Saswad, the orphanage was the only home they knew since infancy. But then like other normal kids, going home for the holidays was a concept they were not familiar with.

So in stepped various Ganpati mandals in the city and decided to give them two days of unmitigated pleasure. It was all about getting a childhood with precious memories. The little bunch came to the city this morning, aged between five and and 10, armed with childhood wonder and dreams of a holiday at the mama8217;s house. For, the city had offered to be the favourite uncle8217;s house they would be visiting.

8220;But the point was not just about letting the kids have a good time,8221; said Anand Saraf, one of the organisers of the whole trip. Somewhere the idea was to give the kids an idea of family. Something that is taken for granted by most, but cherished by few.

So they arranged for that 8220;little bit more.8221; Something as simple as story telling sessions. And sessions from their numerous ajis and ajobas8230; the elderly gentry of the city, who were ready to add that little bit of affection that made the dullest of stories filled with wondrous magic. As they settled down after dinner, the kids would be tucked into bed and the stories would lull them to contended slumber.

All in the giant family. And the pleasures were numerous. Whether taking a ride on the friendly elephant or the swaying camel, it was all about having fun the way kids the world over have. Some of them even put on identities of Shivaji Maharaj8217;s warriors as their imagination ran wild with them on the brief but memorable horse ride.

But the day had other fun-filled activities too. The funny puppet show that told numerous tales from the country side and tit bits of history. And the magic show made the children roll over with pleasure and wonder. A quick lunch and they were off to see the sights that the city had to offer. Be it the animal land of Peshwe Park or the sanctified environs of Sarasbaug. It was a tour packaged with history and fun written all over it.

But the real credit for all the fun went to some good planning and coordination between the mandals from the city. The Jilbya Maruti Mandal, Seva Mitra Mandal, Rajiv Gandhi Credit Society, Natubaug Mandal and the Akhil Mandai Mandal were the spirit behind this excursion. They got together to make sure that the young ones would have a family to go to during their holidays.