Amar was the owner of the biggest sweet shop in town. Two days before Diwali, he called all his workers and said, “Day after tomorrow is Diwali and many customers have placed huge orders. So, we need to complete these orders and also make sweets for further sale. I’m sure we will be sold out before the festival begins.”
“Sir, we don’t have enough ingredients to deliver the orders,” said Govind, one of the workers.
“Hmm. But it’s too late to get more ingredients. Our suppliers will charge us much more than the usual rate,” said Amar.
He looked at his workers and said, “This should not be your concern. Dilute the milk by adding water to increase its quantity. Use all the old ingredients to make new sweets. Now get to work.”
“But sir, our sweets won’t taste as delicious as before and there’s a chance people will fall ill if, we use bad quality ingredients and dilute the milk,” said another worker.
“You all do as I say and don’t worry about quality. Just think of the profit we will earn and the big bonus I will give after Diwali,” said Amar, not listening to them.
Without saying anything more, the workers returned to the kitchen and began making the sweets. They worked overnight and filled the trays and boxes, completing old orders and making new sweets for sale. Once done, they left to go home.
As soon as they left, the king of sweets, Rasgulla, stood up in the tray. Dripping with water and milk, he stepped out and called for a meeting of all the sweets. Soan Papdi, Rasmalai, Rewari, Chandrakala, Batasha, Motichoor laddoo, Barfi, Gulab Jamun and Imarti hopped out of their trays and gathered around Rasgulla.
King Rasgulla said, “Tonight is going to be our last night here. Tomorrow we will be in different houses. Let’s celebrate before we are packed and sent off.”
Hearing him, all sweets rejoiced except Imarti.
“I know everyone is in a celebratory mood but our maker hasn’t used the best quality of ingredients to make us. I don’t feel healthy at all. Yet, he wants to sell us to small children who are unaware that we might not be good for them. I don’t look delicious also,” cried Imarti.
“This is true. I would have looked better if the milk and cream used to make me weren’t diluted. There’s another strange sticky ingredient in my body. I think it’s flour,” said Rasmalai, squiggling in the milk.
Rewari looked disturbed and said, “Amar puts too much sugar in me. I think I have got diabetes and will give diabetes to all those who eat me.” All the sweets laughed at Rewari’s statement.
“This is a serious situation. I feel sick, too. I think I’m going to get a heart attack any time and I’ve never felt so weak before,” cried Barfi.
Listening to all the sweets, King Rasgulla said, “This is a matter of great concern. If we are not healthy, then people eating us will get sick. They will not enjoy eating us and will throw us into the drain and in garbage dumps. That will be very insulting.”
“What should we do, King Rasgulla?” asked Motichoor laddoo.
“I think it’s time to revolt against this cheating. We should go to Amar right now and demand that he remakes us using only pure ingredients. Let’s go together and voice against this adulteration,” declared King Rasgulla.
“Yes, let’s revolt!” shouted Jalebi. All the sweets gathered and shouting slogans, walked towards Amar’s house at night.
“Unhealthy sweets, unhealthy people!”
“Don’t spoil our name for profit!”
“Pure is equal to sure!”
“Whoever makes adulterated sweets, will be doomed forever!”
“Long live pure sweets, down with Amar’s greed.”
Hearing these slogans, Amar woke up, sweating all over. “What a terrible nightmare! The sweets looked sick. What if someone comes to know that I used diluted ingredients? What if the sweets really revolt? What will happen to me!” he exclaimed.
The next morning, he gathered his workers and said, “Throw all the old adulterated sweets. We will only use pure ingredients to make our sweets. We have a responsibility towards the health and well-being of our customers.”
The workers were shocked to hear this but were happy at their boss’s decision. “What do you think made him change his mind?” whispered one worker to another.
“The sweets may have threatened him,” replied another worker and that made everyone laugh.
From that day onwards, Amar’s shop was known for making the best and purest sweets in town. And he was happy for making profits without cheating.
Neel’s exams were over and Diwali vacations had just begun. He and his friends would gather to play in the park everyday. After sunset, they all walked to Neel’s house to watch television together. They played video games for a while and finally bade goodbye to each other. The next day, they did the same and a week later, they were bored of this routine.
“We have so many holidays left! What else can we do?” asked Sahil, impatiently, one day.
“Let’s think of something fun. I’m bored of playing the same games,” agreed Neel.
Neel’s grandparents had just came back for lunch after closing their stationery shop and saw the children sitting quietly in the living room. “What’s the matter, Neel? Why are you and your friends looking so bored?” asked dadi.
“We have so many holidays before school begins. And we’re bored of watching television and playing video games.What else can we do in our free time? Dadi, do you have suggestions to make our holidays more exciting?” asked Neel.
“I may have a suggestion,” said dadaji.
“Please tell us,” said Rohan, his eyes sparkling
“Would you all like to learn to make lanterns? When we were kids, we used to make lanterns to decorate our homes for Diwali. I’ll teach you!” said dadaji.
“That’s a wonderful idea!” said Chinmay, his eyes twinkling like the lights of a lantern.
“And I shall teach you how to make greeting cards for Diwali,” said dadi.
“Dadi, can you also show us how to make diyas?” asked Dipti. “Of course! Let’s go back to our stationery shop and pick all the material we need to make these things,” said dadi.
After that, Neel’s friends would come every afternoon and make lanterns, greeting cards, and colourful diyas.
Neel’s grandparents helped them. Soon, Neel’s house was full of Diwali decorations and cards.
“What do we do with all these now?” asked Neel. “Take a lantern, greeting card and a diya for your homes. We can display the rest of the decorations at our stationery shop for sale. Till then, you all think of what you would like to do with the money we earn from selling them,” said dadi.
Neel’s friends excitedly helped dadi and dadaji display their diya decorations at the stationery shop. ‘Made with Love’ was their motto and in a few days, all items were sold out.
A day before Diwali, all of them went to Neel’s grandparents and said, “Tomorrow is Diwali. We would like to celebrate it with kids from the orphanage near our society. We will use the money to buy sweets, clothes and some crackers for them that we can burst together.”
“That’s a great idea! With this, we all will have a brighter Diwali!” said dadi.
Next day, Neel, his grandparents and all his friends went to the orphanage and spent a great and memorable Diwali together!
Halloween was round the corner, but instead of carving pumpkins and dressing up in their favourite costumes, and going house to house asking for chocolates, there was complete chaos at Sea View Housing Society where people had gathered in large numbers.
Police was patrolling the area. Inspector Piyush Bhosle, was being questioned by the media as he had discovered an alien today!
Inspector Piyush claimed that he had seen an alien in the jungle next to the Sea View Housing society.
The alien’s body was buried in the ground from the neck below and only his face was visible.
From a distance, Inspector Piyush said, it looked as if a helmet was covering the alien’s head and a mask covering its mouth and nose, which made him look fascinating.
The mask had something painted on it that Inspector Piyush said was not seen before. The police had closed the entire area and nobody was allowed to go close to the alien.
People were trying to get a glimpse of the alien from a distance and whispering among themselves. Inspector Piyush was being interviewd by a journalist from a local newspaper about this strange discovery.
Inspector Piyush answered his questions in a serious tone and explained about his investigation, “After last night’s thunder and lightning, a woman from Shyama Society noticed something unusual in the jungle and called me. I went to the spot she had said and to my surprise discovered an alien wearing a mask just like us.”
“It proves that the planet that the alien has come from has also been infected with the coronavirus or that the residents of that planet are aware of the crises on Earth. It is also possible that they know it can spread to their planet as well and hence they have taken the precaution of wearing a mask. Or
this alien brought the disease to our planet and is now caught.”
Inspector Piyush had informed his headquarters about the alien and a team of scientists were on their way to the town to verify it.
He was pleased about his achievement and had started dreaming of his name being published in the newspaper and getting a reward. After all, it was because of him that an alien had been caught.
To take the entire credit for the discovery he had sent the original witness away and also threatened her to keep her mouth shut.
Soon, the team of scientists arrived. Inspector Piyush took them to the site where the alien was buried. The team wore their protective gears before moving close to the alien. The police guns were all pointed towards the alien in the event of an attack.
One of the scientists lightly pushed the helmet with the help of a stick. The head of the alien rolled to the ground. The gathered crowd screamed with fear and started to run but the scientist was taken aback.
He took off his protective helmet and looked at Inspector Piyush with rage.
He bent down and picked up the alien head and angrily threw it at Inspector Piyush who screamed with fear and almost lost consciousness when he saw the alien head coming towards him.
The alien head hit Inspector Piyush on his head and he lost his balance.
His throat dried up as he looked closely at the alien head. He picked it up and was surprised to see it was a wooden head wearing a cloth mask.
First understanding and then being horrified at the blunder he had committed, he looked at the scientists and stuttered, “I am sorry, Sirs and Maams. Mrs Meena from Shyama Society said that she saw something odd and the moment I saw this head, I thought it was an alien. How would I have known what an alien looked like?”
In the mean-time, the news of the alien head had spread like wildfire.
A pair of siblings reached the spot with their dog to claim the wooden head with the mask. Ravi said, “Uncle, head is ours. We were preparing for the upcoming Halloween festival. I was supposed to be China, my sister India and this wooden head was coronavirus.”
“My sister had painted a flag on the mask but our dog Buzo sat on it so it looks eerie. We were playing at home with it and Buzo was not pleased by it. He grabbed the head in his mouth and ran away. Buzo returned after a long time and the head was missing when he came back. I want to thank you for finding our head. Can we please take it with us?”
Grinding his teeth, Inspector Piyush gave them the head.
As he saw them leaving with it, he could see his fortune leaving with them. He started preparing himself for the huge scolding that he was about to receive instead of the reward that he had imagined. This was his worst Halloween.
Ojas and his friends were wondering about their Dusshera celebrations this year. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it had become difficult to even move out of their houses.
Physical distancing did not allow huge gatherings and so it was impossible to build the Ravan effigy, which they normally built and burnt every year on Dusshera.
“I cannot think of any way we can build the effigy this year? Do you guys have any suggestions?” Ojas asked his friends over a video call.
“We cannot just sit at home during the festival; we have always celebrated it with great pomp and show,” said Saavan.
“Saavan is right; we have to think of a way to celebrate the festival while following all precautions of wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance from each other,” Chandan added.
“But how will we make the Ravan effigy? It takes at least two to three days to do that. We can’t possibly meet and build it. We have to think of something else,” said Saavan.
“Let us all think about it and discuss in the evening,” Ojas suggested and disconnected the video call.
Ojas was still thinking about it when his grandfather saw him looking worried. He asked, “What is it, Ojas? What is bothering you?”
“Nothing Grandpa. I am just lost in my thoughts,” said Ojas.
“Oh Ojas! I know when you are lost in your thoughts and troubled,” Grandpa insisted.
“I was just wondering how we can celebrate Dusshera this year, Grandpa. The Dusshera fair has also been cancelled due to the coronavirus,” Ojas said sadly.
“Let’s think, Ojas. Festivals are meant to be happy events, not sad ones. Dusshera can be a very special and unique experience this year given the circumstances,” Grandpa consoled.
“Special? How so, Grandpa?” asked Ojas.
“By making people understand that the coronavirus is the evil of these times and we have to be ready to fight it and overcome it. We have to also prepare those who are not yet ready,” Grandpa explained.
“We are prepared, Grandpa. My friends and I make sure that we wash our hands regularly; we leave our houses only when it is absolutely necessary and we always wear a mask outside the house. Also, we use the sanitiser at all times,” Ojas said proudly.
“That is wonderful, but I believe a lot of people are still unable to understand the significance of these rules. You can still notice small children, adults and the elderly without face masks. You see educated people eating near food stalls without their masks and not maintaining a social distance.”
“People are still spitting on roads and some believe there is no virus at all. We can educate them and distribute face masks, soaps and sanitisers to these people. And also put up posters about how to prevent the spread of coronavirus,” Grandpa explained.
“That’s an excellent idea, Grandpa!
The money we would have spent on building an effigy of Ravan can be used to buy these products. Let me present this idea to my friends and make this a memorable Dusshera for all of us,” Ojas said excitedly.
“But, do make sure that you take good care of yourself and your friends. Here, take some money,” said Grandpa.
“Thanks a lot, Grandpa,” Ojas said.
Ojas was extremely happy with the idea and he called his friends and explained Grandpa’s idea to all of them.
“Let us withdraw some money out of our piggy banks and buy these essential products. Later we can go and distribute them to the residents. We can also educate them on how they can prevent getting infected by wearing a face mask and by washing their hands regularly,” Ojas further explained.
All his friends immediately agreed. They decided to meet on the day of Dusshera.
Ojas disconnected the call and counted the money in his piggy bank. His friends did the same.
They all bought face masks, soaps and sanitisers with the money they had collected.
They then put a small table outside their colony and spoke to various people about the benefits of using face masks and maintaining hygiene to prevent the spread of the virus.
They put up posters explaining the concept of maintaining a social distance and not spitting on the streets as well as of not eating in crowded places together.
Spreading happiness on the day of Dusshera was a beautiful experience for Ojas and his friends.
It made them confident that they would now be able to conquer the evil of the coronavirus together.
They walked back happily to their respective houses after the distribution.
Danny deer, Meeku rabbit, Gogo giraffe and Jumpy monkey were close friends.
This year, for the Dussehra Mela they had each got `50 from their parents and the four friends were excited about going to the fair. Today was the last day of the fair when Ram kills Ravan.
On the Ramlila ground, tall puppets of Ravan, Kumbhakarna and Meghnad were built on one side. On the other side of the ground, the stage was set where the Ramlila play was taking place. As soon as Ram took out an arrow and shot Ravan with it, all the three puppets were on fire.
After seeing them burn, the four friends went to visit the various stalls. The fair looked lively with decorated sweet, toy, and flower and pottery shops. There were many swings for children to ride on and there was a balloon shooting counter. There were huge cut-outs of heroes and heroines, which anyone could take a photograph with. There was a long queue for the same.
There were chat-pakodi, golgappa, lassi and peppery chowmein stalls, where everyone was eating delicious food.
Some small shopkeepers were selling their goods on the streets by displaying them on bedsheets.
At the fair, Meeku, Gogo and Jumpy were craving to eat the mouth-watering food items.
Meeku enjoyed hot gajar halwa, Gogo had golgappas and Jumpy who was fond of bananas, ate a lot of them.
However, Danny was not interested in food. His eyes were searching for something, but he could not find it.
Meeku, Gogo and Jumpy took a ride on the giant Ferris Wheel. Meeku then bought Ravan’s gleaming sword. Gogo bought Ram’s bow and arrow and Jumpy bought Hanuman’s mace.
“Hey, Danny! Why aren’t you buying anything? Do you intend to save all the money and take it back home?” said Meeku, holding the sword on his shoulder.
Gogo and Jumpy laughed at this. Gogo held the bow on his left hand and arrow in the right hand like Ram. He felt as if he was Ram. Holding the mace on his shoulder, Jumpy felt no less than Hanuman.
Danny could still not find anything for himself. Then he saw Blacky bear, selling clay flowerpots. Blacky was waiting for customers.
As Danny saw the flowerpots, he remembered the day when Environment Day was celebrated at school.
Forest Officer, Jeetu cheetah had visited school as Chief Guest, and had explained, “Dear children, trees give us oxygen to breathe. They provide us with fresh fruits and medicines to stay healthy. Trees are essential to life. But, the biggest enemy of the environment, like the demon king Ravan, is air pollution, which can be defeated only by planting more trees.”
As he remembered the Forest Officer’s words, Danny thought that the true meaning of Dusshera is to fight various evils in the form of Ravan. He thought of fighting the demon ‘air pollution’ by growing plants and trees.
He went to Blacky and asked, “Uncle, how much for a flowerpot?”
“Son, a flowerpot costs `30.”
After bargaining for a while, Danny bought two pots for `50.
The flowerpots were so heavy that Danny could not carry them in his hands. So he held both on his shoulders.
Seeing this, Meeku took out his gleaming sword from its sheath and said, “Danny, are flowerpots to be bought from a fair? Look at my sword. It can cut off the enemy’s neck in a single blow.”
Saying this, Meeku started brandishing his sword in the air. Danny stepped back in fear. But as Meeku twirled the fake sword vigorously, its fragile handle broke away, leaving the blade apart.
Meeku was disappointed. He had no other option but to put the broken sword back into its sheath.
Seeing this, Gogo said, “Meeku’s sword is fake. Look at my bow and arrow. These are real. One single arrow is enough to destroy the enemy!”
Gogo then pulled the bowstring to shoot the arrow. But as soon as he pulled the bowstring, it broke. Poor Gogo was embarrassed and started tying both ends of the broken string.
It was now Jumpy’s turn to show off. Twirling his mace, he said, “Danny, look at my mace. If I hit your flowerpots with it, they will break into pieces.”
Danny was scared as he knew Jumpy was very naughty. He held on to the flowerpots even more firmly.
Jumpy hit Danny’s flowerpots hard with his mace, but to everyone’s surprise, Danny’s flowerpots remained intact and the mace quashed!
It was disappointing for Jumpy to see his mace in such a state. He started fixing his dented mace. After this incident, Meeku, Gogo and Jumpy walked back home quietly. There was no point in boasting, as each one’s weapon had broken, whereas Danny was walking proudly with his flowerpots.
When Danny reached home, his mother asked, “Why did you bring these flowerpots? You had gone to the fair to eat and have fun.”
“Mummy, you prepare such delicious food that in its comparison, I found all the food dishes and drinks at the fair tasteless. This is why I did not eat anything. Now I am hungry. Is dinner ready?”
Danny’s mother hugged him and laid out the dinner.
The next day, Danny planted saplings in both the flowerpots and took utmost care of them. Within a few weeks, both the plants grew taller. One day Meeku, Gogo and Jumpy visited Danny’s house. He showed them the green plants in the flowerpots and they were amazed to see them. They could not stop themselves from taking selfies with the lush green plants.
Now Meeku, Gogo and Jumpy decided that they too will save their pocket money like Danny and buy flowerpots and grow plants in their homes. These plants would not only last longer but they will also help in keeping the environment clean and help in fighting the Ravan of ‘air pollution’.
King Rudranath’s was sitting in his palace when two men entered, quarrelling with each other and stood before the King and bowed.
“Who are you and what is your problem?” he asked.
“I am Nathu and this man Meshu is my neighbour.’’
“This morning, when I was feeding my chickens outside my house, Meshu was eyeing them from the other side. Our houses just have a wall between them. Then he said something about feeling hungry.
I did not pay attention to his words. But to my horror, in the afternoon, I found one of my chickens that has a limp, missing.”
At first, I didn’t suspect Meshu, but later when I thought what he said in the morning, I realised Meshu had stolen my chicken and had eaten it for lunch. I want justice, my King! It pains me to hurt Meshu but the guilty should be punished.”
Saying this Nathu bowed once again.
The King looked at Meshu and asked sternly, “Did you steal his chicken?”
Shaking his head, Meshu pleaded, “No. No. I am not a thief, Your Majesty. I didn’t steal his chicken.”
“Believe me, Majesty. Nathu is lying,” cried Meshu.
Trying to corner Meshu, the King asked, “But didn’t you mention that you were feeling hungry when you saw his chickens?”
Meshu again shook his head helplessly and said, “No, Sir, you have it all wrong. Please let me explain…”
Nathu grew angrier and said, “Please don’t listen to him. He is nothing but a thief and a liar. Punish him, Your Majesty or else he will only end up fooling you with his smart talk.”
Prime Minister Shabir who had been silent up till now, suggested, “Maybe we should send someone to Meshu’s house to see if a chicken was eaten for lunch. There will be feathers and bones in his house if he stole and ate it.”
Nathu glared and said, “No use. I went to his house and searched well. Meshu was very intelligent and cleared all evidence.”
Meshu pleaded with tears in his eyes, “Sir, I am a poor man and I haven’t stolen anything from anyone. Moreover, I…”
Before he could say anything further, the King said harshly, “Enough. This is what all the guilty say. I, hereby order my men to throw you in jail.”
“No… but… I am not a thief… please listen…” Meshu cried, horrified.
Pleased, Nathu whispered to Meshu “Serves you right.” And then he went
his way.
However, Prime Minister Shabir felt something was wrong. He thought, “This is not right. The King should have ordered further investigation instead of simply believing Nathu’s words. What if Meshu is innocent? The King would have then done injustice.”
Later that evening, the King and the Prime Minister were strolling in the Royal Gardens. A little further, the King spotted a chicken that was limping.
“From where did this chicken come in my garden?” the King asked, surprised.
“It must have strayed into the garden, Your Majesty,” said Prime Minister Shabir.
Looking at it, the King said, “I am feeling hungry.”
“Be careful of what you say lest this chicken goes missing. Nathu might
accuse you tomorrow of stealing and eating it. Jail life is not what Your Majesty is used to if I might say,” Prime Minister Shabir said.
“What are you babbling? Have you taken leave of your senses? You know, I am a vegetarian. It was by chance that I said that I was hungry while looking at it. After all, it is nearing dinner time. And what has Nathu and jail got to do with it?” the King asked, annoyed.
“The same thing happened this afternoon with Meshu. It was by chance he said that he was hungry while looking at the chickens. After all, it was afternoon and nearly lunch time. I sent someone to his house and found out that he and his wife are vegetarians. Nathu accused Meshu to jail him. As you can see, this chicken is limping. I am sure it is Nathu’s chicken. I will ask one of our men to find out.”
Just then, a woman came running.
She bowed and said, “Oh King, someone mentioned that they had seen a limping chicken wandering here. It has been missing since morning. Is it here?”
She then spotted and grabbed it.
“Who are you?” The King asked curiously.
“I am Nathu’s wife. Now, may I please go?”
“Yes, you may,” said the King.
The Prime Minister said, “See, it is all clear. Nathu’s wife was not aware of her husband accusing Meshu, or else she wouldn’t have come here.”
“Then why didn’t Meshu tell that he was a vegetarian?” The King asked, puzzled.
“He tried to, but you didn’t let him speak. You punished him, simply by believing Nathu’s words. An innocent man is now in jail. Do pardon me for saying this,” said Prime Minister Shabir.
The King realised his mistake.
“I have committed a big blunder,” he said, “Poor Meshu. I shouldn’t have passed a judgment without a proper enquiry. Had it not been for you, an innocent man would have suffered and a guilty man would have gone unpunished.”
Then the King ordered, “Prime Minister, have Meshu released immediately and give him a gold coin to compensate for his troubles today. And make that Nathu do community service for a year.”
Needless to say, never again did the King act hastily.
In the city of Karnal, Haryana, a couple held the hand of their little girl and went to the Principal’s Office of Tagore Bal Niketan. They had come for their daughter’s admission.
In the office, the Principal asked, “What’s the name of the child’s father?”
“Madam, my name is Banarasi Lal Chawla.”
Then he pointed to his wife and said, “This is Sanjyoti, her mother.”
The Principal looked at the child and asked her affectionately, “What’s your name, dear?”
“Manto,” she said.
“But that’s your nickname, isn’t it? What name should we use at school?”
The girl’s mother said, “Madam, we’ve thought of three to four names. But we haven’t decided yet which one to keep.”
She told her the names they had thought of.
When she heard the names, Manto said at once, “Kalpana. Keep that name. I like it!”
“But why do you like the name Kalpana?” asked the Principal, with a smile.
“Because ‘Kalpana’ means imagination. And I like to imagine and dream,”
said Manto.
The name Kalpana was thus entered in the school register.
“What’s Kalpana’s date of birth?” asked the Principal.
The husband and the wife stared at each other for a while and said slowly, “July 1, 1961.”
However, they knew that her real date of birth was March 17, 1962. But if they told her real date of birth, she would not get admission in the school. She was a year younger than the cut-off date for admission. Kalpana’s parents wanted their daughter to be admitted to this school because it was close to their house.
Manto was the youngest amongst their four children but she was quite smart
and they thought she should attend school immediately.
The admission process went smoothly and soon Kalpana started going to school. She was good at studies and began excelling in class.
One day, Kalpana returned home from school and said, “Mother, today all the children in school drew the map of India on the floor and painted it. It was a project, and everyone took part in it.”
“Then you must have taken part in it too!” said her Mom.
“No, I didn’t like that! I decorated the ceiling of the classroom with black
chart papers, put bright dots on it, and made it look like the night sky with countless stars—the outer space!”
Her mother knew that Kalpana was interested in space. She often saw Kalpana lie down under the open sky and stare at the stars for hours.
Time passed, and Kalpana reached class 10. It was the Mathematics period.
While explaining the null-set concept in algebra, the teacher said, “A null set is
also referred to as the empty set. It is the set that contains no elements. For example, suppose we have to find the set of all senior citizens who are less than five years old. Clearly, there are no senior citizens under five and a person has to be much older than five to be considered a senior citizen. Thus it is a null set or an empty set. Let me give you another example to explain it clearly. Indian women astronauts are a great example of a null set. That’s because not a single Indian woman astronaut has gone into space.”
Kalpana, who was sitting in the classroom, slowly said, “Maybe in a few years someone will, and then it will no longer be an example of a null set.”
The other students looked at her in surprise. But what she said was perhaps going to become true.
Soon, it was time for her to take admission in a college. Everyone was wondering what subject they should take up.
“I will pursue engineering,” announced Kalpana at home.
“No, no. You should become a doctor or a teacher. That’s more suitable for girls,” said her father.
Her mother was also of the same opinion, but Kalpana did not budge. She insisted and finally her parents gave in and Kalpana took admission in Chandigarh Engineering College.
When she chose to pursue the aeronautical branch of engineering, her teachers said, “This branch is not for girls. There won’t be any girl in your class. You’ll have to study alone.”
“I don’t care,” said Kalpana. “I’ll study alone if I have to.”
With determination, Kalpana continued her education. She proved to her family and society that a girl could become an aeronautical engineer. After engineering, Kalpana wanted to study further. No one could stop her from going ahead. She kept going until she reached outer space.
Because she was Kalpana Chawla—the first Indian woman to travel to outer space. Born in the small town of Karnal, she dared to dream and reached great heights.
After completing aeronautical engineering in 1982, she went to the United States. She completed her degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas in 1984. In 1988, she got selected by NASA, and in 1995, she was selected to travel into space. She left for space on November 19, 1997, on the STS-87 Columbia Shuttle. She spent 372 hours in outer space and returned to Earth on December 5, 1997.
She left for space for the second time on January 16, 2003, in the Space Shuttle Columbia. It was a 16-day project. With her six companions, Kalpana Chawla stayed in outer space, carried out research, and gathered information. Unfortunately, on February 1, 2003, before landing, the Columbia space shuttle malfunctioned and crashed over Texas, and Kalpana along with her six companions lost their lives.
Although Kalpana Chawla is no longer with us today, she pursued her dream and proved that girls of India are no less than others. With willpower and due diligence, dreams can be fulfilled.
She always said that she was made to go into space and that she would die in space too. She completed her mission and bid farewell to the world. And since then, a new star shines brightly in the sky.
Priyanshi was helping her Grandmother in cleaning the house.
They had started early in the morning and by late afternoon, everything was dusted and old newspapers were collected and neatly stacked.
While dusting Grandma’s diary, Priyanshi found a few old envelopes. She tried reading what was written on them, but the writing had faded over the years.
“What are you reading, Priyanshi?” asked Grandma seeing the envelopes in her hand.
“Look, Grandma, what I found! These were in your old diary. Something is written on them, but the writing is not clear enough to read. What are these, Grandma?” Priyanshi asked showing Grandma the envelopes.
“Oh, so you are reading my letters?” asked Grandma.
“Letters? What are they, Grandma?” Priyanshi said, surprised.
“These are my letters that my friend Indu wrote to me. They are from days before mobile phones, SMS’s, WhatsApp and Facebook came into this world. We really enjoyed writing, sending and receiving letters! We used to wait eagerly for letters. What days those were!” said Grandma remembering the old days.
“So Grandma, you used letters to communicate?” asked Priyanshi.
“Yes, dear. In those days, letters were the only means to communicate. The envelopes that you have in your hand are called ‘inland letters’. Letters were written on them. When Indu and I got married, we moved to different cities. We could talk over phone, but it was very expensive. Letters were the only way to communicate with each other. Our letters were full of love, details about our daily lives, and our emotions and feelings. Tears flowed from our eyes when we read letters,” Grandma said, wiping her moist eyes.
“Grandma, I don’t like to see you cry,” said Priyanshi wiping her tears.
“I am not really crying. My eyes have become watery remembering those old days. You children are lucky that you can easily talk on social media and emails, and also through phone calls,” said Grandma.
“Yes, that’s right, Grandma. But is it wrong to communicate through them?” asked Priyanshi.
“No. there is nothing wrong. But one should not be glued to them the whole day. During our time, we had to wait for weeks to get a letter and the joy of waiting was something else. Now people cannot wait even a minute. That waiting taught us patience,” explained Grandma.
“Yes, that is true. Even before Papa reaches office Mummy phones him four times to ask if he has reached or not,” Priyanshi said smiling.
“Ho-ho-ho! In our time, sometimes letters reached us after months. Once, your Grandpa was posted in Kashmir and I received his letter after six months. By that time he had already come home,” Grandma said laughing.
“Then the days of letters were very slow. Modern days are fast. Things happen now instantly. These days are the best and today’s means of communication are better,” said Priyanshi.
“My dear, every era is better than its previous times. In ancient times letters were sent through pigeons. In our times the postman brought the letters. Our hearts danced with joy when we saw the postman at the door.”
“Grandma, tell me one thing. How do the letters reach their correct destination?” asked Priyanshi.
“Through the magic of the PIN code,” Grandma said.
“What is that, Grandma?” asked Priyanshi.
“My dear, PIN code stands for Postal Index Number. In India, it is a special number of six digits. For instance, the Pincode of our Bhiwani Post Office is 262572. Its first digit 2 indicates Northern Region and 26 indicate our state Haryana, the third digit 2 is for our city and the rest three digits denote our post office. So, the letters easily reach the designated post offices,” Grandma explained.
“I didn’t know that, Grandma. So all post offices have a unique 3 digit number,” said Priyanshi.
Yes. There are in total 155,015 post offices in India.
“PIN Code truly is a magic number,” said Priyanshi.
“Like instant messaging is magic for us,” Grandma laughed and said.
“Grandma, will you teach me how to write letters?” said Priyanshi.
“Yes, sure. But on one condition,” said Grandma.
“What condition?”
“The condition being when you go back home, you will write letters to me,” said Grandma.
“Of course, Grandma. That is why I want to learn to write letters. But you will send me the first letter.”
“Alright dear! Firstly, letters should be written in a legible writing so that the receiver can read them easily. The language should be simple. We may express our feelings in detail in letters. They help us stay connected emotionally. I’ll write a letter and show you, how to do it,” said Grandma.
After a few days, Priyanshi returned home. One day while she was sitting in the balcony, the doorbell rang. Priyanshi opened the door and saw a postman standing outside. He handed her a letter that had her name written on it. She jumped with joy at seeing the letter.
She started running around the house with the letter and shouted “A letter has come…. A letter has come.”
After reading the letter, she wrote back to Grandma and ever since they continued exchanging letters.
Dhangarh was a small village in the south. On the outskirts of the village, there lived a farmer with his daughter Dhanni.
The farmer was very poor. He managed to live somehow, working hard on little plot of land he had. In spite of this, he never allowed any hungry person to go away hungry.
One evening a fun looking person came to their hut and asked for something to eat. Dhanni and her father had very little food with them. But Dhanni got the man inside the house and gave him her food. Then they felt that the man was still hungry. So Dhanni’s father gave him his food as well.
It was late in the evening man. Dhanni insisted that the man spend the night in their house. And so, he slept in the hut.
Late into the night, the man heard some sound and opened his eyes. He heard Dhanni’s father telling his daughter to try sleeping and consoled her by saying that he would get some food to eat, as soon as it was morning. Dhanni could not sleep because of hunger. But she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep.
The man now realized that they had given him their own food. Dhanni and her father were hungry because there was nothing to eat in the house. He felt pity for them and decided to do something for them. He looked around but because of their poverty, he found nothing other than a small cloth that served as a curtain on their small window.
Dhanni and her father did not know that the man was a magician. He filled the curtain with special power and said the curtain would solve their problems if any difficulty or need came. But it would do so, only if they said something good after what they asked.
He then went to sleep. The next day he got up very early and went away. When Dhanni and her father got up, they did not find the man. After they finished their morning chores they were hungry.
Dhanni said, “Come, Baba, let us go to the field and search for something to eat.”
“Let us go to find food for you and all the others who come to the house,” her father said.
Hearing this, the curtain presented before them good tasty food.
Dhanni and her father were very amazed, at first. But because of their hunger, they quietly ate the food.
Now, whenever they needed something they wished it and said good things after it, their wishes were fulfilled. They understood that this was due to the blessings of the man. Even after getting all their wishes fulfilled so easily, Dhanni and her father were not greedy and did not stop doing hard labour. They did not take advantage of the powers of the curtain.
Slowly the news that Dhanni and her father had a miraculous curtain that gave them whatever they wanted, spread in the whole village.
This news also reached the robber Shakti. He became greedy and decided to steal the curtain from them and get all his wishes fulfilled.
So, one night he came with his band of robbers to the Dhanni’s and forcefully took the curtain from them. Dhanni and her father could not do anything. Once again,they depended on their hard labour to help themselves and others.
Now at his den, robber Shakti asked the curtain to bring and give a lot of gold. But he did not say anything good, as was ordered by the man. So, the curtain did not fulfil Shakti’s wish.
He made his demand a few times and still when his wish wasn’t fulfilled, he became angry. He moved forward and took out his sword with the intention of tearing the curtain into pieces. The curtain wrapped it around Shakti choking. Seeing this, the other robbers got frightened and pleaded it to go away from them.
The curtain came back to Dhanni’s house. Dhanni and her father were happy to see the curtain in their house again. They started helping needy and poor people with its help, and also continued with their hard labour.
Shantivan, was a beautiful forest. All the birds and animals lived peacefully and followed the law of the jungle.
One day, Fullu fox from Rock hills came to Shantivan. He had lost his way while hunting and unknowingly entered Shantivan.
Gillan giraffe, on seeing Fullu asked him, “Who are you and where have you come from?”
“I am Fullu fox, from the faraway Rock hills. I lost my way while hunting and,
I am exhausted and hungry,” cried Fullu fox.
“Oh, please don’t cry! You have come to one of the best forests. We are famous for our love and kindness,” said Gillan giraffe, consoling Fullu fox.
Gillan took Fullu to the animal colony. From his conversation with Gillan, Fullu realized innocent animals and birds lived here. He thought that he would be able to fool them and eat good food without any struggle. Gillan wasn’t aware that he was taking a cheater with him.
Seeing Fullu, little rabbits and monkeys got scared and hid behind their parents. Doves and parrots also screeched. Hearing the chaos, Sambhu elephant, Mottu monkey, Bunny bear and Nicy peacock, the elders of the forest, came out.
“Please meet, Fullu fox. He lost his way from Rock Hill and reached our forest. He is hungry and exhausted. He won’t do us any harm. Let us welcome him as our guest, for a few days,” said Gillan.
Seeing everyone, Fullu started sobbing for gaining their sympathy.
“We respect Gillan’s decision. Fullu will stay as our guest till he wishes,” agreed Sambhu elephant.
Bunny bear’s little son Teddy, welcomed Fullu with a jar of sweet honey. Nicy peacock put a garland around Fullu. Sweety deer and Rinki rabbit gave him lots of fruits and nuts. While drinking the sweet honey, Fullu looked greedily at all the fat rabbits and deers.
All the animals and birds then returned to work. Fullu sat under the big banyan tree and thought for a long time. Finally, he got an idea.
He walked to Sambhu elephant and said, “Sir, you are really powerful and strong. You look like a king. Yet, nobody respects you. I feel sad. Gillan giraffe is trying to show off, by making all the decisions on his own!”
Sambhu sat silently, even though, he was shocked to hear Fullu.
Fullu then went to Bunny bear, Mottu monkey and Nicy peacock and repeated the same sentence, creating confusion and disturbing thoughts in all of them.
Sambhu elephant walked to the bamboos and sat alone. Bunny bear sat on the topmost branch of the big banyan tree. Mottu monkey sat silently, on the river bank. Nicy peacock walked by himself in the green meadow.
Fullu also spread rumours amongst other animals, that there would soon be a fight amongst the elders which would cause danger to the life of small animals. He wanted the smaller animals to hide in the faraway dens of Rock hills. Where he would easily hunt them.
Fullu then, sat on the large roots of the jackfruit tree and laughed. He was confident his trick which would disturb the peaceful life of all the animals, and spread fear and hatred amongst them. He said to himself, “Well done, Fullu! You are great. You can enjoy good fights and delicious food now.”
But suddenly, all the animals surrounded him. Birds sat on the lowest branch of the jackfruit tree waiting to keep a watch if he ran. By then, Sambhu, Mottu, Bunny and Nicy reached the place.
Fullu started shivering fearing for his life. Sambhu elephant asked everyone to remain calm. He walked to Fullu and picking him with his strong trunk said, “How dare you try to cheat us?”
“Please forgive me, sir. I thought all of you would fight for becoming king. I never expected such a strong unity amongst all of you. I wanted to break the peaceful united life of Shantivan as I was jealous of your happy life.”
“Then, why did you ask our little animals to hide in the rock hills?” asked Bunny bear sternly.
“I wanted to trap them in my area so that I could enjoy tasty meat daily with my family and friends. I could also have become a Chief of Rock hills,” said Fullu fox owning up.
Scratching his head, Mottu monkey laughed and said, “Ha-ha, cheater Fullu!
Gillan giraffe had a soft corner for you and brought you to this colony. We considered you as our beloved guest. This showed our generosity and not our weakness. How could you feel that your rumour would split us apart? Regardless of our type, size, eating habits, colour and gender, we live together by respecting the law of nature and the law of the jungle. Unity in diversity is our strength.”
Nicy peacock asked the audience, “What should we do with Fullu now? Should Sambhu kick him out of our jungle with his heavy foot, or should all of us beat him to pulp?”
“I am sorry. Pardon me, please. I will never repeat such betrayal acts in my life,” cried Fullu fox helplessly.
Gillan giraffe suddenly intervened, “We have already shown him our strength. He has learnt a lesson for life. Let us now give Fullu fox a grand farewell. Let Damru sing for our guest.”
Damru donkey came forward happily as he got an opportunity to sing officially. Animals and birds whistled loudly and started running away quickly. Sambhu elephant controlled his laughter and ordered Fullu to enjoy Damru’s song for half an hour. Bunny bear warned Fullu that he would be watching him from the top of the tree.
Damru donkey stood near Fullu and started his horrible song “Brey-brey,
he say.”
The helpless Fullu fox said to himself in tears, “It would have been much better if Sambhu elephant had kicked me off!”
Every year kabaddi matches were played between Ashokvan and Nandanvan. And like every year Ashokvan defeated their rivals because of their captain, Lara langur and his team.
Everyone was congratulating Lara and presenting him with gifts and flowers. Pistu monkey gave Lara a bouquet of beautiful white roses.
“What an excellent captain you are, sir! I have never seen such a set of skills. May I take a selfie with you?” asked Pistu as he gave the flowers to Lara.
“Yes, yes, Why not! But I did not recognize you,” said Lara.
“I am Pistu and a big fan of yours. I have come all the way from Paragvan to see your game. You are very agile and nimble-footed and you have magical control on your breath. You managed to out, all the players from the other team,” Pistu said praising Lara.
“All this is possible because of yoga and control of breath,” Lara said shyly. After taking the selfie, Pistu took Lara’s phone number and went away.
Next year, once again, it was time for the kabaddi match. Lara called his team and started the training. This time, there were two new players in his team of seven players.
He was explaining the rules to the new members. “The kabaddi court’s length is 13 meters and breadth 10 meters. The match is divided into two halves of 20 minutes each. After the first half, the teams change their sides. In this game, control of your breath and agility, are very important. You have to go into the other team’s side and try to make as many players ‘out’ as you can, without losing your breath” etc.
Just then, Pistu arrived there. “Hello sir, how come you have started preparing so early?” he asked.
“We have to start early if we want to win. How come you are in Ashokvan and how come you remembered me?” asked Lara.
“My friend, I never forgot you. You have been on my mind every day. I have come to take you to Paragvan. I want to invite you for my birthday which is just after two days.”
“Forgive me, my friend, it won’t be possible for me to go anywhere now. I have to train my team,” said Lara.
“What kind of friend are you? You call me your friend and at the same time, you break my heart as well! I have come from so far to personally invite you to my birthday party and you refuse to come. It is a question of only two days. After that, you can do as much practice as you wish.” Pistu forced so much, that Lara went to Paragvan with him.
Lara helped Pistu prepare for the party and in the meantime, ate well. He ate delicious cakes, sweets and delicacies. He knew this kind of food was not good for him, but Pistu pressed him so much, that he could not refuse.
On the fourth day, Pistu planned a picnic. Lara didn’t want to go, but Pistu again forced him. Pistu’s homemade food was delicious. Lara enjoyed it and even went for a second helping.
Lara was tired when he came back from the picnic. But Pistu kept talking to him till the night had settled in.
Next morning, Lara got up late. He was tired and so, he could not return to Ashokvan. In the evening, Pistu’s aunt came to meet them and invited them to her house to eat chhole-bhature.
“No Pistu, I am a sports player. I have to eat healthy food to be fit and active. I have already eaten too much,” saying this, Lara declined the invitation.
“But there is no harm in homemade food. My aunt makes the best chhole-bhature in the whole world,” said Pistu. And Lara postponed his departure because they were going to Pistu’s aunt’s house. The bhaturas were really very tasty and Lara ate a lot that day too.
The next day when Lara was returning to Ashokvan, Pistu again told him, “There is a very beautiful waterfall just a little distance from here. I’ve been wanting to go and visit the place. But, it is no fun going alone. Now that you are here why don’t we go together?”
“No, friend. You know that the kabaddi match will be held soon. I haven’t done any practice and I haven’t even trained my team. Two of the players from my team are new and they need to be given extra coaching. I should leave now,” said Lara.
“Why do you need any practice? No one can defeat you. You just need to take a deep breath and go to the other side, and defeat everyone,” said Pistu.
Lara was filled with Pistu’s praises. He had never eaten such tasty food which Pistu was feeding him and he was enjoying every bit of his stay there. So, he agreed to remain there for a few more days.
After visiting the waterfall and the springs, Pistu took him to eat pizza and noodles. While they were eating noodles Pistu asked Lara, “My friend, have you ever seen a 3-D movie?”
“No. I have heard that we have to see it wearing special glasses. But I have never seen one,” Lara replied.
“It is very lively, interesting and enjoyable. It almost feels like the actors have come out of the screen and are right on us. There is a cartoon film being screened now. We can go and watch it tomorrow,” said Pistu.
Lara could not resist the temptation of watching a 3-D cartoon film. During the film, Pistu offered him samosas and cold drinks.
This way, by eating and drinking, visiting places and enjoying life, Lara spent a many days in Paragvana.
When Lara returned to Ashokvan, there was rarely any time left for the match. Before leaving, he thanked Pistu for such an enjoyable stay and his excellent hospitality. He invited him to visit Ashokvan.
“Yes, surely. But first, I will come to Nandanvan to see your match. And then we will go to Ashokvan together to celebrate your victory,” Pistu promised.
On the day of the match, Lara’s team did not play well due to lack of practice. Lara was quite confident that like always he will defeat all of the others. But because he had been eating a lot of food and due to lack of exercise, he had gained weight. He was unable to run fast and soon became breathless.
With great effort he managed to tap every opponent player. But when he was returning to his side, they caught hold of him and pinned him down. He lost his breath and his team lost the match.
Lara felt terrible on losing the match. Then, he was just amazed to see the captain of the Nandanvan team, Mastu monkey, hug Pistu and look very happy.
“What are you looking at us for? Mastu is my brother. It was because he had asked me that I took such good care of you,” Pistu said smiling.
“So, all this was your trick to make me gain weight and miss my practice sessions. You cheated me,” Lara said sorrowfully.
In reply Pistu just showed him his teeth.
“Actually, it’s my mistake. I believed in your false praises and got tempted by the tasty food. Not only me, but the whole team has to pay a price for it,” Lara said loudly.
Lara decided that in the future he would not be swayed by others’ words and started practising from the very next day itself.
One day in Chandanvan forest, many four-legged animals gathered together. They were unhappy. Seeing them unhappy, Mittu parrot who was sitting on the tree, asked, “What happened friends, why do all of you look so sad today?”
“Mittu, nature has been unfair to us,” replied Teju horse.
“How has nature been unfair? It has given us a good life, good health and energy. What else could we want?” asked Mittu.
Before Teju could say something, Golu elephant interrupted, “Injustice has been done with us!”
“What kind of injustice?” asked Mittu.
“Nature has blessed human beings with two legs and has taught them to walk upright. They look so beautiful and stately. They can wear different kinds of clothes. But we have to walk on four legs. If we too had two legs, we could walk straight and wear fashionable clothes.”
“But, in spite of having four legs, we all still look so good,” Mittu tried to explain.
“You are only saying this to make us feel better. We don’t look good at all, walking on four legs,” said a disappointed Golu.
The animals started complaining amongst themselves. They were all looking for a solution.
Suddenly, an angel appeared and asked them, “How can I help you all? There seems to be some problem.”
Lambu giraffe asked excitedly, “Can you teach us how to walk on two legs? We want to walk on two legs.”
“Of course! That’s a very simple wish. I can easily make you all walk on two legs,” said the angel.
Saying this, she turned her wand around and chanted something. Then, she asked all the animals to close their eyes for two minutes. After two minutes when they opened their eyes, they were excited to see that they were standing on two legs.
“Thank you, angel! Today our wish has been fulfilled. We are very happy now!” they said excitedly.
“I am leaving now. If you need anything in the future, you can call me by saying ‘Hey forest angel, please come and fulfil my wish and I will appear in front of you,” said the angel and she left.
Teju, Lambu, Bholu, Golu and Ballu were overjoyed, walking on two legs.
After walking for a while, Golu started panting. Mittu came to sit on his back and asked him, “Why are you panting?”
The truth was that, Golu was panting because his two legs could not bear the weight of his body. Without his other two legs, he felt heavier and could not take Mittu for a ride on his back.
“Since morning, I’ve been feeling very tired because I haven’t got a chance to rest. Once I lie down, I will be fine.” lied Golu, as he sat on the ground panting.
Lambu was in a similar situation. As he was tall, walking on two legs increased his height, and his head kept banging against the trees. This was hurting his head. He too sat down in one place to take a rest.
Billu ox was very happy walking. However, his happiness was short-lived.
“You are good for nothing now! At least you could help the farmer earlier to plough the field. Modern machines like the tractors have taken your place,” said Teetu bird, seeing Bittu walk on two legs.
Ballu donkey also started to think about what Teetu had said as he too was in a similar situation. Because he was walking on two legs, no one could use him to carry things on his back.
“If I am not of any use, then what’s the point of being beautiful!” he thought to himself.
Ballu could not hold himself any longer and cried, “Hey forest angel, please come here and fulfil my wish.”
As soon as he spoke, the angel appeared before him.
“What’s the matter Ballu? Is there something that you want me to do?” asked the forest angel.
Ballu said, “Dear angel, please make me walk on four legs like before.” Listening to him, Lambu, Golu and Teju requested for the same, “Yes, make us walk back on four legs.”
The angel asked, “Why, what happened? All of you wanted to look nice. Then, why are you suddenly changing your wish?”
“We have realized that we are of no use if we walk on two legs. We don’t want to live like this. We want our lives to have meaning.” they cried together
The angel smiled when she heard the animals speak. She turned her wand and chanted, and asked the animals to close their eyes. When they opened their eyes, they saw that they were back to standing on four legs.
“We have become like before! Now, all of us have a purpose,” said the animals cheerfully.
They understood that being useful was more important than being beautiful.
Q1. How many kids are playing Garba?
Q2. How many singers are singing on stage?
Q3. What is the shape of the Rangoli?
Q4. What are the delicacies in the sweet shop?
World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Bern. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969.
A Postal Index Number or PIN or PIN code is a code in the post office numbering or post code system used by India Post, the Indian postal administration. The code is six digits long.
World Post Day is celebrated on October 9. Ravi, the postman, has to collect a post from the postbox and deliver it to the house at the end of the maze. Help Ravi deliver the post.
Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on October 2. A statue of Gandhiji is placed in one part of a museum. Find 10 of his iconic glasses that are hidden in the museum.
To celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on October 2, Mayank has to dress like Gandhi for a fancy-dress competition in school. Help him pick the right costume.
Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated on October 2. Students of a school are unhappy and have decided to stand for their rights. Help Zoya to choose the correct group which highlights Gandhian values and principles to put forward their rights.
Dhruv’s Grandpa was a retired army officer and a patriot. He always told Dhruv stories of bravery of the Indian Army and of India’s freedom fighters. Mahatma Gandhi was Grandpa’s favourite and he would narrate stories on Gandhi’s life and work to Dhruv.
This year, on October 2, which is Gandhi Jayanti, or Mahatma’s birthday, Grandpa, Grandma, and Dhruv decided to visit Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad.
Grandpa and Grandma had visited the ashram many times before, but this was Dhruv’s first time.
“Please tell me about this ashram, Grandpa,” said Dhruv.
“Sabarmati Ashram was initially known as Satyagraha Ashram. Mahatma Gandhi established it in 1915 at Kochrab, Ahmedabad. In 1917, it was shifted to the banks of Sabarmati River and since then, it is known as Sabarmati Ashram.”
“It’s so quiet and peaceful here. There are so many trees around,” said Dhruv.
“Let me tell you about the history of Sabarmati Ashram,” offered Grandma.
“Yes, nani, please do tell me.”
“When it was founded, Sabarmati Ashram had living rooms made of canvas and the kitchen made of tin sheets. By the end of 1917, there were 40 residents living here.
Life at the ashram was based on Gandhiji’s principles of truth, non-violence, self-control, justice, and equality.
Spinning khadi and other village activities were encouraged to improve their economic status. Parts of Gandhiji’s spinning wheel were also built here.
Sabarmati Ashram was an inspiration for the Indian public and leaders. Many movements relating to India’s independence started here at the ashram.
It is from here, that he wrote a letter to the Viceroy of India on March 2, 1930, informing him about the start of the Civil Disobedience Movement.
On March 12, 1930, Mahatma Gandhi set out for the historical Dandi March with 80 others to protest against the tax imposed on salt. He did not return here until India was independent.”
“Yes, I did read about the Dandi March in school. But I did not know so much about the history of Sabarmati Ashram. Thank you, nani!” said Dhruv.
They walked ahead a little, and Grandpa said, “We will now see some important spots. I’ll tell you all about them.”
“Great, Grandpa!”
“That’s the National Memorial. It was established after the death of Gandhiji to preserve his memory.”
Grandma pointed to the left and said, “And that’s Hriday Kunj. It’s a small house located in the centre of the ashram. Kakasaheb Kalekar, an activist, social reformer and follower of the philosophy and methods of Mahatma Gandhi had named it.
Gandhiji and his wife, Kasturba lived in Hriday Kunj for about 12 years. It still has Gandhiji’s desk, his khadi kurta, and his letters.
Another attraction of the ashram is Kasturba’s kitchen. The stoves, utensils, and cabinets used in Kasturba’s kitchen are still kept there.”
“Oh, I see!” said Dhruv.
They walked a little ahead and Grandpa pointed out, “And that’s the Vinoba-Meera Kutir. This is the place where Acharya Vinoba Bhave spent some months of his life from 1918 to 1921. Also, Madeleine Slade, a British woman who was influenced by Gandhiji’s ideals and his beloved disciple, lived here from 1925 to 1933. Gandhiji named her Mirabehn. The cottage was named after these two personalities.”
“That’s interesting!” said Dhruv and they walked towards the prayer ground.
Grandma said, “All members of the ashram assemble at this prayer ground every morning and evening to pray. This prayer ground has witnessed many crucial decisions made by the Mahatma.”
Dhruv stood silently on the prayer ground.
Walking ahead, Grandpa pointed at a hut and said, “That’s the Nandini guesthouse. It’s located a short distance away from the main gate of the ashram. Many well-known freedom fighters of the country lived here when they came to meet Gandhiji. They include Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, Dr Rajendra Prasad, a lawyer and comrade of Gandhi’s, who also became the first President of our country, C Rajagopalachari, an independent activist, lawyer, writer and historian, Charles Freer Andrews, Mahatma’s friend, educator and social reformer, and Bengali poet and writer Rabindranath Tagore, who was also Gandhi’s close friend.”
“Whoa! So many great people have lived here,” said Dhruv.
“Grandma! What’s that?” asked Dhruv.
“That’s Udyog Mandir! Gandhiji had pledged to make India independent by being self-reliant through the khadi industry. He worked using his hands as symbols of self-reliance and self-respect.
At the Udyog Mandir, he started spinning the charkha to make strings for khadi clothes. Gandhiji’s followers from all over the country would come here and stay at the ashram and get trained in using the charkha and in making khadi clothes.
The Udyog Mandir was established in 1918, during the strike by the employees of the textile mill in Ahmedabad.”
“So Gandhiji taught the swadeshi principle by making khadi?” asked Dhruv.
“That’s right!” said Grandpa.
“There’s a Gandhi Memorial Museum here. On May 10, 1963, Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the museum near Hriday Kunj. Gandhiji’s letters, photographs, and other documents are kept there.
The collection includes 400 articles written by Gandhiji in magazines like Young India, Navjeevan, and Harijan. Also, there are photographs covering Gandhiji’s life from birth until his death, copies of Gandhiji’s speeches during his travels in India and abroad.
This museum also houses a library that contains 4,000 books of Sabarmati Ashram and a collection of 3,000 books by Mahadev Desai. There is an index of 30,000 letters written by Mahatma Gandhi. The original copies of some of these letters are preserved while the others are preserved in microfilms. Let’s go visit the museum.”
Dhruv really enjoyed the museum.
After completing the tour of all the important places around Sabarmati Ashram, Dhruv said, “I will remember Sabarmati Ashram more than the other places we have been to. I have learned so much today! Can we please visit such places in the future?”
“Of course,” smiled his grandparents.
In 1910, an ashram was established in Phoenix, a town in South Africa. The ashram housed a school for children of all ages. One of the teachers in the ashram had an unusual way of teaching. He believed that education should affect the heart along with the mind.
One day, the teacher gave a questionnaire to all his students. The bright students quickly wrote the answers and returned the questionnaire.
When all the students had submitted their answers, the teacher began correcting them. After correcting all the sheets, he picked up one and announced Sanjay’s name.
When Sanjay came forward, the teacher patted his back and said, “Well done! It seems to me that you have worked very hard.” Then, he showed the answer sheet to the full class. Sanjay had scored 5 out of 10 marks.
Seeing this, Rahul and Vikas, two of the smartest students, who knew they must have scored more than him, were bewildered. “Why is sir praising Sanjay? He scored much less than us,” said Rahul.
Vikas nodded in agreement. He couldn’t understand why Sanjay was being praised for scoring less marks. He asked, “Sir, we don’t understand that instead of praising us, you are praising a student who has got lesser marks than us.”
The teacher smiled at Vikas’ question and said, “I didn’t praise Sanjay for the marks he scored. I praised him for his hard work. He did better than the last time, which is proof of his hard work. I’m hoping this motivates him to work harder in future.”
“And as for praising you, I did not do so because with continuous success and praise, any person can become proud and arrogant. Arrogance is an obstacle to progress. I do not wish that you all stop working hard due to brief moments of success. Stay on the right path and you will be successful,” the teacher explained.
The students understood what their teacher said and this was an important
life lesson.
This teacher was, none other than, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, whom we lovingly call ‘Bapu’.
Sundarvan forest was home to Bittoo goat, Honey deer, Bosco stag, and Danny donkey. They were very good friends, who studied and played together.
Sundari river flowed through Sundarvan. There was an island in the middle of the river and all animals would go there for a picnic.
The next day being a holiday, Honey said, “Let’s go for a picnic on the island tomorrow?” “Yes, that’s a great idea. We will carry food and toys to play with. It will be a wonderful trip. We will leave early in the morning and come home by evening,” replied Bitto.
“But how will we go to the island?’’ asked Danny.
“I can ask Uncle Bholu, who has a boat, if he can drop us to the island. He rows passengers on the river and returns home by four. So, he can pick us from the island at around the same time,” suggested Honey.
“That’s great! I will bring some fresh leaves, fruits and vegetables to eat on the island,’’ said an excited Danny.
“Will you please stop your blabbering? You want to ruin our day out by making us eat all the same boring greens!” said Bittoo.
“Donkeys do blabber,’’ said Bosco making fun of Danny.
Bosco, Honey and Bittoo would often tease Danny about him being a donkey but Danny would laugh it out.
“I will buy some samosas and kachoris with some chutney from Pyarelal’s sweet shop and bring with me,” said Bittoo.
“I will bring pizza, burger and cold drinks with me,” said Honey, not to be left behind.
“Then I will bring some gulab jamuns and noodles,” said Bosco before anyone else could speak.
“None of you have left any option for me to bring something. What shall I get?’’ asked Danny.
“Get some toys and outdoor games we can play” said Bittoo.
The next day, all four of them reached the bank of the river along with their bags. Uncle Bholu took them in his boat and dropped them on the island. He told them that he would meet them at 4 o’clock at the same spot. They all went for a walk on the island, and while enjoying the walk, suddenly Bosco felt hungry.
He said, “Bittoo, please pass me the samosas and kachoris; I am very hungry. Lets eat and then we can play.’’
“Danny carried badminton racquets and Ludo sets to play,’’ answered Bittoo.
“Weren’t you supposed to bring samosas and kachoris from Pyarelal’s sweet shop? asked Bosco”
“Yes. But Danny came to my house yesterday. He said that his grandma makes very tasty samosas and kachoris and that, he would bring them for us today. So, I got these for us to play ,” said Bittoo.
“Forget about the samosas. I want to eat the pizza and burger. Honey, please pass them to me.” said Bosco.
“But I got cricket and chess set for us. Yesterday, Danny came home and said that he would get the pizza and burger and instead, I should get these playsets,’’ replied Honey.
“Bosco, now don’t you tell us that you didn’t get the gulab jamuns and noodles, as well!’’ laughed Bittoo.
“I didn’t got the football and Frisbee set!’’ said Bosco innocently.
“So, did Danny get all the food on behalf of all of us?” asked Honey.
“I got food for all of us.’’ said Danny and opened his bag. It was filled with a variety of fruits, vegetables and fresh leaves.
“Why did you get all of this? Where are the samosas, kachoris, gulab jamuns and noodles?” cried a hungry Bosco. “Friends, I am a donkey. So, blabbering is my habit,” said Danny. “You will feel good after eating these greens rather than having all that junk food from the stores.
“We don’t want to eat the greens,’’ said an angry Bittoo. Bosco, Honey and Bittoo left from there in a fury to play.
“Okay buddies! I am feeling very hungry. I will eat something first.” said Danny.
Danny started munching on the carrots, apples, corn cobs and fresh leaves. Seeing him munch, the others felt hungry as well. But they were full of anger and continued playing.
After about two hours everyone was tired. They could not control their hunger any longer. So they sat down to eat the same greens that Danny had brought.
Time passed quickly and soon it was 4 pm and Uncle Bholu came to pick them.
All of them got into the boat. Bosco said, “We did really play a lot today, without taking any rest. But I don’t feel tired. Instead, I feel quite fresh.”
“That is because of the fresh food that we ate,” answered Danny. “Fresh fruits and vegetables contain a lot of calcium, iron, potassium and vitamins. They give us a lot of energy and strength. They help in digestion too. The junk food that we eat deposits a lot of carbohydrates, fat and sugars into our body. That makes us obese and we get tired easily.” said Danny.
“How do you know all this?” asked Honey.
“My mother taught me about it. Earlier I too used to ask her for junk food. But now, I only have fresh greens and fruits.
I feel fit, energetic and healthy every day.” said Danny.
“Danny is right! Sometimes, I have a stomach ache when I eat a burger or noodles,” said Honey.
“I also feel sick after eating too many samosas,” said Bittoo.
“We have all returned healthy and happy from the picnic. Good that we ate fresh food and nothing happened with us. Otherwise, our picnic would have been ruined.’’ said Bittoo.
“Whatever it is, Danny turned all of us into a donkey today!’’ shouted all three of them and laughed.
