It was sometime during last year when I was with some of my Art of Living friends that somebody came up with the info that a few people were going to visit Art of Living Vidya Mandir in Garcha the following day and if anybody were interested could also join them. Art of Living Vidya Mandir is a school for under privileged children and is present at different places throughout the country. So since I had not visited the place anytime before, I thought of why not experiencing how does it feel being there. And there I was the next day, anxiously searching the place.
It wasn’t there where I supposed it to be and therefore I called someone to help me locate the place.
I was carefully following her instructions when I found that I was in the midst of a slum and the Vidya Mandir was also somewhere around there only. I got a bit apprehensive as if I would have given a second thought on visiting the place had I knew about it. The absence of any friend also made it difficult for me to come out of my comfort zone. Nevertheless after lots of searching idhar andudhar, uss mandir ke pass and iss chapakal ke pass, I entered the lane where the school was. (though couldn’t still see any chapakal around it!).
When I entered the school, there were only unknown faces. Some wer teaching vegetable painting and some were trying to manage the ‘never interested in study’ children. Since I was useless in both the tasks, I was just wondering what I was supposed to do when some more people arrived, introduced themselves and it got a bit familiar place by then. I started moving around and at the same time watching them doing their painting. There were different vegetables cut into different shapes and after putting it into water colours, they were supposed todraw anything and everything they wished to. In no time, I found myself totally involved in everything from helping them out in painting to getting my own hands in colours to having some fun with them. Most of the children, naturally though, didn’t seem much interested in painting with some just spraying colours on others, some pulling others legs and some just eating out the vegetables. After some time, lots of paintings had been done and there were lots of colours around. We started collecting everybody’s stuffs when a girl in a corner asked for some more time.
Unlike others, she was doing her painting passionately and although there weren’t anything unique or extraordinary objects in her painting, it reflected the enthusiasm with which she was pouring her heart out. After finishing it, she held it in her hands proudly for me to shoot the same…………..and it was clicked both in the reel and in the heart.
The point I want to convey here is that it is in these little things or little wonders that God makes his presence felt. Little things which is done with full enthusiasm, full josh! That moment made my day and I left the place happilly!
Sourav..
P.s: Even after I left the place, I couldnt see any chapakal there. Maybe next time!
