Summer camps with a difference for children

Hyderabad: At a time when children in homes are spending more time watching television or using computer and gadgets like mobile phones, tablets etc during summer holidays, an effort is being made by Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad, to sensitise them on our culture, heritage and traditions, spiritual and moral values. Accordingly, a mega summer camp titled 'Sumedhasa Culture Camp' is being planned at eight different locations across the city.

School children from Classes 1 to 10 can enroll in these camps that will run from April 22 to May 18. They will be taught about arts and crafts, sketching and painting, elocution, story-telling, flower decorations, Vedic Maths and puzzle solving, folk dance and last but not the least pooja vidhaana, sloka chanting and Krishna rhymes.

The timings are from 9 am to 3 pm with snacks and lunch to be provided by the organisers only. The camp locations are Banjara Hills, Nizampet, Kachiguda,Madinaguda, Dilsukhnagar, Kothaguda, BHEL, Saroornagar and MLA Colony.

A study trip is also planned and children will be taken to the Mega Akshaya Patra Kitchen of Hare Krishna Movement that prepares food to be distributed for Mid-day meals in government schools and also GHMC's Five rupee meals centres spread all over the city.

On the final day of the camp (May 18), a Ratha Yatra would be held at Swayambu Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Golden Temple in Road number 12, Banjara Hills with the entire decoration of Rath to be done by the children from all eight locations. Also, a few cultural programmes and distribution of certificates would be done on the closing day

Hare Krishna Movement, Hyderabad Head Satya Gaura Chandra Dasa, Sumedhasa (the culture wing) Head Yagneshwar Prabhu Dasa, culture department incharge S Madhavi shared their views on how beneficial this programme would be for school children from the city.

It will be a visual delight to witness enthusiastic students participate actively in the unique cultural camp displaying their creativity and talent amidst Vedic ambience, they said.

The culture camp is not only a convergence of cultural guidance but also a cherished event which endeavours to bridge the cultural divide in this era of tech-frenzy and stressed lifestyle of kids, the organisers said, urging parents and school children from GHMC limits to make use of this initiative.