Festivals at MBCN – Strengthening Bonds of Love and Togetherness
Our country, India is a land of festivals that are woven around its roots, culture and relationships. As Indians, wherever we go, we forge relationships with people and hold celebrations together. It is said that families that pray and eat together, stay together. The same holds true for our friends at school, colleagues at workplace or neighbours in immediate surroundings.
Every relationship we make holds the essence of festivities. Each occasion that we come across, is a way to bring families together. Recent such occasions have been Rakshabandhan and Janmashtami.
Bound With the Rakshabandhan
Rakshabandhan cherishes the brother-sister relationship. Like everywhere across our nation, it is celebrated with great fervour at Mata Bhagwanti Chadha Niketan (MBCN), our charitable school for children with special needs. It is a loving shelter that goes beyond the blood relations.
Here, we make Rakhi brothers who are always ready to share joys and sorrows, dreams and disappointments, happiness and distress of their Rakhi sisters. We appreciate the bond of affection between people in the true sense to cherish the real spirit of universal brotherhood that we conform to.
Exchanging Gifts to Mark Sweetness in Relationships
This year again, the occasion came when young kids gathered to celebrate the feeling of togetherness on Rakshabandhan. Like every year, girls put vermilion on the forehead of their fellow brothers and tied Rakhi on their wrists. Thereafter, gifts, sweets and chocolates were exchanged to mark the sweetness of the relationship they share. A unique thing about this place is that all the brothers and sisters studying here are special in their own way. They learn, love and express themselves differently.
Playfulness of Janmashtami
After, Rakshabandhan, arrived Janmashtami when the special children again reached school in colourful Krishna-Radha outfits to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna. They donned vibrant smiles as they imbibed and enacted their mythological roles complemented by their costumes. Altogether, they enthralled the special educators, rehabilitation therapists and support staff at MBCN while engaging them into fun through games, music and dance.
Krishna Arrives to Free and Lead Us
These kids remind us that these festivals form an integral part of our culture. They offer a refreshing change from the chaos of daily life and take us closer to God. By observing them, we move forward with a belief that the darkness around us starts receding when God appears. Our hearts and minds are shrouded in darkness afflicted by multiple miseries and anxieties. Thus, we look towards the almighty to appear within us and fill us with eternal hope in the darkest hour.
