Uttrayan!
Gujarati's need no welcome sign from anyone when it comes to the festival of Uttrayan! Their terraces literally becomes a war zone during the 2 days of January.
Enough has been said about this festival, so I will not delve into it again. However today's uttrayan was different for me somewhat.
I had heard that a young granny of 100 years was going to celebrate her birthday differently. It is not every day that you meet people who have crossed 100 years. I had almost forgotten this event but remembered it at the last moment and here I was seeing the young granny celebrate her big day by planting some trees.
Yes, trees! Even if she is no more tomorrow or the next year, the trees planted by her will stand testimony to the fact that here was someone who cared for the future generation's health and did something for them.
And she was all smiles when she planted a tree. she was almost 30 years when India got her independence.
Another good incident of the day happened when me and my mother went to give out some old clothes to street dwellers in the morning. The little urchins who we know are uneducated lined up around us and their face lightened up as we gave them their 'new' clothes.
As we started to go back, one of the street urchins, hardly about 8 years and without any education or so shouted back to us happily. 'Bye, Bye' in English. I was shell shocked and pleasantly happy. He might have picked up this line from someone passing by but such a surprise. India sure is progressing.
Kuldip
