The call of bird song awakens a new dawn. As the grey mists
of morning begin to lit, a breathtaking golden rose and slowly ascends
above the tree line on the Eastern horizon. In the dorms, children nudge
each other awake.
"Look! The sun" a daily refrain. We suspend our morning actively to
gaze in fascination as its colour charges from rosy orange to a bright
blinding disc of yellow white light as it journeys upward in the hot
morning sky.
All the grown-ups and some children are early risers. Other children
prefer to snooze awhile. Morning ablutions done, the children settle
down to quiet play in the spacious play areas of their dorms.
Morning rounds echo cheerful Good Mornings. Almost always somebody
has something special to show or something exciting to tell. From creepy
crawlies to discarded cartons, everything is a wonder to behold.
Soon everyone is wide-awake getting ready for school keeps everyone
as busy as bees. There is a time for a few morning exercises before
breakfast.
After breakfast, lessons commence. Dorms are cleaned and tidied, bathrooms
washed down, and laundry is counted and handed over to the laundry staff.
In the kitchen preparation for lunch is underway. All over the campus,
construction teams are busy building the edifices of Shanti Bhavan.
The sounds of drills, welding and hammering drown out the sounds of
nature. Sometimes a truck laden with construction supplies or a bulldozer
or a road roller noisily ambles its way across the grounds.
Mid-morning snacks done, it's back to activities for the children
till lunch time. Clay modelling, water play, sand play or educational
film keeps the children absorbed and curious. Their housemothers are
busy mending clothes, or books or preparing for children's fun activities.
Around this time, the Tamil, Kannada and English newspaper arrive. Those
who are free catch up with current events. Sometimes visitors arrive.
The children are used to greeting and responding to them.
Indoor play follows lunch, till it's time for naps. The heat of the
afternoon makes it necessary for children and grownups to rest. The
kitchen staff and construction workers go back to their tasks after
a short break. Everyone is up again for the evening snack. This is the
time children have individual help or take part in group activities
such as handicrafts, painting, drawing, story time or rhyming.
Evening is outdoor play time for staff and as well as children. The
staff play volleyball or badminton, while the children do simple exercises,
participate in a few group games or engage in individual play. Then
it's back to the dorms for baths. As the children turn their reluctant
steps homeward, the sky becomes rose tinged once more. The setting sun
reveals itself magnificently arrayed in crimson glory before it sinks
under the horizon.
Again, "Look! The sun!" Each dawn and dusk brings new wonder and excitement
in its wake. Dinnertime, TV time, bedtime. The grownups are relieved
that the incessant chatter of the children has ceased for the time being.
It is time to wind down. Those who have the energy watch TV or read
after the children have gone to bed.
Somewhere in the busy day the children and staff have found time to
gather together in non-denominational prayer. Common prayer is a part
of the routine at Shanti Bhavan. The children are learning to be grateful
for what they receive. The staff try to gain spiritual strength from
this coming together.
Way above the star spangled inky black sky over Shanti Bhavan is a
beautiful sight. On moonlit nights the campus is bathed with a gentle
silvery glow. The peace and quiet is unbelievable. Another day in Shanti
Bhavan has drawn to a close.
