Innocent laughters echo at Panambur beach

Aim of programme was to give kids an open forum to enjoy

Innocent laughters echoed at Panambur beach on Tuesday. The sand on the shore had prints of confused feet, which did not know which way to go. Happy, smiling faces taking dip in the beach, busy hands shaping castles on the shore, racing hands flying kites and some silent and serious types watching their counterparts having fun painted the scenes at ‘Nandagokula beach festival’ held as a part of the Srujanotsava, a national-level Bal bhavan festival on Tuesday.

Kites, which were kept flying as a part of Kite festival held on the same shores on Sunday enthralled the kids who had come from different Bal Bhavans from various parts of the Country. Many kids bought kites for themselves from a shop on the beach and tried their hands on kite flying.

As and when the percussion of ‘chende’ penetrated the air, the kids came together in groups to do some random dancing and when the percussion went to rest the kids went back to their games.

The aim of the beach programme was to give the kids an open forum to enjoy themselves. While kids living on the coastal belt of Karnataka as well as other States did not really react looking at the beach, many from dry and highlands found the blissful sight of the sea to be overwhelming.
They pounced and plunged into the water because they just did not know when again they would get to see the sea.

While some of the participants staged dance programmes on the small stage put up at the venue, the event took a starry look when Sandalwood super star Ramesh Arvind made an appearance on stage and interacted with the kids.

He made the kids dance, scream, shout and sing. Kids enjoyed each and every bit of Ramesh’s company. Dhritika, a blind kid played flute piece for the audience and many other showcased their talents in front of the Star.

Ramesh was in the event to promote his upcoming film ‘Nammanna Don’ along with his co-stars.
He narrated the theme of the movie, which is connected to children and hoped that the children would watch the movie.

As the dusk set in, the organizers burst some artistic crackers that shot high into the sky and burst with crackling noise, giving out blisters of various colours. Children screamed and clapped in gaiety.

Ranjith, from Gujarat, who was wandering on the beach with his friends, dressed in a typically Gujarati attire and with a herdsman’s stick in hand, said that he was overwhelmed to take part in the event because he could make new friends over the last few days.

Deepti from Karnataka too said that she had successfully made friends from different states and she would keep in touch with them.

All in all Srujanothsava in Mangalore, as per the teachers who accompanied the kids was the best in the last several decades in terms of arrangements, planning and programmes incorporated for kids.