Children's Day

On November 14th children in India celebrate "Children's Day" .In Delhi  politicians and dignitaries gather at the funeral site of Mr Nehru to mark Children's Day.

The custom of having a special day for children was started in 1959  by the United Nations on November 20th as Universal Children's Day.  This was  in the time of the first Prime Minister of Independent India, Mr Jawaharlal Nehru.
Nehru understood that the future of India lay in their hands and wanted all children to have 'rights'. Among them the right to education, the right to be free from child labour, the right to be safe and to receive health care.
After Nehru's death it was decided that Children's Day or Bal Diwas would  be celebrated in India on the birth anniversary of Mr Nehru, November 14th.  Children refer to him respectfully as 'Uncle Nehru' or 'Chacha Nehru' as indeed they do to all male adults. Victor was known as 'Pedda Uncle'  or 'Big Uncle' when we first started Prem Nivas. Yesterday I heard Yerrinaidu, one of our children, address the telephone engineer as 'uncle'.

Teachers usually arrange special functions at school for the children and children  show extra respect to their teachers, giving flowers or putting on little plays and reciting poems for the teachers and the whole school. At the High School in Gajapathinagaram our children had sweets, heard stories and made speeches.
Here at Prem Nivas, housemother Swathi went round to each Primary school child with a phone greeting from her sister Priyanka.

Ramya ans Sai bought this lovely cake for the children.

In the evening a regular visitor to our home,Ramya, and her friend Sai Kumar came laden with gifts for the children including a large cake, samosas, savoury snacks, pencils and rubbers

I cut the first piece to go in Prasanna's mouth! She returned the action.

Gowri teacher helps with the savoury things.

Ramya passes to Sravani 

.

 Sai waits while Swathi divides up the cake

Thank you for our Children's Day Gifts Ramya!