Holi
A bonfire was made to mark the festival of Holi. Children were told stories related to the festival.
Trivia
Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in India and Nepal, also known as the “festival of colours” or the “festival of love”. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships. It is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Vikram Samvat Hindu Calendar month of Phalgun, which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi.
Dhulivandan and Rang Panchami
It was fun time with colours on Dhulivandan and Rang Panchami day when children and volunteers coloured each other with natural colours. The children enjoyed a lot.
Trivia
The day after the holika dahan is called as Dhulivandan, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi or Phagwah. Rang Panchami is a festival celebrated 5 days after Holi, that’s Phalgun Krushnapaksh Panchami, so called panchami. Both these days are celebrated by applying colours to each other.
Gudhi Padwa
Gudi Padwa was celebrated in the traditional Maharashtrian way. A “Gudi” was erected at the doorstep of Shreevatsa. Children were garlanded with the “SAKHAR MAL” – a strand with sugar mouldings.
Trivia
Gudhi Padva is a spring-time festival that marks the traditional new year for Marathi Hindus. It is celebrated in and near Maharashtra on the first day of the Chaitra month to mark the beginning of the New year according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar. The word Paḍava comes from the Sanskrit word Pratipada in Sanskrit, which refers to the first day of a lunar fortnight. The festival is observed with colorful floor decorations called rangoli, a special Gudhi flag (garlanded with flowers, mango and neem leaves, topped with upturned silver or copper vessel), street processions, dancing and festive foods.
Picnic
Children were taken to the Shivarkar Garden (Fatima Nagar) for an outing. Children had merry time playing on slides and swings.
Tata Autocomp Staff Volunteering
Staff members of TATA AUTOCOMP had arranged a fun filled evening for the children at Shreevatsa. Children participated in different activities like drawing,games and dance arranged by the company staff.
