Seniors share chai & shayari By: Joyeeta Basu & Aanchal Bansal January 20, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On every Friday, since the last five months, a group of senior citizens has been organising an informal get-together of sorts with residents of the area.
It's a two-hour session mostly attended by senior citizens who take the stage, recite poetry and shayari and generally enjoy themselves over tea and snacks, served free of cost. Over 200 people attend the programme, which is held between 6.30 to 8.30 pm every week. Seventy-year-old Manmohan Singh, a resident of Lokhandwala and one of the initiators of the get-together, says, "A few of us would meet every evening at Lokhandwala Garden no 4, and we would share jokes and shayaris. Then, it occurred to us that we could actually organise a get-together where more people could come and enjoy themselves." VS Jolly, a 78-year-old Lokhandwala resident and another initiator of the get-together, is glad the programme has become so popular. "It began with a handful of us who used to visit the garden every evening. Now the event has become so popular by word-of-mouth that we have people coming from as far as Ghatkopar to participate," he says. Seventy-four-year-old Ram Dayal, who recently shifted to Lokhandwala from Bandra, feels that such programmes are essential for older people as they tend to get lonely. "As our kids grow up and take charge of their lives, we need to get on with our own lives. Such programmes give us something to look forward to and the opportunity to meet other people," says Dayal, who is also one of the initiators of the programme and has taken it upon himself to provide free snacks and tea to all participants and visitors. "It is for a good cause so I don't mind the expense," he shrugs. Dayal spends approximately Rs 1,000 every week. Singh is now planning to increase the seating space for the event. "We built an enclosure around five months ago so that all participating senior citizens could sit and recite poetry and shayari. But so many people come to our sessions now that we tend to fall short of space and have to constantly order chairs from outside. We are now thinking of how to improve the seating arrangements," he says. According to Singh, one of the reasons the programme is so popular is because of the cosmopolitan nature of the area. "Lokhandwala is like an island â it is self-sufficient and has people from all communities and religions. So it is easier for people to come together and intermingle socially," he says. The schedule: Venue Lokhandwala Garden no 4 Day Every Friday Time 6.30 pm to 8.30 pm Entry Free 200 Approximate number of people who attend the session every week Rs 1,000 The amount spent on snacks and tea every week (See http://web.mid-day.com/metro/lokhandwala/2005/january/101909.htm) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Has someone you know been affected by illness or disease? Network for Good is THE place to support health awareness efforts! http://us.click.yahoo.com/rkgkPB/UOnJAA/Zx0JAA/yqIolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> ******************* Did you get this mail as a forward? Subscribe by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/join. Members are encourage to post poetry, their own and others', respond critically to the poems circulated, and participate in discussions. Post via email at [email protected] OR online at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/post. ====theZESTcommunity====== ZESTCurrent ZESTEconomics ZESTGlobal ZESTMedia ZESTPoets ZESTCaste ZESTAlternative TalkZEST Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTPoets/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
