Hari's picnic

Yesterday he went to Picnic at Children's park Ernakulam with his friends. After the announcement of picnic day he was very happy and asked me what the term picnic means. He enjoyed the trip to the park and told me about the events there. He was very curious about the dancing fountain there. They travelled in the train in the park. He also mentioned about the statues of Mayavi, Kuttoosan and Dakini.
Children like to travel and visit new places. His school arranges field trips and visits to important places. Last week they visited Fire station and told me about the fire engine and its operation. He is very sensitive and also very keen about his surroundings.

Children at various parks in Ernakulam
The full name of Children's park is Indira Priyadarshini Park. The park is run by District Council for Child Welfare(DCCW). District Collector is the Chairman of DCCW. It is a renewable energy park in Kerala. The park has equipments working on Solar, Wind, thermal, micro hydel, bio mass and bio gas. This will create awareness among children about the non con conventional energy sources. The park has a wonderful dancing fountain and a pond with pedal boat facility. A park is not at all a place to play its also a place of relaxation, a place for communication thus a place for the uplift of the community. In foreign countries there are parks and play areas for people crossed 60! Its wonderful!!!This help them to exercise, have more laugh and strengthen their bonds...interesting story about the adult park...

Other major picnic spots in Ernakulam are

• Kumbalangi tourist village
• Veegaland amusement park
• Kodanad elephant sanctuary
• Bhoothathankettu and Thattekkad bird sanctuary
• Cherai beach
• Hill palace
• Mangalavanom bird sanctuary
• Fort Kochi
• Bolghatty palace
• Mattancherry palace
• Willington Island
• Vypin island and Gosree bridges

More

We enjoyed the freedom....

Hari and Sree with their cousins on the top of a huge rock at Thookkupalam. Thookkupalam(means hanging bridge) is a main city in Idukki District. Thookkupalam 'Chanta' (market) is famous for transaction of cattles. Now a wind energy station is coming in Thookkupalam, attracting a lot of tourists. High range tourism is a bit more adventureous than back water tourism. Trekking wild life areas and travelling through forests.... Here in Thookkupalam tourists make temporary huts in the top of big mountains and enjoy the freedom of nature.
High range tourism includes Periyar wildlife sanctuary(Thekkady), Idukki wild life sanctuary, Munnar famous for hillstation and Neelakurinji flowers, Thattekkad bird sanctuary, Mattuppetty, Thommankuth waterfalls, Eravikulam national park and Chinnar wildlife sanctuary.
Sree was in good company with nandu chechi.

We enjoyed the trip to Highrange..A lot of space to play with Nandu, appuchetta and Mahesh chettan.

Sunday evenings in Ernakulam

Kunnara park at night

Sree at Kunnara park, Thykkoodam

Hari at Kunnara park, Thykkoodam.

Hari and Sree at Subhash park, Ernakulam.

We usually spend most of the sunday evenings in Parks. Kunnara park is very near to us. I prefer this park because the other parks Subhash park and Children's park will be heavily packed with people. Kunnara park is near Thykkoodam. A river is flowing through the back of this park. An artificially formed island called Silversand island is also on the banks of the river. The park has some facilities to play for the children. OEN company and working women's hostel run by Athurasramam are in front of the park.

Subhash bose park is in heart of Ernakulam. A lot of space for children to play and a distant view of ships and the cool breeze from the Vembanad Lake make us more easy. Rich with flowers and trees, its a green island in the midst of the chaos of Ernakulam and also an Oxygen hub.

Children's park is also near to Subhash park. Boating facility, dancing fountain, playing facilities like see-saw, swinger and climbing grills, train for the children and vehicles for children make this more amusing.
Maradu park-Recently renovated with dancing fountain and garden. Very near to Kottaram Bhagavathi temple which is famous for the fireworks.

Hari is growing

Children are growing in front of us. Years are passing. In between the complaints, angers and laughs they are growing up and preparing to fly as far as they can. Yesterday Hari asked me 'Amma please add this song to your blog' I was surprised by his request. He understands what I am doing in front of the computer. The song was about an Elephant. He taught the song from his friend Nikith, who is studying in Bhavan's Vidya Mandir. Collection of some nursery rhymes in Malayalam.

we are busy...

Sree, Hari and Shivapriya in a 'Satsang'. 'Satsang' means gathering of people for the sake of good things(satwika). Bhajana is also a part of Satsang. Its an effective way to carry away the tensions and stress of our day to day life.