Iva Motto's Cycle and some confusions

Some questions from children make us silent. Yesterday I am showing some photos of the bomb blast in Hiroshima to my children. It was very painful to convince them about the most innocent people dead after this attack. They want to know how war will come. How can we know the time and escape from the present place. In that pictures one was of a small rusted cycle. Story accompanied with the cycle as follows. Iva Motto was a small boy in Hiroshima who loved his small cycle as any other child. When the bomb blasted he was playing with his cycle, he dead sitting at his dearmost playmate. Cycle remained as a close monument to that little child who became a martyr of war fronts. The cycle is now kept at a museum in Japan.
After hearing the story Hari asked me 'Will you keep this cycle of me as my monument, If anyone will attack with a bomb' I told there will not be any bomb attacks and this happened long ago. But I am also not so sure of what I am saying...
To know more about the monuments after Hiroshima Bomb attack
Hiroshima Peace memorial Park
Story of thousand cranes, another haunting story of a little girl who tried to save her life by creating 1000 paper cranes.
More images

Noha's Ark

I had bought a book for Sree. He had not started reading yet but I think pictures will tempt him to read the book. It was a nice book with lot of pictures and very nice event that happened in Noha's Ark. Wonderful Pictures and an easy rendering. He loved it and started to imitate the happenings of the book.
When we select books for small children, more pictures will result in more fun. More than buying a book we have to find enough time to read with them also. I wrote his name on the book and the date. He was overwhelmed with joy seeing his name on the book. It was a grateful moment for me for having them make my world more happier.

A news about Noha's Ark

Story about Noha's Ark

Quality time with children

Yesterday I was too tired and told Sree to tell me a story, after great attempt he started to tell the story of Aama chettan and Ottakkaran Muyal. It is very nice to hear the story that we taught from my little one's. Then we sung the lines of the story'Pathu pathungi pammi nadakkum kunjikuzhimadiyan' . It was a nice time. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Lines of the song.

More about the story of Aamayum Muyalum

More stories

The great panchathanthra tales

Brothers in Ramayana

'Bali Sugreeva Yudham'
When we go through Ramayana, we can see all type of family relation ships in it. Whenever we talk about brothers we can not forget Rama and Lakshmana. They were always together. It may be due to the fact that Sumitra got two portions of Kheer from Kausalya and Kaikeyi. She gave birth to two children, Lakshmana and Shatrugna. Lakshmana was always with Rama and Bharatha with Shatrugna. So many instances in Ramayana which reveal the love and affection of Rama towards his little brother.

Another pair is Jatayu and Sambathi. Two eagle brothers, also play an important role in this great epic.

Another one is Sugreeva and Bali.

Another one Ravana and Kumbhakarna.

Story of Jadayu and Sambathi

'Jatayu Vadham' This painting is by the great artist Revi Varma. To see more paintings of Revi Varma, the legendary artist from Kerala.

Its a story with lot of brotherly affection. Jadayu and Sambathi were two eagle brothers. Oneday they made a bet and started to flew high in the sky. They neared the sun. Sambathi was the elder. He saw Jadayu nearing to the sun. Fastly he over ride Jadayu and spread his wings over him to save him from the scorching heat of sun. Then his feathers burnt and he lost his wings. He fell on the top of rocky hill in a sea side.
After that jadayu tried to save Sita devi from Ravana. After the encounter with Ravana he dead. Before his death he told Rama about the kidnapping.
During the search time of sita devi the monkeys found Samabathi and told about the death of jadayu. He gave valuable information to monkeys about Sitadevi.

An interesting story of Jatayu rock from Kerala

Amar chitra katha was the source of these stories in my childhood, still remembering that pictures in that stories.

Story of Valmiki

Karkkidakam is the Ramayana month of Kerala. A creative ritual to read an epic in one month, it may be a compulsive reading but we can go through the whole epic. Ramayana is rich with spiritual principles and small stories. My children like these stories...
Story of Valmiki
The story of the great author of Ramayana. Its a story to convince children about the power of 'Rama' sound.
The original name of Valmiki was Ratnakara and he was a thief. He looked after his family through robbery. One day saptharshis came through his way. He tried to attack them. They asked him about his work. He said that through this he have to look after his familly. They asked if the family will share his sins also. He went to home and asked his family members whether they will share his sins also. They rejected . Very sadly he came back to the saints and told them about the happenings. They told him to sit below a tree and tell'mara mara' without any break. It will eradicate his sins. Then he started to do the process and rishis continued their journey. After several years they came back through the same path. Then they saw a 'valmikam' an ant hill in the place where he meditated. They found him under the ant hill still uttering the words 'Ramaramarama'. After that he got the name Valmiki, who emerged from Valmikam. Its the story behind the great saint. With the blessings of Sri Rama he became the first poet in Sanskrith. Thus he got the name Aadi kavi.

Children will like these type of stories and they will become aware of the power of such sounds. Please share your views..

A white board

We had arranged a white board for children to draw and to write. In my school days I was very eager to have a black board. I was very curious to play teacher games and to write whatever I want. Now I fulfilled my wish through my children. But this board is not a black board its a white one.
After its arrival Hari's study time changed into a fun time. He write more words and more spelling games. One of the games he is interested is making words from the letters of the given word.
Sri also trying his best to make this board a platform to paint. Before its arrival it was a common scene in our house, sri with an urge to draw and desparate to find paper and sketch pen. It may be under a cot or under a cupboard after the last days encounter. Now he is happy and he can draw whatever he want. Yes, its a pleasure for me to have their smiling face more than anything else....
I am trying to find more spelling games through internet.

An interesting post about the topic from Preethi Shenoy