The Summer Camp Chronicle - 1

For some kids, their summer is for camps. They are lucky to have parents who glean through media and an assortment of word to mouth network to find suitable camps for them. Some look for their children’s taste but most of them would believe that their children should get exposed to various traits. Just a couple of years ago no summer camps were of residential nature. Children came in the morning and went home by evening. Occasionally there were camps like ours which were exclusively of residential nature. Nature camps are best in that mode as the schedule can begin much before sunrise and last till late night.

The central part of most summer camps that are generalist in approach are theatre activities. Teachers consider that theatre activities incorporate many art forms and would come in handy for the overall development of the child. Every summer we journey through many camps held in different places in Karnataka. The organizers are successfully trying out residential camps of different duration. Apart from the month long camp at Sanehalli, the one conducted by Spandana a cultural organization in a small town called Sagara in Shimoga district was a great success.  

Barring aside those which tried to incorporate Nature related activities as just another stray feather in their cap we try to portray a few camps that we felt worth sharing.

Children’s Camp at Poet’s Homestead

Mrs. Prathiba snd Mrs Vidayashree in their second stint joined hands with Rashtra Kavi Kuvempu Pratishtana to give the best of Western Ghats to the children. Seventy five children from all over Karnataka participated in this residential camp that was meant to impart training in theatre. With this central idea blended the aim of popularizing Kuvempu’s literature. As a result songs and poetry of this Nature lover poet filled the aura. The play chosen was Kindara Jogi.  Kavimane, the Poet’s house now maintained as a museum inspires every child. Kavishyla, the hillock upon which the poet sat through long hours in admiration of the beauty of Western Ghats has a beautiful monument erected in his memory and is now a crowd puller. Surrounded by hills clothed in green, makes it an ideal place for children to spend time in Nature.

Some thoughtful time at Yeleyara Mela

Like at Chinnara mela conducted by Rangayana, we have a long standing association with Yeleyara mela conducted by the JSS institutions at Mysore. May be for over a decade we accompany their Nature outing that would be more or less like a weekend picnic by the standards of any naturalist. The children are in large number and of varied age group. In spite of knowing our unhappiness about this matter, its coordinator some how manages to agree upon his obligations. However, once agreed upon we involve in it whole heartedly and take the kids to different locations every year.

Children rambling down Gommata giri

Every time we meet the group it would be the height of summer and the kids would love to play in water. This year the dry spell was at its height and the organizers had fixed upon a visit to Chunchana katte near K R Nagar, on the banks of River Cauvery some 57kms from Mysore. It was not a great distance from Mysore hence we decided to go en-route Gommata giri a shrine of Jain community situated about 18kms from Mysore. Atop a fifty meter monolithic rock stands a majestic idol of Bahubali carved some 700 years ago during the Early Vijayanagara period. The children were briefed about the story of the sacrifice made by Bahubali after winning over his brother upon the kingdom and renouncing all worldly pleasures.

Children at St. Antony's Church

As we proceeded towards K R Nagar we came across the famous Dornalli which is known for St. Antony’s Church. We spent some time there and for many children it was a first experience to be in a church. The beautiful architecture and the painting mesmerized them to fall into silence. They sat at the nave for a while relaxing under the tall roof of the church.

Further we proceeded towards the Arkanatheshwara temple. Unfortunately there was absolutely no water in the river. The disappointed kids were taken to chunchanakatte near the Kodandarama temple. There was a large and ugly wedding function going on outside the temple. It was not about the rituals but the callous discarding of leftovers of a hefty dining. We scouted in different directions to find a decently hygienic place to open our picnic. Very soon we realized that further you move away from humans, closer you were to heaps of human excreta.

Children cooling the heat

After lunch the kids insisted for a dip in the water. We showed them the signage of no swimming cautions. Well there was so less water we couldn’t contend with that for an excuse. We tried with the risk of cholera, typhoid and other communicable dieses. They all started protesting in unison not to go back without playing in the water.

We found a safe place quite far and upstream of the temple. The puddle had only knee deep water and the kids got into their much anticipated water sports.

Children beating the heat

In a short time we were swooped over by certain elderly persons asking us to get out of the water. Their tone was over assertive and their contention was that there were whirlpool and the rocks were very slippery. None of us resource persons were into the water; we were standing guard so that no kid even whisks out of the en-marked puddle. In a short while the police were called in from near by station. The police were convinced with our intention and measures we had undertaken in handling the children. But the so called custodians of cultural heritage changed their charges that we had indulged in polluting the holy place where Sita had taken a holy bath! More blasphemy on my part was some nature lessons I was doing about the formation of dykes among the rocks. One of them opened up ‘the mark left behind on the rocks by her sari is interpreted as some stupid geological phenomenon’. “Who the hell certified these nonsense fellows as teachers?” These elderly ‘gentlemen’ were upset over the teaching of real science behind the formation of dykes. If the police didn’t act they threatened to inform the pontiff of the religious institution the expedition was hosted by. They had collected the phone number written upon the medical college bus we had travelled in. The rough language with the intruders and the entry of the police created a cyclone of depressive order among the entire student crowd. I all felt very sorry for them and my own misdeed and retreated with a disturbed mind.

 - Manu K