On Sunday, 60-year-old Kamalakshi wore her best Kanchipuram sari and mallige in her hair and got on a bus for a festival for citizens like her - the Hiriyare Jaatre, or Elders’ Festival, organised in the city by NGO Volunteer For a Cause (VFC).
At least a hundred senior citizens, from various old age homes across the city, joined the event which had games, fun events and a singing competition for them. Most were aged 65 and above.
The elders had a ball playing games like hoopla, stacking cups and balloon volleyball. In the singing competition, they sprightly belted out old melodies and popular folk tunes, braving the quiver in their voices. "This is the first time I've been to a programme like this meant for elders," said Kamalakshi, who moved to an old age home after her daughters got married and she wanted to live independently. Gurudutt, a former physics professor who could not recall his age, said he thoroughly enjoyed the programmes organised and it was a good opportunity to meet others his age. Senior citizens from Hosa Belaku, Mandur and Vijayapura (near Devanahalli); Maneyangala Old Age Home at Malleshwaram, Cheshire Homes at Whitefield and Nightingales Day Sandhya Kirana at Shantinagar joined in the festival.
Founder of VFC Surendran Krishnan said the idea came about when members of the NGO realised that although festivals were held for children and the differently abled, there was no such event for elders to come together. "We arranged buses to pick the elders from the old age homes. Breakfast was arranged in the morning, after which several games, including Kavade and Five Stones which they had played in their childhood, were organised," said Surendran. The volunteers also set up a photo booth at the entrance of the venue to take pictures of the elders as they walked in, which they gave away as mementos at the end of the day.
In the end, volunteers and senior citizens alike left with wide smiles and memories to cherish.
