A pleasant break awaited youngsters at Valluvar Kottam on Thursday.
A four-day youth health mela, organised under the aegis of Cancer Institute, Adyar, made for a lively and educational experience that had groups of school and college students making charts on healthy living to prevent cancer.
Even as a symposium on the role of media in promoting youth health was in progress, school boys scampered around, intent on getting their work materials in order.
In the backdrop of a constant buzz, media persons focussed on short presentations on the harmful effects of tobacco products given by surgeons from the Institute.
There was also a presentation on the best ways to get health messages across to youngsters by journalists.
A food pyramid, which laid stress on fruits and vegetables, attracted a lot of attention. Organic food enthusiasts were provided with a platform to showcase their talent.
At the food courts, youngsters gamely tried a variety of traditional foods. The mela, which focuses on healthy living, lived up to expectations by offering a feast that was prepared with minor millets.
E. Vidhubala, event secretary, said they made a serendipitous discovery of them, when they went in search of minor millets. “There are small farmers in villages who have continued with traditional cultivating methods,” she said.
