A visual tribute to grandparents

The occasion, ‘Graceful Ageing,’ was part of International Day of Older Persons- 2012

Participants add colour to their ideas on ageing at the painting competition organised at Fun Republic Mall in the city on Sunday. Photo: S. Siva Saravanan

At the Fun Republic Mall on Avinashi Road, 40 college students were busy on Sunday morning – not shopping or window shopping but painting. With brushes of various sizes and colours mixed to their taste on the palette, the students of around 10 institutions gave life and colour to their ideas on ageing.

The occasion was the painting contest the Department of Geriatric Services of the G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital and Aarogyakudumbam had organised to celebrate ‘Graceful Ageing’ as part of the International Day of the Older Persons, 2012. The Hindu was a media partner.

The organisers had two topics for the participants – memories or impressions of grandfather or grandmother or how they think they would be when they age to become senior citizens.

The aim of asking the participants on either of the two topics is to create awareness on the issues concerning the elderly among today’s youngsters, says Rahul Padmanabhan, Consultant, Geriatric Services, GKNM Hospital.

The youngsters will, at some point of time, turn caregivers. When they are so, they need to be aware of the problems the elderly face. Through the painting contest, the organisers wanted to create that awareness. In fact, it is part of a campaign.

For the participants, the event proved to be an opportunity to not just showcase their painting skills but also recall with love their grandparents.

“I have tried to paint memories of my grandparents,” says V. Saranya of Tamil Nadu School of Architecture.

Her painting was a tribute to beautiful relationship she shared with her grandparents, says M. Shanmathi, also a student of the Tamil Nadu School of Architecture.

The participants had asked each invited institution to send a maximum of four students.

Dr. Padmanabhan says that the organisers will give away prizes to the winners on September 30, the day the ‘International Day of the Older Person, 2012’ will be held at the Mani High School auditorium.

Fun Republic Mall, Switcher clothing and Radio City joined the organisers in conducting the painting contest.