Barodian 'books' place in kid's hearts

VADODARA: "Don't offer sweets, flowers or chocolates. Instead, offer textbooks and notebooks to Lord Ganesha at my home.''
A Barodian took it upon herself to help hundreds of children who lost their study material and notebooks in the recent floods that ravaged the city. Kalpana Shah decided to evoke Lord Ganesha to urge people to help the kids.
"It's a tradition for the devotees to offer sweets or flowers to Lord Ganesha when they come for 'aarti' or 'darshan' during the Ganpati festival.The sweets are usually savoured by the devotees or distributed to others. I thought to use this tradition in a positive way for helping the underprivileged children," said Shah, who is into social activities.
Her daughter Himani and son-in-law Viral Stampwala celebrate the Ganesha festival at their home in Subhanpura every year. Shah joins them in the festivities there.
"I urged people in our family and friends' groups to not bring sweets or flowers as offerings for Ganesha. Instead, I asked them to bring notebooks and pens that were kept in front of the Lord. The idea was to donate these books to the children whose homes were flooded recently," Shah, 75, told TOI.
"Apart from the household belongings, the study material and books of these children got washed away in the floods. There were many photographs of children and their parents drying their study material and books out on the roads after the floods. It was a great loss to the children and I just wanted to help them," she added.
Shah's innovative idea worked as she got hundreds of books and pens in the offering from her family and friends.
"I donated the notebooks to kids staying in Mujmahuda area. The joy on their faces was gratifying," Shah said.