A few weeks ago I wrote about mid-day lunch at the Shanbhag School in Kumta. During our recent visit to Kumta in July, I walked over to the adjacent primary school – Saraswati Vidya Kendra.
On this Wednesday, kids were dressed in their school uniforms, unlike the ‘casual Thursday” attire we saw earlier. Here are a couple pics of tiny tots in the lower KG and the upper KG classes sitting for lunch. Because they have difficulty eating from plates (without getting half the food on the floor), they are served in “dabbas” and side dishes are served in the lids. It appeared odd, but once I saw tiny hands grab food from the dabbas, it made perfect sense.
Adorable kids
Kids Chanting:
With nearly 70 tots waiting to be served, it is difficult to keep them from being raucous; so as teachers serve, the students are made to recite Hare Ram Hare Krishna. Once everyone is served, they recite a Benediction. It was very chaotic, but endearing to hear these 3-4 year olds chanting (or screaming).
PS: In this post, I have a couple of video snippets of the students at the SVK standing in line for their lunch and also a chanting of the blessing.
Scholarship program I run at the Shanbhag School
- Academic Update from the Shanbhag School
- Scholarships for the Needy
- Scholarship Activities at Shikshan.org
Arun Shanbhag 