Spiritual fair continues to draw crowds

CHENNAI: The Gurunanak College campus continued to be packed on Friday with students, devotees and culture enthusiasts, marking the third day of the six-day long Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair (HSSF). 
The fair has managed to reinvent itself every year and never ceases to amaze both, regulars and new visitors. 

Being the beginning of the weekend, the footfall is only expected to increase and the excitement in the air is palpable as children, dressed up as various gods rehearse lines for a competition or dancers do a final practice session before their performances. It is a glorious display of Hindu culture, spirituality and heritage in all its glory. 

“It is very important for children to remain rooted to our culture and traditions,” said 62-year-old S Meena who was accompanied by her 6-year-old grandson. “I keep telling my grandchild stories from our mythology and this is a wonderful way for him to see, learn and be curious enough to ask me more. I have been bringing him for the last two days and he is the one who is asking me to bring him for the rest of the days also!” 

One of the biggest draws at the fair continues to be the elephant, especially among children. It is constantly surrounded by wide-eyed children and equally awestruck adults. The fair also aims at instilling a sense of patriotism, nationalistic fervour and pride in the youth. For this purpose a number of cutouts have been set up with the names of freedom fighters and national heroes along with information about each one. 

“I find this kind of a fair to be a blessing because as a teacher I know that students grasp more when they are in an environment like this where there is information all around and they are free to explore and learn for themselves,” said a teacher from a private school in the City. “A number of students came up to me to seek clarification about certain historical figures and it shows the fair kindled their curiosity.” This is the 10th edition of the fair that will conclude on Monday.