A Summer Camp Always To Be Cherished

Just as our first session of tenth grade came to an end, there was a new cause of excitement for us in the coming days. Our school was organizing a five-day summer spiritual camp for us within the campus, as is done annually for tenth-grade students. It was being held in the hopes of arousing feelings of calm, inner peace and devotion from the soul. I had never been away from home for such a long duration of time and thus, experienced a blend of exhilaration, excitement, and fear preceding the night of the 21^st of April, the day which marked the commencement of the camp. I, along with my friends arrived with bags packed and vigour replenished on the first morning. We discovered that our comfortable beds back at home had been replaced with mattresses on the floor; and our spacious bathrooms with the school washrooms! Looking at each other, we sighed as realization struck. All of us were in this together for the long haul.

We were ten students to a room; which automatically transitioned to laughter, friendly quarrels, jokes, singing and sleepless nights as we whiled away time chattering nineteen to a dozen, speaking what would seem complete and outright nonsense to anyone else. We were appointed fixed schedules for the week and it was mandatory to report to the venues at the respective times. All this was a humongous effort to keep ourselves engaged.

Lectures and motivational talks were lined up one after the other. We rushed from the auditorium to the school ground and to the dining hall back and forth, in order to maintain the timetable. Students belonging to schools of the Sathya Sai Trust, but from different cities also mingled with us during this camp. Being the host school, the designated planning team had designed an activity where children from all three schools were shuffled and assigned groups. After two hours of mise en place, we were required to give a presentation on our theme. This was a win-win situation since alongside dramatic skill development; stage fear vanished as well as socialization with many different students was initiated. We thus broke through the barriers of being with our friends. These teams were a constant blur since we were whisked off to new groups each day, ensuring maximum exposure to varied personalities. The ultimate products of our teams might not have been mind-blowing, but the purpose for designing this task was definitely achieved. We opened up and discussed with complete strangers, conversing through the language of teamwork, which we probably wouldn’t have done had it not been for this assignment.

Since the usage of mobiles was not permitted and the activities went on for hours together without a break, meal times and sports became an escape to freedom and fun from this exhausting routine; a breath of fresh and cool air for a street dweller perspiring under the sun, the joy of seeing a full platter of food and goodies for a homeless man seeking alms. Pre-dinner activities were often put together; like a movie, documentaries and singing along in the evergreen Antakshari. We looked forward to breakfast, where consumption of loads of caffeine came into play; and to lunch and dinner which brought with it the taste of restaurants, the simplicity of home-cooked food and the nutrition of fresh produce.

To evoke a sense of interest, encourage learning and to create a source of entertainment, we were required to attend 4 lectures every day where our own school teachers and well-known speakers were specially invited;  who gave fire to our minds which blossomed inspiration in our hearts. Many gave original insight into the foundation stones and rocks of Indian culture and traditions.

One of the best speeches, in my opinion, was given by our Director, Paranjpe Sir. An 87-year-old man, but young at heart, he’s a person who’s brimming with raw energy, and whom you would like to be around. He is well-versed in both English and Hindi and is capable of giving an excellent presentation in both languages. The session was an introductory one for the entirety of the camp, dealing with the roots of our culture and spirit; and to what extent they spread far and wide in the soil of Mother India.

In one of the most intellectual speeches I’ve had the pleasure of attending and one that is unforgettable, he explained in minute detail that spirituality is not only about prayers and rituals, but is a complex aspect of Mankind’s connection to The Supreme Powers, a bonding between Soul and The Divine. An elaboration that thoroughly fascinated me was learning that our souls are infinitesimal parts of that of God’s himself. Although our exteriors might differ, our souls glow with the same vibrancy and radiance. That is why; it is imperative that the concept of universal brotherhood be propagated boundlessly into the world. If each person on this globe inculcated and imbibed peace and harmony, war would be wiped off the face of this Earth and eventually, humanity would rise to glory from the rubble of warfare and annihilation.

Moral values are an integral part of our culture and the indigenous Indian essence. They’re all those positive thoughts, teachings bestowed upon us to motivate us to perform honourable tasks, and ancient but unique traditions passed on by our ancestors into our hands. It becomes our default mission to not only fulfill these duties but make sure that the fibres interwoven to form the thick and rich cloth of Indian culture flow into the palms of the next generation. It is very similar to water gently making its way through stones and grass, starting at a creek, cascading down a waterfall and then splashing and pooling in a lagoon. Like the stones and weeds, the passage of culture to the future eras will definitely have to prevail over some obstacles due to the advancement of modernity, but its result will be utter happiness and joy for everybody.

And thus, our culture is and will remain the quintessence of our motherland, its spirit remaining undeviating, continuing its journey on for evermore.

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Our Social Studies teacher threw Chanakya in a different light, bathed in patriotism; an angle from which I’d never looked at him earlier. We learned of graphology, the art of interpreting handwriting and we spent a fun hour trying to analyze each other’s style of script. Awareness about Swami Vivekananda was stirred which brought to the limelight his honesty, integrity, and wit. A beautiful discourse on devotion to our country moved everybody and I experienced the same goose bumps and pride I do when anybody talks of national preservation, sacrifice, and when the flag is unfurled, fluttering and catching in the wind, while the national anthem rings out. A quiz on Indian mythology was conducted by one of our teachers, known for attaining mastery over quizzing! This tested our knowledge of the Vedas, Upanishads and Indian epics. A talk about passion and chasing our true purpose in life once again provoked thought and we contemplated on what path we’re destined to walk upon and trail. Management of our time, the importance of soft skills and other tools crucial to our quotidian and mundane life were also conveyed to us through the course of these five days.

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All molecules vibrated with purity, this being a result of the showers of cheerfulness in the school campus. The 23^rd consecutive year of the camp’s organization had been successfully completed. It was as if the school was the ocean, the teachers, its oysters and we, the pearls; being polished and nurtured by them, ready to go out and embellish the world. In the earlier days, the waters of the Tri-Sangam formed by the 3 schools were surging with energetic but distinct hues. By the conclusion ceremony, we were very comfortable being around each other, which was indeed, most unusual for children who had only known one another for a week. The waters had now merged, forming a fusion and mélange of a single bright colour, whose shade was imbued with illumination.

Despite there being various hurdles which were not to be found in our content lives at home, we too rose to the occasion and matched them, bringing forth a sense of independence and responsibility. We were in charge of ourselves and our belongings which evoked a sense of gratitude for our parents and the things we often take for granted. All in all, it was a memorable experience, away from home and with our friends. We left with a poignant reminder of how  fast time had passed; but with exceptional and rare memories which are now stored in a part of our hearts, always to be cherished, treasured and looked back upon with fond tears in our eyes.

All us students who were privileged enough to attend this camp were infused with luminescence and brilliance, absorbing each tiny beam of light that could be taken within. We’re now all set to build an aura and charisma around ourselves, spreading the rays of positivity into a suffering world, hoping to elucidate spirituality’s true essence and ease their burdens. This would forge ecstasy and satisfaction in the furnaces of the globe, emerging from each soul. If each one of us succeeds, the world will be washed in colours of amity, tranquility and goodwill.