Childhood Memories

Childhood Memories - India in 80s n 90s

My childhood was carefree unknown to what is happening around. The childhood in mid 80′s n early 90s was full of life enjoying outdoors. No TV, Internet or video games.

In summer we used to play all sort of games; Kabaddi, Cricket, Football, Tag, hide and seek etc. This was the season of the marriages thus it was a heaven on earth for the kids. Each marriage fest use to last for ten days. No elders around, no rok-tok. Fun use to last the whole day. I very well remember sneaking out sweets and chutneys from the cooking pandals.

In monsoon season the common fun was rain dance. Other games were tops (lattoo), Biking, playing board games, making paper boats and those boat competitions in the streams. The most fun was to roll the bicycle rims. I enjoyed rolling them and the rolling competitions. The best festival was GANESH chaturthi. The festival goes on for 10 days and filled with fun and frolic. 

The winter was one my favourite month for the fun. Why? NAVRATRI, DASHERA, DIWALI, SANKRANTI, MAKAR-SANKRANTI and the MAHA-SHIVARATRI. This is the full festive season for every Indian. I was in Maharashtra so the Navratri is one my favourite festival. Imagine those 10 days of dandiya and dancing. Other busy portion of that month was the Ramayana drama and the DASHERA. The whole ground used to get full. People use to flock from far off to watch this event of burning the Ravana. Immidiately the preperations for Diwali begins. Sweets, Crackers and Diya’s in Diwali. I enjoyed cracking the bombs and firing the rockets. As soon as the Diwali is over the preparations for the Sankranti begins. My best hobby was kite flying. It is still close to my heart. Imagine staying on the terrace and the roof tops, with the ‘til ka laddoos’ for the entire day during all those Sundays. Flying the kites, competing with the friends, and when you ran out of the kite you are on the move to catch the “kati-patang’. 

Then arrives the spring, the harvesting season. The most vibrant season of the BAISAKHI, HOLI, and YUGADI. This is entirely a different season for fun. You get new clothes, again after the Diwali festival. It is hard to put in words, the ambience, the fervour and the mood of that day. You visit everybody’s house, it doesn’t matter if you know them or not, to wish a happy Holi. In return they wish you hug you and offer sweets, and then they join you.

And the school ends in April and the Summer fun begins. The entire year is filled with fun and festive mood. No grudges.

Now, at this age it is all locked up in the box. The worst part is there is no key to open it again. Sadly, I came to know that the kids of this generation don’t have the fun which we had. They least play outdoors, and are mostly on the video games, computer games or watching TV. This they call it the next-gen fun. Secondly, they are engrossed with studies, fierce completion for grades and lot of homework from school and tuition. During our time we used go to tuition classes only in high school, that also only for Science and Mathematics. But, now the kids go to tuition for all the courses. It is like double schooling. I wonder what the necessity of the school is if the kid has to go to tuition. Something is terribly wrong.