Story Mela-08

The story mela made each one of us think differently about the way a story can be said or done. We were locked up in the idea of telling or conveying a story, our guru (of course you all know who) none other than Ratnesh Uncl gave us a different view ( as usual) of looking at the medium through which we can use rather l than the story itself. Initially is was what is this then all of us started our brain storming, got in touch with Priyanka who showed us the different ways of doing story and then started our preparation for the story mela. Mails to parents by our mailing specialist ( Shivani) started off. Enthusiastic parents came forward and together the stories were coming in to shape. We worked on different themes like costumes, puzzles, paper and junk. Each time we met different ideas kept popping up till we realised that now we have to freeze our ideas. Lot of material preparation by our Laxmi aunty helped us to get our requirements organised. Thank you Laxmi Aunty. On the d day the environment in Gk had a colourful look with bed sheets and duppatas and streamers adorning the walls and the cupboards. Some rooms had trees and animals hanging on the doors to create a jungle. The story mela started off with the monkey and crocodile story where the crocodile team had to take the maximum mangoes and the monkeys had to save their mangoes. Using paper tails and paper stones children enjoyed catching and throwing the stones. N Next we heard the chugging and the whistle of the train and we saw our ever ready and enthusiastic Vidya aunty busy with the red and green flags. Thank you Viday aunty for your sudden appearance and adding momentum to the show. Children enjoyed moving through the tunnels. Our lion and animals were waiting to be saved from Gauzar and how our clever rabbit saved the animals. All the children enjoyed getting a printout of different animals. Our Cinderella who was playing all alone, suddenly got lot of friends by finding matching things for her and we all started dancing and having a great time. Thank you Archita Aunty, Sandhya Aunty, Asawari Didi , Sadhana Auntyand Madhulika Aunty for participating with enthusiasm in our story mela and to all our parents who could make it for our stories . Special thanks to our photographers Aruna aunty and Ratnesh uncle. A word of appreciation to our didis who were all through involved in quickly cleaning and setting rooms. Thanks you didis.

Our story was about a little girl called Cinderella, who was always keeping herself busy. Only sometimes she felt lonely and wished for a friend or two to play with. Fairy Godmother passing by hears her wish and appears in front of Cinderella, she asks her to look around and she would find whatever she needed. (As our audience came in they were  given a golden band to wear around their foreheads).  Cinderella is confused and doesn't  know what to do. Further Fairy God mother gives her only 5mins to get ready for a party.  At that time all the children and parents are invited to search for pairs of things hidden around the room. Everybody goes on a treasure hunt and enjoy bringing bach things and giving ti Cinderella. On a thanking note Cinderella joins everybody and they all dance along to their favourite music.

Cast :

Cinderella- Aarna (Girija Aunty's group) -not to miss the way she cupped her little hands below her cheeks to show how lonely she was.

Fairy Godmother- Archita(Aarna's mother)-Seen with a magic wand, put in a lot of practise and was enjoying the entire process of the story, remembering her school days and reminding her husband time and again.."Maza araha hein na'

DJ-Chhavi(Aarna's father) Seen as a very enthu and cool DJ with a torch, moving the group to search for Cinderella's treasure.

Narrator-Shivani, chattering away, thoroughly enjoyed with the team.

Special thanks-

For all the enthu Children and Parents, for coming to the Story mela and lighting up the event with theirs smiles and participation.

Pro-active Asawari-for immediately taking up the initiative to volunteer and constantly working with her team.

Responsible Madhulika-for constantly checking and making sure things were inplace

Eager Sadhana-for puzzling everyone with her story team and for special effects at the station.

Cheerful Archita-for enjoying every bit of the planning and preparation for the Mela

Supportive Chhavi-for pitching in at the right time and gelling in.

Smiling Sandhya-for the constant smile and wonderful Ellie costume

Relaxed Joyce-for team spirit and support

Bouncy Girija-for monkeying around and having fun with the kids.

Potent Padma-for all the ahistling and hustling bustling at the railway station.

Sportive Radhika-for taking on any role

Sparkling Vidya-for coming in, from out of the blue and cheering up the entire event

Thoughtfull Ratnesh-for taking all the pictures

Reliable Aruna-for understanding our multiplex scheme and guiding all the parents and children to different shows

Joyfull Jaya-for setting up and winding up, thoroughly enjoying the role given

Willing Meenakshi-for providing anything that we needed, with a smile and so willingly doing things for all.

Lakshmi Aunty-for all the material preparation.

The journey to story mela started from the station of planning how can we see telling a story  in a different method and travelled different stations like setting different guide lines on those methods, taking personal responsibility in different  feilds,  organising different meetings,whistling mails to everyone,preparing our self  though practice and finally reached the destination ---The creative story mela.

Here we had four  platforms to receive four interesting  stories with a arrival(starting) and departure(finishing) time.

We saw in the first plat form  the Vibrant Grija and  chearful Sandhya helping enthusiastic monkeys and crocodiles jumping around,singing aloud,throwing the paper balls on the mangoes on the tree.

And in the second platform we saw Enthusiastic Joyce Aunty as engine starting  the chuk chuk gadi with a whistle, Thoughtful Sadhana Aunty (Sai's mother) helping the passengers getting inside the train,Welcoming Padma Aunty requesting the passengers to help in repairing the train when ever it need help  and Magical Vidya Aunty helping every one to enjoy a ride in the train  passing through the magic tunnel  with their friendly animals.

Then we saw in the third platform  colourful trees in the the lions forest with planning Asawri, jumping Dhrupad,organising Radhika Aunty and chearful Madhulika as lots of animals acting the play.

And in the last platform we saw the beautiful understanding cindrella Arna wishing for lots of friends to play with to the understanding Archita the Angel and heard the anouncement -narating the story  by open mind Shivani

The whole station was secured, protected checked by our Vigilant officers---

The whole stations was  veiwed through a camera by  Creative Ratnesh Uncle,

Ticket checking done by Responsible Aruna Aunty,

Helpline by friendly jaya didi, willing meenakshy didi, fast Varalakshmy didi and supportive Lakshmy Aunty

Thanks to all the Fac's children who took intiatve in taking part in the show

Thanks to one and all for making the show a memorable one

Hey Khoj team

Reading about the story mela is fun. I can imagine how much fun you and kids had.

One thing I have always enjoy about Khoji's is that in any event the aunties enjoy equally or more than the children. I was there just for few minutes - and there was wave of happiness around - smiling and COOL faces preparing for the mela.

I must say the team has realy lerant to be "RELAX"  :)

Aditi

The preparation of story mela started like a train journey waiting and watching how and when we will reach the story mela station with different show.

Puzzle First show - When our team energetic Padma Aunty, effective Sai's mother Sadhna & me were in the swing to start.  Theater creative vidya aunty came in and added masala to the show made more creative enjoyed the joining the animal puzzle and taking them in train which was fixed by our little genies went into the magic tunnel.  which was super hit. 

Thanks to  involving parents who became the passengers and made the story mela a memorable moment

First time becoming one strange animal character and really enjoyed a lot being part of the story and my many inhibitions went as the story was moving ahead.I thank Gk for making my son also participate in the story  and was calling me as zugor many times and he enjoyed.

The story was all about:

A zugor who use to kill many of the animals in the forest for his food everyday.All the animals decided to stop  this senseless killing and they decided to go one -by-one to zugor for his food and he will  not hunt anymore and the  zugor also accepted this idea and animals went in their turns (lions,cubs,zebra).It  was the turn of the rabit and the rabit was not ready to be killed by zugor and thought wisely and told the zugor that one more zugor is in the forest and he is killing all the animals and the zugor was really angry and went to see the another zugor with the wise rabit and the rabit showed the well to zugor and when the zugor saw the well, he saw his own reflection and thought it is another zugor and was very angry and jumped in to the well and drowned. The wise rabit was praised by other animals and all the animals lived a happy life after the zugor was killed.

Thanks madhulika,asawari ,dhrupad ,rakshan,rishikesh,gaurika for their enthusiastic participation.