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Yesterday, October 17, was the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The observance of this day can be traced back to October 17, 1987. On that day, over a hundred thousand people gathered at the Trocadéro in Paris, where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was signed in 1948, to honour the victims of extreme poverty, violence and hunger.

They proclaimed that poverty is a violation of Human Rights and affirmed the need to come together to ensure that these rights are respected. Since then, people of all backgrounds, beliefs and social origins have gathered every year on October 17 to renew their commitment and show their solidarity with the poor.
Working, as we do, with some of the poorest people in the world, Mumbai Smiles is in a daily, lifelong mission to eradicate poverty from Mumbai. And, on this day, we underscore our commitment to continue this struggle until there is nothing left to fight against anymore.

Mindful of the terrible consequences of poverty, not only in Mumbai, but also in other countries, even ‘developed’ one, we believe that everyone (leaders, institutions and individuals) can contribute in different ways to make a real difference.

In the words of Muhammad Yunus: ‘Poverty does not belong in civilised human society. Its proper place is in a museum. That’s where it will be.’

We dream of the day when we can walk into that museum and point out an exhibit to our kids and say, ‘Do you see that? That’s poverty, it used to be everywhere but it has become extinct now.’

It’s been six years since we made our commitment to fulfill that dream. What about you?

Ganpati bappa morya!

Today, Mumbai's popular Ganesh Chaturthi festival comes to an end.
The festival is a celebration of the birthday of Ganesh, the elephant-headed son of Shiva and Parvati. The Hindu god is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune.

While celebrated all over India, it is most elaborate in western India, especially Mumbai, where specially built Ganesh statues are installed in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures (pandals) in every locality. The pandals are erected by the people or a specific society or locality or group by collecting monetary contributions.

The main sweet dish during the festival is the modak, a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments. It is either steam-cooked or fried.

Public celebrations of the festival are hugely popular, with local communities (mandalas) vying with each other to put up the biggest statue and the best pandal. The festival is also the time for cultural activities like singing and theater performances, orchestra and community activities like free medical checkup, blood donation camps, charity for the poor, etc.

Today, Ganesh Chaturthi is not only a popular festival, it has become a very critical and important economic activity for Maharashtra. Many artists, industries, and businesses survive on this mega-event. The festival also provides a stage for budding artists to present their art to the public.

After 10 days of worship, on the 11th day, the Ganesh statues are taken through the streets of Mumbai in a procession accompanied with dancing, singing, and fanfare to be immersed the sea symbolizing a ritual see-off of the Lord in his journey towards his abode in Kailash while taking away with him the misfortunes of his devotees. This is the ritual known as Ganesh Visarjan.

As they say, Ganpati bappa moray, pudchya varshi lavkarya. Beloved Lord Ganpati, come back soon next year.

Eid Mubarak!

Today is Eid ul-Fitr, or Eid, the Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramzan, the holy month of fasting. Eid is an Arabic word meaning 'festivity', while Fiṭr means 'break-fasting'. So, the holiday symbolizes the celebration after completing the fasting of the entire month of Ramzan.

 In India, and other South Asian countries, the night before Eid is called Chaand Raat, which means night of the moon. People often visit bazaars and shopping malls, with their families and children, for last minute Eid shopping. Women and girls, often paint each others' hands with mehndi and wear colourful bangles. During Eid, the traditional greeting is Eid Mubarak, and includes a formal embrace. After the Eid prayers, it is common for families to visit graveyards and pray for the salvation of departed family members.

Eid is a public holiday and is celebrated all over India, as well as Mumbai, which has a big Muslim community living here. So, Eid Mubarak and enjoy your day!

For teachers, with love...

Every year, September 5 is celebrated as Teachers' Day all over India. It's the day to acknowledge and appreciate the passion and commitment of teachers, who make this world a special place.

Yashodhan school students celebrated Teachers' Day on Friday by giving  their teachers the day off. Instead, the senior students took over classes for the day. Have a look:

To all the teachers out there, thank you, once again, for the work you do. Things wouldn't be the same without you!

Happy Janmashtami!

Today, people all over India are celebrating Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of the Lord Krishna. Yashodhan school celebrated this festival yesterday, as they all get to enjoy a holiday today :)

This little boy was dressed up as Krishna, complete with a peacock feather in his hair and a flute in his hand, both of which are synonymous with the image of the popular Hindu god.

These little girls also dressed up in special outfits to mark the occasion.

In Mumbai, Janmashtami celebrations are incomplete without 'Dahi Handi'. The story goes that baby Krishna was very fond of curd and would always break into the pots people had at their homes, to steal curd. Taking off from this legend, the breaking of the dahi handi (an earthen pot filled with curd) has become a popular sport that communities take part in every year during Janmashtami, irrespective of their religious background. 

Young people (mostly men and boys) form a human pyramid to reach the 'dahi handi' suspended high above. When the pyramid reaches the dahi handi, the topmost member, usually the smallest person in the team, breaks the pot and lets the curd pour all over the pyramid.

Yesterday, we watched the boys at Yashodhan show off their agility too. 

While an enthusiastic audience watched...

It all ended with some dancing and fun in the rain :)

Photos by: Jorge Zamacona

Happy Raksha Bandhan!

All over India, brothers and sisters are celebrating their special bond today. Raksha Bandhan (which means 'bond of protection') is the only Hindu festival dedicated to brothers and sisters. Though more popular in Northern and Western India, the festival is marked in other regions as well, and celebrated in different ways.

The ritual involves a sister tying a ‘rakhi’ around the brother’s wrist, performing an 'aarti', putting a 'tilak' on his forehead and praying for his well-being. In return, the brother pledges to take care of her and gives her a return gift.

Today, while the rakhi tradition still holds strong, the celebrations are more unconventional. Stores are flooded with every kind of design imaginable, rakhis are now couriered to brothers, and unusual gift ideas include a gym membership or and iPod.

Times might have changed, but the significance of Raksha Bandhan hasn’t.

Happy Parsi New Year!

Today, Parsis all over the world are celebrating Navroze, which is the Parsi New Year. According to tradition, the present-day Parsis descend from a group of Iranian Zoroastrians who immigrated to Western India during 10th century AD.

The 10 days before Navroze are marked by prayers for the departed. The 10th day (yesterday) was Pateti, a day of repentance and reflection on the previous year. So, today, the community, including Mumbai's 8,000-strong Parsis will welcome the year with great fervour.

Enjoy!

Happy Independence Day!

Yesterday, August 15, was India´s Independence Day. This is the day, 63 years ago, that the British government officially handed over control of the Indian republic to its own people. To mark our country´s freedom from British rule, the Indian flag was hoisted for the first time in 1947 by India´s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, at the Red Fort in Delhi. That tradition continues till now with official Independence Day celebrations taking place in Delhi every year, boosted by enthusiastic celebrations all over the country.

Mumbai Smiles participated in the Independence Day festivities at Yashodhan school, early on Sunday morning. Here´s a glimpse of the special day:

The agenda for the morning:

Yashodhan school´s boy scouts and girl guides line up:

With the NCC cadre:

Students, teachers and parents in attendance:

Unfurling the flag:

Saluting the flag and singing the national anthem:

The special guests invited to the event:

Felicitations and speeches:

Patriotic students:

 

Students sing national songs with gusto:

While some in the audience sing along:

 

 Others give impassioned speeches:

Even the rain doesn´t dampen the mood:

To a glorious past and future achievements. Jai Hind!