A day out at the orphanage

It was his idea - celebrating his birthday at the orphanage. It wasn't till the other day that his parents - Kalpana and Muthuraman - divulged to Mukesh they had adopted him from 'Families for Children' at Podhanur when he was merely three months old. Mukesh is now 11.
Reproduced here from the website are some faces of today's children at the Podhanur orphanage. They raise over 250 such children - from new-born till 5 years - and an equal number of those with varied physical and mental disabilities.
Mukesh was born among such children he met during his recent orphanage visit. They were not fortunate enough to have been adopted like Mukesh. His biological mother who had taken refuge at 'Families for Children' reportedly left the place after child-birth. It was left to the orphanage staff to name the new-born (Praveen) and nurse him for three months till Kalpana and Muthuraman came along to adopt Praveen.

They re-named him Mukesh and gave him a fresh life. Kalpana said during his birthday visit (Jan.26) to the orphanage they met the woman - addressed by everyone around as chechi - who had nursed Mukesh (as Praveen) for weeks after his birth. She also remembered the Muthuramans and his parents when they had come to the orphanage over a decade back, at the time of adoption.

Muthuraman's parents - Saraswathi and Vidyanathan - were very supportive of Kalpana's decision to go for adoption.And Mukesh got a set of parents, and also grandparents. On their part - Saraswathi and Vaidyanathan - the family seniors have had the joy and pleasure of raising a grandchild. They are at an age when people turn to divinity and pilgrimage.I don't know if Saraswathi and her husband realise this.Bringing up Mukesh, they can be said to be gaining punya on a daily basis, without having to do Kashi-Rameswaram in pilgrimage.
After he handed over sweets to them, the children at the orphanage greeted Mukesh with a chorus of 'Happy birthday to Mukesh'. "We were moved to tears," said Kalpana when we called her from Mysore. Recounting her orphanage visit, and the affection with which the children and staff there welcomed them, Kalpana told her Mysore mami that she wished her family had the resources to adopt some more children to grow up with Mukesh.

Kalpana (a school teacher) and Muthuraman (who works for a Coimbatore company making printing machinery) adopted Mukesh as an infant. He knew of no 'Amma' other than Kalpana till she told him of his adoption a couple of weks back. Now, after a decade, she and Muthuraman dicided to tell Mukesh, because they didn't want him to hear this from others. That he was not their biological son was widely known in family circles; and Kalpana was getting concerned about holding it from the 11-year-old any longer. Mukesh wasn't getting any younger, she said, adding that she felt a sense of relief of having unburdened herself of something that was weighing so heavily on her mind, for so long.

The birthday boys

Though they had celebrated their birthdays last month - Sidharth and Nikhil - had it all over again the other day, if only to invite their friends home for cakes and juice, and to generally mess around in the play room for a couple of hours.

It is now Nikhil's turn to blow off his set of two candles, representing the two years he completed on Nov.16. The other four candles on the cake stand for Sidharth who finished four years on Dec.16.

Friends had the run on the playroom. And the birthday boys had their share of fun sharing toys with friends. Speaking of sharing, the brothers had their differences, with Nikhil often wanting the very toy his big brother happened to be playing with at any given time

Nikhil here appears unconcerned about a friend having helped himself to a handful of cars from the play-room.
Nikhil, usually,has the last word,rather the last spoonful.

Mukesh in Mysore

Mukesh,11, with his mother Kalpana,, came from Coimbatore to spend the Pongal weekend in Mysore. The last time they were here was three years back, when we celebrated grandson Sidharth's first birthday with a family re-union.
Kalpana, with her husband Muthuraman, had adopted Mukesh from an orphanage at Podhanur,when he was barely three months old. It was not till recently that they decided to disclose to Mukesh that he is not their biological son. According to his mother, Mukesh wants to spend his next birthday,at the orphanage; and he would like his parents to distribute sweets among the children there. Mukesh completes 11 years on Jan.26.
Mukesh struck me as friendly, and helpful. He got along well with Aneesh and Ashika, who had come from Coonoor to be with us during school break. And they addressed Mukesh 'Anna', and looked up to him for providing the lead in the games children play. I sensed that, of the one week Aneesh and Ashika spent in Mysore they had most fun on the last two days they spent in the company of Mukesh.
I found him respectful towards elders, and receptive to their advice. Mukesh evinced keen interest in learning about the use of Internet in widening one's knowledge about the subjects he is taught in school. He has this urge to learn new things.
Their Mysore visit was so short that they could not go sight-seeing. The only place they could visit was the Mysore Palace.
Posing for a picture by his Mysore mami, who took Mukesh to the Palace.