Children experience rural culture and traditional games at a two-day camp in Patan

Over 750 school children from classes 5 to 12 took part in the fourth annual two-day summer camp held at Vaghel village in Harij taluka. The event was organised under the banner of 'Halo Bheru Gamde', an initiative inspired by the 27-village Leuva Patidar community of Patan district.

Activities and Exhibits

Children played traditional games including kabaddi, kho-kho, marbles, five stones, lagori, tug-of-war, and volleyball. The camp also featured an exhibition of old farming tools, household items, traditional clothing, and torans. Participants handled tasks like cleaning, cooking, and serving meals by themselves to learn self-reliance and the value of hard work.

Community Leaders

The opening ceremony was attended by community leaders and guests, including Kunjurdham head Vivekanandji Bapu, Vaghel math mahant, 27-village Leuva Patidar community president Chaturbhai Patel, community secretary, Paragdham Ramwadi mahant Narharidasbapu, Patan district BJP president Rameshbhai Sindhav, former cabinet minister Dilipkumar Thakor, district executive member Sonalben Thakor, and former community president Kanjibhai Patel. The event began with the lighting of a lamp, followed by welcome songs and folk songs performed by the daughters of the community.

Context

Many families from the community live in cities such as Surat, Vadodara, and Ahmedabad, prompting these annual village camps to reconnect the younger generation with rural traditions. The first camp was held in Ravad village of Sami taluka, the second in Junamanka village of Harij taluka, and the third in Kukrana village, before the fourth edition was hosted in Vaghel village.