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MADURAI, INDIA, May 9, 2005: Probably after five months one could see the visible smile back on their faces. Many have worked day and night for this to happen. But, behind their smile one could read the sorrow lines, which run deep. Having lost their kith and kin in front of their eyes to the giant killer waves is something hard to digest. The bitter realities that happened on the bright Sunday morning of December 26 is still etched in the memories of these innocent children, who visited the city just to get themselves rejuvenated. Their visit was arranged by the People’s Development Association (PDA), an NGO, working to rehabilitate people living in the tsunami-affected villages. Around 150 children from the Vellapallam Fishing Village in Nagapattinam district were picked up for this excursion and exposure program (as the organizers call it). The PDA has renovated the dilapidated middle school and have constructed a community centre at Vellapallam. The NGO had also donated boats to the fishermen of the affected village. For many of these children, this was their first visit to the Temple City of Madurai. The children arrived on Saturday morning. They visited the Gandhi Memorial Museum and were briefed about significance of Gandhiji’s visit to Madurai and associated history. Then the children were taken to the Corporation Rajaji Park where they enjoyed playing different games. Later, they were taken to the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple where they were informed about the historical significance of the temple and the architectural value of the shrine. After that the children visited Tirupparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple. The day-long visit proved a fascinating experience for the school students.

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