The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Vishranthi Trust honours 150 elderly inmates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 15, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Vishranthi Trust honours 150 elderly inmates

Susan Muthalaly

Taj Connemara organised a lunch buffet on Mother's Day

PAYING RESPECTS: Bombay Gnanam, TV serial artist, seeks the blessings of an elderly woman in Chennai on Sunday. — PHOTO: N. SRIDHARAN

CHENNAI: Chennai is warming up to the idea of celebrating Mother's Day. Vishranthi Charitable Trust, an institution for destitute women and girls, celebrated the Mother's Day on Sunday by conducting `Pada pooja' for its 150 elderly inmates.

Savithri Vaithi, founder and chairperson of Vishranthi, said "we invite about 100 visitors (donors and well wishers) to honour the destitute women with flowers and sweets. Mothers are important, especially to a home. But nowadays people either send them away or they go themselves."

Mohammed Farrokh, an employee at Ford Business Services Centre, was one of the participants at the Mothers' Day celebrations. He said as his mother lives in Pondicherry, he thought he'd spend the day with some other mothers.

Bombay Gnanam, a well-known TV serial mother, was the chief guest at the event. She said she had always refused a negative role as she took the mother business very seriously. "I'm proud to play a mother. My character usually gives advice after understanding and analysing the vices of the children."

Ve.Ve. Prabhu, a Public Relations Officer, thinks on the same lines. He said the reason that specific dates were chosen to celebrate different relationships was because focus yielded better quality. "The quality of a relationship is improved with days like Valentine's and Friendship Day", he said.

There has been some commercial activity generated from the concept of honouring mothers. There are ads utilising the concept such as Sparsh baby oil. Taj Connemara organised a lunch buffet where all women received a box of chocolates.

Entertainment consultant Bryan Peppin said he just returned from Malaysia where they steadily built up the hype. Everyday, about 20 pages of the newspaper were dedicated to ads relating to it. "That's why I am aware about it. My mother lives in Oman, so the most I can do is call her."

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