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Scaling heights

Six-year-old H. Nirmal Kumar did 123 yogasanas atop a 60-ft tall pole

PHOTO: T. SINGARAVELOU

Brave attempt Nirmal Kumar.

He is just 6 but has attempted something that even the bravest wouldn't dare to. H. Nirmal Kumar, a Standard II student climbed a 60 feet tallpole and performed 123 yogasanas atop it, including some difficult ones such athomukha vriksha, hastha bhairalika, hastha vibareetha, and udheetha hastha padhamukha where he balanced on one foot, on a 2ft x 3ft wooden board on top of the pole.

The event, which was to begin by 5.30 p.m., finally started at 9.20 p.m. with Nirmal following his master's instructions. "Ellaam correcta panninen. Thappu pannina pinni edupaar master (I did everything correctly otherwise my master won't spare me)," said Nirmal.

The boy was confident and didn't seem to mind the height. There was no safety net, only cardboard boxes and foam beds placed around the base of the pole. Onlookers at the Anna Thidal had some anxious moments as they were concerned about the boy's safety.

"He should achieve something in life, that's why he attempted such a difficult feat," said his father Hari. His mother H. Visalakshi, who was also watching, was afraid but placed her faith in her son and his teacher. V. Jayapalan, his 60-year-old grandfather, was there to bless him.

Nirmal, a student of Acharya Siksha Mandir, Villianur, has been learning yoga under M. S. Subramania Sharma at the Gurukrpa School of Arts and Sports in Pondicherry. Nirmal's father enrolled him in the yoga school when he was in LKG, and since then Sharma has been his master. Sharma said the event had been organised to create awareness about the importance of sports among children. "In India, most parents do not encourage sporting activities. They instead want their children to shine academically. Nirmal studies well (he is a fifth ranker in class) and excels at yoga. We wanted to show that children if trained at young age can shine in several fields."

"I am now practising for a national event. After that, I want to do yogasanas atop a 100-ft tall pole," says Nirmal.

DEEPA H RAMAKRISHNAN

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