Rail Vihar Phase III B
For the third time in a row, residents of Rail Vihar Phase III B celebrated a Christmas carnival that was enjoyed by kids and elders alike.
The main attraction this year was the exhibition area that had models depicting Jesus’s birth, a church and Santa Claus, along with his friends riding on a train, coming to deliver presents. The in-house artists worked till late in the night to put together various artworks, including a beautiful photobooth. Another interesting innovation was using recycled tyres to make a snowman. The decor, lights and music set the mood for the celebration, evoking Park Street vibes.
The carnival started with the president, Nikhilesh Biswas, inaugurating the exhibition, followed by Christmas carols sung by the complex’s children and cake-cutting. “This event wouldn’t have been such a success without the enthusiastic participation and hard work of the members of our cultural team,” added Santanu Basu, the secretary and cultural convenor of Rail Vihar Phase III B, who conceived the idea.
On Christmas Eve, too, there were food counters, some of which were set up by in-house chefs. The spread ranged from phuchka, momos, pudding, egg devil and fish fries to fried rice, chilli chicken, koraishutir kochuri and other delicacies. The kids just kept munching, and the parents were more than happy to oblige.
But there was more in store for the kids, such as a trampoline and balloon-shooting range. And finally, arrived Santa Claus with candies, drawing a huge cheer from the little ones. They just wouldn’t let Santa go! The evening concluded with the kids and their parents dancing their hearts out.
“We had a wonderful time at the Christmas carnival. My daughters enjoyed every moment. A big thank you to the committee for organising this bash,” said Sonali Singh, mother of 11-year-old Tripur and five-year old Antalia.
GC Block
GC Block residents celebrated Christmas together for the first time this year. They had got together to decorate the park with a Christmas tree, a crib for Jesus and also gathered for cake-mixing beforehand.
“We had got in touch with a hotel management institute, that guided us on the dry fruits and other ingredients that were needed. We mixed the same and handed it over to them to bake in time for our party,” said a representative of GC Block connect committee, who is also a member of GC Block association. The two had organised the event together.
On Christmas, children began the celebration with carols, residents enjoyed munchies from the snacks counters, played games at the stalls and enjoyed slices of the 20-pound cake that they had helped mix a few weeks back.
Rotary Club of Calcutta
Rotary Club of Calcutta took more than 1,500 children to Nicco Park last week as part of their annual children’s treat. And this happened to be the 100th edition of their annual initiative.
Rotary Club of Calcutta was the first Rotary Club set up in India back in 1919. “We have the enviable record of continuing this annual event of a day of sunshine for needy children for 100 continuous years, unprecedented in Rotary in this part of the world. What started off as a picnic with some street children in 1926 is now an elaborately planned activity day, including games, amusement park rides, music and magic, breakfast and lunch, and goody bags for over 1,500 children,” said president Debnath Chattopadhyay.
The event did not suffer discontinuity even during the pandemic. “With modest beginnings in the Botanical Gardens and the National Library, this time it was held in the East Side Pavilion of Nicco Park, where over 20 buses ferried kids from all across the city.