Feeding the Stray Animals! Daan Utsav – the Joy of Giving ’19
Mangaluru : “For it is in giving that we receive.” ! Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said – “There is a certain joy in getting something. That’s the joy children experience when they get things like toffees and toys. Parents and grandparents feel happy when they give. The joy in giving is much more fulfilling than the joy of receiving”. Its that lovely time of the year, when we celebrate, our inner feelings of giving to others. We may do it any time, at any place, throughout the year, for anyone – building our compassion for those who really need that little bit of effort, in knowing that they are thought about too!
And in this week, we just put in a more conscious effort to spread the word, to all, to take it forward and help spread the happiness! That’s what the Joy of Giving Week encompasses and tries to spread around. In today’s world, where everything is a blur and all our activities are practically time-bound, we loose our inner touch of being ourselves and giving to our family, friends and others around us, which is important. And this needs to change!
Daan Utsav is a festival where people from all walks come together during one week in October to give their time, money, resources, or skills back to society. While Corporate Houses and Institutions line up their own individual activities, locally a Trust which takes care of the stray animals, takes this day – the 2nd October, to head out into the city and feed as many stray animals as possible, letting them know we do think of them! 6 am sharp, at Jyothi Circle, was where a team of Volunteers, gathered to share the assorted feeds and plan their routes. And then everyone spread out on their own, covering the maximum localities as possible. Some even went up all the way to the Airport Road or the Tannirbhavi and Panambur Beach stretches.
This activity helps in many ways –
1. Feeding of the strays is a delight, as many of them, hungrily welcome us. Some may be lucky to be fed by close-by shops, rickshaw stand drivers, even Volunteers or animal lovers, living in the vicinity. Others may be isolated, making it that much difficult for them to get food for themselves.
2. Up close with these strays, the Volunteers see first hand, if there are any alarmingly large population pockets, hinting at a definite issue there, which needs to be tackled. Similarly any sick or injured animal is noted, to be looked into later on.
3. If new puppies are found with their mother, the Shelter is informed with the location, so that the mother can be picked up for sterilization.
Over the years, this simple gesture has caught on and the public who like to be a part of it or want to do it on their own, take it forward in their own way, at their own time. And in case anybody wants to help out in this, but cannot be here or is out of town, they contribute with the feed of their choice, and send them to certain drop-off points in the city.
