Bhubaneswar, 13 October (H.S.)

Bhubaneswar, October 13: The FTS Bhubaneswar team organised the ‘Vandan’ programme for the first time in the city to promote respect, gratitude and devotion towards parents. The event witnessed the participation of 22 families, with around 200 people, including volunteers, attending the programme.

Nirmal Nagda from Surat conducted the programme and delivered an engaging presentation highlighting the importance of parents in family life, the need for effective communication and ways to strengthen family relationships. Bhajan singer Sanjay Agrawal from Raigarh enthralled the gathering with devotional renditions, creating a spiritually uplifting and emotional atmosphere.

During the programme, seven simple principles were presented to foster love, respect and mutual trust within families. These included accepting every family member, maintaining a pleasant and welcoming attitude, communicating openly, understanding the feelings and needs of parents, extending mutual support, expressing emotions through dialogue rather than keeping them unspoken, and handling family situations with love and understanding.

The highlight of the event was the aarti of parents and an activity expressing gratitude towards them. The initiative conveyed the message that parents deserve the same reverence and respect that devotees offer while performing the aarti of deities.

The organisers emphasised that respecting parents should not be confined to special occasions but must become an integral part of everyday life. They also stressed that regular communication, mutual cooperation and emotional bonding within families play a vital role in nurturing good values among the younger generation.

FTS president Prakash Bhura, secretary Suresh Agrawal, youth president Ram Agrawal and women’s committee president Shweta Agrawal were present on the occasion. Programme coordinators Neha Bathuwal and Mamta Agrawal, along with volunteers of the FTS Bhubaneswar team, played a significant role in making the event successful.

Participating families expressed the need to organise such programmes regularly. The Vandan programme conveyed the message that respecting parents is a lifelong value and that love, reverence and gratitude towards them help create an atmosphere of happiness, peace and harmony within families.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda