Resetting Rhythm in Life

Some people crave for limelight, we know them [and hate those narcissits]! There are some others who shy away from publicity. Limelight makes them cringe. I am speaking about Pravinbhai Doshi and Padmavati

Doshi. Usually husband and wife represent opposite tendencies, but Mr and Mrs Doshi share a common trait. They avoid getting noticed, although they do some outstanding work and philanthropy.

Their tribe is small, and their work largely not recognised or noticed. 

The Doshis have been organising, among other activities, a visit to old age home. Regularly for the past fifteen years! 

Typically, they hire a bus. We travel together to the old age home. We perform Aarati. That’s because the visit is always arranged during Navaratri. Then we move to their community hall. It is a huge hall.

Last year Nisha and Sneha, daughters of Ramesh Iyer brought their

troupe. We enjoyed music with them. The residents of old age home also enjoyed singing with the troupe. They gave is ‘Jembe’ and when everybody started beating those small drums energy and enthusiasm filled the room.

We met a man who was 99 years old! Unfortunately he passed away recently, they said. The oldest man was all smiles listening to music. Music has therapeutic effect on everybody.

This year Doshis brought in the Katthak dance troupe of Ms Priti

Ghanekar. They danced in group and also solo. They danced on traditional songs and also modern songs. Ms Priti performed on all-time favourite ‘Mohe panaghat pe nandlal….’. They not only performed dance sequences effortlessly, they also got the senior citizens to dance ‘Garba’ and ‘Dandiya.’

Rhythm is intoxicating! It works does wonders on people of all ages!! Life

has its own rhythm. Sometimes it is lost. In order to restore the rhythm of life we must dance to a set rhythm. It moves from outer world to inner world, haven’t you experienced it? Dancing, they say, is ‘dynamic mediation.’

There is no better service to the Society than re-setting the rhythm of

others’ lives. The Doshis know this instinctively. They do not speak about it. They just watch the effect of the song and dance on people. There is a lot to learn from Rotarians among us!!

Vivek S Patwardhan