Loka Vayana Dinam (The World Reading Day)

Today is World Reading Day. I am thinking about my childhood days when I used to wait for my mother to buy me a new book. She is an avid reader. So whenever she bought books for her, she used to get a few for me too. And usually since I din't know how to read then , she used to read those beautiful stories to me at bedtime. The words, the beautiful narration all these gave wings to my imagination and I still can recollect those beautiful colorful visuals I had in each of her stories. I wonder at the strength of words. The imagination those words create on each person is different. And that is one dreamy visual which each one have in private and which can't be shared.

While I was in class 1, I read a book alone for the first time without the help of my mother. That book is named 'The Little Match girl'. I don't remember the author's name. But the great visuals the words in the book gave me at that small age is still vivid in my mind. A girl selling matchsticks at freezing cold weather of a Christmas Eve. The poor girl sees the celebrations in rich houses. But, she can't go home without finishing her sale of matchsticks since her step mother will scold her. There, she lays at the doorstep of one big mansion and dreams about her past loving grandmother. She lightens matchsticks one by one to see the face of her granny clearly. Once she lightens her final matchstick, her granny asks her to come. And happily the little girl holds her dearest granny,s hands and moves away from all her sufferings. I still remember the tears I have shed for that little girl. I strongly feel, whatsoever empathy that remains in my heart now is from listening to stories and reading books. Words have the magical power to make us stand on the shoes of others, feel other's emotions, see life from a different viewing angle, to know about different cultures and civilizations.

Seeing a movie also creates a long lasting visual in mind. In a film, the visual is created and that same visual strikes everyone who sees that movie. But a book makes each one create his/her own visuals which in my opinion is the greatness of reading.

I wish everyone gets the opportunity to read beautiful books. Wishing the world a wonderful reading day.