EXHIBITION
From Sampath’s Desk:
EXHIBITION
The
very word ‘exhibition’ would make children sit up with curiosity and cheers. I
had visited exhibitions a few times in the past. In the Exhibition/Trade
Fair (mostly held during January-March every year in Chennai), there would be
plenty of things for children to rejoice at, like play and fun spots,
and more particularly many eatables to munch.
'Pragati
Maidan' (Progress Grounds) – a wide and sprawling expanse - famous in Delhi with planned
pavilions was declared open in 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to
commemorate the 25th Indian Independence Day where, besides All-India Fairs, even high-profile
international exhibitions and other events are held. In Chennai, ‘Island Grounds’ near the world-famous Marina Beach, offers a perfect pitch for hosting
the event called ‘Tourist and Industrial Trade Fair’.
Days
have rolled by and scenes have changed. Today’s children have many outdoor entertainment destination choices like weekend resorts, Disney world,
amusement parks, theme parks, magic shows, lake/back-water boating, glitzy malls,
Zoo, Museum, etc., apart from indoor entertainments - TV, Video games, etc.
With a variety of options, substitutes, and alternatives available, they would
fondly like to visit any place that offered them the most fun and frolic according
to their choice. Besides, they get modern eatables like puffs, pizza, burgers, wafers, spicy/flavoured chips, aerated cool drinks, etc. – a direct impact of western culture's influence on the younger
generation – as against a host of traditional home-made snacks/eatables of yesteryear.
As the world is becoming more and more commercial and competitive, the exhibition has also been rechristened as ‘Trade Fair’. It means you get nothing there without a cost including drinking water. Even entry fee is getting hiked year after year. For each and everything inside, you have to shell out from your pocket - for easing out/defecation too.
The
present-day Trade Fair has expanded too much in terms of commercial contours.
It has turned out to be more business-oriented for money-minting what with so many
kiosks and other make-shift shops selling different things mushrooming inside as in a
normal busy bazaar (market) in any city or town, but at higher prices. One visitor quipped thus, ”In
a Trade Fair, we have the same shops selling same things as are available in a
normal market place in a city/town. For purchase of these things at a much
higher price, we travel a good distance and enter into the Fair paying an
entrance fee too. What an irony is it?”
Pop-corn available cheaper elsewhere would greet you with almost double the price inside the Trade Fair (or perhaps even more at times). Even prices of' appropriate condiments mixed 'chaat' items, spicy-peanuts, cotton candy, mango pieces, ice-creams, confectionery/bakery items, sweetmeats, snacks, etc. would be mind-rattling.
Barring
a few pavilions put up by the Central and State Government departments such as - Railways, Defence, Information & Technology, National Highways, Electricity Board, Hindu Religious and Endowments Board, Housing Board, and Urban and Rural Development, to mention a few - where some interesting things would be on display showcasing the trendy arrivals, other
pavilions would offer some fancy or fantasy shows with an entrance fee. A
host of such spots may even be spooky/horror props, say like, ‘melting man’,
‘animals with extra organs (abnormal birth aberrations)’, ‘ghost’s cave and activities’, ‘robot man doing adventures’, magic shows, 3D movie
booths, cloud-walking experience, etc. Merry-go-round, roller-coaster/giant wheel, the mini-train starting its journey from a make-shift railway station moving slowly, crisscrossing the entire exhibition
ground and returning to the same venue, zigzag, etc. offer fun for
children. There would of course be a huge play area in the mega-size expo with everything from a Giant Wheel to Tora Tora that kids and adults alike might enjoy. With Coovum river
meandering through the Island Grounds, in a couple of spots one could see
beautifully decorated river-cross bridges aesthetically designed with colour
serial lights giving a dazzling and resplendent sight at night times.
Hot
fried and oil-soaked Bajji/Bonda/Vada and big fried Papads are popular
eatables. While most ear-blasting speakers would boast of the quality of products sold,
shows conducted, and other services offered, vendors ululating to canvas for sale of their products would be a common scene there. Light/acoustic shows
will be aplenty. Children would demand and pester their parents or elders for whatever attracts them or comes to their notice – be it a toy, fancy item,
game pieces, eatables or hot or cold drinks. Parents refusing to oblige, giving sermons to and
pleading with children not to persist with their demand(s) and trying to
wriggle out of the situation would be usual scenes interesting to watch for the
onlookers. Crowding and nudging is the norm. However, pick-pockets doing their job
with perfect precision can't be ruled out, at times. So, beware!
Some pavilions would greet visitors with mind-catchy aesthetically-designed façades, banners, cutouts, minuscule models, dry runs of operations of innovative, creative, and state-of-the-art products and services, including new discoveries and inventions already accomplished or on the anvil/pipeline and also the progress and developments on trending topics. While you can get something to fill your stomach, there will also be food for thought!
Police
control room making announcements about missing children and trying to unite
them with their parents/families would be an onerous task for the police personnel.
As the exhibition is spread over many acres of land, with children forced to walk and
walk along through the length and breadth, while returning home, they would
start complaining of aching legs, physical discomfort and/or exhaustion. But the
moments of fun and frolic they enjoyed would certainly be worth the exertion.
The delightful experiences would remain well etched and ensconced in their memory lane for years
together and possibly throughout their lifetime, as I do experience it at times even now.
One should carefully spend inside the exhibition allowing the fast emptying purse to retain at least some money sufficient to meet the travel expenses for returning home with the family.
To sum
up, it is a pleasurable and entertainment-filled experience for children but a 'purse-drain' episode for parents/elders. But the enjoyment the children had
would far outweigh the expenses incurred. Needless to say, nothing else would have been more satisfying and gratifying for the parents than to see their children making merry during the outing! Isn't it?
(R.SAMPATH)
21/1/2021
Comments
Post a Comment