On wheels: the life and times of Abdul Kalam

Want to know more about India’s missile man? The mobile exhibition ‘Kalam Sandesh Vahini’, an initiative by the House of Kalam and Chinmaya University tells you a lot.
People view the photographs of A P J Abdul Kalam exhibited inside the bus
People view the photographs of A P J Abdul Kalam exhibited inside the bus

KOCHI: A P J Abdul Kalam was a multi-faceted man who inspired lakhs of children to follow their dreams. Kalam Sandesh Vahini,  a one-of-a-kind mobile exhibition, by the House of Kalam and Chinmaya University is bringing the life, works and accomplishments of the former people’s President to schools and colleges across the country.

This initiative is a unique way of reaching out A P J Abdul Kalam’s messages and vision to the country on the event of his second remembrance day held on July 27. “Swami Mitrananda of Chinmaya Mission, Chennai, felt the vision of Dr Kalam must reach everyone across the country, which is why this initiative was started. The vehicle will travel across India and reach Rashtrapati Bhavan on 15th October - the birthday of  Abdul Kalam,” said Shefali,the organiser.Prime Minister Narendra Modi was approached to flag off the mobile exhibition from A P J’s memorialat Rameshwaram on July 27.

Chinmaya Mission had earlier made a mobile exhibition on Swami Chinmayanada’s life during his birth Centenary year in 2015 ‘Chinmaya Sandesh Vahini’. Similarly in 2016, Chinmaya Mission’s mobile exhibition on the Bhagavad Gita called ‘Geeta Sandesh Vahini’. The mobile exhibition is receiving good positive reviews from everyone who is visiting it. Shefali says, “ There are people from different sections of society who are visiting the mobile exhibition. They are excited to see the life, works and the vision of the people’s President- especially, the story of Pokaran, which is not something every Indian knows about.”

The mobile exhibition has been visiting schools, colleges, common place in a city/ town. The exhibition has covered various schools and colleges in Rameshawaram, Lady Doak College, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Adarsh Vidya Kendra in Nagarcoil,Chinmaya Vidyalaya Thiruvananthapuram, Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Attukal and  Chinmaya Vidyalaya in Kochi.” In Trivandrum, it also visited Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, and was visited by some of the people who worked with Abdul KalamOn October 15, this ‘yatra’ will culminate at Rashtrapati Bhavan, where the President and the Prime Minister of India, will visit the mobile exhibition. “Since, the whole concept is between July 27 and October 15, the mobile exhibition will not be able to visit all the states this year. The initiative will, later, be carried out to other parts of the country,” Shefali said.

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