HOW I SPENT THE SUMMER VACATION
Summer vacation is one thing for which every student looks forward with joy. After undergoing a lot of mental strain one would like to rest and relax. All students plan to spend the summer vacation comfortably.
I passed the class IX examination with excellent marks and was promoted to class X. I was glad to inform the same to my parents. They felt very happy. After several days of hard work and toil I wanted to enjoy the vacation lazily and in a gay mood. However I spent a most useful and pleasurable summer vacation. One of my close friends suggested that we both should join the summer short-term course in the art of self-defense. I agreed with his suggestion. There is a martial art school in our city. It is situated in sere and beautiful surroundings amongst mango grooves, a big lake nearby. We got enrolled in that school. In a group of fifteen boys, our master taught us ‘karate’ lessons. He taught us many things in the art of self- defense. I also learned swimming and boat rowing during those days. I took a rigorous and regular training for more than a month and felt very happy. I got very much mentally relaxed during those days.
In the last week of May I left for a pilgrimage along with my parents. My father showed us Haridwar- the city of Gods. We bathed at “Hari Ki Pouri”. The evening prayers by waving lights, blowing conches, ringing bells and singing songs to mother Ganges were indescribably pleasant sight. I enjoyed a ride in a ropeway car to Manasadevi mandir. Bharat Matha mandir, Saptharishi Ashram and Gayathri Bhavan are unique in their own way. We also saw Lakshman Jhoola, Swargashram, Kailashasram, Shivanand Nagar, Geeta Bhavan etc. which inspired us both mentally and spiritually at Rishikesh.
In these places our hearts were filled with devotion and veneration. The hill breeze filled with fragrance of flowers and aroma of herbal vegetation invigorated us. The river, the hill, the tall tree and green shrubs, the pure air and the divine worship all around kept our minds afresh from the weariness of daily routine.
From Rishikesh we went to Dehradun. There we visited Indian forest office located in a majestic building in the mildest of a big compound with full of trees. We saw there different types of trees, learnt a lot more about forest wealth and use of trees etc. We also visited Sulphur springs at Sahasradara. The water here is said to cure the skin diseases. After a happy and enjoyable trip for a fortnight we reached our home. In a couple of days the summer vacation will be over and the school will reopen.