Free hugs

I have seen the movie Munnabhai MBBS many many times again and again and I simply love the movie.Every scene .Especially jadoo ki jhappi scene,I am moved
by that one scene.When Munnabhai could learn that gesture from his mother and go and hug a cleaner in the hospital,why can't we.I would wonder.Please don't look at me like that. I just fantasize ideal situations.

Our family is very demostrative when we meet we siblings have to hug and kiss.We don't know from where we got this habit.Our parents though they like it never have said so. But anyway we love that gesture,which is a great feeling.But mind you,only in our family .But outside our home we are very shy and quiet people, all of us.

Few days ago I was in the city , I got out of a tram and saw many people wearing masks and hand gloves.They were carrying a placard 'Free hugs'. I just walked past them.The masks were cheerful smiling faces. My thoughts went back to Oprah winfrey show which I had seen long ago were they had interviewed a person who had started a free hug campaign.

I browsed thru and found many free hug campaigns. Good Neighbours?
p=69,D a r i n a's Blog — Gaia Community

Good Neighbours » Giving out Free Hugs
The Gift of Giving Back & Free Hugs on Oprah by D a r i n a
The Free Hug Campaign is meant to be a random act of kindness, a
selfless act performed by a person for the sole reason of making
others feel better.

This is how it is described beautifully.Isn't that a wonderful gesture?Being a film buff and also a desh bhakt, I always and would always maintain that these foreigners must have watched the movie munna bhai and have been inspired by the free hugs idea and started their campaigns.I don't know which came first munnabhai or the first free hug campaign. But I want to maintain that stand because I love the movie and also my country.

So coming to my point,I often wonder such a basic human emotion of bringing a smile to others face has to be reminded to us through a films like Munnabhai.I have never heard of free hug campaign in India, if you know please let me know.

Atleast in North India I have seen people exchange greetings by hugging each other. Even Muslims,have their Id Mubarak gesture.But in south,we just have a maybe a handshake that too men.Ladies never greet each other by shaking hands. Or do they now?

May be it is not a part of our culture.Even folding our hands to say Namaskaram is a beautiful gesture not often used,not by all of us.It feels wonderful and humble to just being able to lift both our hands and join them to greet someone. It is as if we are raising the person to a pedestal,giving them a special place by joining our hands before them and also our pride takes a back seat.

If we can in the name of modernisation do the things we do,boast of liberal attitudes and forward thinking why can we appreciate simple gestures like Namaste from our own culture.


In the temples don't we feel wonderful to just close our eyes,join our hands and pray in front of GOD.It doesnot have to be long slokas to chant,just a thankyou or a request put before GOD.

So were are these gestures,even the cheek to cheek ,by film personalities ,may seem very superficial to us,like aping the west,but when in my daughters school I see many mothers greeting each other in the same way,it looks wonderful and seems as if it works for them,so why not.

The second time too,I saw a free hug campaign. I walked past a group of people again whose faces were hidden behind masks. They wore masks to make the person hugging them feel comfortable. It is a great idea and a wonderful way of extending their love to strangers whom they will never meet and any way they will never know their faces.Just to bring joy and smile in their faces, which is not an easy task.

Something inside me said "go ahead and give them a hug,but i hesitated and walked past them.The conservative person in me,didnot allow that.Who knows who is behind that mask?

Only in our home do we do that. Luckily enough for me, my in laws are like us. Shy outside but at home, very demonstrative. But I can see the same gesture,only my youngest bil shares with my mil.He still goes to her and twists her arm fondly and hugs her when he returns from work.Isn't it such a warm gesture?.

My dh pinches my daughter's cheeks all the time.She calls it a free pinch. When he does she gets irritated,she would say "daddy it hurts,please stop it. But then she would sometimes go up to him and show her cheeks, and ask "daddy ,no free pinching today".

Touch is the most reassuring of all human gestures.But I wonder if we try and hug someone in India,like Munnabhai did in public we will be looked down upon like morons or frowned upon.

Or has a free hug campaign ever been there in India,that I am not aware of and I am talking here on an outdated subject as usual.

The only occassions I hugged someone in public was at Penguin Parade in Philip Island, where I had been with my daughtey,I hugged a person dressed as a Penguin at the gate.The second time was someone dressed as a cartoon character at Seaworld. But it felt very good.Also when my hubby's aussie colleague came down for lunch.She hugged me and it felt wonderful.

Maybe the next time I go the city and if I see someone giving free hugs,I will try to muster all my courage and give them a hug.And I know it will feel good for sure.

So go ahead and try to touch someone's life,family or friends,make their day by giving a hug if you can,or our own beautiful Namaste,a firm handshake or a peck on their cheek,whatever suits you.It will make their day and yours.

Dear Meera Mam,

Very nice post about freehugs that exhibits pure love and affection !!

Even I have seen the film but in tamil Vasoolraja MBBS by Kamalahasan.. A
wonderful film indeed !!

Love is Good medicine..... This is shown in that very clearly ...

Thanx for sharing a nice post Meera Mam....and also thankyou for the links !!

Dear Brindha,

Thank you dear for your first comments here.Vasoolraja /Munnabhai are beautiful films,aren't they. Such a simple message they give.Better than violence and stuff shown in movies.

We can see in the link, everyone who gets a hug on the street very happy and smiling.

love

meera

hi meera,

good post...me too basically a shy person.... not very comfortable with hugs but do shake hands with whomever i meet...i think it is very warm and cordial...dh loves namasthe..he thinks it is a very nice Indian way and so likes to follow that..... especcially here.....but i like the malays style too very humble like our namasthe they shake hands and then place their hand on their heart with a soft bow...supposed to mean now u are in my heart...isnt that sweet...BTW..been to australia last year and the penguin parade was awesome......If not for Frommers we would have just seen melbourne and missed this spectacular natural show....
Regards
Mindi

Originally Posted by Mindian

hi meera,

good post...me too basically a shy person.... not very comfortable with hugs but do shake hands with whomever i meet...i think it is very warm and cordial...dh loves namasthe..he thinks it is a very nice Indian way and so likes to follow that..... especcially here.....but i like the malays style too very humble like our namasthe they shake hands and then place their hand on their heart with a soft bow...supposed to mean now u are in my heart...isnt that sweet...BTW..been to australia last year and the penguin parade was awesome......If not for Frommers we would have just seen melbourne and missed this spectacular natural show....
Regards
Mindi

dear mindi,

thanks for liking my post.

our namaste is cordial and warm gesture,but not many use it often.Hi is easier nowadays.I too only give a hand shake or sometimes a namaste though, through this post I went back to Munnabhai...but a hug is good too provided the person takes it in the right spirit......

Wow penguin parade is too good no? loved it ....

just tried a joke on myself while mentioning about hugging a penguin and a cartoon character .....but it was a poor joke I think

meera

meera,

Hugs say a lot when words cannot convey. we are a very expressive family.

Irrespective of being in a public place my ds hugs me.

I used to have a neighbour, whose husband used to scold the son if he hugged his mother. you are not supposed to show any physical expressions.

If i am close to a person, i don't mind giving hugs.

Hi Meera,

I welcome my friends by giving them a warm hug right at the door be it a man or woman. They are my friends and a warm bear hug makes you feel at ease. Come to my home and you will have many jadu ka jappi.

Dear Meera ,

Lovely post. A hug can do wonders for the two people involved, gives a feeling of belonging and I guess as human we crave for that feeling . We also feel very secure when we are hugged and greeted rather than the mere handshake, which though physical yet so aloof. Yes but we have to see the level of comfort between people in question.But yes like they say hugging, cuddling physical contact does wonders for the growh of a child ,so also it works wonders for the relation between adults , It intensifies the feeling of belonging that is welcome irrespective of any age , after all affection is a craving in all of us!

Loved your post Meera.Thankyou for bringing it here!

Love,
Devika

Meera : A good post, show of affection through hugs really does make a difference, like the movie a person melts at the show of affection and it appears that all the problems have temporarily disappeared.

Hi Meera,

Nice post.

I too enjoy both vasool raja and munnabhai. I too like jaadu ki jappi. But I do hesitate to hug who are not closer to me. I give lots of hugs to my kids. Especially when they were in teens they too needed those affectionate hugs. They got so much solace from those hugs. Now even though they passed thro' that age they feel comfort in my hugs.Hugging is a part of touch therapy and this touch therapy can do wonders in our relationship with one another. After all we are all human beings who yearn for affection.