Following the story trail

Gaurangi Shah has managed the impossible. For a whole hour she keeps the attention of a bunch of five-year-olds. Not by plonking them in front of a television set or by giving them a bunch of toys to dismantle and destroy but by telling them stories. Eleven five-year-olds watch her with wide eyes, their excitement palpable as she tells them the story of the fox and the drum. She describes the jungle in which the fox lives in vivid detail, from the lush greenery to the animals that inhabit it. The children are quick to jump in and add to the list of the creatures that dwell in the forest. They shout out an incongruous mix of everything from elephants and leopards to butterflies and parrots. Gaurangi calmly lets them have their say and moves on with the story.

This is Katha. In a large room, painted a sunny, happy yellow, children sprawl across brightly covered mattresses as Gaurangi weaves her magic. Started just over a month ago, Katha is a story-telling centre that caters to children between the age group of three- and- a- half years to ten-year olds.

Gaurangi grew up on stories, “When I was a child my parents used to tell me stories and these stories stayed in my heart.” Gaurangi started by telling stories to her niece and nephew and later to the children at the pre-school where she worked. Discovering that she had a knack for story-telling and that the children really responded to the tales, she decided to start Katha. She stresses that her story-telling sessions are an after-school activity, “It's a place for the kids to relax and be comfortable.” There is also plenty of interaction with songs and the children free to ask questions and contribute to the story.

The stories are interspersed with sound effects and puppetry, “Nothing is boring or monotonous and so attention is sustained.” She adds that, “Stories are also a fun way through which messages can be imparted.” It's not always smooth sailing; sometimes the children do get fidgety and restless. But this doesn't faze her. She shifts gear and makes them do breathing exercises to relax and to get back their attention. The story telling session is followed by asking the children what they liked and did not like about the story. The children are then handed sheets of paper and drawing material, and are allowed to go all out and express what they felt about the story though illustrations. “The kids enjoy the experience of drawing their favourite character from the story and communicating what they feel,” says Gaurangi

In the future she plans to have each month devoted to a theme, whether it is the epics or having the children write their own stories. Katha is located at 139-A, MLA colony, road no.12, Banjara Hills and Gaurangi Shah can be contacted at 9642701334.