Baby beautiful

Many Indians in the middle of the last century prided themselves on having large families, with a minimum of five children being par for the course. Over the nine years following their wedding, my parents had five children, all boys. Although many families led a hand-to-mouth existence, they disregarded the need to limit their size. The idea of nuclear families had yet to become popular, and the children enjoyed the company of uncles, aunts, and cousins. Extra hands also made chores more manageable.

I recall the annual baby shows organised by the municipal authorities, with residents gearing up to participate. Mannamma, my neighbour and a nurse, encouraged my grandmother Logambal to enter her grandsons in the contest. Despite my mother, Padmakumari, displaying no interest, my grandma’s great enthusiasm compelled her to submit an entry for the competition.

The mother-daughter duo headed to the venue on the big day with my younger siblings, Prem Prakash and Prasanna Kumar. Possessing a frail physique, I was deemed unsuitable for the competition and was left in the custody of my maternal grandfather. Despite my fragility, the grandparents doted on me more than the others, as I was the eldest grandchild; we were hardly a year or two apart.

Mothers and infants assembled for the ‘Best Baby Pageant’, showcasing babies under six in various age divisions. The event, held at the community health centre opposite the lively Cox Town market in Bengaluru East, attracted many contestants.

The organisers had erected a shamiana adorned with vibrant bunting and a banner proclaiming the competition. Countless vendors had put up tents outside the venue, peddling toys and balloons. Popular numbers from recent films blared out from the loudspeakers. A palpable eagerness filled the air as the young ones sought comfort in their mother’s embrace.

The contest organisers went to great lengths to host a spectacular event and even provided a breakfast of piping hot idlis with sambhar and chutney, upma, and kesari baath for the participants’ families.

About 30 families took part in the competition. The tiny bundles of bliss posed alongside their proud mothers as photographers took pictures. A panel of physicians served as judges, evaluating the ‘babies beautiful’ and selecting the winners. Interviews and speeches by the mayor (chief guest) and other dignitaries ensued, ultimately leading to the guest of honour presenting the prizes to the winners. The winners brought much joy to their families.

My mother was ecstatic when my chubby little brother Prem Prakash, the judges’ favourite, bagged the top prize: a certificate and a silver tumbler. The joy multiplied when the other brother, Prasanna Kumar, won a consolation prize: a tiffin box. The family still values these prizes dearly. However, the family’s date with baby beauty pageants ended, as the elders believed in shielding the children from the glare of ‘evil eyes’.