Jaadu ki jhappi on Brigade Rd

Jaadu ki jhappi on Brigade Rd
Students Take Up ‘Free Hugs’ Campaign To Spread Joy
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: There was much huggy happiness on Brigade Road, all for free, as Munnabhai MBBS gave his Jaadu ki jhappi (magic of the hug) to one and all on Saturday. There were many Munnabhais from Bangalore colleges who organised a Free Hugs campaign to tell people how a hug can transform one’s day.
The power of a hug? It can spread joy, lighten hearts, build bonds and even elicit a tear. Munna is remembered as an icon for spreading love and harmony.
“We are a group of 25 trying to spread the message of happiness among people and promote the organisation ‘Free Hugs’,” said Jason D’Souza, 20, of St Joseph’s College of Commerce. The friends walked through Brigade Road, approached strangers and asked whether they could be hugged. “We hugged many and clicked photographs of those who hugged us. While some people were hesitant, some were happy to join us. We did not force anybody.”
The group in the 18-25 age group had just one mission — reach out to strangers and brighten up their lives. Free Hugs has also travelled to Delhi and Mumbai. Its popularity is such that a music video for the promotion of the cause was composed by A R Rahman!
Tracing the hugs
Juan Mann, an Australian who had faced many hardships, returned to Sydney. Standing at the arrival terminal, watching other passengers meeting friends and family hugging and laughing together, he wanted someone out there to be waiting for him. There was no one. So he got a
cardboard and made a sign. He found the busiest pedestrian intersection in Sydney and held it overhead with the words ‘Free Hugs’ on both sides. Initially, people threw
him bizarre glances. Then, a few approached him. The first person who stopped told him how her dog had died the same morning. Another person who had lost her child hugged Mann, sharing her grief, following which both felt good. As more people approached him, Mann had one thing to say: “Many people felt all they needed was a hug.”