In villages, we learn swimming in a peculiar atmosphere.They are traditionally sound ways of learning! They are not for commercial purpose,but highly recreational!

NATURAL WAYS TO LEARN THE ART OF SWIMMING!

I used to visit and watch the beauty of the river running along my village. As a small boy of 8 years old, I was much interested to learn to swim to spend weekends in playing in this calm river. I was much awaiting for an opportunity. I was wearing only the under wares and ready to learn any time.

READY TO LEARN SWIMMING! VILLAGE WOMAN HELPS!

At that time a village woman came down from the river bed with a pot for taking water. She was just taking water. I went close by her and told my wish to learn swimming.

She laughed at me and simply pushed into the river and asked to swim. I was frightened for a moment.

But she came to me and started guiding. She put her palms under my stomach and supported a little and asked me to wave my legs and push the water with my palms under the river.

SWIMMING THE WAY SHE GUIDED!

I could understand that I could move my body without much effort. After making a small circle of swimming, she slowly removed her hand and asked me to swim without support. I could move by swinging my legs and pushing water down and backwards with my palms. I experienced some difficulty in keeping my head above water for breathing.
By practicing for 3 or 4 days, I could learn swimming a little by little.
Long cloth is a waist belt to swim!

I could watch another boy was learning similarly, but with a support of soft cotton cloth-string tied to his hip. It is actually a saree or 6 meter long cloth usually worn around the body of the woman folk of the village. The support was handled by a woman close by the boy.

AIR TIGHT METAL POT IS BUOYANT!

There is another scene of a small girl learning by keeping an air tight metal pot kept under the stomach.Sometimes the mouth of the pot consumes some water to keep the buoyancy.

BOTTLE GOURD THAT FLOATS TO GUARD!

You will be surprised to see a village boy is swimming with the help of a dried hollow bottle guard fruit'! The fruit was tied to his waist. The bottle guard floats well on the water to support the boy.

LOG ON TO SWIM!

Another boy takes a dried floating wooden log as support and practices swimming! In a few days, these practicing kids need no supports to continue swimming!
No modern aids!

They do not require any swimming aids like life buoy or air filled rubber bladders in these villages. They learn swimming in ponds, lakes, deep wells or running rivers.

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