Bangalore: “When I was small, I thought you were simply great. And when I grew up, I knew I was always right as a puppy!” says a dalmation looking up at its dad. This was on a card a teenager finally bought for Father’s Day. He is one of the many sons who belong to the new creed that does not say ‘I don’t need a special day to honour my dad’.

The Western trend has surely caught up with Namma Bengaluru. While sending flowers and cakes home is the trend among outstation sons and daughters, the ones at home prefer to go out for a dinner and surprise their father with gifts. Online booking centres and gift shops in the city have witnessed heightened activity the past couple of days.

“We get orders from abroad and other Indian states. Usually the price range of gifts we sell is from Rs 500 to Rs 800,” said Ravi Tiwari of Orchidsnroses. They have special Fathers’ Day kits, comprising laptops as well as gulab jamuns. Customized packages are also available.

“We have a 20% discount on men’s purchases. Besides, there are three packages with shaving cream, facewash, scrubs and perfumes,” the proprietor of The Body Shop said. Not to be left behind, www.bangaloreonlinemall.com is providing a discount on purchase of three items.

Besides the regular gifts like shirts, wallets and books, there are children thinking up innovative ways to treat their dad. “I will send him for a Swedish massage at a spa. He leads a very busy life and what he needs is some way to relax. A body massage is ideal,” said Rima Chawla, a student.

BEGINNING OF A TRADITION

One woman’s love for her father made the entire world set aside a day for theirs. Sonora Louise Smart Dodd from Washington was brought up by her father after her mother died during child birth. She had always admired her father for the way he cared for his children. While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, she felt the need for a day to honour fathers. She realized her dream the following year with the support of her neighbours. They celebrated the first Father’s Day on William Jackson Smart’s birthday — June 19. Over time, it has come to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June.

— Sruthy Susan Ullas

CHANGING ROLE

Fathers seem to have grown out of the traditional mould, helping the wife and sharing responsibility in bringing up the child. Here are some testimonies to this:

“I help my wife change the baby’s clothes, feed him and sit with him if my wife has other work. I feel it is a part of shared parenting” Pradeep Joseph

“It is no longer a mom’s duty to help the child. I assist my 12-yr-old in all activities” Balakrishnan

“I took a month’s leave for my daughter’s boards. Her confidence had gone down when her mother left us. But she performed well after I sat with her and helped” A single father who has been bringing up his child alone for 10 years

“It is like an exchange of chores. With even mothers earning, fathers are also bound to help with her duties at home” Priyanka Jain, a student

“When I was a child, I did not dare ask my father anything. Now I discuss everything under the sun with my daughters” Chadrakumar Chawla

The Children's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP) held a protest rally on Saturday, demanding 50% custody right for fathers after a marital separation.

"I took a month's leave for my daughter's boards. Her confidence level had gone down when her mother left us. But she performed well after I sat with her and helped," said Vivek (name changed), a single father who has been bringing up his child alone for 10 years. "I stand behind her in the kitchen when she tries to cook. She is good at it now," he added.

"It is like an exchange of chores. With even mothers earning, fathers are also bound to help with her duties at home," said Priyanka Jain, a student. It's not only duties, but also the relationship with the child that has changed. "When I was a child, I did not dare ask my father anything. But now I discuss everything with my daughters," said Chadrakumar Chawla. Vivek agrees: "My daughter does not call me dad. She addresses me as `yaar'; we are friends."

IT’S OUR RIGHT: “I am here for my daughter” read a placard at the rally in front of MG statue on Saturday. Divorced dads, whose children are under custody of mothers, participated in the protest on the eve of Father’s Day, demanding equal custody rights. The dharna was organized by Children’s Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting