Man is to be differentiated from machine and other mechanical devices by the fact that he cannot work like those. Curious as he is, he wants diversions, shuns dull regularity and hates to be mechanical Under such circumstances the hobbies come to the rescue and afford some relief. Hobbies differ according to temperaments, education and mental make up. If cinema going is a hobby to one, it is a wastage of time for another, if novel reading is a pastime for one, the other considers it a unless pursuit. Similarly if stamp collecting is the hobby of the children, photography may suit the tastes of the matured.

In this medley of hobbies, one thing stands clear that hobbies are educative in their value. We cannot underestimate the educative value of cinema going, a popular hobby. Cinema can over haul the age old, worn out social customs which often drag us, when we are on the path of progress. History, fundamentals of geography and scientific discoveries can will be taught through the films.

Novel reading is a hobby no less important as regards its edu­cative value. It may become a passion with the first year students, a profession for the critics, a pastime for the unemployed or military officers. But we are concerned with it as a hobby and as such it is of great educative value. Novels give us criticism of life, which help us to understand life and its problems. The detective novels give us clues to probe into the activities of the criminals. Is this under­standing of day to day problems not education ?

Photography, no doubt a costly hobby, is surely educative. The photographic studies of landscapes, beautiful gardens, gigantic dams, star studded sky wallowing clouds, grazing cows, playing children are absorbing in interest and educative in value. Photographs make an instant eternal and so may inspire the coming generations. Is it not education more appealing that what afforded the study of history ?

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Gardening, as a hobby, is also educative. In addition to pro­viding a diversion it gives physical exercise. Moreover, the slow growth of trees, the flower of variegated colours tell what resem­blance the human being bear to the plants. Is this understanding of life not educative.

To some, playing games is hobby. This, in my opinion, has greatest educative value. Sportsmanship is what we need today to better our relations and this we learn from games. Discipline, true competitive spirit are the other lessons which we learn in the play­ground. This is education of a higher order.

Education means training, which widens our mental horizons and announces the dawn of sense. Hobbies, of all types, add to this sort of training and experiences. We can find ‘ books in the brooks, sermons in stones” if our hobby is seeing Nature, films provide a lot of food for thought if we choose cinema going as our hobby. Hobbies can give us a lot of education if pursued with this very aim in view.