President A P J Abdul Kalam on Saturday celebrated his birthday away from the buzz of the national capital, spending time with special children at a joint service function in Loni, Maharashtra.

"Believe that we are all God's children. Our minds are stronger than diamond. We will aim with our mighty will. God is with us, then who can beat us," Kalam, said in his address to disabled children at Pravara Medical Trust campus.

"My heart melts at the sight of smile on the faces of disabled children. Life is hard. But determination is the key to success," he said.

He also exhorted them to follow the path of honesty and hard work. "Hard work, combined with dedication and honesty, are the ideals must be followed by you all in life. This is the quality we all look for in our role models," he said.

The President had come to visit the Pravara Medical Trust campus in Loni in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra and interacted with local farmers through teleconference. He also visited the neo-natal and paediatric ward of the Trust.

He then met the physically challenged children who had been fitted with a specially designed Floor Reaction Orthosis Callipers to provide support to their weak limbs.