Month: February 2023

The students of grade X boarded a train to begin their enjoyable trip to Hampi. They visited the massive Shiva Linga and Narasimha Statues, the renowned Virupaksha and Krishna temples, and the Chitradurga Fort, where they soaked in the stunning aerial view. They also visited the Museum of Musical Pillars at the Vijaya Vittala Temple. The next day, they went to the Lotus Mahal and the Queen’s Bath, both of which featured incredible architecture that left the students in awe. At the end of the trip, students gained a deep understanding of the culture, architecture, and the mythological references that the city was steeped in. Although today this ancient metropolis lies in ruins, it is easy to imagine the grandeur it exhibited at its peak.

– T G Sanjana, Grade X

The students of grade IX visited Kodaikanal and Madurai for their outbound trip. They boarded the train with curiosity and excitement about spending 3 days with their friends. The Kodaikanal hills looked marvelous from the viewpoint of Coaker’s walk. They had a fun-filled experience at the Adventure park where they tried bungee jumping, zip lining, ATV ride, paintball, archery, and a challenging obstacle course. The students enjoyed experiencing the taste of the famous homemade chocolates in Kodaikanal and brought home souvenirs to cherish this nostalgic trip. Although they spent only a day in Madurai, they were able to visit most of the well-known architectural sights such as the Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal, Meenakshi Amman temple, and Azhagar kovil. Overall, the trip was fun-filled and at the same time a memorable learning experience.

– L Akkshitha, Grade IX

Students of grade VIII visited Siruthavur village as a tribute to Utsav and to appreciate the significance of our culture. They got the opportunity to watch and learn the art of Pulli Kolams which was demonstrated by the villagers there. They also understood the value of organic farming when they visited the field where the farmers grew their crops. It was very amusing and enjoyable as some students volunteered to plant the crop. Not only did this teach them the effort that goes into producing food and crops but also taught them the difficulties a farmer had to face on a daily basis. They also visited a rice mill to see how rice is boiled and dried in villages. The students took a short stop at Dakshinachitra and got to witness Thappattam where people danced using the traditional Tamil drum called Parai. They watched the performance and joined in as well to dance along to the tunes of the Parai. Overall, this visit educated the students about our varied cultural and traditional practices.

– Diya Vasanadu, Grade VIII

Utsav is all about learning our country’s culture and heritage. For grade VII, there was an exciting and informative field trip to Mahabalipuram wherein the students visited a lot of interesting sites. The journey started off by going to Salavan-Kuppan-Subramanya temple which is the oldest temple in Tamil Nadu for lord Subramanya. They visually described the history of the temple. The temples built by Mahendra Pallava within rocks carved out had interesting and informative inscriptions. The next stop was at the Tiger cave which was very spectacular to look at with its unique style of architecture. The next monument had carvings to show a big wall depicting Arjuna’s penance. The last stop for the day was at Krishna’s butter ball which was fascinating because of the incredible position of the huge rock to perfectly balance on the steep slope. At the end of the day it was a very memorable experience which everyone would remember for a lifetime.

– Advika Baddepudi, Grade VII

Students of grade VI visited Dakshinachitra as a part of the Utsav experience. At the campus, they voyaged through Andhra Pradesh, visiting an amiable weaver and learnt about the deep-rooted, traditional method of weaving sarees. Next, they saw the model of Karnataka house, where they caught sight of houses made entirely of stone. After that, they trotted through Kerala, where houses were embellished with murals and boats galore. Finally, stepping into Tamil Nadu, they went to the Ambur House, with its antiquated statues and manuscripts. They traversed through the Chettinad House that had a vast indoor courtyard and intricate architecture. All this within an hour! Soon after, they went bullock cart riding, enjoyed watching folk dances and amusing shadow-puppet shows and made manuscripts on palm leaves. The best of them all? The food served on banana leaves; they had a wide variety of foods like an Onam Sadhya. After a day crammed with fun, the children returned to their respective buses- and still not fatigued.

-Yashini, Grade VI

The students of middle school were enlightened about the various aspects of culture and heritage, learning about age- old values and traditions that have survived for years, through Utsav sessions. Students had a variety of guests and sessions that gave them an insight into many new subjects along with plenty of reflection sessions. Dr Kethu Ramachandrashekar spoke about semantic drift, that is, the dynamic nature of language and encouraged students to appreciate culture and the way it has evolved to suit different times. Smt. Durga Duraisamy spoke to the students about temple architecture and the amount of planning and effort that goes into constructing the beautiful marvels that have stood the test of time. Dr. Devika’s session was about the rich values in our culture and reminded the students of the essential virtues embedded in our culture and traditions. Smt. Pavithra Srinivasan narrated about how dance could have an impact on our lives and demonstrated how it is a beautiful way to express oneself while representing the culture. Mr Anil Srinivasan taught about how music could bridge the gap between the past and the present and connect people spread across the globe. Overall, it was a blissful cultural experience for the students with much to reflect upon and a renewed sense of pride in our heritage.

– M Anisha, Grade VIII

Primary students celebrated our culture by experiencing and exploring different forms of art like music, dance and enjoyed storytelling sessions which emphasized the importance of respect, kindness, sharing, caring and discipline. The first day of Utsav for the Primary included sessions with Ms. Srividya, Ms. Laasya Narasimhachari and Dr. Nandinee. Through the mythological stories narrated by Ms. Srividya, students gained a better understanding of values like kindness, truthfulness, righteousness and respect for all. Ms. Laasya’s interactive dance session enabled students to appreciate the age-old Indian classical dance-forms. They also enjoyed learning about differences in hand movements, facial expressions for conveying messages. Using Naturopathy, Dr. Nandinee helped the children acknowledge our traditional medicine also called ‘paati vaithiyam’.

The following day had the students engrossed and engaged in more immersive music and theater sessions. During the captivating music session with Ms. Aarthi Govindarajan, the children got a glimpse of essential components of Carnatic music and how Carnatic swaras can be related to western notes. Theatre sessions on this day revolved around group work and activities to promote trust and reliance amongst peers.

On the final day of Utsav was a Villu Paatu by Smt Bharathi Thirumagan and her troupe, where inspiring songs were sung to instill in students the virtues of being humble, kind, and caring for each other. Everyday, students reflected on the various activities through sharing ideas, expressing gratitude, illustrations and decorating their Utsav boards.

Like a child who sits on the lap of the parent and listens to stories to imbibe values, Utsav provides an opportunity for the students to assimilate the rich and varied culture of our country and feel united in their diversity, thus aligning themselves to our ethos of ‘Vasudhaivakutumbakam’.

Students of grade I celebrated UTSAV by imbibing the values represented by our motto “Vasudhaivakutumbakam”. The motto urges one to perceive the entire world as one family, including plants and animals. Children visited the goshala at Kapaleeshwarar temple and fed bananas to the cows there, to apply and appreciate this value with respect to animals around us. They also got an insight into the history and religious practices of the temple. As part of UTSAV celebrations, children had sessions with Smt. SriVidya Jaishankar and Smt Aarti Govindarajan. Smt Srividya shared a story from Panchatantra tales on the value of true friendship. Later students reflected on the story by modelling their favourite characters from the story using clay. Smt. Aarthi engaged the students in a music session that helped children participate and gain an understanding about the basics of traditional music.