Tag: 2022-23

India’s 74th Republic Day was celebrated with much patriotic splendour at Hari Shree. The celebrations began by hoisting the National Flag and singing the National Anthem. Everyone present recited the National Pledge. This was followed by performances by students of middle and high school. The programme included speeches in English, a fusion western dance and a foot-tapping musical performance and a Hindi skit. It was a memorable day that filled us with pride and patriotism.

– Akshara Nidhin, Grade VII

Students from Primary, Middle and High school celebrated Pongal in the school campus with much grandeur. It was a traditional Pongal, the Hari Shree way. The rounds became a village courtyard decorated with rangoli and thoranams. The excitement on everyone’s faces turned to sheer joy at the sight of the cow and calf. Everyone in campus joined the pooja to invoke the blessings of the Sun God at this auspicious time. Every minute detail was attended to, including worshipping the cow, cooking pongal in a vengala panai and distributing sugarcane to our students. The cultural programs in Tamil presented by our students made it a delightful day.

Students of the middle and high school participated in a Science quiz to mark the Science Week celebration. The different rounds of the quiz included inventions, visuals and videos based on scientific principles, and application of science in current events. It was an event that helped the participants gain more knowledge on the wonderful world of science and the integral part it plays in our everyday lives.

– Adhrit Maddulapalli, Grade VIII

Pongal, the harvest festival, marks the onset of spring. It is celebrated every year in January. Students of the Junior Campus wore ethnic dresses to mark this day. Colourful rangolis adorned the floor, sugar canes, colourful Pongal pots and other decorations enhanced the festive spirit. As part of the celebrations, chakkara pongal and sugarcane were distributed to the students. The children were delighted by the presence of a cow and a calf and understood the significance of worshipping a cow as a symbol of sanctity and its importance in agriculture for a farmer. The children painted tiny clay pots to take home as a reminder of the wonderful day of celebrations.

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