It was indeed a perfect occasion for young artists to combine creativity with the brilliant mélange of colours and coalesce to create a work that would impress the judges to walk away with the prize.
The Hindu Young World painting competition 2009 held recently in Madurai saw more than 400 children from various schools give wing to their imagination.
The juniors were asked to draw “Flower Market” or “My Classroom” at the on-the-spot competition, while the seniors had to choose from “Republic Day parade” or “Watching a cricket match at the stadium”.
Creativity was at its best as some kids came up with beautiful replicas of scenes from everyday life as was largely seen in the paintings depicting their classrooms and also reproducing the flower market scene. The two-hour competition had the judges, Shammugasundaram of Al Ameen School and artist K.A. Murugesan, choose 10 best paintings each from the junior and senior categories. Theatre personality and film actor Shanmugaraja was the chief guest for the event and gave away the prizes. N. Hariharan, a Std. V student of Mahatma Matric H.S. School, Baba Building, Madurai, was the winner in the junior category. J. Nikita of Std. IV of Mahatma Montessori Matric H.S. School, K.K. Nagar, and M. Arun Prakash of Lakshmi School, Karuppayoorani, were the first and second runners-up respectively in the same category.
Among the seniors, M. Periyar Dhasan, and S.P. Prasanth, both Std. X students of Setupathi H.S. School, notched the top two places and J. Lavanya Priyadarshini, Std. VIII student of Kamalavathi H.S. School came third.
Cash prizes
A cash prize of Rs. 5,000 for the first place, Rs. 3,000 for the second and Rs .2,000 for the third in the senior category was given and Rs. 3,000 for the first, Rs. 2,000 for the second and Rs. 1,000 for the third in the junior category were awarded. Fourteen consolation prizes of Rs.500 each were given away.
The title sponsor of the event was Lotte Caramilk. The snack sponsors were Pepsico Cheetos Whoosh and Ramalinga Mello Cakes. The venue sponsor is the American College and the water sponsor Blue Hills Aqua.
Prize winners with the chief guest, film actor and theatre personality Shanmugaraja. Photo: G. Moorthy
N. Hariharan, V, Mahatma Matric H.S. School, Madurai
First in senior category: M. Periyar Dhasan, X, Setupathi H.S. School, Madurai