Maintaining balance as part of a human pyramid is challenging enough. The team from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya took things a step further by doubling up as ‘parai aattam’ (a type of percussion) drummers, drawing cheers from the audience on Sunday evening.
With 20 different cultural programmes, the three-hour ‘Puducherry Extravaganza’ organised as part of World Tourism Day celebrations by the Department of Tourism, lived up to its name.
More than 100 students from Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University, Kendriya Vidyalaya 1, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Bharathidasan Government College for Women and a team from NGO Volontariat participated in the programmes.
ADVERTISEMENT
Cultural elements from across the country -- folk dances from Tamil Nadu and North East India, Bihu for instance, apart from Odissi, Kathakali and songs -- were part of the programme. Sunday’s line-up of programmes also included the three best skits from ‘Nukkad’ the inter-collegiate competition on responsible tourism.
‘One billion tourists’
“The skit competition was organised to create awareness among the youth on responsible tourism, covering areas like hygiene and cleanliness. These youth will be tourists in other places and must know about responsible behaviour,” said Y. Venkata Rao, Head, Department of Tourism Studies, Pondicherry University.
ADVERTISEMENT
Prize winners of various events such as photography, cookery and cultural competitions and the skit competitionwere awarded at the programme, attended by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy, Tourism Minister P. Rajavelu and others. The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) which declared ‘One billion tourists, one billion opportunities’ as theme for World Tourism Day 2015, has identified five areas of commitment fromtourists: buy local, respect local culture, save energy, protect heritage and use public transport.