Students showcased a range of talents — from rangoli and kite-making to music and dance — at the ‘Vanavil’ (Rangotsav) festival at the Nehru Thidal on the Beach road on Sunday.
Hosted by the Directorate of School Education and the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan initiative, with the support of the HRD Ministry, the event attracted the participation of over 5,000 students apart from regular visitors.
Among the 25 pavilions representing a microcosm of creativity of students in 270 government schools were the ones on sculptures from waste paper by the Indira Gandhi GHSS, road safety by the Directorate of School Education and a science corner. Stalls eliciting views on education on a pin-up board by the Azim Premji Foundation, Sri Aurobindo Society, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, NCC, NSS, Bharat Scouts and Guides and Jawahar Bal Bhavan were also present.
Competitions held
Various competitions such as elocution, debate and cultural contests were held. Science exhibits, a reading festival, a kite-making contest and craft competition were also part of the events.
Adding more colour were a band display, self-defence demo, s ilambattam, a traditional fashion show and puppetry show that unfolded across four acts.
One of the special attractions were the dance performances of the 40-people contingent from the Jawahar Bal Bhavan featuring folk and classical dance and a 21-instrument ensemble performance.
Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy opened the day-long event in the presence of K. Lakshminarayanan, Parliamentary Secretary to the Chief Minister and P.T. Rudra Goud, Director of School Education.
“The events aimed to draw out the talents of students of Government schools and the contributions of organisations such as the scouts, NCC and NSS,” said K. Meenakshisundaram, Chief Educational Officer.
Later, R. Kamalakannan, Education Minister, gave away prizes to the winners of various events in the presence of A. Anbarasu, Development Commissioner.
