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Building friendship beyond boundaries

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

In high spirits: The team from Germany performing at the Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School at Kalapet in Puducherry on Tuesday.

PUDUCHERRY: Tuesday’s school assembly was one that students of Government Girls Higher Secondary at Kalapet will cherish for long. Amid them were a group of 14 persons from Germany including students, who are on a week-long tour to Puducherry and surrounding districts of Tamil Nadu as part of a cultural exchange programme.

A traditional welcome with music, firecrackers and garlands awaited the German team at the school. The members interacted with the students and their parents, including the 20 tsunami-affected students of the school who had visited Saarland, Germany last year.

“We want to build a bridge and create a friendship between you and our children,” senior education official, Saarland-Germany Birgit Spengler told the school students.

The team sang two songs in German and French and later surprised the young students with an invocation song to Lord Ganesha. “We love Puducherry. We have visited several places including the ancient French town, Auroville, Ashram, Manakula Vinayagar Temple, Vandalur Zoo in Chennai and Mahabalipuram. We also took a walk on the beach. We definitely like the place,” she said.

Ms. Spengler further said, “It is a very warm welcome for us. We are completely overwhelmed.” The team, also consisting of parents and officials, visited the building at the school, which was constructed with funds contributed by students of Saarland.

The school students also staged cultural performances including folk dances and bharatnatyam for the German team. The team gave away gifts to the students.

The team also met Public Works Minister M.O.H.F. Shahjahan. School Education Director S. Sundaravadivelu and Joint Director J. Krishnaraju were present. They also visited the tsunami rehabilitation site, Kalapet and attended a cultural programme at Bal Bhavan.

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