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Colourful cultural fusion
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This year's CBSE School Youth Festival was a colourful cultural fusion
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NSS Thripunithura, group song category II
WHEN THE President of India visited Al-Ameen Public School, Edapally in September, he was overwhelmed by the enthusiasm and adulation he got from the students. Similarly the school rolled out the red carpet for the schools participating in the Kerala CBSE Schools Youth Festival held on October 10 and 11.
With 23 schools participating and 115 events, the organisers had their hands full bringing about some kind of order. Rising up to the task, the school put on a magnificent show distributing the events over thirteen stages located in various blocks of the school. From 8 a.m. onwards events were planned culminating well after 8:30 p.m. and nobody was complaining.
Davis Varkey, Vimlagiri Public School, Classical/Light music, 1st prize
The atmosphere was one of frenetic activity with students running from one hall to another. To handle the rush of children, there were five categories on the basis of classes. Category I was for the tiny tots studying up to Class 2, category II - standards 3 and 4; category III - 5, 6 and 7 standards; category IV - standard 8, 9, and 10 while category V was for Standards 11 and 12 students. "This youth festival is held every year and is open to all Kerala CBSE schools located in Ernakulam district only. This year we had around 1,500 students participating. The All Kerala State-wide youth competition will be held sometime later," said Shafina Nizam, vice-principal of the school. The festival inaugurated by filmstar Jayasurya, started off with the group dance, Bharatnatyam, light music and elocution competitions to name a few. The usual classical music, poetry, painting, story/essay writing, quiz, group singing, mono acting, extempore speaking competitions were held over a period of two days. Catering to the medium of instruction of the various schools participating, most of the events were sub divided into Hindi, English, Sanskrit and Malayalam.
However, what made this youth festival so different was the emphasis on the various dance forms practiced both in Kerala and the South. In the spirit of cultural integration the organisers held competitions in Kuchupuddi, Mohiniattam, Bharatanatyam, and some traditional religion-centric dances like the Oppana, Daffumuttu, kolkali, Thiruvathirakali and Margamkali. These events generated a lot of interest among the students with all of them using authentic costumes, jewellery, dances and songs. Oppana is a colourful wedding dance performed by the Malabari Muslim women the day before the marriage.
St Joseph's Convent, Perumbavoor, group dance girls, 1st prize
Daffumuttu on the other hand is an ancient symbolic martial arts dance by the Muslim men of North Kerala. In Kolkali, women dance using 15 inches long sticks, similar to the popular `dandiya' of Gujurat. Mapilappattu was open to both boys and girls and is a competition where you have to sing about the religious doctrines of Islam. Reviving an interest in the past glory of Kerala, two very traditional dances were introduced for the competition. Thiruvathirakali, a dance performed by Hindu women on the day of Thiruvathira and Margamkali, a Syrian Christian dance, usually performed by old women of the community, wearing huge gold earings and a mundu with a fan shaped bustle behind. "I enjoyed participating in Oppana and Mohiniattam. It gave me a chance to learn new steps also," said Saira Banu, a standard 7 student. Some of the winners were from Toc-H Public School Vythilla, Irshadiya Public Schoo,l Koovallor, Rajagiri Public School, Kalamaserry etc.
The youth festival was a superb study in both cultural and religious integration. At the end the students went back with a better understanding of the cultural diversity of our country and state and some very fond memories of a unique youth festival.
VINITHA NAIDU
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