Resplendent in the hues of Jaipur !

Excursions are meant for building up leadership qualities, expanding knowledge, learning things outside the classroom and to escape the monotonous pace of life. Study hall makes sure that its students have fun and make the most of these excursions and despite being a board class, XII, were taken for a trip to Jaipur, on the 15th of July 2015.

The trip started with a hiccup, the train was an hour and a half late but that couldn’t kill our spirit. We reached Jaipur on the 15th of July at 2 in the afternoon. After lunch at 4:30 p.m we were on our way to the renowned Bapu Bazaar. There we were awestruck by the vibrant Rajasthani handicrafts .There was a wide variety of Leheria dupatta,bandhanicoth, traditional jhumkas and lac bangles.

The next day we started early as we had a 3-4 hours journey to Ajmer ahead of us. After reaching Ajmer we took an auto ride to the holy Ajmer Sharif. There we were told that prayers are heard and answered. Though the gates of the dargah were closed for the afternoon, yet we were lucky that the gates opened after sometime and we all went inside the dargah to offer our prayers. We were awestruck by the beautifully decorated walls and the ceiling purely on Islamic style. After the visit to the Dargah we bounced back on our bus seats for a ride to Pushkar.

Pushkar is a small town but very important as it has the only Brahma temple in the world. Here we went up to offer our prayers and went around the huge temple complex. The small shops around the temple had exciting things to be carried back home as curios.

The next day all of us had an early breakfast and headed for the world famous Hawa Mahal. All of us marveled over the intelligently built structure that was as cool as Shimla without fans. The next destination on our agenda was the magnificent City Palace. The architecture of the palace was exquisite and the history rich! At the palace we saw the weapons and amours used by the kings during war. We also saw the royal court, furniture and carpets of the kingdom, clothes of the kings and queens and an art gallery which was full of life like paintings. We also saw a traditional puppet show in the premises of the palace. The last place on our itinerary was the Amber Fort. The fort is built on the Aravalli hills and has a room called Deewan-e- aam where the king addressed the common man and one called the Deewan-e-khas where the special officials were addressed. There was a mirror room where a candle was lit and the light was reflected in the thousand pieces of mirror carved beautifully on the walls and ceiling. This would give the illusion of a starry night. After sight-seeing we went back to the hotel,had lunch, packed our bags and left for the station.

We reached Lucknow the next morning and that was the end of our exciting trip to Jaipur .
The excursion has taught us to take responsibility of not only ourselves but of others . It was actually very difficult to keep up with time as we were tired. Nights were spent talking with the friends into the morning. We learnt to take care of each other and help each other. We had lots of fun during the trip. It was an amazing experience to spend a few days with our friends and we made the best use of the time in hand. Our friendship has also deepened. It gave us a chance to learn about the rich culture and history of Jaipur and made us realise that India is truly incredible. The trip was also a much needed break that all of us were looking forward to.

Shrishti Sinha and Vasundhara Rawat, XII D

Picture Credit : Aryan Chopra

In their own words Indra Global Congress 2015

Prerna Girls School and Vidyasthali School participated in the Indra Global Congress 2015.Ms. Nishu Singh, Ms. Ruby Verma , Ms. Navratri, Ms. Kritika Maurya and Ms. Shreya Singh were part of the team that represented India at the Congress.The event was an opportunity for our girls to come together and share their experiences with the fellow students and school staff.

A conversation with the girls –

What did you learn from the week that you didn’t already know?

We used to think that western countries have no problems since they are developed countries but they also have problems. When we saw their performances, then we realized that they also struggling with similar problems like crime, etc. We also didn’t know that foreigners don’t follow a caste system.Which was different because in India we have learned to first see caste of a person, and then be friends with them. Also, nobody seemed to care if a person is smart or intelligent. Everyone was treated equally irrespective of all that.We also came to know that people actually follow traffic rules. And keep their streets clean. We got to see new technologies like lights with sensors, etc and learned new things like playing guitar, making puppets etc.

With whom did you particularly connect?

We connected very well with the students from Plymouth and Derry. They were staying near to us and we also had a party with them. We also connected with Damola, Jake, Martha, Maggi and David Sir.

Which of the art forms you encountered made the most impact on you?

The dance was interesting because all the steps were just taken from what we feel while we are at different places and are feeling different things. And were made into one dance.
We loved the play from Plymouth students. We also loved visual arts because the way it was presented was very different and beautiful.

Has the experience made you feel differently about (i) yourself, (ii) the world?

(i) Yes. We felt very different about us. We felt free.Because there was no restrictions on girls to look and behave in any particular way. Nobody cared about appearances and talked to each other nicely without judging on the basis of clothes etc. So all the time that goes in thinking what all is wrong in us, that didn’t happen there. Here we keep thinking this only. So that’s why we felt so free. Which made us feel equal. And now that feeling of being equal is still with us.
Girls there were much more free and were not conscious of themselves. This made us feel and be freer. Girls and boys were more comfortable around each other and nobody made a big deal out of that.

(ii) As Indians we had a lot of limitations. Because we discriminate among people on basis of caste and gender. But in Plymouth, it was different. We realized that the world can be more equal. If we drop caste and everything, then living peacefully is possible. We now don’t believe in caste and everything and will try to not continue it. Also we learned that we do not need to restrict girls and boys to be friends with each other and allow them to be free.

What would you change if you were organising the event?

We would not remove anything but would like to add a translator. We couldn’t understand a lot of things that were in different languages. A translator would be helpful. Also, we would like to have music workshop in which all students can participate.

Was there a special moment that will stay with you? If so, what was it?

The first and the last day of the workshop, when we presented our work. Also, the panel discussion because it was the first time that some of us were on a panel.

TCS Lucknow empowers Prerna Girls on World Youth Skills Day

Coinciding with the World Youth Skills Day and launch of Skill India Mission, Girls from Prerna School were invited by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Lucknow to a vocational event aimed at spreading awareness about skill development. The event was inaugurated by Mr Jayant Krishna, Principal Consultant and Ms Prerna Agarwal, HR Head at TCS Lucknow.

TCS Lucknow has been conducting a tailoring workshop during the summer vacations for the Prerna Girls. A fresh batch of students will now start during the summer vacations to impart skills to more girls. This is an attempt to help more girls lead an economically independent and respectable life.

Indra Global Congress 2015

Prerna Girls School and Vidyasthali School participated in the Indra Global Congress 2015. Ms. Nishu Singh, Ms. Ruby Verma , Ms. Navratri, Ms. Kritika Maurya and Ms. Shreya Singh were part of the team that represented India at the Congress.

The event was an opportunity for young people to come together and share their practice, ideas and experience. Girls presented a play titled ‘Izzat’ that roughly translates as ‘honor’ in English. The play attempts to explore dimensions of their own sexuality i.e, – desire, their right to it, their control over their own bodies, the dangers and risk around this, family definitions of ‘honour’ – izzat and how they perpetuate subordination of girls, limit their lives and how girls feel about this.

Link to the performance: https://youtu.be/iDGqsq1_duw

Press Clipping: Hindustan Times, Lucknow Edition,8 July 2015