Dussehra Celebrations to promote Sustainable Goals

The students of St. Joseph’s Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh celebrated the triumph of good over evil to mark Dussehra festivities in the most unique manner. Special emphasis was laid to put an end to all kinds of pollution, particularly plastic pollution.

Dussehra is a traditional Indian festival that culminates the nine long days of Navratri. It signifies the victory of good over evil. Lord Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu ended the darkness of evil by killing the demon king, Ravana. For years people have been celebrating the festival by burning effigies of Ravana and burning crackers, significantly polluting the environment.

The students of the school took yet another step towards creating a world driven by sustainable development by celebrating Dussehra through innovative activities. The wisely curated activities were designed to send across the message to the masses to celebrate Dussehra though differently yet with the same fervor and enthusiasm. The intent is to curb the pollution caused by the traditional ways of celebrating the day. The tiny tots of Kindergarten enjoyed the puppet show depicting the virtuous life of the Lord. Dressed in colourful attires the kids enjoyed dancing to the Garba tunes. Poems, speeches; Nukkad Natak helped the students of Primary-1 to glorify the festival and to reiterate the values and virtues of Lord Rama, the embodiment of righteousness. The students also engaged in a coloring activity, bringing the pictures of the deity alive.

The students of Middle Block participated in a rally to urge people to stop burning Ravana and end plastic pollution, the real demon of current times. The creativity of the students set another benchmark as the students created effigies of various characters from the Ramayana using recyclable waste. The e-posters created were a shout-out to promote eco-friendly celebration of the day.

The Director, Mr. Paramdeep Grewal also joined the students in the festivities and encouraged the students keep alive the traditions and the rich legacy of our cultural heritage.