“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall… think of it always.”                                         – Mahatma Gandhi

Dussehra or Navratri is among the most popular festivals celebrated in India. Dussehra is celebrated with full gusto, enthusiasm and rituals across the country. And the underlying spiritual significance of all the traditions behind Dussehra is the victory of good over evil and the resurgence of hope and faith. Hence, it was welcomedby all as a festival to attain victory over epidemic like Corona and along with the burning of effigy of evil, Ravana,the ravages of corona were also envisioned to be burnt on this day.

Keeping the festive spirit alive, Dussehra was celebrated with great pomp and show, at St. Joseph’s Sr. Sec. School, Chandigarh. Students of every age came forward and participated in assorted activities curated especially for the day. The tiny tots of Kindergarten Block, made stick and finger puppets of mythological characters i.e. Lord Rama, Goddess Sita, and the demon Ravana. Teachers narrated them the story of Ramayana through puppets to encourage them to imbibe the values and become worthy children and responsible citizens of the country. Students of Primary – I Block, glorified the occasion by chanting Hanuman Chalisa, making masks and puppets of Ravana. They were asked to write one evil habit on a piece of paper and then throw it, a step towards becoming a better person. Students of Primary Block – II, enthusiastically participated in Eco friendly Ravana making competition, Rangoli design competitions and Durga Pooja crafts. Students of Middle Block, started with reciting various shloks from Ramayana. They enacted few scenes of ‘Ram – Leela’ and had prepared props for it like bow and arrow, chariot, crown of Ravana and many more. Students of Secondary Block unleashed their hidden talent by presenting the Dussehra celebrations of various states through short videos, PPTs and collages in a creative and innovative way.

Members of the school Management, Shri Rupinder Grewal, Mrs. Harjinder Kaur, Mr. Sukhdeep Grewal and Mr. Paramdeep Grewal acknowledged the unwavering efforts of the   faculty in making the students understand the importance of truth, righteousness and believing in the light at the end of the tunnel.

The celebration ended with the words of wisdom of Principal, Ms Monica Chawla, enlightening the students to burn the qualities which spoil the mind that is lust, anger, identification, greed, too much pride, jealousy, selfishness, injustice, cruelty and ego, which represented  the ten qualities of ten heads of Ravana, to become better humans.