Summary
The 30-odd students from five schools learnt about the history of the house, spoke to an artisan on how a Durga idol is made and sat down with the clay themselves to try their hands at it on Saturday
In the run up to Durga Puja, a group of school students was taken to the house of Rani Rashmoni in Janbazar, central Calcutta.
The 30-odd students from five schools learnt about the history of the house, spoke to an artisan on how a Durga idol is made and sat down with the clay themselves to try their hands at it on Saturday.
The idea is to take pride in the city’s heritage, art and culture and learn more about it, said the organiser.
Simran Sadhwani, 15, was overawed by the experience and the fact that so much thought goes behind making an idol.
“The idol-maker told us how each colour is selected. He highlighted certain things that we tend to miss out on when we see Durga and her entourage in a pandal,” said the Class X student of Akshar.
A student tries her hand at clay modelling.
The visit to the house of Rani Rashmoni, an 18th century zamindar and philanthropist who founded the Kali temple in Dakshineswar, was organised by Own the Past, a group that deals with stories of history and legacy.
The four other schools whose students visited the house were BDM International, Indus
Valley World School, Mahadevi Birla World Academy and The Bridge International.
“Durga Puja is not just a religious festival. There are so many aspects to it. At the house of Rani Rashmoni, they learnt that Durga Puja is a festival of inclusiveness. The doors of the house on the Puja days are open to everybody, who can come and eat bhog,” said Jayanti Neogi, a teacher at Akshar.
She said students during the visit also learned about women’s power.
“We feel children should take pride in their city and its rich culture and heritage,” said Vibha Mitra, chief ideator and founder, Own the Past.
Mitra said the organisation works to show Calcutta’s cultural richness and encourages people to acknowledge that richness.
A few days before, the students were taken to St John’s Church.
“Projects such as this are meaningful in terms of learning opportunities. When they are doing it with other school students, it adds to the collaborative learning,” said Amita Prasad, director, Indus Valley World School.
Last updated on 10 Oct 2023
