Delhi Public School students undertake an odyssey to world heritage sites

Hyderabad: The Delhi Public School, Nacharam celebrated its Annual Day for classes V and VI recently. Officially named Patrimoine Du Monde – An Odyssey to World Heritage Sites, the program was envisioned to celebrate the importance of preserving the valuable heritage sites across the world. This theme was taken up to celebrate the culmination of the World Heritage Week on November 25 as declared by UNESCO.

The programme started with the Chief Guest Md. Baba Fasiuddin- Deputy Mayor GHMC, Dr. Venkatesh Netha - MP Pedapally and Guest of Honours, Amiya Nandan Sinha- Director RPF Training Center, Pratibha Murlidhar being welcomed by the ceremonial guard of honour by the school NCC contingent and the Head Boys and Head Girls of Class V. It was followed by lighting of the lamp by dignitaries accompanied by the chanting of shlokas. In her welcome address the Principal Sunitha Rao, Hon D Litt., welcomed the esteemed gathering and apprised the parents about the achievements and value additions to the curriculum that has made the school reach such great heights. Senior Headmistress I Sudha read out the annual report of classes V & VI and informed the parents of some of the distinctive practices carried out at this level to make their transition to middle school a smooth one.

The invocation song, a fusion of both Hindustani and Carnatic variants of the Indian classical music, was followed by the Inaugural Ramp walk which gave the guests of the evening a glimpse of the heritage sites that would unfold before them. Through Cambodian Dance, the guests were treated with the first heritage site of the evening – Cambodia. The Gladiator dance that followed showcased the great Roman culture in all its ancient glory. Dabke, the traditional folk dance of Jordan, displayed the ancient site Petra, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Later the iconic Acropolis was on the display with Helen of Troy taking the center stage in a spectacle that amazed the audience. The dances that paid their tribute to the Galapagos island were collectively named the Ballet Andino.

This tribute to the monumental discovery of Charles Darwin was followed by the presentation of the Egyptian Dance. From the grand pyramids of Giza to the natural beauty of the Nile, Egyptian glory was unfurled by the exotic beauty of Cleopatra and her performance with Julius Caesar. Coming to the heritage sites of India , students showcased the Valley of Flowers – a heritage site about the exotic flowers through a lilting flower ballet followed by the Tippani dance showcasing the Gujarati culture to celebrate the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi and the heritage city of Ahmedabad. Mahabalipuam temple in Tamil Nadu, another beautiful heritage site was depicted through a brilliant classical dance performance on pots by the young dancers of classes V & VI that left the audience spellbound.

All these heritage sites and their importance to us as the citizens of the world was showcased in the grand finale dance which promoted the protection of our natural heritage, the environment and cultural heritage through respect of all human civilizations. The evening concluded on a patriotic fervour with all rising up to sing the national anthem.