Gujarat’s Mesmerizing Paradise: Saputara

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To break off from the monotonous routine of the recently concluded exams, it was time for a tour. So it was a perfect choice to visit the only hill station of south Gujarat – Saputara, nearly 165 km from Kolibharthana. It was a three days program from October 6th to October 8th for the students of grades 1 to 4.

We started around 7:30 am. The trip took a halt at Waghai Botanical Gardens – featuring a garden and a Bio-Diversity Conservation Centre. All enjoyed the sight of the horticultural beauty to one’s heart’s content and were recharged with the delicacy of Bhel. The journey continued with animated frolic, music and movie. Our medical team member Vijaybhai pointing towards the hill top showed our destination. Saputara is perched at an altitude of 1000 m and is situated in the heart of the Dang District. It is located on the second highest plateau of the Sahyadari range which looks awesome with its densely wooded hills. While climbing, winding roads provide a spectacular view of the verdant valley on one side and the carved out hill slopes on the other.

 

 
Buses reached the destination at 12:30 pm. The accommodation was at the Aakar Lords Inn – one of the grand hotels in Saputara. After a small respite, it was the time for scrumptious lunch. The scenic beauty of Saputara got enveloped by the clouds which were sailing across the sky and descending towards the valley adding elegance to it. The team proceeded with playing housie, musical chair and concluded with an exquisite dinner.

Next day, after the breakfast, kids were eagerly waiting for boating in the Saputara Lake. Boating and splashing of water by boatmen added to the fun. The few recreational rides were a bonus for the kids. Next point was the museum which had a remarkable collection of the things used by the tribal inhabitants of Dang. Our Social Science team minutely observed each and every aspect of major forms of tribal expression depicted in the museum. The various species of stuffed birds, ‘Warli wall paintings’, ornaments, attires, musical instruments, the tools and weapons, the utensils, the hut, clay ritual objects, terracotta toys and many more.

That evening around 4:30 pm, the students reached the table top which was covered with the cloud all around. The horse rides, ball game, having the delicious seasoned boiled corn and climbing to see the sun set point all were marvellous experience.

Soon it was growing dark and again all were back to the pavilion – the Lords Inn. After a small breather, the musical chair was continued. The dinner soon overtook the merriment spirit. All were called on for an early bed time. When entered the rooms, few eyes were still fixed on to the T.V. All were again persuaded to welcome sleep. Early morning, soon after the breakfast, it was time to depart from this picturesque nature’s abode.

The cool breeze was signalling to stay for another day. How the days passed no one realized and now it was time to say good bye to this enchanting place which had got carved in the hearts. We returned to the school refreshed and looking forward to the new challenges and fun of the next term. The memory of the visit to Saputara remains fresh in minds leaving a lasting impression.

Written by: Binu Ma’am

“Venice of the East”: There and back again

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An electrifying tour to Udaipur was organised to rejuvenate the students and to ease off from the recently concluded exams. It was held from October 5th to October 8th for the students of grades 9 and 10. The first day started with refreshment in the awesome hotel: “Valley View” in Udaipur after which we strolled out in this beautiful city of lakes.

We went for boating in the Pichola Lake, a beautiful, picturesque lake that is enveloped by some of the key structures of Udaipur. After the highly informative and full-of-fun ride, we visited the Maharana Pratap Memorial where we learnt more about the very inspiring life of Maharana Pratap. The stories of Chetak, his loyal horse, who lived and died for the Rana gave us goosebumps. As the evening proceeded and it got dark, we went forth to explore the city centre and trekked for about 2 km going through narrow streets and subways, eventually arriving at an eye-catching sight of the city of Udaipur with buildings and structures decorated with candles and lights. It seemed like a city of GOLD! Finally, upon returning back to our hotel, we had a delicious dinner and our day ended with already lots of memories of the city.

The next day, our curiosity was exploited in Chittaurgarh – the land of Bhakti and Shakti (the land of devotion and strength), about 100 km from Udaipur. After a “heavy” breakfast, we travelled and reached there by noon. We then explored through the ruins of places where some of the most inspiring events took place. In this historically significant Mewar part of Rajasthan, we saw for ourselves the place where Queen Padmini and the Rajput women performed “jauhar” symbolising the extent of their dedication towards their faith. We relived the sacrifice made by Panna Dai in order to save the infant Prince Udaisinh and we were touched by the life and devotion of Meerabai. We got to see the ruins of the Royal Palace, the Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory), Meerabai Temple, Rana Pratap fort and the breathtaking views of the modern city which lay at the foothills. After lunch in the city, whilst our buses took us back to Udaipur, we continued marvelling in the glory of the city we had just witnessed. Upon returning to the hotel, we freshened up and got replenished with some tasty snacks and games. Swimming was great fun. And then again, came another very delicious dinner serving some awesome food. Everyone was charged up and looking forward to the Navratri celebration arranged in the hall within the hotel itself. After some time after dinner, we enjoyed garba in which all students and teachers danced with a lot of passion.

The final day of our trip began with our visit to the mesmerising, grand City Palace. It was built by 22 kings, one after the other and is an excellent masterpiece of architecture infused with strategy. We saw the well preserved rooms, gardens, clothes, jewellery and weapons used by the generations of the royal family. We witnessed first-hand the life style of the royal family. Everyone left the palace in awe and reached the hotel for lunch.

It was time then to bid farewell to this beautiful city of palaces and lakes and we started our return journey to school. One of the most remarkable things about this tour was the extent of meticulous planning and execution of our tour manager Mr Himanshu Goyal from Booking Station. Himanshu Sir was personally involved in every event and situation taking such care so as to provide us with the best possible experience.

This trip was indeed very adventurous and enthralling and surely one of the best trips we’ve ever been to. The experiences of this tour have left indelible footprints on the sands of time for us.

Re-Lived by: Yaksh Badhiwala and Utkarsh Patel (Std 10)

जल-झुलनी एकादशी 2013

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तिथि, वार, नक्षत्र, योग और करण इन पाँच प्रमुख अंगो से बने हिंदू पंचांग के अनुसार नवसंवतसर (नववर्ष) का शुभारंभ चित्रा नक्षत्र से युक्त चैत्र मास (मार्च-अप्रैल) की प्रतिपदा (एकम्) को मनाया जाता है। तत्पश्चात् द्वितीय माह ‘वैशाख’ और तृतीय माह ‘ज्येष्ठ’ को छोड़ कर के चतुर्थ मास ‘आषाढ़’ के शुक्ल पक्ष की एकादशी; ‘देवशयनी-एकादशी’ से प्रारंभ होकर कार्तिक मास के शुक्लपक्ष की ‘प्रबोधिनी एकादशी’ पर्यंत, समय के इस प्रवाह को – चतुर्मास कहते हैं । 

 
धरातल पर ‘जेठ’ महीने की भीषण और प्रचण्ड धूप के बाद, आषाढ़ माह के शुरू होते ही काले बदरवा की गर्जन और दामिनी की आतिशबाजी से गगन थर्रा उठता है तथा मेघ समारोह के नजारे दृष्टिगोचर होने लगते हैं। पावस की बूंदें धरती पर पड़ते ही लोगों के तन-मन फुहारों से सिंचित हो खिल उठते हैं, ताप भाग खड़ा होता है। झुलसे उपवन में बहार आ जाती है। घनघोर घटाओं से अंबर घिर जाता है। चहुंओर हरीतिमा ही हरीतिमा। नदी, तालाब, सरोवर आदि लबालब हो जाते हैं, कृषक प्रफुल्लित हो उठते हैं, ठंडी बयारें, वर्षा का जल नया संदेशा, नई चेतना लेकर आता है। धरती की गोद से जब नव अंकुर फूटते हैं तो भूलोक पर कोपलों की हरियाली से चूनर लहरा उठती है।

और फिर प्रारंभ हो जाता है दौर त्योहारों का। हरियाली का उत्सव हरियाली अमावस्या से लगाकर नाग पंचमी, रक्षाबंधन, कृष्ण जन्माष्टमी, गणेश चतुर्थी, नवरात्री, दशहरा, दीपावली आदि–अदि… क्या ये सभी उत्सव पृथ्वी को हरा-भरा रखने और सरिसृप(सांप) सहित संपूर्ण प्राणी जगत की सुरक्षा का संदेश देते हुए हमें ये नहीं बताते हैं कि वनस्पति और प्राणी जगत एक-दूसरे के बिना अधूरे हैं ?

त्यौहारों की शृंखला के में एक और कड़ी जुड़ जाती है जो जल-झुलनी एकादशी के रूप में ख्याति प्राप्त है। यह अद्भुत और विशेष त्योहार आर्यावर्त (भारत) में कई नामों से जाना जाता है जैसे- परिवर्तिनी एकादशी, पार्श्व एकादशी, वामन एकादशी, डोल ग्यारस आदि ।

वर्षा काल के दौरान चिरकाल तक भ्रमण के अवसर की सुलभता न होने के कारण अल्प-विहार का संदेश देता यह खास पर्व आत्मीय विद्या मंदिर में भी प्रतिवर्ष की भांति इस वर्ष भी मनाया गया। चिरप्रतिक्षित जल-झुलनी एकादशी का उत्साह विद्यालय में पौ फटने के साथ ही नज़र आने लगा। सूर्योदय के साथ ही नन्हें-नन्हें बालको का भगवान सहजानंद के प्रति धर्मानुराग आज विशेष रूप में देखा गया। प्रभात वेला की ईशवंदना के बाद क्या किशोर और क्या वयस्क, आबालवृद्ध समूह प्रातःकालिन अल्पाहार में केवल राजगिरा और मालकांगनी के पकोड़े खाकर दैनिक कार्यों में प्रवृत्त हुआ। विद्यालय में रविवार का अवकाश होने के कारण विद्यार्थीयों इस उत्सव को लेकर खासा उत्साह देखने मिला। छात्रों ने भी मध्याह्न के भोजन में भी छाछ भाजी और फलाहारी पूरियों का सेवन किया। इस प्रकार आराधनपूर्ण इस दिवस की कब सांझ हो गई, ज्ञात ही नहीं हो पाया।

और अब ! आखिर आ ही गया समय का वो प्रतिक्षारत खंड, जिसका पिछले सप्ताहभर से भक्तों को बेसब्री से इंतज़ार था। करीब चार बजे पूरे उत्साह और उमंग के साथ औत्सुक्यपूर्ण वातावरण में भगवान स्वामिनारायण और उनके साथ शास्त्रीजी महाराज, योगीजी महाराज और प्रगटगुरूहरि हरिप्रसाद स्वामी महाराज की प्रतिमाओं को देवालय से आदरपुर्वक बाहर लाकर श्रद्धा एवं सावधानी के साथ पालकी में बैठाई गई। भगवान की जय-जयकार से विद्यालय प्रांगण गूंजायमान हो उठा। इस शोभायात्रा की शोभा तो बस देखते ही बनती थी। छात्रों एक जत्था पूर्ण जोर-शोर से जोश के साथ वाद्ययंत्रों का वादन कर रहा था तो दूसरी ओर अन्य छात्र भजनों के गायन से माहौल को भक्ति से ओत-प्रोत कर रहे थें।

और इस तरह से यह यात्रा विद्यालय के तरणताल तक जा पहुँची जहाँ पर सर्वप्रथम भगवान का शुद्ध जल से अभिषेक किया गया तत्पश्चात् विद्यालय परिवार के पूज्य बालुकाका, पूज्य वल्लभमामा एवं प्रधानाचार्य डा. विजय पटेल ने पूजन और आरती की। शाम का वातावरण अत्यंत सुहावना था। विद्यालय के सभी छात्र शिक्षक एवं अन्य कर्मचारीगण को संबोधित करते हुए डा.पटेल ने इस पर्व के महात्म्य पर प्रकाश डाला और कहा कि ‘जिस प्रकार किसी नदी या सागर को सुगमता व सरलता पूर्वक पार करने में एक तरणी(नौका) कितनी सहायक होती है, ठिक वैसे ही ये जीवन भी एक सागर जैसा है जिसमे विषमता की समय-समय पर अनेक लहरे आती रहती है जिनका सामना कर सफलतापूर्वक इस भवसागर को पार करने में संत हमारे लिए नाव की भांति सहायता करते हैं और हम जीवन का सुगमता और सरलता से निरवहन कर सकते हैं’। प्रधानाचार्यजी के इस उद्बोधन ने गागर में सागर भरने का काम किया।

फिर कनिष्ठ छात्रों से लगा कर वरिष्ठ छात्रों तक सभी ने भक्ति के साथ अत्यधिक उमंग द्वारा बारी-बारी से श्री हरि को जल में विहार करवाया। कार्यक्रम के अंत में ऋतुफल खीरा(ककड़ी) का प्रसाद वितरण किया गया तथा इस तरह से जल-झुलनी एकादशी के इस उत्सव को आत्मीय विद्या मंदिर में सरसता के साथ मनाया गया। खुब भक्तिपरक और प्रचुर रोचक ऐसे अग्रीम जल-झुलनी एकादशी के उत्सव की प्रतिक्षा मे…

लेखक: पुष्पक सर

Inter House Skating Competition 2013-14

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Stronger foundations are the reason for the stability and strength of a tall building. Likewise in sports, stronger domestic competitions often lead to a strong showing outside of the school.

Skating has always been one of the favorite sports at AVM. Skating can often give you the thrill of speed but also make you realize the importance of balance in our lives. Therefore it was not a surprise that students were very excited to participate in the inter house skating competition. As per the school policy of ‘safety first’, all the students were ready with their protective gears for this very exciting competition.

This year, for the very first time the Beginners group was included through which as young as the students of class 3 participated in the competition. There were also separate groups for Sub Juniors, Juniors and Seniors. Students participated for long as well as short distance races.

Not for the first time this year, the students of Satyam house showed their superiority on the field and swept the competition with a record margin with Sundaram house a distant second.

 

Here are the results of the competition.

The inter house competition showcased the talent of students along with their will to maintain very high standards. Such a level of skill and commitment, was later rewarded with some excellent performances at the district level. AVM swept the U-14 competition at the district level and three of them were selected to represent the district at the state level later this year.

Below are the students who have made the school proud.

Durgesh Gami (9B) – First
  

Vishrut Patel (9A) – Second
 
Hrushi Patel (9A) – Third 

On behalf of AVM family we would like to congratulate the three of them on this achievement.

Ganesh Chaturthi: Celebrating the control over senses

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Ganesh Chaturthi, the great Ganesh festival starts on 4th day of Hindu month of Bhadrapada and ends on 14th day of Bhadrapada.


At AVM, we welcomed Gajj Mukhi Shri Gajanana (the elephant headed God Ganpati) with the chanting of slogans on the beat of drums and khanjari, Ganpati Bapa Morya, Mangal Murti Morya, Ghee na Laddu Choriya, Aale re Aale Ganpati Aale… and students dancing ahead followed by Lord Ganesh on the chariot drawn by our housemasters and sports teachers till the steps of Atmiya Prayer Hall where the Idol was welcomed by the ladies staff performing Tilak vidhi and sprinkling Akshat and Flowers inviting Lord Ganesha with the slogan “RIddhi Siddhi sahit padharo Shri Gaurinandan Ganesh”.

 

 
The Idol was placed in the prayer hall with rituals performed by our Sanskrit teacher Shri Pushpak Joshi. Aarti was performed with the participation of all AVM staff and students.

For the next five days, Aarti and Poojan was performed as per rituals and the students made the most of this auspicious opportunity of praying to the Lord of Wisdom and Prosperity. During the five days festive period, they observed the idol of Lord Ganesha as: Big Head being referred to thinking big; Small Eyes to concentrating well; Large Ears to be a good listener; Large Stomach to peacefully digest (accept) the good and the bad in life; His vahana (vehicle He rides), mouse, (whose desires are endless), that should be controlled and driven by us rather than the desires driving us. The students learned the significance of being an Ideal son.

On the fifth day, with mixed feelings of joy and some sadness, the students and staff celebrated the farewell of Lord Ganesha to His heavenly abode with the students loudly chanting slogans. The procession started from the footsteps of the Prayer Hall, going around the Pavitra hostel, then taking a round from the dining hall to the senior school building and finally to the front of the Admin building where everyone danced around the Idol and prayed to Lord Ganesha to be with them and help fight any obstacles coming in their way. Everyone waved a final goodbye to Lord Ganesha and from there on, some teachers and housemasters accompanied the chariot towards the banks of the holy river Tapi, where the Idol was immersed in the river chanting prayers to the son of the Aadi Dev.

गणपती बाप्पा मोरया ! पुढच्या वर्षी लवकर या !
[Oh Lord Ganesh, please come back early next year]

Written by: Pranav Sir

Natural Intelligence Competition 2013-14

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Nature is beautiful for those rare who admire her beauty. Their observation of nature is keen and perception is entirely different from a layman, because they possess natural intelligence, one of the aspects of multiple intelligence.

For those faces in the crowd, the team of teachers at AVM organized the Inter House Natural Intelligence Competition 2013-14 for grades 1 to 10 on September 7.

The competitions were organised grade wise and house wise. For different competitions, there were different themes picked up from the environment.

Grades 1 to 3

  • For this junior most group, four students from each class were selected for each of the four houses. Thus there were 12 participants in all.
  • The competition was “Role Play” and their theme was “Animals”. Each participant wore a costume to resemble an animal, imitated that animal (the way it walks, makes noise) and introduced himself as that animal.
  • The anchoring was an additional excitement as the anchors recited poems related to the animal on the stage. That great job was done by Nirmaanbhai of class 3A and Nirlepbhai of class 2.
  • The competition was conducted in the auditorium and the organizer was Sharmil Ma’am.

 

Grades 4 to 6

  • In this junior group, the theme for grade 4 was “Flowers” and their competition was “Collage making”.
    Four participants were selected to represent the four houses and they prepared their collage on a chart paper using different materials provided to them. The time allotted was 1.5 hours.
  • The theme for grade 5 was “Birds” and the competition was “Rangoli”.
    Eight participants were there to represent the four houses, i.e. two from each house. They used grains, pulses, flowers and leaves for floor decoration. They had to write a value relevant to their rangoli and had to complete the activity within 1.5 hours.
  • The theme for grade 6 was “Plants” and the competition was “Plant Arrangement”.
    There were eight participants as representatives of the four houses. They were asked to arrange plants in a tub full of sand. Plant arrangement was done with a concept. They also wrote a slogan related to their concept. The participants came up with wonderful ideas and arranged plants with concepts like forest, park, garden, etc. The time duration was 1.5 hours.

All these competitions were organised in the Junior School Cluster.

Grades 7 & 8

  • “Environmental Quiz” was organized for these two classes. It was a group activity and each house team consisted two participants from each class, thus making a team of four members.
  • A questionnaire containing 30 questions related to Science, Social Science and General Knowledge was designed and the team members had to discuss and choose the correct option online from the given multiple choices. The time allotted was 1.5 hours and it was held in the computer lab 2. The organizers were Binu Ma’am and Rashmi Ma’am.

 

Grades 9 & 10

  • A “Poster-making Competition” with the theme “Conservation of Nature” was organized for these two grades. Two participants from each grade represented their respective houses, thus a total of 16 students participated in the competition. They sought the liberty of selecting the concepts by themselves. The time allotted to them was 1.5 hours and the competition as organised by Anand Sir in the Maths Lab. 
A summary of the final outcome of this inter house competition is given below:
 
Written by: Sunita Ma’am

SAMARPAN 2013 – For all those who light the way for others

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5th September is celebrated as Teachers’ Day all over India and it was specially so at Atmiya Vidya Mandir. The students of Class 11 with the guidance of the Student Council Convener, Tarun Sir, poured out their hearts to convey their love and respect for their teachers by arranging a celebration on the day. The students believe their teachers to be the torch bearers in their path of ignorance; mast of their life boats and their compass in the dense forest of life.
The function began with the poojan of all the teachers by the students of class 2 and 3. It was followed by invoking the presence of God through Thakorji’s poojan. The stage was set and the hosts: Sonakbhai and Parikshitbhai took their places. First the students were told about the significance of the day. Then, to give a musical tribute, Ronakbhai was called upon, who played a masterpiece on the keyboard. This was followed by a skit by Parthbhai, Mananbhai, Niramaybhai and a group of Class 11 students. The skit showed how the teachers at AVM were different than elsewhere and how they played an important role in deciding the child’s future.

Then was the time for the much awaited dance tribute by some amazingly talented students. The dance was mind blowing and left an imprint in the hearts of every teacher and student. The first part of glimpses of moments spent by teachers with students was shown on the big screen and was followed by card distribution to the female teachers. This part of the function was concluded by a melodious song which was a fusion of “Jab koi baat bigad jaye” and “Tum ho to”.
The second part began with the glimpses of male teachers and was followed by card presentation to them. Howsoever much we praise the teachers, it is always incomplete! Lalitbhai conveyed that fact when he came forward on the stage to talk about the contribution of teachers in his and every students’ life at AVM. His speech was simply heart touching. After the speech, there was a group song performance of “In your hands” by the AVM choir group.
Furthermore, everyone was showed the glimpses of our greatest teacher, Param Pujya Swamiji, how He constantly takes care of us, how He prays for our welfare and how much He loves us. To conclude the function, our beloved and respected Principal, Vijay Sir was called upon on behalf of the teachers to share his feelings as a teacher and his experience having us as his students.
The day then continued with the student teachers performing the teaching duties in the classes right from grade 1 to 12! The senior building staffroom renovation work just finished in time to be inaugurated on this auspicious day by our dearest Haresh Sir. After cutting the ribbon, he asked the student teachers to first enter the staffroom and then followed them into the staffroom with the teachers.
And thus the celebration and the day carved a yet another special place in the hearts of the teachers and the students for each other!
Harshit Aggarwal & Love Patel (11 Commerce)