વિવિધતામાં એકતા

/0 Comments/in , /by
વિવિધતામાં એકતા એ ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિનું વિશિષ્ટ લક્ષણ છે. દેશમાં વિવિધ પ્રદેશો છે, એ પ્રદેશોમાં વસતા લોકોનાં પહેરવેશ, ધર્મ, ભાષા, રીતરિવાજમાં ભાતીગળ ભિન્નતા જોવા મળે છે. ‘સમગ્ર ભારત એક છે અને આપણે બધાં ભારતીય છીએ’ એ ભાવના પ્રાચીન કાળથી પોષાતી આવી છે. ભારતની આ સામાજિક, સાંસ્કૃતિક અને ભાવાત્મક એકતા ઝનૂની પરદેશીઓનાં આક્રમણો સામે પણ અખંડિત જ રહી છે. રાષ્ટ્રભાવનાની કેળવણી દ્વારા, આપણે રાષ્ટ્રીય એકતાનો પાયો વધુ મજબૂત રાખી શકીશું. સાહિત્યકારો, શિક્ષણકારો, સમાજસેવકો તેમજ નેતાઓ રાષ્ટ્રભક્તિનો વિકાસ સધાય એવું વાતાવરણ સર્જી શકે છે. રેડિયો, દૂરદર્શન તેમજ ફિલ્મનિર્માતાઓ પણ નોંધપાત્ર ફાળો આપી શકે છે.


આ જ હેતુને ધ્યાનમાં રાખીને આત્મીય વિદ્યા મંદિરના ધોરણ-6 ના ભૂલકાઓએ ભારતમાં વસતા દરેક ધર્મના ધર્મપ્રતિકો બનાવી વિવિધતામાં એકતાની ભાવના વ્યક્ત કરી હતી.
પ્રેરણા: ગૌતમ સર

From Mt Abu, with renewed energy and novel ideas!

/0 Comments/in /by
Abu tour was a memorable excursion, full of education, adventure and excitement.

Inspired by the urge of discovering the unknown ways of life, the journey to Mount Abu advanced with some new and unique experiences. By travelling on the unseen ways through avenues and city streets, students not only explored the new paths but also appreciated the different localities and peculiar lifestyles of the regional people.

Concluding the journey, we reached Hotel Hilltone in Mt Abu. The hotel has some stunning panoramic views with perhaps the finest hospitality to offer in the region. Rooms are soothingly decorated and tastefully furnished. Careful attention was paid to the requirements of the students and staff to facilitate ultimate comfort. This tour, again, was managed by Himanshu Sir, and yet again he won our hearts by his very gentle yet meticulous way of taking care of us.

The first day in Mt Abu started with adventurous activities at the Scout ground. Different activities including Horse riding, Improvised ladder, Valley crossing, River crossing, Burma Bridge and Zip lining were performed by all the students with a lot of enthusiasm. Throughout these experiences, physical skills were demonstrated to the students by professionals including skills like balancing, tightening and loosening. After a delightful lunch with mouth-watering starters, balanced nutrition and delicious deserts, we all took a nap and rested for a while. As the swimming pool awaited a long time for the students to jump in, we all barged in and enjoyed swimming for 2 hrs. Bathed and fresh, we visited the temple named “Delwada na Dera”, a distinctive temple built in the 11th century with the eye-catching idols of deities and incomparable architecture of the pillars, floors and ceilings. The temple, as a whole, is the perfect mixture of strength and beauty. Coming back from the temple in the evening we all visited the Nakki Lake, and enjoyed boating in group. On the way back to hotel, we had an ice-cream very popular at Abu. And the day ended by relishing (again) some delicious food in the dinner.

The second day was planned for activities like trekking, rock climbing, rope climbing and repelling. Though difficult, students made it possible to climb the huge rock. Coming down again with rope, repelling, was full of excitement and thrill. Having a refreshing juice, we proceeded for trekking through the turns and twists of the Abu hills. Crossing the ways through the mountain, we all experienced the beauty of valleys covered with the greenery of gigantic trees and wild plants. The bird-eye view from the top of the mountain was an unforgettable sight. Coming back to the hotel, we all savoured our lunch. We then relaxed on bed and in swimming pool, and got prepared for the next most exciting event, night trekking. In the rock-solid protection of professionals, we all started on our way for night trekking. With several thrilling episodes, starting from finding the ways out of the forest in dark, passing through the caves, strolling through the wet fields, crossing the river, we completed the trek and reached back to the decided spot. We all came back tired yet content with some memorable moments of our lives which we would love to cherish again and again. Needless to say, the dinner was the addition to our comfort and joy.

The third day was a day of departure. All enjoyed the continental breakfast in the fresh morning and started our journey back to school. On our way back, lunch was arranged at McDonalds. Watching shows, dancing, singing and playing in the bus, we were back to school by night. Completing our dinner, we all slept with the memories of unforgettable events of our tour.

Written with renewed energy and novel ideas,
Nimit Patel and Smit Patel (Class VIII)

Silvassa – A land of heavenly beauty and charm

/0 Comments/in /by
After the hectic examination phase, it was time to rejuvenate by experiencing something new and joyful. Advancing on the same line, the students of class 5 and 6 seized the pleasure in their outing from 9th October to 11th October 2013. The trip started on 9th October at 8:00 am in a bus towards Silvassa. It is a tiny dot on the map of India, which is a capital city of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a union territory of India.

Treat Resort which is about 125 km from Surat was the tour’s destination. It is spread over 24 acres of land and is the best among the luxurious hotels located at Silvassa. Throughout the journey students and teachers enjoyed with full joy and pleasure by dancing, singing and playing cards. On the way, towards this resort a halt was taken near Valsad for some refreshments.

At about 12:30 pm, as soon as the students arrived at their destination, the resort staff gave a warm welcome by offering a chilled welcome drink. The first sight of the resort itself conveyed the later proven fact that it was a heart touching and an attractive place. It was surrounded by colourful fountains and tall coconut trees, in a natural habitat of lush green forest which makes it a popular spot for relaxation of body and peace of mind as well a destination for adventure sports.

The students were guided towards their rooms for freshening up. The rooms were surrounded by a garden, and lake view with balcony and a small private garden attached to it with a royal look, made every child feel special about himself. The rooms were full of comfort and well equipped with all the modern facilities at the service.

The freshening up was followed by a yummy lunch served in the dining hall that energised them for the upcoming activities during the rest of a day. After taking some rest, the students enjoyed splashing in the swimming pool located in the hub of nature.

The delicious supper was served with tasty starters followed by the heavy main course and delectable ice creams. Still the day was nowhere near its end yet as the most important event was waiting for the kids and that was the Navratri celebration in the resort’s discotheque. The students enjoyed dancing with music and played garba to their heart’s content.

The next day began with a delicious breakfast. The most awaiting fun was about to approach in the form of Water Park. Students enjoyed zooming down the towering slide on a mat, or, twisting themselves through the twisting slides, or, grabbing a tube and experiencing a spin like one is stuck in a cyclone, or, a relaxing trip around a lazy river. Students passed through the thrilling rides and discovered the excitement and the fun hidden inside. The only halt in the day was for a lunch, otherwise, the adventure continued in the Water Park.

Returning back from the Water Park and having snacks in the evening, students enjoyed playing, roaming or taking rest in the lap of nature.

The game Housie was played at the end of the day where the magic of numbers was experienced, and the flow of music with time was enjoyed by playing the musical chair. At last, the small token prizes were gifted to the winners of both the games. Now it was time to relish the mouth-watering dinner. After completing the dinner, students enjoyed watching a cricket match in the conference room.

By the effective planning of the management and staff, each student was paid the utmost attention and was served with care and concern. At last, the students returned school happily carrying with them the most memorable moments and a nonstop dose of play and enjoyment.

Written by: Rashmi Ma’am

Gujarat’s Mesmerizing Paradise: Saputara

/0 Comments/in /by
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

जल-झुलनी एकादशी 2013

/0 Comments/in , /by
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

/0 Comments/in , , /by
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

/0 Comments/in , /by
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

/0 Comments/in , /by
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

/0 Comments/in , , , /by
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)

એક મંગલ અવસર: જન્માષ્ટમી

/0 Comments/in , /by
નંદ ઘેર આનંદ ભયો, જય કનૈયા લાલકી;
હાથી ઘોડા પાલખી, જય કનૈયા લાલકી.

જન્માષ્ટમી આપણો ધાર્મિક તહેવાર છે.

જન્માષ્ટમી એટલે ભગવાન શ્રીકૃષ્ણનો જન્મદિવસ. તેમનો જન્મ શ્રાવણ વદ આઠમની રાત્રે મથુરાની જેલમાં થયો હતો. તેમના પિતાનું નામ વસુદેવ અને માતાનું નામ દેવકી. ‘દેવકીનું આઠમું સંતાન કંસનો નાશ કરશે’ એ ભવિષ્યવાણીથી ગભરાઈને કંસે વસુદેવ અને દેવકીને જેલમાં પૂર્યાં હતાં. મધરાતે શ્રીકૃષ્ણનો જન્મ થયો, પછી વસુદેવ શ્રીકૃષ્ણને કંસના અત્યાચારથી બચાવવા માટે ગોકુળમાં નંદરાજાને ઘેર મૂકી આવ્યા તથા જશોદાની દીકરીને પોતાની સાથે લઈ આવ્યા અને શ્રીકૃષ્ણ ભગવાનનો જન્મ ગોકુળમાં જાહેર થયો. તેથી શ્રીકૃષ્ણના જન્મદિવસને ‘ગોકુળઅષ્ટમી’ પણ કહે છે.

આ વર્ષે આત્મીય વિદ્યા મંદિરમાં જન્માષ્ટમીનો તહેવાર ખૂબ ધામધૂમથી ઊજવવામાં આવ્યો. કૃષ્ણ ભગવાનના અત્યંત પવિત્ર જન્મદિન નિમિત્તે તેમના અગણિત ગુણોને યાદ કરીને, પર્વને આનંદથી ઊજવવા માટે રાત્રે 8:30 થી 10:00 વાગ્યા સુધી ભજન સંધ્યાનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું. તેમાં નાના નાના ભૂલકાંઓએ ઉલ્લાસમય સ્વરે ભગવાન શ્રીકૃષ્ણની બાળલીલા ગાઈ હતી. ત્યારબાદ પંજરીનો પ્રસાદ વહેંચવામાં આવ્યો હતો.

બીજા દિવસે સાંજના 4:00 થી 6:30 વાગ્યા સુધી ફૂટબોલ ગ્રાઉન્ડ ઉપર મટકીફોડના કાર્યક્રમનું આયોજન કરવામાં આવ્યું. કાર્યક્રમની શરૂઆત મુખ્ય મહેમાન હરેશ સર, વિજયસર, આશિષ સર તથા અર્જુનમામા દ્નારા ઠાકોરજીના પૂજનવિધિથી થઈ. ત્યારબાદ દહીં , માખણ , મધ તથા ચોકલેટથી ભરેલી મટકી ફોડવાનો કાર્યક્રમ જય રણછોડ માખણ ચોર, નંદ ઘેર આનંદ ભયો, જય કનૈયા લાલકી ના નારાથી શરૂ થયો. જેમાં પ્રથમ મટકી ધોરણ – 1st, 2nd, 3rd ; બીજી મટકી ધોરણ – 4th, 5th, 6th ; ત્રીજી મટકી ધોરણ – 7th, 8th, 9th તથા ચોથી મટકી ધોરણ – 10th, 11th, 12th ના વિદ્યાર્થીઓ દ્નારા ફોડવામાં આવી. આમ, કૃષ્ણ જન્મોત્સવ તથા મટકીફોડના કાર્યક્રમની ઉજવણી ખૂબ જ શ્રધ્ધા અને ભક્તિભાવ પૂર્વક કરવામાં આવી.

જન્માષ્ટમીનો ઉત્સવ ફક્ત વિદ્યાર્થીઓના આનંદ માટે જ નહિ, પણ તેમને ભારતીય સંસ્કૃતિનું ધાર્મિક મહત્વ બતાવવા માટે રહ્યો.

ગૌતમ સર (ગુજરાતી શિક્ષક)