Indian School’s tryst with the British era

On November 26,2010,our school took us for a ‘heritage walk’. We visited two places — the Mutiny Memorial and the Flagstaff Tower. We left our school at 9 am and reached the Mutiny Memorial at 11 am. The Mutiny Memorial was a church-like structure built on a hill. The names of all the British soldiers,who lost their lives in the 1857 revolt,were engraved on it. It was a 50-metre-high structure,housing a spiral staircase. We left the place at 11.30 am and reached the Flagstaff Tower at 12.15 pm. It was a single-storey structure built on an elevated road. It was used as a watch tower during the 18th century by the British to keep an eye on the ridge. One of Delhi’s oldest trees, seen in old paintings of the Flagstaff Tower,was also seen there. Now,the place is surrounded by forests inhabited by monkeys. We left the Tower at 1 pm and reached our school at 1.45 pm.

Arsh Agarwal,Class IX

I got an opportunity to visit the Mutiny Memorial and the Flagstaff Tower late last month. The Mutiny Memorial was built in 1863 AD by the Britishers to honour the Indian soldiers who had died fighting for them during the 1857 uprising. The building was built in a Gothic fashion,with reed and stone. The other place we went that day was the Flagstaff Tower,also built by Britishers. It had doubled up as a shelter for women and children when their men went to fight the war. I loved both the places,learnt a lot from the trips and wish to go back again soon. Also,I want to visit similar historical places in Delhi,which have remained unknown to me until now.

Urja Chhabra,VII-A

On November 26,we went to North Delhi for a heritage walk. It was organised by the Indian Express,and the guides were provided by INTACH. I boarded the school bus at 9.00 am with my friends. After a long and confusing journey (we got lost mid-way at Model Town) we reached the gothic Mutiny Memorial. Many of us were previously unaware of the monument’s importance and architectural splendor. The monument has an octagonal perimeter and various trabate arches. We couldn’t help but notice that the monument was constructed with an underlining influence of Mughal architecture. The Mutiny Memorial was built in 1863 to commemorate British officials,who had laid down their lives during the revolt of 1857. All around the tower,there were plaques bearing the names of dead soldiers. The monument is also known as Ajitgarh Memorial. After being briefed by our two resourceful guides,we boarded the bus again and took off for Flagstaff Tower. En route,we saw a peacock frolicking on the ridge. When we reached the Flagstaff Tower,we were greeted by cheerful monkeys. The actual monument was a short walk from the parking space and when we reached it,we weren’t quite impressed. However,it was when we learnt about its history that we got truly hooked. The Flagstaff Tower was meant to be a lookout place during the British raj. Back then,the ridge was a barren piece of land suffering from acute scarcity of water,with a few Keekar trees serving as the only exception. Near the Flagstaff Tower,we found one of the oldest trees in the country. Due to the tower’s elevation,one could catch a view of the entire landscape — all the way to the Red Fort. During the revolt,it also acted as a port where bodies were carted to. All in all,the Flagstaff Tower was quite a curious monument. I would like to thank the Indian Express for organising such a delightful trip,INTACH for their helpful guides and,of course,the Indian School for expanding our horizons of knowledge. These are places I would like to return to,someday.

Sanchari Banerjee, IX-B

For a long time,I had been waiting for November 26 when we,the students of Class VII and IX,would be taken for a heritage walk. That morning,we boarded the bus from school. After a long and tiring journey,we reached Mutiny Memorial,also known as Ajitgarh. It was built in the memory of Indian soldiers in the British army,who had died in the revolt of 1857. It is a piece of Gothic architecture,with an octagonal structure. After admiring its beauty,we left for the Flagstaff Tower,which is located on Kamla Nehru Ridge. It is a dome-like structure where women and kids were housed during the revolt of 1857. We enjoyed the trip thoroughly. It was an enriching experience for all of us,and I would like to give special thanks to the Indian Express for organising the trip and INTACH for its support and guidance.

Isha Vajpeyi,IX-B

On November 26,which happened to fall on a Friday,students of Classes VII and IX went to see the Mutiny Memorial and Flagstaff Tower on a heritage walk organised by The Indian Express and INTACT. First,we were taken to the Mutiny Memorial,also known as Ajitgarh. It was built in the memory of soldiers who were killed during the first war of Indian Independence in 1857. Constructed in Gothic style,it has an octagonal perimeter. Around the building,there are several plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in battle. Next,we were taken to the Flagstaff Tower. It is located on the highest point of Kamla Nehru Ridge (Northern Ridge). During the British era,the Union Jack used to flutter proudly from the flagpost there. It was here that British women and children had gathered during the 1857 revolt,before escaping to Karnal. It is also the place where freedom fighters made their last stand against the British,before they were finally defeated. The entrance of the tower has been closed to the public,but one can still take a look around the structure. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and gained a lot of knowledge. We would be highly obliged if more trips of the kind are organised.

Geetika Sehgal,IX-B

I waited eagerly for November 26,the day we were supposed to go for a heritage walk. Extremely curious to see how the heritage walk would turn out to be,my classmates and I boarded the bus around 9 am.After a long,somewhat tiring but curious bus journey,we finally arrived at the Mutiny Memorial. Many of us were unaware of the monument and the architectural splendor we were about to witness. Also known as Ajitgarh,it is a monument built in the memory of British soldiers who were killed during the first war of independence,or the Sepoy Mutiny. The sight was truly enamouring. Built in pure Gothic fashion,it had an octagonal perimeter. Around the building were several plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in battle. We had been provided with two resource guides. We boarded the bus again,this time for the famous Flagstaff Tower. Located on the civil lines,the tower is placed on the highest point of the Kamala Nehru ridge. The tower,however,no longer has a flagstaff. The British built the tower to mark the site where British women and children were sheltered during the first war of independence on May 11,1857,before escaping to Karnal. It is also the same place where Indian freedom fighters made their last stand against the British,before they were finally defeated. The tower is believed to be a part of the military cantonment,which lies to the west of the ridge. It was a great experience. A big ‘Thank You’ to The Indian Express,INTACH and,of course,my school for organising such a wonderful trip.

Anubha Saggar,IX-B

A schools’ initiative from The Indian express
Students of Indian School,Sadiq Nagar,went for a heritage walk to Mutiny Memorial and Flagstaff Tower. The event,organised by The Indian Express in collaboration with INTACH and ASI,provided the students with an insight into an era when the country was still ruled by the British,and freedom fighters had taken up arms to gain independence.

School notes
Navy Children School holds annual athletic meet
The Navy Children School,Chanakyapuri has held its Annual Athletic Sports Meet,2010,for which Captain Rohtas Singh,Director of Naval Education and Vice Chairman of Navy Children School,Delhi,was the chief guest. The event witnessed many enthusiastic and energetic students participating wholeheartedly in track events. Various recreational competitions,such as sack race and three-legged race were also held. Himgiri House was declared the winner while Udaigiri House lifted the Best Marching Trophy.

St Mark’s School,Meera Bagh,wins Celesta International ‘10
A talented 10-member team comprising Sonika Vyas (XI),Samarth Rai Sethi (XI),Shibika Suresh (XI),Divyani Pahwa(XI),Disha Sethi (XI),Pamposh Pandita (X),Nimrit Ahluwalia (X),Vanshree Garg (X), Shubhankar Jain (X),and Samarpit Kalra ( X),led by team leaders Lakshmi Srinivas and Ashish Kenneth Lal made St Mark’s Senior Secondary Public School,Meera Bagh,proud by bagging the overall championship trophy at Celesta International-2010 after winning the first prize in dramatics,second prize in orchestra by playing mesmerising fusion music,consolation prizes in traditional group dance and an enchanting choreographic presentation on the theme ‘Innovation’. The event,a competition among multi-talented children,provided the students with a platform to showcase their skills in front of an international audience. About 41 teams,including as many as 13 from Sri Lanka,Nepal and Bangladesh,participated in various events. The St Mark’s team stood out a head and shoulder above the rest through sheer willpower and determination. Their performances were appreciated by all at the City Montessori School,Lucknow.
Mayank Rawal of Class VII-F won the third prize at the national level in the all-India general knowledge test conducted by EMATS,Belgaum. He was awarded a cash prize of Rs 300 for securing the third highest percentile (>99) in his category. Congratulations,Mayank !
St Mark’s ,Meera Bagh,saw another triumphant day when it won the VI Delhi State Super Seven Cricket Championship. It was indeed a proud moment for the prestigious educational institution when its young budding cricketers won the championship,held at Laxmibai College,Ashok Vihar.
Led by Neelesh Bither,the team comprising Manik Khattar,Nikhil Goyal,Sahil Bhatara,Kartik Masand Rai,Mayank Rajpal and Puru Kawatra. They won in all the cricket matches,held against Salwan Public School,Amity International School and GD Goenka School. It was a day when the Meera Bagh cricket team made the institution proud!

‘War against terrorism’ at GD Salwan,Rajinder Nagar
GD Salwan Public School,Rajinder Nagar,initiated a project titled ‘A peace initiative: War against terrorism’ under the International School Programme. The students of Class IX researched the concept of non-violence and its unifying role in society,and made project files on the subject. The students of Class X highlighted the factors promoting terrorism through case studies of UK ,USA ,Afghanistan,etc. They also organised a community awareness programme,aimed at instilling an interactive and reflective pedagogy in their project. The students organised a rally in and around Rajinder Nagar,and leaflets were distributed to spread awareness on peace and non-violence. In order to inculcate the values of peace,love and brotherhood,students organised special assemblies to celebrate Peace Day and Human Rights Day in the school campus. The head boy organised a peace pledge ceremony,in which the whole school took an oath to promote non-violence. Many events such as peace talk,peace poems,peace quotes,on-the-spot peace card-making competition and a signature campaign were also organised.

Meanwhile,as part of the school’s International School Award Project,students from Classes VI to VIII exhibited their project ‘Language Confluence’,which included the creation of a Sanskrit-English-French dictionary,picture dictionary,scrap books and translations. Students created a word dictionary by choosing common words from their textbooks and writing them in an alphabetical order. English was maintained as the connecting language between Sanskrit and French,as it is known to all. For the picture dictionary,cuttings from old books and magazines were used. For the scrap books,they drew pictures and coloured them. This integrated language skills with art and creativity. The scrap book,which had pictures of animals in it,was exchanged with students of Peak School,Derbyshire,which added an international dimension to the project. Elocution gave them confidence to communicate and express their views in a language other than English. Singing ‘Vive le temps d’hiver’,the French version of ‘Jingle Bells’ gave them further confidence to speak French,something that they were previously hesitant about.

Exhibition held at Apeejay School,Saket
As part of the International School Award ( ISA) of the British Council,students of Class X of Apeejay School,Saket,organised an exhibition for parents to showcase the work they had undertaken for a project titled ‘Become a water harvester’. They made an impressive PowerPoint presentation on the need for water harvesting and various the techniques adopted in arid,semi-arid,mountainous and urban areas around the world. The exhibition also included working models of traditional water-harvesting systems. The special guests for the morning were members of a Japanese delegation,who were on a visit to India to explore teaching aids for the visually-impaired in Japan.

The students of Class VII undertook a comparative study on child labour in various countries across Asia and held an exhibition for the parents. Speaking to the students,the chief guest,Dr Rajeev Sharma,Project Director,Building and Wood Workers International,said that it was laudable that the students were able to compile and present information so effectively at such a tender age.

Gita Jayanti observed at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan,KG Marg,observed ‘Gita Jayanti’ to promote creative writing in Sanskrit. Bhavan has instituted three awards,for which entries were invited in September,2010,from places across the country. In recognition of the high-quality writing done by Professor Satya Vrat Shastri,a great scholar and a savant,Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan conferred upon him the Bhavan’s ‘Sanskrit Kaustubha Sammana’ with a scroll,a shawl,a sum of Rs 50,000/- and a memento in the form of a replica of the river Ganga .