NEWS
The finals of the INTACH National Heritage Quiz 2023 concluded at New Delhi on 14th – 15th December 2023 with 20 teams from across the country participating in it. The teams were from Delhi, Jammu, Yamunanagar, Amritsar, Kanpur, Patna, Jamshedpur, Kolkata, Shillong, Balasore, Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Bengaluru, Salem, Thrissur, Pune, Vadodara, Beawar, Dhar and Durg Bhilai. The finals were scheduled to be held on 15th December at INTACH headquarters. On 14th, an orientation programme was held for the winners at INTACH.
The programme started with a heritage walk of Lodhi Gardens led by Ms. Nanki Kaur, Ms. Vaishnavi Singh and Mr. Abhishek Das of Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) division of INTACH. Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director (HECS) welcomed everyone and talked about INTACH, its various divisions and the work undertaken by HECS. She talked about the different national programmes and projects. Post this; an interaction session was held which was graced by Member Secretary (retd.) IAS, Dr. C T Misra.
On 15th, Quizmaster Mr. Kunal Savarkar conducted the quiz. It started with 4 semi final rounds with 5 teams each. The Chairman, Maj.Gen. (Retd) L.K. Gupta spoke about the quiz and the participants and congratulated the winners. The certificates, medals and prizes were distributed to all the participants and the winners by the Chairman, the Member Secretary and the Principal Director of HECS and a group picture was taken in the end.
Positions – 1st - Springdale Public School, Amritsar
2nd - Sri Kumaran ICSE, Bangalore
3rd - Swaraj India Public School, Kanpur
4th - Bhavans Vidya Mandir, Thrissur
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A group of 30 students and 4 teachers from Welham Girls’ School, Dehradun visited INTACH on the 7th of December 2023. They were first taken for a heritage walk to Lodhi Gardens by Ms. Vaishnavi and Ms. Nanki Kaur, Programme Coordinators, HECS. The walk started from Muhammad Shah Sayyid’s tomb, one of the oldest remaining Sayyid monuments in Delhi. The students were then taken to the Bada Gumbad and the Sheesh Mahal tomb. Throughout the walk, the features of Indo-Islamic architecture were explained to them, along with interesting facts about each structure.
After the walk, the students were brought to the hall and shown the INTACH film to help them understand the organisation. This was followed by a short break, after which they were taken to the conservation labs to see the work being done.
The next heritage walk to Humayun’s Tomb was conducted by Ms. Nanki Kaur and Ms. Swati Deora, Programme Coordinators, HECS. The walk started with an introduction to the city of Delhi and the importance of the location of the site. The students were first taken to Isa Khan’s Tomb, who was a nobleman in Sher Shah Suri’s court. The walk leaders explained the placement of a takhti and a kalam in graves, among other facts.
After this, the students were taken to the Bu Halima Complex where her tomb is located. She was one of the main wet nurses of Emperor Akbar and he had this simple tomb built for her. The groups were taken to the Arab Serai Gateway complex as well.
The students were finally taken to the main complex of Humayun’s Tomb. Along with talking about the architectural features of the tomb such as its double dome, red sandstone and white marble, and chhatris, the walk leaders also explained the concept of the Char Bagh and other facts. The heritage walk ended with a group photograph.
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My Monument Search, a poster-making competition was organized at INTACH on 6th December 2023. 122 students from 41 schools participated in the programme.
The programme began with a welcome by Ms. Christina Shangne. She welcomed the participants and the HECS film was shown to them. Ms. Vaishnavi introduced Dr. Swapna Liddle. She was invited as the guest speaker to give a brief talk on the topic ‘The story of Delhi..History, Monuments, Cities’. She greeted the participants and mentioned how Delhi houses hundreds of lesser known monuments. She pointed that as far as monuments are concerned children are aware of major monuments as Delhi is rich in built heritage. She briefed the students about the seven cities of Delhi but mentioned that that there are more than seven cities. Beginning with the first city of Delhi, she told the students about Anangpal, a Tomar ruler who ruled around the present day Mehrauli area. She talked about the other cities such as Siri, Tughlaqabad, Jahanpanah, Firozabad, Din Panah and then about Shahjahanabad which houses hundreds of protected havelis. She concluded by talking about the building of the city New Delhi (Lutyen’s Delhi). Dr. Liddle was presented with Textiles: The Indian Story, a HECS publication. Mr. Abhishek Das then briefed the students about HECS national programmes. He explained the rules and regulations of the competition and wished them luck.
The students then spread out inside the INTACH building and took part enthusiastically making beautiful posters. They were given two hours to complete their posters and write ups. Some students who used dry colours sat inside the hall. The students used various colouring mediums like water colours, acrylic paints, crayons, oil colours and some pencil sketches as well. Some of them sprawled across the central courtyard and the rest sat under the mango tree. Some of the topics that were chosen were Safdarjung’s tomb, Nila Gumbad, Qila Rai Pithora, Siri Fort, Isa Khan’s tomb, monuments of Lodi Garden. The posters were also supplemented with beautiful captions and slogans in different languages such as English, Hindi, Urdu, etc. They all made a write up of around 200 words about the topic they had chosen. The programme ended with refreshments being served to everyone.
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A heritage walk at the St. James’ Church, Kashmiri Gate was organised for 40 students and 3 teachers from Sardar Patal Vidyalaya and Army Public School, Shankar Vihar, New Delhi. The walk started off with an introduction of INTACH and the various divisions. She also shared in brief history of the church by Mrs. Purnima Datt, followed by a detail outline of the history of the church by the church member Mr. Kamal Baluja (Chairman, Conservation Committee). Mr. Baluja shared the story of how the church was built by James Skinner, a Colonel in the British Army. While Mr. James Skinner was heavily wounded during the war, he prayed to God to save his life and in return, he shall build a church. Mr. Baluja also mentioned that the church is one of the oldest churches in Delhi and has also faced severe damages during the revolt of 1857. St. James’ Church was once the official church of the British Viceroy of India in Delhi, and during the period Viceroy of India attended the services held in this Church. Queen Elizabeth and the Archbishop of Canterbury also visited the church in 1961 and 1995 respectively. The church was designed by Major Robert Smith. It is built on a cruciform plan (Greek Cross), with three portico porches. Mr. Baluja then took the students inside the church and gave an elaborate tour of the church. He talked about the beautiful stained glass windows, the central octagonal dome, the wall painting and the beautiful organ which, unfortunately is no longer in use. The team from INTACH Delhi Chapter explained the architecture and conservation works INTACH has done. They took the students around the church complex, while explaining the unique architecture of the church, the parish hall behind the church and also the Skinner’s family grave. The heritage walk ended with a group photograph and refreshment.
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As part of the World Heritage Week celebrations, on the second day Anantapur district chapter organised coins & stamps exhibition for students and public on 21/11/23 in Rotary English medium school, Anantapur. Smt. Rajitha Assistant director Archaeology and Museums department attended as chief guest inaugurated the e exhibition and gave message. Former INTACH Anantapur district convener Dr. A. G. Venugopal Reddy, Retired Deputy Collector D. Govinda Rajulu, Rotary English medium high school correspondent Sasikaladevi gave short message to students. About 250 students and public attended the exhibition.
On the third day organised Telugu language poem recitation competition for High school students. About 60 students from eleven various High schools of Anantapur city participated. Famous Industrialist and Chairman Chamber of Commerce and Industries Sree P. Seshanjaneyulu attended as chief guest of the day. O. Ramalinga Reddy Telugu language poet, Dr. N. Rasool lecturer in Degree College, Dr. C. Ramnjaneyulu telugu poet, Pujari Eeranna research scholar and writer acted as judges. INTACH Anantapur district chapter convener Rama Kumar conducted the program. INTACH member Shaik Riazuddin invited the dignitaries on the Dias. Pidatala Krishnamurthy organised the students. Jutur Shariff proposed vote of thanks.
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The College Volunteer Workshop was conducted at the Sunbeam Women’s College Varuna in Varanasi and was attended by 78 students and teachers from 7 colleges of Varanasi – Arya Mahila PG College, Vasanta College for Women - Archaeology, Vasanta College for Women – History, Sunbeam Women’s College Varuna, Sunbeam College for Women Bhagwanpur, Shri Agrasen Kanya PG College, and SMS College.
Mr. Ashok Kapoor, Convenor of the Varanasi Chapter gave his welcome speech after which the INTACH film was screened. Then, Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS began her presentation where she spoke at length about the complex geographical diversity of the country, and India’s vast built heritage, material heritage, and living heritage. Ms. Datt also suggested ways in which the students can safeguard and raise awareness.
The next session was conducted by Mr. Jainendra Kumar Rai and Mr Akhilesh Kumar, who work with the tourism department as guides and researchers. They also urged to students to go out and explore their city.
The third session was presented by Mr. Anil Kumar Keshari of the Varanasi chapter. He spoke at length about the lesser-known heritage structures, mainly the Temples of Varanasi. He shared facts about each temple included in his presentation. After the lunch break a film made on World Rivers Day made by the Varanasi chapter and students was screened.
The next session was presented by Dr. Ashish Kumar Jaiswal, about the intangible heritage of Varanasi. Talking in detail about the music of Varanasi, he focused on how Sangeet is secular. He said that music plays a huge role even in the speech of Varanasi and its people. He then sung a few songs to explain the uniqueness of Banarsi music.
The last session was held by Ms. Nanki Kaur, Programme Coordinator, HECS where students were informed of the ways they could volunteer at INTACH or work on programmes within their institutions to create awareness about heritage and help protect it. The upcoming national programme for colleges was then explained in detail by Ms. Purnima Datt.
In the interactive group activity the students were asked to come up with one activity for the theme they were given, propose ways in which they can engage their fellow college students, what help they require from INTACH, and how they could help INTACH in their own way. The students presented various innovative ideas on River Ganga, the Kardameshwar Mahadev Mandir, miniature paintings, and the Panchkoshi Yatra.
The workshop ended with the felicitation ceremony and a group photograph.
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INTACH Anantapur district chapter is organising world heritage week celebrations from 20th – 26th November 2023. On 20th November 2023, a "Heritage Walk" was organised. Department of tourism district officer Mr. G. Nageswara Reddy, department of Archaeology and Museums Assistant Director smt. Rajita, district vocational education officer Mr. M. venkataramana Naik, Regional inspecting officer Board of Intermediate education Mr. Suresh, former INTACH Anantapur district chapter convener AG Venugopal Reddy, INTACH Anantapur district chapter members and more than 1000 students from various educational institutions participated in the Program. All the participants took oath took for protection of rich heritage.
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Two day workshop on Kasuti Embroidery was organised by INTACH Dharwad Chapter on 10th and 11th October. 70 students from 8 schools of Hubli Dharwad participated in the workshop. Convenor welcomed the participants, resource persons, teachers, parents and members of the chapter. Ms Rekha Shettar, member of Dharwad Chapter gave a brief introduction about Kasuti. The participants were explained about Kasuti making, thereafter the participants created kasuti designs with the help of the resource person. Students were enthusiastic to learn about the traditional needle based craft of Karnataka. They were told about the different kind of stitches and are four basic designs, gavanti, murgi, menthi and negi were explained to them.
The participants were divided in groups of 5 or 6 with one resource person to teach and guide. Each participant was provided with
1. One Embroidery ring
2. Two Coloured threads and needle
3. Fabric (printed )
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INTACH, Raipur Chapter organized a workshop on Endangered/Folk/Traditional/Special Craft/Art for School Students on 10th & 11th October 2023 at Gurukul Hall, Gurukul Complex, Kalibadi, Raipur. The workshop was attended by 64 students from 10 schools. The theme of the workshop was Bastar face art and graffiti (bhitichitra) which is an endangered art of Bastar. Shri Arun Halder , senior artist expert in drawing painting on bamboo mat and wood was the resource person of the event. An inaugural session was also conducted. Shri Naval Shukla, President, Tribal Folk Art Academy, Chhattisgarh Govt. was the Chief Guest. Shri Rajendra Ojha, Litterateur & Social worker presided over the session.
A two days Craft Workshop on “Discover Your Living Heritage - Endangered Art and Craft” was organised jointly by the Assam State Chapter and the Kamrup Chapter on October 11-12, 2023. The aim of the Workshop was to train students to make various versions of traditional string puppets with recycled materials like old clothes and newspapers along with other easily available materials.
Puppetry is one of the popular art forms of Assam. Though the actual time of the existence of the tradition of puppetry in Assam is not clear, the reference of puppetry in the Kalikapurana is a proof of the existence of this art form in Assam even before the 9th century. These performances, known as putola naach, were performed in rural communities during religious festivals and usually involved enacting mythological and folk tales. Unfortunately, at present there are very few shadow puppet groups in Assam.
A total of 116 students from four schools participated in the Workshop. The participating schools included:
The Founder Director, Ms. Drishana Kalita, of the NGO called Puppet People Assam and her husband Manash Kalita, were the resource persons for the two-day Workshop. At the end of two days before the close of the workshop each team presented their self-composed skits with the puppets they made in the form of a puppet show.
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A two-day painting workshop was organized by INTACH Durg – Bhilai Chapter for school students at Swami Shri Swaroopanand Saraswati Mahavidyalaya, Bhilai. Dr. Hansa Shukla, convener of Durg-Bhilai chapter, said that forty-six students of classes VII to X from eight schools participated enthusiastically in the two-day painting workshop.
The chief guest of the workshop was Dr. Aarti Diwan, HOD Home Science, Indira Gandhi Government Post Graduate College, Vaishali Nagar Bhilai. In her hospitality address, she said that students have natural art skills and they can be improved through such workshops. Training in Bastar art was given in the workshop. This is a very commendable step because through this the students will become familiar with the art of their state.
Bastar's famous painter Arun Kumar Haldar attended the workshop for training in Bastar art and wall painting. On the first day of the workshop, he trained the students in Bastar Art and taught to make the sketch of the shape and then showed the technique of coloring it. On the second day, Mr. Haldhar trained the participants in making murals. While explaining the intricacies of painting, he explained to the students that whenever you make a picture, there must be a base in the background and explained through a sketch how the hands and legs from below the knees are shown moving in the dance posture.
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INTACH Bhagalpur Chapter conducted a workshop on art and craft on 13th October in DAV Public School, Bhagalpur. The event was attended by 150 students of 7 schools. The workshop was graced by Dr KD Prabhat, Convenor, Dr Wibhu Kumar Roy, addl co-convenor Bhagalpur Chapter, principal and dignitaries from various educational institutions. Mr Manoj Kumar Pandit, Majoosha guru was the resource person for the event. Dr KD Prabhat mentioned about how old heritage and culture is the only identification of the region which needs to be protected and revived. Dr Wibhu Kumar Roy delivered the keynote address and greeted the students as they are the torch bearers of society.
Mr Manoj Kumar Pandit, Manjoosha expert, guided the students about the importance of craft and culture and why we must focus on reviving them as they are being on the verge of extinction. The programme concluded with selecting best entries of students and a display of the art and craft made.
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The INTACH Nagpur Chapter organized an insightful program on October 19, 2023. This event aimed to explore the unique art and craft of Vidarbha and educate participants about the significance of cow dung in sustainable living. This program was conducted at Aspire International School, Nagpur. The event featured a hands-on activity where children prepared various items using cow dung, making the experience both educational and exciting. It aimed to engage children in a hands-on activity that would foster creativity and appreciation for traditional crafts and sustainable living.
Participants were given an informative presentation on the various uses of cow dung in daily life, including its role as a natural fertilizer, fuel, and in the creation of artistic items. The children participated in a workshop where they were taught how to prepare various items out of cow dung. They learned about the importance of recycling and reusing materials, making the experience not only fun but also educational.
Participants gained a deeper understanding of the cultural significance of traditional crafts in Vidarbha and the role cow dung plays in sustainable living.
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INTACH Thanjavur Chapter in collaboration with HECS conducted a clay modeling workshop at the Little Scholars Matric Hr. Sec. School. The workshop was attended by 127 students from 12 schools of Thanjavur. Shri S Babaji Rajah Bhonsle, Convenor Thanjavur, inaugurated the workshop and greeted the participants. The workshop was conducted by Prof. P Dhanaseelan, from Govt College at Fine Arts, Kumbakonam. He guided the students about different aspects of clay modeling, painting, scylpture and its history. Students tried to make sculptures in their own style and enjoyed the process. The formal vote of thanks was given by Mr K Swaminathan.
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INTACH Jamnagar Chapter organised ‘art and craft awareness workshop’ in collaboration with HECS in Bhavans A K Doshi Vidyalaya. The event was graced by 65 participants from English and Gujarati Mediums. The students were very enthusiastic and showcased their artistry in all the crafts. The craftspersons for the day were Ms Sakina, Ms Vandana Tank and Ms Varsha Tank who taught the art of Stained Glass, Fabric Painting, Thread Stitches and Coaster making from waste. The event was also graced by the principal and teachers and INTACH Jamnagar Chapter members.
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Patiala Chapter organised a “Workshop on Endangered Arts and Crafts” in the premises of Senior Secondary Model School, Punjabi University, Patiala , on 5th November, 2023 in collaboration with HECS division of INTACH. The school principal, Dr. Bal Krishan welcomed the artisans, students, teachers and other participants said that there is great need to protect the endangered arts, crafts and skills for the benefits of the people and development of the society. He said that the age old handicrafts are our valuable heritage and the new generation should take the initiative to save these crafts from extinction. Sarbjit Singh Virk, Advocate Convenor INTACH Patiala Chapter mentioned that Punjab has rich heritage and people in huge number earns their livelihood from the crafts/works which were inherited by them from their forefathers.
In the workshop Sh. Parminder Singh Artist said that he is earning a handsome income from the tattoo work and sketch work. He displayed his work skills before the audience and asked the students to learn about this traditional art which now very popular in youth. Deepjot, student of Class 6th presented impressive clay toys which have big demand in the market. Madam Gaffooran, a 70 years’ lady from village Akali Majri near Patiala gave the presentation of making earthen lamps and hutries of different designs. She said that for a safer and pollution free deewali it is the need of the hour to use the things which are harmless and provide employment to the artisans. Mr Sadhu Ram told about the art of making Sandookhs, Peties and other articles of Ispat/iron used in the kitchens. Ms Lovleen gave the presentation of phulkari making art in the program. Mr Jatinder Singh Sarao spoke on the importance and role of INTACH in preserving the Heritage in all its manifestations. At the end Mr Laljit Singh Sidhu, former Industry officer thanked the Intach Patiala Chapter and the School Management for the successful Program.
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Government Degree College Ramgarh in collaboration with INTACH, Jammu Chapter with HECS organized a one day workshop on heritage food and craft of Ramgarh. The event was organized under the guidance of Prof.(Dr.) Geetanjali Andotra, Principal of the College. Students of Government HSS Gho Brahmana and Government HS Swankha also participated in the workshop.
The workshop was focused on local heritage food and crafts which involved sharing good practices and practical demonstrations by Kaarkhandar unit, Nanke Chak, Samba and Craft and Community Cell, INTACH.
The students who participated from schools and college were given hand on training regarding making of straw items and Calico Printing, which was enthusiastically learnt. A group of students were mentored in preparing the recipe booklet of heritage foods of Ramgarh by Dr. Aditi Khajuria and Dr. Sandeep Kumari.
Dr. CM Seth, Chief Conservator Forests (retd) briefed the students about the role and importance of such cultural events, as they not only showcase the culture and heritage of the region but also contribute to safeguarding it for future generations. SM Sahni, convener, INTACH, Jammu Chapter highlighted the diversity of local Dogra cuisine and its importance in promoting tourism in the Jammu region.The vote of thanks was proposed by Arvind Kotwal, co-ordinator Heritage Tourism, Jammu Chapter.
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Sarpat Workshop was organized under HECS Endangered Art and Craft Workshop at JBNSS Head Office at the beginning of World Heritage Week celebrated from 19 to 25 November. Starting the workshop, Ayodhya Chapter's co-convenor Mrs. Anuja Srivastava informed about the importance of Heritage Week and our heritage.
In order to revive the extinct handicrafts, more than 50 students from different schools of Ayodhya like Takshashila, Udaya Public School, Yash Vidya Mandir, Bhavadiya Public School and J.B. Academy participated. Under the direction of Smt. Sarita Tripathi, along with Ms Jahan, Rajshree, Neelam Gaur, Sarita, Rinki, Mayawati as trainers to promote Sarpat products, the children took the initiative to make attractive and effective objects. The products were created by making different shapes in three hand feathers and equipping them with the use of clippings and bamboo.
Mrs. Manjula Jhunjhunwala, Convenor Ayodhya Chapter congratulated all the members and participating schools for the successful coordination of this program.
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Under the guidance of Shri Arvind Mishra ji and Shri Rajendra Chandak ji, State Convener of Indian Cultural Fund (INTAC) Chhattisgarh Chapter, "Heritage Yatra" of Shishupal Parvat was organized by INTACH Sarangarh Raigarh Chapter in collaboration with Chhattisgarh State Chapter on date 08/10/2023. 30 teachers of the area, under the leadership of coordinator Mr. Yashwant Kumar Choudhary, enthusiastically participated in the heritage trip to Shishupal Mountain. Through this heritage trip, the teachers saw the picturesque view of nature and also became aware of the historical importance of Shishupal Mountain. The Shishupal Mountain is at a distance of about 157 km from the capital Raipur and about 28 km from Saraipali block headquarters of Mahasamund district in the east direction. Guide Vinod shared that once upon a time there used to be the palace of King Shishupala on top of this 1200 feet high mountain of historical importance. When the king was surrounded by the British from all sides, the king blindfolded his horse and jumped off the mountain, which is called Ghoradhar. There is a wide plain on top of this mountain and the ancient Suryamukhi Shiva temple, the center of public faith, is situated here. A huge fair is held here during Makar Sankranti and Mahashivratri. There is also a temple of Mahamaya Mata at the foothills of this mountain. Many herbs and plants with medicinal properties like asparagus and ashwagandha are found on this mountain. A seasonal waterfall emerges from it called Ghoradhar Falls, in which water falls from a height of about 300 meters during the rainy season. A collective cleanliness campaign was conducted during the walk and polythene, bottles, wrappers etc. were collected and disposed off safely. The pariticpants enjoyed the trekking and got to know the heritage of Shishupal Mountain. The highest peak of Shishupal mountain is called Kshemakhuti. From a distance its peak looks like a silver crown. There were separate lakes for both, which still exist. There are also the ruins of the king's court, where the king used to meet his subjects. There is a very long tunnel here. The river sand has now blocked the passage of this tunnel but local residents say that the king's weapons are still in the library inside the tunnel. There is a very deep cave here on the mountain. The cave is so huge that hundreds of people can sit together to rest inside. There is also a Panchmukhi Hanuman temple on this mountain. All the participants learned and shared their experiences through the heritage trip to Mount Shishupala and also praised the organization of INTACH, calling the trip unforgettable. In the end, coordinator Yashwant Kumar Chaudhary expressed his gratitude to everyone. In making this program successful, we got the support of life member of INTACH Vishwajeet Gupta, Pushpanjali Choudhary, Keshav Sahu, co-coordinator Radheshyam Choudhary etc.
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On the occasion of "Nuakhai festival" in the villages of Saraipali area under INTACH Sarangarh Raigarh Chapter, everyone collectively took Navanna Prasad with their families and worshiped their clan deities and sought blessings for their prosperity. Convener Yashwant Kumar Choudhary told that farmers celebrate "Nuakhai festival" when ears of grain appear in paddy. Chhattisgarh, which is called the rice bowl, is known for its traditions. Its festivals are based on farming. From planting of paddy to harvesting of crop, farmers celebrate various types of collective festivals and festivals. Just as Beej Pandum is celebrated in the tribal areas of Chhattisgarh at the time of paddy transplantation, Marka Pandum is celebrated before eating the first crop of mango, similarly in farming, the paddy crop has started getting ear buds and farmers now celebrate this festival as Nawakhai (Celebrated collectively in the form of Nuakhai festival. After offering the new year of paddy to their favorite deities, the family members accept that new grain as Prasad. Also, on this day, farmers peel the new seeds of the crop i.e. paddy and make rice pudding, which they offer as Prasad to the gods and goddesses of their ancestors. Also, on this day, all the people who live away from their homes and families come to their home village and everyone gather together and take Prasad of new grains of paddy.
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The INTACH National Heritage Quiz 2023 Haryana and Uttarakhand State finals were held at GMN Public School, Ambala Cantt. on 6th November, 2023. The quiz was organized by the INTACH Ambala Chapter. Teams from eight cities participated in the finals. They were from Ambala, Chandigarh, Faridabad, Gurgaon, Sonepat, Panipat, Yamunanagar and Dehradun. Col. (retd.) R D Singh, Convenor, Ambala Chapter welcomed everyone and thanked all the schools for confirming their participation and reaching before time. He lauded the efforts of Mrs. Ritu Ghai, Principal, GMN Public School and presented a token of appreciation to her. He inspired the students to do well in the quiz and not think about the results as they are all winners from their respective cities. Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya, from Cradle Solutions was the quizmaster. He talked about the importance of quizzing and told the students to be more aware rather than just learning things. He wished them luck and remarked that luck also matters a lot in a quiz. Mr. Abhishek Das from HECS INTACH was also present. Mrs. Madhu Singh, an active member of INTACH Ambala and teacher at the DAV Riverside School, Charu Soni from host school, along with Abhishek, maintained the scores and time.
The quiz was divided into five rounds. The best four teams after three rounds competed in the last two rounds. There was a tie between Tonsbridge School, Dehradun and Delhi Public School, Panipat Refinery to qualify as the fourth team to enter the last two rounds. It was a very tough tie breaker as 10 questions were asked until the deadlock was finally broken and DPS managed to slip through with the other three teams which were, Dyal Singh Public School, Yamunanagar, Amity International School, Sec-46, Gurgaon and DAV Public School, Sec – 37, Faridabad. Kendriya Vidyalaya, Ambala Cantt., Saupin’s School Chandigarh and Swaranaprastha School, Sonepat failed to qualify for the last two rounds. Overall, the quiz was a high scoring one with Dyal Singh Public School emerging as winners followed by Amity International School Gurgaon finishing second. The pair of Shravi and Twinkle of DSPS Yamunanagar will now compete with in the national finals to be held in Delhi in December.
Colonel R D Singh gave the vote of thanks followed by a sumptuous lunch.
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Heritage Education and Communication Service organized a one day Teacher Training Workshop and book release on ‘Textiles- The Indian Story: An Activity Book on Textile Traditions’ on 3rd November 2023 at INTACH Delhi. 37 teachers from 36 schools across Delhi participated in the workshop. The speakers for the workshop were- Ms. Vandana Bindu Manchanda, Head, Heritage Crafts and Community Division (HCCD), INTACH, Ms. Sunanda Dawar Srivastava, Head- Textiles, Centre of Excellence for Khadi and NIFT, Dr. Ritu Sethi, Chairperson, The Craft Revival Trust, Mr. T. S. Randhawa, Consultant, INTACH Knowledge Centre and Former IAS (Retd) and Ms. Nisha Maurya, Associate Designer- Apparels, Centre of Excellence for Khadi and NIFT. The workshop started off with a welcome address and the book discussion by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS. She explained in brief about the book and how the book can be used as a resource material to learn about the various Indian textiles.
Session one was presented by Ms. Bindu Manchanda who spoke about the history of textiles, with the focus on Indian textiles. She explained how colonisation and industrialization led to the decline of certain weaving practices and textiles over the centuries. She also spoke about certain dyes, like Indigo, which was revived through the introduction of jeans. She showcased a few rare sarees and attires as well, whose fabric or textiles are no longer in production. This was followed by the next session on ‘Khadi textile’ by Ms. Sunanda Dawar, who spoke in detail about the journey of Khadi textiles, the history of cotton and the impact of industrialization on indigenous cotton. She pointed out the khadi is not just a coarse fabric and over the years how different techniques were developed. The third session was presented by Dr. Ritu Sethi, who spoke about textile traditions and their continuities. She emphasized textiles are the markers of our identity and talked about the vast repertoire of craftsmanship which involved the complex process of weaving, embroidery, printing, painting etc. The fourth session was taken over by Mr. Tejinder Randhawa. He spoke about the amazing variety of silk in India and gave a brief overview of the silk industry in India. He also spoke about the idea of Ahimsa silk and showcased some rare silks such as Golden silk of Assam, Mulberry silk, Tussar silk, and Eri. The varieties of textile designs were also discussed.
The participants also had the opportunity to explore the INTACH Conservation Lab. They learned all about the different conservation practices use for textiles and paintings. It was an educational and eye-opening experience.
This was then followed by the book release of the book ‘Textiles- The Indian Story: An Activity Book on Textile Traditions’ by Dr. CT Mishra, Member Secretary, INTACH. Ritu Topa, the designer of the book was also present. The last session was an interesting one where Ms. Nisha Maurya talked about the versatile clothing- saree. She also demonstrated the various draping of saree such as kachha style, coorgi style, seedha pallu style, the knot or scarf drape etc.
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The heritage walk at the Humayun's Tomb was organised for 94 students and 10 teachers from The British School, New Delhi. The students were divided into 4 groups and were guided by 4 members from INTACH. The walk started with an introduction to the city of Delhi and the numerous capitals that were built there through the ages. A brief outline of the Mughal Dynasty and Empire was also given to the students.
The students were first taken to Isa Khan's Tomb which was built for Isa Khan, who was a nobleman in Sher Shah Suri’s court. The walk leaders spoke about the bright blue tiles that can be seen on Isa Khan’s tomb and how they were restored by Uzbeki craftsmen. The groups were told about the difference between a male’s grave and a female’s grave by the placement of a takhti and a kalam.
After this, the students were taken to the Bu Halima Complex where her tomb is located. She was one of the main wet nurses of Emperor Akbar and he had this simple tomb built for her. This was followed by a short break, after which, the students were taken to the Arab Serai Gateway and also shown the Afsar Khan Mosque and tomb located within the gateway complex.
The groups were finally taken to the main complex of Humayun's Tomb. Along with talking about the architectural features of the tomb such as its double dome, red sandstone and white marble, archways, and chhatris, the walk leaders also explained the concept of the Char Bagh. The students were also told about the story of the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar II and how he was found at Humayun’s Tomb in 1857 during the First War of Independence.
The heritage walk ended with a group photograph before the students were taken to Sunder Nursery where they continued with a Nature Walk by Nitish Panwar of the Natural Heritage Division.
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Under the able guidance of Chhattisgarh State Convener Mr. Arvind Mishra and State Secretary Mr. Rajendra Chandak, INTACH Sarangarh Raigarh Chapter and Chapter Coordinator Yashwant Kumar Choudhary organized a program titled a rangoli competition on the theme "Trees/Plants in Chhattisgarhi Folk Culture" in Government Higher Secondary School Birkol on 09/10/2023. In this competition, 76 students participated covering the theme that includes Tulsi Puja, Amla Puja, Vat Savitri, Sugarcane Puja, highlighting the importance of trees/plants in the culture of Chhattisgarh and teaching people about nature conservation and promotion through Rangoli. Made aware. By discussing with their parents, elders, resource persons etc., the students made a meaningful effort to enhance the cultural values connected to their soil. In making the program successful, there was a lot of cooperation from the head of the institution and teachers, co-coordinators of INTACH, life members etc. While giving information about the activities of INTACH by coordinator Yashwant Kumar Choudhary, the top ten excellent rangoli maker girls were honored and encouraged to move ahead and become carriers of the folk culture of Chhattisgarh. The program was conducted by co-coordinator Radheshyam Choudhary and vote of thanks was given by Mrs. Pushpanjali Choudhary, a life member of INTACH.
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INTACH Chapter Sarangarh Raigarh along with its members, school children, NCC cadets, general public jointly organized ‘Swachhata Hi Seva’ on 01/10/2023 under the Shramdaan program for cleanliness at Saraipali. Under "Swachhata Hi Seva" for community service work on a large scale, Adarsh Sejs Vidyalaya campus and N.P.P, participated in the nationwide cleanliness campaign by volunteering in the nearby wards. The program was led by coordinator Yashwant Kumar Chaudhary. On this occasion, MLA representative (Education Department) Shri Pradeep Gupta was present. Chief Guest Pradeep Gupta while addressing said that everyone's participation in the cleanliness campaign is necessary and also stressed the need to imbibe cleanliness in life and said that it should always start from oneself. Along with personal hygiene, cleanliness of community areas is also very important. Seeing the large number of people present in a spirit of service to donate for cleanliness, he praised and described it as exemplary. Convener Yashwant Kumar Choudhary appealed for everyone's participation in beautifying it as a clean-green-eco-friendly ward. Lata Sahu gave a message related to cleanliness while emphasizing on taking a step towards cleanliness. Awareness campaign was conducted by community cleaning in different wards with broom, spade, bucket, dustbin and students carried out awareness campaign by creating environment by raising cleanliness related slogans and placards. The chief guest administered the cleanliness oath to everyone who was collectively committed to cleanliness. On this occasion, cleanliness ambassadors who did excellent work in the field of cleanliness were honored and encouraged. The program was conducted and vote of thanks was done by Yashwant Kumar Chaudhary.
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On the occasion of World Tourism Day 27/9/2023, a lecture was organized in Saraipali by the Indian Cultural Fund (INTAC) Sarangarh- Raigarh Chapter in which the personality of tourism in Saraipali was presented by Mr. K.R. Chaudhary, a well-known educationist and environment lover of the area. While highlighting their importance in development, detailed information was given on tourist places and their importance. About 250 students and teachers benefited from this program. Similarly, eco-tourism lover Mr. Sankarshan Patel highlighted the various types of trees and plants and the importance of trees in tourism. Yashwant Kumar Choudhary, coordinator of INTACH Sarangarh Raigarh chapter, drew attention to tourism by giving information about the tourist destinations and possibilities available under the chapter and threw light on the development of tourism and cultural moral values. The vote of thanks for the successful conduct of this lecture was given by INTACH life member Pushpanjali Chaudhary and life member Keshav Prasad Sahu. The speakers were honored by presenting mementos and shawls.
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1. On 1st Feb a two- day program was organised at HAPPY DAYS SCHOOL in collaboration with SPIC MACAY in which Hindustani violinist Pt. Praveen Sheolikar and Tabla Player Mr. Makrand Halve won the hearts of the audience by giving a wonderful musical presentation.
UITRGPV Director Rakesh Shinghai Shashank Tyagi, Head of Department Bio Chemistry Medical College Shivpuri, Chapter Coordinator Shambhu Singh Dangi, Vikram Solakhia and students were the witness of this program finally the program concluded by thanking the guests.
2. The meeting of INTACH was held on 30th March 2023 in the HAPPY DAYS SCHOOL SHIVPURI. All the members of INTACH SHIVPURI CHAPTER attended this meeting and discussed about the Roles and Activities of INTACH SHIVPURI CHAPTER:
=>> Creating awareness about local Heritage by gathering knowledge, listing and documentation of architectural, archaeological, art, natural and intangible heritage involving local chapter and communities.
=>> Developing passion projects and help local people conserve heritage by their own efforts.
3. In the forests near Sultangarh Falls, Shivpuri district, INTACH members along Shivpuri Youth Forum went for a nature walk and bird watching. We used the Field Guide on jungle trees of Central India by Pradip Krishen to ID the trees and the Cornell Lab app Merlin for bird identification. Interesting observations and discovery were made during the walk, which have been shared with the forest department as well for further observation.
4. On 2 Aug, on the occasion of Van Mahotsav students of ECO CLUB along with INTACH members planted trees in and around the school. Students of classes 6 to 8 planted herbal plants like lemon grass, aloe vera, ginger and turmeric under the project Herbal Heritage. During the project students will plant herbs, monitor their growth and learn about their medicinal uses. Through this activity the students came to know about the vegetative propagation of different types of vegetables, and understood the importance of organic farming of vegetables.
5. Local Heritage walk is a captivating journey through our town's history which connects us with our roots. The members visited a local heritage site, Old Panchayat Bhavan at Thakurpura Shivpuri. Through this heritage walk they understood the importance of local Heritage and its preservation for our future generation.
6. Heritage walks are the best option to acquire knowledge and awareness about our local Heritage. In this series on 6 Aug, a team of INTACH members of Shivpuri Chapter organised a heritage walk in Ramrai village near Kolaras This place is very well known for the Gastropod Fossils found there and few caves which are located on a small hillock. There is a community of Ojhas who make amazing bells for the cattle and is supplied throughout the region during Melas. The team visited their houses and workshop where they make these bells. The Team also witnessed a significant Heritage Tree *कल्प वृक्ष*which is very popular. The local people talked about its religious importance and popularity. It was a very good experience for the members to know about the local culture, local craft and belief of the local people of the village.
7. International youth day is an annual event celebrated on 12th Aug. In the series of this event Shivpuri youth forum co partnered with INTACH and organised Saavan Raag on 13th August 2023 as a continued annual event to promote the culture of traditional music in the residents of Shivpuri. The event was organised at the historical monument Scindia Chhatri. This event was graced by the presence of artists who have been mastering their notes for almost a decade now and an outstanding audience who were euphoric after the sumptuous taste of music. As Tapas Upadhyay, an artist who sings Kabir, said, "it's not a show or a performance but a Satsang where people connect to the truth or their inner self" Saavan Raag is not just about organising a music event but about celebrating, rejoicing and caring for each other as members of community who are connected by music, art and literature
8. On 27 Aug, INTACH in collaboration with Shivpuri Youth Forum organised a session on the 'Art of a story telling' by Mr. Sandeep Naik at Happy Days school. The session was very fruitful as the students and teachers learnt to create a story through words and imagination as well as understood the importance of storytelling and story creation.
9. On 12 September, the students of Heritage club presented a glimpse of tangible and intangible Heritage of Incredible Bharat in the school morning assembly. They also depicted their activities done in the club.
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A recent Fort-Making Competition was held under the banner of INTACH Nagpur Chapter and Architectural Sankul in collaboration with Aspire International School, bringing together enthusiastic participants of all ages. The event featured a wide range of creative and innovative fort designs, showcasing the participants' talent and imagination. Many school children along with their teachers had gathered for the Cultural Fiesta where the results were declared and prizes in the form of cash, momentos, and certificates were distributed. It created a vibrant and festive atmosphere. 'The competition served as a delightful and memorable occasion for all, strengthening bonds and sparking imaginative architectural achievements', said Dr. Madhura Rathod, Convenor, INTACH Nagpur Chapter.
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The chapter organized a heritage walk in the cantonment area. Around 26 participants participated. All participants gathered at squadron leader Dhirendra Singh Jafa Park. I- Card was distributed to all the participants and the walk started with the glorious life history of Squadron leader Dhirendra Singh Jafa. After that, the group moved to old building, the ruins are of a chapel of 1850. During a Revolt of 1857 it was burnt and demolished. Building is constructed by lime mortar and Lakhori bricks. Clay drains are found in the ruins. Then the group entered (DRC) Jammu gate to visit War memorial. From Jammu gate the group was received by Hawaldar Sanjeev Singh and he explained about War Memorial. In golden letters name of soldiers who sacrificed their lives since First World War, are mounted. All participants kept 2 minutes of silence to show grief, respect and gratitude. Then the group moved to Shankala Museum. Museum was explained by Subedar Robin. This museum has 16 galleries, beautifully designed. The Museum is named after Major Sandeep Shankala ‘Ashok Chakra’. After museum, we moved for Quarter Guard. It’s a place where military treasure is kept and it has cells used to punish soldiers. Now the group moved to its last destination, Babbar Block. This building is for training and administrative purpose. All the buildings visited are old buildings of British period. The heritage walk was completed with refreshment.
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At Bhopal district headquarters, continuous efforts are being made to awaken the interest of school children in the family heritage and historical heritage of the state of our country. In this series, an excellent exhibition on their family heritage was organized by the children of Nishatpura Higher Secondary School in the school, for which all kinds of technical guidance and encouragement to the teachers was done by the Bhopal Chapter of INTUC. More than 100 children showcased the food heritage preserved in their families, their own family heritage and advanced presentation of family costumes. Such an excellent performance by the children at the school level was a unique experience in itself. This effort is being expanded to other schools.
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INTACH VARANASI in collaboration with India Tourism Varanasi and INTACH Banda Chapter organised cleanliness drive at Kalinjer Fort Banda. 170 students from a renowned school attended the event. They took pledge as well as cleaned couple of monuments. Mr Haris Zaman,Convener,Banda Chapter arranged visit of students to this ASI protected monument. Four Life members of INTACH Varanasi Chapter visited Kalinjer Fort with Ashok Kapoor Convener Varanasi Chapter. Financial support was provided by India Tourism Varanasi office. The cleanliness drive is the brainchild of our Hon'ble Prime Minister. It was organised on October 1, on the eve of Gandhi Jayanti.
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College Heritage Volunteer Training Workshop was conducted by Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) in collaboration with INTACH Udaipur Chapter on 26th October 2023 at Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur. A total of 65 students and teachers participated. After the lightning of lamp, a welcome address was given by Dr. Lalit Pandey, Convener- Udaipur chapter.
Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director (HECS) showed film on INTACH and explained various programmes taken up by HECS to preserve heritage of India. The next session began with the guest speakers, Mr. Vilad Janve who shared about the intangible heritage of Udaipur including the art of turban tying and Gavari dance. Mr. Maheep Bhatnagar discussed landscape, flora, and fauna of the Udaipur region and Mr. Manish Shrimali gave presentations on the evolution of built heritage of Udaipur city and its surrounding area.
The volunteerism session began post lunch. Ms. Swati Deora, Programme Coordinator (HECS) discussed various aspects of heritage volunteerism followed by a group activity where students were divided into 4 groups and each group was given one heritage to represent. All the participating students were given certificates, newsletter and college booklet. Mr. Gaurav Singhvi - Co-Convener, Udaipur gave final vote of thanks and motivated students to be an active participant in various roles in the conservation of heritage.
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HECS, INTACH in collaboration with the History Society of Motilal Nehru College, held a Heritage Awareness and Volunteerism Workshop for 70 students and 10 faculty members of the college on 19th October 2023.
Dr. Kalpana Malik, head of the History Department of Motilal Nehru College, welcomed everybody to the workshop and gave an introduction to the resource persons. The workshop began with Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director of HECS, INTACH giving a short introduction to INTACH, its history, and what it does across the country. The INTACH film was screened after this introduction.
The first session by Ms. Datt was on “What is Heritage” in which she spoke at length about the country’s rich and complex heritage – natural, built, material, and living heritage. She spoke at length about mountains, oceans, flora and fauna, various built sites, textiles, oral traditions, folk music, dance, theatre, and culinary heritage. Ms. Datt also suggested ways in which the students can safeguard and raise awareness about each heritage.
The next session was held by Ms. Nanki Kaur (Programme Coordinator, HECS) where students were made aware of what Volunteerism entails, and how students could become heritage volunteers. Ms. Swati Deora (Programme Coordinator, HECS) talked about the Action Plans for built, material and living heritage. Ms. Datt took over and explained the newly developed College Volunteer Handbook by HECS. She then ended the presentation by introducing the upcoming college photography competition which would entail documenting endangered living heritage. Two films from the Filmit Project were then screened – Sandookdi and Textiles of India. This was followed by an interactive session where participants were asked to think about an object they possess which holds heritage value for them or their families.
The formal Vote of Thanks was given by Ms. Padma Negi, faculty member of the History department. The workshop ended with a group photograph with the faculty and core team members of the History society.
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Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) in collaboration with INTACH, MEGHALAYa Chapter, organized a one -day Handicraft Wood of Meghalaya on 12th September 2023, at the Pearly Dew Higher Secondary School. There were 108 students along with their teachers’ in-charge of Heritage Clubs of 10 schools who participated in the workshop.
The workshop commenced with a short welcome speech from Dr.Madeline V.Tham, Convenor of INTACH Meghalaya Chapter. The resource person was Bilioril Kynter who taught the students the techniques and talents of handicraft wood making. She is from Kennymsaw village,Mawsynram and she has been into a bamboo crash for the past 30 years. She started when she was six years old without any conventional educational about bamboo craft. She has trained many people from different place including Africa and USA.
Students were divided into multiple groups and the art of basket making was demonstrated to them. In the interactive session, students asked questions to know more about its history, the process of how to sustain the craft and its future prospective and they were quite curious to know about its details of what has been used and how they have obtained all the required materials used in each and every process of the handicraft wood product. The most interesting question was asked on the eco-friendly aspect of the craft and about its sustainability.
The workshop successfully concluded with a formal group photograph and exhibition of the products made by students.
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The INTACH National Heritage Quiz 2023 Jaipur city round was held at Subodh Public School on 12th October 2023. The quiz was organised by Heritage Education and Communication Service. 108 students from 18 schools participated. The quiz was attended by Mr. Sandeep Sethi, Director (Education) MSMSII Museum Trust, Jaipur and Ms. Dharmendar Kanwar, Convenor INTACH Jaipur Chapter. The programme began with a welcome address by Ms. Avantika and Ms. Lavisha (students) from the host school. Mrs. Kamaljeet Yadav, Principal of the host school welcomed the participating schools, INTACH team and the quizmaster. She stressed on the importance of activities such as quizzing and wished luck to the students. Mr. Abhishek Das spoke to the students about quizzing as an extracurricular activity that helps in overall development. He also gave a brief about the quiz programme and shared a few excerpts from previous years’ quizzes. Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya, Quizmaster from Cradle Solutions addressed the students. He told them about increasing their awareness and how a quiz helps in the process and gave some tips on quizzing. He then explained the rules of the written round of the quiz. He was supported by Mr. Shreyas Hariharan. The written round was for 20 min which had 20 questions based on the heritage of the country, some questions based on Rajasthan and three questions on INTACH. The question papers were checked during the break and six teams were selected for the stage round. The teams that qualified for the oral rounds were: Jayshree Periwal High School, Maharaja Sawai Man Singh Vidyalaya, Maharaja Sawai Bhavani Singh School, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Pratap Nagar, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Munshi Marg and the hosts Subodh Public School. The oral round consisted of rounds based on general heritage and awareness, an audio round, a visual round and a rapid fire round. The scoring was done by Muskan, a student of the host school. The team of Aryan Saxena and Advik Agarwal from BVB, KM Munshi Marg won the quiz by a very narrow margin. Subodh Public School came second followed by Jayshree Periwal High School who came third. Ms. Dharmendar addressed the gathering and congratulated the winners. She stated that she enjoyed watching the quiz and it was very informative and exciting. She thanked the hosts for making exquisite arrangements and appreciated INTACH HECS’ efforts in educational awareness programmes. The prizes and certificates were given away by Mr. Arindam, Ms. Dharmendar and Ms. Kamaljeet. The preparations and support was done by Ms. Shalini and her team from Subodh Public School. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Mr. Abhishek Das.
The Mumbai city round of the INTACH National Heritage Quiz 2023 was held at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum on 11th October 2023. The quiz was organized by Heritage Education and Communication Service in collaboration with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya Museum. 36 students from 5 schools participated in the quiz. Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya Bhattacharya, Quizmaster from Cradle Solutions, welcomed the participating students. He discussed how participating in a quiz can be beneficial for increasing their knowledge and emphasized the importance of doing so. He then shared some practical advice for quizzing and then explained the rules for the written round of the quiz. The written round was conducted first with all teams. 4 teams qualified for the oral round: Smt RSB Arya Vidya Mandir, Juhu, Vasudev C. Wadhwa Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra East, and two teams from Navy Children School. The team from Vasudev C. Wadhwa Arya Vidya Mandir, Bandra East secured the first position. Ms. Anita Yewale, Member of the Mumbai Chapter, congratulated the students and gave a vote of thanks.
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A three- day Olympian film festival was organised by Film heritage Foundation in partnership with the Olympic Museum and in collaboration with India International Centre and INTACH Heritage and Communication Service Division. The event was graced by 509 students and 22 teachers of 15 schools, Ms Purnima Datt (Principal Director), Mr Abhishek Das (Sr Programme Coordinator), Ms Christina Shangne (Sr Programme Coordinator), Ms Vaishnavi Singh (Programme Coordinator), Ms Nanki Kaur (Programme Coordinator) , Ms Trikaya Soni (Programme Coordinator), Ms Swati Deora (Programme Coordinator) and Ms Andrea Elizabeth Mathew (Consultant), across the span of three days from 9th October to 11th October 2023 at the CD Deshmukh Hall.
The event was graced by organizer Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder Director of Film Heritage Foundation which is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of India’s film heritage. Ms Manisha Malhotra former Olympian Tennis Players who gave a word of encouragement to students and talked about the challenges sports has to face in India. She talked about her journey as an athlete and now how she is in search of talents for different sports that are played at the Olympics. She asked the children about their interest in the sports and what if we too have an upcoming athlete from the group. Children put forth their views and one girl shared that there is no losing but only winning or learning which Ms Manisha and Mr Shivendra appreciated. Ms Manisha talked about Olympians Abhinav Bindra and Neeraj Chopra who trained in her foundation. She talked about the grit, determination and mental fitness is required to achieve something.
Mr Shivendra greeted the children and shared his journey oh how he came to work for the restoration of films and about the Olympians film screening event. He mentioned how it was very difficult in pre independent era to watch sports match or hear the news, even after independence the technology was just developing and not all matches were recorded. Mr Shivendra talked about some of the former Olympic athletes like Zafar Iqbal who was delighted to see his video clip of the Olympic match.
Ms Purnima Datt greeted the lively audience and talked about the concept of sport heritage and why we should be aware of the history and heritage of sports and athletes who are making India proud at the Olympics and International events.
Manu Bhaker (shooting), Rani Rampal (hockey player), Bajrang Punia (wrestler), Abhinav Bindra (shooter) PT Usha (track and field athlete), Gagan Narang (shooter), Vijay Kumar (shooter) and The Games of the V Olympiad Stockholm, 1912 were some of the films screened in the span of three days.
Ms RK Shivpuri who also graced the occasion is a former sports player and shared an interesting story about his grandfather, a pre-Olympian who played with the eminent hockey player Major Dhyanchand.
In between the programme quiz questions on Olympics were also asked by HECS representative and children were awarded Young INTACH newsletters and the Capital Story on every correct answer.
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The Chandigarh city round of the INTACH National Heritage Quiz 2023 was held at Saupin’s School, Mohali on 9th October 2023. The quiz was organised by Heritage Education and Communication Service. 62 students from 8 schools participated. The programme began with a welcome address by the host school. Ms. Aanchal Puri welcomed the schools. Ms. Deepika Gandhi from Chandigarh Chapter addressed the students. She stressed on the importance of quizzing and why it is relevant even though every piece of information can be found in seconds on the internet. Mr. Abhishek Das spoke to the students about quizzing as an extracurricular activity that helps in overall development. He also gave a brief about the quiz programme and shared a few excerpts from previous years’ quizzes. Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya, Quizmaster from Cradle Solutions told them about increasing their awareness and how a quiz helps in the process and gave some tips on quizzing. He then explained the rules of the written round of the quiz. The question papers were checked during the break and six teams were selected for the stage round. The teams that qualified for the oral rounds were: two teams from Saupin’s School, Chandigarh, two teams from Bhavan Vidyalaya, St. Kabir School and St. John’s School. The team of Prateik and Japji from Saupin’s School stood first followed by Bhavan Vidyalaya who came a close second. St. Kabir School came third. Ms. Gurujyoti Kapany, Headmistress of Saupin’s Mohali addressed the students and congratulated everyone.
The INTACH Heritage Club Installation Ceremony at Dinanath School, Nagpur, held on 21st September 2023, was a remarkable event that marked the official establishment of the school's INTACH Heritage Club. The ceremony was graced by the presence of INTACH Nagpur Chapter's Convenor, Dr. Madhura Rathod, Assistant Head-Mistress of the school, Mrs. Dipanwita Ganguly, and the Supervisor- Mrs. Anju Seth. The program was hosted by the Heritage Club in charge, Mr. Giridhar Kuware. The students, dressed in traditional attire, put on a captivating cultural performance that showcased various forms of Indian art, dance, and music.
Dr. Madhura Rathod addressed the gathering, highlighting the significance of heritage preservation in today's world. She emphasized how heritage clubs play a vital role in educating the younger generation about their roots and the importance of preserving our cultural treasures for future generations. Dr. Rathod also commended Dinanath School for taking this initiative and expressed her commitment to supporting the club's activities in the future. The school representatives on the dias shared their vision for the club. They all spoke passionately about the activities planned for the students and how the club would be a platform for students to explore and appreciate the heritage of Nagpur and India as a whole. They thanked the INTACH Nagpur Chapter for their guidance and support in making this club a reality. The installation ceremony concluded with the official unveiling of the INTACH Heritage Club, and the distribution of the Heritage Club Passports and Badges.
Heritage Education and Communication Service in collaboration with INTACH Hyderabad Chapter conducted a 2-day Teacher Training Workshop in Ganges Valley School, Nizampet, on 4th-5th October 2023. The workshop was attended by 38 participants from 23 schools.
The workshop commenced by welcoming of HECS team and chief guests followed by lighting of lamp. Convenor Anuradha Reddy welcomed all the schools and thanked Prinicpal, Ganges Valley School, Ms Suparna, new INTACH member Ms Sashi Musunuri, teacher, Ms Chaitanya who efficiently organised the workshop and the INTACH HECS team for the efforts taken to protect the heritage o our country.
The first session on local heritage was taken by Ms Reddy, she foremost paid tribute to Ms Lakkaraju Seshakumari, who was the Co-convenor, Andhra Pradesh Chapter and saved the JNTU Kakinada. She briefly talked about the illustrious history and heritage of Hyderabad which is the state of danger because of urban development plans.
Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS, INTACH shared about works undertaken by INTACH and HECS division in particular. She explained in brief why children must be taught to preserve and protect their heritage and culture. Then she asked the teachers to share their personal favorite site in Hyderabad. This was then followed by the screening of the INTACH Film.
She started with her session on what is heritage and talked in detail about the natural, built, material and living heritage of India and Hyderabad. She laid emphasis on the diversity of flora and fauna, architectural remains and culture and tradition that India encompasses. Inputs were added on by Ms Sashi and Ms Anuradha about the concepts of heritage.
Post lunch, Ms Datt talked about Heritage Education and stressed on the proactive role of teacher and how indulging students in various activities will help them learn about their heritage Later curriculum and setting up of heritage club was explained. The session concluded with the explanation of the group activity.
Day 2 commenced with a heritage walk at the Tomb of Abdul Qadir Amin Khan, Pattancherru, led by Ms Reddy. She gave glimpse of old town and the coming of industrial area and neglect from government led to its dilapidated condition. Post heritage walk, session on outreach of heritage clubs and HECS resources were discussed by Ms Purnima Datt and Ms Vaishnavi Singh. Hands on heritage activities and Tree of Life Activity book were discussed with the teachers. This was followed by the group activity where each team shared about the rich heritage of Hyderabad through role play, singing, dancing and presentation. This was followed by a group photograph and felicitation of participants.
A specialized book reading session on the book 'UltaPulta- Magic in Marble' was conducted on 4th October for the primary school students of St. Columba’s School. More than 400 students were part of the session. The session was conducted in two parts. The book 'UltaPulta- Magic in Marble' was printed in collaboration with Puffin books and the co-authors of the book are Ms. Arthy Muthanna Singh and Ms. Mamta Nainy.
The sessions started off with the introduction of INTACH by Ms. Nanki Kaur and Ms. Christina Shangne from HECS, INTACH, who shared about what INTACH as an organization is and the kinds of work it does. This was followed by an interactive session and book reading by Ms. Arthy. The students were highlighted in short about what the book was and how it is one of a kind book as it can be read from both sides, where the stories meet in the middle. She briefly told them about Taj Mahal and the architect of the monument- Ustad Ahmed Lahori and also how special the monument is. The students also shared their inputs and responded upon asking questions on when/who/why built the monument? Two fun activities were also carried out- One of the activities was to write down 5 adjectives on Taj Mahal and 2 facts about the monument; the other activity was to draw the Taj Mahal and the person he would like to go visit the monument. The students enthusiastically participated in the activities. The session ended with a vote of thanks and felicitation.
A specialised workshop on theatre was conducted on 26thSeptember for primary school children. The event was attended by 64 students and 16 teachers of 13 schools.
The Theatre Workshop was started with an introduction by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director of HECS INTACH, where she spoke about the work the organisation does. She then spoke about the Ulta-Pulta book, a historical fiction that is based on the past and present of the Taj Mahal. Next, Vaishnavi, Programme Coordinator of HECS INTACH, spoke briefly on a part of the book that dealt with the past story of the making of the Taj Mahal. This was followed by Nanki Kaur, Programme Coordinator of HECS INTACH, who spoke briefly on the present story of the conservation of the Taj Mahal. After this, Swati Deora, Programme Coordinator of HECS INTACH, introduced Mr. Feisal Alkazi, who is an educationist trainer and theatre director and is actively involved with heritage education, and Mr. Ritwik Mohan Bhagat, a team member of his theatre organisation.
Mr. Alkazi then began with an activity asking students to form a big circle, and reorganise themselves according to their names and their birthday months. The children were then asked to disband their groups, and again, a game was played where they walked, jumped, and snapped their fingers when asked too. This got the students very excited, and they played till they got exhausted.
After this, they were asked to settle down by Mr. Alkazi, who interacted with them regarding their interest in cultural activities like drama, dance, singing, etc. The students responded enthusiastically. He then asked the students if they knew about the Taj Mahal, how the idea of it arose, how it was built and for whom, the stories around it, and what happened to it now. He then spoke about Shah Jahan, the Mughal emperor who commissioned the construction of the Taj Mahal for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal, who died during childbirth. He also spoke about Akbar and his bond with his grandson, Shah Jahan. The students also excitedly gave their facts on Akbar.
Following this, Mr. Ritwik gave them the instructions for an activity called Freeze Frame. Each group was asked to enact four freeze frames on various topics like the Mughal-era market place, the story of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal and her death, the Durbar scene, the idea of the Taj Mahal, the construction of the Taj Mahal, and finally the archaeological excavation of the Taj Mahal. Each group had two schools grouped together, and the students discussed the scenes with each other with the help of teachers and HECS INTACH members.
After the break, the groups were given another half an hour to prepare their activity. They then performed their freeze frames on topics such as – why was the Taj Mahal built, how it was built, the artisans involved in building it, the bazaar around the Taj Mahal, the court of Shah Jahan, and the conservationists presently who work on the Taj Mahal and its protection.
Mr. Ritwik also involved the audience in every performance of the groups by asking them to guess the scenes. The children were appreciated greatly by all present, including the authors, teachers, and esteemed guests. The authors Arthy Muthanna Singh and Mamta Nainy were introduced and invited to speak. They spoke to the children about the story of the book and interacted with them as well. The programme ended with the distribution of certificates to the students, the Ulta-Pulta Made in Marble book for the schools, and a group photograph.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
A specialised workshop on theatre was conducted on 25thSeptember for primary school children. The event was attended by 60 students and 16 teachers of 12 schools.
Ms Purnima Datt (Prinicpal Director, HECS) greeted the students and told them briefly about what is INTACH and the works it does to protect and promote heritage. MsTrikayaSoni (Programme Coordinator) introduced the Puffin books and Ms Vaishnavi (Programme Coordinator) introduced the authors MsArthyMuthanna Singh and MsMamtaNainy.
MsArthyinteracted with the students and spoke about the book as how it is one of a kind as it can be read from both sides and the stories meet in the middle. She asked students if they have visited TajMahal and how special the monument is. She briefly told them about why the book is called ultapulta and if they have ever seen an ultapulta book.
MsMamta then asked some more questions about TajMahal like when and who built it and students also enthusiastically responded. She shared a simple trick to remember the Mughal rulers names "Buffalo had a juicy salad after bath" with each letter starting with name of the ruler. Children shared their inputs and learning of TajMahal. She then spoke about the architect of the TajMahal - Ustad Ahmed Lahori and his son Ataullah who built BibikaMaqbara and told the students to enjoy the book while reading.
Ms Christina Shangne (SrProgramme Coordinator) introduced Mr Feisal Alkazi and welcomed his colleagues MrRitvik and MsGayatri. MrAlkaziaddressed the students and with the help of his team, asked the students to make a big circle first height -wise and the alphabetically. Students introduced themselves by shouting out the name and made an interesting gesture.
Ms Ritvik and MsGayatri guided them to a game called "fruit salad" where a of group of students were given name of a fruit and they were told to switch places every times the name was called out. Later MrAlkazi shared fascinating tales of TajMahal and students were quite aware about the history of the monument that made the conservation very interesting. He shared how Shah Jahan was always drawn towards art and he hired more than 300 artists to work on one single miniature painting. He also shared a fun fact about Shah Jahanand he was the first person to wear glasses. He asked the students how can they protect the Taj and what can be done to prevent it from being dirty. Students actively shared their inputs and informed about the impact of global warming and other things impacting the wellbeing of Taj.
After the break, the groups were given another half an hour to prepare their activity. MrRitvik and MsGayatri also involved the audience in every performance of the groups by asking them to guess the scenes. Children enthusiastically participated and were appreciated greatly by all present, including the authors, teachers, and esteemed guests.
Before concluding the event MsArthy and MsMamta hailed the interactive audience and were impressed by their knowledge on the Taj. MS Kavya also thanked the INTACH team for inviting her as she enjoyed the theatre workshop and cheerful students. She wished them luck and hoped to come for another such session. The programme ended with the distribution of certificates, the UltaPulta Made in Marble book, and a group photograph.
Workshop Photographs
The Heritage Education and Communication Division, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Mussoorie Chapter conducted a two day Teacher Training Workshop at CJM Hampton Court, Mussoorie. 13 teachers from 8 schools of the city participated in the workshop. Mr. Lokesh, Convenor INTACH Uttarakhand Chapter and Ms. Anjali, Co-convenor of INTACH Uttarakhand also graced the occasion.
The workshop started off with a welcome address shared by Ms. Surbhi Agarwal, Convenor of INTACH Mussoorie Chapter. It was then followed by brief introductions about INTACH and the kind of works undertaken by the organization by Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS. This was then followed by the screening of the INTACH Film.
Ms. Anjali, Co-convenor of INTACH Uttarakhand shared in brief about how important it is for children to understand the various nuances of heritage, and also understand the importance of preserving heritage. She encouraged the teachers to be involved in the activities conducted by INTACH as it will benefit them not only personally but for the soul as well. The next session was conducted by Ms. Surbi, who spoke on the unique local heritage. The presentation highlighted the rich heritage of Mussoorie and how the city was established. In the nest session, Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS shared about ‘What’s heritage?’ The enriching session offered a detailed outline of the incredible heritage of our country. The session also highlighted the fundamental duties and their emphasis on preserving heritage. This was followed by the screening of three FILMIT films. Post lunch, the HECS film was screened to give an idea about the works conducted by HECS, followed by a presentation on heritage education and ways to introduce it in classrooms by Ms. Purnima Datt.
DAY 2 started with a heritage walk was conducted around the old Mall road. Ms. Surbhi was the walk leader. The walk was enriching as it took the participants on a journey of how old Mussoorie was and what are the resent changes one can see. This was then followed by the presentation of HECS publications, Young INTACH website, National Programmes, social media and the importance of heritage walks and resource persons to incorporate in the heritage education process. Mr. Lokesh Ohri also addressed the teachers, sharing about the works the chapter has done.
INTACH Varanasi Chapter organised a craft workshop on Banaras traditional miniature painting under the endangered art and craft series project in collaboration with HECS Division. The workshop was conducted at Sunbeam School Varuna on September 8, 2023. Artist DayaShanker conducted the workshop while DrMsAnuradhaRaturi coordinated on behalf of Varanasi Chapter. Approximately 50 art students of the school participated and learnt this unique technique of making traditional Miniature Painting. Since there are hardly 4 artists are left and this is quite a lengthy and technical process, no new artist is coming forward. INTACH Varanasi decided to promote to enable us to save this tradition. INTACH Varanasi thanked Life Member and expert ShriShashank Singh ji for constant support and advise and the HECS division for providing support fund.
Ashok Kapoor Convener is constantly trying to save such arts and crafts which not only encourages students and promotes but also promote artists.
Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) organized National Heritage Quiz for Delhi NCR on 4th of September at India International Center (IIC), New Delhi. About 63 schools participated in the quiz with approximately 350 students. The event began with a welcome address by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS. Ms. Datt shared words of encouragement and also gave a brief on INTACH and highlighted the upcoming Olympic Film Festival programme. She then introduced Mr.Kunal Savarkar who is a passionate quizzer and the CEO of Xpress Minds Edutainment. Mr. Kunal welcomed the students and shared about the quiz. ‘Helping Hands’ film was also shown to the students.
This was followed by sharing of the instructions for the quiz and commencement of the quiz. The written round was conducted first with all teams. Six teams qualified for the oral round.
The qualifying teams for the oral round were - Delhi Public School, R. K. Puram; Delhi Public School, Greater Noida; Army Public School, Shankar Vihar; Balwantray Mehta Vidya Bhawan ASMA; Delhi Public School, Mathura Road and Aster Public School, Greater Noida.
Maj. Gen. (Retd.) L.K. Gupta, Chairman, INTACH, addressed the students and teachers with words of encouragement, knowledge, and commendation. The Chairman congratulated the students for participating in the Quiz and taking the first step to protect our heritage.
1st Rank - Delhi Public School R. K. Puram
2nd Rank - Balwantray Mehta Vidya Bhawan ASMA, GK -II
3rd Rank - Delhi Public School, Greater Noida
Delhi Public School, R. K Puram qualified for the National Finals.
Ms. Priyamvada Iyer, Convenor Intach Dehradun Chapter. She spoke to the students about the importance of heritage and gave a brief overview of INTACH and its activities. Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya, the quiz master for the event interacted with the students and gave them tips on quizzing. He gave instructions for the written round. He also spoke about the importance of quizzing and the need for general awareness. The written round was for 20 min which had 20 questions based on the heritage of the country, some questions on Uttarakhand and three questions on INTACH. The question papers were checked during the break and four teams were selected for the stage round. Doon International School topped the written round. The teams were: Doon International School, The Tonsbridge School, Raja Rammohan Roy Academy and Jaswant Modern Sr. Sec. School. The oral round consisted of rounds based on general heritage and awareness, an audio round, a visual round, a rapid fire round and a buzzer round. The quiz was a high scoring one and at the end, Tonsbridge School emerged as the winners. Raja Rammohan Roy Academy came second followed by Jaswant Modern Sr. Sec. School. The prizes and certificates were given away by Mr. Lokesh Ohri, Ms. Anjali Bharthari Ravi, Convenor and Co-convenor, Uttarakhand Chapter respectively, Ms. Priyamvada Iyer and Mr. Arindam Bhattacharya. The event ended with a vote of thanks by Ms. Iyer. Mr. Ghanshyam, a member of the Dehradun Chapter also assisted with the smooth flow of the quiz.
HECS, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Surat Chapter conducted a Teacher Training workshop on 22nd and 23rd August 2023. The workshop was held at Surat Fort and was attended by 18 participants from 9 institutions.
The workshop began with a welcome and introduction by Mr. Prashant Mathi, Co-convenor of the Surat Chapter. He spoke about the site briefly and explained what the local Chapter was doing to preserve and create awareness about heritage.
Ms. Purnima Datt (Principal Director, HECS) then took over and spoke about the activities of HECS across the country. The teachers were asked to introduce themselves and talk about any place that is special to them and brings them peace. The INTACH Film was then screened in Hindi.
The first session on Surat’s local heritage was conducted by Ms. Binita Pandya, member of Surat Chapter. She spoke about the work that has been done in Surat to protect its heritage such as the Tapi River Project. She explained that Surat is a very dynamic city as it was a big trading city, where communities came and integrated themselves within the social fabric. She gave a detailed insight into the history of Surat, the trading powers, the built heritage, and the various personalities important in the story of the city. She also mentioned the crafts, food, and living traditions of the region.
The next session was held by Ms. Purnima Datt who talked about ‘What is Heritage’. She explained in detail the different facets of heritage (natural, built, material and living) and provided many examples of each, with Ms. Nanki Kaur (Programme Coordinator, HECS) explaining certain sections.
There was short break for lunch, followed by a game revolving around historical pairs for the teachers. The next session consisted of Ms. Datt presenting on Heritage Education and how HECS delivers this using different teaching aids. The session ended with the explanation of the group activity for the next day. The teachers were divided into 3 groups and each group had to prepare on one example of their given topic – Natural, Built, and Living heritage of Surat.
The second day of the workshop started with the screening of best FilmIt films from the previous year. Ms. Bhamini Mahida, Co Convenor of Surat chapter, and part of the Surat Municipal Corporation welcomed everybody. The heritage walk at the Surat Fort commenced with a screening of a film on the fort, its history, and how it was restored. Mr. Rawal, Curator of the fort then started explaining the history of the fort and took the group through the first few galleries. Mr. Thompson took over the next session of the walk.
After the walk, the HECS team continued their presentation on Heritage Education and HECS Resources. The teachers were given time to work in their groups and delivered for their final presentations. The workshop ended with an address by the INTACH Surat Chapter Members, the felicitation of the teachers and the distribution of the resource material.
INTACH Ambala Chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH, conducted a 2 day endangered art and craft workshop on Rakhi Making at CB Primary School, Parade, Ambala Cantt. About 100 children and 4 teachers attended the workshop. The workshop was organized by Col. R.D Singh, Convenor, and Ms. Reena, Co- Co-Convenor, INTACH Ambala Chapter. Ms Asha Verma, a skilled artist with 34 years of experience was the resource person for the workshop. She is an expert in Arts & Craft and has been employed with Fevicryl Company since 2009.
During the workshop, the students were taught how to make rakhis themselves at home. The students were also given the material to make these rakhis which could be used for the upcoming festival of Rakhi. The students also indulged in Lippen Art activity where they recreated the craft on old CDs. The students painted the CDs and then used clay and mirrors to replicate the lippen designs. It turned out to be a highly informative and interesting workshop.
The Filmit India workshop at Kochi was held on 18th August at Museum of Kerala History, Edapally. 49 students and 14 teachers from 11 schools of the city participated in it. The programme started with a welcome address by Mr. Biley Menon, Co-Convenor, INTACH Kochi Chapter. He spoke about INTACH and its history, Kochi Chapter activities and HECS Division activities. He then introduced Mr. Babu C Rajeev, Convenor, INTACH Kochi Chapter and the Tuning Folks Team of Ms. Shikha Gupta and Ms. Himanshi Saini. Mr. Rajeev addressed the participants and congratulated the students on their films and wished them the best. Mr. Abhishek Das gave the introduction to the programme and outlined the programme for the workshop. He gave a brief overview of the Filmit project. The HECS film was screened next. In the first session, Abhishek talked about the Filmit project in detail and discussed the themes for the current year. A brain storming session with the students was done for selecting topics related to the themes and how they could work on it to make interesting films. Two of last year’s films – ‘Sandookdi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ were screened next. He then formally introduced Ms. Shikha Gupta and Ms. Himanshi Saini. Shikha and Himanshi interacted with the students asking them why they liked watching films. They asked them to name a few films which they really enjoyed and if it had any lasting impact on them. Then they asked the students what they liked about the films that they just watched and which one they liked the most. The students liked both the films as they both had a powerful message. Empty Bottle did not have any dialogues or narration but still conveyed a very strong message to save water while Sandookdi was about personal heritage. It talked about the right to education for a girl child. Through this, they explained why films are powerful. Shikha then spoke about what to shoot and how to shoot. She talked about shots and angles by showing videos on shot breakdown. Himanshi explained the different angles, importance of sound and lighting. The talked about rule of thirds, lighting, sound, looking space, etc. They showed different videos related to sound and shot breakdowns to make the students understand the significance of these technical aspects and how it would help them make better films. After a short refreshment break, in the last session, the editing part of a film was discussed by the technical team. The ‘Windows Photos’ editing software was discussed in detail. Things such as storyboard, trimming, splitting, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained with the help of a short video footage shot by the Tuning Forks team. The entire video edit was done with full participation of the students. Another film on single use plastic was screened. Ms. Aditi Nair, Director, Kerala Museum then addressed the participants. As a token of appreciation, a set of books were presented to the technical resource team. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Mr. Menon followed by the singing of the national anthem.
The Filmit India workshop at Chennai was held on 17th August at KSN Sec. School, Thiruvanmiyur. 76 students and 17 teachers from 12 schools of the city participated in it. The programme started with a prayer song by four students of the host school. Mr. Abhishek Das welcomed everyone to the workshop and thanked the host school. He gave a brief overview of INTACH and talked about the Filmit project. He mentioned the different divisions of INTACH and the reason for INTACH to be set up. The HECS film was screened next. In the first session, Abhishek talked about the Filmit project in detail and discussed the themes for the current year. A brain storming session with the students was done for selecting topics related to the themes and how they could work on it to make interesting films. Two of last year’s films – ‘Sandookdi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ were screened next. He then formally introduced Ms. Shikha Gupta and Ms. Himanshi Saini, the technical resource persons from Tuning Fork Films. Shikha and Himanshi interacted with the students asking them why they liked watching films and which films they liked and why they liked it. Then they asked the students what they liked about the films that they just watched and which one they liked the most. The students liked both the films for different reasons. Both had a powerful message. Empty Bottle talked about the need to save water without any dialogues or narration while Sandookdi was about personal heritage with the message of women’s education. Through this, they explained why films are powerful. Shikha then spoke about shots and angles by showing videos on shot breakdown. Himanshi explained the different angles, importance of sound and lighting. Shikha and Himanshi explained the technical aspects of film making. They showed different videos related to sound and shot breakdowns to make the students understand the significance of these technical aspects and how it would help them make better films. After a short refreshment break, in the last session, the editing part of a film was discussed by the technical team. The ‘Windows Photos’ editing software was discussed in detail. Things such as storyboard, trimming, splitting, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained with the help of a short video footage shot by the Tuning Forks team. A Q&A session was also done to clear any queries that the students had regarding the editing part. Another film on single use plastic was screened. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Ms. Sai Geetha, Vice Principal, KSN Sec. School.
The Filmit India workshop at Hyderabad was held on 16th August at Jubilee Hills Public School (JHPS). 103 students and 19 teachers from 19 schools of the city participated in it. Mr. Abhishek Das welcomed everyone to the workshop and thanked the host school. A student of the host school formally welcomed everyone and introduced the resource persons – Ms. Shikha Gupta, Ms. Himanshi Saini and Mr. Abhishek Das. She also shared her experience about the Filmit project when she was a part of it. Ms. M.Varalakshmi, Principal JHPS also welcomed the participants. She thanked INTACH and the technical resource persons for conducting the workshop and also talked about her association with INTACH Hyderabad Chapter and Convenor, Ms. Anuradha Reddy. Ms. Anuradha Reddy welcomed all the schools and talked about the success of the project in Hyderabad. In the first session, Abhishek talked about the Filmit project in detail and discussed the themes for the current year. He also did a brain storming session with the students for selecting topics related to the themes and how they could work on it to make interesting films. Two of last year’s films – ‘Sandookdi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ were screened next. Shikha and Himanshi asked the students what they liked about the films that they just watched and which one they liked the most. The students said that they liked the different shots and angles used in Sandookdi but they found Empty Bottle to be more impactful. Through this, they explained why films are powerful. Shikha then spoke about shots and angles by showing videos on shot breakdown. Himanshi explained the different angles, importance of sound and lighting. Shikha and Himanshi explained the technical aspects of film making. The talked about shots and angles, lighting, sound, etc. They showed different videos related to sound and shot breakdowns to make the students understand the significance of these technical aspects and how it would help them make better films. After a short refreshment break, in the last session, the editing part of a film was discussed by the technical team. The ‘Windows Photos’ editing software was discussed in detail. Things such as storyboard, trimming, splitting, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained with the help of a short video footage shot by the Tuning Forks team. A Q&A session was also done to clear any queries that the students had regarding the editing part. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Ms. Anuradha Reddy and a group photograph.
On the occasion of 77th Independence Day, an installation of Heritage Club at Kikani Global Academy, Coimbatore was held. The initiative was taken by Mr. Jaganathan. S. (Convenor) and Mr. Satish Santhaman (Co-convenor) of the INTACH Coimbatore Chapter. The aim for setting up the heritage club is to sensitize the students about their cultural heritage and help them learn and preserve it.
The Goa Filmit Workshop was held in Sharada Mandir School, Miramar on 11th August 2023 in collaboration with Heritage Education and Communication Service. The workshop was attended 70 students and 16 teachers from 11 schools of Goa. The welcome address was given by Ms Fatima Da Silva Gracias, Convenor Goa Chapter. She welcomed the participating schools and greeted Ms Datt and Tuning Forks teams. She appreciated the project as Goa schools have been a part of this project for more than 10 years. It was followed by memorial of Dr Shobhita Punja and slides were shared about the Reis Magos Cultural meeting and showcasing of the Helping Hands film of HECS.
The principal of Sharada Mandir School, Sharmila Ashtamkar shared her schools connection with the filmit programme and how it is close to all them in school and not hosting it last year made them feel bad. Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS shared the filmit themes on Natural, Built, Material and Living Heritage topics and timeline of the project. She introduced Mr Vinod Sreedhar and Ms Sasha Singh of the Tuning Forks Team. This was followed by the screening of 2 best films of last year- ‘empty bottle’ and ‘sandookdi’.
Vinod Sreedhar and Sasha Singh from the Tuning Fork conducted the Technical session. The session commenced by Vinod where he asked students to share about the striking features of the film they saw. He discussed in brief the steps of film making and gave an outline on the do’s and don’ts of film-making and talked about the technical aspects of camera angles and different kind of shots and rule of thirds. He asked the students to see a mango and share what strikes them the most- how to bring it out visually. Sasha told the children that they must look on camera as an extension of eyes and that one must look for one detail at a time. This was followed by break and shooting session where children were asked to utilize the pointers discussed in the workshop.
After the break editing and editing software’s were discussed and a detailed demo was showed by Sasha, to the students on Clipchamp video editor about how to effectively edit a film. Things such as storyboard, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained. The children interacted throughout the session and the workshop concluded with the Lights Camera Action activity. The workshop ended with a formal vote of thanks by the students of Sharada Mandir School.
Workshop Photographs
The Filmit India workshop in Mumbai was held at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya. It was attended by 54 students and 11 teachers from 9 schools. The welcome address was given by Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS Division. Ms Datt thanked and greeted the Ms Katyayni Agarwal, Convenor of INTACH Greater Mumbai Chapter and the CSMVS for their support in organizing the workshop and welcomed the members of Tuning Forks team. She briefly explained about the Filmit project and cited the example of one of our filmit trainers Himanshi Saini as how she started with filmit and now is a filmmaker. Ms Katayani Agarwal thanked the schools for participating in the project and asked the students to beautifully document the heritage of Mumbai.
This was followed by the screening of HECS film and Ms Datt informed about the works undertaken by the HECS division. Ms Vaishnavi Singh formally introduced Mr Vinod Sreedhar and Ms Sasha Singh of the Tuning Forks teams. Ms Datt then explained the filmit themes and timeline of this year and how students can make films on different ideas as Mumbai has a fusion of cultures. Citing Mr Feisal Alkazi she asked the students to refer to the ninth or tenth idea and first few are the common ones.
While discussing the Material Heritage theme, she requested Ms Katyayni to throw light on the craftsperson of Kagazipura and she briefed about how it is made using rags. Later 2 films of last year were screened.
The technical resource people from Tuning Fork Films, Mr Vinod Sreedhar and Ms Sasha Singh started with their session by asking what they noticed in the films. Children put forth their views about films on ‘empty bottle’ and ‘sandookdi’. Ms Sasha pointed out how different things can be used to make the film and in different ways. Mr. Vinod discussed the technical aspects of filmmaking which included details on shots, angles, sound, and light. The students were explained, through examples, how to shoot their films efficiently and properly. This was then followed by the session on editing by the technical resource persons. Through the process, the technical team edited a short movie using the clipchamp video editor with the students for their better understanding. It was followed by a QnA session where students put forth their views and queries. The workshop formally ended with the vote of thanks for Ms Katyayni and the museum.
Workshop Photographs
An installation of Heritage Club was carried out at Delhi Public School, Lava, Nagpur, by the INTACH Nagpur Chapter. The initiative was successfully organized and executed on 11-08-2023 by the Convenor of INTACH Nagpur Chapter, with the school Principal, Mrs. Anupama Sagdeo, extending her valuable support to the event. The event commenced with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp, symbolizing the commencement of a new journey in heritage preservation. This traditional practice was carried out with reverence and was attended by the participants, including the school Principal, teaching staff, students, and the admin staff. A captivating street play was performed by the students, focusing on various aspects of heritage conservation and the importance of preserving cultural and historical sites. The play engaged the audience and effectively conveyed the message of heritage awareness. Dr. Madhura Rathod delivered an insightful speech, highlighting the significance of heritage preservation and the role of the Heritage Club in fostering a sense of responsibility towards our cultural legacy.
To symbolize the affiliation of the students with the Heritage Club, badges were distributed to them. Additionally, heritage passports were given to each member, encouraging them to explore, learn and document about heritage. The program included a moment where all the participants, including students, and teachers, took a solemn heritage pledge to actively participate in the preservation and promotion of our rich heritage.
The school Principal, Mrs. Anupama Sagdeo, expressed gratitude to the Convenor and INTACH for their efforts in establishing the Heritage Club. The event concluded with a vote of thanks extended by the Heritage Club In-Charges, Mrs. Smrittee Pradhan and Vishakha Chauhan.
INTACH Varanasi Chapter organised a visit of students of its Institutional member Sant Atulanand Residential Academy to Bharat Mata Mandir, the only place in India known as Bharat Mata Mandir. This was a part of Independence Day activity. Mr. Akhilesh Kumar and Mr. Jainendra Rai, INTACH Life members and senior Govt. of India approved Tourist Guides briefed the students. There were about 200 students from different classes.
INTACH Balasore Chapter with the support of HECS, conducted a 2 day workshop on tribal art of India on 26th and 27th August in Balasore Arts and Crafts College, Kalashetra. 49 students of 10 schools enthusiastically participated in the event.
The programme was inaugurated by Shri Madhusudan Das, Chief Officer, The Samaja (newspaper) and Shri Uday Ranjan Das, Convenor INTACH Balasore Chapter. Artists Shri Akash Balmiki and Ms Aryapragyan Basabdutta were the esteemed resource persons for the workshop.
Artists informed students about the various kinds of tribal art and how each of it is different. They laid emphasis on the use of natural colours and how over a period of time the tribal art has taken a dip. Student enthusiastically participated and put forth their paintings on different kind of tribal art. Felicitation ceremony was held on day 2 where all the participants were given a certificate. The workshop concluded with a formal vote of thanks.
Prize Winners
1. Akankshya Das- Siddhi Vinayak Public School
2. Hritisha Parida- Government Public High School, Balasore
3. Samikshya Gochhayat- Siddhi Vinayak Public School
Workshop Photographs:
INTACH Murshidabad Chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH organized a two-day Endangered Art and Craft Workshop on Shellac Art. The workshop was held at Shaktipur, Murshidabad. About 60 students from classes 7th to 10th participated in the workshop. Shellac Art is locally known as ‘galashilpa’ which was once very popular in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and adjoining areas since the availability of raw material (shellac) was abundant in these areas. In West Bengal, there are very few artisans who are continuing the art of Shellac. Artist Sk Md Yusuf Ali was invited as the resource person for the workshop. Balakanth Bhattacharya, Convenor, INTACH Murshidabad Chapter, conducted the workshop and other members of the chapter were also present.
On the first day of the workshop, the students were trained on how to make clay dolls using levigated clay. Then they were taught how to melt shellac on low fire and how to add different colours to the shellac to make different designs. On the second day of the workshop, the students were asked to make shellac dolls using the techniques they learned on the previous day. The workshop proved to be a success as the students demanded further intensive training in the art so that they could explore and learn more about the unique art form.
Workshop Images:
INTACH Bijapur chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH, organised an Endangered Art and Craft Workshop on Rakhi making on 31st August, 2023 at S S High School. Over 96 students from 3 schools attended the workshop. Dr M S Madbhavi, Secretary, Dr. P G Halakatti Research Centre, Bijapur inaugurated the workshop. Co-Convener of INTACH Bijapur Chapter, Dr V D Aiholli, welcomed the gathering and gave an introductory speech.
The resource person for the workshop was Ms. Sangita Nimbal. She began the workshop by explaining the different craft materials they would be using to make Rakhis and decorate them. She demonstrated how to make the rakhis and the students followed her instructions to make rakhis of their own. The students then decorated their rakhis as well. After the workshop. The students were provided with refreshments. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Prof. A B Budihal.
INTACH Jamshedpur organised a pottery making workshop on 4th of September at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Bistupur in collaboration with Heritage Education and Communication Service Division. 50 students from four different schools – DAV Public School Bistupur, Narbheram Hansraj English School, Motilal Nehru Public School and Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Bistupur participated in the workshop.
The programme commenced with a formal welcome by the members of INTACH Jamshedpur Chapter. Ms. Devla Murmu, a member of Intach Jharkhand Chapter, along with Mr. Vipul Verma and Ms. Wamika Roy explained about various endangered art and crafts with a special emphasis on pottery and how it has become an endangered craft nowadays. Mr. Ledem Hembrom and Mr. Yogesh Sahu also volunteered. The workshop on pottery was led by Mr. Khogen Bhagat and his two assistants from Asanboni. Each student received personalized assistance.
The best three entries were from the following participants:
1. Nilima Mahato - DAV Public School Bistupur
2. Anwesha Banik - Narbheram Hansraj English School
3. Anshika Sahay - DAV Public School Bistupur
The participants had an enriching experience and the workshop concluded with a formal vote of Thanks.
Workshop Photographs
INTACH Junagadh Chapter organized an "Art & Craft Awareness Workshop" on 12th September 2023 in collaboration with HECS division. The aim of the workshop was to introduce students to local arts like Glass Painting, Pearl Art-work (Moti-Kala), Patch work and Pottery. The workshop was organized at Dr. Subhash Arya Kanya Vidhyalaya - Junagadh. Total 60 students from different schools -Dr. Shubhash Arya Kanya Vidhyalaya, Shri Vivekanand Vinay Mandir, M. J. Bhuva Kanya Vidhyalaya, Genius Public School, Sarvodaya Vidya Mandir, Majewadi and Sandipani School, Dhandhusar- had joined the workshop.
The workshop was curated by experts like Smt. Pushpaba Khuman and Smt. Sumitraba Mala to educate and guide the students about noted art.
The joy of self-creation and learning something new was quite evident on the faces of the students while looking at the art that was made during the workshop. Modern day urban students were also quite impressed by Mr Babubhai Katakpara, a potter who showed pottery with all his flare. The Potter’s wheel (Chakdo) became a focal point of the workshop and all the attendees clicked selfies with it.
Chapter convener Dr. Pradyumn Khachar explained the aim and importance of the workshop to the participants which was to introduce the new-generation kids to inculcate the significance of such local art work. The participants were awarded with a certificate by INTACH. The workshop was graced by Mitaben Jawaharbhai Chavda and Dr. Balram Chavda. On behalf of INTACH, Co-convener Ar. Aman Kotadia thanked all the principals for sending the students from their respective schools to attend this workshop.
Workshop Photographs
INTACH Nashik chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH, organised an endangered art and craft workshop on Bohada mask making on 4th August, 2023 at Delhi Public School, Nashik. Over 40 Heritage Club students from classes 7th and 8th of DPS Nashik attended the workshop. The workshop was organized by Ms. Anita Joshi, Co-Convenor, INTACH Nashik Chapter, Ms. Ritu Sharma and Young INTACH Co-ordinator, Ms. Pallavi Pathak, and was conducted by Shreyas Garge and Mayur More, experts from INTACH Nashik Chapter. Teacher representatives from DPS Nashik were Sakshi Bansode and Sucheta Roy.
The students got hands-on experience in making masks for the Bohada festival which is celebrated by the tribes of Nashik and Thane. This festival is celebrated every year for three days during the month of May. Tribal and non-tribal people from nearby places attend this three-day festival. 52 masks of Indian Gods and Goddesses are exhibited during the festival. The workshop proved to be a great learning experience for the students.
WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHS:
INTACH Nashik chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH, organised an endangered art and craft workshop on Bohada mask making on 4th August, 2023 at Delhi Public School, Nashik. Over 40 Heritage Club students from classes 7th and 8th of DPS Nashik attended the workshop. The workshop was organized by Ms. Anita Joshi, Co-Convenor, INTACH Nashik Chapter, Ms. Ritu Sharma and Young INTACH Co-ordinator, Ms. Pallavi Pathak, and was conducted by Shreyas Garge and Mayur More, experts from INTACH Nashik Chapter. Teacher representatives from DPS Nashik were Sakshi Bansode and Sucheta Roy.
The students got hands-on experience in making masks for the Bohada festival which is celebrated by the tribes of Nashik and Thane. This festival is celebrated every year for three days during the month of May. Tribal and non-tribal people from nearby places attend this three-day festival. 52 masks of Indian Gods and Goddesses are exhibited during the festival. The workshop proved to be a great learning experience for the students.
WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHS:
To create awareness on endangered crafts of Kashmir among students, a workshop was organized by INTACH Kashmir Chapter in collaboration with HECS division of INTACH on ‘Willow Wicker Craft’. The workshop was held in Govt. Boys Higher Secondary Institute, Soura on 4th August 2023. A group of around 60 students from class 7th - 10th participated in the workshop. The Chapter invited a master craftsman of willow wicker, Mr. Abdul Gani from Srinagar, to demonstrate the craft activities and give an onsite experience to the participants about the process involved in making the final product ready for the market.
In the introductory session, Mr. Altaf Hussain, Convener INTACH Kashmir Chapter, briefly explained the historical background of Willow Wicker craft in Kashmir. It was followed by the main session of craft demonstration by Mr. Gani. The participants were then divided into four groups and were given the task to try their hands on willow wicker under the guidance of master craftsman. This was to encourage students to understand the craft process better and enhance their creative skills with practical knowledge. Among the four groups formed, the group comprising of students from Boys Middle School Soura and Boys Middle School Zakura submitted the best entries.
WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHS:
The FILMIT Workshop in Chandigarh was conducted by Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) Division of INTACH and held at Vivek High School, Chandigarh. It was attended by 62 students and 18 teachers from 9 schools of Chandigarh and 4 schools from Ambala. The workshop started with Ms. Monica Sharad of Vivek High School giving the welcome address. The guests from INTACH and the attending teachers were then invited to light the lamp.
A welcome speech was then given by Col. RD Singh, Convenor INTACH Ambala Chapter who spoke about the importance of the FilmIt Project in creating awareness about and protecting our heritage. Mr. Virinder Kapoor, Convenor INTACH Chandigarh Chapter also joined the workshop and gave his blessings to the participants.
Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director of HECS INTACH thanked all for joining. She gave an introduction to INTACH. Ms Datt gave a description about INTACH and how it is devoted to the conservation of all forms of heritage. The Helping Hands film on the work of HECS was then screened for the audience.
Ms Datt then began her presentation on the themes for the FilmIt Project. This was divided into 5 themes which were spoken about in detail. She also asked the students to talk about any ideas they were getting on the spot for any of these themes. Pulkita Parsai and Himanshi Saini from Tuning Forks, the resource persons for the technical session, were introduced by Ms. Nanki Kaur (Programme Coordinator, HECS INTACH).
Two films made by children in the past year were screened – Sandookdi and Empty Bottle. The director of Sandookdi was part of the audience and he was given a round of applause for his film.
Ms. Pulkita took over after the screening and began her session on the technical aspects of filmmaking which included details on shots, angles, sound, and light. Ms. Himanshi then explained the concepts shown in detail. After the refreshment break, the session continued on editing by Ms. Himanshi where students were explained how to organise their shots and edit them with cropping, text, subtitle, and music tools to create their films. She demonstrated the stages of making a film with the help of Windows Photos software. This was followed by the screening of another film made by students – The Black Gown. Ms. Himanshi and Ms. Nanki gave a short explanation on the use of personal heritage in films.
The guests and teachers were presented with tokens of appreciation, and the workshop ended with a formal Vote of Thanks by Mrs. Renu Puri, principal of Vivek High School.
PHOTOGRAPHS:
The Filmit India Workshop in Ahmedabad was held at Shreyas Foundation on 4th August in collaboration with Heritage Education and Communication Service, INTACH. The workshop was attended by 12 teachers and 49 students from 9 schools. The workshop began with a welcome address by Ms.Christina Shangne (Senior Programme Coordinator, HECS). She also mentioned Shreyas Foundations’ long association with INTACH and the Filmit project. This was followed by the screening of the film Helping Hands, which familiarized the audience with the works of HECS.
She spoke about the Filmit project and discussed the instructions and themes with the participants. Ms. Trikaya Soni (Programme Coordinator) explained the themes in detail. Two films from the previous year of the project, Sandookdi and Empty Bottle, were then screened.
Ms. Soni introduced the resource persons from Tuning Fork Films, Ms. Sasha Singh and Ms. Shikha Gupta, for the technical session. Ms. Singh began her session by discussing the basics of filmmaking- preparation, shooting, and editing. She went on to discuss the technical aspects of making a film and explained the different kinds of shots and angles This was followed by the showing of two videos that demonstrated how the use of different angles and shots affects storytelling. She then asked the students to point out the differences between the two films. This was followed by a short break where the students were asked to practice shots and angles that they have learnt during the workshop. After the break, Ms. Gupta discussed the editing process in detail where she spoke about the different editing software. The Tuning Fork team engaged with the students to edit a short film on Buddhist prayer flags. The workshop ended with a formal vote of thanks by Ms. Soni.
The Filmit India Workshop held in Vadodara was held in Navrachana International School on 3rd August 2023 in collaboration with Heritage Education and Communication Service, INTACH. The workshop was attended by 18 teachers and 72 students from 9 schools. The workshop began with prayer and the lighting of the lamp by the guests. The principal of the school, Theophane D'Souza, welcomed and facilitated the guests. Mr. Sanjeev Joshi, Convenor, INTACH Vadodara Chapter welcomed the participants and briefly spoke about the Filmit project. He also talked about Dadasaheb Phalke and his connection with the city of Vadodara.
In the first session, Ms. Christina Shangne (Senior Programme Coordinator, HECS) spoke about the Filmit project and discussed the instructions and themes with the participants. Ms. Trikaya Soni (Programme Coordinator) explained the themes in detail. She then handed over to the technical resource persons from Tuning Fork Films, Ms. Sasha Singh and Ms. Shikha Gupta. This was followed by a screening of two films Sandookdi and Empty Bottle. Ms. Singh began by discussing the three stages of filmmaking- preparation, shooting, and editing the films. She then explained the different kinds of shots and angles that could be used while making a film. A short video explaining the correct use of the camera and mic was screened. This was followed by a short break where the students were asked to practice shots and angles.
After the break, Ms. Gupta discussed the editing process in detail where she spoke about the different editing software. The Tuning Forks team engaged with the students to edit a short film on Buddhist prayer flags. The principal, Mr. D’Souza gave a formal vote of thanks and the workshop concluded with a group photo.
Workshop Photos:
The Filmit India workshop at Kolkata was held on 1st August at Lakshmipat Singhania Academy. 60 students and 16 teachers from 15 schools of the city participated in it. Mr. Abhishek Das welcomed everyone to the workshop and thanked the host school. Ms. Meena Kak, Director, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy also welcomed the participants. She thanked INTACH and the technical resource persons for conducting the workshop and pledged her support for future events for the cause of heritage awareness. She told the students to enjoy the workshop and also form support groups to work towards heritage awareness. The HECS film was screened after her address. In the first session, Abhishek talked about the Filmit project in detail and discussed the themes for the current year. He also did a brain storming session with the students for selecting topics related to the themes and how they could work on it to make interesting films. Mr. G M Kapur, Convenor, Kolkata and West Bengal State Chapter also addressed the students. He told them about the project and how it was started in Kolkata 15 years ago. Earlier, handy cams were given to the students to shoot films, which themselves have become heritage now as everyone uses their mobile phones to shoot films. He wished the best to everyone and that he looked forward to seeing their films in the film festival in the coming months. Two of last year’s films – ‘Sandookdi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ were screened next. Abhishek formally introduced the technical resource persons Mr. Anshul Uniyal and Mr. Aditya Verma. Anshul started with their session by asking the students what they liked about the films that they watched. He then screened a short film ‘Kaveri’. Taking it as an example, he explained why films are powerful. He explained about the powerful message that it conveyed, and other aspects such as lighting and different shots and angles. Through a powerpoint presentation, the technical details of making a film were explained. The three different stages of making a film – planning, shooting and editing were explained. He explained shot breakdown, the different angles, importance of sound and lighting with the help of short videos. He also talked about techniques such as juxtaposition and over the shoulder shots. He did an activity with the students to explain the importance and different forms of lighting, wherein he stood at different corners of the room with different lighting. The students were given a short break where they practised the shots and angles that were explained to them. In the last session, the editing part of a film was discussed by Aditya and Anshul. The ‘Windows Photos’ editing software was discussed in detail. Things such as storyboard, trimming, splitting, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained with the help of a short video footage shot by the Tuning Forks team. Ms. Jaya Misra, Principal, Lakshmipat Singhania Academy, gave the formal vote of thanks. The technical resource team were also presented a set of books. The workshop ended with interactions of the students with the resource persons and photographs.
The Filmit India workshop at Varanasi was held on 31st July at Sunbeam School, Lahartara. 107 students and 39 teachers from 21 schools of the city participated in it. The welcome address was given by a student of the host school. This was followed by the lighting of the lamp ceremony and felicitation of the resource people from INTACH and Tuning Fork Films. Ms. Perveen Quaiser, Principal, formally welcomed everyone. She thanked everyone for attending the workshop and hoped that they would learn from this workshop. Chapter convenor, Mr. Ashok Kapoor addressed the participants. He thanked HECS for conducting activities related to heritage Awareness for school children. He also welcomed all the schools and in particular the schools from Ayodhya. He thanked the Sunbeam group for their continuous support in INTACH’s activities. He also talked about the initiation of the Filmit India project in Varanasi in 2018 and how it has come a long way. Mr. Abhishek Das addressed the gathering and thanked the participants for attending. The HECS film was screened. In the first session, Abhishek talked about the Filmit project in detail and discussed the various themes for the current year. Two of last year’s films – ‘Sandookdi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ were screened next.
The technical resource persons from Tuning Fork Films - Mr. Anshul Uniyal and Mr. Aditya Verma started with their session. Anshul asked the students what they liked about the films that they just watched and which one they liked the most. Most of the students found ‘Empty Bottle’ as the film with a powerful message. Through this, he explained why films are powerful. He then showed a short film ‘Kaveri’. Making this film as an example, he explained about the powerful message, lighting and different techniques used. He then spoke about shots and angles by showing videos on shot breakdown. He explained the different angles, importance of sound and lighting. He also talked about techniques such as juxtaposition. He did an activity with the students to explain the importance and different forms of lighting. The students were given a short break where they practised the shots and angles that were explained to them. In the last session, the editing part of a film was discussed by Aditya and Anshul. The ‘Windows Photos’ editing software was discussed in detail. Things such as storyboard, trimming, splitting, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained with the help of a short video footage shot by the Tuning Forks team. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Mr. Nirmal Joshi and a group photograph.
The Jaipur Filmit Workshop was conducted in Neerja Modi School on 31th July 2023 in collaboration with Heritage Education and Communication Services (HECS). The workshop was attended by 16 schools and 130 participants. Purnima Datt, Principal Director (HECS) greeted all the participating schools and spoke about how INTACH has been working towards preservation and conservation of India’s heritage. She then introduced Mr. Ankit Pogula and Ms. Himanshi Saini from Tuning Forks Films, she then shared with the students that Ms. Saini was also part of Filmit project when she was in school. Ms. Datt welcomed the Convenor of Jaipur Chapter, Ms Dharmender Kanwar who has been actively working for preservation of cultural heritage of Jaipur. Ms. Kanwar thanked the HECS teams for always actively conducting programmes and that students took a lot of input from these workshops.
After the screening of the HECS film Ms Purnima Datt discussed about Filmit themes of 2023- 24. Students can make films on Natural, Built, Material, Living and Personal Heritage topics. This was followed by an interactive session. Two best films of last year were screened ‘Sandukadi’ and ‘Empty Bottle’ and students were asked what they liked about the films. Mr. Ankit Pogula and Ms. Himanshi Saini, technical resource persons from the Tuning Fork Films team started the technical session by asking students about the process of film making . Ankit discussed in brief the steps of film making and gave an outline on the do’s and don’ts of film-making. Himanshi talked about certain technical aspects of about camera angles, different kind of shots and the process of editing were discussed at length. Importance of subject and sound and how it affects the film was explained through a film. The students were given a shooting exercise where they were asked to click five photos in different camera angles. Himanshi discussed importance of editing and usage of editing softwares. A detailed demo was showed to the students on Microsoft Photos about how to effectively edit a film. Things such as assembly of clips, storyboard, credits, titles, background audio, etc. were explained. This was followed by Q & A round. Ms Purnima Datt presented Mr Ankit Pogula with a thank you card and set of two books. Ms. Chanchal from Neerja Modi school also thanked and appreciated HECS team and Tuning Fork Films for their efforts.
The INTACH Heritage Club Installation Ceremony at Dinanath School, Nagpur, held on 21st September 2023, was a remarkable event that marked the official establishment of the school's INTACH Heritage Club. The ceremony was graced by the presence of INTACH Nagpur Chapter's Convenor, Dr. Madhura Rathod, Assistant Head-Mistress of the school, Mrs. Dipanwita Ganguly, and the Supervisor- Mrs. Anju Seth. The program was hosted by the Heritage Club in charge, Mr. Giridhar Kuware. The students, dressed in traditional attire, put on a captivating cultural performance that showcased various forms of Indian art, dance, and music.
Dr. Madhura Rathod addressed the gathering, highlighting the significance of heritage preservation in today's world. She emphasized how heritage clubs play a vital role in educating the younger generation about their roots and the importance of preserving our cultural treasures for future generations. Dr. Rathod also commended Dinanath School for taking this initiative and expressed her commitment to supporting the club's activities in the future. The school representatives on the dias shared their vision for the club. They all spoke passionately about the activities planned for the students and how the club would be a platform for students to explore and appreciate the heritage of Nagpur and India as a whole. They thanked the INTACH Nagpur Chapter for their guidance and support in making this club a reality. The installation ceremony concluded with the official unveiling of the INTACH Heritage Club, and the distribution of the Heritage Club Passports and Badges.
INTACH Porbandar chapter in collaboration with HECS, INTACH, organized an endangered art and craft workshop on Moti Bharat on 28th July, 2023 at K.B. Tajawala International School. Around 100 students from 8 schools participated in the workshop. The workshop began with a short introduction to the workings of INTACH and then moved on to the arts and crafts of the region. The Moti Bharat craft and its history were discussed followed by the viewing of an array of the craft items that had been displayed for their benefit. The workshop was conducted by INTACH Chapter members Ms. Rushika Hathi and Ms. Purva, with the help of the local craftsperson- Ms. Jyotsna, Ms. Rashmi and Ms. Rupa.
The students were then divided into three groups and craft kits were distributed for the hands-on experience. For the purpose of the workshop, the students prepared a 4” x 4” piece with a 3 Moti combination. The craft is a unique one that is an amalgamation of math and art and hence requires individual attention when learning. A team of volunteers- Ms. Jayshree Odedra, Ms. Khushi Lakhani, Ms. Bansi Keshwala, Ms. Riddhi Parmar, and Ms. Dheli Odedra helped with assisting in the teaching process and overall organization. The students went home with a sense of accomplishment, huge smiles, and a certificate of participation.
Workshop Photographs:
Heritage Education and Communication Service conducted the Filmit India Technical Workshops on 27th and 28th July 2023 for the Delhi schools. Around 32 schools attended the two-day workshop. The resource persons for the workshop were Mr. Ankit Pogula, Ms. Pulkita Parsai and Ms. Himanshi Saini from Tuning Fork Films.The workshop commenced with a welcome address by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS INTACH where she greeted the audience and welcomed the team from Tuning Fork Films. Ms. Datt explained to the audience about the works of INTACH and the HECS division.
Ms. Purnima Datt briefed the audience about the guidelines for the project. She then continued to explain the Filmit themes for the year 2023. Mr. Abhishek Das and Ms. Christina Shangne then shared the other themes and sharings from the previous festivals. Two films from the previous year of the project were screened, Sandookdi by DAV Public School, Ambala and Empty Bottle by J B Academy, Ayodhya.
Mr.Ankit Pogula led the workshop on both days. Mr. Pogula interacted with the students and asked them to share 3 things they took away from both the films that were screened and what message did the films convey to the audience. The students answered with their various interpretations of the films
Ms Pulkita Parsai then took over and started with their presentation where she explained to the students the basics of filmmaking. She then went on to explain in length the three stages of making a film: preparation, shooting and editing. Mr. Pogula and Ms. Parsai shared the importance of shots and angles. This was followed by screening of 2 videos which explained how the use of different angles and shots make a difference in storytelling. Another short film on a statue of Goddess Saraswati was screened right before the break on the second day of the workshop, to emphasize how the use of a wide range of shots can make the film interesting . The session ended with a short activity planned for the students during the break where they were asked to utilize all the techniques they learnt during the session and use them to make a short 1-2 minute film in and around the INTACH headquarters.
Post the break, Mr. Pogula asked the students to share their experience while making the films. Students enthusiastically answered and shared the various techniques they used while shooting different shots. Mr. Ankit then went on to brief the students about the different softwares that the students can use for editing their films.
Ms. Parsai then began with a live demonstration on how to use the editing software available on the Microsoft Windows system. The same demonstration was done by Ms. Saini on the second day of the workshop. The Tuning Fork Films team went through the different features that are available on the editing . The Tuning Forks team engaged with the students and together they edited a film on Buddhist Prayer Flags. The second day of the workshop culminated with the screening of an informative short film which highlighted the issue of using single-use plastic in our daily lives
Workshop Photographs:
FILMIT India 2023 Delhi Content Workshop organized by INTACH Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) was held on 25th and 26th July 2023. It was attended by 117 participants representing 29 schools (29 teachers and 88 students). The programme commenced with a welcome note by Mr. Abhishek Das and was followed by the screening of the HECS Film ‘Helping Hands for Heritage’ which mentioned the objectives of the HECS Division.
A formal introduction to the event was given by Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS, INTACH. She gave an introduction to the project and shared with the audience that this programme has reached its sixteenth year. She also talked about Dr. Shobita Punja’s contribution to the journey of FILMIT. She spoke about how the project started in collaboration with Helen Hamlyn Trust and with the UK.
In the first session, the themes for this year’s FILMIT and the timeline were discussed in detail by Ms. Purnima Datt and Mr. Abhishek Das. Content development and examination of the heritage themes were undertaken by Mr. Feisal Alkazi. The poems and write-ups of students sharing their experiences on FILMIT were also shared. This was then followed by the screening of the 3 films- Sandookdi, Mysore Market, and Empty Bottle.
Day 1
The session conducted by Mr. Feisal Alkazi was an interactive one. He spoke about the oak trees in Kashmir and how they live for 400 years, the traditional homes in Kashmir and how they are built in such a way that doors are built into your neighbour’s house. Talking about the different foods, Mr. Alkazi shared about how in summer Kashmiris take vegetables and prepare them as preserved food for the winter and also about the northeastern food that is preserved as well. He then asked the audience about their neighbour's food and what seems different about each culture that they have come across in this way. Through this, he pointed out how traditions travel and grow. He mentioned that behind every object, there is a story, and that students should research and make films on those stories. The film should uniquely gather everybody’s attention otherwise it would get boring. He reiterated that students have to think outside of the box while making their films and asked them to get rid of their first 8 ideas and choose the 9th or 13th idea.
Using the examples of a story of a guard in Mumbai who has a masters in English literature, and a night job was of a guard; an Uber driver who was a tennis coach at the Gymkhana Club and Delhi schools, he stressed how each person has an interesting story to tell and thus one should always have a chat with people around to uncover interesting stories. He also spoke about the Bori family tradition and their eating habits, in which they place a big thali in the middle and serve the dishes in it. It is more of a communal thali, in which family members sit encircling the one big thali and eat from it. An exercise was then taken up wherein the students were asked to share examples of the advertisements they were hooked on. Through this exercise, Mr. Alkazi pointed out how these advertisements were for 20–30 seconds yet were captivating and equally appealing. Therefore the concept or ideas should be unique so that they can capture the audience’s attention with the first three shots.
Day 2
Mr. Alkazi shared that heritage can be personal, local or world. He talked about the unique elements in each of the films that were screened. The students also shared their views. He explained how to weave a story around an object because visualizing the context is important and gave an example of a memorable film by Modern School in the past on the Ambassador car. He reiterated that the first thing the film should do is grab the audience’s attention. The film should be unique and ‘out of the box’ as unfortunately, everybody thinks alike and therefore one should go with their eighth or ninth idea instead of the first or second idea for the film they will make because it will be very common, boring and usual. Discussions on their favourite food, festival, and objects were done, and the students were to create a question web around it. He elaborated on the power of emotions conveyed through the film and established a link between the film and the viewer. Mr. Alkazi contributed to this discussion by recounting a film made by DAV school years ago on female infanticide where students showcased fetuses discussing if they will be able to grow or will be killed before being born. Through another interesting exercise, Mr. Alkazi asked students to name 20 Indian trees. He told students about the interesting history of the Magnolia tree found in Kashmir Valley how billions of years old even older than bees and a 300-year-old tree in the Amazon forest which is home to 116 species of insects. He asked students to observe animals and trees and build stories around them.
Maj. Gen (Retd.) L.K. Gupta, the Chairman of INTACH thanked Mr. Alkazi for conducting the workshop. He then addressed the gathering by telling them to look around themselves to learn about heritage since “Heritage is local!” he also shared about how students are still connected with their heritage and learn from their ancestors because it is intangible.
HECS, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Jalandhar Chapter conducted a 2-day Teacher Training workshop on 20th and 21st July 2023. The workshop was held at RD Khosla DAV Model Senior Secondary School, Batala and was attended by 51 teachers from 24 schools, Convenor of INTACH Jalandhar Chapter, Mr Arvind Rajput and other Life members of the Chapter.
The first session on Batala’s local heritage was conducted by Mrs. Laveena Rajput, Life Member, INTACH Jalandhar Chapter. She explained what heritage is and its types - tangible and intangible. Mrs. Rajput spoke about Batala, its history, and its heritage. She gave examples of differents to teach their students not to harm the monuments in any way.
The Convenor of INTACH Punjab Chapter, Maj. Gen. Balwinder Singh spoke about the work of INTACH in Punjab to protect and create awareness about regional heritage. He mentioned that a new chapter should be set up in Batala to further help the region.
The next session began with a short introduction of INTACH by Ms. Purnima Datt (Principal Director, HECS), which was followed by a screening of the INTACH film. Ms. Datt began her presentation by talking about 'What is Heritage'. She explained in detail the different facets of heritage (natural, built, material and living) and provided many examples of each. The presentation was interspaced by information regarding Batala and Punjab’s heritage which was explained by Ms. Nanki Kaur, (Programme Coordinator, HECS).
After lunch, Ms. Purnima Datt commenced her presentation on Heritage Education and how it helps students realise the importance of heritage. The group activity for the next day was explained after this and the teachers were divided into 4 groups their given topics – Natural, Built, Material, and Living.
The second day of the workshop started with a site visit to Achleshwar Mandir and Gurudwara Sri Achal Sahib. The teachers were shown the interiors of the mandir and explained its history. They were then taken to the nearby Gurudwara Sri Achal Sahib where they were explained the history of the site by the staff members of the gurudwara.
After the walk, the next session was conducted at the school where the HECS team highlighted the resources available for the teachers to use. The session was followed by the screening of 3 FILMIT films. After this, the teachers were given time to work in their groups and prepare for their final presentation.
Group 1 presented on the Ravi River which is a regional natural heritage. Group 2 presented on Gurudwara Kandh Sahib, which is a prominent built heritage site in Batala. Group 3 presented on the Brass Utensils of Punjab, which are a form of material heritage. Group 4 presented on the Culture of Punjab as a form of living heritage.
Maj. Gen. Balwinder Singh encouraged the teachers to work towards protecting their heritage. The Principal of the school, Dr. Bindu Bhalla thanked everyone from INTACH for holding the workshop and the teachers for attending the workshop. She told the teachers to maintain the spirit and actually work on heritage. Dr. Bhalla said she would help set up a chapter in Batala so that all can join hands and help preserve heritage. The workshop ended with the felicitation of the resource people and teachers, and the distribution of the resource material.
The Heritage Education and Communication Division, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Navsari Chapter conducted a two day Teacher Training Workshop at Ashramshala (Bhaktashram) English Medium School, Navsari. 10 teachers from 7 schools participated in the workshop.
The workshop started off with an introduction by Mr. Ruzbeh F Umrigar, Co-convenor INTACH Navsari Chapter, followed by the welcome address shared by Mr. Sudhir Sharad Sule, Convenor INTACH Navsari Chapter, who spoke about INTACH and the works done by the chapter. This was then followed by the lighting of the lamp and the screening of the INTACH film.
The workshop sessions were conducted by Mr. Abhishek Das, Senior Programmes Coordinator, INTACH HECS. The first presentation was on ‘What is Heritage?”. The session offered a detailed one where it focused on the four aspects of India’s heritage. The session also highlighted the fundamental duties and their emphasis on preserving heritage. The participants were also shown two films that was part of the FILMIT project. Mr. Ruzbeh F Umrigar in his presentation talked about the local heritage of Navsari, highlighting the lesser known built heritage. He also shared about the chapter and the future works planned by the chapter. Post lunch, the presentation focused on heritage education and the importance and need of incorporating heritage education as an active part of school curriculum so that children can learn heritage values and imbibe them in their day to day life.
On the second day of the workshop, an intensive heritage walk was carried out around the old Parsi neighbourhood, as historically Navasari was has a lot of Parsi Heritage. The walk was guided by Mr. Ruzbeh who took the participants around area and shared in details about the architectural features. Some of the interesting historical buildings covered were the Parsi Fire Temple, Sir J. R. D Tata Museum & Home, Meherjirana Library- one of the oldest library in India. This was then followed by the presentation of HECS publications, Young INTACH website, National Programmes, social media and the importance of heritage walks and resource persons to incorporate in the heritage education process. The teachers also presented some interesting group activities highlighting the heritage of Navsari.
The workshop ended with distribution of resource materials and certificates to participants.
Heritage Education and Communication Service in collaboration with INTACH Junagadh chapter conducted a 2-day workshop in Shree Premanand Vidya Mandir, Junagadh on 12-13th July 2023. The workshop was attended by INTACH Junagadh Life members and 35 participants from 21 schools.
The workshop commenced by welcoming of HECS team and chief guests followed by lighting of lamp. Convenor Praduman Khachar and Co-convenor Aman M Kotadia briefly talked about the establishment of Junagadh chapter and the work to be undertaken by them in the near future.
The first session on local heritage was taken by Mr Khachar, who talked about the illustrious history and heritage of Junagadh in brief and mentioned how it had 18 names under different dynasties. He also emphasized on how built structures are being demolished in the name of development and what can be done to preserve the rich heritage.
Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS, INTACH shared about works undertaken by INTACH and HECS division in particular. She explained in brief why children must be taught to preserve and protect their heritage and culture. Then she asked the teachers to share their personal favorite site in Junagadh. This was then followed by the screening of the INTACH Film in Hindi.
She started with her session on what is heritage and talked in detail about the natural, built, material and living heritage of India and Junagadh. She laid emphasis on the diversity of flora and fauna, architectural remains and culture and tradition that India encompasses. INTACH life member, Shri BharatKumar Singh gave words of encouragement to the participants and thanked Ms Datt for an enlightening session.
Post lunch, Ms Datt talked about Heritage Education and stressed on the proactive role of teacher and how indulging students in various activities will help them learn about their heritage Later curriculum and setting up of heritage club was explained. The session concluded with explain the group activity.
Day 2 commenced with a heritage walk at the Diwan Chowk led by Shri Khachar. He gave glimpse of old town and talked about diwan chowk and mandavi chowk surrounded by the clock tower, City Palace, Aaina Mahal, Darbar hall Museum and the other majestic royal buildings which still reflect the past glory but is in dilapidated condition and needs to be repaired. Post heritage walk, session on outreach of heritage clubs and HECS resources were discussed by Ms Purnima Datt and Ms Vaishnavi Singh. This was followed by the group activity where each team shared about the rich heritage of Junagadh through role play, singing and presentation. This was followed by felicitation of participants. The 2-day workshop concluded with the vote of thank by Shri Khachar and inputs shared by INTACH members.
Workshop Photographs:
Heritage Education and Communication Service, INTACH organised Khana Khazana: My Food Heritage national poster and essay competition for middle school children to celebrate the culinary heritage of our country. The students wrote an essay accompanied with a poster about the food heritage of India. Their essays described unique dishes, unique utensils and various cooks along with a poster on their specific topics. Over 10000 entries were received from 100 chapters and heritage clubs across the country from which 100 regional winners and 15 national winners were selected. Celebrating the remarkable success of the programme and in appreciation of the students’ efforts, the 15 national winners from, namely, Chennai, Delhi, Bhilai, Hisar, Hooghly, Jalandhar, Jodhpur, Kangra, Kanpur, Dimapur, Patiala, Thrissur, Vadodara, Visakhapatnam and Wai Panchgani received an opportunity to visit Delhi for a three day educational trip from 5th – 7th July 2023.
On Day-1, an orientation programme was done at INTACH where they interacted with Member Secretary, Dr. CT Misra. Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director (HECS) gave an overview of heritage of India and various activities done by HECS. They visited the conservation lab wherein live demonstrations were given by conservators on material conservation techniques. The participants were also taken for a heritage walk to Lodhi Gardens.
Day-2, began with a specially curated tour of the Prime Ministers’ museum by Ms. Chandrima. Thereafter, they attended a talk at INTACH on ‘Millets’ by Dr. Ritu Singh (Director Natural Heritage Division INTACH). A special lunch was served which had a mix of north and south Indian cuisine. The second half of the day was spent at Sanskriti Pratisthan – Anandgram – which has unique museums of everyday art, Indian textiles and Indian terracotta.
On Day-3, the students visited UNESCO world heritage site - Humayun’s Tomb Complex. The walk was conducted by the ‘Sair – e – Nizamuddin’, a subsidiary of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. The three days’ programme came to a conclusion with a felicitation and award ceremony for the national winners at INTACH headquarters. Ms. Purnima Datt briefly talked about the successful completion of the programme and welcomed the guests. The Chief Guest for the occasion was Padma Shri Awardee, Dr. Pushpesh Pant, Professor International Relation and food historian. Dr Shylashri Shankar, Author and researcher (Centre for Policy Research) was the Guest of Honour. They spoke about history of food in India and the importance of different cultures and their culinary traditions. The students were felicitated by Chairman INTACH, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) L.K. Gupta, Prof Pant and Dr. Shankar. They were presented a trophy along with a certificate and two books, Indian Culture and Off we Go!. The teachers were also presented with the Talking Kitchen book (a unique book on recipes, family stories and forgotten utensils). The regional winners from Delhi were also felicitated.
In conclusion, it was an exciting and informative experience for the national winners as they got an opportunity to learn about different facets of the country’s heritage.
The Heritage Education and Communication Division, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Coimbatore Chapter conducted a two day Teacher Training Workshop at Vivekalaya Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Coimbatore. 79 teachers from 40 schools of the city participated in the workshop.
The welcome address of the workshop was shared by Mrs. Janaky Venunathan, School Principal, Vivekalaya Institutions who shared in length about the city of Coimbatore and also about the motto of the school. It was then followed by short introductions of members of INTACH Coimbatore Chapter by Mr, Jaganathan, Convenor INTACH Coimbatore Chapter- Mr. Rajkumar who shared in brief about the history of Coimbatore and the works done by the chapter; Mr. Ramchandran Prasad who also talked about the rich history of Coimbatore and shared that enriching the knowledge of the history of the city is important as we are custodian of heritage. Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director HECS, INTACH shared about INTACH and HECS division in particular. This was then followed by the screening of the INTACH Film.
The workshop sessions was conducted by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS. The enriching session offered a detailed outline of the incredible heritage of our country. The session also highlighted the fundamental duties and their emphasis on preserving heritage. Post lunch, the presentation focused on heritage education and ways to introduce it in classrooms by Ms. Purnima Datt. She emphasised on the importance of proactive teachers in instilling a sense of responsibility and sensitivity in the students about India’s composite heritage. The participants were familarised on the various components of India’s heritage, its importance and need of incorporating heritage education as an active part of school curriculum so that children can learn heritage values and imbibe them in their day to day life.
On the second day of the workshop, Shri C. R. Elangovan, historian, talked about the importance of history. The talk highlighted the importance documentation and why it is critical for future generations. He also spoke in length about the history of Coimbatore city and the various transitions the city has come across. Prof. Kanagasabapathi, member of ICSSR also addressed the participants. This was then followed by the presentation of HECS publications, Young INTACH website, National Programmes, social media and the importance of heritage walks and resource persons to incorporate in the heritage education process. The teachers also presented some interesting group activities highlighting the heritage of Coimbatore through music, dance and virtual heritage walks.
The workshop ended with distribution of resource materials and certificates to participants.
A workshop for INTACH’s Institutional Members was organised by Chapters Division and INTACH Heritage Academy in collaboration with HECS. The workshop was virtually on 28th June 2023 and was enthusiastically attended by 25 members.
The workshop began with Ms. Pragya Nagar and Dr. Parul Munjal of IHA, INTACH who gave a short introduction to INTACH, and the purpose of the workshop. The Chairman, Maj. Gen. (Retd) L.K. Gupta gave a welcome speech to all the members and spoke about the significance of local heritage in such a diverse country like India.
Dr. Parul Munjal started the first session on What is Heritage by giving a detailed explanation of Heritage and how its conservation is handled within India and abroad.
The next session on How to Engage with Local Heritage by Creating Heritage Awareness and Encouraging Volunteering began with Ms. Nanki Kaur from HECS introducing the team which works under the leadership of Ms. Purnima Datt. She then started the presentation by highlighting Heritage Education, its importance and need in schools and colleges today, and the work done by HECS. Ms. Vaishnavi highlighted the publications of HECS, along with their purpose in detail. Ms. Trikaya Soni spoke about the Young INTACH website and HECS’ social media presence. She shared about the College Heritage Volunteer Programme and the resource material available for it. The Helping Hands film was then screened which explains the work of HECS.
After the lunch break, the third session on Key Projects for Spreading Awareness started with HECS and AH Divisions explaining a few select projects undertaken by them to spread heritage awareness. Ms. Nanki Kaur gave a brief introduction to the Filmit India Project of HECS and then screened 5 films made by students.
Mr. Chetan Kataria then began his presentation on the Architectural Heritage division’s app ArcGIS and explained its working in detail. During his presentation, he gave a live demonstration of the App and its working.
The next session on Training, Research and Capacity Building was taken by Dr. Parul Munjal who introduced the INTACH Heritage Academy Division and its working. Dr. Munjal also showcased the publications including the journals that are brought out by IHA every year on different themes.
The last session on Discussing the Collaboration between Institutional Members and INTACH was delivered by Gp. Capt. (Retd) Arvind Shukla who explained the structure of INTACH, and discussed the various ways in which members could contribute to attaining INTACH’s goals of heritage awareness and conservation.
An open discussion between the attending members and the divisions present took place where members contributed their ideas, along with appreciating the activities of INTACH. This was then followed by a concluding speech by Dr. C.T. Mishra, Member Secretary, INTACH, and a Vote of Thanks by Dr. Parul Munjal.
HECS in collaboration with INTACH Kashmir Chapter organized a two day teacher training workshop at Kashmir Harvard Educational Institute. 26 teachers from 6 schools participated. Mr. Altaf Hussain, Convenor, Kashmir Chapter gave the formal introduction. Mr. Saleem Baig, Convenor, State Chapter, also welcomed the participants. He talked about the projects done by J&K chapter. He mentioned about the National Curriculum Framework 2005 and stressed about the need for heritage education and HECS’ role in awareness programmes. Then he proceeded to talk about Kashmir’s heritage. He talked about archaeological sites, places of historical importance and also the cultural heritage of Kashmir which includes, festivals, music, food, etc. The INTACH film was screened after his presentation. Mrs. Purnima Datt, PD, HECS asked the teachers to mention a few places in Srinagar that holds value to them. Then she explained about the role of INTACH and gave a presentation on the different types of heritage – natural, built, material and living heritage. Mr. Husain also gave inputs about the natural heritage of Kashmir region. A dumb charades ice breaker activity was also done wherein the teachers had to enact a specific type of heritage and the other group had to guess the correct name. Post lunch, a presentation was done on heritage education along with a role activity which involved a traditional inkpot and a modern day ball point pen. After this, the teachers were divided into two groups – built heritage and material heritage for their presentations on the next day. The day ended with tea being served.
On day 2, HECS activities were discussed and how to set up a heritage club was explained to the teachers. The teachers presented their group activity and the resource material was distributed to them. Post this; the participants were taken on a heritage walk in downtown Srinagar covering Pather Masjid and Khanqah Moalla Shrine. The mosque, built approximately 190 year back, is also known as Nau-Masjid and Shahi-masjid built at the behest of Empress Nur Jahan. The building is ASI protected monument and happens to be the largest mosque built by Mughals in Kashmir during their rule. The Khanqah was originally built in 1395 AD but got destroyed during fire in 1479 AD and 1731 AD where after it was built in, keeping with the original building character. The building was renovated in 2001 and happens to be one of the best examples of traditional wooden architecture. The workshop ended with the conclusion of the walk and the participants were given resource materials.
HECS, INTACH conducted a specialised workshop on 13th June 2023 for the HRCD of the DPS Society. The workshop was held at the HRDC building in Greater Noida and was attended by 40 teachers from 40 schools from across India.
The first session began with a short introduction of INTACH by Ms. Purnima Datt (Principal Director, HECS) and the introduction of the team. She then began her presentation ‘What is Heritage’ through which she explained in detail the different facets of heritage (natural, built, material and living) and provided many examples of each. This session was followed by a dumb charades game for the teachers where they were asked to choose one form of heritage and act it out.
Ms. Datt commenced her presentation on Heritage Education and how it helps mould good global citizens for the future who realise the importance of heritage and its protection. She spoke about how education is at the very heart of every endeavour to preserve our national heritage. The teachers were then asked to choose a form of heritage and come up with any 4 questions that they could be asked by students on it.
The next session after the break was on ‘Integrating Heritage and Culture in Curriculum’. Through this presentation, teachers were enlightened on how they could include heritage education within their classrooms. The different methods were explained by Ms. Datt along with HECS Programme Coordinators, Ms. Nanki Kaur and Ms. Trikaya Soni.
The last presentation explained in detail the different kind of activities conducted by HECS and the resource material provided by them. This included workshops, publications, website, social media, and national programmes. The workshop ended with a presentation by each group of teachers on a form of heritage and how they would teach it to their students through activities.
Photographs:
150 students (std. 6 to 10th) from Jay International School visited Mahatma Gandhi Museum on World Heritage Day. Activities (planned based on our earlier activity *Heritage Hunt*):
1. Guided Walk in the Museum
2. Written Quiz (based on Gandhian Values and Heritage)
3. Letter Writing to Gandhiji
It is important to note that JIS is one of the schools that agreed to initiate Young INTACH Club in their school. Thanks to Mr. D V. Mehta, INTACH Member from Rajkot & Director at JIS for all the guidance and support! Teacher In-Charge: Ms. Manisha Karamchandani.
INTACH Nagpur Chapter has recently established its 19th Heritage Club at Jhulelal Institute of Architecture (JIA), Nagpur. The idea of establishing heritage clubs in schools and colleges of Nagpur has been initiated by INTACH Nagpur Chapter to make the young generation aware and proud of the richness of the natural and cultural heritage in their own region. It strives for a mission with the motive of creating awareness and participation in heritage-related activities among the students. Every student who becomes a member of a heritage club is motivated to participate in heritage documentation, listing, conservation, and learning more about the local heritage. At JIA, the member students of INTACH Heritage Club were distributed with heritage club badges and newsletters. Ar. Apurva Satokar, Officiating Principal, JIA, Ar. Priyanka Sambare, Program Co-0rdinator and Ar. Sarang Pathak, the Documentation cell in charge was present on the dais; while Ar. Baishali Bhattacharjee was the master of the ceremony. Dr. Madhura Rathod, Governing Council Member, New Delhi and Convener, INTACH Nagpur Chapter, emphasized the role of the young generation to preserve both tangible and intangible heritage; for the need of the time is to conserve and preserve India’s rich heritage. She insisted on the need to work beyond the boundary of the architecture profession and recognize the importance of heritage in spreading awareness among the people. Water crises, soil crises, and climatic change issues were conveyed explicitly. ‘Our customs, food, culture, and traditions are all part of our routine and we should meticulously follow them as our lifestyle. The need is to recognize them consciously and record them by writing, video recording, and generating an archive for future generations - said Dr. Rathod. The program concluded with the Heritage oath ceremony.
Among various activities conducted by INTACH Nagpur Chapter, one of its aims is to reach remote areas and underprivileged children. One such activity was conducted for the school in the Yavatmal district in Maharashtra. Teachers of the school were initially informed about INTACH and its activities. Students were distributed with Marathi YOUNG INTACH magazines and they were motivated to join our mission of heritage conservation. The photos are attached to this mail. The student's enthusiasm was appreciated and we look forward to soon establish INTACH Chapter at Yavatmal.
On 23rd April, 2023, under the guidance of convener Ms. Manjula Jhunjhunwala, INTACH Ayodhya Chapter, conducted Heritage Hunt. 25 teams having 4 participants each participated in the event. Area for the hunt was within Guptar Ghat, Company garden, Cantonment and places within its proximity. The questionnaire was curated by Ms. Manjula Jhunjhunwala, Dr. Divya Shukla and Dr. Deshraj Upadhyay. The link was shared at 6’o clock in the morning and the submission deadline given was 3:00 pm. To award the winners, a felicitation ceremony was conducted at Gupthari Mandir from 4:30 pm onwards. Details of the winners are as follows:
1st prize: Shiksha Srivastava & Team
2nd prize: Supriya Majumdar
3rd prize: Dr. Indroneel Banerjee & team
Consolation: Ms. Ravinder Kaur & team. The event was well appreciated by the participants and it concluded with vote of thanks. Refreshment was served to all.
Students of INTACH Member School, visited Man Mahal Virtual Museum on the occasion of International Museum Day.
INTACH Varanasi Chapter organised Clay Pottery Workshop as part of Know Your Heritage 10 days Summer camp for students of INTACH member schools. An INTACH member DALIMSS Sunbeam Ramkatora hosted the workshop conducted by potter Sanju Prajapati and his son. Clay pottery workshop is very popular with school students. Varanasi Chapter has been organising this workshop for last 5/6 years regularly for students as part of Saving Endangered Craft Project and Heritage Awareness Activity and to encourage craftsmen.
On the occasion of World Heritage Day, INTACH Vizag Chapter had a panel discussion on “Crafts Heritage of Andhra Pradesh – PERILS AND PROSPECTS “. The program was graced by The Chief patron of INTACH, Visakhapatnam Chapter, C-in-C, Eastern Naval Command, Vice Admiral Biswajit Dasgupta, with his presence. The meeting was conducted and moderated by Dr Rajasekhar Reddy, Convenor INTACH Vizag Chapter and the following panelists spoke on this occasion:
1. Dr Renuka Maganti, Joint Secretary Crafts Council of AP, spoke on Craft Heritage of AP.
2. Smt Madhavi Suribhatla, 5 times Guinness Book world record holder, founder Mahila Manovikas spoke about various art works which she promoted and trained students on line of different ages from different parts of the world.
3. Smt Manjula Boyina, Urban Planner, spoke on how Urban areas should grow and Plan, and how the present day Artisans are to be encouraged and promoted
4. Sri Prem Mirupuri, Eastern Art Museum spoke on Ivory products and their birth in Visakhapatnam
On this Day of World Heritage, A new Heritage Club was formed in 163 Years old Mrs. AVN College which was inaugurated by C-in-C Eastern Naval Command Vice Admiral B Dasgupta. The students, teachers and the correspondent of Mrs. AVN College Shri Adeep participated. Post Inauguration Vice Admiral B Dasgupta, addressed the students and mentioned about the importance of Crafts and Heritage and why it is essential to keep our country’s heritage intact. Dr Surendra Kumar, Co Convenor, Smt. Mayank Kumari Deo, Smt. Zubeida Mehdi, Smt. Asha Jain, Sri Edward Paul, Sri Bheemesh, Sri Monish Row, Mr. Adeep Jagga Row, Mr. Sohan Hattangadi, Pro. Y Naidu, Cdr V. Ramakrishna (Retd), Sri SVS Ravi Kumar were also present and participated in the deliberations.
World Heritage Day 2023 was organized on 18.04.2023 under the joint aegis of INTACH Jamshedpur Chapter and Chinmaya Vidyalaya, South Park. A Painting competition on the natural (flowers of Jharkhand) and Intangible Cultural Heritage (Chhau Dance of Jharkhand) of Jharkhand was conducted. 55 students from classes IV-X from 5 schools participated in this programme. List of Participating Schools – Chinmaya School, South Park, Kerala Samajam Model School, Kerala Samajam Public School, Jusco School, Narbheram Hansraj English School. The drawing competition was divided into two subjects – Class IV –VI – Flowers of Jharkhand and Class VII –X – Mask Dance (Chhau) of Jharkhand
Artists from Ichagarh performed Manbhum Chhau to acquaint the students with Jharkhand's mask dance (Chhau) and informed them about this dance and the instruments used in it and its history. While addressing the students present, Mr. Amitava Ghosh Convener, INTACH Jamshedpur Chapter told about the heritage and also informed about its conservation. He also advised the children to spend time with their elders as it is the elders who are protecting the heritage and passing it on to their generations. The children were also encouraged to write blogs and podcasts based on their heritage. Along with giving information about natural, building, cultural, literary and other intangible and tangible heritage, inspired to preserve that heritage. The students and teachers who came from the schools were also very impressed by his talk.
Young Ambassadors of INTACH Ambala celebrated the World Heritage Day with the theme ' Heritage Changes', drawing focus on the climate changes, with over 120 children and 20 teachers, from 15 schools. Brig MS Tomar (retd), (Poona Horse), an outstanding officer, was the chief guest, and Dr. HS Purewal (renowned artist) as the guest of honour. A number of INTACH, and Rotary Club members also keenly participated in the upbeat function. An awareness rally was carried out on the Jagadhri road, in front of the DAV High School with students holding school banners, and flash cards. Thereafter, a short function was held in the DAV High School where Convenor Col R D Singh, gave an update on the heritage activities of Ambala Chapter during the last year. He informed about the various heritage activities, and how INTACH has been making a difference. Then, some children spoke on the World Heritage Day, and recited patriotic poems. It was followed by Madhu Singh Ma'am, a senior teacher and active member of INTACH, conducting an interesting on the spot heritage quiz. Everyone enjoyed it. Prizes were given to the winners. Most active heritage clubs, and teachers, were also felicitated (these were - DAV Riverside, Army School, DAV Public School, Cecil Convent, and DAV Naraingarh). The chief guest, Brig MS Tomar, complimented the students for their enthusiasm, and emphasised the importance of heritage in life. Sister Shaily BK, spoke very well on positive thinking and positive actions. Dr HS Purewal , Rotarian Om Banmali ji, Vinay Malhotra ji, Neena Malhotra ji, also addressed the audience and exhorted the students to live a life of values. Principal Sheetal Sharma lauded the children and INTACH Ambala for their Josh and spreading heritage awareness among people. The Convenor, Col R D Singh, gave a vote of thanks, and motivated students to be good scouts - young ambassadors of INTACH. The programme concluded with refreshments to all present. The children departed happy, and motivated.
A heritage education workshop was conducted by Maalvika Pathania State Chapter convener of INTACH Himachal Pradesh at Montessori Cambridge School in Raja ka Bagh. The students were briefed about INTACH and a presentation on local monuments for the 120 students of class 12, 11, 10th and 9th. The children were given handouts with questions to answer. A group activity and a drawing competition were also carried out. To create a sense of pride in the local language and culture a 6 short performances, which were prepared by the groups in 10 minutes of collective consultation amongst each other were presented. The winners of the performances, quiz, and drawing were given prizes and young INTACH magazines. It was a grand success and the children didn't want it end even after 3 hours! This is also to thank you for the interest that HES creates in schools is amazing and a big step forward for INTACH as an institution. The content that is available is also easy for us to do this kind of work in a short notice of 2 days.
A programme was organized by INTACH Vijayapura Chapter in association with BLDE Association’s Department of Architecture, Dr P G Halakatti College of Engineering and Technology Vijayapura. The agenda for the function was an awareness talk by experts on the ‘Heritage’ and ‘Shramadaan’ in a Heritage/Holy Premises. The premise chosen was Gyan Yogashram, which is a holy place in Vijayapura, where hundreds of devotees visit the place for the blessings. The function began around 10.30am, with the welcome note by HOD of Architecture, Prof S. S. Naduvinamani. Dr V D Aiholli Co- convener INTACH Vijayapura gave a talk on the awareness on the Intangible Heritage of India to the students and general public. He elaborated on art, tradition, folklore, etc in different regions. He spoke on the local Intangible Heritage through hundreds of years and its percolation in our daily life today. Ar Manthan Spoke on family heritage, its importance, linage etc. Ar Satishbabu Deshmukh spoke on natural heritage, its validity in India. Co-Convener Vithal Tanksali spoke on Tangible Heritage with specific reference to Bijapur Architecture. Few students spoke on the heritage of their regions. Prof S S Naduvinamani summarized the lectures given by various people gave the vote of thanks. The session concluded with National Anthem. After the heritage awareness programme the students took up cleaning the premises as allotted by the Swamiji of the Ashram. A speech was then given by Dr V D Aiholli Co- convener INTACH Vijayapura Cleaning of Premises by the Students of Architecture, BLDE Association.
Guntur-Chapter has organized inter collegiate elocution competition on "Importance of protecting Heritage property" on 21st November. Chief Guest Smt Lakshmi Lavanya Hyderabad Public prosecutor appreciated participants and stressed the importance of protecting culture and Heritage property. More than 70 participants belonging to 13 colleges have participated in the competition. State Convenor Sri SVS Lakshminarayana, Co- convenors A. Ravi Srinivas, members K. Sitaramesh, K. V. Brahmam have organized the event. Electronic and print media has covered the event.
Guntur-Chapter has organized heritage walk to Kondaveedu Fort on 27th November 2022. Kondaveedu fort was built by Prolaya Vema Reddi and ruled by Reddy dynasty. It was used as the capital by the Reddi dynasty between 1328 and 1482, shifting from their former capital at Addanki. It was taken by the Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya in 1516. Total 60 students from Hindu College of Management, INTACH state Convenor Sri SVS Lakshminarayana,member and Vice chairman Red cross Sri. P. Ramachandra Raju, A. Ravi Srinivas, Dean Hindu College Management Sri S.V.Ramana staff have participated.
The INTACH Faridabad Chapter conducted an Inter college on the spot painting and poster making event at KL Mehta Dayanand College for Women. 8 colleges participated in this event.
HECS’ children's books on Nagaland 'The Hornbill Warrior' in the Lotha language and the Ao Language were released by Dr. Sanjeev Chopra (IAS Retd. and Author) and Dr. Shashi Tharoor (Member of Parliament and Author) on the 16th of May 2023 at India International Centre, New Delhi.
The Hornbill Warrior is a story-cum-colouring book that brings out the heritage and culture of Nagaland as discovered through the eyes of a young girl from Nagaland. INTACH's Heritage Education and Communication division is undertaking the translation of this book into 5 Naga languages to increase its reach as well as to promote the preservation of endangered languages.
INTACH Pune Chapter under the aegis of INTACH Heritage Education and Communication Service Division, conducted a workshop on Endangered Art and Craft on Chitrakathi art on 25th April in the online mode for school children. Chitrakathi is a traditional storytelling through art and is a special art form of Maharashtra. Chetan Parshuram Gangavane was the esteemed resource person for the workshop. He belongs to the Gangavane family of Chitrakathi artists who practice traditional craft and make contemporary interpretations. Ar. Jui. J. Tawade, Co- Convener INTACH Pune Chapter gave the presentation introducing the aspects of the craft, the artisans and the history of the craft and encouraged students to take up the craft and work for its revival. The workshop was conducted in the online mode for school children. They were asked to come prepared with drawing materials for hands-on learning from the artisan.The artisan demonstrated and talked the students through drawing and painting a Ram, Sita, Hanuman, and some animals in the Chitrakathi style of painting.
Workshop Images
Schools from all across Delhi NCR got the chance to visit the ongoing excavations at Purana Qila, New Delhi. Each day a group of 5-6 schools with their respective students and teachers, accompanied by the HECS, INTACH team members visited the sites currently being excavated. This season of excavation at Purana Qila is being headed by Dr. Vasant Swarnkar.
Archaeologist Satarupa Bal briefed the students about the basics of an archaeological excavation and how archaeologists determine a site for excavation. She explained to the students how the top-most layer of a site reveals the existence of the last dynasty and the bottom layer will reveal the existence of the earliest dynasty. She added that the Archaeological Survey of India has found cultural and structural evidence starting from the Mughal period and going all the way back to the Mauryan period.
She went on to explain how people in the ancient times chose a place for habitation. They would choose a place close to nature and a water source, all of which aid subsistence. The site of Purana Qila had fertile and cultivable land as River Yamuna flowed right next to this area. As the fertility of the soil would decrease overtime, people would migrate to other areas in search of cultivable land, they would leave behind things such as habitable structures, broken pottery, coins, tools etc. These structural evidence and cultural remains help archaeologists to determine the existence of a certain group of people belonging to a particular point in history. In addition to this, archaeologists also find supporting evidence such as certain types of bricks which help them identify the period which the site belongs to. With the help of these examples, she explained to the students the two methods of dating in archaeology (Relative dating and Absolute dating) and the concept of cultural deposits. She also explained to the students the difference between vertical and horizontal excavation.
Site 1
After two seasons of excavations (2013-14 and 2017-18) at Purana Qila, the third season of excavation, which began in February 2023, revealed evidence dating back to Pre-Mauryan times. Ms Satarupa showed the students the site of excavation and explained the trench which is currently being excavated. At this particular site, each trench is 10 ft wide by 10 ft long and divided into four quadrants where structural remains and artefacts such as coins, figurines, and pottery were found. Adjacent to this site was the yard where Ms. Divya V. K showed the pottery shards yielded from the excavation to the students and the teachers.
Site 2
This excavation site beyond Sher Mandal is an older site which was extensively excavated in the previous two seasons of excavation. Students witnessed several similar trenches as site 1. However, these trenches have yielded home complexes dating back to the Kushan Empire and ring wells from the Mauryan period. Other artefacts found from here include sickles, terracotta toys, kiln-burnt bricks, beads, terracotta figurines, and seals. These findings are all at display at the Archaeological Museum.
Archaeological Museum, Purana Qila
The students also visited the Archaeological Museum where they saw the history of Delhi in chronological order beginning with the Mauryan (300-200 BC) empire, through the Sunga, Kushana, Gupta, Rajput, Sultanate and Mughal dynasties. The museum houses artefacts found from the various seasons of excavation at Purana Qila.
The Heritage Education and Communication Division, INTACH in collaboration with INTACH Varanasi Chapter conducted a two days Teacher Training Workshop at Little Flower School, Nagwa. 51 teachers from 26 schools of the city participated in the workshop. The local resource persons for the workshop were – Dr. Anuradha and Mr. Anil Keshari (Add. Co-Convenor of INTACH Varanasi Chapter); and resource persons from HECS team were- Mr. Abhishek Das and Ms. Christina Shangne. The workshop was also attended by Mr. Ashok Kapoor (Convenor INTACH Varanasi Chapter), Mr. Nalin Gulati (Co-Convenor INTCH Varanasi Chapter), Principal Ms. Amita Singh and INTACH members Mr. Nirmal Joshi and Ms. Aditi Gulati.
Day 1
Dr. Anuradha gave a talk on the living heritage. The talk emphasized on the importance of Vedic parampara- day to day life. The talk was insightful where the speaker also presented a recital of “Asana” as well in different dimensions. Mr. Anil Keshai spoke on the built heritage of Varanasi. In his presentation, he highlighted the lesser known temples through visuals and also gave a detailed explanation. This was followed by the screening of the INTACH film and the presentation on ‘What is Heritage?” by Mr. Abhishek Das. The presentation was a detailed one where it focused on the four aspects of India’s heritage. The participants were also shown three films that was part of the FILMIT project.
Post lunch, the presentation by Mr. Abhishek and Ms. Christina laid emphasis on the importance of proactive teachers in instilling a sense of responsibility and sensitivity in the students about India’s composite heritage. Participants were familiarised with the importance and need of incorporating heritage education as an active part of school curriculum so that children can learn heritage values and imbibe them in their day to day life. The presentation also highlighted the various activities the heritage clubs can take up.
Day 2
The second day of workshop saw participants undertaking a visit to a Vedas teaching school run by Shankaracharya. The walk highlighted the importance of Vedas teaching and the importance of understanding one’s root. This was then followed by the presentation by Ms. Christina and Mr. Abhishek of HECS publications, Young INTACH website, National Programmes, social media and the importance of heritage walks and resource persons to incorporate in the heritage education process. The group activity was then carried out where the teachers enthusiastically participated. The workshop ended with distribution of resource material and certificates to participants.
HECS, INTACH conducted a Teacher Training workshop for teachers from Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad on 18th April 2023. The workshop was held at the INTACH Hall and was enthusiastically attended by 55 teachers from 52 schools.
The workshop began with a short introduction to INTACH and HECS by Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director of HECS. The INTACH film was screened after this to further explain what the organisation does. The publications of HECS, along with their purpose were then highlighted by Ms. Datt, along with Ms. Christina Shangne, Ms. Nanki Kaur, and Ms. Vaishnavi of the HECS team.
The first session of the day was conducted by Dr. Ritu Singh, Director of the Natural Heritage Division, INTACH. She spoke about millets and their role in our diet, culture, and heritage. She started by mentioning how the year 2023 got declared as the International year of Millets. Dr. Singh explained to the audience about what millets are and the history of millets and then addressed a few things consumers should be aware of before buying millet products.
After a short tea break, the next session on Delhi’s History from 1805-1847 was conducted by historian and author, Dr. Swapna Liddle. She covered in detail the history of Delhi during this time period, the changes that were taking place, as well as the development in various fields. She ended her lecture by stating that history, such as that of Delhi, is important to learn as it helps us understand heritage.
The third session carried out by Mr. Tejinder S. Randhawa, Director of IKC, INTACH. He spoke about the vernacular heritage of India, while highlighting the north and north-east of India. After highlighting the characteristics of vernacular heritage and the dangers to it, he showcased and explained examples of this rich heritage through the use of photographs.
After lunch, the fourth and final session was conducted by Dr. Vasant Swarankar from the Archaeological Survey of India. He gave a brief introduction of the history of Delhi and its seven cities. This was followed by a lecture on the focus of the lecture, which were Purana Qila and the ongoing excavations undertaken there by Dr. Swarankar and his team. Through images and detailed descriptions, he explained the entire dig site and their findings to the teachers, who interacted enthusiastically with him.
The four sessions were followed by a brief explanation by Ms. Purnima Datt, Mr. Abhishek Das and Ms. Trikaya Soni of activities being planned for the ongoing year. Teachers were requested to participate enthusiastically with their students. The workshop ended with a felicitation ceremony, where certificates and books were presented by the Chairman, Maj. Gen. (Retd.) L.K. Gupta, and a group photograph with everyone present.
A two – day teacher training workshop was conducted at in collaboration with INTACH Himachal Pradesh State Chapter. Teachers from 12 schools participated in the workshop.
The workshop began with a welcome by the faculty members of the school and the Saraswati Vandana. Mr. Tarsem Sharma, Principal, welcomed the guests and participants and thanked INTACH for the opportunity. He shared that such workshops are interaction of experience and knowledge. The workshop is very important for the teachers as it will give us ideas and knowledge on promotion and restoration of Indian heritage how the future generation can be made aware about our heritage and keep it safe and value it. It will help the teachers inculcate values amongst the students and help them change the society.
Ms. Malavika Pathania, expressed her gratitude to the host school and the participants. She introduced the guests and spoke the Heritage Education initiatives of INTACH and the importance of heritage education. ntroduced the guests. Ms. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS welcome dall. She shared the importance of heritage education and the gap in the education system. She also interacted with the teachers about their favourite heritage sites. INTACH film was also screened.
Ms. Datt then spoke about India’s uniique heritage at length. She shared about the unique aspects from natural, built, material and living heritage through an illustrated presentation.
Ms. Pathania, then spoke about the local heritage of the region. She shared about the importance of heritage and why one needs to protect it. She shared some intriguing anecdotes and spoke about the local heritage sites, cuisines and more. She encouraged teachers to take up one heritage related activity once a month atleast. She also shared about the initiatives of the chapter involving heritage education.
This was followed by the third session on Heritage Education by HECS Team. Ms. Datt spoke about the objectives of heritage education, methodology, activities that can be undertaken and more. She also shared about the resource material published by HECS for school teachers. Ms. Geetika Gunjan, Prog. Coordinator spoke about the olnline resources made available by HECS.
Following this, teachers were briefed about the group activity and the format was shared.
On Day two of the workshop, participants were taken tot the Nurpur Fort for a heritage site visit. Mr. Rajan, ASI office Nurpur and Ms. Pathania shared about the historic fort in detail. Following this, the felicitation ceremony was conducted. Ms. Pathania welcomed the guests and spoke about INTACH and spoke about the workshop details. Chief Guest Thakur Ranbir Singh ‘Nikka’ addressed the participants and congratulated participants on attending the first ever workshop in Nurpur on heritage. He spoke about the importance of heritage and how such events will be useful to the students of Nurpur.
Following this the group activity session was conducted followed by the presentations. Each group presented on the local heritage spread across the four categories- Natural, Built, Material and Living Heritage. The workshop concluded with a vote of thanks by Ms. Pathania and felicitation of the HECS Team.
HECS, INTACH in collaboration with the INTACH Chennai Chapter organized a two day College Heritage Volunteer Workshop on 26th- 27th March 2023 on ‘Exploring the Importance of Heritage’ at Mohamed Sathak. A. J. Academy of Architecture, Chennai. About 71 participants of B. Architecture students from various colleges of Chennai attended the workshop. The resource persons for the workshop were – Ar. Sujatha Shankar (Convenor of INTACH Chennai Chapter), Mr. Steve Borgia (Chairman at INDeco Leisure Hotels Pvt. Ltd. and Hon. Executive Curator of Tamil Nadu Police Museum, Egmore), Dr. V. R. Devika (Founder Trustee of The Aseema Trust, author, educationist and storyteller), Mrs. Purnima Datt (Principal Director, HECS, INTACH), and Ms. Christina Shangne (Senior Programme Coordinator, HECS, INTACH).
Day 1
The event started off with a welcome address and introduction to speakers by Ar. Divya Chakravarti and Ar. Aathirai S. K. It was held at the Tamil Nadu Police Museum lecture hall. Resource persons Ar. Sujatha Shankar talked about the built heritage of Chennai and Mr. Steve Borgia shared about the journey of the Tamil Nadu Police museum. A walk at the museum was also conducted by the museum staffs, explaining in detail about the exhibits.
Day 2
Day two started off with a welcome address and a brief introduction about the workshop and speakers by Dr. Ranee Vedamuthu (Co-convenor of INTACH Chennai Chapter). This was followed by an address from Mrs. Purnima Datt and INTACH Film screening. The first session on ‘What is heritage- An overview and understanding of heritage?’ was presented by Mrs. Purnima Datt. The presentation highlighted the different aspects of Indian heritage- natural, built, material and living. In the next session Dr. Babu delved into the natural heritage of Chennai. The presentation was informative and insightful. Dr. V. R. Devika then spoke on the intangible heritage of Chennai, where the rich heritages of Chennai were discussed. Post lunch, the session on ‘Heritage Voluntarism’ was presented by Mrs. Purnima Datt and ‘Heritage in my Institution’ by the Ms. Christina Shangne. This was then followed by the group activity, where the students were asked to propose ways in which they can engage in learning about heritage, what programmes they can organise to promote heritage and what help they require from INTACH while doing so. The workshop ended with a vote of thanks by Pof. Mohd. Idris, Principal of Mohamed Sathak. A. J. Academy of Architecture, Chennai.
A college heritage volunteer training workshop was organized at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, Katra, Jammu. 69 students and 12 members of faculty from the university participated in the programme. The programme started with the lighting of the lamp ceremony. A welcome song was sung by a student during the ceremony. The welcome address was delivered by Registrar, Shri Nagendra Singh Jamwal (JKAS). He spoke about the heritage of Jammu region and believed that everybody from the university will take care of it and more activities will be done by SMVDU. The INTACH film was screened after that. Ms. Purnima Datt delivered the scope of the workshop. Chief Guest, Prof. V K Bhat Dean Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences, SMVD University also welcomed everyone. He said he was honoured to be organizing the workshop in the university in collaboration with INTACH. The vote of thanks of the inaugural session was delivered by Mr. S M Sahni, Convenor, Jammu Chapter. A short break was taken after the inauguration.
Ms. Datt took the next session where she discussed about the types of heritage and how students can help in their capacity to safeguard it. The different types of heritage were discussed in detail in context to India. Mr. Arvind Kotwal, retd KAS officer gave a talk on the local built heritage of Jammu. He spoke about the different temples, forts, stepwells, havelis, tombs and archaeological sites of Jammu district with recent photographs which made the talk very interesting and informative. Mr. Kripal Singh, member, INTACH Jammu Chapter spoke on the folk art of Jammu. He gave a humourous and educative talk on the dwindling folk heritage of Jammu. He mentioned about folk art, artists, folk festivals and the different tribes that are present in the Jammu region.
In the post lunch session, Dr. Deepika Slathia gave a lecture on the natural heritage of Jammu. She said that her college was doing a lot of work in collaboration the Jammu chapter and geo tagging was done. She talked about the flora fauna and the different water bodies. Prof. Sudhir Singh, Director, Academics at Govt. Degree College gave a talk on the intangible heritage of Jammu. He spoke about the importance of our mother tongue and about Dogri language, which is the local language of the region. The last session of the day was on heritage volunteerism and heritage education, the first half of which was conducted by Ms Purnima Datt and second half by Mr. Abhishek Das. He spoke about the need for active volunteerism in safeguarding the heritage of the country, and how students could actively volunteer with organizations such as INTACH to safeguard the country’s heritage. Ms. Datt spoke about the definition of volunteerism and the CHV programme. In the summing up session, a few students participated in the conversation on how they could volunteer and why should they volunteer. One student responded that ‘if not us then who else will’. The workshop ended with the distribution of certificates to the participants followed by a group photograph with the Mata Vaishno Devi temple hill trek in the backdrop.
A one-day workshop was organized by INTACH Heritage Education and Communication Division, in Dhar in the direction of conservation of extinct traditions of Mandana art in Dhar, the city of art and culture of Raja Bhoj on 11th December 2022. Chapter Convenor Dr. Dipendra Sharma gave brief introduction about the workshop and importance of Mandana art and welcomed the chief guest. The training was given to the children by the eminent artist of Madhya Pradesh Handicrafts Corporation Mrs. Trupti Mishra Mhow. The children were introduced to the nuances of the art of Mandana and trained in simple ways why and how to make Mandana. After that the children carved very beautiful designs with their imagination and training. In this workshop, 71 children from 8 schools including Government Excellence School, Bhaskar Vidyapeeth, Tagore High School, Kendriya Vidyalaya, Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Bhoj Vidyapeeth, Param Guru Sai Public School, and Government High School Bramhakundi Dhar participated. INTACH Life Member Mrs. Vandana Dubey, Mr. Shyam Lal Sharma Sir, Mr. Jayant Joshi, Mr. Harihar Dutt Shukla, Manglesh Mhale were specially present in this workshop.
WORKSHOP PHOTOGRAPHS
INTACH Chapter Sarangarh Raigarh took a team of 120 school students and associate teachers under the leadership of Convenor Yashwant Kumar Chaudhary on an inter-state tour on 26th February 2023, in which students and teachers were taken to Hirakud Dam, natural wealth of Dibrugarh, Orissa state. Heard the history of Samleshwari Temple of Sambalpur, visited the temple and got acquainted with the laser show, Gandhi Minar and Jawahar Minar Darshan, Burla Science Park, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Planetarium about the stars of the universe and the solar system. Having understood the fabric of science, explaining the process of making electricity in Chiplima, taking a visit to the Ghanteshwari temple, explaining the role of water in conservation of nature, importance of water, impact of water on life, forest wealth and Children were made aware by discussing heritage. The purpose of this tour is to bring intensity and exchange in the relationship with food, living and culture, culture, culture, close observation, experience and learning in the interest of children. Seeing the natural heritage, going to the lap of nature and enjoying it, went to the nearby villages and saw the life closely. With this inter-state tour, the children got a new dimension for their personality development, while their condition would improve. The feeling of respect for nature, culture, archeology, national unity, language and dialect will also be strong. Children-teachers are very excited about this pleasant, informative, memorable tour and have expressed their sincere thanks to the INTACH Chapter/Convenor for benefiting by providing such a golden opportunity.
On March 11, 2023, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain interacted with the students in a program organized by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) at Greenwood Senior Secondary School, Rampur. He answered the questions of the students and told about the art, culture, visa policy, tourism and education of his country. He said that India and France are good friends. This friendship is historical and unbreakable. The doors of France are open for the people of India. Former Minister Nawab Kazim Ali Khan alias Naved Mian, Convener of INTACH Ruhelkhand Chapter, Co-convenor Kashif Khan, Greenwood School Administrator Shahid Khan, Principal Neeraj Kumar Tiwari and Municipal Council Administrator Deputy Collector Rajesh Kumar etc. were also present in the programme.
The Mrittikaloy Project was inaugurated at ‘Artisana’, the Crafts Council of West Bengal showroom, on 30th July, 2022 by G M Kapur, State Convenor of West Bengal Chapter, in the presence of the Project proposers Gini Sen (Vice-President CCWB) and Anjum Katyal (Gen Sec CCWB) and other executive committee members. The resource person Master Potter Arun Pal spoke briefly about his plans for the workshops in local schools of the Nischintapur locality.
The workshop was conducted in two phases, in four schools Nischintapur R.D. High School, Gazir Mahal G.C. High School (H.S.), Gajirmohal A. P. School, and Nischintapur K. G. School.
A total of 16 workshops were held at these four schools in the second phase, with a total of 275 students participating.
Popular products of pottery and terracotta items were made by the students: oil lamps, oil lamp stands, ghats, malsas, saras, pen stands, flower vases, ashtrays, coasters, laxmi bhandar, planters, tea pots, bowls, dolls, animals were made and displayed. At a special function in the school all the participants received certificates from Mrittikaloy.
Workshop Photos-
The Film Festival at Vadodara was held at Navrachana International School, Vadodara, on 15th February 2023. 57 participants from 7 schools attended the festival. The Chief Guests for the festival was Mr. Sundar Sarma (Independent film maker & writer) and Mr. Paul Varghese (Official tour cinematographer for the legendary AR Rahman and Benny Dayal & Funktuation for their music tours). Mr. Theophane D’Souza, Principal of Navrachana International School, Vadodara, Mr. Sanjeev Joshi, Convenor INTACH Vadodara Chapter, Ms. Christina Shangne (Senior Programme Coordinator) and Ms. Geetika Gunajn (Programme Corodinator) from HECS INTACH were also present at the event.
The festival began with lighting of the lamp by the guests, followed by a welcome address and a dance performance by the students of the host school. This was followed by introduction and felicitation of the chief guests. Mr. Sanjeev Joshi welcomed all the participants, guests and thanked INTACH for starting this Filmit project. He also thanked the host school to hold this event at the school. Ms. Christina Shangne then spoke about Filmit in brief and shared about this year being special as it marks the 15th year of the project. Students from each school then shared about their experiences through speeches and poems. The best films from Vadodara were then screened. After a short break the overall best films from across the Filmit cities were screened.
Mr. Sundar in his address shared how it is extremely important for us to understand our culture and heritage. He talked about the importance of traditional food and how it is a very big part of our cultural life. He points out that there is a lot of wisdom in why we ate that kind of food. Mr. Sundar also gave some tips on utilizing the golden light, 20 minutes before sunrise 20 minutes post sunrise 20 minutes before to shoot films for best results. He pointed out that during this time one will get everything they want to capture or interact. Mr. Paul Varghese shared that film making is a collaborative process. The most interesting part of filmmaking is to get to know a whole bunch of likeminded people to share ideas and also where a lot of personal evolution also happens. He emphasized on how when one is more curious, open minded and inquisitive they are, the more they will evolve personally.
In the last segment the schools were then awarded certificates, books and trophies. They were presented by the Chief Guests, Mr. Joshi and Mr. D’Souza. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks given by the students of the host school and with everyone singing the national anthem.
Workshop Photos-
The Film Festival at Kochi was held at Children’s Park Theatre, Ernakulam, on 16th February 2023. 76 participants from 12 schools from the city attended the festival. The programme began with a welcome address by Mr. Biley Menon, Co-convenor, Kochi Chapter. He welcomed all the schools to the programme and told them about the history of INTACH, the Kochi Chapter and HECS division. He then introduced Mr. KJ Sohan, Convenor, INTACH Kerala Chapter and Mr. C. Babu Rajeev, Convenor, Kochi Chapter. He also welcomed Mr. Abhishek Das, HECS, INTACH. Mr. Sohan told the schools that they are doing good work and congratulated them for making good films. He also mentioned about the Kochi Biennale and what a good experience it had been for the schools when their short films were screened during the Biennale. Mr. Babu Rajeev also addressed the students. He congratulated the HECS team for the work being done by them with schools across the country. He encouraged the students to keep making good short films and learn from this experience. Mr. Abhishek Das spoke about the filmit project and its journey. He mentioned that this year was special since it marks the 15th year of the project.
After the introductory session, some students shared their experiences through speeches and poems. Some students also gave presentations and one student sang a song. The Kochi films were screened next. Some more students shared their experience about the project and how they made the films. There was a short refreshment break. Post the break, overall films selection was screened. Mr. Sohan again congratulated the students about the wonderful films they made. He spoke about the Bastion Bungalow (a school had made a film on it), how it was an integral part of Kochi and had immense historical importance. He spoke about the history of Kochi also. Mr. Menon in his address commended the students’ efforts and said initiatives like these go a long way in documenting and spreading heritage awareness. He said that India traditionally did not have a history of documenting things. It was done by the Europeans. But, now we are also getting into this habit which is very good. Documenting is very important as it helps in keeping record of everything that has happened. He said that no heritage is small and through such activities, even the lesser known heritage is gaining prominence. The schools were then awarded certificates, books and trophies by Mr. Sohan and Mr. Biley Menon. Mr. Menon gave the formal vote of thanks. He thanked the schools, HECS team and the Children’s film theatre for being the venue partner. The programme ended with everyone singing the National Anthem.
INTACH Nagpur Chapter under the able guidance of the Nagpur convenor, Dr.Madhura Rathod conducted a workshop on the endangered art of Vidarbha- Warli Painting on 9th February 2023. To keep alive the traditional art of warli painting of Maharashtra, the colony of artists of INTACH Heritage Club of Essence International School, took a creative step towards the goal.
The workshop was conducted under the guidance of the guest Miss Manisha Patil (Master Of Fine Arts and A Freelance Graphic Designer). The other two guests of honor were Mr. Kapil Khobragade and Ms.Chitralekha Ahirrao.
More than 50 students participated in the workshop and tried their hands on understanding the significance of this dying art. They were introduced to the methods, techniques, and skills required to achieve the intricate charm of this art. The outcome in various forms, colors, textures, and patterns was appreciated when the products were displayed in the form of an exhibition in the school.
Workshop Photographs
INTACH Jammu Chapter under the Heritage Awareness program of Heritage Education & Communication Services Division- New Delhi organized Endangered Craft Workshop of straw crafts in association with School Education Department at Govt. High School Dhammi (Nagrota). The event was graced by 100 students 10 teachers of 10 schools.
The programme was started with the briefing by Mr. Rashpal Singh, KAS, Joint Financial Commissioner who was the Chief resource person as well as Chief Guest of the Inaugural session. Ms. Sonika Parihar, Assistant Director Handicrafts Department Handicraft Expert Mr. Charanjit Singh, Zonal Education Officer Dansal were also the resource person. Renu Devi, Rita Kumari, Babli Devi, Rajni Devi and Sapna Devi gave practical demo during the session. Mr. S. M. Sahni, KAS (Retd.) Convener INTACH Jammu Chapter briefed the students about INTACH & workshop its importance where as Head Master explained the need to revive the old traditions of the area.
After the brief-inaugural session students were divided into five groups and straw & bamboo craft training was imported by the local master trainers. Products for which training was given are:-
1. Wheat straw Binnas, Chabbri, Mats, Coastals etc.
2. Straw baskets/Tokries of different types
3. Wheat straw artificial flowers
4. Bamboo baskets, decorative items, flowers, pen stands, barrooms
5. Clips for ladies-different varieties
Mr. S.M. Sahni on behalf of INTACH and all other participating organizations, schools and host community thanked the Chief Guest Dr. Ravi Shankar KAS Director School Education Jammu for sparing his valuable time which encouraged the students, teachers, crafts persons & youth of the area for adopting the endangered crafts of Jammu.
The INTACH Dhar Chapter organized an event with the schools from the city. Dr. Dipendra Sharma, Convenor of INTACH Dhar Chapter shared the important role of children in preservation of heritage. The various Heritage Club convenors also expressed their enthusiasm in including heritage studies in the curriculum to help children learn about their rich heritage. In this event, Khushi Raghuvanshi of Tarun Bhaskar Club was honored for winning the painting competition at the national level. 50 children from three schools including 7 teachers, 5 guests were present on the stage. The heritage club students all received a passport and badges.
The INTACH Rajkot and Nagpur Chapter also installed Heritage Clubs in their respective cities.
HECS with the support of INTACH Ahmedabad Chapter organised the Filmit Festival at Shreyas Foundation . 7 schools attended the festival. Other attendees included Ms. Narayaniben, Faculty, Shreyas Foundation, Mr. Pavan Bakeri, Convenor, INTACH Ahmedabad Chapter; Ms. Christina Shangne, Sr. Prog. Coordinator, Ms. Geetika Gunjan, Prog. Coordinator, HECS.
The programme began with a prayer by the students of Shreyas Foundation followed by an introduction to the festival by Ms. Sowmya , Faculty member, Shreyas foundation. Ms. Christina Shangne, shared about the Filmit project in brief. Mr. Pavan Bakeri addressed the audience and shared that it was nearly 10 years of Filmit in Ahmedabad. The motive behind the project was to see and document heritage from a new lens, from a new perspective. Mr. Bakeri said that he hopes that while shooting and researching for the films students got to know about the various aspects of their city’s heritage, and realised its importance and the uniqueness of the country’s diverse culture and heritage. Chief Guest, Mr. Abhishek Jain, film maker and founder of CineMan Productions Limited and Oho Gujarati, a one of kind Gujarati OTT platform addressed the students and shared words of encouragement and wisdom. He appreciated the efforts of students in making films on heritage and shared that curiosity is an important element of filmmaking. The foundation of filmmaking is being curious and presenting your thoughts and feelings to invoke thoughts amongst the masses and bring attention to issues. Heritage is an important topic, its our roots and its important to capture it through films and bring it to the people. He also interacted with students and discussed about filming, its important elements, why is it difficult and more.
Afterwards, students shared their Filmit experience in the form of speeches, poems and songs. This was followed by screening of best films from Ahmedabad and Overall Best films.
A short interactive session was conducted by Ms. Geetika wherein students shared about their favourite heritage sites and what makes them special.
The programme concluded with the distribution of awards and certificates for all the schools.
Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Panjim hosted the Goa Film festival on 11th February 2023. It was attended by approximately 50 teachers and students of 9 schools of Goa. The Chief Guest for the festival was Dr. Paulo Varela Gomes, the present representative of Fundação Oriente in India and Vinod Sreedhar, founder of Journeys With Meaning. The occasion was also graced by Ms Fatima Da Silva Gracias, Convenor Goa Chapter.
The event commenced with the welcome address by Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director, INTACH HECS. where she introduced the programme and briefed about the Film festival and how it expanded in so many cities. She then introduced both the chief guests who greeted the participants. This was followed by experiences sharing by students from each school. Students shared their varied experiences of exploring the art of filmmaking. This was followed by screening of best films of Goa and later overall best films from across India were showcased. Later Mr Paulo took over and shared his experience of attending such kind of event for the first time. He was overjoyed to be a part of the programme and congratulated the children on making such amazing films. Ms Fatima Gracias recollected the filmit journey of how it began in 2010 in Goa. Mr Vinod gave a few highlights of the day and shared about how to make a good film and the importance of a good story. Each participating school received awards and certificates from the esteemed guests. And the programme ended with a formal vote of thanks by Ms Fatima and a group photograph.
Workshop Photographs
The Filmit Festival at Mumbai was held at Sir J.J Institute of Applied Art on 10th February 2023. 45 students from 7 schools from Mumbai attended the festival. The event began with an introduction to FilmIt and INTACH by Ms. Purnima Datt. Principal Director, HECS. She welcomed the students, teachers and the accompanying parents and also explained about the FilmIt project to the audience and that this year marks the 15th year of the project. She also spoke about INTACH and its divisions. Ms. Trikaya Soni (Prog. Coordinator) then introduced the chief guests Ms. Nancy Nisa Beso, Film Producer and Ms. Somya Bhardwaj, Producer.
The students then shared their experiences of recording their films for the FilmIt project and also about the art of filmmaking. This was followed by the screening of the best films of Mumbai and the overall best films from all across the country.
Ms. Nancy Nisa Beso addressed the students saying she is encouraged to see so many students go out and shoot these films.She added that we should be proud of our heritage and our culture, the city that we live in. She told the students that she hoped when they go back today, they continue to make films like these. Ms. Somya Bhardwaj thanked INTACH for inviting them to be a part of the Film Festival. She expressed that she got to learn so much about her own country through these films.
Ms. Purnima Datt thanked Dr. Santosh Kshirsagar, Dean of Sir J.J Institute of Applied Art and requested him to share words of encouragement with the students. Dr. Kshirsagar welcomed the students and thanked INTACH for the opportunity to collaborate for the FilmIt project. He had several anecdotes to share about the institution. He asked the students and the teachers present at the event to have a look around the campus and get to know more about its history through the unique architecture of the buildings at the institution
This was followed by a felicitation ceremony where the participating students were awarded certificates by the chief guests and Ms. Datt. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by the Co-Convenor of the INTACH Mumbai Chapter, Ms. Rajul Dhaimade.
Workshop Photos-
The Film Festival in Hyderabad was held at Salar Jung Museum, on 8th February 2023. 122 participants from 16 schools from the city attended the festival. The programme began with a welcome address by Ms. Anuradha Reddy, Convenor Hyderabad Chapter. She welcomed all the schools and spoke about her fond memories connected with the Filmit project. She thanked Salar Jung Museum was hosting the festival. She also introduced the Chief Guest, Mr. Chandrasekhar Singh, a well renowned photographer. Mr. Abhishek Das talked about the Filmit project and about this year being special as it marks the 15th year of the project. He said he had been part of the project since its inception in Hyderabad. After the introductory session, some students shared their experiences through speeches and poems. Some of the films made by Hyderabad schools were screened thereafter. Some more students shared their experience of film making. The overall films selection was screened next.
Mr. Chandrasekhar, in his address spoke with the students and shared his observations. He said that after watching the films he felt very happy that he had a personal connect with old Hyderabad. He could see the Salar Jung Museum from where he lived. He would travel around the city on a bus as he had this curiosity for heritage ever since he was a kid. He then shared about his early days on how he became a professional photographer after joining a media house as a photo journalist. He remarked that he felt the students are better than what he is today by watching the standard of the films. This project serves as a great opportunity for the students and he was amazed by their passion. He asked them to do it with their heart, as this was the biggest weapon they possess. Then he went on speak about some of the films and that he really enjoyed watching them. He asked the kids to watch more short films as they are very transforming. He congratulated all the students for doing excellent work. The Director of Salar Jung Museum, Dr. Nagender Reddy also interacted with the students. He told them to continue making good films and invited them to the museum to make a film on it.
The schools were then awarded certificates, books and trophies. They were presented by Dr. Reddy, Mr. Singh and Ms. Anuradha Reddy. The programme ended with a group photograph.
Workshop Photos-
The Film Festival at Chennai was held at KSN Secondary School, Thiruvanmiyur, on 7th February 2023. 81 participants from 12 schools from the city attended the festival. The programme began with a prayer song by a student of the host school. This was followed by a welcome address by Ms. Geetha Sathya, Vice Principal of the host school. She welcomed all the participants and guests and thanked INTACH for doing this project and choosing KSN as the host. Dr. S. Suresh then addressed the participants and introduced the Chief Guest Dr. Sumathi Narayanan, President of Creative Communication and Management Center, Chennai. He spoke about Filmit in brief. Ms. Purnima Datt spoke about INTACH and its divisions. Mr. Abhishek Das talked about the Filmit project and about this year being special as it marks the 15th year of the project. Dr. Narayanan then addressed the students. She said she had recently visited Bhutan and mentioned that the government there gives a lot of providence to heritage and we should do the same. She remarked that the pandemic (she had attended the festival conducted online during the pandemic two years ago and had seen the films made by the students) has taught us how resilient students are and Filmit works a great platform to showcase their potential. She then told the children about the 5 very important things that children should follow in their lives – being independent in academics, eating well, must go out to play, never stop reading and always having a hobby. The host school’s principal, Dr. V. Sridhar congratulated all the schools and said that the Filmit project was a very interesting thing. He echoed the same thoughts as the Chief Guest.
After the introductory session, some students shared their experiences through speeches and poems. The Chennai films are screened next. Some more students shared their experience of film making. The overall films selection was screened next. The schools were then awarded certificates, books and trophies. They were presented by Dr. Suresh and Dr. Sridhar. Ms. Geetha gave the vote of thanks. The programme ended with everyone singing the national anthem.
Workshop Photos-
The Film Festival at Kolkata was held at Apeejay School, Park Street on 6th February 2023. 73 participants from 15 schools from the city attended the festival. The programme began with an introduction by a student of the host school. This was followed by a classical dance performance and a Rabindra Nath Tagore song by students of the host school. Ms. Purnima Datt spoke about INTACH and its divisions. She then talked about the Filmit project and this year marks as the 15th year of the project. Mr. G M Kapoor talked about INTACH Kolkata and the work done by them. He asked the students to care for heritage and be heritage warriors. They may not take it up as a profession but out of love and concern. He spoke on the trams of Kolkata and how they were being stopped and urged the schools to support their presence as other cities across the world have again taken trams back on road as it is environment friendly too. The Principal of Apeejay School, Ms. Paromita Guha Ray addressed on the role of schools in promoting heritage and encouraging heritage trips. She appreciated INTACH’s support too. Ms. Kanchana Mukhopadhyay, Co-convenor, Kolkata Chapter introduced the Chief Guest and Guest of Honour, Ms. Satrupa Sanyal, film director and Mr. Saheb Bhattacharya, actor. She also introduced Ms. Manjushree of ‘Tram jatra’.
After the introductory session, students shared their experiences through speeches poems. A beautiful song was sung at the end by Indus Valley World School. The Kolkata films were screened. Mr. Saheb, in his address said that the students are in a phase which will decide what they become in the future, not career wise but how their minds, perception and their reality is shaped. He said that they should believe in themselves and if they believe in themselves then the world will believe in them. He asked them not be afraid of failures and that it teaches a lot and will help them in succeeding in life. Ms. Satrupa addressed the students in Bangla. She began by saying that it is great initiative to hand over cameras to the students and view heritage from their eyes. The foundation of our life and civilization is heritage. Today, where we are is a very important piece of heritage. This city is more than 300 years old. So is the age of this street. She said that the pen is mightier than the sword, and similarly, the camera here acts as the pen to showcase the cause for heritage conservation. The overall films selection was screened after their address. The schools were felicitated by Mr. Kapur, Ms. Kanchana and Ms. Manjushree. Awards, certificates and sets of books were presented to each school. The programme ended with a group photograph with all the schools.
Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' School, Jaipur hosted the Film festival on 3rd February 2023. It was attended by approximately 100 teachers and Filmit Club students of 14 schools of Jaipur. The Chief Guest for the fest was award-winning photographer, Mr Umesh Gogna. The occasion was graced by Ms Dharmender Kanwar ji, Convenor Jaipur Chapter and Co-Convenor Rajasthan Chapter INTACH and Mrs Archana S Mankotia, Principal, MGD Girls' School.
The fest commenced with lighting of the lamp and Saraswati Vandana followed by welcoming of esteemed guests by MGD’s students. This was followed by welcome address of Ms Purnima Datt where she introduced the programme and briefed about the Film festival and how it expanded in so many cities. This was followed by experiences sharing by students from each school. Students shared their varied experiences of exploring the art of filmmaking. This was followed by screening of best films of Jaipur and later overall award-winning short films from across India were showcased. Later Dharmeder Kanwar and Mr Umesh gave a few highlights of the day and shared their perspective about the programme. Each participating school received awards and certificates from the esteemed guests and Ms Purnima Datt, Principal Director, INTACH HECS.
Workshop Photographs
The Delhi FilmIt Festival was conducted in collaboration with India International Centre, New Delhi on 2nd February 2023, at C. D. Deshmukh Auditorium. 143 students and teachers from 25 schools from the city attended the festival. The chief guests and guests of honour were- Ms. Anita Singh (Musicologist and Art Administrator and Historian, Chairperson and Director of The Indian Music Society, and Convenor of the INTACH Delhi Chapter), Dr. Shobita Punja (art historian and art educationist), Ms. Nupur Kundu (artist and dancer), Mr. Taha Ahmad (visual artist and documentary photographer) and Mr. K. N. Shrivastava (Director, IIC).
The festival started off with a welcome note by Mr. Abhishek Das, followed by Mrs. Purnima Datt. In her address, Mrs. Datt talked about INTACH and its various divisions. She then shared about the FilmIt project celebrating its 15th year this year. The guests were felicitated thereafter.
In the next segment, students from each school presented poems, speech and mime about their filmit experience. The best films from Delhi, as well as the overall best Films from different participating schools were screened. The guests were then invited to share their views. Dr. Shobhita Punja in her address shared about how the project started and how inspiring it was to see the commendable work HECS did to make it a successful project. She praised the students for the wonderful work and insisted them to be proud of their heritage. Ms. Anita Singh shared that she wasn’t very aware of FilmIt and she enjoyed it a lot. It’s been a wonderful education for her to see the diverse thinking of all the students. She expressed that filming is creativity and learning. Ms. Nupur Kundu appreciated the project and said that coming from an art background it was her first experience of watching films made by students. She thanked INTACH for the wonderful platform given to the children. She added that she was proud, amazed and inspired by the quality of films that she saw. Mr. Taha Ahmad in his address thanked the team for inviting him for the festival. He shared that the FilmIt project is a great way to bring out the young talents forward and was inspiring to see the amount of themes and ideas the children has, to bring out such amazing, diverse films.
The last segment was award ceremony presented to the schools by the chief guests and guests of honour. Each school was presented with their participation and award certificates, a set of books, and a trophy to commemorate the 15 years of Filmit. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Ms. Christina Shangne, followed by refreshment.
The Film Festival at Varanasi was held at Sant Atulanand Residential Academy on 31st January, 2023. 14 schools from the city attended the festival. The programme started with a welcome song. It was followed by a welcome address by two students from the host school and the lighting of the lamp ceremony by the guests. The guests were felicitated thereafter. The saraswati vandana was sung by the students of the host school. The Principal, Mr. Avinash Pandey addressed the gathering. He welcomed everyone to the festival. He welcomed the Chief Guest, Prof. Pradosh Mishra, BHU and the Guest of Honour, Prof. Suresh Kumar Nair, BHU and Sant Atulanand Director, Dr. Divya Singh. He also welcomed the INTACH representatives, Mr. Ashok Kapoor, Convenor Varanasi Chapter, Mr. Abhishek Das, HECS and other members. A dance performance was given by the students of the host school after the welcome address. Prof. Mishra addressed the students and told them that Filmit project should be taken up by the students by choice and that it serves as a great medium to know about your own city and document it. Prof. Nair, in his address told the students to things like literature, music, animation, etc. are all used in films and they serve as a great learning medium. Dr. Divya told all the students to intermingle with each other and said the Filmit project serves as a learning lesson. She thanked INTACH for starting this project.
Students from each school made short presentations about their filmit experience. It included self-composed poems, speeches and accounts from their film-making journey. The best films from Varanasi were screened. Some more students then shared their experience followed by screening of some of the overall best films from different participating cities. The refreshments were served. The award ceremony included certificates, books and prizes which were presented to the schools by Mr. Avinash Pandey and Mr. Ashok Kapoor.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks from Mr. Ashok Kapoor. He thanked the host School and teachers for their exemplary efforts to make the festival a grand success. A group photograph was taken at the end.
The Chandigarh and Ambala Filmit festival 2022-2023 was organised by Heritage Education and Communication Service (HECS) Division of INTACH in collaboration with St. Kabir Public School, Chandigarh. The programme was attended by over 80 participants including students and teachers from 9 schools of Chandigarh and 4 schools of Ambala. The FILMIT Festival began with an introduction to INTACH and FILMIT by Ms. Purnima Datt, the Principal Director of HECS INTACH. She spoke about how the FILMIT programme began in 2008, with the support of Helen Hamlyn Trust in Delhi and spread to other cities eventually.
Ms. Datt welcomed the students, teachers, Guests of Honour and Chief Guests. The Chief Guests Mr Rajbir Deswal (IPS Officer) and Ms. Seeratt Dhillon (producer and filmmaker); and Guests of Honours Ms. Sanjana Chopra (Filmit Trainer) and Col. R.D. Singh (Convenor Ambala Chapter) were introduced by Nanki Kaur, Programme Coordinator, HECS.
Nanki Kaur then invited students from each of the 13 school to speak on their experience of making films as part of FILMIT. This was followed by a screening of the Best Films from both Chandigarh and Ambala.
A short break with refreshments was then followed by the screening of the Overall Best Films from across the country. These films were appreciated by all. The Chief Guests were then invited to share their views and advice for the students. Mr. Deswal appreciated the enthusiasm of the children and their efforts at covering lesser-known heritage. Ms. Dhillon commended the perspective of the students that they managed to portray in their films. Ms. Chopra appreciated the skills of the students, particularly since she had trained them at the workshop. Col. R.D. Singh commended as well as encouraged the students with his words.
The speeches were followed by the felicitation ceremony where the winners from both cities were announced. Each school was presented with their participation and award certificates, a set of books, and a trophy to commemorate the 15 years of Filmit. The programme concluded with a vote of thanks followed by a group photograph.
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The College Heritage Volunteer Workshop was conducted on 20th January 2023 at the INTACH, New Delhi and was attended by 76 students and 13 teachers from 14 colleges of Delhi University – Lady Shri Ram College, Jesus and Mary College, Hindu College, Gargi College, Indraprastha College for Women, Mata Sundri College for Women, Kamala Nehru College, Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, St. Stephens College, Hans Raj College, Kirori Mal College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, Sri Venkateswara College and Motilal Nehru College. Member Secretary, INTACH Mrs. C. T. Misra also graced the occasion. The resource persons for the session were- Dr. Swapna Liddle, eminent historian, author, Advisor INTACH Delhi Chapter, Mr. Ajay Kumar, Director Projects, INTACH Delhi Chapter, Mr. T. S. Randhawa (IAS Retd.), Advisor, INTACH and Divisional Head, IKC and the HECS team.
The Workshop began with a welcome address by Mr. Christina Shangne, followed by a brief introduction on HECS and INTACH in general by Mrs. Purnima Datt. The INTACH film was then screened. In the first session Mrs. Purnima Datt, Principal Director, HECS INTACH, gave an informative session on “What is Heritage” where she spoke at length about the different facets of heritage - natural, built, material and living.
The next session on the ‘Historic precincts of Delhi (Chandni Chowk, Connaught Place and New Delhi)’ was conducted by Dr. Swapna Liddle. She spoke about the cities of Shahjahanabad and New Delhi and how and why they were established. Her session included an explanation of the concepts of power, sovereignty, and legitimacy that were attached to these two cities.
Mr. Ajay Kumar then spoke of the role of INTACH Delhi Chapter in the conservation of Delhi’s heritage. Discussion on heritage bye laws and regulations was also done. He shared that it is not just history but the antiquarian value, memories shared by people with the sites which makes it invaluable and important to conserve.
Mr. Randhawa in his presentation showed some images of the traditional Vernacular architecture and talked about traditional residences which are diminishing in numbers. He gave a brief description about form, design, space and relevance with special focus on traditional residential architecture. A heritage walk to Lodhi Garden was then carried out. Mr. Abhishek Das, Ms. Geetika Gunjan and Ms. Nanki Kaur were the walk leaders.
Post lunch, a quiz activity and visit to the INACH Conservation lab were done. The students learned about the practices of conservation and how different materials are conserved. This was then followed by a presentation on ‘College Heritage Volunteer Programme and Heritage in my Institution’ by the HECS team.
In the interactive group activity, the students were asked to propose ways in which they can engage in learning about heritage, what programmes they can organise to promote heritage and what help they require from INTACH while doing so. The presentations were insightful with various innovative ideas shared. The workshop ended with a short note from Member Secretary, INTACH Mrs. C. T. Misra who urged the students to appreciate such ancient knowledge and learn to respect it. She requested students to enrich INTACH's archives by putting in each person's or households intangible heritage on INTACH's ICH website. She ended her speech by asking students to support INTACH by becoming ambassadors and warriors for heritage. All students and teachers were given participation certificates and books for the college.
