Delving Deeper Into The Ramayana

The month of October presents us with numerous opportunities to get back in touch with the wondrous mythological & literary heritage of ours. These roots, from which we collectively sprout, are conveniently forgotten in the mad race of life. We, at Shiv Nadar School, realise this, and hence emphasise on the fact that we all should find some time to reflect on these great stories from our past, also because they contain time-defying messages for our present and future.

Of the two great epics written in the land now known as India, Ramayana is understood as the book of ideals. The month of October, this year, celebrates not one, not two, but three festivals which invoke the characters and incidents from this famous composition, written and rewritten at numerous times during the passage of time. The versions of Ramayana, in fact, had grown so large in number, that people exclaimed that the entire earth will drown under their collective weight someday!

We thought, rather than telling you about the proverbial war of good versus evil, let us take you through some of the lesser known aspects of the epic.

1. Ravana was a great scholar!
   Yes, the same Ravana, reviled as a demon, was a learned son of a Brahman named Vishravas, and had knowledge of all the Vedas. Ravana believed greatly in the power of astrology and had also authored an astrological treatise called Ravanasamhita. This great worshipper of Shiva is worshipped himself as a deity in a temple at Kanpur. Of Ravana’s ten heads, nine symbolised evil, but one symbolised faith and wisdom – it is because of this one head that Lord Rama felt sad upon killing him. Rama instructed Lakshmana to bow before the fallen Asura King, and ask him for the gift of knowledge. This tells us volumes about how we all can gain wisdom by moving away from shallow perceptions of good and evil.
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2. Rama – Not the ultimate incarnation of Vishnu
   Rama is known by all of us as the ideal son, ideal brother, ideal husband, ideal father, and ideal King. He has been worshipped by generations of unquestioning devotees. He is hailed as Maryada-Purushottam – the upholder of all rules and conduct of the society. However, it is not him, but Krishna, who is hailed as the Purnavtaar – the complete incarnation of Vishnu. Krishna is known as Leela-Purushottam. He is the Supreme Being Himself, He Who revealed the Bhagwat-Geeta. Rama followed rules, but Krishna made rules follow Him. What is significant to note here is that both these incarnations lived a life full of human experiences – they made mistake and suffered in consequence of those mistakes.
   
    

3. Sita’s Kitchen
   Upon being abducted and taken to Lanka, Sita lead a solitary life; but because of her warm and affectionate nature, and her sharp mind, she came to be adored by all Lanka-wasis. Sita had inherited exemplary cooking skills from her mother, and these were put to use during the war at Lanka. When rakshasa warriors came home tired, their wives and mothers doled out food to them made upon the advice of Sita. So delicious was this food that the warriors kept asking for more and forgot all about the war! A well fed man is not violent by nature, and when Ravana heard of it, he ordered his warriors to be starved. Thus they came marching back to the battle-field, hungry to devour oncoming Vanara army. The lesson here? Eat well, live well.

   
   
    

4. Rama had a sister
   Not many know about this, but the first born child of King Dasharatha was a girl named Shanta. She was born of the eldest Queen, Kaushalya. Dasharatha, not satisfied, went searching for a woman who could bear him a male heir, and ended up marrying Kaikeyi and Sumitra. None of them, however, could bear him a child, and hence a great Havana was conducted, the gifts of which were the four brothers – Rama, Bharata and the twins – Lakshama and Shatrughna. Shanta, meanwhile, married a tapasvi and was forgotten for a greater part of the text.

   
    

5. Valmiki – Dacoit turned Rishi
   Rishi Valmiki is credited for having authored the earliest known version of Ramayana. We all know that Valmiki was previously a dacoit named Ratnakar, who was transformed upon his meeting with Narada, the Divine Sage. Most of us, however, do not know that Valmiki is called ‘Aadi-Kavi’, the first poet. It was he who invented the Shloka. The first shloka was uttered from his lips in a state of emotional turmoil as he saw a Krauncha bird crying over the death of his mate who was struck by a hunter’s arrow. The first ever Shloka, thus, was uttered as a curse to that insensitive hunter.
   
   
   There is a narrative of Ramayana which we all know, in which Rama, Sita and Lakshmana are banished to the woods, and they return 14 years later after defeating and killing Ravana. However, the text contains numerous stories, each with something unique to tell us about the human condition. Curiosity to explore and urge to inquire – ride on these two motivations the next time you read the Ramayana, and you will see the book reveal many hidden messages to you, applicable to the contemporary existence. Do also share with us some stories which you found interesting!

Understanding Literature with Art, Music, Customs and Drama

It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it.

― Oscar Wilde

Books prepare us for the challenges that life throws at us because when we read, we live many lives. Reading is thus, a life skill for students of all ages. Intending to nurture a love for books, Shiv Nadar School Faridabad organised the Literary Week for students of Primary Years. It was the first event that the students attended in the hybrid format, with many students present in classrooms. Being able to interact with educators added zeal to their experience.

We try to connect different subjects to make learning more meaningful for children. The Literary Week also saw literature merging with arts, music, and habitats. The end goal of such amalgamation is to cultivate the skills that form the pillars for 21st-century education - communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, culture, and connectivity. The event was a journey into the world of literature, with several sessions with the faculty, external educators, and storytellers. Let's take you through the adventure that students enjoyed in the land of literature.

Putting Heart into Art

The Primary Years explored different art forms that bring stories to life through illustrations. Donning the role of an illustrator, the students prepared their storyboards for their favourite stories. For students of grades 1 and 2, this proved to be a highly engaging activity, giving them a chance to pour out their creativity on paper. They learned about masks in a very different form from those that have become a part of our attire. Exploring the use of masks in storytelling, they made their masks to signify different characters.

The poster-making activity was another attempt to boost artistic expression. Students created theme-based posters and wrote slogans. In yet another session, students wore the hat of a cartoonist and made comic strips. They let their imagination go unbridled for mingling artwork with intriguing dialogues between the comic characters. Apart from enhancing the motor skills of children, these exercises helped them to organise their thoughts.

Fantasy and Folklore

Now, who doesn’t enjoy a mysterious fairy tale? Children went on a journey to the fantastical land of fables and fairy tales with their educators. They also understood the origin of these formats and discussed the qualities that the characters in these stories imbibe.

The concept of ‘themes’ was explained to them, and they tried to identify the central idea around which their favourite story is based. While studying folk tales, students were introduced to the cultures, geographical conditions, traditions, and historical events that shape the folktales. 

A Sound Instruction

The theatre and music facilitators took students on a musical journey. They had a gala time creating soundtracks for some popular stories, adding their effects to the soundtracks, and expressing the twists in the tales through high and low notes. This session successfully combined literature with technical skills of sound mixing and scientific knowledge of audio levels.

We believe that literature carves students into impactful speakers, who can convey their ideas with emphasis. To put this theory to practice, the importance of voice modulation and the use of the right tones for speaking or narrating stories were explained in a highly engaging way by an expert storyteller. Narrating the same passages monotonously and then with expressions, she explained how voice modulation can add texture and meaning to a text. The students in class then tried reading using different tones and expressions. This also helped the children get rid of the fear of public speaking.

The Skill of Stories

Our budding authors were excited to learn about the art of writing a story. In a dedicated session, they learned about the process of story writing and elements of a story like a scene, event, problem, and resolution. They also explored the different ways to introduce a character.

The most engaging part of the session was extempore story weaving, where students got a few clues and created short stories from their imagination, touching the realms of magic, drama, and even aliens. With the hybrid model of learning, many students were able to participate in the activity from their classrooms.

Language no bar

Children must have a grasp of English as well as Hindi, the national language. So, Hindi literature was a vital part of the Literary week and included poetry and stories by renowned Hindi writers like Munshi Premchand and Mahadevi Verma.

Limericks, comic strips, poetry writing, and story plots were the ingredients that added a different flavour to the concoction of Literary Week. The creativity cauldron was overflowing with the imagination of the young ones, as they exercised their right to write without inhibitions. The motive of the literary week is to nurture the love for literature and ideas sprouting in the nimble minds. With students yearning for more stories, plays, and poetry, it would be fair to say that the event was successful in carving book lovers.

Literula Week 2021 - Celebrating Authors, Young and Old

Whether it is an 18-year-old first time author, or a 55-year-old seasoned writer with several enthralling books up her sleeves, their advice for budding authors is the same, “don’t wait for inspirations, just keep writing”. Whatever comes to your mind, put it down on paper. That makes all the difference.

Anamika Ghosh, a Shiv Nadar School alumnus and a first time author, and Venita Coelho, a veteran author with 7 books to her name, both feel that what they write is a part of their life; a reflection of their mind and soul. Speaking to the students and teachers at Shiv Nadar School during the Literula Week, they expressed that situations that we perceive as negative and disturbing have been the source of inspiration for their stories and poetry. While Venita’s books talk about issues that enrage her, Anamika feels that the process of expressing herself through words and art is cathartic.

Shrey Gupta, who nurtured his skills as a sportsperson, lyricist and musician at Shiv Nadar School, mirrored the liberating experience. Sharing his book ‘Sixteen’, Shrey said that poetry has helped him to get over emotional turmoil.

At a time when everyone is going through some sort of challenge, taking up writing as a therapeutic medium can be quite effective. Venita advices the young writers to pen down five sentences a day, without being judgmental about the quality of writing.

At Shiv Nadar School, we put the same philosophy to action through the year, encouraging students to create short stories, poems or essays. These activities amplify during the Literula Week, wherein we celebrate literature, books and authors.

Ms. Coelho also talked about how authors need to possess an inherent and indiscriminate curiosity. Our young student authors Mavis Lawrence and Tarisha Kaushik exemplify the same in their books, ‘Sunny Menthoil, the comet’ and ‘Ouroboros’. Their writing is about looking at life from different perspectives. Tarisha says her years at Shiv Nadar School helped her to expand her horizon through reading and introspection. She shared with her fellow students the importance of self-criticism, which takes one on a journey to be a better writer.

Famous playwright Feisal Alkazi, another guest author during the Literula Week, stressed that the magic is in the details. If one can sketch the characters in detail, describe the surroundings and build a clear context, then readers will feel involved with the writing. He also advised students to keep reading and use new words frequently in their writing.

The youngest writers featured during the Literula Week were the creators of a weekly news digest ‘The Paperless Press’ that has completed 38 editions till date. Agastya, Abhimanyu and Mihir started with an effort to spread positive vibes in the midst of negative happenings. They follow a well-planned approach for research and draft the articles together. Expressing what they believe in, is the key to making their efforts rewarding.

We are delighted that these young authors are consistently learning, exploring, innovating and evolving and are such great ambassadors for the school. We wish them and all budding authors the best in their writing journey!