Diwali is round the corner. Children’s fervor of making forts is one of the remarkable aspects of Diwali Celebration. Aspire International School, in collaboration with INTACH Nagpur Chapter Heritage Club added more zest to this fervor by organizing an inter-school ‘Fort Making Competition’ on 19 th October, 2023. Our coterie of distinguished guests comprised of Mr. Atul Guru, Mr. Dattatraye Sonegaonkar, Mr. Manoj Jain, Ms Madhura Rathod, Ms. Taliya Mirza, Mr. Manish Karandikar and Mr. Sachin. Mr. Atul Guru is a prominent personality in the fields of fort making and sports. Dr Dattatraye Sonegaonkar is the esteemed president of Durga Pratishthan. Mr Manoj Jain is a remarkable personality from Doordarshan while Ms. Madhura Rathod is the convener of INTACH Nagpur Chapter Heritage Club. Mr. Manish Karandikar is a distunigshed personality from Ministry of Culture while Mr. Sachin is a renowned personality from Maharashtra TV channel. Dr Jitendra Bhakne and Ms. Bhagyashree Bhakne from ‘Goshala’ are passionate volunteers in promoting the usage of cow dung and saving soil. Students of ASPIRE made a wonderful replica of Shivneri Fort – the birth place of Shivaji Maharaj – under the able guidance of Mr. Atul Guru. It received high accolades from one and all. The school’s atmosphere reverberated with the ‘Aarti’ of Chhatrapati Shivaj Maharaj infusing admiration and respect for the greatest champion of Maratha Empire. The students of ASPIRE then depicted an awe-inspiring skit on Shivaji Maharaja’s encounter with Afzal Khan. In his address, Mr. Atul Guru encouraged the students to feel the divine touch of Shivaji Maharaj. Mr. Manish Karandikar reinforced less consumption of plastic and cloth. Under his stewardship, the students pledged for a sustainable lifestyle. Mrs. Madhura Rathod made the students reflect on the challenges of survival that lie ahead of them. Further, the quiz competition based on Maratha History was one filled with enthusiasm and awareness. The cow dung workshop conducted by Mr. Jitendra Bhakne and Ms. Bhagyashree Bhakne was equally full of learning and enjoyment. Students were teeming with happiness as they made Lord Ganesha’s idols and other decorative articles for Diwali with cow dung. They were amazed to learn that the eco-friendly cow dung is far better than Plaster of Paris for making idols. Students also enjoyed the Stamping and Block Printing Activity organized by the Textile Ministry. Students from various schools had participated in the Fort Making Competition. They had made awesome replicas of different forts in their schools and presented their work by way of power point presentation and videos. Students of Essence International School stole the limelight by bagging the First Prize while DPS Mihan and Shree Radhe Convent both won the Second Prize. The event materialized under the supervision of the coordinator Ms. Ramkumari Karnahke and event in charge Ms. Suwarna Khadatkar. Esteemed principal of ASPIRE Mrs. Rashmi Shendre expressed her heartfelt gratitude to all the dignitaries. She especially thanked Ms. Madhura Rathod for her ever-extending support. She also appreciated and commended the team of ASPIRE for its exemplary endeavor. She especially acknowledged the efforts of school coordinator Ms. Vijayata Dalwankar, sports teacher Abhas Dhurve, Ms. Awini Sarode, Hemant Sharnagat, Ms. Rajni Meshram, Ms. Sheetal Chandak, and Mr. Yogesh Tapase for their unfailing contribution.
