As a part of the celebration of Children’s Day, Chandigarh Tourism with the support of Education Department held an event at the Capitol Complex to engage the younger generation in the heritage of Chandigarh while also providing them a chance to showcase their talent.
The fact that Jawahar Lal Nehru was the vision behind the making of Chandigarh and it was his birthday that was being celebrated made the occasion more significant.
A walk of the plaza was conducted by Deepika Gandhi, Director Le Corbusier Centre informing the students about the significance of the Capitol Complex, its various buildings along with interesting stories and anecdotes. The walk was enlivened by the students being encouraged to run down the ramps of the Open hand, the Martyrs’ Monument and the Geometric hill.
Almost all of the students and teachers confessed that they had come to the Complex for the first time and were left spell bound by the grandeur of the ensemble. After the tour, the students enthusiastically participated in a drawing and colouring competition based on their impressions of the Capitol Complex. The young artists were quick to absorb the essence of the complex and transfer their impressions on paper along with the occasion of Childrens’ day. While the students were making their drawings and sketches Gandhi interacted with the teachers to discuss how they could spread awareness regarding heritage in their schools.
The first prize went to Mumtaz Ali of GMSSS-32, second prize to Kapil of GMSSS- 28 and third prize to Shivbir of GMSSS Dhanas. The students and teachers were also given saplings by the NGO Organic Sharing to reinforce the respect for nature inherent in the planning of Chandigarh and the Capitol.
