Students from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Ashok Nagar, won second prize at the cultural events organised during the Republic Day celebrations at Kamarajar Salai.
The students were honoured by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami at his residence and later by Governor Banwarilal Purohit at Raj Bhavan.
Speaking about how the students prepared for the event, school music teacher M S Rama Devi said 30 students (27 from class IX and 3 from class VIII) were selected for the cultural programme and given training from December 2018.
“We roped in choreographer Venkat to train our students for Maharashtrian traditional dance – Lezim. We submitted 18 songs (10 of Bharathiyar and 8 of Bharathidasan). The Chief Minister’s Office selected Bharthidasan’s song Sangae Muzhangu. It was composed by music director Srikanth Deva and sung by Anand and students from P S Senior Secondary School, Mylapore,” she said.
“There were three rehearsals on 19, 22 and 24 January and our students danced perfectly,” she added. On 25 January, the students, along with their parents, were asked to report to school at 10 pm. By 1 am, the students were given costumes and makeup. At 5 am, they left for Kamarajar Salai to take part in the Republic Day celebrations, Rama said.
“Our school headmistress R C Saraswathi and Chief Education Officer R Thiruvalar Selvi supported and encouraged us in many ways. We have been participating in the Republic Day celebrations since 2013 (except 2016),” she said.
“It is a great honour that our students participated in the cultural event and won a prize,” said headmistress Saraswathi. Apart from GGHSS, students from Everwin Matriculation School, Kolathur, and St Raphael’s Girls Higher Secondary School, Santhome participated.
Students from Stella Maris College, Guru Shree Shanthivijai Jain College for Women, Vepery, and Queen Mary’s College also participated in the cultural programmes.