Rare experiment with sand art greeted with loud cheers STAFF REPORTER-THE HINDU

As it is, creating an image on sand is a tough task. Setting it to the tune of poetry can be even a bigger challenge.

Seven girls from Vidyodaya School, Thevakkal, managed just that when they presented a visual interpretation of Subhadra Kumari Chauhan’s poem on the life of Rani Lakshmi Bai at the Krithi International Book Festival here on Friday.

“We wanted to break the popular notion that women always need to strive to be men’s equal and instead drive home the message that what is more important is to realise and fulfil one’s own potential. It was the students themselves who came up with the idea of sand art to put across that message,” said Rema K. Nair, a teacher from the school.

The performing team was made up of Theerdha, Gaddha, Arundhathi, Varsha, Nidhi, Shwetha, and Ardra from Standards 6, 7, and 8 with the support of the school staff.

They felt that creating images on sand would infuse more life into characters rather than simply painting them on paper.

They first wrote the script, designed the scenes, and finally practised it in tune with the poetry.

Because of the enthusiastic response from the crowd, the students did an encore.