Kids paint their India at DH contest

Peals of laughter filled the air and thrilled voices resonated in the hall. It didn’t take the kids long to stretch themselves on the ground and get comfortable. A potpourri of crayons, colour pencils, oil pastels, water paints and brushes lay strewn next to them.

Spots of eraser dust and shaves of pencils found their way on to the floor as well.

The children (and adults) of Prestige Shanthiniketan, Whitefield, found themselves getting their hands dirty in a healthy spirited paint-off as part of a pre-Independence Day celebration with Deccan Herald. Painting and shading away to the theme of ‘My beautiful India’, they came up with innovative ideas to represent the country they are familiar with. While some approached the topic with civic issues in mind, others took to broader subjects like religious diversity.

Mahi Mittal, a Class 5 student of The Deens Academy, had shaded in four men, to represent the Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sikh communities. She didn’t hesitate on her artwork as she drew in a Brahmin ‘poojari’ to represent the Hindu community. She was placed first in the competition.

Another young painter, Dhara Parekh, a class 2 student of Vibgyor High, said that her drawing showed the diversity of the country. As a church, mosque and temple stood testament to this, she added, “I drew this to represent the unity of India.”

While most of the artwork had commonplace designs and ideas, some stood out. Amishi Gupta, a fifth standard student of Delhi Public School (East), had divided her canvas into four, each showcasing a change she would like to see in society. The lines ‘Grow more trees’, ‘Don’t smoke’, ‘Stop polluting’ and ‘Use toilets’ were scribbled hastily on her work, which also took a prize.

Along with the painting competition, Deccan Herald hosted a rangoli drawing competition and a quiz. The quiz tested competitors on their knowledge of the country. While most of the participants for the drawing and painting sections were creative girls, the quiz was dominated by feisty boys. The fun evening, which saw over 50 children taking part, came to an end with a prize distribution ceremony. Unlike most events, every contestant walked away with something new.