carelessly disposed plastic
- the scars on nature's beauty (SLIDE 8)

The First Slide of a, INTACH Thrissur
Presentation about Natural Heritage

TOPIC: Natural Heritage

To care for the wonders of nature
that are my, your, ours to protect!

 

INTACH Thrissur Chapter has started a project to reach out to the young people with the message of Heritage.

Gurukulam Public School in Venginissery, Thrissur has been the first school that took advantage of INTACH Thrissur Chapter's offer to pass the Heritage message to it's students.
Invited by it's principal, Smt. Mrudula Magdu, a first interaction with about 250 students of class 6 to class 8, lasting one hour, was organised on 28-03-2014. INTACH Thrissur was represented by the co-convenor, Prem Manasvi P., Rakesh OM., Prof. V. A. Varghese and Hari C. V

A closer look
into 'Gods' own country (SLIDE 12)

a serene view
of Wayannad's landscape (SLIDE 11)

INTACH Thrissur had prepared for this interaction 3 Presentations:
1. Natural Heritage | 2. Indian Culture |
3. 'My Living ICON'

1. Natural Heritage.

The students were guided on a tour that defined the natural heritage, let them look for arguments if there is a need at all to be concerned, confronted them with photos of carelessly disposed waste even in protected natural sites -- despite the warning boards, and finally summarized the interaction with the students to a statement:
'Nature in Danger'

Facts about India's Natural Wealth, an reflection what each of the students can do to protect our national heritage in home, school and neighbourhood, an excursus about 'sacred groves' and the uniqueness of 'kole' wetlands in Thrissur ended in a promise by the students:

I Care
For The Wonders Of Nature That Are Mine To Protect
For The Richness Of Culture That I Promise To Respect,
For The Heritage Of India That Is Ours To Protect

Onam Celebrations
making of a 'pookalam'

worship space
in an office of Thrissur

2. Indian Culture

We presented in this second presentation a well structured sideshow covering different aspects of the local heritage as well as the heritage of Kerala.
Familiar photos of worship spaces at offices, local traditions like making a 'pookalam' (flower carpet) and enjoying a 'sadya' (feast) during the Onam celebrations, folk artists at work with their products, mural paintings, typical local scenes reflecting living traditions, images of the famous Thrissur Pooram, images of ritualistic performances like Kalam Pattu, Paraveppu, 'lightening the lamp' during inaugurations, photos of a 'nalukkettu' (traditional Brahmin house) and other unprotected heritage like a 'kollam' (traditional pond), a 'kollapura' (traditional bathhouse) and a 'kavu' (sacred grove) were followed by photos of traditional art forms like Koodiyattom, 'Nangiar Koothui', Tolpava (shadow puppet play of Kerala), images of Kerala's landscape, (waterfalls, tea estates, paddy fields and nature's beauties like butterflies, birds, snakes , Banyan trees) and finally examples of Thrissur's built heritage.
The slide show (73 slides) ended with a short publicly available movie about Indian Cultural and Traditions so as to broaden the view from the local and regional perspective to the all India perspective.
With the chanting of the Indian National national Anthem INTACH Thrissur's presentation came to an end.
Below 8 samples of 62 slides in this second presentation

3. 'My Living ICON'

There was no time left for a third presentation about the recently concluded on-the-spot competition 'My Living ICON'.

INTACH Thrissur was presented a memento. Later INTACH Thrissur had further interactions with teachers and the principal. Gurukulam Public School has asked INTACH Thrissur to give guidance and support to create a 'heritage club' at the school as well as to support an 'open day' programme on heritage aspects on August 15, 2014.

It was an encouraging and inspiring interaction for INTACH Thrissur Chapter. The enthusiatic engagement of the students - that can be seen in the photos, was enthralling and touching.