Large Circle Time - Ankita Singh Rathore
In the Large Circle Time at the start of the new year, Ankita Singh brought with her the freshness of Hindi poetry woven around her experience with words, music and ‘सवं ेदना’.
The rapidly emerging contemporary poetess began with sharing her thoughts on how the Oorja of our beautifully designed school campus gave her an instant feeling of calmness. The environment itself seemed prepared - quiet corridors, open spaces, and attentive minds seemed ready to receive poetry not just as words but as ‘अनभुति’. The session began with a powerful Saraswati Vandana - ”छाँव दे, पीड़ से उबार दे, सरस सगुम विचार दे, शक्ति का प्रवाह कर...” recited in a musical style that instantly filled Vajeh Bavajeh with energy and devotion. Her voice combined strength and grace together in what felt less like a recital and more like a collective prayer.
Ankita Didi recounted the start of her journey with her first public recital at Shikshantar many years ago. Since then, poetry has become her constant companion, her child that requires nourishment, patience and honesty. Her poetry, geet and ghazal moved seamlessly through social issues like ‘स्त्री संवेदना’ and ‘देशभक्ति ’, the lines sparking applause and reflection.
“कभी उगता हुआ सूरज, कभी इजाज़त मांगता है क्या...” & “वो दुनिया जो एक पल भर में बिखर गई थी, जब सारा जग भूलेगा तब याद रखूंगी...”
The members of Shikshantar family responded with rhythmic claps, actively partaking in the poetry’s oorja.
One of the most engaging aspects of the session was how Ankita Didi humorously connected poetry with mathematics and physics.
"तमन्ना इकाई दहुाई में बदल जाए..." "फिजिक्सस का भी एक नियम है- हर जज़्बात अपनी दिशा रखता है!" Metaphors flowed effortlessly in lyrical images that spoke of identity, belonging, possession, and freedom, especially from a woman’s perspective. "गौहर किनारे पर भटका मगर सागर नहीं पाया, बस सीप को देखा गौहर नहीं पाया, झील सी आंखों में डूबना चाहा पर किरदार हल्का था डूब नहीं पाया...”
These images spoke of identity, belonging, possession, and freedom, especially from a woman’s perspective - social space of women and daughters. A particularly moving moment came when she shared a poem inspired by her father’s suggestion-on the widowed wives of soldiers. A breath of freedom, she reminded us, exists because someone stands at the border. The poem spoke of a wife whose world shattered in a moment, whose courtyard slowly fell silent, whose pain would one day sing in restrained sobs. Everybody listened - not with applause, but with stillness.
In the interactive question answer session with team members, she spoke about writer’s block, quoting A.R. Rahman’s thought of being an “empty vessel” free from ego, jealousy, and negativity so that art can flow through us. Poetry, she said, is a slow, lifelong process of learning, a “समाज का आइना”; sometimes a lullaby for children, sometimes a fire of love.
This Hindi poetry session did not feel like a session, it felt like many journeys woven into one. The unforgettable experience left every listener with a reflection of themselves and reminded us that poetry is closely interwoven with the pain and pride of life.