Rakhi Celebrations 2025
The celebration of Rakhi brings in the new season of festivities for us at Shikshantar amidst the monsoon and raindrops. The excitement for one of our favourite themes - Friendship and care for living beings and all objects around us was palpable.
The handmade rakhis and decoration by the children made the celebration bright and colourful with children sharing "मैं guard भैया को राखी बांधूंगा वह हमारी help करते है school आने में और जाने में..."
The children of ‘Vanar Years’ built their connections with the essence of this festival through theme-related experiences, stories, songs, role plays etc. It was an occasion for them to express their love, care and gratitude for people around them.
Moving from near to far, the context was built around ‘Nanhi Chidiya and the Monkey’ and their ‘दोस्ती ’ and care. To add to the joy of the festival celebration, children made besan ladoos to share joyfully with each other and also take home for their families, sharing "मेरा तो मन करता है कि लड्डू को ही राखी बंधू... " They enthusiastically sang songs - ‘friends are like flowers...’, ‘ठुमक ठुमक के आता भालू हाथ मैं लेकर राखी...’
Children in ‘Finding Feet’ celebrated the bonds of togetherness, sharing about the ‘Tree of Connection’ with didis building context around their animal friends in the school ‘Marsh and Mellow’. Since Rakhi is always a reminder of our bond of friendship and care, Minoti Didi also spoke to the children about holding dear the connection between all things around us through the eyes of one’s heart for animals, plants and people alike.
During the week, children prepared for the festivities, making rakhis using their little fingers as the finest tool for ‘Quilling’ colourful strips of paper. The children decorated the ‘Tree of Connection’ with their thoughts penned on the leaves made by them keeping sustainability in mind. Within these wonderful messages, children expressed their bond and feelings for their spaces, trees and friends around them - “I want to grow my connect to my room because it is soothing and calm”, “My bond is with a tree I collect the leaves of. I feel very special near that tree”. Singing songs like ‘रिमझिम सावन आया संग...’, ‘चिन्न चिन्न चिन्न चिन्नारा ...’ and many others made for a memorable celebration.
Students in ‘Climbing Feet, Finding Grounds’ shared the significance of rakhi as a festival of protection and connected it to the theme of environmental preservation. Students from different groups did roleplays around the theme - the Chipko Movement, the story of Rani Karnavati and the origin of the rakhi tradition. They also sang a song ‘देखो देखो राखी आई...‘ . Handmade rakhis from paper and string were exchanged while some of them chose to write messages of appreciation on paper leaves to be hung on the ‘Tree of Connection’.