The Indian villages are the bedrock of ancient cultures, preserved carefully through generations of an otherwise changing world. The village teachers at AmritaRITE’s rural education centers conducted a contest among students at the centers, mainly to preserve Indian rural culture and heritage, on April 30, 2017. The event was organized to recognize and provide special care to the important roots of native culture, whose value, though intangible, is intrinsic to the identity of the people of those areas and whose preservation can play a significant role in enhancing their quality of life.

During the contest, the students were encouraged to speak on moral stories from the scriptures. They were given a topic to speak upon their favourite character from Ramayana, the ancient Indian mythology and the reason for choosing the particular character.

“The children enjoyed it very much. They also learned a lot,” says Sitaram Meena, AmritaRITE teacher in Harirampura village, Rajasthan. The contest opened up the opportunity for students to think, showcase their talent without inhibition and speak with confidence. Some centers took it a step further and even dressed up for the occasion and presented dramas and short skits. At the end of the day, prizes were distributed for the best performance among the students.