Deepavali was celebrated at Expert P.U. College, Valachil in an atmosphere brimming with zest and joie de vivre.
Mr. Nalin Kumar Kateel, Honourable Member of Parliament, Dakshina Kannada Constituency was the Chief Guest on the occasion. The Chief Guest and other dignitaries on the dais inaugurated the celebration by pouring milk on areca flowers, a gesture reminiscent of the traditional Tuluva custom. They also lighted the ceremonial lamp, reflecting the true spirit of festival of lights.
The programme had an auspicious beginning in the form of Lakshmi Pooja and Aarthi. Mr. Shrinivasa, H.O.D. Sanskrit Department performed the rituals while students recited hymns and sacred chants.
In his Inaugural address, Mr. Nalin Kumar Kateel elucidated the purpose of celebrating deepavali in the backdrop of Indian values and beliefs. He visualized the festival as a journey from darkness towards light; as a process of subduing our ego and as an opportunity to quell the evil thoughts in our mind. He drew parallels between a watch and a lamp by pointing out that a lamp enables us to make sense of the formless Almighty just as a watch helps us to catch up with time which is not static. Highly impressed by the organized manner in which the programme was conducted, Mr. Kateel showered praises on Expert for exposing the students to time-tested values of Indian culture.
Mrs. Ushaprabha N. Nayak, Vice Chairperson, Expert Educational & Charitable Foundation in her Keynote address preferred to highlight the symbolic significance of deepavali and its secular aspect. Dwelling on the ephemeral nature of light, she opined that light illuminates the world despite its short life and urged the students to light up the lives of their fellow beings. She also took cognisance of the sacrifices made by teachers and stated that they burn like candles to illumine the minds of students. Deepavali, she asserted, brings people together and spreads the message of living together in harmony.
Prof. Narendra L. Nayak, Chairman, Expert Educational and Charitable Foundation apprised the audience of the series of cultural events to be held at Expert P.U. College in the next few weeks. Echoing the famous adage ‘ A busy man has time for everything but a lazy man has time for nothing’, Prof. Nayak informed the gathering that Expert campus has a real buzz with important things happening all around and encouraged the students to bolster their multitasking abilities. In fact, he advised the students to emulate the workaholic approach of dynamic Mr. Nalin Kumar Kateel, a personality.
Mrs. Ushaprabha N. Nayak, Vice Chairperson, Expert Educational & Charitable Foundation presented the memento to the Chief Guest.
Mr. Ankush N. Nayak, Alumnus, Expert P.U. College; Ustad Rafique Khan, Trustee; Advocate Amrith Kini, Trustee; Mr. Suresh Pai, Trustee; Mr. Jagannath Kamath, Auditor; Dr. N.K. Vijayan, Principal and Mr. Thammanna Shetty, Film Actor and Producer graced the occasion.
The formal programme was followed by “Dandia Dhamaka,” a dance contest for students. As expected, the talented students stole the limelight, wearing colourful outfits and grooving majestically to the pulsating rhythms of dandiya raas and garba songs. Faculty members of Expert P.U. College too chipped in with a scintillating dandiya dance.
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The students were then treated to a spectacular display of fireworks comprising of multi sky shots that shot up in the air and formed colourful patterns. Later, students released one thousand sky lanterns creating a dazzling spectacle in the night sky.
Deepavali lantern making competition was held earlier in the day and the enthusiastic students prepared a wide variety of lanterns, the designs ranging from traditional to avant-garde.These lanterns were displayed on either sides of the stage and earned plaudits from connoisseurs and ignoramuses alike.
Ms. Sharana Kariappa, President, Student Parliament welcomed the gathering and compered the programme. Mr. Santhosh Prabhu, Physics Faculty and Programme Director proposed the Vote of Thanks.
Deepavali celebrations came to an end with a grand dinner served by ‘Chef on Wheels’.
