Students of Radiant International School perform during the event and (right) a volunteer shows a sketch of writer Phanishwar Nath Renu. Pictures by Sachin

Patna, Feb. 12: Radiant International School has started a unique five-day programme — 100 competitive events for students from 100 schools — to celebrate the state’s centenary.

The challenge part: the school administration has decided to wrap up all 100 competitions within 100 hours. The programme began at 9.30am on Saturday and is scheduled to end at 1.30pm on February 15.

School director C.B. Singh claimed that such a celebration to mark the centenary of a state was never held in any part of the country. He added: “Our school has decided to celebrate Bihar’s centenary in a different way. There are 100 competitions lined up for the five-day programme to mark the 100 years of existence of our state. Most of the schools are from Patna and other parts of the state. Besides, a number of institutions from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bengal are taking part in the programme. Our challenge is to organise 100 competitions within 100 hours. We hope to do it successfully and get our names registered in the Guinness Book of World Records.”

Singh claimed that he has done extensive research on the Internet and checked other resource documents to confirm that the programme organised by his school was unique in nature as far as celebration of a state’s centenary is concerned. He added Rs 25 lakh was spent to organise the programme.

A team of photographers has been hired to record all the events. The school administration is providing food and accommodation facilities to students who have come from outside the city.

The programme is a collective effort of the students and teachers, though. The venue has been decorated by a group of about 50 senior and junior students of the school. One of the most interesting aspects of the programme is that these volunteers have decided to change the decoration a little bit every day.

The students have used sketches of personalities such as Rajendra Prasad, Guru Gobind Singh, Shaheed Peer Ali and Tilka Manjhi to beautify the venue. They have made these sketches in five days under the guidance of their art and craft teachers Jaiprakash and Sukalyan Bhaduri. Frames of Madhubani painting are an added attraction to the decked up venue.

“There are about 50 volunteers in our school. Along with Sukalyan, I have guided them on the decoration part. We got only five days to prepare the sketches. Thankfully we finished it on time,” Jaipraksah said, adding that most of the job has been done by the students. “They will also change the decoration daily. We will guide them in doing so. All of us — the teachers and the students — are excited about the state’s centenary celebration in our school,” he said.

Sharmin Sarwar, 16, one of the volunteers, said, “We are replacing the sketches with clay models today.” The student, however, refused to divulge their plan for Monday.

Twenty-five competitions, including painting, fancy dress, clay modelling and English calligraphy, were held on Saturday. Among Sunday’s events were shankh dhwani (conch blowing), designing greeting card, yoga, mime shows and instrumental music.

Students from the host school, as well as other institutions, were visibly excited to take part in the event.

Shreya, a Class XI student and a volunteer of Radiant International School, was busy conducting a competition of arranging flowers. She said: “I am very proud that my school has organised such a big programme to celebrate the state’s 100 years.”

Health minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, agriculture minister Narendra singh and tourism minister Sunil Kumar “Pintu” inaugurated the programme on Saturday evening.