Students present a customised cup to their teacher in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Ranjeet Kumar Dey

Patna, Sept. 4: Teachers, who often surprise students with nuggets of knowledge, will be in for astonishments themselves this Teachers’ Day. For, students in the state capital have found unique gifts to express appreciation for their instructors.

A number of students turned up at gift shops today — a day before the Teachers’ Day — to get special coffee mugs for their favourite teacher. The photograph of the teacher with a special message is imprinted on these cups.

Besides the special mugs, saplings are the in-thing instead of flowers or bouquets. A few others have decided to use social networking sites to wish their teachers instead of buying traditional cards.

Priyank, a Class XII student who was buying a customised cup at a gift shop, told The Telegraph that he had been inspired to get this souvenir, as he wanted to present his teacher something unique. “Earlier this year, I saw such cups when I had gone for a vacation to New Delhi. These are gifted to friends and loved ones on special occasions. When I saw I could get such cups in Patna as well, I decided to gift it to my teacher. It will be something new and innovative.”

Vishwaratna, a student of Radiant International, said: “Every year we try to gift something unique to our teachers on this day. Last year, we had gifted our teacher a wooden plaque with a special message engraved on it. This year, we chose these special coffee mugs.”

Ghanshyam, an employee of Zoom Digital Studio, where these cups are imprinted, said: “Students have found this concept very exciting. While some got the picture of their teachers imprinted on the cups, a group of students got their own picture printed. They wanted their teacher to remember them as a batch and also wrote a beautiful message below their picture.”

A source said the cups — priced between Rs 200 and Rs 350 — were inexpensive on one hand, and useful on the other. Mugs are not the only unique gifts on the anvil. Some students are packing a green message for their teachers on the special day.

Akansha, one such student, said: “Gifting a flower or a bouquet is beautiful but not very practical. For, the flowers soon dry up. This year, I have decided to give my teacher a sapling. It will grow for years like my regard for the teacher.”

She added: “It will also promote greenery.” Akansha bought a rose sapling for her teacher.

Gifts are not the only sphere in which students are experimenting this year. The mode of wishing teachers has also taken an e-route, with many planning to use social networking sites. Mahima, a college student, said: “All these years I used to buy cards for my teachers. This year, I shall leave them personalised messages on social networking sites at midnight on September 4.”

For teachers, we have one nugget of wisdom to offer: Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised.