Aripra Ghoshal of Class VIII would only speak Bengali at home. But after participating in an inter-school fest, she has developed a stronger connect with her mother tongue.
"This fest made Bengali feel so modern, creative and exciting," she said, echoing the sentiments of many others who were part of Kotha Kallol 2025, the first edition of an inter-school Bengali language festival organised by Delhi Public School, Howrah, on June 24. A whirlpool of creativity swept students from 11 schools as they wrote stories, illustrated, took part in audio plays and solved puzzles, all in Bengali. The participants were from Classes III to XII, and the participating schools included Bhavans Gangabux Kanoria Vidyamandir, Delhi Public School, Megacity, Saini International School, Maheshtala, and Birla High School.
The fest featured a curated line-up of events for different classes. In Amar Kotha, Classes III to V dressed up in period costumes. Mogojastrer Dourh saw the same age group solving grammar puzzles. Tomar Banano Golpo had wordsmiths craft original stories on the theme of freedom. They then read out
their stories.
Middle school students took part in shruti natok or audio plays, where teams of four wrote and performed on the prompt, an evening at the coffee house.
The Golper Akibuki competition challenged participants to illustrate a given story, while Buli Fotao saw them bring cartoon strips to life with witty dialogues.
For senior students in Classes IX to XII, the fest offered wordplay and critical thinking challenges. Tuktak Shobdo Thak was a word puzzle that tested vocabulary and mental agility. In Gan Noy Eto Slogan, participants created catchy slogans.
The host school was the overall winner, followed by G.D. Goenka Public School, Dakshineswar, and Ruby Park Public School.
"Our students deserve a platform to connect with the roots of their language. This was more than an event — it was a call to celebrate our mother tongue with joy," said principal Sunita Arora.
