Amid silence and fading lights on stage, walked in Egyptian pharaohs and Roman goddesses. Spectators erupted in applause.
No, we are not going back in time; it is just a glimpse from the fashion show held at Yuva, the daylong cultural fest of JH Tarapore School, in Jamshedpur on Friday.
Taking a break from studies, around 500 students of Classes VI to XII took part in the fest, being held for the eighth consecutive year.
Students of Classes IX to XII dressed as characters from the ancient past sashayed up the ramp at the fashion show based on the theme Gods of Roman and Egyptian civilisations.
Junior students from Classes VI to VIII were not left behind either. The children depicted the rich culture of India dressed up in traditional attire at the fashion show on the theme Indian States.
"I dressed up as Manea, Roman goddess of the dead. According to Roman mythology, deities Manea and Mantus ruled the underworld. We did a lot of research before creating the unique attire to go with the characters. It was a lot of fun indeed," said Shefa Khanam, a Class X student.
Monali Gorai, a Class XI student said, "I aspire to be a fashion designer so I also got some first-hand experience here. I designed all the costumes of my team and also took part in the ramp walk where I dressed as Luna, the divine embodiment of the moon."
Besides fashion show, students also participated in as many as 18 events including rangoli-making on the theme peace; cooking; tattoo-designing; doodling; sudoku, poster-making on environmental issues; mask-making; dance competition; treasure hunt; paper jewellery-making; hairstyling; painting and tiara-making.
"The fest served as a perfect break from studies. Being part of the organising committee, I also learnt team management and leadership skills," said Rishi Raj, a Class XII student.
"Each student was allowed to take part in only two events. These fests give a platform to children to showcase their creativity. Many students are introverts and often shy away from public gaze. This time, we motivated them all to take part in the fest and I am really happy to see their performances," said Piyali Biswas, a teacher of JH Tarapore School.
