Soul Amidst The Landscape – By Dwithi, Grade XII, Ekya School ITPL
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Have you ever set out on a journey certain where you want to go, yet come back having travelled to unexpected and remarkable places? Our recent school trip to Imphal (Manipur) portrayed no less a different picture. We set out to stimulate a deeper learning for natural sciences and came back with a whole new learning experience ourselves.
I couldn’t have imagined the serenity and spaciousness that one experiences in nature before I took a walk in Keibul Lamjao National Park. The biological reserve of the Sangai was our first stop on the third day. We arrived at 10 in the morning, hoping to catch a glimpse of the much endangered and famed deer of Manipur. After driving a bit into the reserve, we came upon two observation decks that were built overlooking the grassland.
The grassland stretched for miles, winding up only when it touched the sky at the horizon. Like thin brushstrokes on canvas, slim green grass stems sprung from the marshy ground, topped with light brown husky ends. The towering trees marking the near edges of the grassland, looked grand with dark green leaves. Light blue streams flowed calmly, retaining the silence of the scene. We were lucky to have the chance to locate the Sangai which stood camouflaged.
We hiked down a meandering road which was lined with strong and artistically patterned trees. At the bottom, we took a short boat ride in the twining blue water and learned a great deal about the brow antlered deer from the local boatmen.
Having trekked through the only floating park in the world, we decided to head to view Loktak Lake, the largest freshwater lake in North-east India. Light indigo mountains lay at the rim of this lake and the sky appeared grayish-white before the sun set for the day. The water body turned out to be larger and quite unlike that I had imagined. Tiny green islets floated effortlessly, some supporting small dwellings. We took delight in another boat ride to and from one of these islets where we met friendly people and arrangements. As we neared the shore, the sun slowly set, first behind the clouds and then the mountains.
The trip, on the whole, proved to be a successful and memorable one. It included enlightening collaboration with students from D.M College of Sciences, valued sharing of knowledge with other high school students. They presented an open-minded attitude and were wholly receptive to upcoming research and new forms of learning. We had some rejuvenating moments with nature and exciting strolls through the local market. We found the people humble and ready to lend a hand. They supported and exhibited their traditions most splendidly.
The rich samples that we collected showed the biodiversity of the place and a keen mentality of the people to live with nature. This journey indeed brought me closer to the people and place I today cherish having visited.
Table of Contents
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editorialclubitpl / October 10, 2023
The Truth of Time
The Truth of Time
The mountain tops shiver As the snow begins to shower The water flows to cover The secrets of the river.
The birds trill near the lake As the morning sun awake The lion cub to take The crown for the sake.
The windows patter The things clatter The world scatter As our deeds matter
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A Guide To Navigating Academic Stress
Academic pressure and impending board exams can feel like an overwhelming storm, but as a 10th-grade student who's been through the burnout ringer, I've discovered effective strategies to stay afloat. When stress creeps in, I lean on a toolbox of coping mechanisms that help me maintain balance and clarity.
Understanding my panic patterns has been key. I've learnt that giving my all is important, but the outcome isn't a mirror of my worth. I remind myself of this and reframe my perspective. To escape my study-clogged mind, I turn to books – they whisk me away to new worlds, however briefly. Music acts as a soothing balm; I limit panic to 5 minutes and then channel my energy into finding solutions.
Engaging in physical activities is another lifesaver. Running or spending time outdoors channels my pent-up energy, allowing my mind to reset. Moreover, taking up hobbies like painting or playing a musical instrument provides a welcome distraction and cultivates a sense of accomplishment beyond academics.
Remember, you're more than your grades. Embrace your unique strengths, employ these strategies, and watch stress lose its grip. With determination, self-awareness, and a dash of escapism, you'll breeze through the academic whirlwind.
Written By: Ahaana Singhal Student of Grade 10
Ekya School ITPL at Coorg
Trip to Coorg - Class XII
The last trip of our schooling years had finally been planned. The moment had come and we were nothing but excited. We’d planned about this for a while with a whole lot of surprises and things to do while we were out together, forget all record work, upcoming tests and just have fun. It began on the cold morning of Friday, the 23rd of November. We were asked to assemble in the school at 3:30 AM and of course, no one was late. Ms. Sonali, Ms. Devika, and Ms. Livija were going to accompany us. The bus arrived and we all bid goodbye to our parents and left for the journey. We were so excited that no one acknowledged the fact that it was 4 in the morning. We played music and danced. Everyone brought a lot of food and chocolates to nibble on.
It was around 10:30 AM by the time we stopped for breakfast at a cute little place called “Cute Resort” near Ranganathittu. Fueled up for the rest of the journey everyone was energized and danced all way to Coorg where we checked into a place called “The Minister’s Kourt” near Kushalnagar.
We were asked to freshen up and rest for a while before we started our sightseeing. All of us checked in and made sure our rooms were close to those of our friends- how could they not? We had lunch at the hotel and left for our first tourist spot - Abbey Falls. The long journey to the mesmerizing falls was completely worth it. Even after reaching the falls we had to walk down a park to view the falls. Its one of the early reaches of the river Kaveri. A nice little place with amazing scenery, one of the must-see places in Coorg.
We then continued our journey to this place called “Raja’s Seat” which was more or less a sunset point, situated on a hilltop giving us the most breathtaking view of the majestic western ghats. The hilltops and blue color of the sky were just mind-boggling. All of us took loads of ‘instagram’ worthy pictures and made quite a few memories.
A few minutes away from the park was a famous temple, Omkareshwara Temple, which was a historical place. It was a large place with a holy lake in between. Lucky for us, it was Karthik Purnima (Karthikai Deepam) and we considered ourselves blessed to be present there on such an auspicious moment.
With the shining white full moon above our head, we headed back to the hotel for dinner. After dinner, we all got together in one room and spent some quality time together. Despite our teachers’ warning we only slept later after midnight.
The hotel was ‘kind’ enough to give us a wake-up call at 6:30 AM. Everyone took their time to freshen up and came down for breakfast by 8.
Our first stop for the day was the famous Dubare Elephant Camp. The most awaited part was the boat ride to the camp. We got in line for our turn and took the boat across the water body to look at some of the most fascinating animals to walk this earth. A whole bunch of elephants, some young, some old. We saw them involved in various activities including one trying to save its friend from a maze and another having lunch. It was something we enjoyed looking at. Some of us were also lucky enough to feed the beautiful creatures while the rest of us were dying to take one home.
This activity took a lot of time, and we made it back to the hotel for lunch at around 1 PM. Whilst we were there, we all checked out of our rooms and packed ourselves up for the journey back to Bangalore. This, of course, doesn’t mean we were done with the sightseeing.
We continued to two places after lunch - Kaveri Nisargadhama and the Tibetan Monastery. Nisargadhama is a beautiful park full of bamboos plants. Watching herds of deer sleep and chilling in the park was somehow the happiest moment of this trip. After some shopping (chocolates, coffee, hats) we made our way to the rides and games- The Columbus, 360 spin ride and the mirror maze to name a few. Some of them even managed to get temporary tattoos on their hands.
The second place was one of the most peaceful and beautiful places we’ve ever seen. Pictures don’t do justice to such a mesmerizing place. The monastery's full name is Thegchog Namdrol Shedrub Dargyeling, called "Namdrolling or Namdroling" for short. We all learned a lot about Tibetan culture and had one of the best momos.
This marked the end of sightseeing and we started our journey back home. It was a fun filled 7 hours we spent on the bus with all the dancing and the food. We stopped at McDonald's for dinner. It was around 1 AM when we reached school and had to bid goodbye, this time to our friends. It was a much-awaited trip for us and a much-needed break from all the stress. A shoutout to Amazing Holidays who planned the package and kudos to all the people involved in making this trip the best we’ve had.
Written by
Manali Tanna and Rishab Dhotrekar, Grade XII-A, Ekya School ITPL
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Students of Ekya School JP Nagar pre-primary performed different drills based on the Folk theme, such as Goan, Punjabi and Dafli. All our events and drills were based on traditional games.
When final rounds of all events for students were concluded, it was time to conduct some fun activities for the parents and the grandparents too. With a few twists and turns to the traditional games, our grandparents enjoyed 'Passing the Coconut', our mummies played the 'Tyre Race' and the daddies had some fun in the 'Shelling the Groundnut' race.
We ended our events with a price distribution. Certificates and medals were given to the students and a small token of appreciation for all the parents and grandparents.
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