After two-year gap, civic school students return with drills, dance and colour to NSCI dome; the event brings together students across civic-run English, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, and Kannada-medium schools
Students perform a combination of exercise and dance moves ahead of the Indradhanushya festival. PICS/By Special Arrangement
The Indradhanushya festival, in which students from all schools run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) participate, will be held early in December, officials have stated. The event, which is celebrated every two years, did not take place in 2024-25, according to officials.
Typically held at Worli’s NSCI dome, the event brings together students across civic-run English, Urdu, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Gujarati, Telugu, and Kannada-medium schools. From drawing, physical education drills, rhythmic basketball, to lezim, a folk dance and drill, the programme allows participating students to present an array of skills as a unit in front of nearly 4000 guests. Students from neighbouring wards have been assigned activities, officials said.
“The event is very important as it shines the spotlight on students. Children from underprivileged backgrounds, such as those living in Dharavi, look forward to this chance to take centre stage at a prestigious venue. This helps build confidence and allows them to realise that their horizons are endless,” said Dattu Lavate, a senior supervisor and physical instructor.
The event works is more of a show than a contest, and students from multiple schools in the same neighbourhood are clustered and practise routines together. On the day of the event, the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) reserves 30 to 35 buses to ferry students to and from the venue, according to Lavate. “The event typically sees as many as 3000 students participating. With parents, principals, and guests, Indradhanushya has as many as 5000 attendees,” he added.
A former physical education teacher and junior instructor who is overseeing Indradhanushya practice for G North ward, said, “We have had students leave their neighbourhoods or sit in the Metro for the first time, and importantly, see new faces and new environments. The fest helps them groom themselves beyond academics, and is definitely a milestone event for many civic-school students.”
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