Thousands of children step into the world of letters

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thousands of children made their first step into the world of knowledge and arts in the capital city on ‘Vidyarambham’ day.

The Vijayadashami celebrations, held in various parts of Thiruvananthapuram, saw toddlers write their first letters, some with tears, and some with wide smiles.

Over 1,000 students participated in the ceremony at the Saraswathi Devi Temple at Poojappura, the most significant Vidyarambham centre in the district.

The curious kids were taken to the new world by an eminent group of nearly 50 gurus, including MLA Chandy Oommen, former speaker M Vijayakumar, ex-minister V S Sivakumar, former MP A Sampath, and retired IAS officer Biju Prabhakar.

The writing ceremony was followed by the introduction of children into music and dance at the Saraswathi Mandapam.

Governor Rajendra Arlekar took part in the Vidyarambham programmes held at the Raj Bhavan.

Nine children under the Kerala State Council for Child Welfare wrote down their first letters with their hands guided by General Education Minister V Sivankutty.

The Thunchan Smaraka Smrithi at Iranimuttom saw nearly 700 children taking baby steps into the world of learning and drawing, under the guidance of their gurus, including writer T G Ramachandran Pillai, and artists Karakkamadapam Vijayakumar and Kattoor Narayana Pillai.

At Vyloppilli Samskriti Bhavan, 25 students took part in the Vidyarambham ceremony, including basic dance lessons taught by classical dancer Rajasree Warrier.

Another major centre, the Attukal Devi Temple, saw over 750 children being initiated to education, under the guidance of temple priests. Personalities including poet V Madhusoodanan Nair, Justice K P Balachandran, and science scholar Dr Achuthsankar S guided the hands of nearly 300 children at the Karikkakom Sree Chamundeswari Temple.