A glorious portrait of an epic journey

Nothing grows on jagged rock. Sublime feats are a corollary to exalted vision that thrives on fertile minds. Like the sun-whipped oasis on a desolate landscape, Bhavans is an oasis for quality education on the sun-scarred desert of sorts of an educational landscape in Kuwait. Bhavans 14th Founder’s Day Celebrations, held on 13th September 2019 at Smart Indian School, Kuwait, bore all the hallmarks of a compelling show- a throwback to the school’s incredible evolution over the years. After the recital of verses from the Holy Quran and the rendition of the Kuwait National Anthem by the school choir, Chief Guest, H E Dr. Shamir Ali , Ambassador of Guyana to Kuwait, Mr. N. K Ramachandran Menon, Founder and Chairman, Bhavans Middle East, Mr. Sooraj Ramachandran, Vice Chairman, Bhavans , Middle East , Mr. T Premkumar, Principal, Indian Educational School and Mr. Mahesh Iyer, Principal, Smart Indian School conjointly lit the ceremonial lamp in the diffuse haze of golden light.

Mrs. Lalitha Premkumar, Vice Principal, Primary and Kindergarten, IES, struck an immediate chord with the audience with her passionate welcome to all the dignitaries. After the invocation dance, a few teachers huddled on stage to sing a paean to the Founder, Mr. N. K Ramachandran Menon. The Chief Guest of the evening, H. E. Dr. Shamir Ali showered verbal confetti on the visionary Chairman and his exemplary leadership. He pointed out that the persistence that Bhavans shows to reinvent and innovate itself, speaks volumes for the fact that Bhavans refuses to be in the pigeonhole that most schools are slotted into.

The Chairman was a picture of poise. He stood on stage with studied calm, his eyes intent on the brilliant prospects of a dynamic school and his stance keen to ward off any sense of complacency even in the pinnacle of glory. It was never for him a chance stumble into the concept of an educational hub but the culmination of an unrelenting desire that monopolized his thoughts to initiate and promote meaningful education steeped in values. He honoured the Chief Guest with a customized stole and then stepped up in response to the warm reception by Mrs. Jaemi Byju, Vice Principal, Middle Wing, IES and Mrs. Meenakshi Nayyar, Vice Principal (CCA), IES. He articulated his perception on ‘dream’ and ‘visualization’. Cheers buffeted him as he underscored the fact that anyone can dream but one needs to visualize things and pursue it. The Chief Guest on behalf of the Bhavans family draped him in a customized stole as a token of love and respect.

Mr. T Premkumar, Principal, IES, released the logo of Bhavans Middle East, designed by Raebel Christo of grade 12. The Chairman was literally caught unawares when both Principals of IES and SIS gifted him a memento- a replica of all eight Iconic Bhavan Schools in the Middle East. Mr. Sooraj Ramachandran, Vice Chairman, waxed eloquent on Bhavan’s glorious journey and the fact that the school has always lived up to its ambitious narrative of innovative education. Mrs. Divya Rajesh Ramachandran, Director, Bhavans Middle East hailed Bhavans on its stupendous growth as a frontrunner in academics and extra-curricular activities and added that the school has carved out a niche for itself. She gave a big verbal hug to her father, the Founder of Bhavans. Mr. Suresh V Balakrishnan, Vice Principal, PIES, Abu Dhabi, was effusive in his praise of the Chairman’s iconic leadership. Mrs. Sudha Ramachandran’s graceful demeanour, as is her wont, was the cynosure of all eyes as Mrs. Rathi Ravindran, Principal, Jack & Jill, felicitated her. Mrs Anselma Tessy Judeson, Senior Vice Principal, IES, took a stroll down memory lane as she recounted her long experience at IES- the unadorned tale of struggle and teamwork that propelled the school to great heights.

The dance drama lent a surreal charm to the celebrations while the audience sat riveted to the show. The first segment had enough in store to strip them of the delusion that love is a romantic passion between heart throbs. ‘Ardhanaareeshwar”, an evocative rendition of the synergy of masculine and feminine energies, sent undulating ripples of ethereal grace that wove a spell among the audience. The dance drama wormed its way into the hearts of the audience with a rich tapestry of different strands of love. True love can trump the travails of life. The segment ‘Love for Humanity’ stood out as it tugged at their heartstrings.

It has been hard work for the school, rather a foot-slogging journey to the top and its success owes to the vision of the Founder and Chairman, and the formidable team that rallies around the tremendous expertise of the Principal, that built IES as a tall, imposing edifice on the reputation map. The school stole a march over the rest in the CBSE board exams 2018-19, thanks to Mr. T. Premkumar, Principal, who teaches Chemistry (Gr 12), Mrs. Deepamol, K.S, Subject Coordinator, Math (Gr 12), Mrs. Shiji Thomas, teacher in Math (Gr 10), Mr. Babu Jacob, Subject Coordinator, Math (Gr 10), Mrs. Seema Chandrashekhar, teacher in French (Gr 10), Mrs. Marie Syril Trina, teacher in French (Gr 10), who helped students accomplish a perfect ton in their respective subjects. They were felicitated with certificates. All teachers who put in an incredible tenure of 10 years and those who hit the service milestone of 5 years, staff who maintained perfect attendance record and class coordinators too, for their substantial output, usurped the limelight on a gorgeous evening as they walked away with mementoes and certificates of appreciation. Ms. Albin Daisy (Vice Principal, SIS) and Mrs. Rajni Menon (Supervisor, Kindergarten, SIS) together proposed a poetic Vote of Thanks. Mr. Saji, Ms. Athira, Mr. Liju, and Mrs. Jezy emceed the show with accustomed ease. The lavish buffet spread for all staff and guests was the perfect epilogue to the celebrations and they had a whale of a time.

As the 14th Founder’s Day Celebrations drew to a close, Bhavans looked poised on the threshold of a more prolific journey, reinventing itself to embrace fresh challenges. The forecast has never been so bright.