Guest Interaction: Mr. Joseph Vattakaven, Tiger Biologist

On 15^th September, students had the opportunity to interact with Mr. Joseph Vattakaven, a tiger biologist from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Over what seemed like a brief one and a half hour session, students learnt more about this iconic species. At present, there are less than 4,000 tigers in the wild, as compared to 100,000 at the start of the 20^th century. Of the ten recognized tiger subspecies, only six are remaining, and all of them have been classified as endangered by the IUCN. They are found in only thirteen countries, and nearly half of them are in India due to its contiguous forest cover.

Mr. Vattakaven spoke about their critical role in the food chain, their being an umbrella species, their flagship and charismatic value, and their ecological and economical contribution. He touched upon the tiger’s spiritual and cultural significance in India, which has contributed to its conservation efforts. He went on to detail the work of tiger biologists and shared stories from his experience in the field. He spoke about his time tracking and monitoring tigers in the wild on elephant back recording kill intervals, scavenging methods, breeding and other social behaviours. He spoke about other data collection methods, such as radio collaring and tracking tigers, collecting tiger scat and analyzing footage from camera traps. His presentation was followed by an interactive question and answer session. By the end, all went away with newfound tiger knowledge, an almost instinctive desire to participate in conservation efforts, and the realization that what was presented was only a small glimpse of this remarkable creature.

Guest Visit: Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting ​

On 5th September, Sadhguru brought a distinguished guest to IHS – Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore AVSM, Veteran Indian shooter and the current Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting. Mr. Rathore provided a brief background about himself and his journey into politics. He spoke about his school days, his time at the the National Defence Academy, and his service in the Indian Army where he retired as a Lt Colonel ​in 2013, before joining politics. He then went on to explain how he pursued his ambition to become a professional shooter. Against all odds and in an almost Ekalavya-type of scenario, he learnt the techniques of shooting indirectly from observing a mentor, and went on to win the Silver Medal in Men’s Double Trap at the 2004 Summer Olympic​s​ in Athens, as well as 25 additional International Medals over a span of four years. Mr. Rathore then engaged students in a question and answer session. Students were truly inspired by Mr. Rathore’s humility and capability to connect and articulate his experiences, and were left with a newfound sense of optimism and reassurance that dreams can be pursued so long as one maintains steadfast commitment and determination.

A Taste of Kerala Culture: IHS Celebrates Onam

Onam is a four-day festival which falls during the Malayalam month of Chingam, and is a state holiday in Kerala. This year, the Onam festival began on 13th September. Senior School Malayali students, along with the Student Council, worked together so that IHS students could experience Onam in a very traditional way. Celebrations were held on Uthradom, the first day of the festival, though Thiruvonam, or the second day, is usually the main day. The preparation began the day before with students and teachers coming together to prepare the flowers for the next day. The dress code was white and gold. Girls dressed up in white and gold kurtis and the boys wore dhotis for a change.

A special assembly was held in Tarana, which began with a comedic re-enactment of the legend of King Mahabali. Middle School students performed the traditional kaikottikali around the pookalam. Jyotsna akka sang Maharaja Swathi Thirunal’s celebrated kriti Bhogeendra Sayinam in Raga Kuntalavarali. A video by Put Chutney about how to eat on a banana leaf set everyone in peals of laughter. The video marked the end of a very cultural morning and kept all waiting for the best part of the day – Onam Sadya, or – in simpler words – the Onam feast! Banana leaves were laid out and all of us sat down for a scrumptious lunch. One by one all the items came by:- puli inji, nendran banana chips, chakka varuthathu, cabbage poriyal, olan, avial, rice, vendakka theeyel, pineapple rasam, curd, appalam, mango pickle and palada pradhaman. At 5:15pm everyone gathered again in Tarana for a pookalam competition. Junior school was divided house-wise, and Middle and Senior School were divided class-wise. Pookalams were judged on originality, colour composition, optimal use of given flowers and class/house-participation. One and a half hours flew by feverishly with each team trying to conceptualize and create their floral creations. While all the pookalams had their own charm, a few stood out, and laurels were awarded.

Junior School

Winner – Jajji House

Runner Up – Arali House

Middle School

Winner – Akashmalli Class

Runner Up – Manoranjita Class

Senior School

Winner – Class 9

Runner Up – Class 8

Onam 2016 was definitely a day to remember.