Annual Day 2022

“The art of performance is a way to wash off dust from the soul”
~ The Annual Day; DPGA’s most anticipated day

Wednesday, 21st December, 2022

Lights, Camera, Action! The Annual Day at Dr. Pillai Global Academy, New Panvel was celebrated on 21st December, 2022 with much vigour and enthusiasm. The Annual Day was the most anticipated day of the year, and rightfully so. It was the day when weeks of practice and immense hard work would finally fructify. This year’s theme was “Amrit Dhara – The Spirit of India”, which celebrated the diverse culture of India. India stands as a testament to unity in diversity, with so many cultures and beliefs co-existing perfectly, which is an achievement worthy of revelry.

To begin with, the ceremonial lamp was lit by our principal, Mr. Prakash Nair. The lighting of the lamp is a symbol of hope, peace, and prosperity, and marked the commencement of DPGA’s Annual Day, 2022. India is a country that deeply values and respects the notion of “Atithi Devo Bhava”, which translates to “The guest is akin to God”. Keeping these values in mind, a graceful and elegant welcome dance was performed for the audience and the guests. The hosts for the evening were Sanskruti Jage (IBDP 2), Zainab Shaikh (IBDP 2), Tanush Biju (A Levels), and Daniel Robinson (9A) who managed and hosted the event ceremoniously and connected with the audience in a congenial manner.

The audience was then presented with a display studded with the students’ achievements of DPGA. The parents eagerly scrutinized the pictures for their children as the presentation passed by. It was simply a microcosm of the talented students of DPGA proclaiming their presence in the global scenario.
We were honoured to have luminaries as chief guests and guests of honour. Firstly, the chief guest, Shri Jatin Kishore, Commandant,102 Rapid Action Force, is a gallant officer awarded multiple accolades. Rapid Action Force, a specialized wing of the Central Reserve Police Force of India, is set up to deal with riots and riot-like situations, to instil confidence amongst all sections of society, and also, to handle internal security duty. His awe-inspiring words instilled a fresh sense of encouragement in everyone present there as his service to the nation tied back to the theme wonderfully.

The guest of honour, Dr. Lalita Dhareshwar has worked for over 45 years at B.A.R.C, in the field of High Power Lasers, Laser Plasmas & other applications. She has also been instrumental in carrying out several prestigious projects at B.A.R.C. Her knowledgeable address to the audience proved to be quite informative and thought-provoking.

Moving on, it was finally time for the most awaited part of the day, the performances! The audience cheered on as the students portrayed the diversified culture of India through the various regional dance forms including Kashmiri, Bihu, Punjabi, Goan Waltz, Kajri, Rajasthani, Goan Folk, Bharatanatyam and Thiruvathira, Bengali, Gujarati, and Maharashtrian.

The students of grades 11 and 12 performed a Retro Bollywood dance that served as a trip down memory lane for the parents present as the dance guided them through the various eras of Bollywood. Other than that, there were instrumental performances including drums, violin, and a junior and senior choir that won the audiences’ hearts with their harmonious tunes and rhythms, while instilling a sense of patriotism in everyone present. The students also performed a dazzling ramp walk to add a spark of excitement and glamour to the event. The varied types of performances tied the event together, just as the diversity in India ties it into unity.

The ecstatic energy, the flashing lights, the shimmery costumes, and the never-ending energy of the students had the audience wishing the day would never end. But alas, all good things come to an end. As the day neared the end, the air was filled with buzzing electricity as the audience swayed to the tunes of India, and as they basked in the glory of diversity and unity of this beautiful country.

The National Anthem of any country is a matter of prestige. It distinguishes citizens of one country from the other. Whenever the national anthem is sung, it not only makes you proud of your nation but fills every citizen with utmost pride and patriotic fervour, and this was exactly what happened. To mark the end of the day, everyone present sang the National Anthem with booming voices and surging pride.

As Frank Herbert rightly quoted, “There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story”, the Annual Day was just one chapter in the lasting and glorious story of DPGA. There are many more chapters to come and this chapter was indeed an unforgettable one.

Author: Kaavya Aggarwal, IBDP 1 – Editor-In-Chief