Hum navyug ki nayi bharti nayi aarti.
Hum swaraj ki richa naval bharat ki nav nay ho
Aah.. the feeling, the immense pleasure every Navodayan feels after listening to the above stanza is ineffable. These few lines brought back all the golden memories…
Few days back I visited my school(I studied there from Class 6 to 10), the place where my most of the childhood blossomed. This time it has been 9 years since I passed out(Class 10) from there. To describe the scenic beauty of its geography, one will sure end with short of words ! surrounded by green Hills and River Gostani, away from all kinds Pollution, in other words, A Paradise. Before reaching there we(our friends) were in constant touch thinking about what to do once we reach there, Who all are coming, why others are unable to turn up sort of.. Everyone filled with some special excitement thinking about the day. And at last the day came !
At the age of 10, the age when a juvenile is like a malleable hot rod which is ready to take a definite shape, I joined after accused of sitting on the fence, whether to join(In order to get a seat in Navodaya School, one should qualify in the entrance exam) or not. Full of questions and undefined cerebrations entered the classroom and found the same in everyone. Class 6th students are junior most and class 12th takes the Seniors. At home, you are the darling of everyone, treated like a prince, and will never get to see the society at the raw age. This is where one can learn the social ethics(the school is a boarding school and staying in hostel is mandatory).
Daily salubrious Time Table which starts with a Morning Vistle followed by P.E.T(though it was literally pain in @$$) along with chantings of Bhagavadgita(Mainly Geethopadesam), following of Q system to get fresh up (I think here forms the first bond – “Arey Today I will run fast after P.E.T and I will keep place for u at the water Tank”), neatly groomed head, sharing and celebrating of break fast which consists different menu (Monday – soporific Bhagora, Tuesday – Infamous Idly, Wednesday – Special Khichidi, Thursday – Common Pulihora, Friday – Mucilaginous Upma, Saturday – Again Khichidi and Sunday – All time favourite Poori :P), School Prayer (Roll Call, Prayer Song, Thought for the day, Pledge, News, GK Questions, Janaganama), Sweeping Batch (we should clean our own class rooms), Classes, Lunch, Study Hours, Games & Sports, wrestling(special :P), Dinner (Aham Vaiswa Naro Bhootva … ) and apart from this, Fights between South-North, Gardening, Doordarshan programs, exams, CCAs, Saturday class room games, awesome teachers, Music Hall, Power cut bucket performances, Parents Day, Inter House competitions, Cluster level games, sharing knowledge, celebrating festivals, rain dances, Jumping over the school fence and abscond to watch newly released Old movies, SPECIAL BOOKS, Library, writing letters to home, Navodaya Special Lingo, Setti, book cricket, slate tennis.. Whoa !! So many memories.. all are cherished ones.
Now at the age of 24, visited the same place with full of memories. And now met most of my childhood partners in crime and noticed the change(physical change Only) in everyone. To my amusement, I felt the place is same as the one i spent my important part of life, irrespective of the internal structural changes. Enjoyed a lot rewinding all the stupid things.. laughing heartily with artless friends and what not ! Now I can proudly say that My Navodaya taught me how to behave in society and now I can turn my hand to anything.
