Citizens and residents continue to celebrate the Qatar National Day with activities of different kinds and their spirits were not dampened by the intermittent rain.
The high spirited celebrations were vividly palpable among the youngsters and the children. Everyone celebrated the day in their own way, individually and collectively. During the festivities, different national and expatriate schools were not behind in the celebrations and expressing their love for the country.
Though most of the activities, planned outdoor, had to be postponed or cancelled due to inclement weather, some of the schools and their students found time and place to express their attachment with Qatar through cultural performances.
One such activity was carried out by the young students of DPS-Monarch International School. A group of 14 students from class III to V, clad in their traditional dresses, presented classical Indian dance called Pushpanjali.
The dance performance was held at Barwa Al Baraha locality in Al Wukair area. The performance was thoroughly enjoyed by the gathering as the young students danced to the tunes of the classical music and enchanted the audience with their slow movements.
Bivyanshi Pandey, a student of Class-V, was upbeat about their dance performance. She said: “I am happy to see that people really enjoyed our dance and they clapped for us. It is nice to see all children in colourful dresses on the National Day. The weather was not so good. The teacher shortened the performance because of the rain. However, we enjoy the cool breeze and the classical dance.”
Shreye Sijulal is the student of Class-V. She said: “We have leant how to dance very good. We showed our dance talent to other people. I am happy that the gathering really loved our performance.
“I would like to be part of more dance performances. I want to become a professional classical dancer when I grow up.”
Rahul Gupta, a classic dance trainer and teacher at the school, led his students for the performance. He said: “Though the dance performance was cut short because of the rain, the children and the gathering enjoyed the show. The performance was held to show our love and attachment with our host country Qatar.
“I have prepared the young students in Pushpanjali dance. The children are very keen and enthusiastic about learning the classical dance. I think such performances are a classical way of expressing our affection for Qatar.”
Thirty one-year-old Rahul is an eminent classical dancer with expertise in Bharatnatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathak, and folk dances like Bihu. He added: “The word ‘pushpanjali’ literally means folded hands full of flowers. It is made up of two words ‘pushpa’, flower, and ‘anjali’, folded hands to show respect. It is the first dance in a Bharatha Natyam performance. It is the salutation to the guru, the musicians and the audience. It is to eliminate all the ‘vignas’ (obstacles) and to seek blessings so that the whole dance performance goes well. It is also to seek blessings from the guru and all in the audience.”
Meenal Bakshi, principal of the school, was also happy to see what she called the fascinating performance by the young students. She said: “I am happy to see the students perform well and earn the applause from the gathering.
“It was a performance to show our love and gratitude towards the host country. This way, we introduce the children to both the Indian and Qatari cultures. On the National Day, they get interested towards different things of Qatar. By performing the dance, they get closer to their native culture. All the participating students were from different states in India. Almost all of India was represented to show gratitude towards Qatar.”
ENCHANTING: The performance was thoroughly enjoyed by the gathering as the young students danced to the tunes of the classical music and enchanted the audience with their slow movements.
