Kalavedh: Drawing Competition Held at Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai

Sir J. J. School of Art is a prestigious fine art college in Mumbai known to have produced the best artists in the country. On 8 January, the school organized a drawing competition, Kalavedh, for children upto the 12th grade, including differently-abled children.

The differently-abled children were handled with much care and kindness. They were provided with chairs and tables in a well-lit classroom of the college.

The children were sorted into their age groups and placed accordingly around the campus of the college. Each group had four topics out of which one was to be chosen to draw. The topics were varied ranging from ‘My Favourite Toy’ to ‘Imagine You Have a Super Power’, ‘Combine Two Animals to Create a New One’, ‘Imagine How God Would Look’ and ‘My Fantasy World’. The pupils had brought all their drawing sets and art material. Some were even dressed in uniform to represent their schools.

The duration of the competition was 2 hours 30 minutes. Three winners from each age group will be selected and awarded with cash prizes. The top 10 students stand a chance to win a scholarship to Korea.

As it was a sunny Sunday, the mood of the children was extremely cheerful. They were made to sit under huge trees around the old architecture of the college. The students of the college volunteered to supervise this event.

The volunteers were generous, patient and understanding towards the children, helping them with assistance to the washroom and providing them with snacks and water. They also assisted the parents and guardians in the sitting area outside the competition premises, handling their queries patiently.

The organizing team did a very detailed job in arranging food for more than 3,000 children and volunteers, and making medical arrangements such as vaccines and first-aid kits in case of emergency. There were police personnel at all entry and exit points to supervise the security of the event.

The children gained an immense sense of competition and creativity due to this competition. If rewarded with a certificate, this will stand strong in future as a mark of early achievement.