Date:19/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/19/stories/2008071960071100.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Creativity runs riot at competition

Staff Reporter

TIRUPATI: Over 1,000 students from 50 schools in Tirupati took part in the painting competition conducted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at the sprawling Lotus Temple premises here on Thursday.

ISKCON conducts such competitions for school/college students every year around this period of the year and gives prizes on Janmashtami eve.

Students of I - III class formed into sub-junior group were supplied the outlined picture of Mother Yasodha reprimanding little Krishna for breaking the cheese pitcher, on which they had just to apply colour appropriately.

The other two groups junior (IV to VII class) and senior (VIII to X) had to make out a theme from among the topics given, draw a pencil outline and colour it, which most of them did with amazing perfection.

The students had to choose from spiritual themes from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Krishnaleela, Dasavatharam and portraits of other mythological characters like Hanuman, Indra etc.

ISKCON’s Tirupati head Revati Raman Das inaugurated the event by lighting a traditional lamp and addressed the participants.