Time for a few more photographs from Kankia School. A few days ago we celebrated Saraswati Puja, one of the most important festivals of the school year. Saraswati is the goddess of knowledge, music, arts and science - so no wonder she's celebrated so enthusiastically! I'll let the photographs do the talking, as to be honest I didn't really understand what was going on!
The shrine to the Goddess Saraswati
The pupils take a hand in cooking the food - for five hundred people!
Gifts are placed in front of the shrine
A little bit too much incense at this point
People touch the flame in hope of improved knowledge (didn't help me)
At the end of the celebrations we enjoyed a wonderful feast, presented on a customary banana leave. The festivities weren't exactly over as pupils were then given coconuts to smash on a rock near the shrine. As a teacher I also took part - it took me two whacks to break my coconut!
A Puja is a Hindu day of worship - the children took weeks to make the shrine
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