- The School, The Fabindia School: Welcome to the Series of The Fabindia School, Bali, Rajasthan.
Disclaimer: (1) Due to the unmatched, precious energy & system of the School, Avinash Singh Sadana almost forgot to pick up phone from his pocket & even call his home. (2) Pictures don't justify the actual feel of being at the School. (3) Once been there, you won't resist to not to visit again.
Just 1 & half months after my leg injury, & sitting on bed & gaining all the knowledge of everything from Books & courses, I got a chance to visit Rajasthan. Never had I visited Rajasthan, but fortunately Meemansha a friend of mine & Anniket Parmar (my close friend) invited us to visit her School, The Fabindia School, which was a CSR & a visionary project of Fabindia (Indian Clothing Brand) & John Bissell. Around 31 years back.
By Having not been able to ride my bicycle, we mounted them on rack on our Car & started this journey in November beginning, from Vadodara to Bali, Pali District Rajasthan.
I was happily enjoying a long trip after sitting on bed for 2 months, but mind was taken over by thoughts of meeting amazing kids of Oratory Club of School & organize G.D. Sessions, Talks, Jamming Sessions, Sports, bicycle ride & a nightstay too, with the Kids. SEE, WHAT AN AMAZING SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF RAJASTHAN ALLOWING THIS!
Nonetheless, the magic doesn't happen without the magician, and we got chance to my The Principal Mrs. Rajashree Sihag, who is the leading energy & mind for the School & kids & her amazing journey, that aimed to hold the Roots stronger, to grow Taller & Wiser.
Covering almost 430 KM, we reached school Post-sunset. We were astonished to see Principal Ma'am & students welcoming us even at that time. Meanwhile, a heads up to the sky had us to see Stars so clearly that made us realize our presence on earth.
After a good talk & a school-made + home-made dinner, me & aniket prepared ourselves for the activities for the students for the next day, the D-Day.
Thanks Sahil Vaishnav, Ishan Sayyed, Sanket & Aanas.
- The Stories, The Fabindia School (2/3)
The Poetry - Just after spending a night there & we woke up got ready & went for a lil' spin on the ground even before the students came. Cause ofc, we wanted to welcome them at their entry gate.
Sitting on the ground under the tree, suddenly a poet rose within me & I wrote this:
-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-
There are more than 100 places I've been that I don't remember. All the places had their own culture and vibrations. All the places belong to the eternal being. But only A few of them got a place in my heart. I just spent a night here and I'll tell you this place has a soul. A Soul of Focus, a soul of growth, a soul of happiness, a soul of peacefulness and a soul of humanity. but, how does that even makes sense?
I know, I'm yet to discover more of it, and do not even want to land on conclusions. still, for this morning, I'll say...
You guys are the soul. Because Just a normal school doesn't make people travel from Boundaries across.
- A Poetry, literature, Fab India School, 4th Nov 2022
-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-
which Later on, I recited in the morning assembly.
What a powerful energy this place has. This makes me remember of the time of Gurukul. As Meemansha, had described me about the school, I picture in mind about it was children shall be studying under a tree.
I was lil' surprised that it is a CBSE school. I completed my School from a Government Granted, State Board School & for us then, CBSE people were a level up.
The Architecture of the School has many little single story structure consisting of 5-6 classes each, spread in a way that All of them as easily seen from the Principal's main window. Designed a such a beautiful way that it remains cool & trees & an artificial Forrest which were planned 3 decades back. 2 Huge Grounds to Play, study & give exams.
Students have 0 hesitation when it comes to Sit on ground, cause that's how it's done there. Yes, there are cool classrooms, but what's cooler is, the classes & exams happen on the ground, under the trees.
Balanced importance are given to the children when it comes to Art, Dance, Sports, Study, Innovation & any other out of the box. They have weekly newsletters & videos recorded in a Studio like environment too.
It happened. I was working with the music teacher for updating the morning prayer song in Computer Lab. When I finished the work, I saw 9th Class children doing some HTML & other creative stuff. When I asked sir, he told me that they were making Annual Day's Website, Apps and Games. :)
Another one. The Day I came back, I was talking to one of the student on whatsApp. I asked what did they do that day. They (of class 11th-12th Sci) told that they were making Notice Board with Artificial Intelligence.
There's a 3D printer in School, which is in Daily use. Thanks to their Sir whose story is even more inspiring.
That the we took some Groups Discussion sessions, visited the school & met the teachers.
The Best part was the talking with all the Students, also connecting with them one-to-one. Danced too. This was just the starting, Because for next 1 & half day, the activities planned were - Evening Sports, Jamming session, nightstay, Morning & Evening Cycling Rides & Another day with nothing planned, but just to mix with the students & live life from their perspective.
Big Thanks to Anniket Parmar & Rajashree Sihag
- Bicycle & Exploration, The Fabindia School (3/3)
November, in endurance sports, is marked as the beginning of marathon & cycling season, atleast in India, and it was actually the beginning of something very unplanned.
Yes, me & Aniket went for many activities planned for the Fabindia School, in which cycling was one of them. Cycling for us, isn't limited to sit on bikes & move, but every ride is always a journey rather a different story.
Post jamming sessions, sports, leadership activities & nightstay, we all prepared for a Cycle N' Chai Ride with students at Bali, Rajasthan. I was fortune to see the energy they all had for the ride and little nervous because I was gonna sit on cycle after exact 2 months due my Jones Fracture.
2 Rides in a Day of 20km & 10km, with Chai, were enough to spark the passion of Cycling in Fabindian Students.
And guess what! In the Evening Ride, Mrs. Rajeshree Ma'am, become the part of the CNC Ride guided us to the best Chai Location near the Bali Town & gave us the Idea to Start Cycle N' Chai Community in Bali, Pali, Rajasthan too. Which was an unexpected twist, for which I'm grateful till today. Also, the evening Ride went beautiful with the Sunset.
The next day we had leave the School, but these 2 days created such an Unbreakable Bond that it become a part of our story.
After few days, Cycle N' Chai Bali got created, and Sahil, Ishan, Mitanshu, Ronit & few others went for few rides. I got stunned knowing they just didn't ride but also, climbed a hill & watched sunset.
(which I won't recommend any of you atleast now to climb hills during but the Josh & Energy was unmatched. My respect for the students increased like anything) Great Going Guys!
Now, we are waiting for the Right time to visit the school again & actually make the Spark turn into a Fire to warm the Hearts of the Students & fill them with More Life & Ambition.
Big Thanks to Rajeshree Ma'am, Anniket Parmar, Meemansha, the tachers & The Fabindia School. Grateful!
#TheFabindiaSchool #Fabindian #Bali #Pali #Rajasthan #Falna #BaliRajasthan #Life #Fabindia