Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (NR)
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
 
Mangalore, Feb 2: The three-day ‘Children’s Carnival 08’ set within an sprawling 300 acre scenic land received a thumping response from schools all over the district, once it was inaugurated here on Friday February 1.  
Students from standard V to IX were exposed to science, wildlife, heritage and culture due to this attempt on part of the Pilikula Nisargadhama Society (PNS). Plans are also afoot on part of the organizers to expand the reach of this carnival to students in Udupi district next year.  

The carnival was inaugurated at the PNS premises by the up-and-coming magician Shama Parveen Taj and another young artiste Varun Rao in the presence of hundreds of their counterparts from various schools across the district. In a unique style of inauguration Shama whisked out a sandalwood garland from an empty box and garlanded ZP chief Sucharitha Shetty. According to Shama the children’s carnival was a good platform for the students to exhibit their talents.  

"Students must develop a scientific bent of mind and grow up to be responsible citizens of the nation who will value nature and nurture it rather than destroying it blatantly," urged Sucharitha Shetty in the course of his presidential address. Also on the occasion, a quiz show for the students was organized by the Karnataka Milk Federation. Deputy commissioner M Maheshwar Rao, Science Centre director Prof K V Rao, Pilikula Nisarga Dhama executive director J R Lobo and others were present at the programme.

According to Lobo, the aim of the carnival was to allow children to roam around the society campus, which a biological park, water park, science centre, wildlife botanical garden, artisans’ village and heritage centre to explore it and pursue their own interests.  Children could be seen thoroughly enjoying the biological park and the water park.

The BASF's kids’ lab consisting of various aspects of science and NIT-K's working model laboratory, had hordes of students congregating near each and every science model kept in this science centre, looking at it with wide-eyed wonder and curiosity to know about its functions. Some students enjoyed the kaleidoscope while others learnt how whirlpools were formed in water. Many more were fascinated by an electronic machine which shows the weight of an individual in the nine planets.  

All in all the students loved the concept of learning some of the important chapters of physics from their syllabus in a different way. According to Prof K V Rao of BASF the objective was to make children enjoy science and help them to relate to life. He explained that the entire purpose of the centre is to develop the scientific bent of mind in students and make them learn science enjoyably.

Moreover, a kids’ lab was set up by BASF in which about six batches of students were taught snow ball, jolly-jelly, burning ink, magic fire and liquid concrete by BASF professionals and BEd graduates from St Ann’s College. These budding scientists were given with masks and goggles and could be seen deeply engrossed in doing the experiments. This lab would continue for five days though the carnival itself ends on Sunday February 3.

Different departments of National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) too exhibited some of the models at ‘Gutthu Mane’ in the Nisargadhama premises.  NITK's lab had various models of engines (miniatures). Though the models exhibited were a bit complicated for the kids to understand, the models in its own way showed excellence. According to Lobo the first day was devoted to painting competition, the second would be for singing and on the third day there would be a skit competition on the theme 'Planet Earth'.

The All Terrain Vehicles (ATV) of the SAE Baga was hugely popular with the kids; in fact it was so marvelous that even DC M Maheshwar Rao too could be heard soliciting information on how the vehicle performs. According to P Mohan, the faculty advisor for the SAE Baga team, the vehicle was manufactured at a cost of Rs 1.4 lac and the speciality of the vehicle is that it can run on difficult terrain such as sand, wet land etc.