Patna: Patna Women’s College celebrated Organic Makar Sankranti with a two-day programme on January 12 and 13, highlighting sustainability, tradition and community participation on its campus in Patna.
The celebrations were organised in collaboration with the college’s Eco Task Force, Srishti Club and the Patna Women’s College Alumni Association. The programme began on January 12 with a traditional khichdi feast for faculty and staff, organised as a prelude to the festival under the guidance of senior faculty members.
On January 13, the focus shifted to student-led activities with a kite-making competition and exhibition. Makar Sankranti, which marks the end of winter and the Sun’s transition into Capricorn, symbolises the beginning of the harvest season and is celebrated across India under different names such as Lohri, Pongal and Bihu.
The exhibition featured a range of colourful and creatively designed kites, which were evaluated by a panel of judges comprising Dr Neetu from the department of zoology, Dr Devina Krishna from the department of English and Dr Priyanka Singh from the department of fashion designing.
The winners of the competition were announced by Dr Shobha Shrivastava, dean of the faculty of science and head of the department of zoology. The first prize was awarded to Parno Shree and Adya Singh from the department of history, while Riya Singh and Preety Singh from the department of zoology secured second place. The third prize went to Pratibha and Rajnandani from the department of English.
The programme also included a symbolic “Earth Tax” ceremony, led by Dr Sister M Rashmi AC, in which faculty members and students pledged to protect the environment by offering a fistful of rice as a gesture of commitment to sustainability. The celebrations concluded with teachers and students taking part together in kite flying on the campus grounds.
The event was coordinated by Meenakshi Mishra, coordinator of the Srishti Club, and Dr Shobha Shrivastava, vice-president of the Eco Task Force, and was held under the supervision of Dr Aparajita Krishna and Dr Sumeet Ranjan.
