ZIRO, 19 Jan: As part of a cultural exchange initiative, students of Saint Claret College, Ziro (SCCZ) in Lower Subansiri district visited colleges in Goa and Karnataka as ‘cultural ambassadors’ from 2 to 18 January.
The group of 30 students interacted with students and faculty members of Nirmala Institute of Education in Panaji, St Agnes College and St Aloysius College in Mangaluru, and Mount Carmel College and St Claret College in Bengaluru.
During the tour, the student ambassadors, who were accompanied by the SCCZ principal and a few faculty members, exhibited cultural artefacts and photographs, engaged in discussions, and presented dances, songs and folklores depicting different tribes of Arunachal, the college informed in a release.
“The ‘cultural ambassadors’ is an initiative by SCCZ for which the college has signed MoUs with other institutions to facilitate cultural exchange,” it said, adding that “the MoUs were signed in September 2023 with specific clauses that provision for the colleges to visit each other with a troupe of students who will primarily showcase the culture of the state they represent.”
“SCCZ materialised the initiative by visiting the institutions and portraying the rich culture and traditions of Arunachal Pradesh,” it said, adding that “the mesmerising beauty and diversity of Arunachal Pradesh were presented through the programmes, which captivated the audiences, prompting several people to promise to visit the state and experience its richness firsthand.”
“During the 17-day programme, the students visited several important landmarks and places of historical and cultural significance, the most prominent being Bom Jesus Basilica and Se Cathedral in Goa, St Mary’s Island in Udupi, the Mysore Palace, the Mysore Zoological Park, the Brindavan Gardens, and St Philomena’s Church in Mysore, Namdroling monastery golden temple in Bylakuppe, Coorg, Chennakeshava, and Hoysaleshwara temples (historical sites) in Belur and Halebidu, the legislative house and Lalbagh in Bangalore,” the release said.
“The troupe’s visit to the ISRO’s master control facility in Hassan, Karnataka, was awe-inspiring, since the facility is of utmost importance in India’s space programme,” it said.
“The ‘cultural ambassadors’ programme of SCCZ is an offshoot of one of its values, ie, cultural tolerance, which the college encourages every Claretine to imbibe and promote,” the release stated.
