SRINAGAR: In an innovative effort to reconnect children with Kashmir’s cultural heritage and promote healthy, activity-based learning, PM SHRI Government Secondary School, Laharwalpora, on Thursday transformed its Bag-less Day into a large-scale Traditional Sports Festival, bringing together more than 500 students from five schools across the area.
The festival, which celebrated indigenous games that once formed an integral part of childhood in Kashmir, turned the school campus into a lively arena of traditional sports, creativity and community participation. Students enthusiastically participated in nearly 15 traditional games and recreational activities, many of which are gradually fading from public memory in the age of smartphones and digital entertainment.
A unique feature of the event was that much of the equipment used in the games was prepared by the students themselves, encouraging creativity, teamwork and self-reliance alongside sporting skills.
The festival was organised with the objective of familiarising students with the games once played by their parents and teachers, thereby strengthening their connection with local traditions and cultural identity. It also sought to offer a healthy alternative to excessive screen time and promote physical activity, social interaction and experiential learning.
The programme was inaugurated by award-winning educator and Head of Institution Javaid Jawad in the presence of teachers and students from Government Middle School Reshi Mohalla, Primary School Hum Mohalla, Primary School Fisherman Colony and Primary School Farhang Mohalla.
The celebrations began with the symbolic flying of a kite, setting the tone for a day filled with excitement and enthusiasm. Among the major attractions were kite flying, hopscotch, gulli-danda, Tikk Wawij, the traditional game of pebbles and several other indigenous games that drew enthusiastic participation from students.
Participants described the festival as a refreshing departure from routine classroom activities and an opportunity to experience a part of Kashmir’s cultural legacy that many had only heard about from elders.
The concluding session was attended by former Director of the Central Bureau of Communication for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Ghulam Abbas (IIS), and noted social activist and poet Rafiq Tahir Kawcheki. Interacting with students and teachers, the guests praised the school’s innovative educational approach and highlighted the importance of experiential learning, skill development and the cultivation of a strong work culture among young learners.
They commended the initiative for integrating cultural preservation with education and observed that such programmes help nurture a sense of identity, belonging and pride while also encouraging physical fitness and social engagement.
To promote reading habits among children, winners of various competitions were presented with children’s magazines instead of conventional trophies and prizes. The event also featured a special cultural segment in which poet Rafiq Tahir Kawcheki recited his Kashmiri verses on traditional games, earning enthusiastic applause from the audience.
The festival concluded on a high note, with students, teachers and guests calling for similar programmes to be organised regularly to preserve Kashmir’s rich sporting heritage and encourage meaningful engagement among children in an increasingly digital world.
