Blessing at Amritsar, class 12.

On the 22nd November, 2014, 39 students of class 12 set off for their last school trip to Amritsar, customarily marked as their blessing ceremony. They were accompanied by their teachers Dr. Anu Singh, Ms. Neha Aggrawal, Ms. Sonia Mojumdar, Ms. Sukhmeen Cheema, Ms. Pooja Bahl and Mr. Rajeev Massey.

The students enthusiastically boarded the bus at 5:30 am and then the Swarna Shatabdi Express, eagerly waiting to reach their destination. Cherishing all the good memories of the 14 years of school life set the mood of the train journey on a nostalgic note. The spirit rose on reaching Amritsar at 2 pm as we savoured traditional Amritsari food at a landmark Dhaba which was followed by a thrilling Tonga ride. This was a novel experience for all of us students as was evident from the innumerable pictures clicked to capture the moment.

The historical importance of the city came to light as we alighted at Jallianwalah Bagh. We came to know that thousands of rounds of ammunitions were shot at innocent protestors who simply sought independence for their motherland. We also saw bullet marks on the walls heartlessly showered upon the unarmed crowd by General Dyer's men during the catastrophic event. The Martyrs Well, where the patriots gave up their lives, the memorial structure with the glowing Akhand Diya to honour the patriots; the museum-- all gave us a very moving insight into the historical sacrifice.

The students entered the Golden Temple with our heads covered. An overwhelming sense of piety gripped our hearts. The soulful shabads relaxed the body, mind and soul as we bowed our heads before the holy Guru Granth Sahib. The long queue to reach the temple did not deter us and the beauty and serenity of the place was truly captivating. A delicious dinner at langar- a community meal, completed the visit to the gurudwara.

The students finally boarded their train at 11 pm with glistening eyes which had captured the moments, soon to turn into memories to be cherished forever. The trip also gave them a reality- check, as it were that their board examinations are approaching, arming them with a them with a new motivation to excel.

The students of batch 2014-15 would like to express their heartfelt gratitude towards our beloved School for organising this our 'very last school trip and giving them an experience of a lifetime.

Report by Ojasvi Jain and Hema Chakraborty, class 12.