Celebs on Vidyarambham:A day to honour gurus and embrace learning

Vidyarambham on Vijayadasami is significant for artists and anyone pursuing a form of learning. While it marks the beginning of formal education for some, for others, it is an opportunity to start afresh and hone their craft. Celebrities share how they marked the special day.I started with the initiation of new students: Vineeth Actor-dancer Vineeth turned teacher a while ago, and his Vidyarambham begins with initiating new students at his dance school, followed by pujas rooted in his guru’s traditions.“Every year, we have a ritualistic celebration with chilanka puja and Saraswathi puja. After that, we wear the bells and perform guru parampara vandanam, a tradition I learnt from my guru, Sree Padma Subrahmanyam. I follow her pedagogy and the way she conducts the Vijayadashami rituals. We begin with basic adavus and wrap up the celebrations with performances by senior students.“When you start teaching, you realise the value of teaching. You become a student again! I am enjoying that phase now,” he says.My fans did something special for women auto drivers: AnumolActress Anumol celebrated Vijayadashami in a unique way with the support of her fans. She began the day by calling her gurus and seeking their blessings. However, a special initiative by her fan group made the occasion even more meaningful.“A group of fans called Anumol Fangirls, who are like family to me, sponsored auto pujas for 50 women auto drivers in Chennai. They also provided first-aid kits, water bottles, bags, power banks and six months’ worth of sanitary pads. I took part in the initiative to support them and thank them. On a day when we begin learning, doing something like this for women, by women, is heartening,” she says.Anumol makes it a point to meet her teachers wherever she is, depending on who lives nearby. “There are teachers who taught me different things. Whichever city I am in, I try to meet those who are closer to the place,” she says.She also begins the day by writing Om Hari Shree Ganapathaye Namah. “Unlike in our childhood, I now read texts on my phone. Those days when we would accidentally read something on TV and run to our mothers to ask if it was okay to do so during puja are long gone! I have also had the fortune of initiating Vidyarambham for children,” she adds.Every Vidyarambham, I become a student: Rachana NarayanankuttyActress-dancer Rachana Narayanankutty marked the day by introducing her students to a new subject — a global perspective on the Natyasastra.“It is about connecting the Natyasastra with global art forms, and it has a philosophical aspect. Our classes began with that. I had dance sessions for all my students, both online and in person. I still have more classes to take in the afternoon. Later, I will visit my teachers, Thrissur Janardhanan Mash and Gita Padmakumari Teacher, and offer them dakshina,” she says.Her day will not end until she finishes classes with her students based in the US and Canada.For Rachana, Vidyarambham is as much about learning as it is about teaching. “Every Vidyarambham, I become a student. The quality we need as artists is the willingness to remain a student. We can learn a lot from each of our students, and I eagerly look forward to discovering what I can learn from them. Every student is an individual, and each has a different approach to art. There is so much to learn from them,” she says.Get the latest Bollywood & Entertainment News, and more. Download the TOI app.Give your child the gift of confidence! Claim your exclusive TOI Masterclass spot today!