Robots, recycled art take centre stage at mega student fest

Kolkata: Sri Sri Academy, Kolkata, hosted the inaugural edition of Srishti 2026 — an inter-school tech and cultural fest — on May 8 and 9, 2026, at its Alipore campus. Centred on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the two-day celebration brought together 16 schools and hundreds of students across 12 events bridging technology, culture, and the arts — serving as a collaborative platform for schools to innovate, co-create and celebrate the pure joy of creation.Day 1 began with a choir by Sri Sri Academy students, followed by lamp lighting, judges’ felicitation and a lively opening dance. Chief guests Tanushree Shankar and Pandit Pradyut Mukherjee spoke on India’s cultural heritage and the ceremony closed with a yoga performance themed “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam”, embodying the fest’s spirit.Day 1 featured six events: Sri-Vehemence, where schools staged theatrical skits on the challenges of adolescence followed by live improvisation; Sri-Karushilpo — A Symphony of Skill and Soul — which challenged teams to sculpt wood, iron and recycled materials on the theme “Neuromorphic Ecosystem”; Sri-Electra, in which teams designed Bluetooth-controlled robotic cars with laser modules to navigate a renewable-energy course aligned with SDG 7; Sri-YantriX — Engineering Innovation with Speed Across Every Obstacle — featuring self-built robo-cars racing across sand, gravel, rocks and water; Sri-Nava-Tarang — Nine Waves of Emotion, One Ocean of Dance — a group dance competition based on Navarasa; and Sri-Vaad-Vivaad — When Words Win Wars — where two speakers per school debated for and against a given motion.Day 2 expanded with six more events. Sri-memoir showcased student documentaries narrating autobiographies of tangible heritage places in Kolkata. Sri-venture had teams create interview-style documentaries on small local businesses, exploring their struggles and social impact. Sri-jigyasa tested knowledge on Global Sustainability and the UN SDGs. Sri-licious celebrated India’s culinary diversity through vegetarian cuisine from allotted states. Sri-mphony brought Indian-western fusion music to the stage, and Sri-weavolution reimagined fashion as a voice for equity and sustainability.Sri Sri Academy dominated the results. Delhi Public School, Howrah, clinched the coveted Champion School title at the overall SRI-LOTTOMA awards, with MP Birla Foundation Higher Secondary School securing the runner-up trophy.Sri Sri Academy put on a dominant performance across multiple events, capturing the winner’s trophy in Sri-Electra, Sri-Vehemence, Sri-karushilpo, Sri-licious, and Sri-nava-tarang. The academy also secured podium finishes as first runner-up in Sri-venture, Sri-mphony, and Sri-weavolution, alongside a second runner-up finish in Sri-Jigyasa.Other participating schools shared the remaining honours. Sri-YantriX was won by St. James’ School, Sri-Jigyasa went to Ruby Park Public School, and Sri-weavolution was claimed by Mahadevi Birla Shishu Vihar. In the cultural events, The BSS School took the top spot for Sri-memoir (with Modern High School winning Best Teaser), while DPS Howrah added to its tally by winning Sri-mphony.