“For the past few years, we have seen changes in our society with female priests performing the puja. Focusing on it, we wanted to show that both men and women are equal. Religion is for everyone. So, there shouldn’t be a thing like favouring one gender over another. Keeping this in mind, we invited both male and female priests to lead the puja,” said Soumik Dutta, secretary of the Saraswati Puja Committee at the school.

Bibash Saniel, the principal of the school, said pujas help foster community bonds and respect for all religions. “Through this (puja), the entire school community comes together to learn and present something unique. It promotes respect for all religions and strengthens bonds within the community,” he said.

Notably, the Scottish Church Collegiate School became a co-educational school this year, allowing admission of male students up to Class IX.

“Our school is nearly 200 years old, and with this new co-education initiative, we aim to extend its legacy for another 200 years. Despite being an English medium school where 30 per cent of students speak English as their first language, they prioritise their tradition and culture,” said Dutta.

Saraswati Puja celebration at the school also featured a display of Bengali folk arts, showcasing the cultural heritage of Bengal. Using biodegradable materials, students transformed the school grounds into a village.     (Taniya Acherjee is an intern at the Kolkata office of The Indian Express)