Our hosts in Bangalore are the founders of the SaPa Academy - the Subramaniam Academy for the Performing Arts: Ambi Subramaniam and Bindu Subramaniam. We offer them are heartfelt gratitude for organising a week of events and experiences that we shall always treasure. Their father, Dr L Subramaniam is the patron of SaPa and a world famous violin maestro.
While the Peace Run is in Bangalore they both celebrate their birthdays which are two days apart!
Bangalore Palace
Shravana Belagola - a sacred Jain temple nestled in the Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri hills near Bangalore
The view from the top of the 600 steps that lead up to the temple
Our first event - a visit to the National Public School in Bangalore.
These young ladies prepare to perform a traditional Bharata Natyam dance.
Natabara Rollosson from New York asks the children if they have any ideas on how we can achieve Peace in our world.
Everyone holds up their arm as if they are holding a Peace torch.
The principal, Ms Shefali Tyagi, receives a Certificate from the Peace Run team.
Everyone is delighted to be able to hold the torch and share a smile for Peace!
The children lead us on a lap of the playground
The principal leads Bindu Subramaniam and the teachers on a lap of the playground
Ambi and Bindu moving at the speed of light
The certificate takes its place in the trophy cabinet
The principal, Ms Shefali Tyagi, very kindly invites us to her office for refreshments.
The SaPa Academy offer a weekly television programme which is available in 70 countries. This week it features the Peace Run.
Dr L Subramaniam and his granddaughter Mahati hold the Peace Torch together.
The programme has been created to inspire children to learn about traditional Indian music. The garlanded picture in the background is a photograph of Dr L Subramaniam's father - V. Lakshminarayana - a pioneer who established the violin as a solo instrument in Indian music.
Our next visit is to Delhi Public School.
Gita (left) organised our visit to Delhi Public School. Krish (right) is an exceptional student, who raised money for children with serious health disabilities. The money raised enabled these children to have medical treatment that saved their lives. His compassionate and selfless efforts have inspired his fellow students and demonstrated the essential message of the Peace Run. The Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run awarded him the Torch Bearer Award.
The children enthusiastically carry the torch into the playground.
Krish leads the runners. Following close behind is Anna from Norway.
Manjula Subramaniam, the principal, and her colleagues display some of the artwork which we will take to Rome.
We are welcomed by Mrs Bolar to Innisfree House School in Bangalore. Mrs Bolar founded the school in 1985 and has seen it grow from a handful of students to more than 6000.
Dancers perform a mesmerizing Bharata Natyam dance.
Young children age 5 perform a song highlighting the many peoples and traditions that make up India.
Mrs Bolar receives a print of a painting by the founder of the Peace Run - Sri Chinmoy. The painting is titled 'Life'.
Students offer paintings they have created to the Peace runners.
B.S. Prashanth, a Mridangam player who works with SaPa, holds the torch in front pf a display of pictures on Peace.
The dancers run a lap of the playground with the Peace torch.
The teachers run a lap of the playground most enthusiastically.
Mrs Bolar surrounded by her wonderful students.
The name of this school was chosen by Mrs Bolar and inspired by the poem by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats:
I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree,
And a small cabin build there, of clay and wattles made;
Nine bean-rows will I have there, a hive for the honey-bee,
And live alone in the bee-loud glade.
And I shall have some peace there, for peace comes dropping slow,
Dropping from the veils of the morning to where the cricket sings;
There midnight’s all a glimmer, and noon a purple glow,
And evening full of the linnet’s wings.
I will arise and go now, for always night and day
I hear lake water lapping with low sounds by the shore;
While I stand on the roadway, or on the pavements grey,
I hear it in the deep heart’s core.
