A magical RYLA at Ellora Caves
One day, during a conversation two Rotary club presidents from nearby districts, RIDs 3132 and 3060, got an idea of conducting an inter-district RYLA at the Ellora Caves, the UNESCO World Heritage site, with the theme ‘Culture, art and cinema’ for school students.
As RC Dhulia is holding RYLAs for the last 15 years at different places, “RC Aurangabad president Shripad Kulkarni broached the idea with his brother Mahesh Kulkarni, who leads the Dhulia club, for a joint RYLA. And they chose Ellora, a scenic landscape with caves, best suited for a three-day camp where the students could relax as well as learn about the heritage of our country,” says project counsellor Sarita Lonikar.
It was a transformative three-day stay for 80 high school students from Aurangabad, Dhulia, Surat and Latur at a scenic resort near the heritage site. On the first day, soft skills trainer Devdatta Gokhale from Jalgaon spoke about “connecting with new people to foster a spirt of unity” at the session on ‘Fort and Leadership’. This session drew a parallel between India’s resilient forts and our past leaders. The day ended with a campfire where students bonded over music and some lovely stories.
It was a nerve-biting experience for the students the next day to walk through the caves amid thick vegetation. Prof Yogita Mahajan from MGM College, Aurangabad, spoke on filmmaking and “the creativity behind the big screen.” This was followed by a skit on mobile addiction with a message for balanced use of technology. The day was wrapped up with a talent show and DJ party.
On the final day, “we trekked to the Jogeshwari temple, and lost our hearts to the beautiful landscape. Also, a workshop on cinematic art gave a peek into the world of tinseldom,” says Sarita. Rtn Suresh Sonone guided the participants in building a replica of Fort Raigad which helped them appreciate historical forts and the importance of teamwork.
Addressing the students, RID 3132 DG Suresh Saboo urged them to “avoid screen addiction, and obey your teachers and parents. Think positively, and work hard to succeed.” His district has plans for a similar RYLA with RID 3141 at a military campus in Aurangabad. PDG Rukmesh Jakhotiya, DGE Sudhir Lature, and District Youth Service director Nitin Kudale were present at the inaugural session. RYLA t-shirts, certificates and stationery items were given to all students.
Recalling some exciting moments at the Ellora, Siddhi Takey (Class 9) says she is now able to “communicate effectively after the RYLA. My behaviour has changed for good.” Another student, Yashodeep Pawar (Class 10) from Satara, a film buff, is happy that his “skills in scriptwriting have improved and I got some good tips to hone my acting techniques too.”
Summing up the event, Sarita Lonikar says, “It is truly inspiring to witness the transformation in young people who came together with a shared purpose. They all brought their unique energy which enriched us all at the RYLA.” Project chairs Sayali Virgaonkar (RC Dhulia) and Pankaj Loya (RC Aurangabad) took care of the logistics. The programme was co-hosted by RCs Aurangabad East and Latur Mid Town.
