Iconic heritage sites of Jaipur bathed in yellow light to underscore importance of girls’ education

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

JAIPUR: The iconic heritage sites of the Pink City Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, were bathed in bright yellow last weekend as part of a landmark illumination event.

Child Rights and You (CRY), a Indian non-profit working with children, organized this event as part of their pan-India– an awareness initiative to underscore the importance of girls' education.

On July 20 and 21, Hawa Mahal, Albert Hall, and Jantar Mantar were decked up with bright yellow lights – the signature colour of the child rights organisation – to spread the message of the campaign.

The illumination event, organised in collaboration with the Archaeology and Museum Department (Government of Rajasthan), aimed to draw public attention to the campaign which is centred on the issue of girls' education in India.

This came as part of CRY's seven-week-long campaign that was launched on June 24th to raise awareness and bring in change to the deep-rooted societal mind-set of gender discrimination leading to deprioritising girls' education.

Soha Moitra, the Regional Director of CRY (North) and the Functional Director of Programme wing of the organisation said, "Ensuring higher secondary education for girls is non-negotiable for their empowerment and the nation's development. We were grateful to the authority of the Archaeological Survey of India, as they came forward to extend support in illuminating Jaipur's iconic heritage sites, which perfectly aligned with our cause. While girl child education remains a pressing concern in many parts of India, leveraging our state's rich cultural heritage to champion this crucial cause sent a powerful message."

Elaborating on the objective of the campaign, she said, "We need targeted interventions, adequate public provisioning, and robust enforcement of laws against child marriage, especially in states like Rajasthan, where these issues are more prevalent. Most importantly, we need to generate mass awareness and social resonance around girls' education. By lighting up Jaipur's landmark heritage sites, we literally and figuratively highlighted this vital issue, hoping to inspire change not just in the state, but also across India."

Appreciating CRY's initiative, Superintendent of Albert Hall, Mohammad Arief said, "The campaign by CRY to promote complete education for girls was commendable. Illuminating heritage sites amplified this initiative, symbolizing how these historic monuments stand tall - much like the aspirations we have for our girls' education. This powerful visual metaphor connected our rich cultural heritage with our commitment to a brighter future for all children, particularly girls who often face barriers to completing their education."

Meanwhile, Sarojini Chanchlani, the Superintendent of Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar, praised this initiative by CRY and its partner organization Development Initiative Society, Jaipur, saying, "On July 20 and 21, 2024, the heritage sites Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar were illuminated with yellow lights to raise awareness about the importance of education in society and its impact."

The "Poori Padhai Desh Ki Bhalai" campaign, running till the August 15, aims to increase enrollment and retention of girls in primary through higher secondary education. CRY engaged all its stakeholders including families, educators, community members, state authorities, students, media, corporate, and the general public.