Devarsh Bhatia, a Class VI student of South City International School, became the only winner from Calcutta in his age group at The Heritage Olympiad held recently.
The Heritage Olympiad is India’s first online Olympiad on culture and heritage. It was open to all age groups — from classes V to XII, university level and heritage enthusiasts.
Devarsh’s passion for history and heritage of India paid dividends, as the 11-year-old was one of the top-ranked performers at the Olympiad, organised by Cultre, a cultural enterprise, and supported by Unesco, New Delhi.
“There were four age groups, and I was in Group 1 that was meant for classes V to VII. They had given us study material, covering an array of domains — from important people who played a role in shaping Indian history to the built heritage such as museums and architectural sites, literature and languages, natural environments, performing arts and rituals. We had to answer 100 questions, and the top 25 scorers from each group were named. There were hundreds of participants from all across India,” said Devarsh.
Devarsh always takes special interest in museums and places of historical importance. An admirer of Mughal and Rajput architecture, he has undertaken heritage tours of Calcutta quite a few times.
“Devarsh always insists on hiring guides while visiting any heritage spot and listens to them carefully. Rajasthan is one of his favourite destinations as the old palaces attract him a lot. He likes to read and hear about stories of the past,” said Devarsh’s mother Monisha.
However, Devarsh’s dream destination is Egypt. “I have read a lot and watched several YouTube videos on Egypt. I simply fell in love with the country and wish to go there someday,” said Devarsh.
South City International School principal John Bagul is all praise for Devarsh and his achievement. “I am personally passionate about the glorious history of Calcutta and India. I always try to pass on this passion to my students through various platforms. We used to encourage our students to visit various monuments in pre-Covid times with their families as summer projects,” said Bagul.
