Blog: SHEMROCK Group of Schools

Onam

Story

Onam is one of the harvest festivals celebrated in the southern part of India. The festival is associated with the epic of the great demon king, Mahabali, who ruled the state of Kerala a long time back. The wise and generous ruler was dearly loved and admired by his people. Soon, his popularity began to spread all across the Earth and he further extended his rule to the heavens. However, his growing power was not appreciated by the Gods and they began to fear that he might over power them. So, they approached Lord Vishnu seeking his help to curb the powers of the king. Subsequently, Lord Vishnu disguised as a poor Brahmin boy named Vamana and approached king Mahabali for alms. Being a generous king, Mahabali granted him a wish. The boy asked for a piece of land that could be covered by his three steps. The king unaware of Vamana’s capability, agreed to his wish.

Instantly, disguised as Vamana, Lord Vishnu grew in size and increased until he became as big as the universe. Taking his first step, he covered whole of the Earth and with the next step he covered the whole sky. Soon, Mahabali realized that Vamana’s third step would destroy the Earth, so he bowed before Vamana & offered his head before him to place his third step. This third & final step pushed king Mahabali to the nether world called ‘Patala’. However, since the king was beloved of his people & was attached to his kingdom, before placing the final step, Lord Vishnu bestowed him with a blessing of returning to his country once a year from the exile. So, Onam is the festival celebrated to honour the homecoming of king Mahabali.

Traditional celebrations

Onam is celebrated to acknowledge the sacrifice of the Asura (demon) King Mahabali. Onam is a 10-day long carnival which is celebrated with great pomp & splendor Kerela. Ten days of feasting, songs, traditional clap dance (Kaikottikkali), boat races etc. are an integral part of this festival. The celebrations begin from the first day, ‘Atham’ wherein people make floral decorations called Pookalam at the entrance of their homes. More and more flowers are added to the Pookalam with each passing day. Two clay made square pyramids representing Vishnu and Mahabali, are also erected in the courtyards and worshipped by offering fruits and flowers. People recite special prayers and hymns in the local temples. Besides this, a grand cultural procession exhibiting folk dances, art presentations, music, decorated elephants etc. is carried out at Thripunnithura in Kochi. Pulikali performers paint themselves as tigers and perform street plays to entertain people and story of the legendary king is enacted by Kathakali dancers. A snake boat race called ‘Vallamkali’ and a number of sports events like Kutukutu, Kayyankali etc. are also organized in different parts of the state.

Thiruvonam is the most happening and the most important day of Onam. On Thiruvonam, the celebrations commence early in the morning. People take early bath, wear new clothes and perform prayers to seek blessings from the divine lord. A sumptuous and an enormous meal called Thiruvona-Sadhya which includes around 11 to 13 traditional dishes, is also prepared.

How to celebrate Onam in school?

Celebrating Onam in school is a great way to spread a message of peace and harmony among children. Here are some tips that will help you to celebrate the festival of Onam in your school.

• Arrange a fancy dress competition and ask the students to dress up in traditional attires as king Mahabali, Lord Vishnu etc.
• Arrange a Pookalam competition wherein students will make flower rangoli.
• Help the students to prepare a small skit enacting the story of the legendary king Mahabali.
• Ask the students to perform a special puja for the deity.
• Organize games like Talappanthukali (played with ball) and Ambeyyal (Archery).

How to celebrate Onam at home?

The festival of Onam is a great time to unite with all your near and dear ones. Here are some tips on how you can celebrate Onam at home.

• Organize a get together and invite close friends & relatives over to your place.
• Involve your family members in decorating the house entrance by creating beautiful floral arrangement (Pookalam) on the floor.
• Prepare the traditional feast ‘Onasadhya’ consisting of 11 to 13 dishes and serve it to your guests on banana leaves to give it a more traditional touch.
• Prepare your children to give dance performances on popular Onam songs.
• Exchange gifts with your loved ones.

Recipes

Thiruvona-sadhya, a grand feast, is the most important part of Onam celebrations. The people of the state prepare the most sumptuous dishes which are served on banana leaves. Some of the popular onam recipes are Avial, Banana erucherry, tomato pachadi, Chana dal payasam etc.

How to make Avail

Ingredients:

½ cup Coconut (Grated)
4 Green chilies
½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 cup raw Yam (Thinly sliced into pieces)
1 cup Bitter gourd (Sliced into lengthy pieces)
¼ cup Carrot (Sliced into lengthy pieces)
½ cup Long runner-beans (Sliced into lengthy pieces)
2 Drumstick (Cut into pieces)
Curry leaves (For garnish)
3 tablespoon Coconut oil
1 Raw banana (Sliced into pieces)
Pieces of Raw mango
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Salt (To taste)

Procedure:

Prepare a paste of coconut along with green chilies and cumin seeds. Alongside heat coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel and add vegetables. Cook it on a low flame. When it is done, mix it well with turmeric powder and salt. Now, add slices of banana and mango in the cooked vegetables and cover it with the lid. When steam starts to come out, add the coconut paste and stir well. Finally, remove it from the flame and garnish with curry leaves.

How to make Tomato Pachadi

Ingredients:

6 – 7 Tomatoes (Cut into small pieces)
½ cup Tamarind pulp
1 Coconut
¾ teaspoon Mustard seeds
3 Green chilies
Salt to taste
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder

Procedure:

Grind coconut with green chilies and mustard seeds into a thick paste and keep it aside. Boil the tomato pieces in tamarind pulp with water, salt and turmeric powder. When the tomatoes are cooked add the coconut paste and mix well. Allow it boil for some time. Take it off the flame and garnish with mustards seeds and serve hot.

Onam wishes

• May the festival of ONAM bring u all the happiness and love you have ever wished for! Happy Onam!
• May God fill your heart with joy & happiness spreading the colour and lights of Onam in your life. Have a joyous & fun-filled Onam.
• May god bless you with all the happiness, health & prosperity on this festive occasion of Onam.
• May Lord Vishnu and king Mahabali bestow their blessings on you on the harvest festival of Onam.
• May the festival of Onam and sparkle of brilliance and colour to your life. Happy Onam.

Kindergarten schools play a vital role in shaping the academic career of small children by teaching them the basic skills in a relaxed and entertaining manner. Due to increasing importance of preschools in India, many people are getting inclined towards establishing their own preschool. Moreover, serving the society by delivering standard education is undoubtedly a lucrative business venture. Hence, aspiring entrepreneurs are setting up a conducive and healthy learning environment for the holistic growth of children. If you wish to set up a kindergarten school then you need to comply with the following prerequisites-

• Capital Investment

At first, you need to form a budget to set up and advertise your kindergarten school. Usually, the capital investment required for this purpose is Rs. 5 lakhs to 6 lakhs.

• Location

After you have ascertained the amount to be invested, the next step is to find a suitable location which will offer safety and accessibility. Preferably, you must look for a residential area, as parents wish to send their children to a school that is near to their home.

• Land Area

After you choose the location, now you need to acquire land. You may buy or lease a building to establish your kindergarten school. The minimum land required for this purpose is 2,000 sq. ft. which may vary depending upon the location you choose. Also, remember that children will need outdoor activities, which require a safe and secure playground. So, ensure that the area can accommodate the building as well as a playground.

• Building and Construction

Once the land area is finalized, start with the construction of your school building. The construction plan should be able to accommodate all the essential facilities that a kindergarten school must possess such as spacious classrooms, playground (including rides and outdoor playground equipment), activity area etc.

• Recruitment Process

Once the construction process is over, you need torecruit certified teachers for your preschool. Also, you need to hire well trained non-teaching staff that is competent enough to handle small children. Apart from the usual recruitment procedure, you can also seek help from an employment agency.

• Advertise Your School

Last but not the least; you need to make your brand known to the prospective parents. So, start advertising your kindergarten school. For this you can get advertisements or a feature story printed in the local newspapers about the new kindergarten in town. However, you can also implement the basic promotional techniques such as flyers, pamphlets, hoardings etc. You can even ask your friends and family to promote your playschool.

Though establishing a kindergarten is a profitable venture. However, to open a kindergarten is not an easy task as it will require a lot of advanced planning in terms of capital and time to be invested. So, it would be a wise decision to take up a franchise and reap the benefits with minimal efforts. SHEMROCK- India’s No.1 preschool chain is a renowned name in preschool education sector. SHEMROCK offers the best franchise benefits and gives an opportunity to the aspiring entrepreneurs to excel in the education sector. So, fill this Franchise Application Form and get associated with the pioneers in preschool education.

Preschools serve as the stepping stones that groom small children for their holistic growth. In India, playschools are as important as primary and secondary schools because they prepare students for higher education. Due to this reason, many people are willing to set up their own preschool. Since education industry is a recession-free sector, hence investment in starting a preschool will give the entrepreneurs an opportunity to serve the society as well as earn profits.

So, to start a preschool, consider the following prerequisites-

• The very first step to start a preschool is to ascertain the amount of capital to be invested.

The budget required to open a playschool will depend upon the location you choose. However, the average amount of investment ranges from Rs. 5-6 lakhs.

• The next step is to acquire land. The land required for this purpose is at least 2,000 sq. ft. At your discretion, the land could be taken on lease or it could be a property of your own. Make sure that the location you choose is eco-friendly and has a peaceful environment, suitable for children to learn.
• After you decide upon the location, the next step is to start the construction of your playschool. You can create a blue print beforehand, to ascertain the position of the school building, playground and other facilities like classrooms, activity area etc.
• Once your school is constructed, the next step is to hire qualified teachers and well trained staff who are competent enough to handle small children.
• The key to a successful preschool is its marketing strategy. So, the next step would be to advertise your playschool by using various promotional techniques such as pamphlets, flyers, hoardings, advertisements on T.V. and radio etc.

If you find that starting your own preschool is a complicated and tedious process, then get associated with SHEMROCK Group of Preschools, a well established name in preschool education. SHEMROCK, India’s leading chain of preschools has carved a niche for itself and offers lucrative franchising benefits. So, fill this Franchise Application Form and be a part of SHEMROCK- a brand to reckon with!

The rising demand of quality preschools is a result of the continuous increase in the population of working parents. Most of the parents rely on preschools as they provide a secure, home like learning environment for their children. Due to its increasing importance, young entrepreneurs are showing interest in investing their time and money in education sector as running a preschool is rewarding and profitable venture. Some of the requirements for opening a preschool are given below:

Business Plan

Opening a preschool is like opening any other business. So firstly, you need to develop a business plan which highlights all the necessary details that will help you to get an idea of how your school is going to be. Moreover, making a business plan gives you a rough idea of the budget that you will be requiring for the establishment of a preschool. Typically, a capital investment of Rs.5-6 lakhs is enough for opening a preschool.

Land & Location

Further, you need to find a suitable location for your school. Ensure that the location you choose must be safe and pollution free. Once you find an appropriate location, next you need to acquire the land. The minimum land requirement for opening a preschool anywhere in India is 4000-5000 sq. ft. approximately.

Licenses

Generally you don’t need any licenses to open a preschool, but some states require all preschool owners to obtain a license before opening. However, you need to get registered by the concerned government authority of the state and place a limit on the number of children you will admit.

Construction

The next step you need to undertake is, begin with the construction work. You can visit nearby preschools and kindergartens to get an overview of the interiors. Accordingly, you can plan a layout as per the requirements of your school. Once the empty space is structured into rooms, you can begin with the whitewashing and wood work. Make sure that your preschool looks colourful and attractive.

Activities & Equipment

Further, you need to stock your preschool with child safe & child accessible equipments. Buy lots of toys, puzzles, board games, colourful blocks, craft material, eating utensils etc. You can also include other activities such as toy train, swings and ball pool for the playground.

Advertising

Once your preschool is ready, the next important step is getting your name known in the society. For that purpose, you can choose from innumerable options of marketing. Some of the effective advertising methods are placing advertisements in the local newspapers or local TV channels, putting up colourful hoardings in your locality and alongside of busy roads.

Recruitment

Lastly, start recruiting potential teachers and non-teaching staff for your preschool. For that, you can set up interviews or an easy way out is to consult a recruitment agency that will help you in getting potential clients.

So, these are some of the basic requirements you need to fulfill in order to open your own preschool. However, opening a preschool on your own lays a lot of responsibility on your shoulders. So, the simplest way out is to buy a franchise from a well-established brand. Buying a franchise not only saves you from this troublesome procedure, but also gives your school a brand value.

If you like the idea of school franchise, fill this form to join hands with India’s No.1 Chain of Preschools – SHEMROCK, which boasts about having more than 175 branches all over India.

The young generation is fast realizing the importance of higher education, whose role is not only restricted to our lives, but, it also has an important part to play in the economic development of the country. Being highly educated not only benefits a person emotionally, socially and financially, but also helps to take charge of the future by opening new opportunities and boosting the earning potential and career prospects in one’s life.

Moreover, education is one of the fastest growing sectors in India and is not really effected in the times of recession, which makes it one of the most promising sectors in terms of investment as well. Hence, the aspiring educationists find it very lucrative to invest their time and money in this sector.

Starting your own college requires great commitment and effective planning.  Given below is the procedure to start own college.

• First of all, you need to form an organization or a committee with a minimum of three members and get it registered as an association under the Society Registration Act. In this committee, you can include members with entrepreneurial experience and experts who have a strong educational background.
• Next, you need to finalize your funding options. Since, you are opening an educational institution, so there will be an easy availability of loans from the banks and other financial institutions. You can also organize fundraising events to draw additional support.
• Obtaining a ‘No objection certificate (NOC)’ from the Directorate of Higher Education (DoHE) is the next important step, on the basis of which the land is allotted for the college. The society is required to fill an application form and pay an amount of Rs 10,000 every year for the renewal of the NOC.
• After securing the NOC, the next step is to acquire a suitable land and location for the establishment of the college. For that, the DoHE will forward a request to the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) who will allot a suitable land to the college authority.
• Next, you need to design an infrastructure for your college and start with the construction of the building.
• Getting affiliation from a recognized university is the next step. For that, the college authority has to fill an application form, agreeing to all the norms and the rules lay down by the university and have to pay an amount of Rs 20,000 every year to the concerned university until the affiliation becomes permanent.
• After you are done with the aforesaid formalities, further you need to decide on the degrees that your institution will offer. In case the college offers professional degrees like law or medical degree then the college is required to get it approved by the concerned committee like Bar council for law college and the Medical council for Medical college.
• Next step you need to undertake is, start recruiting a quality staff by interviewing potential educators and administrators for the college.
• Once your college is ready for the launch, you may conduct a press conference announcing the launch of your college, or you may also create a website for the college. Advertising your college through TV, newspapers, bill boards can also help you promote your college.

The above-mentioned procedure will help you through the startup process.