On October 4, 2025, Maharana Mewar Public School, City Palace, Udaipur, hosted its much-awaited annual English literature festival, Verbalia 2025, celebrating eloquence, creativity, and critical thinking.

The festival commenced with a grand inauguration ceremony, graced by Dr. Hemendra Singh Chandalia, Professor of English at Rajasthan Vidyapeeth, Udaipur, as the Chief Guest. The school’s Honorary Director, Satish Kumar Sharma, welcomed the dignitaries and members of the distinguished judging panel with floral bouquets.

The judging panel included Dr. Anju Beniwal and Prof. Savita Vardiya (Rajasthan Government Meera Girls College, Udaipur), Deepika Wali (renowned English educator), Dr. Vishakha Singh (academic and researcher in Nutrition Science), Dr. Sonal Kanthalia (educator, Rajasthan Government), and Jyoti Pandey (educator, Rajasthan Government). Speaking to participants, Satish Kumar Sharma emphasized the importance of introducing students to English literature alongside their mother tongue, Hindi, to encourage holistic development.

In his keynote address, Dr. Chandalia inspired young minds to hone their communication skills and highlighted the lasting value of clear expression in all areas of life. He appreciated the school for organizing attractive cultural programs at the festival’s outset and generously donated three of his authored books to the school library, enriching its literary collection.

Around 70 talented students from various CBSE schools in the city participated in competitions including poetry recitation, storytelling, turncoat debates, and extempore speeches, showcasing multiple literary and artistic aspects of English literature.

Primary category winners:

Poetry Recitation: 1st – Shaurendra Nath Chakravarti (Seedling), 2nd – Devegya Menaria (St. Anthony), 3rd – Rinkle Jain (St. Grigorius)

Storytelling: 1st – Bhavini Bhatnagar (St. Anthony), 2nd – Akshraj Shrimali (Seedling), 3rd – Ishita Varshney (St. Grigorius) & Tvesha Deshmukh (The Junior Study)

Middle category winners:

Debate: 1st – Vidhi Jain (MMPS), 2nd – Vaibhavi Vyas (St. Anthony), 3rd – Fatima Byawarwala (Seedling)

Extempore Speech: 1st – Dhairya Kothari (St. Paul), 2nd – Ananya Kabra (St. Anthony) & Ashar Hussain (MMPS), 3rd – Sonakshi Gidwani (St. Grigorius)

Senior category winners:

Debate: 1st – Shreya Maheshwari (MMPS), 2nd – Akshaya Prajapati (The Study), 3rd – Chaitanya Yogesh Gavli (DPS)

Extempore Speech: 1st – Paridhi Sethi (MMPS), 2nd – Nayomi Menaria (St. Anthony), 3rd – Prisha Gulati (Neerja Modi)

Overall school rankings: 1st – St. Anthony, 2nd – Maharana Mewar Public School, 3rd – Seedling School.

The closing ceremony was presided over by Regional Transport Officer and esteemed civil servant, Gyandev Vishwakarma, who awarded the winners. Presenting the winner’s shield to St. Anthony School, he praised Dr. Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, highlighting the school’s guidance in creating a stress-free environment conducive to student development.

Finally, Abhilasha Sharma, Head of the English Department, expressed gratitude to all guests, organizers, speakers, and participants for their support. The festival concluded with the National Anthem, marking the successful culmination of Verbalia 2025.

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