SINGAPORE, 26 APRIL: The students of GIIS Queenstown campus brought home the First, Second and consolation prizes vanquishing stiff competition from strong candidates of over thirty other schools, during their maiden participation in the ‘Science of Tamils’ event. The competition was organised by the Annamalai University Alumni Association as part of the Tamil Language Festival held on 21st April at the Umar Pulavar Tamil language centre.

Three teams of Tamil language students from GIIS presented their research on different topics ranging from ancient architecture, steel-making and traditional medicine at the event, where acclaimed writer and Administrative Service Officer Dr. V. Irai Anbu was the guest of honour. Dr Anbu presented the prestigious awards to the winners of the competition.

GIIS students Nandini Prabakharan and Shreya Mahendran won the first prize for their impressive presentation on Tamil people’s contribution to the development of Science and Technology. The IB year 1 students passionately spoke about the intricate architecture of ancient Tamil Temples built in India thousands of years ago. They spoke about the correlation between the temple’s stature and design with the Tamil language. For instance, the height of the Sivalingam temple shares the same measurement with that of the Tamil Vowels at 12 feet.  

The dynamic duo also spoke about how ancient scientists and architects of the time made small, precise holes measuring 3mm around the compound of the temple at a time when technology didn’t exist. It still remains a mystery how or why these holes were made. They concluded the presentation by saying that the Tamil culture and language has strategically been preserved through the temples’ architecture for millenniums.

The students were beaming with a sense of pride as they reaped the results of their hard work. “It is a dream come true for me to see my students on stage. We have been working very hard to fulfil this achievement”, said Ms L Radhika, the HOD of Tamil Language at GIIS.

The participation has given GIIS students a sense of immense appreciation for their culture and broadened knowledge of their roots.