Along the open-air hallways of the Kadjou building at Ullens School, vibrant color now fills spaces that were once charred by fire. Students, teachers, walk together in quiet reflection, taking in hundreds of photographs, paintings, and written reflections. The exhibition, titled Kharani Mathi ko Ujyalo (“Light Above the Ashes”), marks the one-year anniversary of the destruction that shook the school grounds. Across every display, a single narrative stands out: the profound spirit of resilience that guided the community from total loss back to everyday life.
The foundation of the event traces back to September 9, 2025, a date the institution solemnized as “A Dark Day.” Following intense urban unrest on September 8, students were attending online classes from home when news reached them that the Khumaltar facilities had been vandalized and engulfed in flames. Watching remote screens from afar, the community learned that classrooms, school buses, and administrative centers had suffered extensive damage. The sudden loss of their physical learning environment created a moment of deep uncertainty for students of all ages.
Rather than looking away from the tragedy, the Khumaltar community chose to process the experience openly. The exhibition confronts the emotional and physical impact of the crisis head-on, balancing raw history with stories of recovery. Monochrome photographs detailing the immediate aftermath of the fire hang alongside bright watercolor scenes painted by primary students. Personal essays line the walkways, documenting how educators kept classes running online during the emergency and how staff, families, and neighbors united to clear the grounds and rebuild the entire infrastructure.
Poetry pinned to the walls highlights the transition from displacement to hope, anchoring the experience in Ujyalo, or the light that emerges after hardship. Younger children paused to read peer reflections on courage, while older students examined visual timelines showing the step-by-step restoration of their school spaces. Every corner of the exhibition demonstrates how creative expression helped turn a painful memory into a shared story of strength and perseverance.
Ultimately, the exhibition stands as both an essential record of history and a quiet celebration of renewal. By gathering to walk these corridors together, students, teachers, and families view their campus not as a place marked by past crises, but as living proof of community endurance. While buildings can be restored brick by brick, the true foundation of Ullens School remains the unshakeable resilience of its people.
Photo Gallery
To view the full photo album capturing the artwork, student reflections, and moments from the “A Dark Day” commemoration exhibition, please click here to explore the photo gallery.
