It was a spread so patriotic and beautiful with a repertoire of colours dotting none other than the Mahatma Gandhi in the form of 'Rangoli' at the Everwin Matriculation Higher Secondary School at suburban Kolathur in North Chennai on August 8, 2008. In all 220 girls of Class IX to XII spent over five hours painstakingly chalking out the portrait of the Apostle of Peace on a 22,000 Sq Ft 'canvas' in the school premises to mark the 66th anniversary of the Quit India Movement and the unique date of 8/8/2008. A rash of colours and deft hands made the perfect combination for the Rs two lakh work of art involving 10.1 tonne of colour powder, to spread the message of peace and non-violence as propagated by the Father of the Nation in the wake of serial blasts across the country and violence that claimed several lives. From the sky, the huge school grounds looked like nature combining the rainbow and silver-ringed clouds with dashes of lightning to give the perfect finish to the giant portrait of the Mahatma with his trademark stick and the holy Bhagavad Gita in his hands. A slogan at the end of the portrait said "The Father of Ahimsa Please Come Back!" School Correspondent and Principal B Purushothaman told UNI apart from the academic prowess, the occasion also helped the students to showcase innate talents through Rangoli and other events. An exhibition depicting the life history of Mahatma and banners with the message to shun anger and violence were organised to mark the occasion. Bhajans, dramas, discourses, talk shows and 55 Class I students dressed like the Apostle himself marked the day.