Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Visakhapatnam
Saarang is here
|
All roads lead to IIT as it gears up for yet another exciting cultural fest
|
IT'S NOT an event. It's not a happening. It's a state of mind, a way of life.
From the popular cultural melange that was the Mardi Gras, Saarang, the cultural festival of IIT Madras has today evolved into a huge melting pot of various traditions and thought patterns. People flock to the sylvan campus in the fourth week of January every year from far flung Darjeeling, Shillong and even California to be part of the fiesta - be it the professional shows, the quizzes or the lectures.
Among myriad musical stops on the Chennai calendar, the professional shows occupy pride of place, showcasing the very best of musical talent in the country. Held in a huge amphitheatre, these shows have featured maestros such as Pt. Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Pt. Ustad Bismillah Khan, Ustad Zakir Hussain and Pt. Ravi Shankar, besides performers on the global stage such as Kenwood Dennard, Alfanso Johnson, L. Prasanna and Voler Biesenbender. There have also been fine performances by S. P. Balasubramanyam, Usha Uthup, Shankar Mahadevan, Shivamani, Louis Banks, Shaan, Euphoria, Moksha and more. Altogether a delightful blend of Light Music, Indi-Pop, Fusion and Rock.
Apart from the Pro Shows, there is a whole gamut of events to keep the audience enthused right through. The most well-received event is the Choreo Nite, in which participants from over a 100 colleges battle it out in the open air theatre in various competitions that showcase creativity and talent. The fashion show is also spectacular. What's more, it serves as a launch pad for aspiring designers and is a confluence of trends - eastern and western. There's opportunity for those with a flair for theatre to take centrestage (at the Central Lecture Theatre) too. Saarang features high quality histrionics, with troupes coming from as far as Delhi and Mumbai to participate. Other competitions in the performing arts include mono acting and street plays.
The Light Music, Classical and Western Music shows are events that are much looked forward to and witness tremendous levels of participation. The Antakshari, of course, caters to the tastes of diehard film music buffs.
Big mouths, wise arguments, keen competition and a spellbound audience define the speaking events at Saarang. Kicking off with JAM (the pride of Saarang), the list includes extempore, debate, elocution... contests that require the gift of the gab.
Come Saarang and it's time again for participants and audience to rack their brains to answer some tough ones. The Holy Grail for many a quizzer, the prestigious event has always been associated with marathon sessions at the open air theatre. A new addition to the Saarang Quiz Bouquet, which includes the entertainment quiz and the Republic Day India Quiz, is the Sports Quiz for sports buffs.
`have u er got paid 4 breakin a pot???
has any one cheered u 4 getting ur face pasted by a dirty wet sponge???
have u ever mounted the victory stand for coming last in a cycle race???'
Informals at Saarang will let you do any and every wacky thing that society has always banned you from doing. Held at the `Bindaas Park' (the proscenium to the CLT) the Informals has always been the hub of activity during Saarang. It goes on throughout the day till each and every compere, coordinator and participant has had his fill of rebellion.
Though the events and pro shows dominate the fest, Saarang is not complete without a plethora of workshops, lectures and demonstrations. For the art buffs, there are workshops conducted by the Madras Craft Foundation, Unwind Center, DakshinaChitra.
Workshops on Carnatic, folk and traditional music have been a roaring success over the years. The recently held workshop on ball room dance was a hit. Saarang enthusiasts will cherish memories of having listened to eminent personalities such as T. N. Seshan, Javed Akhtar and Shobaa De. These lectures have added a new dimension to an otherwise cultural festival perceived to be yo-yippie.
And with new events, new initiatives and a fresh look at what Saarang stands for, here's a student-organised cultural fest that seems to be getting bigger and better with every passing year.
Events at a glance
January 21- Inaugural Function and Classical Music Concert (Pro-Show)
January 22 - Elocution, Classical Music Vocal, Light Music Group, Main Quiz, Sports Quiz, Just A Minute, Antakshari and India Quiz (Preliminary Rounds)
Other events - Crossie, Western Music Solo, Classical Music Instrumental, Lecture (Stress Relief), Four Play and Light Music Show (Pro-Show)
January 23 - Debate, Light Music Solo, What's the Good Word and Scrabble (Preliminary Rounds)
Semi Finals of Main Quiz and Finals of Light Music Solo, Elocution and Main Quiz
Other events - Power Chord (Western Music Group), Case Study, Entertainment Quiz, Semi Classical Vocal, Four Play and Choreo Nite
January 24 - Decibels, Extempore, Pot Pourri, Ad Zap, Business Quiz, Scrabble, Just A Minute, Cleudo, Crowning Glory (Preliminary Rounds)
Finals of Entertainment Quiz, Classical Music Vocals, What's the Good Word, Sports Quiz, Pot Pourri, Debate, Decibels and Light Music Group
Other events - Four Play
January 25 - Finals of Crossie, Crowning Glory, Entertainment Quiz, Cleudo, Antakshari, Scrabble, Business Quiz and Just A Minute
Other events - Acoustix, Dramatics, Four Play and the Rock Show (Pro-Show)
January 26 - The Reality Show, Finals of India Quiz and The Unity Concert (Pro-Show)
(The inauguration of Saarang will take place at 4.30 p.m. on January 21 and on all the other days the events begin at 9 a.m. The schedule is subject to change. For updates, visit http://www.saarang.org)
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Visakhapatnam
|
