Roz-Roz 4.0, The Annual Cultural Magazine of IIT G 2024

22 OCT 2023 23 OCT 2023
24 OCT 2023
Being just the second edition
of celebrations, there
was an overwhelming response
to the dance workshop.
After 2 days of us gearing up
with our grooves, we were ready
to captivate the floor.
Starting with a bow to Lord
Ganesh as per as ritual, we performed
a delightful Aarti to Ma
Amba.
This was immediately followed
by the formation of long
lines by the attendees awaiting
for their portions of Prasad. The
resulting sugar rush didn’t take
too long to kick in.
The celebrations started with
a dance flash mob showcase by
the organising team, which was
enough for everyone to join in.
The colourful chaniya cholis
twirling, within the concentric
circles that were created, were
further adorned by the coordinated
swaying of hands.The beats
echoed through the festive air, and
the dance floor transformed into
a vibrant tapestry of shared zeal.
With each new song, came a
faster, more intense pace, accompanied
by dashing, stepping onto
each other’s toes and the constant
hustle to keep up.
‘It’s all part of the fun!’ were
usually the words our Gujarati
friends chanted, when we’d step
out to catch our breath only to be
roped back in.
As the evening progressed,
each participant contributed their
unique flair to the traditional Garba
steps.
Standing still for a moment, it
sunk in how people irrespective of
which corner of the country they
were from, all shared the same
infectious energy, reminding everyone
that in the grand dance of
life, diversity is not a challenge
but a harmonious rhythm that we
create together.
By Aditi Yogesh
Everyone who was here
for the Navratri holidays
must have come across
this poster at least once.
Enclosed within gold-adorned
borders, the words “Brahmaputra
Hostel presents Ramleela
stood out boldly even from a distance.
Once the poster had caught
someone’s attention, it was difficult
for a curious passerby to resist
squinting at the details. So that’s
how my friend and I ended up in
front of the illuminated entrance
of the Brahmaputra Hostel.
Reaching the venue, we were
instructed to leave our shoes outside
and directed to the cricket
ground within the hostel. In the
clearing, several blankets were set
out for the audience, and a handful
of chairs for the more important
audience. The stage was lit in
the glow of the spotlight. A depiction
from the life of Lord Rama is
projected in the background as if
a sneak peek for what’s to come.
On the side of the stage, there were
microphones for the voice actors
and a few guys hunched in front
of a laptop, probably responsible
for the audiovisuals. We could
already tell that it was going to
be a hit.
The blankets were semi-filled,
but every moment scores of people
were being ushered in. Once
we sat down, the waiting game
began. Anyone who has been to
a concert or any other live performance
knows exactly what it
feels like- as the seconds drag on
to eternity and you feel yourself
age with every passing breath. It’s
universal knowledge that things
never begin in time, not at least
one hour has passed from the
time mentioned in the poster, and
sometimes could be more. There
were a bunch of guys in saffron
scarves reassuring everyone that it
would be any moment then.
So it did, and it was worth
all the patience. The show commenced
with a brief lamp-lighting
ceremony amidst hollers of the
crowd chanting Jai Shree Ram.
The first scene had all the lights
dimmed slowly, except for one
spotlight focused on a dying Shravan
Kumar lying on the ground.
The narration in the background
announced the arrival of King
Dashrath and the entire scene
unfolded.
Throughout the whole play,
the actors and voice actors did
their part well. Every role was
played by a Brahmaputra Hostel
resident including the female
parts and much to their credit, it
was done wonderfully. The audience
cheered at the exact right
moments and held their breath in
scenes of gravity, the atmosphere
was charged with the echoes of the
sacred name. It’s safe to say every
Indian kid has grown up reading,
watching, and listening to the
tale of Ramayana. The play didn’t
bring any major revelations, but
somehow it managed to hit that
sweet spot between nostalgia and
pride of one’s cultural heritage.
By Medha Paul
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