Madras/Chennai, 6th January 2023: After two arduous online years, IIT Madras’ annual cultural fest Saarang is returning to its full offline glory this year and is ready to storm the campus streets. A festival that dominates the cultural scene of South India, Saarang is back with a vengeance to make three generations of students marvel at its grandeur. Saarang offers a unique platform for rising young artists and performers coming from a diverse array of art forms and interests like freestyle dance, photography, acapella, graphic designing, and stand-up comedy.
The theme for Saarang 2023 is ‘Mystic Hues’ which celebrates how deeply intertwined colors are with each and every fragment of our culture and traditions. The festival which will be held from 11th – 15th Jan 2023 is open to all college students and the general public.
One of the largest student-run festivals in India, Saarang hosts more than 100 events, attracting a footfall of over 80,000 from over 500 colleges across the country. This year celebrates the 28th anniversary of the fest.
The five-day fest is teeming with events from the Institute’s many cultural clubs, ranging from oratory and comedy to fine arts and writing and the nascent, culinary arts club. These events include competitions, workshops, and talented performances from across the world.
Another event that definitely promises to be the highlight for many is the ‘Spotlight lectures’. The first lecture is by the multi-talented actor Ramesh Aravind of Hoomale and Weekend With Ramesh fame. Among others who will be gracing the fest with their presence are actor Vishal and playback singer Karthik.
The Professional Shows boast an impressive lineup of well-established and up-and-coming artists alike, whose performances are sure to have the crowd singing their hearts out. KAAZE kicks off with an electrifying show for ‘EDM Night’ on 13th January 202. The night of 14th January promises to be a smashing one with Rock Night’s acts, Girish and the Chronicles, and Pineapple Express. Finishing off on a strong and truly melodious note, the final act of 15th January, the Pop night artist is the versatile Sunidhi Chauhan.
For this year’s social cause, Saarang launched ‘Panacea’, a campaign surrounding health and hygiene awareness. Aiming to encourage healthy habits to thwart disease breakouts among other events, Panacea is inspired by the Greek goddess of universal well-being. The five buckets under the social campaign which represent the most important facets of health and hygiene are personal well-being and fitness, environmental hygiene, public, and general health awareness, sanitation, and sexual health.
A plethora of means of spreading the message of cleanliness and sanitation are underway. Ranging from informative presentations in middle and high schools to fun yet educational text-based games, several initiatives are set to be released in the weeks leading up to Saarang. Other aspects of promoting Panacea include a podcast, a breast awareness campaign, and a cyclathon.
Saarang is set to have an explosive comeback with great entertainment and a commemoration of art and culture like no other. With 850 young minds working together to make Saarang the kind of magnificent phenomenon it is, the festival is not just another college fest. Rather, it is a celebration of a collective effort taken to realize a dream and make it happen.
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Read more stories in our December 2022 Issue featuring Swami Mukundananda.
