Nothing brings out a festive air on campus quite like an ethnic day. Students go out of their way to throw on colourful saris, accessorise and turn up dressed in their very best.

This is exactly what happened recently at REVA Institute of Management Studies, which decided to have simple — but fun-filled — ethnic day for the students.

It was decided that the theme would be taken beyond just the students’ outfits. Instead, the entire campus and events for the day were planned around the notion of ‘Incredible India’. The college was done up in a festive manner, and students even put up realistic displays which really transformed the entire campus.

These displays covered various aspects of the country, and were put up in such a colourful manner that there were soon crowds flocking to each one of them. While some students organised a display which replicated a village market, others put up some that showcased the festivals and dances of India and even a retro journey, which highlighted some aspects of Indian cinema. The students at the displays played their roles with gusto, to make the whole experience a bit more authentic. In fact, even the staff went out of their way to get into the mood of things — they dressed up themselves, and spent time interacting with the students and admiring the different displays.

The event wasn’t just about having fun, though. While organising and setting up the displays, the students actually found that the process could be quite a learning experience. For instance, those handling the festival details became quite knowledgeable about the different occasions that they chose to represent — including Pongal, Ramzan, Ganesha Chaturthi, Christmas, Onam, Navaratri and Varamahalakshmi. The different dances which were depicted through the displays included dandiya ras, mujra, lavani and of course, bharatanatyam. The students made it a point to get their hands on authentic costumes for all these dances and festivals, which made the proceedings seem a little more realistic.