Celebrations with a twist

The campus of the Indian Institute of Fashion Technology was buzzing with energy and excitement recently as students celebrated Ganesha Utsav in a unique way.

Being art and design students, the programme was a display of creativity at its best. Students were spotted making eco-friendly Ganeshas using cotton, potato, atta, flowers and leaves.

Among the other activities held during the day-long event were T-shirt painting, a skit which narrated the story of Lord Ganesha, a bharatanatyam dance performance, idol decoration, eco-friendly rangoli and an ethnic fashion show.

Ranjita, a design student, who made a Ganesha idol out of cotton, ensured that she used only biodegradable material in it. Her creation included a combination of cotton, paper, different types of flowers and leaves. “During this festival, pollution is always a concern.

I hope that this Ganesha idol sets an example as to how the festival should be celebrated without harming natural resources,” she said. Suvarna, another student, painted a contemporary Ganesha on a T-shirt, which was appreciated by one and all.
“I view this as a good opportunity for all of us to show our creativity. We all enjoyed this festive mood with lots of competitions, dance, a fashion show and other cultural activities since we rarely get an opportunity to celebrate festivals in college,” said Vidya, a student.

Some students even incorporated stones, kajal and kundan into their idols. “I made an idol with atta and used kajal to draw some lines on it. When it’s immersed, it will dissolve easily,” said Anu Anilraj, a student.

The fashion show attempted to showcase the diversity of the country. Swati, a student, said, “Through the fashion show, we made an effort to represent different cultures. We represented Bihari, Assamese, Gujarati, Marati and Bengali cultures.”

B Vedhagiri, chairman of the college, said that this was a good way to show that fashion shows can be ethnic. “This event is the best example to show how fashion shows can have a backdrop of tradition and culture. We have chosen the eco-friendly concept since our design students can create something out of nothing. We also want to send out a message that this festival can be celebrated without polluting nature,” he said.

It was also a much-awaited day since the freshers got a chance to interact with their seniors. Students from different branches gathered and took part in the competition. Along with it, all of them joined hands to felicitate their teachers.