Inter-university youth festival: Banaras Hindu University emerge champions

The cultural troupe from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, emerged champions and the University of Mumbai, Mumbai, lifted the runner-up trophy in the national category in the 31st national-level inter-university ‘Yuva Shatha Sambhrama 2016’.  

The festival was organised by the University of Mysore (UoM) and Association of Indian Universities, at Manasagangontri. The results of the five-day festival were announced at the valedictory ceremony of the festival at the amphitheatre here on Friday.

The UoM has emerged winner in the cultural procession category, while Shivaji University, Kolhapur, and Gauhati University shared the second prize, Devi Ahilyabai University, Indore, and Dibrugarh University, Assam, shared the third prize.

Banaras Hindu University has bagged the first prize in music category and Rani Durgavati Vishwavidyalaya, Jabalpur, emerged winners in dance category. 

In theatre category, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, and in literary category,  cultural troupes of Rashtrasant Tukadoji Maharaj (RTM) Nagpur University, Nagpur, emerged winners. 

Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra, and SNDT Women University, Mumbai, shared the first place in fine arts category.

Overall, 25 events, under five categories — music, dance, theatre, folklore and literacy — were held during the festival. Thousands of students from 70 universities from across the country, took part in the festival. Congratulating the participants,  VC K S Rangappa said universities should document the experiences of their students in such festivals and should not gauge them on the basis of the awards won.

Praveen Mathur, observer of the festival, said the time spent with students performing a variety of music and cultural events on UoM campus is a memorable experience.

Artist’s magicArtist Vilas Nayak, one of the fastest painters, and cine actor Sri Murali enthralled the audience with their artistic skills in the programme. 

Nayak, known for his unique style of painting to the accompaniment of music, left the audience spellbound with his magic, quick painting, on a canvas. Nayak painted two works in less than 15 minutes — ‘Yakshagana’, a folk art of Dakshina Kannada, took nearly 10 minutes and the other on ‘Unity in Diversity’ took four minutes. He dedicated the painting on diversity to the soldiers, who were killed in Siachen avalanche recently and offered the painting on Yakshagana to the university. As soon as Nayak completed his works, UoM Vice-Chancellor K S Rangappa, Registrar C Basavaraju and others went up to him and expressed their appreciation for his talent.

In his valedictory address, Nayak urged the young participants to work with passion in their interested field. 

“Pursue your passion that would give you joy, which money cannot give. India is a country with multi-culture and these festivals are platforms to bring together all the cultures. I quit a human resource (HR) job in a multi-national company to make my passion a full-time career five years back,” he said.

Nayak, also an alumnus of the UoM, was all happy to showcase his talent in his alma mater, and said, he had won several prizes as a student of the varsity. 

“I had showcased my art on the same stage during Yuva Dasara, a few years ago,” he recalled. The lad, hailing from Dakshina Kannada district, has raised money to the tune of $1 million through his paintings for charity.

Sri Murali, renowned Kannada movie actor, enthralled the audience with movie dialogues and also danced to a film song. Addressing the gathering, Murali said, Indian culture has great respect for women and every man should respect women. “India will change only when we (Indians) change. Everyone has a role to play in life. Be a good son to parents, a good husband to wife and a good father to children,” he suggested.