February 23, 2009
Amritapuri Campus
The word Kalotsavam comes from the Sanskrit words kala, meaning art and utsavam meaning festival.
Why celebrate art? In ancient times, people recognized the importance of various art forms. Dancing, singing, writing, mimicking, even listening, appreciating — there was time to engage in these activities. In the modern day, we’ve become so engrossed in our daily routines that we tend to neglect this aspect of life completely.
The essence of many art forms traces back to our ancestors. If forgotten, it will mean the destruction of a whole culture. Recognizing this, our college, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham provides a platform to young minds like ours to reflect on our rich culture. Amrita Kalotsavam not only offers the opportunity to explore and express the hidden talents within us, but also gives us a welcome break from our tedious daily chores.
Amrita Kalotsavam 2009 was inaugurated by the Dean and the Associate Dean of the Amritapuri Campus on February 13, 2009 at 5:30 pm. The venue was the beautifully decorated stage near the students’ mess hall. Over the following two days, events ranging from traditional arts such as song, dance, mimes, literature to more modern arts such as quizzes, best manager, mock press, movie spoof, etc. lit the fire of healthy competition among the students on the Amritapuri campus.
The whole college participated. Some of the best events were the syncro, semi classical and solo dances, the mimicry and the instrumental competitions. The highlight was the manner in which students embraced the team spirit. It felt great to work as a team and achieve something. Yet another highlight was the way in which all students were dancing, singing and having a gala time. For two days, books and curriculum were completely forgotten and joy and cheer reigned.
MCA students coordinated the event and made it a grand success. Amritamayi, Anandamayi, Chinmayi and Jyotirmayi – the four houses competed against each other to win the House Cup. The fervor of competition notwithstanding; what struck us most was the spirit of camaraderie which boosted the entire event. Many students participated, some served as spectators, others coordinated and volunteered. Some won prizes. Some made a vast improvement and will win at the next year’s event. Some took their first steps on a stage. Overall, everyone had fun.
Late on February 15, 2009, the boys’ group dance brought Amritkalotsavam to a thrilling end. When the results were tallied, the House of Jyotirmayi led, followed by Chinmayi, Amritamayi and Anandamayi. At the awards ceremony, Dr. Balakrishnan Shankar, Associate Dean, stated that there was unprecedented participation in the event — over 500 entries in the fancy dress category and over 140 for best manager. “This was the best attended event so far,” he said. We appreciate the initiative of the students as well as the staff, who contributed their best to make Amritakalotsavam so wonderful. (See photo gallery)
– Report by Shivagini, Jasmine, Shonima, Aswin Das and Lakshman, S2 BBM
