Embracing the Ingressing Dawn

"When its time for you to venture out, don't let fear have you looking back at what you're leaving behind". Moving into college and moving away from home, was a new dawn in our lives. The celtic myths, inquisitive curiosity and a will to learn new things in life was the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise. Having these thoughts, we were here in Pantnagar, a campus amidst verdure and calmness in the air.

The trail of memories is a diary that we all cradle in the womb of our heart and our diary of innocent selfless friendships, playful mischiefs, fresh insights was just unscrambled with the whiff of fresh leaves waiting to be inked with the untasted flavours of ever new experiences. Embracing every chance of contentment, we were enduring the upcomings which were being offered to us in the campus, and were busy whistling our joyousness at the fun fests with our new flock of buddies. Besides the busy eight to five college schedule, there was a sense of fulfilment and satisfaction, pursuing any given task, had it been a trail of monotonous chores or exhilarating jobs. The chapter of our freshmen year was just at the verge of adjournment and we were scribbling those wonderful experiences on the soft clay of our psyche when a notice slipped in regarding the inductions of SPIC MACAY, Pantnagar Chapter and the beautiful journey began.

Nervous, excited and thrilled at the same time, we were there, ready to witness the inductions grasping the nitty gritty of the society and adhering to the professionalism carried as a badge by each member of the society. Inductions were a part where we found out who we are; our strengths, weaknesses, caliber and areas of interest. We were then informed about the selection through a notice which was put in every hostel of the university.

We attended the first full body meeting and knew that sometimes our lives have to be completely shaken up and changed when the first glimpse of responsibility was laid on our shoulders. We were anxious of the new ventures that were going to whizzle our doorstep. These were the experiences of our first full body meeting. Our seniors were so welcoming and affectionate. Being in SPIC MACAY, Pantnagar Chapter all in all renders a sense of belonging.

Soon came the time to bid farewell to our seniors. The aura contained in itself a sense of joy and grief at the same time. The shine in the eyes of our respected final year, was a sign that the performances by their juniors were compelling their minds to play a flashback of their memories from dusk till dawn. Then, our final year unlatched their treasured chest of reminiscence. There were emotions flowing in the vicinity. Their experiences aspired us so much that we were craved to learn every single whit of wisdom. Their distinctive vibes which illuminated our minds showcased by itself that they were incarnated, known for their wit, erudition, and technical skills and distinct from the layman. Our society will always retain this magical aura. It was hard to say goodbye to seniors yet, they made us realise that it's time to start afresh and trust the mystic of beginnings.

In a balanced organisation working towards a common adjective, there is success. Now was the time to fasten up to the responsibilities heeding our way. Under the guidance of mentors, we were being groomed for upcoming challenges through a workshop conducted by society members. The pieces were now being connected in our heads about what to do and how to do. We were acknowledged that we have been the pieces of charcoal and we can handle stress exceptionally well in the near future, this new outlook was instilled in our minds.

After the workshop, to perceive more about our society, we were assigned the task of making invitation cards for teachers day and also the organization of artist evening, PRASTUTI'18, which embarked the presence of divine Padmashree Ranjana Gauhar and her flawless disciples. Working together towards the same agenda, the body members, coming from diverse college backgrounds were integrated by the threads of unity forming a amalgamation and reflecting the diverse colors like a kaleidoscope does.

It feels great to be a part of a  society rich in tradition, to be a part of our heritage, and a part of our culture. Influenced by modern culture, the more discourteous we try to be, the more we miss the part of ourselves. But SPIC MACAY is like a self repeating reminder to influence us about our ethnicity, our originality and our roots.

-Anshika Gahlaut, Priyanka Bhatt, Nikita, Sushmita Arya, Harsha Saxena, Ekta, Neha Padaliya

Dharohar'18

DHAROHAR, The Annual National Cultural and Literary Festival of G.B.P.U.A.T., Pantnagar marked one of the baronial celebrations of zeal and power organised by SPIC MACAY, Pantnagar Chapter. Dharohar’18 was held from 16th to 18th March, 2018. Like every year, the fest imprinted the hearts with its halo and excellence. The multiple talent showcasing platforms witnessed the freshness and cult of the growing youth. The series of events were peculiarly contemplated to carve out every hue of talent and joy, finely blended with aroma of culture, rhythm and art. The participants very well reflected their zeal to conquer, be it in the battle of words, brains, music or dance. Everyone came out acing their strength and courage, some in form of winning and some in form of experiences.

The fest embarked with the entrancing event 'Roobaroo'- The Personality Hunt, where the participants harnessed their core to bring out a new and shining personality within. The entire event consisted of multiple rounds to judge an individual’s versatile personality. The ultimate self that everyone mirrored was a maiden persona. This was followed by 'Parivesh'- The Ethnic Ramp Show. The classic taste of clothing in mixture with vogue design of protuberance justified the theme “ALCHEMY TO IMBIBE”. Teams ramp walked not only the stage but also fears, odds and fluctuations in the society. It expressed how a mere dress can present a whole scenario. Meanwhile, the participants channelized their extreme emotions in the set of meaningful statements and assertive dialects. Students were given a chance to express their opinions on some of the fervent topics in the society in 'Vigyapti'- The Social Paper Presentation. Every statement was well defined to hit the right chord in direction of global welfare. This was followed by 'Jharokha'- The Movie Fest. The colourful cinematic of Bollywood prettily composed into a framework of drama, power, fears, joy, contemplations and ultimate success were showcased through Raj Kumar Rao starrer TRAPPED.

The second day commenced with 'Antarbodh’- The Debate Competition, where conquers of desire lead their ways in debating and released primacy. The participants shined their armours in both Hindi and English languages. The control over rages and yet turning over voices formed a heated surrounding of words wounded in contentions and surmises. Meanwhile, the entire ambience was filled with melodious enchants of Taal and Sargam in 'Raaga'- The Singing Competition. Abode of beauty was defined by echoing swaras of emotions with heart soothing voices. Each participant was like a sparkling star in a night full of talent. The composed posture yet a raging voice marked a golden aspiration for the coming years. After that 'Parichay'- The Quiz Competition, where everyone with superfluous knowledge tested their extents of brain to the limits they could stretch, not like an ordinary quiz show but well analysed and tabulated sets of rounds were designed out to flow their knowledge in the direction of victory.

This year, the vibrance of art astonished us with two artist evenings and the evenings were sparkled with the aura of proficient artists for two days. 'Prastuti'- The first Artist Evening, held on 17th March was acknowledged with the impedance of renowned classical dancers and vocalist.The sonorous voice of Dr. Hitu Mishra with preciseness of phonetics and fervour tabla beats of Gurmeet Singh Ji accompanied with cadenced music by renowned harmonium player, Ustad Chand Mia ji mesmerized the audience. It was exalted to a next stratum of eminence when the Kathak Duo, Shri Deepak Aurora and Sreeparna Chakraborty with the fusion of their expressions with extreme fast and intricate footwork and spins with their technical perfection and energetic performance filled everyone with enthusiasm and excitement. Every taken beat, tatkal, mudra and parikrama reflected swiftness along with serenity. Truly the night was like a gleaming star. 

The third day kicked off with 'Ahwaal'- The Dramatics Competition. We define drama as an art of expression and when staged in multiple forms, it reflects truth and serenity. All the presented performances were equally confounding. It exemplified that inherent skills of acting, direction, teamwork and leadership qualities can dramatize expression to create impression. Meanwhile, 'Vaividhya'- The Open Air Events provided a perfect platform as it asked for raw talents in natural skills of mehndi, rangoli, best out of waste and puppet making. That too was very well aced by the participants where exquisite designs of mehndi and rangoli, vernal yet elegant innovations in best out of waste and puppet making, truly proved how simple materials can be used to create beauty. But, the delectation was still not completed without a fun and recreational series of kite flying. In all, it was summed up with tonnes of smiles and gleaming fun. After that, 'Jhanak'- The Dance Competition, an awaited afternoon was filled with orchestic spirit of stance and fluidity. When the stage was lit up in fire with incessant solo, duet and group performances, the entire series of power and energy well mixed with emotions and learnings depicted few hours of amazement and primacy.

The day concluded with 'Mehfil’- The Artist Evening and the delectation doubled when the consecutive evening presented skills from the auspicious clod of Rajasthan, The Manganiyars who are famous for their classical folk music. The heady, hypnotic rhythm and melodies sung by The Manganiyars were a part of the eternal appeal of the magical and wondorous evening. The soulful, full throated voices of these musicians filled the cool air of night in a tradition that reflects all aspects of Rajasthani life and delighted the audience. 

Summarising the events is like collecting years of learning and experiences in just three days. 

With this, Dharohar’18 very well conveyed its chronicles of excellence and cult and unlocked the sparkle in this endless journey. 

-Unnati, Manisha Mehra, Sangeeta Hyanki, Ashna Upadhyay, Roshni Chand