Akhul Dhople (23PYEN06)
The world seemed alive and meaningful as I raced along the path to college, a spring in my steps and tunes on my lips. Brilliant light greeted me as I wove through the densely, yet expectedly, crowded streets that looked like a modern art piece. My heart ran through my chest as I neared those familiar wrought iron gates flanked by coconut trees and flowered shrubs on either side. However, all those were now hidden from view by the throng of students being ushered in by the security and staff. I became one with the throng and subconsciously walked in through the gates, controlling the urge to break into a frenzied dance right then and there. We'd all been eagerly awaiting this day for a while now.
Overhead festoons and banners welcomed us as we walked towards the central area of the campus - the junction, famously named 'Chavara Square,' after the revered St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, founder of CMI, the trust that manages the college, Kristu Jayanti College. A finer inspection of the banners that fluttered from the main entrance of the college to Chavara Square revealed that each banner, with its colors and words, was representative of a specific state - the vermilion red and ruby yellow of the ‘Karunadu’ (land of the black soil), Karnataka; pure white and bold black for the land of literature, West Bengal, and a multitude of other colors, shades and welcoming messages in languages from all over India, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali and Kannada.
I moved slowly and deliberately through the crowd, attempting to glimpse a familiar face. Just like me, they were all lost in the crowd. Eventually, I found a few of my friends and classmates, and together, we waited awhile for the events to begin.
Thunderous drums and stentorian roars filled the air as tall costume dancers paraded the streets, followed by a grand procession with groups from each state; the state representatives held their heads aloft and marched along with pride and purpose, shouting slogans and singing songs in their tongues. The leader of each state group carried a placard mentioning the state being represented by their group. The Punjabi 'munde’ (boys), Manipuri Meiteis, Tamil ‘thambis’ (brothers), Malayali ‘makans’ (sons), Maharashtrian Marathas, in particular, exuded energy and enthusiasm as they ran around the college before proceeding towards the large, green area at the heart of our institution, the college turf. We made our way towards the turf behind them.
The stage was set. The dignitaries were all ready; the students and crowd were born ready. After a few speeches by dignitaries praising the arrangements, enthusiastic anchors called our principal, Fr. Augustine George, to the stage. He began by thanking and appreciating the efforts of all those who had a part in organizing the grand event, along with the lively audience. He ended his speech with the words, 'I declare Ethnic Day open,' which was met by ear-splitting cheers from the crowd.
The events officially started with a few cultural performances by performing artists specially invited for the occasion. They showcased a wide variety of cultural art and dance forms. The effect of their mesmerizing dance was amplified by their vibrant costumes, which made for a terrific visual spectacle. This was followed by a group of dancers representing various states. The talented dancers belonged to our college. We grooved to pan-Indian songs such as the Goan classic 'Ya Ya Mayaya,' the Kashmiri flavor of 'Bumbro,' some Manipuri and Mizo songs, felt the boss vibe with some Rajinikanth songs - a bit of 'Lungi Dance' and 'Thalaivar Alappara,' with some classic Malayalam and Kannada dance numbers as well; all the while, we looked gape-mouthed at the dancers' graceful and superbly synchronized dance moves.
The turf wasn't the only venue for this extravaganza—cultural, music, and dance events took place at various other spots in the college, including in front of the Humanities block and at the quadrangle situated in the center of the Main block. The Humanities block venue featured ethereal dance performances, mainly by Northeastern state representatives, and a rocking performance of desi Bollywood songs by talented artists from the college.
Slowly, the music from the turf and the main block was muffled until quiet. Many in the crowd cheered and went wild; the others waited with bated breath, for they all knew what was coming - the DJ was setting up his equipment on stage.
For the next few hours, most of the college swayed to the rhythm of the DJs' mixers, which blasted popular hits and, towards the end, unexpected remixes of well-known numbers—songs not belonging to the 'dance music' category.
It was indeed a celebration of diversity, of the freedom of cultural expression, and the beauty of each state, with its distinct languages, cultures, and people; each foot-tapping song showed us that happiness and the expression of happiness through this art form of dance, knows no boundary, no restriction; music knows no boundary, no religion; we were even vibing to songs we were not familiar with, or of an alien tongue. From Punjabi bhangra to Bollywood item songs, from Kannada retro songs to Tamil and Malayalam beats that make one lose control and engage in bestial dance (at least that is what it appears like to a mere observer), it was a day to cast aside all differences, dance, and celebrate like there is no tomorrow - and there would not have been, if there was not a food court with snacks and refreshments right along the corner outside the Main block, where we were dancing.
Photos and videos, the only visual proofs for any memory, filled up people's phone storage; social media exploded with pictures, videos, and even behind-the-scenes content from Ethnic Day 2024, with men in all colors of shirts and kurtas paired with pajamas, lungis and, Mundus (a more traditional variant of the lungi), and other traditional attires, according to their ethnicity, and women mostly in sarees of various shades and hues; most of these posts showed people having a great time together, celebrating each others’ and their ethnic traditions and customs, at the melting pot of cultures that is Kristu Jayanti College.