UNITED COLORS OF ETHNICITYA Media Studies Initiative

Melting Pots of Culture - Pg 2 Melange - Pg 6 and 7 Cymbals, Drums and Vibrancy - Pg 8 University of Diversity - Pg 10

And more...

T R U T H B E Y O N D F A C T S

Special Bhasha Utsav Edition8th September, 2011

Cover Picture : Pushkar V (II MSComm)

Bhasha Utsav, or Ethnic Day, is an annual celebration of the various cultures across

campus, a day devoted to being As-samese, Bengali, Keralite, Korean, African etc.; a day to re-establish one’s roots and revel in the colors of a united diversity.

The first Ethnic Day was celebrated on 8th September 2005, with the chief guest being Kannada cine star Tara. Since then, there has been no looking back and Bhasha Utsav con-tinues to be celebrated with vigor and gusto year after year on the same day, this being the 7th commemora-tion of the event. This is a result of the hard work of the Department of Languages (Christ University), that consists of Dr. Krishnaswami (Dean- Humanities and Social Sciences), Dr. Mallika Krishnaswami, Dr. Ab-dul Munaf, Dr. George Joseph, Dr.

Prafulla MV, Dr Rathi, Dr Sebastian KA and Dr Shiva Prasad YS. The or-ganizers have put in their heart and soul into this event and hope that it will surpass the high standards set in the previous years.

The idea was conceptualized with the aim of revitalizing the different cultures of the students since the need was felt to reconnect with one’s roots in an increasingly globalized world where cultures are quickly ho-mogenized. It is not just the Indian students who are encouraged to dis-play their ethnic roots, but foreign nationals too are given a chance to exhibit their local traditions in the

form of dances, clothes, music or any other cultural program they may want to showcase. The program this year began with a small procession that started from the main block and ended at the auditorium, students

and faculty joining in as professional troupes beat their drums and led the parade. This was only a mellowed version of the riotous procession that came later, after the cultural extrava-ganza in the auditorium. This being one of the few times when students

are allowed to let their hair down, they joined the festivities with en-thusiasm. Teachers too could be seen dancing with complete abandon, leaving all inhibitions behind.

Ethnic Day celebrations had started off with just one professional troupe performing in 2005, but we now have three – Dollu Kunitha by Devaraju and Party from Karnataka, Singari Melam by Mohandas and Party from Kerala and Naiyandi Melam by Yu-vraj and Party from Tamil Nadu. Next year, there are plans to get more troupes to perform, maybe some from the northern parts of the coun-try like Rajasthan. The troupes per-

form not only in the auditorium, but during the procession as well that follows later for the benefit of stu-dents who may have missed out on the first formal performance. What started out as a small march round the campus has now evolved into an exuberant, energetic mob-dance that pulls everyone into its sway, even the security guards and faculty. For once, the students are allowed to scream and sing and completely lose themselves in the celebrations with-out anyone reprimanding or moni-toring them.

Though the celebrations last only for a few hours, the aim of Bhasha Ut-sav is to create memories that will last forever and to evoke a sense of pride and belonging in each one of us that will stay with us throughout our lives. Ethnic Day is celebrated every year in the hope of not only

giving Christites a day to themselves when they can enjoy themselves to the hilt, but also of reminding them of their roots. The regional diversity among us that is ignored on usual days, the lost cultural identity that is submerged under an overarching identity of being a Christite, all of it is realized on this one special day. We not only get a chance to exhibit our own individual cultures, but are made aware of the other existing cul-tures in our world as well. Here’s to tradition, to roots, to culture; here’s to Bhasha Utsav!

- Aina Mathew

Ethnic day in Christ University is not only a day of celebra-

tion for the students but also for the faculty. This celebration helps bind people of all generations and takes us to our roots by reminding us of our culture, which is quickly being forgotten, due to our busy lives. Not only do the students form a heterogeneous group in the campus but even the Staff Club witnesses the presence of mixed cultures. Teachers also actively take part in the celebrations of this event by dancing with the students and wearing their own cultural ethnic attire.

According to Prof. Padmakumar, Head of Performing Arts, there are two kinds of understandings when it comes to culture. One-way of looking at it, is as a tradi-tion and the other being ‘cultur-ing’, meaning creating a culture. For him Ethnic Day is a call or is a platform for combining these two notions together. Prof. Sreehari, Dept of Media Studies, who is also an Ex-Christite, believes that it is a lot easier to enjoy this day when you’re a student. He says, “Being a faculty member you can’t enjoy as much as the students because when I was a student, I enjoyed with my friends”.

This delight of ethnic day is not very different for the teachers and students. It is open for everyone. The day brings a sigh of relief for the students and for the faculty by putting aside their duties and be-ing a part of this festivity!!!

When The Professors Participate

AND THE DEAN SPEAKS‘BHASHA UTSAV’ A LEARNING

EXPERIENCE

Bhasha Utsav is not just a cel-ebration for students alone. but the faculty from every de-

partment take great pride in being a part of the celebration. This celebra-tion of Global and Indian culture has been taking place in the University for the last seven years without fail. This space gives an opportunity for one to celebrate their culture and tradition and share it with others as we get de-viated by other cultures flowing into ours. This year promises to be as vi-brant and lively as the previous years and maybe even better. These are the words of the Dean of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Krishnaswamy, when he addressed the gathering in the Auditorium during the cultural extravaganza.

During his address Prof. Krishnas-wamy said “Bhasha Utsav is a part of our curriculum, as not everything can be covered in our academics. It brings back our Indian culture and other tra-ditional cultures”. He also had a mes-sage for the students where he made an important statement that life goes beyond the course of study, thus tell-ing all the students how essential it is for everyone to cherish such celebra-tions whole heartedly and simultane-ously learning to imbibe other cul-

tures. In a University such as Christ, it is important for students and teachers alike to be able to coexist and progress in a diverse cultural environment. This could was best displayed by an event like Bhasha Utsav, where people of different cultures, not only from In-dia but from around the world, came together to celebrate their own, and more importantly each other’s unique cultural heritage and diversity.

Bhasha Utsav gives every person in Christ University an opportunity to learn, cherish and educate people in our community about various cul-tures that can be found in our Univer-sity. We must take every minute detail of our culture; blend it with our al-ready existing knowledge to enrich it. We also learn to understand and tol-erate new cultural practices. Accord-ing to Prof. Krishnaswamy” Bhasha Utsav is a part of our CIE (Continu-ous Internal Education).” Hence, edu-cation doesn’t stop at any point in life and is incomplete till all the areas of personality development are covered. Understanding of our culture and that of the others should be absorbed by anybody and everybody and it forms an essential aspect of our overall de-velopment.

- Bhagyalakshmi

Moving out of home did make her sad, but the many opportu-

nities and the diverse culture of India attracted her. The thought of explor-ing this vast country and its traditions occupied her mind and made her less homesick.BonguochSathisommon, a first year BBM student at Christ Uni-versity, dressed in a traditional Thai ethnic attire shared her experiences with us, about India and home (Thai-land).

•What attracted you to India?

India is a beautiful place with diverse cultures. It reminds me of home as they are similar. And it is very diffi-cult to find a home away from home as one might not find the warmth and love you are used to for a long time; But I think I have found one.Today I realized the vast culture present in the college and to me this is like a small India.

•What do you think about ethnic day being celebrated at Christ University?

I got to see the many different cultures of the states and countries. It’s truly a unique experience.

•Was it inconvenient for you to adjust to Indian culture and tradition?

Not exactly but there were little ad-justments, which every individual needs to make when moving from one country to another and one cul-ture to the other. But I love India like a second home.

•Can you define your experience in In-dia, particularly at Christ University keeping in mind the ethnic day that is being celebrated today? In a short sentence it would be “Ulti-mate bliss and nirvana”.

- Pearl EdmundPriyanka

Cultural Crossover

The sounds of the nadhaswaram filled the ears of people who en-

tered Christ University on 8th Sep-tember. The eagerly awaited Ethnic Day was finally here!Ethnic Day or Bhasha Utsav is celebrated in a huge way and with great splendour in Christ University as students from various diverse regions celebrate their ethnicity and their unique cultural heritage. The much awaited day start-

ed off with a procession from Block II. A group from Tamil Nadu called ‘Naiandi’ headed the procession con-sisting of four members, divided into

three Nadhaswaram players and one Taval artiste. The group is managed by Mr. Yuvaraj who formed this team 10 years ago. They have travelled all over the country and performed at various occasions ever since.Students stream-ing in joined the procession and soon enough, from ten students it reached

a mass of more than a thousand. The procession started from Block II and guided all the marching students to the Main Auditorium and the num-ber of students kept increasing every second with every student adorning his/her own respective ethnic wear . Significantly it denoted how eve-rybody from different backgrounds come together.

From silk to chiffon, Kancheepuram saris and Lungis to Mekhala Chaddar the procession had it all. The parade continued all the way up to the audi-torium , with the instrumentalists re-ceiving an enthusiastic and warm welcome from the students.

- Gayathri Gopalakrishnan

And It All Began !!

“As the soil, however rich it may be cannot be productive without cultivation, so the mind without culture can never produce good fruit.”

Seneca

Discourses through Dance

Understanding languages, cel-ebrating diversity - started in

2005, Bhasha Utsav is a tradition in Christ University, carried on for the past 6 years. It is organized by the

language department. Bhasha Utsav is a multi-lingual, multi-cultural fes-tival showcasing the glorious cultural heritage of India and other countries. The auditorium was packed with stu-dents and the faculty members of various departments. The entry was grand with the drums beating hard and loud. The program started with a devotional song named – “Mantra Pushpam” meaning “he who under-stands the flowers of water, becomes the possessor of flowers, children and cattle.” Ms.Rati from the department of Kannada began the day with her welcome speech.

Then, Prof. Krishnaswami addressed the audience. He explained the mean-ing and importance of Bhasha Utsav. He spoke about how Bhasha Utsav is an integral part of our personality development and education. India is

a land of diverse cultures and Bhasha Utsav recognizes all cultures, religions and sects. Dr. Fr. Thomas C. Mathew addressed the audience next. Bhasha Utsav gives the campus a rhythm and movement, people get together as one and celebrate the diversity and that’s the essence of the whole event.

The chief guest Mr. Jaggesh is a popu-lar comedian in Kannada films. He has over 3 decades of experience in the industry. He spoke about how the youth should be passionate about their country and how they can bring about a change in their socio-eco-nomic scenario. He concluded by say-ing that we are lucky to have had the opportunity to study in such a pres-tigious institution. And if he could go back in time, he’d love to have stud-ied in Christ University. This was fol-lowed by the vote of thanks which concluded the stage events.

- Shreesha Chakroborthy

Cheers to global diversity

Ethnic day showcased ‘Bhasha Ut-sav’, a festival of different cultures

across India and abroad. It was con-ducted by the Department of Lan-guages. The different art forms of In-dia were showcased by professional troupes, andsome by the Christites. The Karnataka group showcased a folk dance named ‘Kolata’, which de-picts Karnataka’s rural culture. There is no specific step for the dance form.

It is a vivid dance form involving groups of people swaying and jump-ing to the rhythm of clashing sticks.

The Karnataka group started their preparation three weeks ago and the group consisted of six members. Pal-lavi, one of the dancers, said “it is great to have ethnic day in college since it helps to know different cul-tures better”. The Kerala team show-cased the Nandanam, a pure blend of

Mohiniyattam and Kathakali. Mevin, one of the Kerala team members,said, “ethnic day involves traditions and cultures and a nostalgic feeling for those who belong to different parts of the country and abroad.”

The Tibet team showcased the Tashi Shopa which is one of the most fa-mous Tibetan dance performed dur-ing the festivals. Tnzinpassang, one of the members of the team said that this dance form is performed on special occasions and events, and it marks festivity and celebrations. It is performed during auspicious event to invoke God’s blessings. This dance is also a form of good luck and the farm-ers perform this to please their Gods and reap good harvest.

These were the experiences of the teams who were all excited to per-form in the auditorium and highlight the beauty and uniqueness of their re-spective cultures.

- Kirti Sinha

MELANGE

MELANGE

The cultural programme kick-started with a spectacular performance of a dance form

of Karnataka, called “Dollu Kunitha” which is performed by the men of the shepherd community. The men wore animal prints and formed human pyr-amids. The drum beats were synchro-nised and the energy was magnificent.

It was followed by “Chenda/Singari Melam”, a cylindrical percussion in-strument used as an accompaniment for Kathakali, Kannyar Kali besides Yakshagana. The drummers wore “mundu”, traditional attire of kerala. The boys juggled with cymbals, which was a treat to watch.Then the cultural competition for christites began.

The first student performance was the Tibetan dance.“Tashi Shopa”, the opening dance of the ancient White Mask School of Tibetan Opera. The boys wore a mask made of goat fur. This dance is said to bring good luck and prosperity to the audience. The predominant colors were black, green and red.

The next dance was Kolata or Stick Dance, a dance from Karnataka which requires immense flexibility. The girls wore bright purple sarees and jasmine

flowers. This was followed by a soulful melody by the band ‘Jatenpung’ from Korea. The song was called “Neohgeh nan, Naehgeh neon”. The dance per-formance by Christites representing Nepal was called Maruni. This was followed by a special performance representing the traditional dance form of kerala- Thiruvathira, the girls were dressed in traditional white sa-rees and the boys were holding col-ourful umbrellas amidst the audience. Next was a dance representing the rich Islamic culture of South India.

Music and dance being integral part of Africa, the students gave an en-ergetic and powerful performance called the Amaraba, the traditional Rwandan dance. Subsequently the audience were treated to a Japanese melody representing the four seasons. Lastly the students played the flute, dholak and the guitar leaving the au-dience asking for more.

- Anketha Jagadesh Raman

Cymbals, Drums and Vibrancy

The procession was led by three groups namely, ‘Janmabhumi Janaprada Kala Sangham’, ‘Shri

Durga’ and ‘Naiandi’. The first group Janmabhumi Janaprada Kala Sang-ham, from Karnataka was led by Anil Kumar was colourful and constituted of 12 members. They have been per-forming for the past 10 years and this has been their second time in Christ University. The instrument played by them is ‘Dollu’. When asked, Mr Anil Kumar (manager) says, “Beats are limitless. We can play anything”. They are followers of Lord Shiva and dance to please him. They even dress like him wearing leopard print and yellow headgear.

The second group ‘Shri Durga’ from Kerala have been performing in vari-ous places such as Chennai, Trichy, Bangalore and Salem but it’s their first time in Christ University. The artists

are all school children and are aged between 12-16 years. They perform with instruments such as ‘Chenda’ and ‘Elathalam‘.The third group was from Tamil Nadu called ‘Naiandi’ headed by Mr.Yuvaraj. They have been playing for ten years. They per-form with instruments such as Nad-haswaram and Taval.

The procession, led by the three groups, started from the main gate and proceeded to the P.U block where enthusiastic students applauded and cheered for the groups. The perform-

ers danced to their music and also performed stunts which enthralled the crowd. Rajshri from MA Sociol-ogy described the procession saying, “It was like a breath of traditional air in a modern institution like Christ University.” Everyone shed their in-hibitions and even the non-dancers grooved to the drum beats.

From the P.U block they moved to the central block where all the groups performed together. This was a fusion of traditions and people all over the campus joined the festivity. The pro-cession then ended in the first block and the students dispersed with an undying spirit of unity.

- Alankrita Jain

Drum Maro Drum

• “Ethnic day is a nice way to show case one’s culture and portrays the unity despite

the diversity as students from all over the world come together as one”.

-KanzanglaBhutia ( I B.Sc)

• “Everyday I see people in their formals, all crisp, neat and westernized who are

busy with their technology. Today I found everyone coming back to their own roots.

All of them rejoicing and learning about the different cultures and showing off their

own in such a way that makes them feel unique”. -ArmelAyegron (III BBM)-

• “Ethnic day gives a platform for the students to depict their culture throughtheir attire and there is an air of celebration pervading the atmosphere. If Iwould have to describe it in few words then that would be celebration of ChristUniversity.”

-Muhammad Akram (II B.COM )

•“I got to see many different cultures of the states and countries. It seems like I am in a different world as the diversity here is unbelievably huge. It’s truly a unique experience“. - Jaclyn Langenpurg (IPSENG)

• “It is very nice it seems that the whole of India and world is in this one college. Itdisplays various cultures and showcases their talent. Ilove the attire,coloursand the performances” .

-Muhammad Razivlla (IJPENG)

• “I just like ethnic day because it caters right from unity to the cultural roots of

every student. On this day one can know,where students are from and the

best thing is that it is colourful” -Ankita C.M (I B.COM)

• “Ethnic day fosters different culture and traditions and it is very diverse and

distinct. I am lucky to witness two different cultures as my mom is a Korean and

my dad is an Indian”. - Rebecca Ann Fernandes( I PSC)

Voice of Christites

UniversityinDiversity!

On September 8th 2011, Christ University saw a colourful ambience of ethnicity as the

students came in their different eth-nic wears to celebrate Bhasha Utsav in the campus. Not only was there a sense of diversity, but also a display of laughter, joy and unity.As the special procession began at 9:15 am in front of central block, the crowd saw an enthusiastic group of students from different parts of the country and the world over.

“I come to India every year, and I am proud to wear the ethnic wear of Kar-nataka. This is a special Hindu Brah-min ethnic wear that I am wearing” says John from the United States of America.

As the crowd moved on in the pro-cession, it was Krush Pradhan from Nepal, who stood out wearing a Dhaka Topi, who cheerfully showed his strength in his wear which signi-fies the mountains of Nepal. Sneha from Darjeeling wore a fariya and a cholo exclaiming that she represented her community, followed by Aochan from Nagaland who represented the Ao tribe. Owni from Mizoram wore puan which is an important part of festivals celebrated at her home town.

There were students from Ivory Coast who showed their pride in their eth-nicity. Issiaka Aziz Yann a student of BCA who wore a ceremonial Kabol-angingo embroidered in silk cream thread and sky blue along with his friends Ayegnon Arnel and Marlene Ambeu who wore startling turquoise ethnic wear called Wranoper happily showed the spirit of their nation.

Amidst all the students was a touch of royalty from Korea. Rebecca wore a Ham bog which is the rich royal wear

of the kings and queens from gen-erations. “I am getting to see people from different regions and appreciate the culture and identify them because we are in our usual wear all the time, so this day is special” she said with a smile of royalty.

From a distance it was Fahim, Fara-diooa and Farshad from Afghanistan who approached the .........with their ethnic wear called the Pashtun called Patan in Urdu. Fahim described his outfit as he showed the classic embroi-dery sewn with hands. “I am proud to see the culture and unity of all the students in the campus.” he said with a spirit of pride and joy in connection with his nation.

“Christ University has a diverse cul-ture, but it is only on the Ethnic day we get to know more about the varied culture that prevails in the campus” said Grace from Congo. She wore Pagne matching it up with colourful plastic ornaments, which is an ethnic outfit they wear for auspicious occa-sions.

The Beat of drums were heard with a thrill as the performers of Dolukuni-tha were all set in the best attire called the Shivanavesha which signifies their respect to Lord Shiva

- Sandesh Mysore

Bhasha Utsav, a noble venture to promote and propagate the cultural diversity of our coun-

try was celebrated today in the Christ University with great enthusiasm. To know more about the event, we spoke to Prof. Sebastian from the Dept. of Languages (Hindi), who is a part of the core organising team of the event.

Being a language teacher, he under-stands the need for promoting the re-gional languages in India, along with their traditional art forms. He recol-lects the enthusiasm with which the event has been celebrated since 2005. He said Christ University is a nurtur-ing ground for all and shared cultural heritage helps develop a universla mindset.

When asked about the attitude of the youth towards the ethnicity and cultural heritage of the country, he acknowledged that their enthusiasm in celebrating such events gives him great confidence that the new gen-eration is indeed concerned about conserving these values and that they would never let the language and art forms of this country die out.

Even though he expressed his con-cerns about the massive spread of western culture that separates the youth from the soul of this country, he suggested that there was nothing wrong in imbibing the good from them. He was proud to stress on the

fact that in spite of belonging to dif-ferent cultural horizons, there is a strong sense of unity among Chris-tites, which is further reinforced with this event that sets out with the mis-sion of ‘celebrating diversity’.

- Neeraj Ninan

Where cultures meet in celebration.

An interview with Mrs. Malli-ka of the French Department and Nitesh, the inaugural

function host from the Department of Commerce, regarding the ‘Ethnic Day’.

Sanesh: What was the main idea behind ‘Bhasha Utsav’ ?

Mallika: Basically, it helps to make you conscious about your culture and

traditions. The youth, today, is fast forgetting their roots. It is very neces-sary to have events like these, so that we can hand over our cultures to the coming generations.

Nitesh: It is a platform for the stu-dents to portray their talents and cultures.

Sanesh: What are the different pro-grammes being put up?

Nitesh: There are three different pro-fessional troupes.

1.Dollu Kunitha by Devaraju and party from Mandya.2.Chande/Singari Melam by Mohan-das and party from Palakkadu3.Naiyendi Melam by Yuvaraj and party from Krishnagiri.There will also be performances by national and international students.

Sanesh: When did you start the preparations for the ‘Bhasha Utsav’?

Nitesh:We started preparing about a month ago. The performances were screened and the best were selected for the final stage performance.

Sanesh: What is ‘Ethnic Day’ to you?

Nitesh: It is a platform where one can showcase oneself without hesita-tions.

Mallika: It is beautiful to see the everyone in their roots and being faithful to their culture.

- Sanesh Mathew

A Word From The Organisers

ETHNIC DAY EDITION

EditorialMedia LabGowri

ReportingRoom No: 915

Art/DesignMedia Lab

Amogh

Distribution

Rigzin

MounicaDina H

Abhishek, Anketa, ShreeshaSharan

Team AAmritaLeena

Kirtihi, SaneshTanima

Team B

PoojaNitya

Gayatri, AlankrtaShriya

Team C

Sandesh MBhargavi

Vidisha, AnimaChandan

Team D

AntaraDeepshika

Syed, Aina, NeerajNitish

Team E

RitikaNishita

Rem, BhagyaShayne

Team F

ShwetaMinu

Pearl, PriyankaSiri

Team G

Layout Designer: Nikita

Text Specialist: Niladri

Image Designer: Anita

GowriDeena P, Nandini, Kevin

Printing

Sandesh S

Sandesh S, Atriya

Rigzin, Navaneetham

COMMIXBhasha Utsav Special

The Team I MSCOMM

Ethnic day marks the celebration of various cultures in Christ University. On this day, eve-

ryone gets together to celebrate their differences in a vibrant and lively en-vironment, along with experiencing the uniqueness of each person’s in-dividual expression of their own cul-ture. For the 1st M.S.Communication students however, it was a complete-ly different experience as they had the Himalayan task of publishing a ‘Bhasha Utsav’ special edition of the M.S.Communication news letter “Commix” on the very same day.

The first step towards executing this plan was mind-mapping, wherein the class was divided into a mock news agency and everyone was given their specific designations. This was done to give the students clarity on their roles and the work involved in executing these roles effectively. The Editorial team was headed by Gowri and she was assisted by Nandini Santhanam,

Kevin James, and Deena P. The Layout and Designing team was headed by Amogh R and he was assisted by Ni-kita Nagesh, Anitha R, and Niadri M. Sandesh S and Rigzin were responsible for the printing and circulation. The Reporting team was expected to cover

the Organizers, Faculty, Auditorium & Backstage, Ethnic Wear, Students and the Procession that was to take place after the cultural programme came to an end in the Auditorium.

This was a platform for the students to get a firsthand experience on how a newspaper organization works and also specifically how to work within deadlines. Reporters from each team gathered information and sent their articles to the Senior Editor of the team, who in turn forwarded the ar-ticles to the Editorial team for further scrutiny. After this, the final pieces were sent to the Layout and Design-ing team who figured out appropri-ate ways in which the articles had to be placed in the newsletter. The team came through with flying colours, and ended the challenging task by publish-ing the newsletter at 4 pm.

- Ritika Singh.