A Review of the Cultural Scene at IIT Madras
By Sharanya Haridas
In The IITians (Level 5, CenLib), author Sandipan Deb talks at length about how it isn’t academic achievement, but rather, talent in non-scholastic fields and leadership ability that brings the average IITian peer-respect.
Non-IITians would scarcely believe it but IIT Madras has one of the most diverse and exciting cultural scenes of any college in the country. At first, such an idea might seem almost R-O-T-F-L. (Geeks competing against other geeks for supremacy in the higher arts? Come on!) When I first got my admission letter and my mother, who studied in Madras in the 70s told me excitedly about Mardi Gras (now Saarang) and what a blast I was going to have I was pretty sceptical too. But the first month here and all the energy at Freshie Night was enough to convince me otherwise. IITians take their fun very seriously.
This is a guide for the uninitiated into Cultural and Literary events at IIT Madras.
Quick Freshie FYI:
How the activities are organized:
Cultural and Literary competitions in IITM are divided along hostel lines and every hostel’s LitSoc (Literary-Socials? The exact full form has long since been forgotten) points are added up. The winner walks away with the LitSoc trophy which is a huge deal.
What should you participate in? Are you “good enough” or will you risk making an ass of yourself?
If you’ve been pursuing a particular activity at the school level or beyond, chances are you already have the skills to be an asset to your hostel and should approach your hostel’s Lit Sec or Soc Sec for the same. Alternatively, if you’re not sure where your talent lies but are interested in something, it’s a great idea to dabble in these activities at the intra-hostel level to begin with. Some of insti’s best talent has emerged in this way.
Freshies are given more leeway when it comes to messing up since they’re new and still learning the ropes, so we recommend you jump right in and risk making an ass of yourself. Certain events, in fact, thrive on this.
LitSoc and Saarang:
Lit
The Lit Scene at IITM is a mixture of good and ugly, depending on how you look at it. Lit (of LitSoc) competitions include speaking events such as Elocution, Debate and Just-A-Minute (JAM), thespian events (including Monoacting and Dramatics) wordgames (Scrabble, Cluedo, What’s the Good Word, etc) and Miscellaneous (eg: Potpourri)
While Drams is mostly a serious affair, Eloc and Monoacting see a mixture of serious and trippy pieces. Much of it is OwnComp (own compositions) in insti lingo with pop-culture references. Yes, insti is big on humour- especially raunchy humour- and JAM topics are often along the lines of “If you consume laxatives and Viagra, you’ll be coming and going at the same time”. The humour can be developed, but the raunchiness could take a while getting used to!
Writers and cartoonists will find a platform in inter-hostel Creative Writing, The Fourth Estate, The Fifth Estate, the Saarang/Shaastra Newsletters and department publications.
While pretty much all of this has been in English, this year’s Insti CulSecs, Saruku and Nishanth manifesto, the idea of including regional languages so as to increase participation and decrease the pseudo-elitism in this scene.
Soc
As far as “soc” events go, music, dance and quizzing being very much in the public eye, steal the show. The institute has a very active Music Club with a focus on Classical music and it organizes a concert every now and then. Inter-hostel LM (Light Music, Indian)and WM (Western Music) are hugely popular. The solos (both vocal and instrumental) are usually held in the CLT while the group events see the various hostel bands battling it out on the lawns outside Himalaya.
The Choreo Team is also very active and aside from competing in inter-hostel events (both solo and group)is also seen to meet every once in a way (at SAC) to practice their moves, much as the LM/WM enthusiasts meet to jam once in a way.
Insti also has a very active quizzing scene (the LiSoc Main Quiz and India Quiz are hot favourites) and has produced some national-level champs over the years.
Fine Arts events (including drawing, painting and Clay Modelling), and variety events like Potpourri and Cluedo also witness a decent turnout while Short Film Making (SFM) gives a chance for the aspiring filmmaker’s in every hostel to show off a combination of technical and artistic skills.
Queen of Sheeba has the distinction of being the only time of the year when freshies can walk up to hostel seniors and blatantly (if not frantically) enquire if they are in the possession of flavoured contraception, underwear with cult motifs and the like…and get away with it!
Saarang (formerly Mardi Gras)
IIT-M’s 40-year old cultural fest is a 5-day orgy involving over 50,000 people and 50 events and many HUGE Professional Shows and famous people. We suggest you just log on to www.saarang.org for all the scoop.
Alternative Culture:
It’s totally cool if you aren’t a fan of mainstream LitSoc events. Insti culture is a LOT more than the sum of its Lit/Soc, Sporting, Acad and Tech Culture.
Learn insti lingo. Devour all the content on LAN. Become a SitCom junkie or a CS champ. Read things outside of the reference list. Engage in a WingFart debate every now and then to answer life’s important questions () help you attain 42. Join the Astro Club on the HSB roof top to learn all about the different constellations. Make it to the EMLs (Extra Mural Lectures) and shoot a question at the big-shot speaker. Attend one of the Vivekananda Study Circle or Reflections meetings. Get a girlfriend/ boyfriend. Scale the 1973 tower (you didn’t hear it from us!) but don’t get caught. Try something you haven’t tried before. Beat the insti record for most days gone without bathing. Set an insti record. Do something memorable and become an Insti God. Get politically active. Hang out at Tarams. Go to Bessie with your classmates on a weekday night. Ride the MRTS. Chennai is a cultural hub so get out once in a way and soak it all in.
It is often said that five years from now you will be the same person but for the books you read, the tapes you listen to, the friends you keep and the goals you aim for. What is it you want to do with your one wild and precious college life?
