Media Release
Udupi, Apr 12: The cultural coordination committee of the Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) is organizing its annual cultural festival for students, Utsav ‘23, from April 11-14.
Vasanti R Pai, trustee of the MAHE trust, formally inaugurated the event on April 11 at KMC Greens. Dr H S Ballal, pro chancellor of MAHE, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, vice chancellor of MAHE, Dr Geetha Maiya, director of student affairs MAHE, Dr Shobha Kamath, chairperson of CCC MAHE, and Dr Sambit Dash, secretary of CCC MAHE, were present.
Students from all of MAHE's units will take part in the events. The audience will have an unparalleled experience in this Utsav that is conducted on a larger scale compared to the previous year, which took place under restrictions due to COVID 19.
Thirty-five events spanning over five days will be held at Manipal. The participants are provided with an opportunity to display their skills and network with peers who share similar interests. The theme of this year's event is 'Indian Royalty', embodying the enchanting Indian culture. Prize money worth Rs. 3.5 lac is given for the various events. MAHE has always fostered a reputation for its commitment to academic distinction, social responsibility, innovation, and participation in co-curricular and extracurricular activities. Utsav is the largest and grandest cultural festival for the MAHE family and is a stage for the proud and talented minds of the university to showcase their talents. This year, groups from five campuses outside of Manipal, including Dubai, Jamshedpur, Jaipur, Sikkim, and Bengaluru, are also taking part.
The staff Utsav was held on March 11 and April 10, with activities like cooking, carving fruit and vegetables, and different kinds of entertainment. The prizes for these events were distributed during the inauguration ceremony.
The first day of student Utsav on April 11 had events including painting, debate, cartooning, extempore, instrumental solo, eastern vocal solo, cultural parade, and group folk dance.
The cultural parade was the highlight of the evening. All the teams presenting various cultures with enthusiasm and zeal were qualities that made the event a success. The performances covered various cultures from all over India and many more, like Indian cinema and the cultures of people in the Middle East.
Group folk dance was the last event of the day, with it being the quintessential example of showcasing our diversity with traditional dance forms like ghoomar, yakshagana, lambadi-banjaara, and kangilu. The students participated with immense zest to bring the day's proceedings to a close with unforgettable performances.