saarang

It is a ritual with me and a pleasant one at that, to make a pilgrimage to IIT madras, during their annual cultural festival in January. It started during my college days when one of our friends was doing her masters in chemistry. Later Raja did his undergraduation there and we were officially invited to select programmes.
IIT quiz programme used to be unique and a must see;must hear event,participation of course was out of question.I remember the huge lecture theatre with the teams sitting near the dias and the hall bursting to capacity. I witnessed audio/visual rounds only during that quiz programme. They played a soulful number of talat aziz and asked that the singer be identified.Quiz took on a multi dimensional and high intellectual quotient after that experience. Their just a minute programme was legendary. Many versions used to be heard; how one should not repeat, one should not be irrelevant and the viewers/other participants will be literally on their toes to point out fine points of error in those JAM sessions.One of our cousins used to be an avid JAM participant and would boast to us that she walked away with the prizes;grrrrrr.

The concerts in the Open Air Theatre , again had a charm and aura of their own and it is this which kept me going year after year. Students used to come with their pillows and generally lounge on the steps; it was not so crowded then as it is now, with the jazz and rock concerts.

I have enjoyed balamurali krishna in a jugal bandi; ustad amjad ali khan's melocious renderings;ganesh kumaresh violin;inter collegiate light music;inter collegiate dance contests.The place and the people have a magic , no doubt about that.

This year it was mainly to soak in the ambience; Gajendra circle was decked up in unusual colours of green fountain and glittering blue string lights. The food stalls; the village theme; lucky ali relayed off site near the food stalls gave us a peep view of the inside of OAT(Entering the same was well , impossible)But we pacified ourselves that the music was average at best and hence we did not miss anything.

Took a stroll deep into the campus and relived our MCC days.We dont need an excuse to slip back to Tambaram days and mcc campus.

So long saarang...we shall be back.