Indian Institute of Management, Udaipur, on 26 Jan, witnessed its very first Cultural Night at its Balicha campus. Celebrating the rich heritage and tradition of India on the occasion of Republic Day, the institute played host to the students, faculty and other distinguished guests to an evening of dance and music.

The event kicked off with a soulful rendition of Vande Mataram by Octaves- the music society of IIMU, thus setting the tone for the rest of the evening.  Octaves continued to enthrall the audience with a medley of Assamese folk songs which was then followed by a Bihu performance by Footworx- the dance society of IIMU.

Soon after, it was turn for Shiv Shakti to take the stage. A unique combination of four dance forms, comprising of Ankita Kaushik (Bharatnatyam), Lipsa Satpathy (Odissi), Shivalika Kataria (Kathak) and T Reddi Lakshmi (Kuchipudi), the group simply mesmerized the audience, sending them into raptures. Presenting a wide array of performances, in different stages of Omkaram, Pallavi, Dashavataram, Tandava, Shakti and Tarana, the four dance forms coming together was indeed a sight to behold.

Final act of the evening was a performance by Char Yaar (Deepak Castelino, Latif Khan, Pritam Ghosal and Gurmeet Singh)- a group of internationally acclaimed Sufi musicians. Their songs revolved around a wide range of themes, be it the end of empires, obeisance to saints or just the mere celebration that is life itself. Often transcending different languages, their performance left the audience spellbound and asking for more. Singing and dancing along to one soulful number after another, the sheer energy in the auditorium was indeed palpable. They ended their performance with a unique rendition of Hallelujah by the late Leonard Cohen.

With that, it was curtains for the day and Cultural Night 2018 at IIM Udaipur. The next two days at the campus though, will continue with more pomp and gaiety. With a plethora of competitions and events attracting participants and spectators from across the country, the stage is set for Audacity, IIMU’s annual cultural fest. The headline act of the fest will be the Bollywood musical director duo of Sachin-Jigar on final day of what promises to be a fun-filled extravaganza.