Sparsh 23'

Whoever you might be, there is a good chance you attended or at least came in to find out what all the fuss was about, that’s right we are talking about the biggest cultural festival of our college - Sparsh. In an exhilarating celebration of art in its various forms, from dancing, to singing and much much more, this year the Sparsh experience was on another level. It was a four-day extravaganza, jam-packed with fun and exciting events. From the captivating rhythms of the Dancing Night to the soul-stirring melodies of the Singing Night, and the electrifying beats of the EDM Night to the star-studded Celebrity Night, this fest had something to offer to every attendee. Alongside the vibrant performances, the festival grounds were adorned with numerous food stalls, a tattoo parlor, and a book fair just outside which all added to the immaculate vibe that enveloped the campus throughout the event. Let us embark on a journey through this captivating festival, as we delve into some of the individual events that made it a truly unforgettable experience.

The Four Nights

Singing Night

On the evening of 6th April, perfectly coordinated instruments and melodious harmonies echoed through the ground of SAC. The event contained performances ranging from heartfelt Bollywood songs to the raw chords of regional music with a splash of Western music as well.

Dancing night

On the 7th of April, everyone put on their dancing shoes to experience a night full of rhythms, beats, and endless fun-the dancing night. The events commenced at around 7 pm. The main event was the dancing competition named- Footloose Showdown. It stood true to its name as all participants put their best foot forward and set the stage on fire. The event was further ameliorated due to the presence of the very talented judges- Miss Siddhi Agarwal, Miss Mitali Karwar, and Mr. Akshay Paddy. The competition had 4 categories. Miss Dharita Chaudhari dazzled the judges with her performance and went ahead to win Rhythm- the solo competition, the sizzling duo of Anshika and Pratyasha won Just duo-the duet, the electrifying performance by Rashi Sharma and group led them to win choreo clash-group dance, the comic SVNIT themed performance by the chemical department won engineer's groove- departmental dance. The departmental dance was the student favorite in which every performance had a central theme. The Ground was filled with the clamor of everyone cheering for their respective departments. Everyone's spirits were at an all-time high!

EDM Night

The Electronic Dance and Music Night of Sparsh were back after 8 years with a bang. The SAC ground was filled with an energetic crowd swaying to the rhythmic beats. DJ Swattrex and DJ Tracer were the stars of the night. They played vibey music that led the masses to euphoria. The attendees had a great time dancing away without a care in the world and making unforgettable memories. Indeed an electrifying night with lots of dancing, dazzling lights, and confetti.

Celebrity Night

The Celebrity Night of Sparsh 2023 “Aurora de Fantasia” was held with much fanfare on the 9th of April 2023 at the grand stage in the SAC ground. Hundreds of students, faculty, non-teaching staff, and members of the public joined the crowd to watch the electrifying performances of Aseem Sharma and Band for the first half of the musical evening, and the dynamic Bollywood duo Sachin Sanghvi and Jigar Saraiya, popularly known as Sachin-Jigar, accompanied by playback singer Divya Kumar and Indian Idol finalist Charu Semwal on stage in the second half of the Celebrity Musical Night. A great many classical songs, remixes, and new grooves were the mainstay of the show, with energetic dancing and singing from the enthralled audience. Drones covered the entire event while Aseem Sharma and the band captured the attention of the audience with their own touch to many beloved songs and famous riffs, and large groups of students dancing in sync to the melodious voices of the Sachin-Jigar duo.

Events

Paintball

Paintball was an event organized by the first and second-year SVNIT cadets of NCC under the guidance of Dr. Yogesh Sonvane sir. The cadets set up the ground to give the participants the most authentic experience. About 170 teams registered for the event and all of them had the opportunity of making their dreams of playing Fortnite in real life come true. The participants were provided full body armor, a helmet, and paintball guns. Each game would be of ten minutes. Points were awarded according to the rounds of the bullet left against the number of shots you took i.e. three points for a headshot, two for a body shot, and one for else. From climbing nets to dodging colorful bullets, the participants moved through the bushy and muddy ground swiftly. Various obstacles were scattered across the field for players to take cover and plan their next attack. The event was a huge success and the organizing team must be commended for all the efforts they put in.

Metallic Mayhem: Battle of Bands

The Metallic Mayhem: Battle of Bands was organized under Sparsh 2023 “Aurora de Fantasia” on the evening of the 7th of April 2023. The competition was presided over by the visiting artist Mr. Robins Artman, an acclaimed pianist in Gujarat, and our faculty coordinator Dr. Rohan Pandey, accompanied by student coordinators Parag Kulshreshta, Aniket Motwani, and Aditi Pandey.

Each of the bands performed on a stage set up in the SAC ground, with cool weather beautifying the show and setting the vibe of the evening. Five bands, namely Power Chord, Aces, Paris, Sayonee, and Maverick were the contestants in the battle for the perfect symphony, with each band putting on a mesmerizing show for the judges and audience, with performances being judged on many parameters, including instrument note quality and correctness, synchronization with other band members and vocal ability. The winners of Metallic Mayhem: Battle of Bands will be declared on the Sparsh website soon.

Mr. and Ms. Sparsh

The three-round event was an interesting battle of people with beauty and brains. Of all the students who intended to grab the title, 19 were shortlisted through a talent hunt. The final round was held at the SAC ground on 8/4/23 despite the scorching heat. Even the Sun couldn't douse the excitement.

There were two segments namely, the ramp walk and the question round. The panel of judges consisted of Ms. Ankita Valand, a winner of Kg Roadies 2018, owner of Mr.Cafe, and a sponsor of Sparsh, along with Ms. Ami Shah.

The contestants had done a great job at keeping the audience hooked throughout their walk and talk. After the ramp walk, 8 contestants made it to the question round. The questions posed to the winning contestants were "Why does every girl want to be a fashion superstar? And "What does this cultural fest mean to you?"

Subsequently, Mr. Aniket Motwani and Ms. Riya Shah were crowned as Mr. and Ms. Sparsh. The event was concluded by presenting a token of gratitude to the judge Ms. Ankita Valand.

Cultural Walk

‘Runway Rapture’ - the Cultural Walk of Sparsh 2k23 held on 8th April at SAC ground truly showcased the love towards culture and diversity of India through fashion. Justifying its tagline - ‘Dare to dream, dazzle, and dominate the runway!’ The event saw students of SVNIT flaunting their fashion and sense on the runway. The theme for this year was the fusion of culture. The entire event was engaging and fun, and especially enthralling to the spectators due to the representation of cultures that was evident through vivid colors and original styles. Some participants even used props to enhance their performance. The event saw equal enthusiasm from students from all years and all cultural and religious backgrounds.

The event was judged by passionate experts in the field of art- Pooja Vyas and Jagdish Purohit who also shared their valuable guidance with the participants. The event was conducted in one round only, and the winners were declared in two categories. Although each participant gave their best, the very deserving winners were Preesha and Anukreeti in the Female, and Mayur and Swet in the Male category. Overall, The event was a treat for the eyes.

Bringing all these events together to create the mammoth cultural fest of SPARSH is no mean feat for any group of students. That being said, the promised 50+ events were never delivered and the ones that were delivered seemed to be managed poorly, ill-executed, and not publicized at all. The few stand-out events like the ones organized by NCC and the adventure events seemed much more put together than the rest of the almost impromptu ones. The fest could have been smaller and much more cohesive which would’ve made a greater impact on the students. With all that said and done, it was done on an unprecedented scale and has set a benchmark for the future.