Dhanak – 2024

Dhanak, the Annual Cultural Festival of IIST is a platform for students to showcase their talents in music, dance, literature and visual arts.This intercollegiate cultural fest sees active participation from all over the country. The 2024 edition of Dhanak was conducted from 15th to 18th March 2024. The cultural festival was inaugurated by Smt. Merin Joseph (IPS), Police Commissioner, Kollam, and Dr. Mohan Raghavan, Head of the Department of Heritage Science and Technology at IIT Hyderabad.

Dhanak – 2023

Dhanak, the Annual Cultural Festival of IIST is a platform for students to showcase their talents in music, dance, literature and visual arts.This intercollegiate cultural fest sees active participation from all over the country

Dhanak 2023, the three-day cultural fest and intercollege competitions were held from March 17-20,2023, witnessed a massive turnout of 848 students from various Colleges and Universities. While Shri. Jayachandran, the renowned music director inaugurated the event with his divine music, Shri VJ James, a writer of unparalleled brilliance, adorned the event as the guest of honor, adding a touch of literary grandeur to the unfolding spectacle.

It had 33 events extended over 4 days that kept the participants engaged throughout. The major crowd pullers were the group dance competition, the Battle of Bands, solo singing and dancing competitions, treasure hunt, and fashion show. The Street Play was a standout event that addressed a serious issue of drug abuse in an entertaining yet impactful way. The workshops were informative and provided an excellent opportunity for students to learn and develop new skills. The organizers ensured that everything ran smoothly, from the registration process to the stage setup and the food stalls. The staff and volunteers were friendly and helpful, adding to the overall positive experience. A book exhibition and painting exhibition added more charm to Dhanak 2023

A book exhibition and a painting exhibition were also organized as part of Dhanak 2023.

Spic Macay Programs

IIST hosted a SPIC MACAY programme on November 1, 2022, as part of the induction programme. Shri Shashank Subramanyam, the renowned flautist performed the Carnatic flute, accompanied by Shri Trivandrum Sampath on violin, Shri Palakkad Mahesh on mridangam and Shri Udupi Sreedhar on ghatam.

Padma Shri Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan, a widely renowned sitar maestro of global acclaim, and is regarded as one of the finest Indian Classical musicians alive, has perform at IIST on 31 MARCH, 2023. Recipient of numerous awards, including Government of India's Padma Shri and Sangeet Natak Academy award, Ustad Shahid Parvez Khan is widely recognized as one of the most dynamic and improvised stage performers.

Programs by the Music Club

The Music Club at IIST (Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology) resonates with melodious harmony, creating a symphonic haven for budding musicians to explore their passion and cultivate their talents. With a diverse array of instruments and genres, the club serves as a creative outlet for students to engage in soulful compositions, rhythmic arrangements, and captivating performances. Beyond the notes, the Music Club fosters a sense of camaraderie, encouraging collaboration and artistic growth. By organizing captivating events and performances across the campus, the club enriches the cultural tapestry of IIST and provides a platform for musical expression to flourish. Through their melodious endeavors, the Music Club strikes a chord that harmonizes with the spirit of creativity and community at IIST. The following programs were conducted by the music club during the reporting period.

Music Club Induction Programme

The incoming batch of 2022 was welcomed to the campus on March 6, 2022 and the music club induction programme was held. They were made aware of the music club events and new and innovative events were planned to make the new semester as eventful and colourful as possible.

Jamming Sessions

These are the most fun part of the club, where all the students just come sing, jam and compose music together. The most creative vertical of Music Club, the Jamming session was held on May 21, 2022.

Independence Day. 2022 and Republic Day celebrations, 2022

As a part of Independence Day celebrations, the entire weekend around 15th August, 2022 was dedicated to celebrating 75 years of independence. The music club heartily took part in the event by collaborating with the drama club and the dance club to put up a fantastic cultural programme on Independence day and Republic day. A Mega cultural evening was also organized on the evening of August 14, 2022. Many events like Antakshari was hosted and cultural performances were done by the Music Club. Not only the students, but also the faculty and their family took part in the festive occasion.

Drama Club

The Drama Club is a vibrant and creative community dedicated to fostering a love for the dramatic arts among its members and the wider campus community. Throughout the year, the club has organized a wide range of activities. They have staged captivating and thought-provoking theatrical performances, ranging from classic plays to contemporary productions, providing entertainment and cultural enrichment to the IIST community. Additionally, the club frequently collaborates with other student clubs, fostering a dynamic and inclusive atmosphere for all those interested in the world of drama and theater.

Dance Club

The Dance Club at IIST ignites the campus with the rhythmic energy of movement, providing a vibrant platform for self-expression and cultural celebration. Through captivating performances and engaging workshops, the club not only refines the dancing skills of its members but also weaves a tapestry of artistic inclusivity. During the reporting period they have contributed to significant occasions like the induction program for the freshers, flash mob for increasing awareness of Space Program, Konchords, Independence day, Republic Day and Dhanak, thereby infusing these events with an extra layer of dynamism and joy. These programs serve as a testament to the club's commitment to fostering unity and diversity, while also showcasing the richness of dance as a universal language that transcends barriers. In doing so, the Dance Club enhances the vibrant spirit of IIST's cultural fabric and leaves an indelible mark on its community.

As part of Azadi Ka Amruth Mahotsav

IIST celebrated India’s 75 yrs of independence and 1 year of its Azadi Ka Amruth Mahotsav celebrations with a variety of programs from August 12-15, 2022. A family gathering, social and cultural events, Space on Wheels, plantation drives, GIS day celebrations, programs showcasing the technological accomplishments of our country, seminars and talks, among other activities, marked the 4-day program. As a curtain raiser of this program there was a family gathering of all the permanent faculty members and staff of IIST followed by dinner on August 12, 2022 from 6 pm to 8 pm. The evening was graced by the Mohiniyattam performance by Dr Neena Prasad, the renowned Mohiniyattam dancer and academician who has carved her own path in Mohiniyattam with her own choreography, research and study. This was in addition to the programs organized by the different departments

Konchords

Konchords is a cultural event usually hosted by the music club every semester for the students of the institute to unwind and showcase their talent, taking some time off from the curriculum. It is a blend of cultural activities done in collaboration with the dance and drama clubs of IIST and elevate the campus culture even further. Konchords 2023 was organized in April 13, 2023 with 403 studets participating in the events

2021-22

Cultural events/Competitions organized by the Musical Club - Music club online induction programme (5th February)

Due to the then prevailing Covid situations, the induction was held online. However, the pandemic did not dampen the spirits and the enthusiasm of the music club as we interacted with the fresh batch of IISTians and had a fun interactive session about the music club and its various events. The 2020 batch was exposed to and briefed about the cultural events in IIST and it was deliberated how such events would be conducted online.

Name assigning contest

A competition was organized online from 10th May-6th June, 2021 to give the music club a name. This competition was organized mainly with the objective of making the club more official and more involved in the vibrant campus culture of IIST. Many names were suggested and through extensive voting, the most popular name was chosen. This marked the beginning of “NepTunes”, the Music club of IIST. The name Neptunes (Connects Astronomy to Music) . The winner of the competition was Suvan Nanda.

Logo designing

The logo for the music club was designed by the members of the Music club on 28th July, 2021. The logo incorporated the theme of music as well space science by combining the elements of a Guitar and a Rocket taking off to make our amazing logo.

Dhun 2021

Dhun, the massive inter-college music competition was organized from 3rd August - 31st , 2021 August with full fervour. A lot of entries from singers as well as instrumentalists from various colleges were received and the competition was held on the Instagram page. Winners were declared by combining the opinions of our judges as well as the public opinion on our social media page. The winners of the competition were: Gandham Ravi Verma, IIST - 1st place; Swamini Munagekar, SNDT Women’s University - 2nd place; Karthika Menon, IIST and Pranav Koppa, IIST - 3rd place

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations

As a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebrations on 15th August (75th Independence Day Celebs), the members of the music club collaborated online and made a music video completely from scratch including the Recording and Sound Editing and displayed it during the online celebrations. In addition to this, the video was also posted on the official YouTube account of IIST and the music club social media accounts as well. Nearly 17 music enthusiast participated to make our own Independence day Special Music Video. The Video later also got published on IIST’s Youtube Page.

Onam Music Video

Onam 2021 was again organised in online mode and once again members of music club were ready with a own version of Kuttanadan Punjayile Song. The tracks and music was made from scratch.

Konchords

The most awaited music club event of the semester, Konchords was finally conducted after a long break on April 19, 2022. Because of the long pause, the newest edition of Konchords was held with a lot of pomp and ceremony in a grand fashion. The event was organized in the Amphitheatre under the starry skies of April. A plethora of cultural programmes were lined up. Speakers and instruments were rented, banners were printed and put up, sound systems were brought in and the night exploded in dance, music and revelry. The event was a success with 35+ events including Band Performances, Solo singing, Solo Dancing, Standup Comedy, Group Dance and Singing, Acting starting from Indian Classical to Western Pop. The Open Air theatre saw the biggest crowd gathered together that Semester.

Jamming Sessions

These are the most fun part of the club, where all the students just come sing, jam and compose music together. The most creative vertical of Music Club.

Cultural Programs as part of Onam

After a hiatus of 3 years, IIST celebrated virtually the Vibrant and joyous festival of Onam on 28th September 2021. Considering the pan Indian nature of the institute, students organized several online programmes so as to familiarize the culture of the land and its people and inculcate the profound spirit of oneness and equality, which is associated with Onam. The celebrations included presentations of Kerala music, dance, flower arrangements (pookalam), and brief Onam messages, most of which were pre-recorded.

2020-21

Due to COVID -19 pandemic, the institute did not have any kind of curricular or extra curricular activitoes

2019-20

Dhanak

The eleventh edition of IIST's student cultural festival „Dhanak‟ was conducted from the 27th to 30th September 2019. The cultural festival was inaugurated by Mr. Bose Krishnamachari, renowned painter, curator, and director of the Kochi Muziris Biennale. The festival spread over three days saw a large number of student participation for competitions in dance and music from colleges across the country. The festival also featured a professional musical night by the band NRJ PROJECT, accompanied by AbhayaHiranmayi and the music director, Gopi Sunder.

Shri. Bose Krishnamachari inaugurating Dhanak

Konchords

A plethora of cultural programmes were lined up for Konchords on August 9, 2019 and Febrruary 7, 2020. Speakers and instruments were rented, banners were printed and put up, sound systems were brought in and the night exploded in dance, music and revelry. The event was a success with 35+ events including Band Performances, Solo singing, Solo Dancing, Standup Comedy, Group Dance and Singing, Acting starting from Indian Classical to Western Pop. The Open Air theatre saw the biggest crowd gathered together that Semester.

DHUN - Online Musical Program

Online Musical Program IIST Music Club organised DHUN - an online competition where students were free to perform anything musically sound with attractive prizes on 31st May 2020. This provided a welcome release for students who were deprived of the extra curricular activities they would have been involved in they were in the campus. Rather than a competition, it was a musical treat and much needed extravaganza.

2018-19

DHANAK

Dhanak 2018, the annual cultural fest of IIST for the 2018-2019 academic year, was conducted from September 28 – October 1, 2018. This was the tenth edition of Dhanak since its inception. This year, the event achieved the highest footfall in its history. Union Bank of India and the institute were the main sponsors of the event. Dhanak was preceded by a variety of online events and competitions. Dhanak 2018 was inaugurated by the eminent film maker Roshni Dinaker. The Union Bank of India Zonal Head and other dignitaries were present at this ceremony. Dean of Student Activities, Dr. Kuruvilla Joseph and Registrar, Dr. A Chandrasekhar spoke on the occasion.

Inauguration of Dhanak 2018 by the noted Malayalam filmmaker Roshini Dinaker

Sitar-Tabla Concert

IIST Cultural Committee organised a Sitar-Tabla Concert at IIST by Shri. Kushal Das and Shri. Sandip Gosh, internationally acclaimed artists as part of SPICMACAY on 16 Friday, August 2019 from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Bihu Dance

SPIC MACAY is a non-political nationwide voluntary movement started by Dr. Kiren Seth, Professor of IIT Delhi. As part of IIST hosted a Bihu Dance Concert by Shri. Ranjit Gagoi on 16th June 2018.

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