Campus in Bloom: Diaries from BHAV GUNJAN Youth Festival 2025
From Stage Lights to Soul Sparks :A Celebration of Art, Identity, and Expression
Here is the brochure and time-table:
Prelude: When the Campus Became a Canvas
Every year, The Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University transforms into more than just an academic space it becomes a stage where ideas dance, voices rise, and creativity finds its pulse. The 33rd Inter-College Youth Festival BHAV GUNJAN 2025 wasn’t merely an event; it was an artistic awakening.
From the first beat of the Kala Yatra to the final applause of the closing ceremony, the festival unfolded like an anthology of emotions each event a new page written in music, movement, and memory.
Day 1: The Procession of Purpose:KALA YATRA
The festival began on a charged note on 8th October 2025, with the Kala Yatra marching through the city from Shamaldas Arts College to J.K. Sarvaiya College.
Department of English, MKBU joined the Yatra with enthusiasm, embodying the festival’s spirit of “Bhav” (emotion) and “Gunjan” (resonance).
Day 2: A Symphony of Cultures and Voices
9th October 2025 began with the Opening Ceremony a spectacle of tradition and innovation streamed live across campus.
Performances such as Surgunjan and Rasagunjan blended classical dance, folk rhythms, and modern music. The Adivasi Nritya brought raw energy and cultural authenticity, reminding everyone that folk art isn’t history it’s living heritage.
Day 3: The Stage of Mirrors Where Theatre Met Truth
The third day, 10th October, belonged to drama Ekanki, Mime, and Western Instrumental turned the stage into a mirror reflecting society’s soul.
1. “GenZ Panchayat” –A Satire in Motion
This performance stole attention for its bold portrayal of youth, technology, and traditional power. The juxtaposition of “GenZ” with “Panchayat” wasn’t random it was deliberate satire.
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The tricolor backdrop of India and angelic wings symbolized the youth’s soaring ambitions.
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References to “GPT” hinted at AI’s infiltration into modern life how even governance is now algorithmic.
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The collective pyramid formation by young performers became a metaphor for unity in diversity.
Critical Lens:
| Theory | Element | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Dryden’s Concept of Play | Just and lively image of human nature | The skit reimagined India’s youth grappling with inherited systems, balancing rebellion with reverence. |
| Ben Jonson’s Comedy of Humours | Obsession and satire | The piece humorously exposed youth’s obsession with digital validation and moral idealism. |
This was less a “play” and more a cultural dialogue a Bollywood-style theatrical reflection on Gen Z’s chaotic yet hopeful identity.
2. “The Grandfather Returns” – Comedy of Menace Meets Absurd Theatre
A comic piece featuring a grandfather returning from heaven to witness India’s obsession with fame and money (symbolized by Anant Ambani and Shubman Gill) turned out to be both hilarious and haunting.
| Theory | Element | Analysis |
|---|---|---|
| Irving Wardle’s Comedy of Menace | Humor vs. Mortality | The play used laughter to expose the anxiety of living in a fast, celebrity-obsessed era. |
| Martin Esslin’s Absurd Theatre | Meaning in meaninglessness | The grandfather’s confusion mirrored humanity’s struggle to find purpose amid modern chaos. |
This was not mere comedy it was existential satire masquerading as humor.
3. “Ganga: Roar of Justice” – Tragedy that Echoed Across the Hall
Performed by The KPES College, written by Anopsinh Sarvaiya, and directed by Vipul Rathod and Jibril Parmar, this one act tragedy shattered silence with its truth.
Aristotelian Analysis:
| Tragic Element | Observation |
|---|---|
| Plot (Complex Action) | From helplessness to victory a complete reversal. |
| Hamartia | Ganga’s tragic flaw is her faith in institutions that fail her. |
| Pathos | The pain of maternal betrayal and systemic rot evokes deep pity. |
| Catharsis | Her final victory purges the audience’s anger and sorrow. |
The play reaffirmed that theatre still possesses the power to hold a mirror to society raw, fearless, and cathartic.
Day 4: The Melodies of Identity and Memory
11th October 2025 marked the festival’s culmination a day of rhythm, resonance, and reflection.
Mimicry and Metaphor: “Ramayana by Time”
Nandish Padia’s award-winning mimicry was more than imitation; it was philosophy in motion. By letting Time (Samay) narrate the Ramayana, he turned mythology into cosmic commentary where every triumph and downfall is merely a moment in the eternal cycle.
The perfect synchronization of visuals and sound made this not just a performance but a meditation on destiny.
Folk, Raas, and the Dance of Spirit
The folk dancers, balancing matkis on their heads, embodied Rasa Theory in motion.
| Rasa | Emotional Flavor | Expression |
|---|---|---|
| Adbhuta | Wonder | Awe through balance and rhythm |
| Shringara | Love/Beauty | Grace in gesture and attire |
| Veera | Heroism | Stamina and energy in motion |
| Shanta | Peace | Harmony and collective rhythm |
Similarly, the Raas Garba sequence turned devotion into dynamism, with students’ vibrant attire and rhythmic clatter of dandiyas reminding everyone that Gujarat’s heart beats in circles of dance and divinity.
When East Met West: Western Singing & Folk Orchestra
The Western Singing Group from K.P.E.S. College balanced style and harmony with a refreshing global touch, while the Folk Orchestra thundered with dhols, tablas, and the iconic Sarkari beat, reasserting Gujarat’s rhythmic pride.
These contrasts between Raag Bhupali on the flute and English harmonies on mic made the festival a living tapestry of India’s plural identity.
Fine Arts: Aesthetics of Simplicity and Sustainability
Creativity found quiet power in the Fine Arts section.
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Krishna Vala’s Clay Model : A hut and well sculpted in clay celebrated rural simplicity and aesthetic realism, blending texture with philosophy.
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Vanita Baraiya’s Newspaper Painting :A masterpiece in recycled art, her collage used waste to redefine beauty, merging Aestheticism with Didacticism.
Both works echoed a crucial message: art need not shout to speak truth.
My Reflections: A Festival That Felt Like Home
Stepping into my first Youth Festival at MKBU, I expected competition. What I found instead was connection to people, art, and a shared cultural pulse.
The laughter in skits, the silence after a tragic play, the applause after each musical note all became parts of a single heartbeat.
Standing beside my seniors Rajdeep, Rutvi, and Sanket as they received their medals, surrounded by Dr. Dilip Barad sir and our professors, I realized something simple yet profound:
This wasn’t just a youth festival; it was a mirror held up to who we are and who we hope to become.
As I clicked photos with my friends, seniors, and teachers, I wasn’t just capturing moments I was archiving the beginning of my own university story.
Conclusion: Beyond Applause, Toward Awareness
Art is not an escape from reality; it’s the language through which reality speaks.
And for me, this festival was not just witnessed it was felt, learned, and lived.
Thank You!
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