IIT Kanpur’s iconic cultural fest Antaragni’22 concludes amidst much fanfare

Kanpur : The 57th edition of Antaragni, IIT Kanpur’s iconic cultural festival, concluded on Sunday amidst much fanfare. The four-day extravaganza of music, arts, culture et al, saw fierce competitions across genres, and electrifying performances from various artists.
This year’s theme was “Houdini’s Paradise” that celebrated the magical and enchanting spirit of the event. The inaugural ceremony was held on 16th March, 2023 amidst the presence of dignitaries. The event started with the lighting of the lamp, followed by a Ganesh Vandana.
The India-inspired talks this year featured thought leaders Kiran Bedi, Former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, and Karnal Singh, Former Chief of Enforcement Directorate (ED); while the Alum Inspired event hosted an impressive lineup of speakers, including alumni Dr. Uday P Singh, Secretary General, Asian Civil Engineering Coordinating Council; Riya Bhattacharya, former Vice President, Navi; and Rajan Singh, Ex IPS officer & CEO HabitStrong. The Women Empowerment session, hosted Ms Aruna Roy, an Indian Social activist and Ms Manasi Pradhan, the founder of Honour for Women National Campaign. Their enriching talks inspired and encouraged the participants to lead the way in life.
The ‘Mehfil’ series featured a host of poets and performers including Muskan Saxena, Ishika Chandelia, Sangita Yaduvanshi, Mirza Suleman, Swastika Rajput, and Chetna Balhara. The Kavi Sammelan at Antaragni proved to be an evening filled with poetry, wit, and charm. The lineup featured some of the most prominent names in the world of Hindi poetry, including Fehmi Badayuni, Amit Sharma, Charagh Sharma, Manika Dubey, Priyanshu Vatsalya, and Swayam Srivastava. Ekagra Sharma, an accomplished poet himself, was anchor for the event.
For the classical music lovers, the Classical Eve featured flute and table pair S.Akash and Shubh Maharaj; and the trio Nirali Kartik, Unmesh Banerjee, and Lalit Sisodia; while the Qawwali Eve came to life with the celebrated Qawwali singer Tariq Faiz. Antaragni also hosted an International Carnival lineup with Matt Bacon, Black Rhythm, and Alexa Rose rocking the stage, while Antariksh, Pina Colada Blues and 39 Kingdom performed during the EDM night. DJ WAR for DJs, Synchronicity for rock music, and Battle Underground for rappers, were highlights from the musical competitions.
Ventriloquist Satyajit Ramdas Padhye and comedian Rajat Chauhan’s performances left the audience in splits on Day 4; while magicians Nikhil Raj and Siddharth Tyagi left all in awe with their tricks.
Among the competitions, Ritambhara inter-college fashion competition had some amazing innovative designs on display. Judges Pankhuri Gidwani and Zoya Afroz, graced the event. Another fashion event- Impressionate was judged by Poonam Yadav, among others.
Antargani had competitions such as Antaragni Idol, Pair on Stage, Sangam- a celebration of classical music, Junoon- a celebration of fusion-rock, and Unplugged among the singing competitions; whereas in the dance category, Roots, a traditional dance competition, Tour De Force, and Estampie and Jitterbug western dance competitions, were held. There were Nukkad Natak, Stage Play and Monoact competitions, among others, in the drama category.
Apart from this, various other competitions ranging from quizzes, poetry slam, debate, art, mandala, and many more cultural events were hosted during the four-day fest. Major highlights from the cultural nights were Bollywood singer Mohammed Irfan, who headlined in the Fusion Nite on Day 3, and Salim-Sulaiman on Blitzkrieg, which marked the electrifying end to the 57th edition of Antragni on March 19.