Students participate in a collage competition during Satrang at Karim City College on Wednesday. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Students of Karim City College, Jamshedpur, showed their colourful side during the cradle’s annual fest, which kicked off on Wednesday.

Satrang, which means seven colours, is an annual event organised by the Society for Promotion of Art and Culture (Sparc) — the college’s department for extra-curricular activities. The fifth edition of the nine-day intra-college fest saw participation by more than 200 students from all departments.

The bash will conclude on December 5.

“This is an annual event where we want students to come forward and showcase their talents. Studies are a regular feature in a student’s life. But they also need to take a break and participate in such co-curricular activities to keep their minds fresh,” said Sparc co-ordinator Yahiya Ibrahim.

The annual youth fest started off with Strokes, a painting and sketching competition that saw about 70 budding artists creating magic with their brushes.

The theme for painting was “Empowering Women”, while “Indian Cinema” was the topic for sketching. Both themes carry topical significance. Crimes against women have been the most talk-about issue this year, while Indian cinema also completed 100 years.

Another major occurrence this year was the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar.

So, the theme for the collage competition was, quite naturally, the Little Master.

The competitions slated for Thursday are quiz, which has been called Enigma.

Sufi, bhajan, classical and western singers will fight it also out on stage during Sursangat.

While, skit competition, adakari, mime and dumb charade contests are slotted for December 2, debate Vichaarvaar and choreography competition Jhanak will be held on December 4.

The organisers believe that Vichaarvaar will be the most exciting of all events. The participants will argue on the topic: Government should not invest much on education. Each participant will be given four minutes to speak for or against the motion. The rebuttal round promises to be the high point.

“This is a literary and cultural festival. Satrang also serves as a platform for scouting talent. The college chooses the best presenters and artists to form a team that goes to compete at various inter-college festivals,” said Ibrahim.

Initially, the fest was planned for two days. However, the organisers decided to extend it by more than a week, taking into consideration its popularity.

“We are very busy with Satrang. It has been a hectic schedule, but the fest also gives us an opportunity to interact with other students of the college,” said Roshan Agarwal, a student.