A dance recital by Shweta and her troupe at the festival. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, March 26: Sanskriti 2003, the annual cultural festival of Ignou, began at the Town Hall auditorium here today.

The programme started with the welcome address by chief guest Arvind M.K. Singh, who is the assistant regional director of Ignou.

Singh praised the efforts of the students in making the show possible. “The youths are our future. The country’s progress depends on young boys and girls who have so much potential. I wish the students luck,” he said.

Santosh Kumar, president of Ignou, Ranchi, and Sandeep Kumar, vice president, were also present. Kumar lauded Ignou’s efforts in promoting education across the country.

The cultural programme began with a dance recital by Shweta and her troupe, which left the audience spellbound. The artistes balanced earthen lamps in their hands while dancing. This was followed by a melodious bhajan sung by Shweta Rashmi, a student of Marwari College.

Romance Orchestra from Calcutta treated the audience to old romantic hits. J.P. Chaurasia, popular for hosting cultural programmes, had the audience in splits with some of his witty jokes.

Artistes from Jhankar, a dance school in Ranchi, had the crowd on its feet. However, seven-year-old Chinky stole the show with her dance to the tune of a popular number.

The crowd had a taste of Punjab, with a bhangra by Tamosha and her group. Tamosha’s rendition of some popular Punjabi songs left the audience yearning for more. A debate on — What is more important, hardware or software? — saw some varied and interesting views presented by the students. The festival will end tomorrow with the Hindi debate contest, Ad Mad show, antakshari, fashion show, singing competition and finally the prize distribution ceremony.