A student participates at Niser’s foundation day celebrations in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept 11: From painting and photography to LAN gaming and fashion, Udbhava, the fourth cultural fest of National Institute of Science Education and Research (Niser), saw young scientific minds turning on their creative sides in all these events.

An array of events were organised at the two-day fest, including dance, debate and filmmaking. New scientific ideas found a place at Eureka, an interactive seminar where students presented their ideas and drew feedbsacks and reviews from their peers, as well as faculties, from different streams.

Competitions held by Niser’s quiz club Quizone saw huge participation on both the days of the fest. Another event, Squint, was marked by screening of short films prepared by students of the institute. Two films My first 5 Minutes and Khamkha were selected for the finals.

The institute’s literary club organised a debate on the topic Is physical attendance important in the classrooms? Similarly, the nature club of the institute organised The Legend of the Dark Spider, a tiny adventure with clues spread all over the Institute of Physics campus sending out participants to explore.

The Mathematix quiz was a chance for the students to rack their brains, test their logic and reasoning skills. “A huge turnout at the event proved that Niserites really love testing their capabilities,” said organising secretary of the fest Stephen Edward.

The highlight of the festival turned out to be the fashion show with the Niserites walking the ramp both as models and designers showcasing a perfect blend of modern and traditional attires.

Think Think — an algorithm design competition —drew encouraging response from students while lovers of colours found an outlet to express themselves at the art and photography competition titled Color.

Calcutta-based rock band Turnkey, which is into rap and metal, thundered the auditorium with beats from their exclusive performance on an upcoming album.

“This cultural event gives us the opportunity to take a short break from academic load. We have been enjoying these two days to the fullest and it is a pleasure to see our faculty members joining the participating students to make it more colourful,” said Manasa, a student.