Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025:

Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025

This blog is part of our Sunday reading task, written to reflect upon our experience and observations of the Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025, organized by Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University.

 

The events, filled with enthusiasm, creativity, and youthful energy, provided a vibrant platform for students to showcase their artistic, literary, and intellectual talents. Guided by Dilip Barad Sir, this reflective task aims to highlight the deeper meaning and artistic value embedded within various performances and exhibitions we witnessed during the festival.

Themes Represented in the Kala-Yatra Tableaux

1. Nationalism (Operation Sindoor)

This tableau beautifully embodied the patriotic fervor of the nation through Operation Sindoor, portraying the courage, discipline, and sacrifice of Indian soldiers. The scene reminded us that nationalism is not merely an emotion but a duty — a living commitment to protect the integrity and unity of our country. The vibrant depiction of soldiers, their resilience, and the spirit of brotherhood evoked pride and gratitude, urging spectators to recognize the silent heroes who safeguard our freedom.

2. Women Empowerment (As Goddess Durga/Chandi)

In this tableau, womanhood was glorified as a divine and indomitable force, symbolized by the powerful figures of Goddess Durga and Chandi. Draped in symbolic colors and poised with weapons of justice, the representation celebrated the triumph of righteousness over evil. It emphasized that every woman carries within her the spirit of the divine — strength, compassion, and wisdom. The tableau stood as a reminder of the continuing struggle for gender equality and the need to recognize women not as victims but as forces of transformation.

3. Swadeshi Movement

The Swadeshi Movement tableau revived the essence of India’s self-reliant spirit during the freedom struggle. Through scenes of spinning wheels, indigenous crafts, and slogans of “Boycott Foreign Goods,” it celebrated economic independence and cultural pride. The message was relevant even today — encouraging youth to support local artisans, value traditional craftsmanship, and build a self-sustaining future in the spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

4. Social as Monster

This modern, thought-provoking tableau explored the dark side of social media and technology. It presented social media as a metaphorical “monster” — a force that isolates individuals despite promising connection. The overuse of digital platforms, addiction to validation, and spread of misinformation were vividly shown, making the audience reflect on how technology, if uncontrolled, can consume genuine human emotion and empathy.

5. Ordinary Life

This tableau captured the poetry of simplicity — the unnoticed beauty of daily existence. Scenes of farmers at work, families sharing meals, and children playing depicted the quiet strength and grace of common people. It reminded us that greatness often resides not in grandeur but in the humble perseverance of ordinary lives. The theme celebrated authenticity, contentment, and the rhythm of life grounded in simplicity.

Dramatic Events: Reflecting Society Through Art

The dramatic events — including One Act Play (एकांकी), Skit (लघु नाटक), Mime (मूक अभिनय), and Mono-acting (एक पात्रीय अभिनय) — provided a stage for creativity fused with social awareness. Each performance explored pressing issues such as the state of education, political corruption, women’s safety, social transformation, and moral values. The actors skillfully used emotion, dialogue, and silence to convey complex realities, turning performance into a mirror that reflects society’s truths and challenges.

A notable instance was a play based on women’s safety, which subtly echoed the “Comedy of Menace” concept proposed by Irving Wardle. The ordinary domestic setting gradually unfolded into a dark, tense atmosphere — revealing the hidden fear and psychological insecurity faced by women in everyday life. The play’s tension and realism captured the silent menace underlying seemingly normal situations.

Similarly, the influence of Ben Jonson’s “Comedy of Humours” was evident in certain performances. The characters exaggerated single human traits — such as greed, vanity, or hypocrisy — exposing the follies and absurdities of society with humor and satire. These performances aimed not just to entertain but to morally awaken the audience through laughter and reflection.

Events of Fine Arts

Cartooning and Poster Making

                                                                    

The artworks displayed in these events served as sharp visual commentaries on modern life. Through caricature, exaggeration, and irony, artists questioned the mechanization of education, the pressure of success, and the dominance of technology. Recurring motifs — robots, anxious students, screens, and gadgets — symbolized how humans are becoming slaves to their own inventions. Each drawing carried a silent question: Is progress liberating us, or are we being controlled by it?

The humor was not just for laughter but for awakening — a satire on how creativity, individuality, and emotion are being replaced by conformity and digital obsession.

Painting

The paintings displayed during the festival celebrated the beauty of Indian rural life and cultural heritage. With vibrant colors and expressive strokes, the artists captured fields, festivals, and the harmonious rhythm of village communities. While aesthetically graceful, many paintings subtly challenged traditional gender roles and social hierarchies, combining aestheticism with didactic purpose. These artworks reminded viewers of the timeless value of simplicity, human connection, and cultural rootedness in an age of urban alienation.

Collage

The collage section stood out for its blend of aestheticism, symbolism, and moral insight. Using torn paper fragments, artists created intricate portraits, landscapes, and symbolic scenes — turning discarded material into meaning. This act itself carried irony: society’s waste transformed into beauty. The artworks conveyed themes of human emotion, cultural memory, and ecological awareness, teaching that creativity can redeem what the world overlooks. Each collage became a meditation on mindfulness, balance, and the artistry hidden in imperfection.

Clay Modelling

The clay models portrayed scenes of nature, village life, festivals, and dancing figures, capturing the joy of rural culture. Through soft curves and earthy textures, they celebrated humanity’s bond with the natural world. Beneath their aesthetic appeal lay a quiet didactic message — to remain grounded in our roots, value simplicity, and preserve our cultural and ecological heritage. These models subtly critiqued modern detachment from nature, urging a return to balance and community.

Other Cultural Events

Apart from these visual and dramatic arts, we also witnessed a range of captivating performances such as Folk Dance, Folk Song, Classical Music, Debate, Western Instrumental Music, and Creative Choreography. Each event reflected the cultural diversity and creative energy of the youth. The folk performances preserved traditional art forms, while modern events like choreography and debates expressed the confidence and awareness of the contemporary generation.

Department of English

My Experience of Youth Festival 2025 at MKBU

My experience of the Youth Festival 2025 organized by Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University was truly amazing. Throughout these three days, we not only enjoyed ourselves but also learned so many valuable things. Each and every event offered meaningful insights and inspired us in different ways.

Although I did not directly participate in the main Youth Festival competitions, I attended the three-day workshop, which was a wonderful learning experience. During the Rangoli Making session, I learned a lot from the experts about various techniques, styles, and the cultural significance of Rangoli. On the final day of the workshop, I also shared my feedback about this enriching experience at Atal Auditorium.

Overall, the festival was a perfect blend of creativity, culture, and learning.

A Thought on Fair Evaluation

One thing I noticed, which was a bit unsatisfying, was the lack of fair evaluation in some events. It often seems that private colleges, which have been winning these competitions for many years, have an advantage because they can invest more resources compared to university departments and government colleges. I hope this issue will be addressed in the upcoming years so that every participant and institution gets an equal opportunity to showcase their talent.

Conclusion

The Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025 was not just a celebration of talent — it was a reflection of our collective identity, creativity, and consciousness. From tableaux to theatre, from paintings to performances, every form of art carried within it a message — to awaken, to reflect, and to evolve. Under the insightful guidance of Dilip Barad Sir, this experience became more than participation; it became learning through observation — understanding art as both aesthetic joy and moral insight.

The festival reaffirmed that youth are not only the future of art and culture but also the voice of truth, courage, and change. 🌸