Jashn-e-Manipal

Jashn-e-Manipal

More often than not, we find ourselves drawn too far into the hustle of college extravaganza, so much so that we forget to appreciate the finer subtleties of life. Therefore, when Goonj brings to you Jashn-e-Manipal, it only makes sense to partake in an evening sprinkled with humour, satire, romance and despair, all voiced through poetry.

The Hindi literary society of MIT, Goonj has outdone itself in the organization of this event, essentially a part of MIT’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations. It promises to present an elaborate assortment of poets, handpicked from Manipal’s own pool of talent besides featuring two exceptionally renowned Hindi poets, Shambhu Shikhar and Padmini Sharma.

Meet your outstation performers:

Shambhu Shikhar hails from Madhubani, Bihar. He identifies as a hasya kavi, acclaimed for his witty quips on the show ‘Wah Wah Kya Baat Hai’, featured on SAB TV.
His first tryst with poetry was in the 11th grade, when he was rehearsing for a creative writing competition but wasn’t able to participate owing to unforeseen circumstances. The incident disturbed him greatly, and he opted to perform his poem right after the competition. This experience proved to be so preprocessing that he took it up professionally and has been conducting shows across the nation for the last twelve years. After graduating from Delhi University and completing his PhD in Agra University, he joined the Kavi Sammelan society- a conglomerate of sorts for poets in the Hindi-speaking belts of Northern India to showcase their artistic flair.

He believes his success can be attributed to merely 20% of natural talent, the rest 80% is obtained through diligence, sheer hard work and relentless polishing of his artform. When asked who his favourite poet is, he replies without a moment’s hesitation: Surendra Sharma. The esteemed poet travels extensively and wishes to someday run an NGO for orphans and senior citizens.
In his endeavours to return to society, he has adopted a government school in Uttarakhand primarily comprising the children of slum-dwellers. He maintains a constant check that these underprivileged children are provided with basic amenities, right from lavoratory facilities to shoes and sweaters.

His favourite lines of poetry are from Harivansh Rai Bachhan’s Madhushala- ‘Raha pakad tu ek chala chal, pa jaayega Madhushala’.
When asked what he considered to be his best work, he replied with,

Yaadein tumhari kitni hi rangon mein dhal gayi

Har phool, har kali mein apni baat chal gayi

Jis din ye haar tumne gale mein baandha

Us din se meri shirt ki khushbu badal gayi

According to Mr. Shikhar, even a rickshaw driver is capable of writing poetry, as long as his heart is in the right place. He holds firm the belief that when your passion becomes your profession, no force on this planet can bind you. At the end of it all, he lives for the applause and revels in the sighs, whistles and chuckles of his audience.

The next performer is Padmini Sharma, one of the leading poetesses of the Hindi Kavi Sammelan. There is a certain therapeutic quality to her work, one that calms the nerves and let’s you disappear into an abyss of surrealism for just a while.
Her poetry centres around the representation of the myriad shades of a woman, and she wields her writing abilities as a weapon to fight social stigma and break down the conservative shackles of society.

A profoundly imaginative soul, she has found solace in the comforting arms of poetry since the tender age of nine. She is especially fond of shaayari. At the drop of a hat, the words from her favourite shaayaris will come surging out of her to form a cascade of metrical euphemisms, which are distinctly incorporated into her own work.
She’s incredibly versatile, having been professionally trained in Bharatanatyam, horse-riding, singing and even sword-fighting. This is one performer you probably shouldn’t heckle.

She adores Rabindranath Tagore’s work, and aspires to establish an influence just like his someday.
Her favourite lines of poetry, written by Kumar Vishwas are-

Tumhein jeene mein aasani bahut hai
Tumhaare khun mein paani bahut hai
Kabutar ishq ka utre to kaise
Tumhaare chatt pe nagarani bahut hai

The event takes place on the 10th of March, 2017 at the amphitheatre. Whether you’re in need of some inspiration, or you’re just looking to unwind for a bit, everyone could do with a little ambrosia for the soul. Be sure not to miss this Jashn!

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