Alcheringa (festival)

For other uses, see Alcheringa (disambiguation).

Alcheringa
Organisation type	Student Run, Non-Profit Organization
Genre	Cultural
Founded	1996
Place	Guwahati, India
Institute	Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati
Major events	Juggernaut, Crescendo, Saaz, Rock-o-Phonix, Electric Heels, Mr. and Ms. Alcheringa, Haute Couture, etc.
Prize money	Worth ₹ 1.5 million
Website	http://www.alcheringa.in

Alcheringa, popularly known as Alcher, is the annual cultural festival of the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India. It is held for 4 nights and 3 days generally on the first weekend of February. Started in 1996 by a bunch of enthusiastic IITGians,Alcheringa,now in its 16th incarnation,boasts of a footfall of more than 40,000 and a participation from 150 colleges from across the country.

Introduction

Alcheringa is a student run non profit organization which caters primarily to the youth of the country.It consists of several competitions, informal events, workshops and showcases professional performances.Alcheringa boasts of performances by the stalwarts of the entertainment industry, from India and abroad.In the past, Alcheringa has featured performances from performers including Sonu Niigaam, Shaan, Strings, KK, Euphoria, Indian Ocean, Parikrama, The Raghu Dixit Project, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Anoushka Shankar, Kalki Koechlin, Isha Sharvani, Vir Das, Advaita, Motherjane and RDB. Alcheringa has also played host to foreign acts like the Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie , Israeli progressive metal band Orphaned Land, and Italian Embassy’s sponsored tour of Giuliano Modarelli. Alcheringa has attracted major sponsors and extensive media coverage over the years. The team of Alcheringa consists of student volunteers who work to promote creativity and intellectualism, and it symbolizes celebration and belonging, as its name suggests.

History

Sonu Nigam performs in Alcheringa '09

The first edition of Alcheringa took place in 1996. Only a few events were organised and most of the participation was local from in and around Guwahati. But within a span of only 16 years,Alcheringa has grown to be the largest cultural fest of Eastern India . Transcending notions of being merely a cultural festival, Alcheringa, today, is a brand of national repute; built, graced and maintained by the presence of entertainers of international repute. Thousands of people all over the country await its return every year.

The word 'Alcheringa' comes from the Australian aboriginal language of the Aruntas. It is roughly translated to mean: "the Eternal Dreamtime". The festival aims to create a euphoric atmosphere of celebration and world-class competition by bringing together the best in the cultural world.

Events

Pro Nites

The four nights of Alcheringa feature four Pronites where professionals from the entertainment industry perform in front of the crowds. Artists of national and international renown have been part of the Pronites at Alcheringa over the years. The four nights are Saaz - The classical night, Blitzkrieg - Expect anything, Crescendo - The popular night and Juggernaut - The rock night.

* Saaz - The Classical Night

The first pronite in the Alcheringa itinerary, Saaz is the classical night dedicated to a genre of music that is inherent to any culture. Started as a night dedicated to only Classical Indian Culture and music, Saaz has grown over the years to encompass other cultures and their music as well. Performances have included Anoushka Shankar, the Italian Giuliano Modarelli Trio and the virtuoso trio of Vinayak Chittar (sitar), Arnab Chakrabarty (sarod) and Aditya Kalyanpur., Advaita, Grammy award winner Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pt. Tarun Bhattacharya, Pt. Bhajan Sopori, the Indo-German Jazz Band-Mito and many more.

* Blitzkrieg - Expect anything

Blitzkrieg is Alcher's surprise night,the last night to be declared way after the other three have been announced. It has been named so recalling the war strategy adopted by the Germans during the Second World War. Over the years, it has featured a mix of performances from a variety of fields including RDB based in UK, Swarathma the Folk Fusion Band from Bangalore, Vir Das and his comic rock band Alien Chutney, The Raghu Dixit Project - a Folk Fusion Band from Bangalore, Soulmate from Shillong.

* Juggernaut - The rock night

Juggernaut is a rock and metal themed event. The highlight of Alcheringa '10, also called Alcheringa Xtreme, was the performance from Swiss Pagan/Folk/Death metal band Eluveitie in Juggernaut. Other performances include that of Parikrama, Scribe - the hardcore metal band from Mumbai, Junkyard Groove -the Alternative Rock band from Chennai, Sceptre and Motherjane. 2012 witnessed the Israeli progressive metal band Orphaned Land

* Crescendo - The popular night

The last nite at Alcheringa, Crescendo features Bollywood music industry performances. It is one where the biggest names in the music world set pulses of the crowd racing. Its namesake was motivated by the fact that it was the last night at Alcher. Over the years, its has seen performances from Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, KK, Javed Ali, Remo Fernandes, Strings, Indian Ocean and Euphoria.

Pro Shows

In order to cater to a wider palette and also to act as a filler in the slot before the pronite,the proshows are being held. The Proshows which are being held in the auditorium of the institute attract crowd of over 1500. These Pro-Shows have, in the past, showcased popular performers and celebrities. Some of them include Isha Sharvani along with her dance troupe Daksha Seth Dance Company, Kalki Koechlin with Quaff Theatre, Israeli Theatre Group Ish Theatre, Kacche Lamhe a play by Gulzar which was performed by renowned actors Lubna Salim, Kiran Karmarkar, Stray Factory, performance by Sangeet Natak Academy award winner mime artist Moinul Haque. Apart from that the demo by Ghost Riders of MTV Stuntmania fame with VJ Bani being the host was one of the major attractions of Alcher'10.

Competitions

The event structure of Alcheringa is divided into a number of methodical modules that envelope various aspects of cultural forms of entertainment.

• Dance

The module's flagship event, called Electric Heels, witnesses participation from all parts of the country. Group, solo, street, classical, and couples events are held. All the competitions come under a Dance Championship which is awarded to the overall winner (college or institute).

• Music

The Music module features solo competition for instrumentalists, called "Rhapsody", and a Indian Music competition 'Raga High'. From 2012, Alcheringa is hosting a solo singing competition called "Voice of Alcheringa" along the lines of a TV reality shows.

• Class Apart

This module consists of five different events. It features "Rock-o-Phonix" the biggest Rock Metal Band competition in the country. It also has a fashion contest "Haute Couture" which is the only fashion contest held in any college fest of the region. Other competitions include "Mr and Mrs Alcheringa" - the personality contest, "Crossfade" - The DJ Contest, and a version of the popular TV reality show Roadies.

• Drama

The flagship event, "Theatrix" features participants being judged based on their performance in acting(dialogue delivery, expressions, body movements), presentation encompassing costumes, music, props, use of stage etc. Successful depiction of the plot or theme, and marks are awarded for originality. Other events include Alcher's equivalent of Nukkad Natak, called "Halla Bol", and stand-up comedy challenge whose namesake, "Why So Serious?", is a tribute to the DC Comics character The Joker.

• Fine Arts

The Fine Arts module features a paint-on-canvas competition called "Strokes of Genius" where participants can participate as teams of two. "Side-Walk Chalk" is a street painting competition, painters paint T-shirts in "Graphic-T" and a collage making competition is also held. For each competition, participating artists are given a theme on the spot and the necessary materials are also provided to them.

• Alfaaz (Literary module)

This literary module is organised by the IIT Guwahati Debating Society, this year Alfaaz host the 4th National IIT Guwahati Parliamentary Debate with prizes worth INR 70,000. The other competition, "What's the Good Word" combines literary trivia, anagrams and vocabulary questions.

• Quiz

"Brainstorm" pits participants against each other. Other quizzes are incorporated in this module based on Alcheringa's theme itself. This year, "Cities of the World" tested quizzers and how they know the world around them. Other theme based quizzes are also held during the festival.

• Fun N Masti (Informal events)

The informal events module consists of events like "Crush", "Eatopia", "Blind Date", "Amazing Race", "Oceans 14", "Queen of Sheeba", "Lan Gaming" and many others. An integral part of the module is "Alcher on the Move" where Alcheringa, by virtue of its many student volunteers goes out from campus to other cities. Events are organised locally and winners are given prizes. "Alcher on the Move" conveys the essence of Alcheringa to those who were not present by themselves to see it.

• Alcher Online

Aimed to interact with the youth of the country before and after the actual festival, Alcher Online is a recent offshoot of Alcheringa. It shares random tid-bits with its users, lets them indulge in on-line competitions and is the forum of interaction between the youth and the festival throughout the year.

• Sports Module

Alcheringa started with a Sports Module in 2011 and become one of the few cultural festivals in India to have an elaborate sports module. An "Arm Wrestling" competition is also held under this module. This year, in tandem with Alcher's theme, a "Joga Bonito" challenge was also held to find the best skilled footballer at Alcher.

Workshops

Workshops, talks and exhibitions are held by experts in their fields. Alcheringa have something varied for everyone. The Caricature Workshop by one of India's leading cartoonists, Padmashri award winner Sudhir Tailang attracted many. Similarly the Salsa workshop by the Shiamak Davar Academy was a huge crowd-puller. Photography workshop by Ritam Banerjee was a success. Talks in Alcheringa usually center around the theme of the festival for that year. Talks by Tushar Raheja, author of the bestselling novel Anything for you ma’am, Shriya Sharan,renowned actress have been a part of the fest.

Your Dreams,Our Stage

These are competitions of Alcheringa that provide an opportunity to the young enthusiastic participants to live their passion and make their dream come true. Our Stage, Your Dreams offers the winners coveted internships, a chance to work under the emminent guidance of celebrity mentors and a window to take part in workshops. Some of the major oppurtunities have been the exclusive admission to the best actors (Male and Female) of the event Theatrix (Performing Arts Module) into the diploma course at the Barry John Acting Studio, for free. Also the Best 2 DJs and Two selected Female DJs from Crossfade (The Electronic Music Competition) got an Internship with Azaredo Acoustics, worth Rs. 1,50,000.

For the music enthusiasts, Eastern Fare Music Foundation provided internships to the Best Guitarist, Best Bassist, Best Keyboardist (from Raga High) and the Best Instrumentalist from Rhapsody. Winners of "Voice of Alcheringa", the popular solo singing contest at Alcher, got a chance to pursue free courses at the Shankar Mahadevan Academy and make the most of their voice.

The winners of the photography event got an internship oppurtunity under Ritam Banerjee,the world renowned freelance photographer.

Social Initiatives

Alcheringa has proved to be more than just a cultural festival. At Alcheringa it is believed excellence in culture is successful only if it encompasses realization of social responsibilities. And being the potential juggernaut of social awareness Alcheringa strives to fulfill their part of the requisite. Amidst all the glitz and glam, Alcheringa has, in the past, associated itself with "Bachpan: Setting innocence Free", has worked for AIDS awareness in the North East region through numerous educational workshops,Promoting North-East tourism, save the Rhinoceros, save Gangetic Dolphin,Drops of Hope - Blood donation camp,

Drops of Hope

Drops of Hope is Alcheringa's blood donation drive.^{[citation needed]} Initially restricted to the college campus only, Alcheringa's blood donation camps have spread to other parts of Guwahati City.^{[citation needed]}

Udaan

An offshoot of Alcheringa 2012, in association with the NGO Pratham, Udaan intends to work with a few of orphanages in India. During the vacations of December, IIT Guwahati students reached out to various under-privileged children in their locality in more than 25 centres all over India and spared a weekend of their time. This was followed by an essay writing on 'I and India 2020' for the older kids and video shoot with the young ones. All these essays were used as a tool to understand mindset of these kids with the particular guidance and help of the NGO. The Top 3 essays fetch prizes and were also printed in the national media.

Sponsors and Past Associates

Alcheringa has attracted sponsorships from various corporations due to huge participation of students from all over India. Many prominent names have been associated with many events in Alcheringa including NH7 Weekender, Pepsi, Manik Chand Jewellers, State Bank Of India, Tata Tiscon, Vinayak Honda, Oriflame, Star Cement, Nimbuzz, Spykar, Bisleri. The media sector has aso seen several names like The Assam Tribune, The Times of India, DY365 etc.It has also associated with US Consulate, Khadi and Village commission.

Alcheringa Over the years

Alcheringa 2008 - Revel in Retro

In 2008, Alcheringa had a 1970s theme.

Highlights:

• Junkyard Groove the Alternative Rock band from Chennai
• The Raghu Dixit Project - a Folk Fusion Band from Bangalore at Blitzkrieg.
• Shaan at Crescendo

Alcheringa 2009 - Around the world in 3 days

The 2009 edition of Alcheringa was presented with the theme Around the world in 3 days

Highlights:

• Classical dance by Tridhara and Fusion music by Yatra at the Inaugural Nite.
• Ganesh-Kumaresh - The Violin Duo at Saaz.
• Fashion show by Kallol Dutta of Lakme Fashion Week.
• Swarathma the Folk Fusion Band from Bangalore at Blitzkrieg.
• Scribe - the hardcore metal band from Mumbai at Juggernaut.
• Performance by Hasya Kavi Dr. Kumar Vishwas.
• Sonu Nigam - at Crescendo.

Alcheringa 2010 - Xtreme

In early February 2010, Alcheringa presented its "Xtreme edition" which featured Swiss metal band Eluveitie and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Highlights:

• Performance by the Sitar Troupe Talim at the Inaugural Nite.
• The Giuliano Modarelli Trio at Saaz.
• Vir Das and his comic rock band Alien Chutney.
• MTV Stunt Mania demo by the stunt team Ghost Riders with VJ Bani on campus.
• Shankar Ehsaan Loy at Crescendo.
• Swiss Folk Metal Band Eluveitie at Juggernaut.

Alcheringa 2011 - Lights Camera Action

Alcher, for the first time in its 15 editions, introduced a Sports Module, with 5-on-5 Football and Arm Wrestling competitions. The Lights Camera Action edition featured the virtuoso trio Vinayak Chittar (sitar), Arnab Chakrabarty (sarod) and Aditya Kalyanpur. Other performers included Advaita, Motherjane, RDB and KK

Alcheringa 2012 - Urban Odyssey

Highlights:

• Anoushka Shankar
• Javed Ali
• Orphaned Land
• Kalki Koechlin wih Quaff theatre

References

• Alcheringa - Official website