Embracing the Joy of Youth: My Experience at Bhav Gunjan 2025
This blog is about my experience at the Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025, an event full of energy, creativity, and new ideas from young people. It is part of my observation task, where I try to connect the performances I saw with the literary theories we learn in class. I wrote this with the helpful guidance of Prof. Dilip Barad, who encouraged us to watch and enjoy the festival carefully, thinking deeply about each performance while also appreciating its beauty.
Bhav Gunjan — the very name radiates youthful enthusiasm. The 33rd inter-college festival at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University, held from October 8th to 11th, 2025, was a lively mix of creativity, knowledge, and inspiration. In this blog, I share my experiences — shaped by the colorful events, thoughtful literary connections, and memorable moments I gathered throughout the festival.
Here’s the event brochure and schedule:
Opening Ceremony of Bhav Gunjan
The inauguration was filled with beautiful music and joyful energy. University leaders and special guests delivered inspiring speeches about the power of youth and the role of cultural festivals in building character. I felt truly proud to be part of an event that perfectly combined creativity and intellect. Students from our department also gave a warm welcome to the guests by performing a chorus song with great enthusiasm.
To watch the live broadcast, check out these videos –
This video features the “SURGUNJAN” performances held at the New Court Hall.
This video highlights the “RASAGUNJAN” event that took place at The Atal Auditorium.
These videos feature the Tribal Dance – “Adivasi Nritya” performances. They beautifully showcase Gujarat’s rich cultural and literary heritage, turning regional myths and folk tales into expressive dance movements. By bringing these traditional art forms to an academic platform, the festival honors the deep connection between literature and performance, keeping oral and written traditions alive while giving them new meaning for contemporary audiences.
This video features the dramatic performances “Ekanki,” also known as Single Act Plays.
This video highlights the Ekanki or Single Act Play performances organized by the university to encourage both literary and performing arts. These plays vividly bring literature to life through dramatic expression, adapting stories, themes, and characters from both classic and contemporary works. By performing these monodramas, students not only develop their creative and expressive abilities but also help build a rich literary atmosphere that connects audiences with social, moral, and cultural themes.
This video features the “Western Instrumental (Solo)” performances.
This video features a solo Western instrumental performance from the third day of the Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival at Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University (MKBU). Showcasing individual talent and artistic variety, the performance blends Western classical and modern styles, encouraging cultural exchange through music. In harmony with the festival’s literary and artistic vision, instrumental music reflects emotions, stories, and ideas much like poetry and prose. The event beautifully demonstrates how music and literature work together to inspire creativity and build a shared cultural experience.
This video features the “Mime” performances.
This video highlights the “Mime” performances, where performers convey stories and emotions entirely through facial expressions and body language, without speaking. Deeply connected to literature, mime transforms written and spoken stories into visual art, expressing universal themes such as love, sorrow, and justice. At youth festivals, these performances creatively reimagine literary concepts, uniting art and literature while captivating audiences beyond the limits of language, celebrating storytelling in its most expressive and pure form.
This video features the performances of the “Folk Orchestra.”
This video features the “Folk Orchestra” performances, highlighting traditional instruments and tunes that honor regional culture and heritage. Folk music shares a close bond with literature through its poetic lyrics, storytelling, and preservation of oral traditions passed down over time. By showcasing these performances, the festival demonstrates how music acts as a living form of literary art, blending narrative, poetry, and cultural identity to enhance its artistic richness and cultural diversity.
In the Classical Instrumental (Melodic) category, Sandipkumar Jethava from the Department of English delivered a soulful and captivating performance. His precise rhythm and graceful melody created an atmosphere of serenity and devotion. Every note he played revealed his deep passion and commitment to Indian classical music. The audience listened with full attention, absorbed in the purity and flow of his music. His performance perfectly illustrated how music, when filled with emotion and mastery, can move people in ways that words cannot.
This video features the performances under the “Creative Choreography” category.
This video presents stunning performances from the “Creative Choreography” event, highlighting imaginative dance sequences that blend various styles and themes to express the creativity of today’s youth. The connection to literature is seen in the storytelling and emotional depth conveyed through movement, as many routines draw inspiration from literary themes, characters, and symbols. Through this expressive art form, written and spoken ideas are transformed into powerful visual stories, allowing the audience to experience literature through dance. The event beautifully reflects the festival’s aim to celebrate both traditional and contemporary art forms, encouraging young performers to explore creativity in a more meaningful and unified way.
This video features the “Classical Singing (Solo)” performances.
This video highlights the closing events of the “Bhav Gunjan” Youth Festival.
The Bhav Gunjan Youth Festival 2025 was a truly wonderful experience, giving me the chance to see the wide range of talents and creative energy within our university.
At the Opening Ceremony, I felt especially proud watching our classmates Radhika Mehta and Shruti Sonani from the Department of English perform in the Folk Group Singing category. Their sweet voices and confident stage presence wonderfully showcased our department’s talent, blending the charm of folk tradition with the vibrant energy of youth.
Quiz
In the Quiz Competition, the brilliant team from the Department of English — Rutvi Pal, Sanket Vavadiya, and Rajdeep Bavaliya — displayed exceptional quick thinking and impressive general knowledge. Their teamwork, confidence, and sharp presence of mind made them shine among all the participants. With consistent performance across every round, they earned the 2nd Rank, bringing great pride to our department. Watching their hard work and intelligence being appreciated at the Youth Festival was a truly joyful and proud moment for all of us.
Besides these events, I also attended the Debate Competition as part of the audience, where our department’s participants, Shehzad Chokiya and Bhargav Makwana, delivered strong and well-structured arguments on modern issues like politics, mass media, and other current affairs. Their clarity, confidence, and depth of thought made their presentations truly impressive.
Here’s a photograph of the participants and volunteers from the Department of English, along with our professors.
In the Paper Collage Competition, Vanita Baraiya from the Department of English showcased her creativity and dedication through a stunning artwork crafted entirely from small paper pieces. Her collage, depicting beautifully arranged earthen pots against a colorful background, artistically captured the beauty of everyday simplicity and cultural warmth.
My first experience at the university’s Youth Festival was both inspiring and memorable. As a newcomer, I was deeply impressed by the range and quality of performances that celebrated student creativity and culture. The event offered a vivid introduction to the university’s dynamic spirit, leaving me eager to participate in more such moments ahead.
Thank you...
