VELLORE: "While there are several wonders in the world, the Thanjavur Brihadeeswarar temple is an engineering marvel, for it has stood the test of time, braving various floods and natural calamities," said actor-director and orator Rajmohan Arumugam at the Anna Auditorium in VIT University on Thursday. He was speaking at an event, ‘Tamizhi,’ during the first day of VIT's annual international sports-cultural festival, Riviera 2025.
Arumugam further said that all 38 districts in the state have something unique that must be celebrated. The four-day fest at the university began at 7 am with a 9.9 km marathon from VIT University to Karigiri Hospital junction. The theme for this year's marathon was "Run for Health." Over 1,500 men and 1,200 women participated in the marathon, which was inaugurated by the vice-president of VIT University, Sankar Viswanathan.
The chief guest of the inaugural ceremony was former captain of the Indian women's basketball team, Anitha Pauldurai. The day saw several other events, food stalls, exhibitions, and stage performances. In the evening, well-known singer Shreya Ghoshal enthralled the students with her melodious voice.