KOCHI: Sargam-2017, the cultural festival of the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat), commenced here on Tuesday. As usual, the programmes started with ‘thiruvathira’ competition. Nostalgia, a dance event featuring hit songs from yesteryear films, was held at the main venue on the first day.
As expected, the turnout was lower compared to the previous years, as several colleges under the university have come under the APJ Abdul Kalam Technical University.
The organisers said they were doing everything to attract more visitors to the event.
“The festival is the first to have a separate category for the third gender. Since no transgender is studying in the university, there is no contest in the category,” said a member of the organising committee.
The festival was inaugurated by Sangeetha Nataka Akademi vice-president Xavier Pulpad. He said every human being possessed the talent for art and literature. “We need to encourage art and literature to bring back the fast-depleting humanity,” he said.
Actor-director Roopesh Pithambaran, who was the chief guest at the inaugural function, said cultural festivals played a key role in instilling confidence in him.
“I see many people who lack confidence. Some of my friends, including film personalities Vineeth Sreenivasan and Tovino Thomas, had immensely benefited from cultural festivals,” he said.