IIT Tech’s annual college festival – Shaastra is a four-day extravaganza that promises to beat every other college festival in the field of engineering. IIT in Madras has been hosting this awesome college fest for the last 13 years and in its 14th avatar, this vibrant tech fest is expected to be bigger and better than all the previous ones. One of the most widely awaited events of the year, Shaastra sees massive crowds turning up every year giving the campus the frenzied look of a stadium hosting an Indo-Pak cricket match. Don’t believe us? See for yourself and go to Chennai anytime from the 5th to the 8th January, 2013 – the festival dates.
It’s Geek to Me
There is a lot one can look forward to at this Techfest in IIT. From Robotics to Coding, there is something for everyone to wait impatiently for. Preparation for this festival celebration in Madras starts roughly 10 months before D-day and excitement is palpable throughout this youth festival.
At IIT Tech’s Shaastra, engineering students can participate in a host of exciting events and one of the most eagerly awaited one this year is Robowars. For all the computer geeks out there, there is Hackfest where you can unleash those mean skills “legally”. Another very famous Robotics event is ‘Junkyard wars’. All you need is lots of steel, moving parts, right equipments and a lot of engineering sense to build a mean machine and display it at this show. For those with a penchant in aeronautics and airplanes, there is Aerofest – steadfastly dedicated to this obsession. Even if it is paper planes, you can take that flight of fancy at IIT in Madras. The pilot training workshop is one of the landmark events at the festival.
Finally, if you thought engineers can’t let their hair down without a supporting Algorithm, go boogey all night at “Shaastra Nights” with techies gone wild. You’d find every kind of music to groove to here, right from peppy pop to some heavy metal and the head bangers’ favorite – hard rock.
Chennai Calling…
When in Madras or the politically correct Chennai, don’t stop at just gawking at all those robots and impossibly practical machines created right out of junk. Go visit some of the top attractions in this awesome city and take in all the sights and sounds of Chennai.
- Check out the Madras Boat Club - one of the oldest recreational centers in the city, surprisingly more popular for its golf club nowadays than for boating.
- If you are a nature lover then head to Arignar Anna Zoological Park. It is one of the largest zoological parks in the world and worth spending a few hours in.
- Go sari shopping because it would be a sin to come back from Chennai without an enviable silk sari parceled under your arm.
Photo Credit: Vikiunted / Wikimedia
So head to Chennai right at the start of the year and witness one of the most invigorating engineering college fests of the year.