Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night 2016

UTAR Indian Cultural and Language Society (ICLS) of Kampar Campus successfully organised a fund raising-cum-cultural night titled Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night 2016, a thrilling affair at the Pei Yuan High School Hall in Kampar on 16 July 2016.

Attended by more than 700 people, the Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night 2016 was filled with glitzy and riveting performances. Aptly themed ‘Charity’, the main objective of the event was to cultivate kindness towards the community at large and raise funds for supporting the well-being of five needy families as well as 22 needy schoolchildren from SJK (T) Ladang Kampar, Perak.

Invited to grace the opening ceremony was Private Secretary to the Deputy Minister of Education I Uvaraja Maniam. On hand to receive him were ICLS Advisor V. Thiagarajan, Co-Advisor Meera Devarajoo, Event Advisor Aruna Devarajoo, and Organising Chairperson V. Pavithran Raj. 

The Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night staged its comeback after a break of two years. The night, which was officially held for the fourth time in Kampar, was also aimed to create a platform for UTAR students to hone and share their talents, as well as to gather new intake students and integrate them into the UTAR family.

A solo performance by Diwakar

The event commenced with an uplifting Bharathanatyam, an Indian classical dance performed by the Rhythm Dancers, echoing the night’s vision and goal. This was followed by an electrifying vocal performance by famous local vocalist-cum-movie producer Magen Aka Vikadakavi. He enlivened the night further by performing a celebrated rap live to the crowd. The night also offered an assortment of vocal, dance, and instrumental acts which were well-received by the audience, even more so when aspiring Indian playback vocalist Dhivagar Santhosh — fondly known as Diwakar — sung his captivating rendition of popular Kollywood Tamil songs.  

In Pavithran Raj’s opening speech, he clarified that the two-in-one night is primarily aimed at helping and giving back to the community through fund raising activities held throughout May, June, and July this year. He said, “In line with the university’s goal to produce graduates who are academically well-educated and contribute to the community, UTAR ICLS students took the initiative to help the disadvantaged community groups in Kampar to alleviate their socioeconomic and educational difficulties. Apart from that, the Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night also provides an opportunity for students to get to know one another and connect as UTARians.”

He added, “I would also like to express my deepest thanks to the Organising Committee for their persistent efforts, sacrifices, and patience in making this event a memorable and sprightly affair for all.” 

The money raised from the event will be given to five needy families in Kampar — three Indian, one Chinese, and one Malay. The remaining funds will be utilised to provide items such as computers, sports attire, sports equipment, musical instruments, stationery kits, book racks, story books, and dictionaries for the needy schoolchildren from SJK (T) Ladang Kampar.

Advisor of the ICLS Thiagarajan remarked, “I’m proud of the Organising Committee for their efforts in benefitting the needy community from different backgrounds. It gives me great pleasure to attend this event as well as to see our UTAR students organising such a significant event with the aim of giving back to the community. I would like to congratulate the Organising Committee for all their determination in planning and executing this constructive event today.”

Uvaraja said, “I believe UTAR is doing a great job in nurturing its students on the importance of educational excellence and social responsibility. UTAR’s ICLS is not only a proving ground for young promising Indian students to demonstrate their talents in music and arts, but also serves as a great platform for students to develop their spirit of leadership and fellowship.”

Uvaraja officially launched the night by cutting the ribbon

Meera (right) presenting a token of appreciation to Uvaraja while Thiagarajan (middle) looks on

The Opening Ceremony reached its zenith when the VIPs were invited on stage to officially launch the night and also to present the souvenirs. This was then followed by a line-up of dazzling performances ranging from A cappella shows to exhilarating dances by multi-talented UTAR students.

A cappella performance by the committee members of the event

Several outstanding students were also honored for their achievements and contributions to the university. The list of awards and recipients included Best Student Award for Foundation category to S. Kirutiga, Best Student Award for Honours Degree category to Public Relations student R. Keerthana Nair, Sportsman of the Year to Advertising student S. Shaktynath, Sportswoman of the Year to Banking and Finance student L. Liloshna, and Best Achievement Award to Journalism student L. Sivaraj.

Keerthana Nair (right) receiving the Best Student Award from ICLS advisor Thiagarajan

Another highlight of the night was the crowning of the coveted Mr and Miss Selfie title. Kamparian R. Anantha Seelan and UTAR Business Administration student Nur Farzana binti Mohd Yusof Khan smiled with joy as they were voted as the winner of Mr and Miss Selfie respectively. 

The night ended with Urumi, an Indian drum performance for the audience to move to the beat and to enjoy themselves. The Dhiiraati Nakshatra Night was sponsored by a generous assortment of businesses and philanthropists.