After the first couple of days at college, a fresher is wont to search for the comfort and shelter of home. Homesickness is not uncommon on campus, and for those aching to find comfort and familiarity, Cultural Associations often help.
To form these Cultural Associations—or ‘Assocs’ as they’re called on campus— students from their home states come together and interact, while also often organising performances. Each Assoc generally organises an evening event in the Auditorium once per year, where members put up performances ranging from music, dance, to even stand-up comedy. They also organise an annual food event, where they serve food from their state at assigned mess. Similar to how clubs and departments form a social groups based on shared interests, Assocs form groups based on similarities of cultural backgrounds.
Of course, not all people seek cultural solace, and joining a Cultural Assoc might not be for everyone. The BITSian dream lets you find people of various kinds, and these Assocs are just one way for a student to express one aspect of their persona.
Currently, the following associations are operational on campus-
- Maharashtra Mandal (Maharashtra)
- Kannada Vedike (Karnataka)
- Pilani Tamil Mandalam (Tamil Nadu)
- Madhyansh (Madhya Pradesh)
- Marudhara (Rajasthan)
- Delhi Capitol (NCR)
- Punjab Cultural Association (Punjab)
- Haryana Cultural Association (Haryana)
- Maurya Vihar (Bihar, Jharkhand)
- Moruchhaya (West Bengal)
- Arunoday (North-East India)
- Sangam (Uttar Pradesh)
- Gurjari (Gujarat)
- Andhra Samiti (Telangana, Andhra Pradesh)
- Kairali (Kerala)
- Udgam (J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand)
While most states have a regional assoc of their own, some tend to operate from within a congregation