The Sports Fest
Typically scheduled within two months of the start of the academic year, the BITS Open Sports Meet (BOSM) marks the first fest experience for first years. With a footfall of over 2,000, BOSM is one of the largest student-led sports fests across the country.
The well-developed sporting infrastructure at the Pilani campus facilitates a wide range of sports. BOSM offers a wide range of sports activities, catering to diverse interests and levels of popularity. From the ever-thrilling athletics, volleyball, basketball, hockey, football, and cricket to the fast-paced badminton, squash, and table tennis, there’s something for every sports enthusiast. Additionally, participants can also enjoy some of the less-well-known sports like carrom, chess, bodybuilding, and powerlifting, ensuring that everyone finds an avenue to showcase their skills and foster a spirit of healthy competition.
Despite it being a sports fest, BOSM offers something for everyone — with quizzes, design competitions, and adventure zones. The highlights of BOSM are the thrilling basketball and football matches, where the battle of the crowds is often fiercer than the match itself. Moreover, the BOSM food stalls offer a chance for BITSians to explore foods beyond the mundane messes, redis, and eateries. However, this pursuit often results in spending disproportionately large sums of money on decidedly mediocre milkshakes, biryanis, and burgers.
BOSM attendees also get to indulge in a variety of professional shows and events, with past performers including crowd-favorites like Biswa Kalyan Rath and Anubhav Singh Bassi, who have graced the stage with their stand-up comedy performances, as well as music nights featuring talented indie bands like Naalayak and Paradigm Shift.
The Cultural Fest
As one of India’s largest cultural festivals, Oasis attracts thousands of participants and attendees every year from colleges across the country. Its 2022 edition, themed ‘Demesne of the Lost Gold’, was the fiftieth edition of the event and the first to be held offline after the pandemic. It featured performances by artists like Amit Trivedi and Sevenn, as well as some of India’s finest standup comics.
Notably, Oasis operates non-stop for an impressive 96 hours, with a special highlight on its captivating night-time events that extend well into the early morning hours, creating a vibrant and electrifying atmosphere that keeps the fest alive and kicking around the clock.
Offering a diverse range of events, from eSports to Indian Classical Dance, Oasis provides ample opportunities for participants to showcase their inner talents, catering to various interests and passions.
One of its most famous events is Rocktaves, a semi-professional rock festival. Some of its past participants have reached great heights today, including Indian Ocean, Parikrama, Euphoria, and Prehistorika.
Oasis has seen some of Bollywood’s biggest names, including Imtiaz Ali, Farhan Akhtar, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy grace it in the past. Additionally, every edition of Oasis also features an international artist in its lineup, which makes for another incredibly exciting show. Oasis 2022 featured amazing concerts by Sevenn and Peter Cat Recording Co., and an unforgettable comedy evening with Samay Raina and Gaurav Kapoor.
Often scheduled soon after the mid-semester examinations conclude, Oasis acts as the perfect break before the weather worsens and the academic pace picks up all over again.
The Technical Fest
APOGEE, the annual technical festival of BITS Pilani, is the only fest organized in the even semester.
In contrast to Oasis, APOGEE is exclusively focused on technology and science, with the tech teams, STEM clubs, and associations organizing a plethora of interesting events for the fest.
RoboWars, a kernel event of APOGEE, enthralls participants and spectators alike with intense battles between miniature robots from various colleges. With a substantial prize pool adding to the excitement, this crowd-pleasing event takes place at Rotunda, attracting a significant number of participants and viewers.
An integral part of the fest is the series of guest lectures held every year — the “Think Again Conclave” — featuring some of the most eminent names in the country in research, innovation, and social work. It also features exciting quizzes, oratory events, and movie screenings, and is sure to make you rack your brains.
As is the case with BOSM and Oasis, there are a slew of Prof Shows featuring famous musicians and stand-up comedians. APOGEE 2023 featured concerts by Naalayak and Prabh Deep, stand-up comedy sets by Karunesh Talwar, and a performance by eminent mentalist Suhani Shah.
In addition to RoboWars, APOGEE boasts its own Film Festival and a Literature Festival known as Papyrus Trails. With this diverse array of events, the festival offers attendees an exceptional platform to exhibit and enhance their talents, providing numerous opportunities for learning and performance.