The guest of honour for the day was Mr. Fehmi Hussain, Business Head, UP, Hindustan Times Media. He emphasized on practical learning acquired by students in organizing such events. Ms. Amita Mital, Chairperson Student Affairs, IIM Lucknow also shared the stage.
Day 1 coverage:
The fair saw active participation from the enthusiastic Lucknow crowd. Visitors were greeted to a bewildering array of stalls and colourful costumes put up by the students. People ran into avatars of Ganesh and Shivji, Policemen and Prisoners, Magicians and Aliens and many more. The games set in varied and exciting environment enthralled & entertained the participants. The themes of the games ranged from cricket to mythology. While, in one of the games the participants found themselves trapped in a "prison", in another they found themselves in the benign presence of Lord Ganesha himself. The participants congratulating the organizers and keenly making complimentary observations to the actors about the gala event of the games were common sights in front of various stalls.
While, the games were the key attraction, the visitors had more surprises in store. There were a series of competitions that saw the visitors taking part in events like Antakshari, Mr. and Mrs. Index and a kids' dance competition. This was apart from the numerous interesting "Ek Minute" events. Salsa performance by Planet Salsa organized on Day 1 of INDEX '08, saw the audience tapping their feet in appreciation. At the end of the fun-filled day, the visitors walked away with a whole lot of fabulous prizes.
The team of Anshuman, Avantika and Archana was all smiles after winning the closely contested antakshari competition. The results of the other events are keenly awaited by all the contestants.
Through this year's Fair, IIM Lucknow further strengthened their ties with various NGOs and reiterated their commitment to different social causes. The puppet show organised by the NGO, Prithvi Innovations, was thoroughly enjoyed by the kids & adults alike. Another NGO, Mahila Samkhya, also utilized the opportunity to further the noble cause it is supporting by putting up stalls on the INDEX ground.
Undoubtedly, INDEX '08 is bigger & bettered the high standards set by the Index '07 and the earlier Fairs. The organizers said that the footfalls have seen a huge surge from the last year.
Day 2 Coverage:
The second day of Index 2008 continued to enthrall the citizens of Lucknow as the festivities rolled on. The interesting games and the colourful costumes drew large crowds and people thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The entertainment was directed towards the entire family as evident from the elderly and the youth who were found enjoying the vibrant atmosphere. The joy on the kids' faces was to be seen to be believed as they enjoyed the special play school set up at Index.
Index had a whole lot of events lined up for the day taking forward the fun-filled agenda of day 1. Mr. and Mrs. Index, Bollywood Quiz, Family Fortunes and the exciting "Ek-minute" games were the main draw of the day. There was also a heart warming presentation by the NGO Prithvi Innovations.
The other big draw of the show was the rock show by IIM Lucknow's very own rock band "3.4". The band has grown to occupy a special place in the hearts of the Lucknow's citizens and has performed at numerous locations. The crowd grooved to the tunes of Dil Se, Rock On and other popular hits as the band belted out these numbers.
The curtains came down on Index 2008, late into the evening even as crowds continued to pour in. Index 2008 has turned out to be a grand success each year, bettering its own records every time. Index signs off for this year, promising to be back next time around, much bigger.
Prashant Srivastava and Achintya Raj won the Bollywood quiz. The audience too participated enthusiastically and was rewarded with more than 25 prizes. The results of the other competitions were keenly awaited at the time of writing this report.
