Knowledge is Power Supreme - Goddess Saraswathi Pilani
Traditionally Basant Panchami marks the beginning of spring and worship of Saraswati the Goddess of Learning. Every year, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science - BITS Pilani celebrates its founder’s day on this auspicious occasion.
This year the celebrations took place on Saturday 31 January 2009. The programme started at 9 am by offering floral tributes by Vice Chancellor Prof LK Maheshwari and other officers of the Institute and students at the GD Birla Statue facing the magnificent white marble Saraswati Temple in Vidya vihar campus of Pilani.
This was followed by rendering of Pancha Ratna Krithies of Saint Thyagaraja who is one of the trinities of carnatic music. It is indeed a treat to watch the team of faculty and students of the Institute accompanied by a host of several musical instruments singing in unison the famous five songs of Pancharatna kirhies, Jagadananda Karake in Raga Nattai, Dudukugala in Raga Gowlai, Sadhinchane in Raga Arabhi, Kanakanaruchira in Raga Varali and the all time great Endaro Mahanubhavalu in Raga Sri.
The evening cultural program in the auditorium of the Institute had songs and dances by students of the Sangamam famous Ragamalika and various regional associations such as Sangam, Utkal Samaj, Maaurya Vihar, Capitol, Madhyansh, Maharashtra Mandal, Kairali, Kannada Veike, Marudhara, Moruchhaya, Pilani Tamizh Mandram, Haryanavi, Gurjari, Andhra Samithi and Punjabi.
Prof LK Maheshwari Vice Chancellor BITS Pilani awarded the best performer awards 2008 – 2009 to various non teaching staff members Shri Bahadur Singh Jangir, Shri Ram Briksha, Shri Sajjan Kumar, Shri Bhagwana Ram, Mrs Kiran Karoriwal and Shri Banwari Lal for their dedicated services and contributions to the Institute. Shri Rohtas Singh got a certificate for his high degree of duty consciousness.
The richter scale in the auditorium measured over 8 when it was announced that BITS Pilani has bagged top rankings from NAAC with 3.71 CGPA out of 4 and coveted ‘A’ grade Very Good status which means an Institution with a high level of academic accomplishment.
On hearing the NAAC rankings, alumni of the Institute who are the ambassadors of Brand BITS spread across the globe from Australia to America expressed their joy and reaffirmed that BITS Pilani which has been one among the top ranking institutions in India yesterday as well as India today, will remain one in India tomorrow also.
