Aghora – The Centre

Aghora – the centre

Aghora, the centre of the Greek City states, was simulated by BESC on the 10^th and 11^th of March, 2017. Aghora followed Al-Souk last year, when the students had successfully replicated a desert flea market, perhaps for the first time in a college campus in these parts of the country.

30 stalls were put up where students spread their ware of food, chocolates, T-shirts, fashion accessories, handicrafts and a variety of entertainment options including VR games and Segway rides.

Formally inaugurated by Prof Dilip Shah, the Dean of Student Affairs of BESC, Aghora saw an enthusiastic footfall and brisk business, despite the heavy rain that sought to play havoc with the market during peak hours on both the evenings.

“The idea behind Aghora is to provide the students with an opportunity to set up their businesses from the scratch and conduct them profitably so that they may grasp the finer nuances of doing business” said Miraj Shah, the Vice Chairman of BESC. “We take pride in fostering and celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship among our students and Aghora, like Al-Souk last year, has been an excellent platform for our students to enjoy the process of wealth creation, even as they learnt to take calculated risks as entrepreneurs”.

“Al-Souk and Aghora, famed market places from the past, were more than mere markets where goods and services were bought and sold – they were literally the epicentres, around which civilisations flourished, around which all activities, both commercial and cultural, revolved. By seeking to replicate these meeting places we are trying to subtly make our students aware about the common thread that runs through everything we do and how trade, industry and commerce should be viewed as an integral part of the quest for knowledge, the search for excellence” said Prof Shah.

Kalicharan Shaw, a student of 3rd year, English Honours, walked away with the title for Best Decoration as his stall of fusion food was adjudged the winner by popular vote. “The mayonnaise phuchkas were simply out of the world – stuff that even the Greeks would have felt proud to have thought up” said Sulagna, a student, floored by the taste of entrepreneurship.

As an integral part of Aghora, a pet show was organised by the students, another first in a campus fete. “We wanted to use the occasion to sensitise the students to the needs and feelings of God’s creatures who share the space with us” said Prof Shah, “and would like to place on record our appreciation of Ms.Radhika Bose, caring animal activist and Ms.Paromita Das who helped us organise the event”. However, keeping in view the various restrictions that are in place, the scope and scale of the show was reduced to accommodate only pets of the canine variety.

Enthusiastic students, man’s best friend faithfully on toe, trooped in to showcase the talents of their loving pets that included two Labradors, a golden retriever, a German shepherd, a Pomeranian, a Boxer and a Lhasa Apso. The pets were subjected to a variety of exercises that, to the delight of all the assembled, led to the emergence of the winner – Snoopy.

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