Swarang wasn’t just an event. It was a lyrical uprising. A mic-drop moment for India’s mother tongues. A stage where tradition and Gen Z spirit high-fived, hugged it out, and made art.
Hosted by Her Campus at Manipal University Jaipur in collaboration with Shabd, Swarang 2025 invited students across the country to celebrate the voices they grew up with — the lullabies, the protest poetry, the grandma wisdoms, the lines that hit harder in your home language. This was not your average “submit a poem” competition. It was a call to reclaim culture through reinterpretation and raw honesty.
From reinterpretations of classical monologues to modern takes on folk traditions, every submission echoed one common truth: our languages are living, breathing, aching things and they deserve centre stage. The event ran from June 22 to July 5, with winners announced on July 6 after a flurry of emotion, expression, and a lot of beautiful multilingual chaos.
And you know what made this even sweeter? We had the perfect partner in Sundaram Books, the OGs of stationery excellence. They didn’t just support our event, they literally gave our words a page to live on.
A Sponsor With Soul: Thank You, Sundaram
Not all sponsorships are built for vibes. But this one? This one felt like a warm, handwritten letter.
Sundaram Multi Pap Limited graciously offered 50 exclusive coupons of 15% off on their stationery — and every single one was used for the benefit of Swarang’s participants. There were no financial gains. No hidden branding deals. Just pure-hearted generosity.
Here’s how it all played out:
- 45 coupons were given to our early bird registrants (because showing up early to support culture? Iconic behavior).
- 3 coupons went to our winning performers — the artists who cracked our hearts wide open.
- 2 coupons were used for a fun little Instagram giveaway because hey, creativity should be rewarded online too.
We gained nothing monetarily and we wouldn’t have had it any other way. Our prize? The joy of giving artists tools to keep creating, keep writing, and keep dreaming. We stan brands that care about people, not just profits. Sundaram, you get us.
What Was Swarang Really About?
Swarang was a pan-India, literary and performance-based competition celebrating the beauty, power, and poetic depth of mother tongues and regional languages especially among India’s youth. In a time when fluency is measured in English, Swarang dared to ask: What if we measured fluency in feeling instead?
The theme?
Reinterpret. Recreate. Reclaim.
Participants were invited to select an existing cultural work — a film monologue, a poem, a short story, a song and give it brand new life through their own voice, perspective, and linguistic identity. Bonus points were awarded to entries that used regional dialects or mother tongues, aligning with the event’s larger mission of reclaiming language as power.
Why Swarang?
Because the languages we were born into are fading from our stages, screens, and syllabi.
Because storytelling doesn’t need to sound “perfect” — it just needs to sound true.
Because when young voices speak their truth in their own language — magic happens.
Swarang was not about being polished. It was about being resonant. It was created to be an inclusive, evocative, and proudly desi platform, one where language wasn’t a barrier, but a bridge.
Vision and Mission
Vision:
To reignite pride and passion for mother tongues and regional languages among the youth of India by creating a national stage that celebrates self-expression, cultural identity, and linguistic diversity through art, performance, and poetry.
Swarang envisions a future where speaking your native language is not just respected, but revered.
Mission:
- To create an inclusive, creative, and competitive platform where students from across India can showcase their talents using their own languages.
- To revive interest in Indian languages by encouraging the reinterpretation of existing literature and creation of original works rooted in emotion, tradition, and performance.
- To spotlight the power of storytelling through Navras — the nine human emotions — and inspire participants to tap into their authentic voice and cultural core.
- To bridge the gap between modern expression and ancient tongues, reminding young creators that their mother tongue is not outdated, it’s powerful.
How It Was Structured
Swarang was originally designed to be a two-round competition, but after receiving a wave of powerful entries in Round 1, the organizing team made a bold, quality-first decision:
End it there.
One round. One shot. One chance to pour your soul out.
Why? Because while many submissions were creative, not all reflected the event’s core — reinterpretation through regional linguistic expression. Rather than compromise on the message, we chose to amplify the entries that got it just right.
Timeline Recap:
- Event dates: June 22 to July 5, 2025
- Extended deadline to July 5 at 5:30 p.m. (because creative brilliance takes time)
- Winners announced: July 6, 2025
All entries were submitted via the Unstop platform. Fully online. Fully accessible. Fully from the heart.
Who Showed Up (Participants & Reach)
Swarang 2025 brought together a vibrant tapestry of voices, with 75 registrations pouring in from across the country. From Manipal University Jaipur, Cambridge School Noida, NLUs, IITs, NIFT, University of Delhi, and more, the line up was as diverse as the dialects we celebrated.
And speaking of dialects, oh, honey. The languages were giving! We had performances in Punjabi, Assamese, Garhwali, Tamil, Marathi, Bengali, Urdu, Hindi, English, and even a few beautiful hybrid blends that defied neat labels. It wasn’t just a competition — it was a multilingual mixtape of emotion, tradition, and talent.
Each entry was carefully reviewed and colour-coded by the organising team for internal tracking: Red marked ineligible entries, Yellow flagged valid participants, and Green highlighted our eventual winners. It was a full spectrum of voices, and the energy? Unmatched.
Let’s just say, if linguistic diversity was a concert, Swarang sold out every seat.
Meet The Winners
What do a folk song, a protest poem, and an Assamese cultural revival have in common? Swarang 2025, obviously.
We weren’t just picking the “best.” We were spotlighting voices that shook us, soothed us, and straight-up stunned us. These are the performers who didn’t just show up, they showed out.
🥇 Aradhya Rawat – Winner
Aradhya Rawat from Cambridge School, Noida didn’t just perform, she honoured. With nothing but her voice and a traditional instrument, she brought the hills of Uttarakhand to life in the middle of our Swarang stage.
Her soulful rendition of a folk song was not just musical but ancestral. Awarded First Place, Aradhya reminded us that language sings, tradition breathes, and when you carry your roots with pride the whole world listens.
🥈 Trishank Krishnatreya – First Runner-Up
Trishank Krishnatreya from Cambridge School, Noida didn’t just reinterpret a timeless Assamese piece, he became it. From the traditional outfit to the thoughtfully curated background, he painted a portrait of Assam before even uttering a single word.
And when he did speak? Silence fell. Culture echoed. The past pulsed through every pause. Awarded First Runner-Up for a performance that was more than poetic — it was immersive, intentional, and utterly unforgettable. Sometimes, the most powerful stories don’t need reinvention. Just reverence.
🥉 Mehakpreet Kaur – Second Runner-Up
Mehakpreet Kaur from Manipal University Jaipur didn’t just recite poetry — she opened a time-locked door into the soul of Punjab. Her piece “Mann Di Gal” was a raw, resonant reflection on mental health in a world that never had the words for it.
Set against the shadow of Operation Blue Star, her poem was more than a performance, it was resistance, remembrance, and reclamation in the mother tongue. Awarded Second Runner-Up, Mehakpreet’s voice reminded us that pain isn’t just personal, it’s generational. And yet, it still finds a way to speak.
💫 Honorable Mentions
- Hardik Malhan
- Garisha Naidu
Both left a deep impression on our judges with their heartfelt deliveries and thematic strength. True stars in their own right.
🌀 Special Shoutouts
- Swasti Shah – Most Creative Entry
Broke the mould, bent the rules, and built her own genre. Enough said. - Khushal Gupta – Funniest Entry
Comic timing? On point. We’re still chuckling. - Pranav Nagarwal & Khyati Jain – Consolation Prizes
For bringing soul, sincerity, and so much passion to the (virtual) stage.
The Impact That’ll Outlast The Hashtags
Swarang wasn’t a trending moment. It was a turning point.
It reminded us that language is identity. That art doesn’t have to be in English to be seen. That mother tongues aren’t just for family conversations, they’re for stages, spotlights, and standing ovations too.
No algorithm could’ve captured what happened here but our hearts did. And that’s what matters.
Stay Tuned… We’re Just Getting Started
If Swarang 2025 lit a spark in your soul, keep your eyes (and ears) open because Her Campus at MUJ is just warming up. From language-led revolutions to art-for-the-heart showcases, we’re all about creating spaces where students don’t just participate — they belong.
So whether you’re a poet, a performer, a quiet writer with a loud message, or someone who simply loves a good aesthetic Google Form — stay tuned. More events, more stories, more reasons to show up exactly as you are… are coming soon.
In every language, with every emotion we’re here for it.
Until then? Write loudly. Feel deeply. And follow us to never miss the next mic drop.