Diverse culture of States, countries portrayed at VIT’s Riviera 2026

Experience the vibrant cultural showcase of 24 states and international performances at VIT's Riviera 2026 event, Akiya.

A cultural confluence took place at VIT’s Riviera’ 2026 on its third day as students showcased their native culture through attire, dance, and stunts at the campus in Vellore on Saturday.

Titled as Akiya, which means togetherness, the event was aimed to provide an opportunity for students to unfold their native culture. It was a dazzling array of exotic clothes, accessories, and cultural tradition. Students from the northeast to west and down south, and even those from countries like Japan and Romania performed their traditional art and dance forms in alphabetical order.

Students from Maharashtra performed their traditional dance forms like Lavani, Gondhal, and Powada. Teams from Andhra Pradesh displayed different forms of dance such as Kuchipudi and Kolattam. Assamese students did their traditional Bihu dance. Students from Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand performed kulu wedding ceremonies accompanied with the Nati dance.

The Kerala team also enthralled the audience with various forms of dances and theatrical exhibitions. Students from Rajasthan did their traditional dance form, Ghoomar dance. Students from Tamil Nadu performed several traditional folk arts, including Mayilattam, Oyilattam, Thappattam, and Silambam.

At Akiya, which was started in 2015, art and culture of 24 States was displayed with over 800 students taking part in it. Various art forms like Chholiya (Uttarakhand), Chhau and Dhunuchi (West Bengal), Nati (Himachal Pradesh) and Ghoomar (Gujarat) were performed.

Another event that drew the attention of the audience was Thalia and Melpomene, which was named after the Greek muses of comedy and tragedy. It was a full-length stage play competition organized by the VIT Dramatics Club as part of Riviera. The event invites teams to bring complete theatrical narratives to life, emphasizing acting, direction, script strength, and effective stagecraft. Each team was given an hour to perform their stage play.