KU’s annual youth festival Sonzal-2025 begins

Srinagar : The University of Kashmir (KU) on Thursday inaugurated its annual youth festival Sonzal 2025 at the Main Campus.
The week-long festival, organized by the Division of Youth Affairs under the Department of Students Welfare (DSW) at the university, is set to take place from November 20 to 27. This intra-university event aims to bring together students from various affiliated colleges and departments to participate in a range of literary, cultural, and fine arts competitions. Activities include quizzes, debates, elocution, collage-making, poster-making, painting, rangoli, cartoon-making, clay modeling, and both Indian and Western vocal performances. During the inaugural session, Vice-Chancellor Prof. Nilofer Khan emphasized that the festival, known as Sonzal, embodies the creative and intellectual aspirations of students. She highlighted the university’s commitment to providing platforms for self-expression, learning, and pride in individual abilities. The festival is designed to foster participation, teamwork, and confidence among students from diverse academic backgrounds, complementing their academic learning with essential life skills. Other university officials, including Dean Academic Affairs Prof. Shariefuddin Pirzada and Dean Research Prof. Mohammad Sultan Bhat, noted that Sonzal offers students a valuable opportunity to engage with new ideas and explore their talents outside the classroom. They reaffirmed the university’s dedication to expanding student-centric initiatives, with Sonzal being one of the most anticipated events of the year. The inaugural ceremony featured musical performances by the ‘Sufi Brothers’ band from the J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, as well as the university’s ‘Pashmina Band.’ The event was attended by various university officials, faculty members, and hundreds of students from both the campus and affiliated colleges. The first day included a painting competition, showcasing students’ creativity and artistic expression. The festival is sponsored by J&K Bank, J&K Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, and Cemtac Cements, with the proceedings managed by Dr. Shahid Ali Khan, Cultural Officer DSW KU and organizing secretary of the event.