Introduction
For seven days every March, Vivekananda Global University stops teaching.
Panache is VGU's cultural festival, and during it regular classes are suspended so students can take part properly. There are more than 140 competitions, every department is assigned an Indian state, and there is one trophy at the end of it. Here is how it works.
Seven Days in March, No Classes
Panache runs annually in March, across seven consecutive days.
Regular classes are suspended for the duration, which is the clearest possible statement of how seriously the festival is taken. It is not something squeezed around a timetable — the timetable moves.
The campus turns into a festival ground. Every corner is decorated, music fills the air, and wherever you walk, students are practising, performing or cheering for their departments.
More Than 140 Competitions
The festival carries over 140 competitions and activities. Some are inter-department; others are inter-college, so you compete not only with your classmates but with participants from other colleges too. They cover:
- Performance arts — singing, dancing, acting and fashion shows
- Visual arts — painting and photography
- Debate and literary contests
- Sports
- Gaming
That breadth is what makes it genuinely open. Whatever you happen to be good at, there is almost certainly something in the list for you — and plenty of students find something they did not know they were good at.
Opening Day: One State Per Department
The opening day is built around a themed presentation, and it is the most distinctive thing about Panache.
Each department is assigned a different Indian state — Assam, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and others. Students then present that state's heritage through performances and decorations.
Department areas are decorated in the state's traditional colours, artwork and cultural symbols, and students perform dances, songs and skits drawn from its traditions.
It means the first day of the festival is effectively a tour of the country, put together by students who had to go and learn about somewhere they may never have been.
The Points System and the Panache Trophy
Competitions feed into a points system, and the points decide the winner.
The department with the highest score takes the Panache Trophy and the Best Department recognition. That structure is what turns 140 separate competitions into one contest — you are not only competing for yourself, you are adding to your department's total, and that changes how people show up.
Every win adds to the department's score, students back their own department loudly, and the scoreboard is a topic of conversation every day of the week. Taking the trophy and the title of Best Department of the Year is a matter of real pride, because it reflects the work of the whole department.
Celebrity Guests and the Evenings
The festival brings in celebrity guest appearances, and each day closes with a DJ set.
The DJ night is one of the most awaited parts of the week. Students dance and sing with their friends, and those evenings are where the week stops being a competition and becomes something closer to a shared memory.
What Students Take Away From It
Organising and taking part in Panache teaches leadership, teamwork, time management and event coordination, and performing in front of a large audience builds confidence. Because it brings together students from every department, it also strengthens friendships across the university.
Conclusion
Panache gives students leadership experience, confidence and a stronger sense of community — and it does it without ever feeling like a development programme.
Seven days, 140 competitions and one trophy will teach you more about organising, performing and working with people than most things that are designed to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What is Panache at VGU Jaipur?
The seven-day cultural festival of Vivekananda Global University, held annually in March, with more than 140 competitions and activities.
Q2. When does Panache take place?
Every year in March, across seven consecutive days.
Q3. Are classes suspended during Panache?
Yes. Regular classes are suspended for the duration so students can take part fully.
Q4. How many events are there at Panache?
More than 140 competitions and activities, spanning performance arts, visual arts, debate, sports and gaming.
Q5. What is the Panache Trophy?
The award for the department with the highest score across the festival's competitions, along with Best Department recognition.
Q6. What happens on the opening day?
A themed presentation in which each department is assigned a different Indian state — Assam, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, Gujarat and others — and presents that state's heritage through performances and decorations.
Q7. Are there celebrity performances at Panache?
Yes, the festival includes celebrity guest appearances, and each evening ends with a DJ set.
Q8. Does Panache include other colleges?
Yes — the festival runs inter-college competitions as well as inter-department ones.