It is a technical fest not to be forgotten! The 5-day Shaastra 2008 of IIT Madras came to a roaring end on Sunday. Five days of non-stop fun, activity, entertainment and brain teasers have kept the crowd coming in! And this year, Shaastra 2008 is doubly special as it coincides with the golden jubilee year of IIT Madras!

Shaastra has something special to offer every year. So what were the major attractions for 2008? For the very first time, IIT has teamed up with the Indian Armed Forces, as a result of which, the Arjun Tank, hot air balloons and missiles have been displayed for the public at the fest. Additionally, the Daredevil team from the armed forces also performed for the students amidst great cheer and applause.

And of course, if you are a Formula 1 car fan, then Shaastra has something for you as well! Renault Nissan, one of the sponsors, put up on display one of their F1 cars! If not for anything else, the crowd definitely came in to catch a glimpse of this car!

But the main attraction was Shaastra Nights, a combination of a Robotics show where robots dance, skate and climbs; Follow the Light which was dedicated to computer graphics; and the wondrous laser show which told a story of its own, put up at the open air theatre.

Says Suryodin about the laser show, "It was spectacular! I don't think I've ever seen such a good laser show. It definitely lived upto all expectations."

There were a wide range of events to participate in but the spotlight was on The Ultimate Engineer, Pentathlon and Industrial Open House. There were a number of Design events, as well as workshops on robotics, computer security, speed math, nanoscience, boomerang, and Rubiks cube workshop. And definitely worthy of mention are the video conferences arranged with Nobel laureates and other lectures and demonstrations.

'The Spirit of Engineering' was showcased through their highlight, Want To Fly. This is a system where a ground station computer would fly their aircraft through predefined coordinates automatically.

There were also events dealing with Applied Engineering, building and modeling, entrepreneurship and a number of online events and quizzes. And not to forget the other events to unwind with like science fiction writing, puzzles, and screening of videos and movies!

All in all, Shaastra 2008 was a festival that will be etched not only in the minds of IITians but also every person who visited IIT during those 5 days! The spirit of competition was thick in the air, as was the final motive to just let loose and have a good time!

Rashmi Kumar